🎆 WITCH CHALLENGE - New Beginnings

[BryWisteria]

Merry meet,

Thank you once again to all those who joined in for the previous Witch Challenge - Catch-Up .

The 250th challenge has come to a close and the challenge clock has restarted once again - we’re off on a new adventure!

The theme for this challenge welcomes the new Gregorian year and is…

New Beginnings

Magick for change, a fresh start, and new opportunities

It’s time to wave goodbye to 2025 and say hello to 2026. Are you ready? I know it can be tough to carve out time during the holidays, but starting a new year feeling grounded can do a lot to improve the coming 12 months. And prep doesn’t have to be complicated, fancy, or energy-draining.

From tidying up to setting goals, casting spells for a fresh start or simply looking ahead - there are many easy and fun ways to get yourself magically ready for a new beginning. Let’s make a blessed start to 2026!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

This challenge is about new beginnings - how you choose to take on this theme is up to you. So are you ready? Because it’s…

CHALLENGE TIME!

New Year Traditions Printable Page from Spells8: Pagan New Year Rituals

---

---

A Magickal Start

This challenge is about a new year with new beginnings - as always, feel free to explore the theme in a way that aligns with you and your unique practice.

Still not sure where to begin? To help you get started, here are a few suggested spells and other ways in which a witch might approach this challenge.

Please make sure you are logged into your Spells8 Account so you can view all of the resources shared!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spells for New Beginnings

Spells, Rituals & Symbols of New Beginnings

Salt Water Ritual: A Powerful New Year’s Spell

Elemental Road Opener to Unlock Paths

Door Opener Job Spell

January Key Spell for New Beginnings

Cinnamon Abundance Ritual

Easy Fire Spell for a Fresh Start

DIY Wish Box to Manifest Your Goals

Additional resources and related discussions:

• Good Luck Rituals in New Year's Eve 🎇
• Intentions Jar Spell - New Year New Intentions
• A Ritual For Entering The New Year
• Witchy New Year Planning || Manifest in 2025! 🎉 [new video]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Looking Forward

How to Set Spiritual Goals

Start a BoM: A Witch’s Development Journal

Prepare for 2026: Wheel of the Year Calendar

Peering Into 2026: Collective Tarot Reading by @MeganB

Make a Manifestation Vision Board for 2026

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

…And More!

The suggestions above are just a few ideas to help kickstart your creativity. If you feel called to explore the challenge theme in another way, you are welcome to do so.

🔮 Why Make Moon Water on New Year's Eve & More Witchy Rituals

Video by Spells8: Make Moon Water on New Year’s Eve

---

---

How to Join the Challenge

In order for your entry to be counted, all you have to do is write/share about your experience and label it as your challenge entry. There is a lot of chatting here (which is awesome- chatting and discussion are very welcome!) so please clearly write that it is your entry so I know to count it!

Where Do I Share My Entry?

Click here to learn where to share your challenge entry

You are welcome to post it right here- just click “reply” to this post and write your experience in the text box that pops up!

Alternatively, you could create a new post in the forum (this is good for when you have a lot to share and/or would like to discuss aspects of your entry not related to the current theme)

Note: If you do choose to create a new thread, please add the “challenge-entry” tag and/or add a hyperlink back to this post so that it can be easily found- thank you!

Click here for a note for our lovely lurkers

Everyone is welcome to join the challenge. For those who would like the challenge prizes, please know that you will need to share your experience if you want to receive a prize and a public shout-out.

Don’t feel comfortable sharing? No fear! For lurkers and those who are shy, it is absolutely okay to follow along with the challenge on the sidelines. At the end of the day, these challenges are here to help you help yourself by expanding and enhancing your personal magickal practice. I hope they can be helpful for you!

---

Deadline

This challenge will close in 13 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 AM EDT (Eastern US Time)
2026-01-13T12:00:00Z

(Note that the time zone is ET- if you don’t see your time displayed above, you can use this time zone calculator to check for your time zone!)

---

Prizes

For their efforts, all participants will receive a special shout-out and a small prize!

