❤️‍🔥 WITCH CHALLENGE - Passion in Your Practice

[BryWisteria]

Merry meet,

Thank you once again to all those who joined in for the previous Witch Challenge - Turning Trash into Treasure

After a little resourcefulness, it’s time to crank up enthusiasm to new heights - we’re getting passionate about the practice!

The theme for this challenge celebrates the start of the fiery season of The Lion and is…

Passion in Your Practice

Let your love, creativity, and magick shine bright

Welcome to the astrological season of The Lion. Leo is a fire elemental sign and ruler of Fifth Astrological House of pleasure, creativity, and self-expression. That makes leo season a fiery time of year both elementally and temperature-wise! Why not grab the reins of that energy and temper it into your magick? This challenge honors passion in all forms. From expressive art to showy sorcery, love spells to creative crafting, gratitude rituals and more. What makes you passionate about your practice? And how do you express that love in your craft?

Get ready to burn bright and beautiful - come join your coven for some passionate magick!

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

CHALLENGE TIME!

Spells8: Love Oil Recipe

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Magick from the Heart

Not sure where to begin? To help you get started exploring this theme, 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!

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Fire Magick

Red Candle Spell

Fire Elemental Invocation

Fire Energy Spell for Motivation

Road Opener Fire Spell

Fennel Herbal Magick: Fire & Life

Tarot Suit of Wands: Fire Elemental Suit

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Love Spells

Fire Flowers Love Spell

Real Love Spells

Sending Love and Light to Others

Easy Self-Love Spells

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Art Magick & Creative Expression

Art Witch Deities

Art & Witchcraft

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Self Empowerment

Strong Voice Sigil to Claim Your Power

Solar Plexus Charka: Radiate Confidence

Self Confidence Ritual with the ‘Fearless Sigil’

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…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.

Are you an Art Witch? 🎨 How I incorporate art into my practice! [CC]

Video by @MeganB shared in Are you an Art Witch?

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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!

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Deadline

This challenge will close in 13 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, August 4 at 7:00 AM EDT (Eastern US Time)
2026-08-04T11:00:00Z

(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!)

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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: Inner Fire Tea Blend

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: Burn a Bay Leaf to Manifest a Wish

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Spells show your passion, your heart and desire
All that you are shines bright as a fire
So weave your intention in all that you do
As you practice magick, you stay true to you!

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Blessed be

[BryWisteria]

Pick the Challenge Badge

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

(Poll is anonymous)

• Passionate Practitioner
• Showy Sorcerer
• Expressive Eclectic
• Magick Lover
• Fervent Witch

The option with the most votes will be awarded to all challenge entrants. Thanks for helping us pick the challenge badge!

[Feathertip]

Love this! Can’t wait to read the entries and will do my best to participate this time around.

Thanks, Bry!

[Amethyst]

Oh, this is just perfect! Thank you!

[julie8]

What an awesome challenge
I will certainly have a bit to talk about for this challenge. I have been married for 42 years and we have been together for 47. We go away for our anniversary every year and I always do a little love spell for us. So this will be great to see what others do as well.

[BryWisteria]

@Feathertip

Thanks, Bry!

My pleasure! If you find yourself with time and energy for an entry, I’ll look forward to reading it

@Amethyst

Thank you!

You’re welcome! The start of Leo Season seemed like a good time for a passionate theme

@julie8

We go away for our anniversary every year and I always do a little love spell for us.

That’s such a lovely way to mark the occasion and celebrate your relationship! I’m looking forward to reading your passion magick entry

[katharina]

Oh, that´s a lovely challenge! Thank you @BryWisteria for creating it!
It reminds me of a love-potion recipe I once had…and used, too! I really wonder in which grimoire it might be…I´ll try finding it.

[BryWisteria]

@katharina

I really wonder in which grimoire it might be…I´ll try finding it.

Oohhhh sounds like a very interesting recipe! Good luck with the search (I’d love to see it if it can be found!)

[BryWisteria]

One week to go!

Leo season is burning bright and the temperature is high - a big thank you to everyone who has explored their fiery passion, ideas, and magick so far!

For those still pondering about the theme, rest assured that plenty of time remains on the challenge clock. There is one more week until this challenge closes.

Looking forward to reading your entries!

Blessed be

[georgia]

Challenge Entry

I am having some difficulty with this week’s challenge. I’d really like to grab hold of someone I care about who is having problems right now and cast everything I can to help her. The thing is I know she has to learn to do some things for herself. I also know the Creator is working behind the scenes, testing her trust as well as my own, but still creating the best possible outcome. In my experience, that can mean getting active at the last possible minute, which is unnerving, but necessary.

