#grimoire stuff

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

March Week 3 - Traditions, Associations, Tools and Symbols

This week we will have several new pages. One for a personal look at your practice given the above prompts, one for a family/ ancestral look at the prompts, and one for your community, no matter how big that community is. Whether that is just you and your immediate friends, or something wider like a coven or group you regularly talk to your about your practice.

This will be another week with a lot of stuff in the prompts!

Monday - Traditions

First lets define tradition.

noun: tradition

the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.

a long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another.

an artistic or literary method or style established by an artist, writer, or movement, and subsequently followed by others.

a doctrine believed to have divine authority though not in the scriptures.

Personal page - Take a look inward at yourself and your traditions, inside and outside of your witchcraft practice. What things do you do regularly, to keep your life and your habits on track? Your practice? How do you celebrate things both large and small? What are the traditions you hold personally in your life?

Family/ Ancestor page - Ask your family about these, beyond the ones you know. What are some of your family traditions? How does your family celebrate certain things, large and small? What meals are traditional to your family? Are there any prayers or actions of any kind that are passed down? Look deep and ask about your family further back than just the ones you've met.

Community page - Look at your community at large. Friend groups, a coven or other people who practice like you or with you, and the community you live in. What are some traditions that are held and passed down through generations within that larger community? Everything from celebrations to regularly held events and so on! How does it all relate to your practice or how has it become a part of it?

Tuesday -Associations/ Symbols

Personal page - What are some things you personally associate with yourself and your craft? Everything from foods, to plants, gems, animals, everything you associate with any part of your identity.

Family/ Ancestor page - What are some things from the list above that you associate with your family and your ancestors?

Community page - Same goes for your community. What associations do you hold for your community? We all feel a certain kind of way, and think about certain things when we think about our hometowns or the area in which we live. An example, I live in Ohio, so not so jokingly, there's a lot of corn here, a lot of farmland. That's something I associate with my community.

Wednesday - Tools

Personal page - What are some of the tools you personally use in your craft? It can be anything at all. An example from my practice is a small tin i keep on my altar, decorated with paint and symbols that I use as a sort of money offering tin. I put money in it regularly when I practice at my altar and use it to buy new things for my altar. Another is a round cylindrical tin I use to hold the small pages I've written my devotional poetry on. Anything that is specific to you and your practice.

Family/ Ancestor page - Same kind of deal as above, but on a broader scale, focused on your family and ancestry. What are some of the tools your family uses (both in and out of the traditions you've learned about). An example is my grandmother's piano. We use it as a focal point for a great many things. We come together at it to sing songs that remind us of our family.

Community page - Again, like the above, but focused on your community. A local fountain, or park, or place, a thing people in your community use for some sort of reason. There is a local park with a fountain that holds an important place in our community.

Thursday - A Little Treat

So for today, we're gonna have a bit of an offshoot. We're gonna get in the kitchen and cook! You don't have to do this one, but there's been a lot of stuff for the prompts this week, so let's treat ourselves while adding to our grimoires! Find some recipes!

Personal page - What's a recipe that you came up with on your own, pertaining to or not pertaining to your practice? If there is a certain food you like to cook before/ after spells or rituals, record it on your personal page. Then, go cook it! And enjoy!

Family/ Ancestor page - Ask your family if you want, and discover the recipe for something that has been passed down in your family. I will forever swear by my grandmother's potato soup recipe. Record it on this page, then make it!

Community page - Is there a local favorite spot? Is there a restaurant or place locally that you could visit and eat at? Or is there some sort of cuisine that is made locally and not really anywhere else? Record it if its something you can cook, and make it! If it is a place to visit, go there! And enjoy!

Friday - Back to the norm

Let's finish off the week with our regular research prompts!

New Page/ Research - Herbal research- Pick another herb from your list and learn all you can about it! Record it on a new page!

New Page/ Research - Gemstone/ other - Pick another gemstone or type of magic or tool, make a page or add the info to an existing page!

Whew! That was a lot! Feel free to share your recipes or pictures of what you cook, either by submissions on this page or by tagging me either here or at @thehazeldruid and I'll share what you've made!

Good luck and happy crafting witches!!

-Mod Hazel

[thehazeldruid]

Bonus Prompt - Other Perspectives

For this week's bonus prompt we're going to take a look at our own perspective on things and the perspectives of others.

Think and look back on you pages, about how magic works in your perspective, about how different things work. Then look at other people's ideas, thoughts, and beliefs on the same subjects.

No two witches practice exactly the same, or have the same beliefs. And one way to grow in our own beliefs, is to challenge them. To discuss with others who don't believe the same things those differences. It helps to broaden our perspectives, our minds, and if done correctly, our hearts.

So take a look at different perspectives and beliefs on magic and witchcraft. Compare it to your own. And if you know someone who believes differently than you, perhaps take the time to discuss those differences. You could both learn something.