Acknowledgments will be given in a Props and Presents Post that will appear in the forums the day the challenge closes.

After the challenge closes, you are still very welcome to post but please be aware that no additional prizes will be given. This discussion will remain open for about a week after the challenge finishes.

From Spells8: Look Ahead: A 6-Card Tarot Spread for the Future

A warm reminder that the challenges are designed to be very open - everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that honors and reflects their unique practice

If you’re not sure whether or not something is acceptable to post, please double-check with the Forum FAQ and/or reach out to your friendly Moderator Team.

And for those new to challenges - welcome! Know that the goal of these activities is to help you further diversify and strengthen your abilities. The challenges hope to bring together the Spells8 forum family in ways that inspire and support one another. I hope you have fun with them!

From Spells8: Janus’ New Beginnings Key Spell

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Bells ring as the sky fills with light-
A new beginning is now within sight
Raise your glass and cut worries free
In this new year, you’ll blessed be!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Happy new year and may 2026 be kind to you!

[BryWisteria]

Pick the Challenge Badge

The tradition continues! Let us know - which title do you like the most?

(Poll is anonymous)

• Reborn Witch
• Spiritually Refreshed
• Practitioner with a Plan
• Road Opener
• Embarking on a New Journey

The title with the most votes will be awarded to all challenge entrants.

Thanks for sharing your vote - blessed be!

[katharina]

@BryWisteria this is my entry for my first Witch Challenge! Wohooo!

Although I’ve practiced witchcraft for a very long time, I’d never had a formal initiation ceremony of any kind. I took the Spells8 Self Initiation course the last few days, and tonight—under the almost full moon—I performed a small ritual just for myself. I followed the instructions in the video and found it beautiful! It felt good, like when married couples renew their vows kind of feeling.

Then I immediately used the energies to recharge two of my spell jars: one is a protective spell for our home, the other is a healing spell for my daughter.

Afterwards, I tackled my manifestation box: I consigned the petitions to the fire, cleansed the crystals, then fumigated the box, and now it also stands on my altar to be filled again next year.

I feel ready for the new year 2026. Bring it on!

[tracyS]

This is beautiful, I love your altar, what a beautiful way to welcome in 2026.

[katharina]

@tracyS thank you!
I also did the big tarot spread for the January Tarot Journey and now I´m tired. I´m going to have some soup, snuggle up in a blanket with my cat and watch a movie.

Much love and a happy, blessed new year!

[tracyS]

You too lovely

[Medea]

Hi, my sister, which your altar is absolutely beautiful. I can tell you’re a very clean organized person. I like seeing that and it shows and your alts are beautiful, how sweet to add your daughter.
MOTE IT BE
Medea

[Greenbriar]

Congratulations on your initiation ritual! Your altar looks wonderful.

[katharina]

Thank you @Medea for your kind words! I´m trying my best to keep everything organized but truth be told, sometimes things go overboard a bit! After all my altar is a workspace where magick happens. So, I feel it´s okay if it´s a bit chaotic and covered in incense dust at times.

[katharina]

Thank you so much, @Greenbriar

[Greenbriar]

I think my little watercolor BOS pages are going to be my entry for this challenge.

Have to wait for the good paper to get here though!

[Artemisia]

Challenge Entry - New Beginnings

Continuing the discussion from January 2026's Tarot Journey:

One of my goals this year is to strengthen my own tarot skills by doing my readings entirely by hand, sitting with the cards, using my guidebooks and trusted resources, and letting the process be slower and messier as necessary.

My mantra this year for reading is:

• I allow this reading to be slow, imperfect, and mine.

with that in mind, on to the 12-card/12-month spread for 2026! I’ve got half of it done today and will work on the other half tomorrow.

I’m using the Coastal Crow & Raven deck

• January Awaken

Strength - Even without looking at a guidebook, these two words go well together. Awaken the Strength within me Starting my week, month, heck my year by doing the hard thing when I want to take the easy way, by being patient and always seeing the joy in the little things.

