Happiness to me was explored yesterday ( Weād, 12/22) when my sister and nephew visited for the day. My kids, my sister and I all made cookies while listening to Christmas music. It just brought out the twinkle in my kids eyes. That right there makes me happy and warms my heart!
Especially this time of year. I lost two auntās in the same year, one on Christmas day and the other on New Years day. This time of year also brings back memories of when my kids father was alive and we had everything we could ask for. But, the memories are happy ones!
More happiness will be on Christmas morning when the kids awaken. Thatās always magical! 
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Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - The Magick of Happiness
Well, my MP3 player will no longer talk to my computer, the little brat! So I ordered a new oneā¦came yesterday. Yea! Thatās happy for me.
Canāt say Iām laughing (like a fool) happy 24/7.
Visiting my kids makes me happy.
But, remember, at my age [1001], content is good, satisfied is nice.
The man (Rich) has given me almost everything I asked for. Actually, I had met all my lifeās goals by 35. Where do you go from there? Well, Rich wouldnāt let me skydive or ride the rapids of the Colorado River. Wouldnāt let me fly in one of those new, really super helicopters.
āToo dangerous.ā (Sissy.)
Old saying: āNo one can make you happy but you.ā
Peace on earth?
Nice, but unlikely. People love war in a weird, macabre way.
End all disease?
Unrealisticā>over population. Youād have babies falling out of the trees there would be so many.
So, anything you wish to improve mankind is almost self defeating before you get started.
Perhaps it isnāt really what makes you happy, itās how.
OK, done with defeatist talk.
The Magic of Happiness:
I like kittens, Babies (baby anything). Well, maybe not snakes.
OH! I Knowā>
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Super soft Double Chocolate Banana Bread. So moist, full of banana flavor & loaded with chocolate. So delicious & the recipe only takes 10 minutes to make!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 343kcal
Author: Fiona Dowling
Ingredients
- ā cup unsalted butter , melted & cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Ā¼ cup mashed bananas , about 3 bananas
- 1 Ā¼ cup all-purpose flour , spooned & leveled
- Ā½ cup cocoa powder (yummy - chocolate )
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Ā½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Isnāt that interesting?)
- Ā¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (yummy - chocolate )
You can add nuts if you donāt think itās too over the top.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang, [or grease and flour.]
- In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter and sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla.
- Stir in the mashed bananas.
- Fold in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour/spoon the batter into your prepared pan.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (minus any melted chocolate chips).
- Allow the bread to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting into slices.
Notes
*Store leftovers in an airtight container**Banana bread can be wrapped tightly in clingfilm and frozen for up to 2 months. Though in the fridge.
Nutrition
Itās chocolate and bananas, who cares!
Calories: 343kcal
And absolute magick!
Now is that happy, or what?
(yummy - chocolate )
Bless you all, happy Holidays
Garnet
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@Susurrus Gratitude work absolutely goes hand-in-hand with happiness, thatās a great idea, Siofra! I just looked back over the challenge and I canāt believe I didnāt add in anything about gratitude work- thank you for mentioning it here! 
It sounds like you have some great plans in mind for the challenge- have fun with it!
@Kasandra If ājarringā wasnāt a word, it is now! 
Seems like a perfectly fine verb to me, and easier to say than ājar workā. Enjoy your jarring and journaling, Kasandra! 
@Christina4 That is so sweet, Christina- Iām so glad that you and your family enjoyed such a happy moment together 
The holidays can seem much darker with recent losses on the mind, so Iām glad you are still finding moments that bring out the twinkle and warmth. May you treasure the happy memories from the past as you all make new happy memories to look upon in the future- wishing all the best to you and your loved ones! 
@Garnet Sorry about your old mp3 player, but awesome that you were able to get a nice new one! 
Reading your post made me smile- you have such a fun life story, Garnet! I think you are amazing for achieving your goals and finding happiness in your own unique way, you are an inspiration! And hooray for the recipe- Iām in the same boat, anything with chocolate = happiness to me too 
Wishing the same to you, Blessed Holidays!
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Thank you so much
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Oh, what a great challenge and perfect timing. I always have a hard time at the end of a year with being disappointed at things that I did wrong or being upset with myself for not doing more. Perhaps ending a year with happiness is the better choice.
Iāve got a few things that caught my attention so weāll have to see what I end up picking or perhaps combining to try my hand at the Magick of Happiness.
(love this card from my new deck!)
Thank you for this wonderful challenge
Kat
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Seasons Greetings! For this challenge, I made a witch ball for my son to add to his Christmas presents. I wanted it to have protective elements in it as I wonāt be with him at Christmas but I also wanted it to have a sensory aspect. I put a note with it that itās meant to be held and smelled rather than hung as it is kind of heavy and the top comes off when I try to hang it. But it smells wonderful!
I had a lot of fresh ever greens on my mantel and I added the artificial red berries for color. The solar salt I made last week smells so good! I was going to add a lock of my hair to the ball as a taglock but I decided to just insert it and swirl it around and then I removed it to be on the safe side. I blessed it and put it in his gift bag. I made a jar like it for myself - for happy mood.
