:the_veil: WITCH CHALLENGE - The Thinning Veil

[Feathertip]

Witch Challenge - the Thinning Veil

I wasn’t going to participate in this Challenge at first - like others here, I don’t work with the thin veil or do spirit work in general.

This is also a time to honor one’s ancestors, and that has been problematic for me for some years now. But it suddenly occurred to me that - I don’t have to honor my ancestors at all.

Instead, I can honor those who were enslaved by them.

TRIGGER WARNING - Slavery

I will be holding a Dumb Supper tomorrow. I have only to decide whether to set a place for each of the names I have, or for one ceremonial place to represent all. I’m leaning towards a number of places, though.

The other thing I came up with is a sort of poem, though I’m not good at poetry and the usual rhythm, so instead I will just call this an Ode.

Ode to Those Who Had No Voice

I know you didn’t have a choice
And that you worked without a voice
All those many years ago, to enrich my family
And I thank you now - I thank you

I hope your suffering was not too bad
That you had moments of joy and light
I’ll never know
And you can’t say now
Though I look for you tonight

And I say this now to honor you
To keep your names in memory
You wouldn’t care
Since I wasn’t there
And could not set you free

But I will not forget my history
Though it was kept from me so long
For silence is complicit
And silence is complacent
And silence near evil is wrong

So may I say your names out loud?
May I call to you and say I’m proud
To speak your names (if they really were your names
Just to set you apart from the crowd)?

But this is what he called you, Jenny - a wench, in his Last Will
But I will call you Miss Jenny, now, with no mention of the Hill
While we look to see the other property
Who put money in his till

Tonight, across the centuries, I will speak your names:

Sambo

Sarah

Ben

Dealse

Simon

Jenny

Toney

Trompey

Tuggy

Hannah

Barbery

Peter

Bibby

Jack

You were alive - you were alive
And I will not forget your plight
As I set a place for you tonight
And I thank you now - I thank you

[georgia]

Lovely ode. May they all find peace and all the care they missed and needed.

[Feathertip]

Thank you for saying that. It’s a tender subject for me.

[georgia]

@Feathertip

It’s a tender subject for me.

[Greenbriar]

This is a very touching ode. I saw your reference to a dumb supper for 14 in another post and didn’t know what it referred to. This is a lovely way to remember and honor them.

[Feathertip]

Thank you so much, Jayne.

[julie8]

CHALLENGE ENTRY - The Fae

A world parallel to ours filled with mythical creatures - The Fae Folk.
Warning: Don’t eat their food or you may never return.
My two granddaughters are obsessed with fairies and get quite upset if anyone suggests they are not real. With fairytales like Thumbelina, Tinkerbell, The Little Mermaid and Rumpelstiltskin, to name a few, just feeds their imagination, it’s no wonder the girls love fairies. My son (their father) has helped them build fairy gardens and fairy trails in their yard. Pa (my husband) has helped to build lots of little fairy doors with them and helped to place them throughout the garden for the fairy folk. To attract fairies to their garden my two GD’s have been busy building their fairy garden with plenty of flowers to make it a safe haven for bees, butterflies, birds, and of course fairies. They set up set spots to welcome the fairies, so they know it is a safe place to be and have put out offerings of fresh fruit for them.

I have had the joy of witnessing many fairy rings over the years and have put lots of tree faces on my trees and fairy doors throughout my garden. Never step inside a fairy ring or you may be whisked away to the fairy realm forever. The fairy trail is like a ring except it’s a long trail rather than a circle. Ever seen many partly formed circles (fairy trails).

In Australia the Fae are referred to as “Mimi’s” in Aboriginal folklore and are taken very seriously. There are many Fae Folk in different cultures. I have sourced these from various web sites.
Brownies, Banshees, Kobolds, Pixies, Elves (especially at Xmas), Leprechauns, gnomes, nymphs, Jinni, Tylwyth Teg or Bendith Y Mamau, Changeling, dwarf, redcap, selkie, goblins, trolls, and of course fairies.

I found a great article on a blog on otherworldlyoracle.com - The Fae Folk: Your Ultimate Guide to Fairies.

PS. Photos deleted. They are my own grandchildren, but now removed.

[BryWisteria]

This is the last day to join the challenge

Thank you to everyone who has shared their veil work so far! The curtain falls on the spookiest sabbat and Halloween passes into a memory - I hope your sabbat celebrations went well! Just as October is now fading away, it’s time to begin wrapping up this challenge, too

This is a heads up that the challenge is approaching its end. It will close to entries tomorrow: Tuesday, November 4 at 7:00 AM ET (Eastern US Time)

If you haven’t already shared an entry with the coven but would like to join in, this is your friendly reminder that you still have time left to do so.

Also, please don’t forget to vote for your favorite award badge if you haven’t already. Thank you!

Blessed Be

[Artemisia]

Challenge Entry - The Thinning Veil

(Photo from my earlier post)

I ended up concentrating more on the spell to honor Donut (my cat who passed over 2 years ago) than on documenting it, so I don't have any additional photos to share, sorry :disappointed_face:

Setting & Tools

At Donut’s grave marker, I gathered a solar-powered garden night light, catnip, and cat food.

I sat by his grave, touching the ground, and whispered

“Here where roots remember,
and the veil grows thin as mist,
I call upon love that endures beyond breath.”

I visualized the boundary between worlds shimmering like heat rising from the soil, and then turned on the garden light, saying:

“Donut, beloved friend, may this light guide you close,
not to bind you, but to bless.”

I placed the catnip and food, then spent some time thinking of fond memories of the 13 years we had together. And after a bit, I held my hand to my heart and said:

“Go in peace, dear one,
through leaf and root, through moon and mist.
When the veil thins, may our hearts know the path between us.”

I left the solar light by his stone through Samhain week, so his spirit had a porch light home.

[Feathertip]

Love this! And the last picture of you getting a head-butt from Donut. Lovely.

[BryWisteria]

~ This challenge is now CLOSED ~

---

Great job to everyone who shared an entry! A Props and Presents post will soon appear with shout-outs and prize details for everyone who submitted. Please keep an eye on the main page of the forum.

Thanks again for joining in the challenge!

[BryWisteria]

The Props and Presents award post for this challenge is now live in the forum and badges have been sent to all entrants!

→ Award Post for the Veil Work Challenge

Thank you once again to all those who joined the challenge! I hope you enjoy your new badge

While no additional badges will be given out now that the challenge has officially closed, this thread has been reopened for discussion- feel free to comment on the theme, ask questions or reply to entries.

[Greenbriar]

Aww that’s wonderful. I’m so glad you got to do the spell. And that head boop photo is the best!

[Artemisia]

@Feathertip

head-butt from Donut

@Greenbriar

that head boop photo is the best!

He was the first cat that would head-butt, and it would melt my heart every time. He was also one of my “kissiest” kitties as well. Donut was something else

[Feathertip]

@Artemisia

Donut was something else

He sounds so special. I am happy to have 2 cats right now who both like to head-butt, but only one will tolerate the kissy stuff, too. Both of them are also big talkers! Fortunately, I am proficient in Finn-speak as well as Bex-speak.

You learn your cat’s language, or you’ll regret it, right?

[Greenbriar]

@Artemisia

Donut was something else

Awww he sounds so sweet.

Now that Cali and Raja are no longer with us, Rusty has stepped up to give head boops.