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

February Week 4 - Types of Magic 3

There have been a lot of definitions and broad topics this month, and we have a few more! All of these pages and terms and types of magic this month are pages to return to, add to and even change as you deepen your knowledge, understanding and depth of magic. It's okay to grow and change, and it is okay for our grimoires to grow and change as well.

Monday

New Page - Consecration/ Blessing - Define consecration and blessing, within the context of witchcraft. What is consecration? What is a blessing? How does one do it? Why does one do it? When does one do it? What purposes does it serve? Is it necessary? Have you unconsciously blessed or consecrated something before? What associations do they have? Do you know of or relate to any myths or legends related to these in the context of your craft?

New Page - Research - Pick an herb off your list and get at it! Learn everything possible about it! Magical, mundane, medicinal, everything!

Tuesday

New Page- Wards/ Shields - I know this may fall under protection magic, but it is also a bit more specific. What are wards and shields in witchcraft? How do you make and use them? Why do you make and use them? When do you make them, when do you need them? What associations do they have? Do you know any myths or legends related to wards and shields?

Journal/ Introspection - Let's take a long long look here. Inwards. Again at the morality of our craft. Where do you draw your moral compass from? What inspires you to act the way you do? Why do you act the way you do, for the purposes that you act towards? What is your moral standing within witchcraft? Where do you stand on curses and hexes? Where do you stand on doing magic for or on others? Do you need permission? Where do you stand on teaching magic to those younger than you? Think broadly about this topic, any questions you can ask yourself about your craft, or any questions others have asked you, ask them of yourself and really think on the answers.

Wednesday

New Page - Enchanting - Define enchanting within the context of your craft. What is it? How do you do it? Why do you do it? What tools are necessary? What associations do you have for enchanting? What things can you enchant and what can't you enchant? Are some stronger than others? How do you undo enchantments you no longer need or those done by others?

Practical - Try it! Enchant something of yours, and journal the experience! Record everything in your lab notebook that way you can work and rework it as necessary.

Thursday

New Page - Manifestation - Define manifestation in the context of your craft. What is it? How do you do it? What purpose does it serve? Look into different methods and beliefs on how it works, which one, or ones, work for you?

New Page - Research - Gemstone! Pick another, or if you're not doing gems, pick any other magical topic or item and research everything about it! From its uses and associations, to how it is formed or made! Legends and myths, everything!

Friday

New Page - Glamours - Define glamour magic! What is it? How do they work? Why do we use them? What purposes can they server? What tools do they require? What associations do they have? What legends, or myths or historical stories relate to glamour magic? How do you perform them?

Practical - Do some glamour magic! Anything you can think of, that you feel you can or need to do! Do it! And record the process and your progress in your lab notebook!

More practical prompts are coming, and more bonus prompts are on their way! I'm doing my best to keep up with these posts, but am also working a lot of overtime at the moment! Feel free to tag me here or on @thehazeldruid with any progress you've made with your pages, your lab notebook, or anything to do with your grimoire or this challenge! I'd love to see and I'm sure it would be an inspiration to others!

Thanks and happy crafting/ casting witches!

-Mod Hazel

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

June Week 1: The Wheel

Even if you don't prescribe to the popularized Wheel of the Year ideology, your year rolls on, as a wheel does, and continues day into day, month into month and year into year. And there is a cycle to that rolling wheel, even if for you it is only the seasons.

So this month we'll be taking a look at that wheel, at our year, and how the changes in the seasons influence our practices, if at all, along with what things we celebrate or acknowledge throughout the year. Let's dive in!

Monday - Seasons/ Sabbats/ Esbats/ Holidays

Research/ New Pages - So this is going to be a lot of new pages, if you feel like making them. Make a page for each of the holidays you celebrate, if you feel the need. Anything from the wheel of the year, to important cultural holidays you celebrate, to holidays you acknowledge in general. Do basic research, beyond the things you already know about those holidays. As an example, Imbolc, part of the wheel of the year. When is it? What is it? How is it celebrated? Why is it celebrated? What is its history, myths and legends? What magic is associated with it? What deity, if any? What are other associations it has? What foods are related to this holiday? What activities? Make a general page for each of the things you celebrate that you can come back to as you learn more about them and celebrate them over time!

Research/ New Pages - If you associate more with the general seasons, make a page for each season. When, for you, does the season start and end? What is associated with it? Both in your practice and in your life, how do you relate to the season? As much info as you can gather!

Tuesday - Transitional Periods

Research/ Introspection - As we observe the wheel of the year there are periods where they seemingly overlap at times, or when things are in a transitional period. Not quite summer, but not yet fall. Are there any associations for these periods of time? Certain magic or events associated with these times? Think not only about the world, but about yourself during these time periods. How do you feel, where do you fit in? How does this transitional period influence you and your practice?