---

• February Align

Two of Pentacles (Reversed) - this deck sees things as What the Ocean Brings in (upright) and What the Tide Pulls Out (reversed), and in the case the tide pulls out: feeling overwhelmed, taking on too many tasks, losing fun. So February will be a time where I need to remember to let the things that aren’t important go, to say no when I’m at my max bandwidth and never stop having fun.

---

• March Prepare

The Moon (Reversed) - what the tide pulls out - fantasy, fear of the unknown. Prepare this month to make my way by discerning feeling from fact and letting my intuition guide me while still checking my course against the map.

---

• April Initiate

Four of Wands - In that pause after completion of a project or a goal, I need to remember to take the time to celebrate and to see what’s good right now.

---

• May Harmonize

Queen of Pentacles - Her power lies in knowing what resources she has, how to grow them and when to share in ways that nourish rather then deplete. The trick is to share and support others when I have extra to give, and not to overextend myself by giving more than I can.

---

• June Refine

Nine of Pentacles - Sustainability requires periods of rest not endless hustle which means refining my schedule and goals to make sure I’m making time for me to pause, reflect, rest and recharge.

---

• July Transform

Seven of Pentacles - What a perfect card for this theme!

Guidebook:

The tide washed u wisdom, not urgency. It offers the grace to refine your efforts, to plant again with intention, and to trust that slow growth is not wasted time, but a strong foundation.

I can transform my anxiety from my tendency to procrastinate on an overload of projects into calm, knowing that I can plan without pressure, stick to schedules, and enjoy the journey.

---

• August Master

Page of Wands - Perfect card for this word. The page of wands is one of curiosity and creativity, saying yes before you know exactly how it will unfold. I often have creative visions for projects, but get stuck not knowing exactly how to do each and every step before I start. Creativity can be messy, and that’s ok. I can’t master a skill if I never actually try.

---

• September Express

Three of Wands - Hmmm, this might be one that I understand the connection as we get closer.

Guidebook:

The Three is Wands brings expansion and forward momentum, the exhilaration of seeing your plan take shape in motion.

I take it back, this makes sense, especially in relation to the previous Month’s Word and card pull. This month, I’m meant to take those steps to achieve my creative vision(s) and express my visions and dreams.

---

• October Learn

Six of Wands -

---

• November Apply

Three of Pentacles (Reversed) -

---

• December Manifest

Six of Cups (Reversed) -

[Phoenix_Fire]

Loved the altar. I even saw the singing bowl and got excited. I got a tiny singing bowl for Christmas and was looking at redoing my altar space . My meditation musical instruments were all set up near my diety cards hoping I’d practice more if I had them easy access but I love how you’ve put your singing bowl as a part of your altar space. I had started tapping the bowl 3 times now and then as a cantering practice to stop and breathe along with the sound of the singing bowl ..im so going to look at how I can incorporate my bowl with my new altar set up when I do it. Thanks for sharing your photos of altar. They all look awesome and congrats for participating in your first witch challenge.

[Phoenix_Fire]

Challenge entry

So I’ve had health, grief, drama and all sorts that ended my 2026. A memorial literally falling at the end of December right before new years eve.

Id lost my path in all the chaos of the past year and I had posted a message on the forum elsewhere mentioning starting my practice agsin and refreshing my path with a new book of shadows to reflect past and present interests and practices i wanted to include.

Additions to previous was including holistic wellbeing, reiki, taichi/yoga and mindfulness practices and sound healing. I even found a witchy yoga video channel i wanted to go back to. I was excited to see the current challenge fit right into whst i was working on so I thought id show my first page of my new book of shadows.

Its just the start but I guess that’s the point..the start to a new journey in the new year. I eve grabbed my pencils out to make it creative abd colourful too which as a bit of fun to the pages.

* Obviously my dates and references related to the southern hemisphere just incase anyone gets confused.

[katharina]

Hello @Phoenix_Fire and merry meet!

@Phoenix_Fire

… incorporate my bowl with my new altar set up

I’m using my singing bowl daily, so I want to have it right at hand. My altar is tiny, so everything gets moved around a lot, but in the end it works out.