3 citrine crystals - happiness
Cedar - protection, healing, purification
Chamomile - love, healing and reducing stress
Cinnamon - healing, protection and prosperity
Cypress - healing, calming, overcome grief
Fir - protection, prosperity, Yule
Juniper - protection, health, attracts positive energy
Orange peel - love, joy, abundance, spiritual connection
Pine - blesses home, strength, repels negative energy
Rosemary - health, memory, remove negative energy
Sage - healing, cope with grief, repels negative energy
Solar Salt - (Kosher and Himalyan pink salt, cinnamon, chamomile, orange peel)
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This week, happiness was explored through magickal baking. Every year, I bake numerous amounts of Christmas cookies 
while listening to retro Christmas music. This time of year is difficult for me, as this was a time when my family used to gather and create cookies and tamales by hand, but as I have gotten older, many of those relatives passed (most due to old age). I continue the tradition, and have passed it onto my children. This act of keeping memories and spirits alive always makes me smile (and sometimes cry because I long for those who have left this plane). I can always feel my ancestors with me as I create our food. This, to me, is one way in which I pursue happiness and feel magic around me 
- and it is most certainly present this year 
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@Christina4 Youāre very welcome, Christina! 
@Artemisia Iām sorry this time of year is usually a hard one for you- and you arenāt alone, thereās another thread called Yule and a Lazy Witch where many folks have said the same- it can be a really tough time for a whole bunch of reasons. I think you are very strong for hanging in there! And choosing to end the year with happiness is so inspirational, good for you for taking the power into your own hands! That is the perfect card- I feel happy just looking at his cute little face and the bright flowers. What a great interpretation of The Sun, thanks for sharing Katnabis! 
@mary25 Seasons Greetings to you too, Mary! Wow- look at that witch ball! 
That was brilliant to include the solar salts, and from looking at the ingredients I can image just how amazing it smells 
That is a gift worthy of a king, Mary- your son is very blessed indeed! Thank you so much for sharing both your experience and the recipe!
@Athena Beautifully written, Athena- it sounds like a happy time mixed with the bittersweetness of nostalgia. I hope you enjoyed your magickal baking (any cookies left? Iām on my way! 
) as you honored a special tradition. May those who have moved on continue to watch over and guide you- it is a very beautiful thing to connect across time through beloved family traditions Great job and thank you for sharing!
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Iāve got to admit that my whole life has been an adventure. I just thought of simple, mundane things as an adventure. āLetās go to the grocery store.ā And it can be, itās just a matter of attitude. A trip to Europeā¦oh yea.
A walk in the woods? Yep. Mom and I used to āwalk the landā every night, talk about the day. (Those were nice adventures that I had forgotten. Thank you kindly Bry.)A cruise to the Caribbeanā¦you betcha.
Life is what you make of it. Fun or Foul?
Garnet
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I love this challenge! Self love is my new year resolution. I combined todayās daily ritual with the weekly challenge. I hope thatās ok. I made a self love bottle. I included white sugar, rosemary, hibiscus, bay leaf, lemon peel, rose petals, pink tourmaline, and garnet. Then I sealed it with pink candle wax.
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Oh, I absolutely love everything about this idea! It looks beautiful and can imagine how amazing it must smell! What a wonderful gift. Well done!!!
Kat
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I usually try to write something of my own on these challenges but thereās nothing more perfect this week than sharing this video with yāall. Itās a tradition in my family to watch the Christmas Carol. Every version you can find. This comes from one of my favorite versions and is so fitting I just had to share it with you.
Happy Yule everyone!
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[quote=āGarnet, post:12, topic:17613ā]
Life is what you make of it
[/quote]Such a good point @Garnet Adventures can be found every where, and in the most unlikely of places! Life is beautiful and you never know where or when your next adventure may be!
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That is such a great idea, and it is very beautiful!
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Iāve been here all of 5 minutes and this is exactly where I should be! Happiness is where I was lead in the first step of my journey to evolve. I stumbled onto this site searching for more involved shadow work! WHAT A BLESSING!
To start the happiness change/challenge I am going to shadow journal and color vibrant!
So Mote!
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Yes! The Muppets are a treasure on this earth!
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@Ostara what a beautiful self-love bottle. You have an amazing talent there!
I had the same thought line with adding some New Yearās resolutions with my own spell jar. Iāve had itchy witchy fingers since making my emotional healing spell jar for a previous challenge and Iāve been wanting to make another.
I wanted to try and incorporate some joy and happiness in 2022 after the disaster of 2021 so i used:
Mint
Rosemary
Fennel Seeds
Cinnamon
Basil
Sea Salt
Bay Leaves
Star Anise
Oregano
Thyme
Yellow Rose Petals
Charged with a Citrine crystal.
I think maybe I was a little heavy on the wax. Iāve never sealed a bottle with wax before and this is only the second spell jar that I have made.
If any one is curious as to what the purple and white layers are at the bottom. Itās amethyst and clear quartz sand. Iāve discovered a new thing and I kind of want to use it in as much of my spell work as I can. I very much had an āooooooā moment in my favourite crystal shop.
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There has been a lot of rain over this week. As lovely as it is to have the rain, it does mean very little sun for us. By some beautiful miracle today, Christmas Eve, the sun came out in full force! My dog and I hit the park and spent some quality time with the Sun. I sat for a long time in meditation feeling the Sun beaming onto my face. I could feel my cheeks turning rosey. I was able to consider how blessed I am this year and what makes me most happy. If I may, I will keep my list of blessings to myself, but it was extensive and I feel like that is the best gift I could have ever gotten this season. Thank you for this challenge. I feel like it helped me feel a little extra glitter and magic this week. 
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That is beautiful!
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They always make me smile!
It looks good I think! And Iām oooing with you! Quartz and amethyst sand. Neat!
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