Introspection/ Meditation - Think about how the weather and the seasons effect you. Do you get sad on rainy days? Do you get the winter time blues or seasonal depression? Are you happier on sunny days? Dig deep and try to discern the reason for these feelings, good or bad. It could be simple psychology, ya know, sunlight does in fact help our brains feel happy. Or it could be something deeper. Think hard and journal the experience have your introspection.

Wednesday - Personal Holidays

Research/ Introspection/ New Page - What are the holidays you celebrate? How do you celebrate them and why? Are they part of your craft or are they just days you celebrate? Make a page for each that you can expand on at a later date!

Research/ New Page - Herbal research - Pick another herb from your list and discover all that you can about it! Everything from the magical, to the mundane! Practical and medicinal uses, culinary uses, myths and legends, what is it associated with and why is it associated with those things!

Thursday - Activites through the year

Introspection/ Journal - Are there any yearly activites you participate in? Anything you only do once or a few times a year because of the timing or certain events or schedules? Why does that schedule exist and what is the importance of the activity? For example, my mom's coworkers have a yearly hog roast to kick off the summer. It's become rather the huge event. We all go out to her friend's farm, they dig a pit, clean it up, everyone camps in campers or tents for a couple days. There's games, karaoke in the barn, swimming and so so much food. I learned more about why they do it after talking to my parents and other people that were there. Do you do anything similar? If so, what is the significance?

Friday - Enjoy the weather

Practical - get up, get out, and no matter the season, enjoy your current weather. Connect to the wind, the rain, the sun, the earth. Take a breath and a break from the challenge today and exist. Cause the world is a heavy place sometimes, but it is also the things carrying you through life. Connect to it and enjoy it!

That's it for this week! I hope you're all doing well, and i'm getting ready for the summer along with taking care of the coming weeks of the challenge so i can sit back for a while as they post. Continue to carry on, practice safe witchcraft and enjoy the things you do!

-Mod Hazel

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

July Week 5: Magical Hodgepodge

This week is going to be a bit of a hodgepodge of things! Let's preface this week by stating some common snese safety rules, not only applicable to witchcraft, but to life in general.

When lighting candles or incense, mind the flames. Never leave something lit unattended, and always use fire safe dishes/ holders for incense and candles.

When dealing with bodily fluids of any kind, it is best to sanitize and clean before and after contact, or avoid contact altogether.

Before ingesting ANYTHING, make sure you know what it is! The same goes for making skin contact with things.

Monday - Blood Magic

Research/ New Page - What is blood magic, generally speaking? Define it! How has it been utilized in magical practices? What does blood represent? What are its associations? What are substitutes for it? What kinds of things can it be used for magically speaking? What mythological references are there to blood, in various cultures? What is it scientifically? How do you safely practice it and handle blood?

Tuesday - Healing Magic

Research/ New Page - Define healing magic. What is it? How does it work? Is it as straightforward as you think when you first say it, or is it more nuanced? What is traditional magical healing? Who performed it? How did they perform it? When, where and why did they perform it? What kinds of tools, plants, gems and so on are associated with it?

Research/ New Page - Gem Study - pick a gem off your list, or tarot card, or what have you if you're not studying gems, and study everything about it! Associations, history, myth and legend, mundane uses and purposes, everything!

Wednesday - Auras

Research/ New Page - Define Aura. What is an aura? How are they sensed? How are they seen? What do they look and feel like? What other senses react to auras? What do different colored auras represent to you? How can you practice sensing them? What do they mean? How do we utilize them?

Research/ New Page - Herb study - pick another herb off your list and study everything about it! Associations, myths, legends, mundane and magical uses, how it grows, everything!

Thursday - Familiars

Research/ New Page - Define familiar. What are they? Traditionally, how do you find one? How do you know when it is a familiar? What purpose do they serve? What actions can they take magically? How do you connect to them? How do you train them? Do you have one? What associations does yours have? What are mythological and historical examples of familiars?

Friday - Doing the Thing

Practical - Perform a spell! Find one online, in a book, or write it yourself! Lay it all out in your lab notebook and perform it! Record everything from the items used, to the steps taken, to when, where and how you did it! Record the results when you think it has worked or edit the spell if it needs adjusting!

Like I said, a hodgepodge of a week! But we're over halfway through the year guys! Thank you all for your continued support!

-Mod Hazel

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

July Week 4: Different Types of Magic

So this week we're going to focus on some specific kinds of magic and delve deeper into them. These are some broad subjects and can be looked at through several different lenses in order to fully understand the topics! So let's dive in.

Monday - Sympathetic Magic

Research/ New Page - Sympathetic Magic. What is it? Define it? How does it work? What does one need to do it? What is the history of sympathetic magic? How does one perform it? What are some examples from history and myth or legend that involve sympathetic magic?