Where is the limit of my energetic excitement?

Where do I step back and watch what is already under way?

What have I done to make the process more difficult?

How can I provide comfort or make it flow more smoothly?

All of this is refining my ability to make wishes come true. Then again, this is a bigger wish than most people make for themselves, with more at stake. I know it can come true because I’m living proof of it: I taught her by example that it was possible.

When do I refocus the energy of a spell from creating to gratitude? In this particular case, it may need the change sooner than the point of manifestation, just to break through toward clarity and communication.

[Feathertip]

Challenge Entry - Passion in Your Practice

I was inspired by the video that Bry posted above, from @MeganB about making art - and how it relates to our individual practices. Thank you, you amazing woman!

As a Pagan, most of my art has been expressions of wonder and love toward this Earth - as a result, I have painted quite a few very “non-realistic” landscapes.

I’ve grown shy of posting much of these landscapes online, because the feedback I’ve received has been framed as “helpful advice” to get me to use more “realistic” colors. But that is not what I see; that is not what I feel when I look at the Earth; I don’t relate to realism in my artwork. (Not even with photography, but that’s another story.)

My vision, and the passion that emanates from it, is expressed through the intensity of color.

Does that mean I’m a fabulous artist? Far from it - but that doesn’t stop me from making it. The making of it, the expression of it, is actually the thing that matters. I leave it to artists that are much more superior to me to represent it in realistic terms, which are, of course, stunning in their accuracy of the Earth’s beauty!

When I stood in a field one evening and watched - and listened - to a large flock of geese in formation, heading across the open field, I was struck by wonder by the beauty of their honking calls to one another. Their instinct to fly in formation is a wonder to me.

Here is my interpretation of that moment, rendered in oil pastels. I called this painting “A Little Night Music.”

I painted sunsets for awhile. The sky is always inspirational!

And I was inspired to do this winter scene when I passed this beautiful evergreen. This was on a dull overcast winter day, and my memory of the tree allowed me to go very mellow and soft with the colors on this one.

And here is one I have posted here before; this is my recent portrait of Gaia. No realism here, either. To me, Gaia is intense, beautiful, kind, direct, and always with a lot on her mind.

All of these were done with oil pastels. I like oil pastels because of the elimination of holding a tool, such as a paintbrush, between my brain and what’s coming from my hand. The direct placement of the oil pastel (which look like crayons) onto the paper is something that feels more tactile to me, more precise. It works better with my brain, somehow.

Art, and painting, is the best expression of passion in my practice.

[Moonbeam]

@georgia

@georgia

I am having some difficulty with this week’s challenge.

I can fully resonate with that. Your care to help someone going through similar problems that you have been through yourself and guiding and supporting her to endeavour to achieve the best possible outcome is such a selfless act. She is blessed to have you in her corner.

@Feathertip

I did not realise that you are such a brilliant artist I am lost for words how breathtaking they all are. When I look at each one it is how can I describe being drawn into each painting they are so different and yet bring a feeling of tranquility and peace. You must get so much pleasure to see behind the immediate view and turn it into something that comes from within you. I know that you will not think of selling your paintings but is there somewhere you can exhibit as I truly feel that you are a passionate artist and clearly this comes out in your paintings. I feel privileged to have seen them. Thank you.

I don’t know how I can follow both of your entries but here goes

Challenge Entry - Passion in Your Practice

This was a hard challenge as who I am and the gift I have is so personal and my passion cannot always be put into words. Passion can come in many forms love for family, nature, strangers that cross our path and our ability to show compassion, resilience when we are faced with difficult situations the light and magic is within us.

There was many things I thought of like a spell bottle or bag, a potion, sigil. I am happily married and have already created some of these.

I thought that as we celebrate the Sabatt of Lunasa, Lammas, Lughnasadh I would create a Love and Joy Spell using the fruit of an apple and pear to honour this Sabbat.

ITEMS NEEDED

One Apple and One Pear

One Red Candle and One Yellow Candle

Ground Cinnamon

Sugar

A carving tool or knife

Essential Oil to dress each candle (of your choice)

STEPS

Cut of the top of the apple and pear (I decided to use two pears as I wanted to keep one with a stork on the pear) and set aside.

Slice the apple and pear and carve your words of choice or intention onto the apple and pear.