@Phoenix_Fire

your first witch challenge.

Thank you!
Yes, I’m fairly new here, I joined mid November and I really love it here. For the first time in my life I’m experiencing witchy community and it’s awesome.

[katharina]

Awesome! Starting a new Book of Shadows is always exciting.
My BOS is a central part of my practice, so I’m always happy to see others diving into this.

[tracyS]

Challenge Entry

New Beginnings

2026 is the year of the runes for me.

I have dabbled in chaos magic, tarot, oracle, traditional, demonolatry, heathenism, Nordic, Celtic, wicca, divination methods, Luciferian, Pagan, Folklore , Christian witchcraft and so many more, 2025 was an exploration, in fact 2020 to 2025. But I feel I’ve gotten closure, healing and revelation.

So 2026 is the year I wish to become a master of something, as the saying goes:

You can be a master of nothing and a workman of everything

So my 2026 new beginning is to focus on the runes, that will include a deeper more philosophical understanding of the myth, the gods, the culture of the runes, energy work with runes much like Reiki, divination and probably a few surprises.

The runes do require initiation, weird huh, but they do. How does that happen?

Once I’ve learnt all the aspects of one rune, I will then perform a ritual to embed that runes energy into my chakra system, sounds easy but it’s not, I’ve failed so many times to date but it just means I’m not there yet. Once initiated into the runic energy I’ll be able to see the runes in my minds eye, tap into the right rune for the relevant chakra, and be at one with each rune. Just gotta hit those books and do the exercises.

(One ritual involves Uti-Seta - sitting in deep meditation outside, for a night (sunset to sunrise) under the stars, under a tree or leaning against a wall or something, and experience this deep state of meditation out in nature- sounds romantic well you’re not alone are you! There’s the spiders, bugs, worms, and all manner of creepy crawlies as well mind so yeah, not done this yet, nope but I will , done a mini one but not the full deal - yet! )

Lots to learn, experience and overcome. Hail the gods cuz I’m gonna need their help with the whole Uti-Seta full night thing.

So here’s to 2026 The Year of the Runes. Let’s do this.

Skal

[Artemisia]

I waited too long doing the readings on my last three cards, and my post locked me out

Here are the last three I couldn’t add.

October Learn

Six of Wands - This one might not make sense to anyone else, but the way I see this card - a card of success and celebration, in relation to the word, is that I need to learn how to celebrate my success at the very least and to be more open to sharing my victories. Currently, I talk myself out of things by saying it wasn’t a big deal, other people have done it better and no one actually wants to hear about the things I do.

---

• November Apply

Three of Pentacles (Reversed) - I think this might be (at least right now in January) my hardest card to connect to the prompt. I suppose time will tell if this relates specifically to a working relationship or collaboration, or if it refers to something more internal, and maybe once that becomes clearer, I’ll understand the connection to Apply.

---

• December Manifest

Six of Cups (Reversed) - Manifest joy. Six of Cups reminds me to stay in touch with that inner child, that spark that takes delight in the silly things, in the little things, in the beauty all around me.

[Jeannie1]

So beautiful I love the evil eye for protection!!
I love the art seems like you put a lot of passion into it. It looks really beautiful.!

New Beginnings – Full Moon Road Opener

For this challenge, I created a road opener working under the Full Moon, focusing on clarity, forward movement, and alignment. I built four roses as symbols of unfolding paths and intentional growth.

Each color carried meaning:
• Pink for relationships, compassion, and heart-centered connections
• Purple for wisdom, intuition, and higher guidance
• Black for protection, grounding, and releasing what no longer serves

As I worked, I focused on clearing obstacles and inviting opportunities that align with my highest good. The experience felt calm, intentional, and affirming—like setting a clear signal to move forward with trust and openness into the new year.
Jeannie

[katharina]

@Jeannie1

love the evil eye for protection

Thank you! It was a flea market find, and I could not not buy it.

@Jeannie1

I built four roses as symbols of unfolding paths and intentional growth.

What a fun and creative way to express your magick! Lovely!