Add some cinnamon to the sugar to taste and then press the carved side of the apple and pear into the cinnamon sugar mix.

Dress your candles with the your chosen essential oil * option you can roll your candles into some clean ground cinnamon.

Remove the stem from the apple and pear (if there is one) and carve a hole large enough to hold the candles.

Place each dressed one candle in the apple and pear and set aside on a safe surface.

AFFIRMATION

Light your candles, focus on your intention and recite the following

‘By apple and pear, love and joy sweeten,

‘By flame, ignite,

‘Your passion of enduring Love, Joy, Warmth and Light’

Eat your fruit, and extinguish the flames when you are ready to end your spell.

Wishing you all a blessed Lammas, Lunasa and Lughnasadh.

With love and light

[Feathertip]

This is a beautiful spell, Moonbeam! Your words of joy and love stand out beautifully from the cinnamon! This is so clever and pretty.

And it must taste divine! Sugar and cinnamon are a magickal combination - perfect for this spell.

Thank you for your very kind words about my paintings!

@georgia

When do I refocus the energy of a spell from creating to gratitude? In this particular case, it may need the change sooner than the point of manifestation, just to break through toward clarity and communication.

Beautifully said.

[georgia]

@Feathertip

A Little Night Music

Beautiful! It’s perfect.

@Feathertip

The sky is always inspirational!

I like the arch off to the side: I could walk through it into another world.

And the second desert sunset is exactly what I see on a regular basis out here in the desert.

Who are these people to judge you?!? They remind me of the art contest my mom was in when she painted a rural scene with a broken down barn- they called it “muddy.” Uh, duh! Haven’t they ever been out in the country? Like I told my mother at the time: ignore the critics- they don’t know their backsides from a hole in the ground. Do what you love. It’s beautiful just as it is, and so are you.

@Feathertip

winter scene

Ah! Double peaked tree. Lovely. The fence in the background reminds me of snow covered picnic tables and a sense of waiting and longing for spring while watching (through a warm window) the lazy flakes drifting into a dreamy fog. Brr. It’s going to be 102°today: I think I’ll keep this snow scene front and center to keep me cool and comfy. Thanks!

@Moonbeam

passion cannot always be put into words.

I often feel this. You seem to be on the right track.

I like how the cinnamon clings to the letters rather than the space around the letters: it really stands out nicely. I think I’d end up using two of each fruit so I’d have a more stable candle holder and have more of the fruit to eat!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful spell!

@Feathertip

Beautifully said.

[Feathertip]

Thank you for all the kind words, Georgia!

@georgia

Who are these people to judge you?!?

Meh - people. They have opinions, and I’ve learned to either shrug them off if I disagree, or try to learn something. What happened to your mother sounds so typical - bunch of naysayers.

I’m happy that each piece resonates with you so well. Thank you!

[Moonbeam]

@Feathertip @georgia thank you it was fun to do and they did taste lovely we had them for desert

[Artemisia]

Oof I will admit I’m having a hard time finding something to do for this challenge. Maybe because right now my creativity right now is limited due to time, energy and other obligations. My practice is less one of spells, rituals and tools lately and more about the time I spend in nature enjoying the wonders of the rain, wildflowers, birds, sun and all the little things

Maybe it’s because I feel like I should be blazing with passion about my practice and brimming with magickal creativity but I’m not. But at the same time, I don’t feel there’s anything wrong. My practice has shifted over the years, I’ve gone from what I felt like I should do and what was expected to choosing to relax the pressure I put on myself, slow down and find the magick in the natural world around me. I don’t… maybe that’s my entry?

[georgia]

@Artemisia

I feel like I should be blazing with passion about my practice and brimming with magickal creativity but I’m not.

I’ve been feeling the same way. Your nature practice is just as magical as indoor spellcasting. Rest and self care are very important parts of witchcraft, and summer is a wonderful time to kick back and relax! Please don’t feel guilty or detached because of it. Go with the flow. When it’s time to come back indoors for the winter, you’ll be recharged and ready.

[Feathertip]

This makes perfect sense to me!

All the art work I do is usually during the winter months. In the summer, I can’t help but be busy outside. Garden, critters, butterflies - something always calls. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

At night I’m content to sit with the fireflies. Little summertime fairy visitors!

@Artemisia

But at the same time, I don’t feel there’s anything wrong.

Because there isn’t anything wrong! It’s perfect for you, so it’s just perfect.

[leilani1]

Feathertip,

You are so talented!! I love skyscapes also. I love your paintings!!
Lady Gene