Research/ New Page - Herbal Study - Pick another herb from your list and delve into it! Learn everything about it from how it grows, its associations, magical and mundane uses, everything!

Tuesday - Weather Magic

Research/ New Page - Weather magic. What is it? How does it work? Define it? What does one need to perform it? Who performed it historically? How is it done? What does it effect? What is the cultural history of it? What is its history in general? What are some myths and legends involving it?

Practical - Try out some weather magic! Anything from calling for rain, whistling up a wind, anything! Record the setup, the steps, the actions and the results in your lab notebook!

Wednesday - Delayed Action Magic

Research/ New Page - Define it! What is delayed action magic? How does it work? How is it performed and what kind of tools does it require? What does/ can it influence? What are some examples of it in myth and legend? What is the history of delayed action magic?

Practical - Find a spell that uses delayed action magic and perform it! Record the process, start to finish in your lab notebook!

Thursday - Love/ Sex Magic

Research/ New Page - Define love magic. What is it, how does it work? Who can it be used on? What is the history of love magic? What are some examples of it in myth and legend? What tools does it require? What are the rules you apply to love magic? What moral standing do you take on love magic for yourself? For others? How does free will take a part in love magic?

Research/ New Page - Define sex magic! What is it? How does it work? Can you perform it alone or does it require a partner? What are some historical and cultural instances of sex magic? What are some instances of it in myth and legend? How does it influence magic and those involved?

Friday - Death and Mirror Magic

Research/ New Page - Define Death Magic. That is today, what are the different kinds of death magic. (of course this isn't the idea of raising the dead, but rather, magic that involves death. Letting go spells, communicating with the dead, and so on). What are some historical instances of it? What are some myths and legends that involve death magic? What tools does one need for it? Where and when can it be performed?

Research/ New Page - Define mirror magic. What is it? How does it work? What things can it be used to do? What tools does it require? What are some historical, mythological and legend instances of it being used? Where can it be performed? When can it be performed?

Another busy week in the books! Thank you all for continuing to support this blog and work on this challenge with me!

-Mod Hazel

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

June Week 4: Grand Ideas

This week we’re going to focus on some ideas like the differences between sacrifices and offerings, local and worldwide folklore, creating sacred spaces, and ways to harvest (not physical harvesting). So let’s dive in.

Monday- Sacrifices and offerings

New page/ research- define sacrifices and then define offerings. In a spiritual sense. What are they? What purpose do they serve? How do we perform them? Why do we perform them? When do we perform them? What is the difference between them? Can they be the same thing? What can we use for each one? Look at other practices, religions and spiritualities. What sacrifices and offerings are used in those practices?

New page/ research- herbal study- pick another herb from your list and go crazy! Learn all you can from the magical to the mundane, to what it’s got in it and how it is used!

Tuesday - Local folklore

Research/ new page (if you want) - do you know if any local myths or legends? About places, people or things in your immediate area? What are they? Where do they stem from? What’s the history behind them? Research as much as you can, looking into actual history and the plants/ animals/ people/ events that could have influenced the folklore.

Practical - let’s do some magic! Find a spell or make a spell and perform it! Record it in your lab notebook, steps ingredients and purpose. That way you can tweak it afterwards!

Wednesday - Worldly Folklore

Research/ new page - now think about folklore from around the world. Is there any that has inspired you? Any one particular thing you believe in, like the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot. Magical or not, think about how this has helped influence your beliefs in other things.

Research/ new page - gem study - pick a gem or other thing you’d like to study and look into it. What is it made of, how is it used, magical and mundane associations. All of it!

Thursday - Creating a Sacred Space

Research/ new page - what is a sacred space? What is its purpose and how do they function? What is in them? How do you make them or change them? Why do we have them, if we do? What are the magical and mundane purposes? What does it take to make them? What is it that makes a space, any space, a sacred space, to you?

Practical - make your own, recharge, re consecrate, clean or update your sacred/ altar space.

Friday - Harvest

Journal/ meditate - this isn’t a physical harvest of plants of anything, but an internal harvest. At certain points through the year or even once a year, it is good to look back at all that has happened to us and learn from it. Or harvest. You can do this as often as you’d like, or as seldom as you like. It’s kind of like journaling, though some people don’t even use a journal, they just meditate or think back on things that occurred to them and try to find the lessons. What lessons have you learned this year? What scraps of wisdom and knowledge can you find when you look back? Anything from actions that taught you lessons to just words that have shaped your beliefs and actions through time.

Now that last topic can be pretty heavy. But it is important to look back and find the wisdom in our lives. I can’t even say how many times in my 34 years people have dropped odd pearls of wisdom on me that have stuck with me. As simple as that”to be early is to be on time” from my band director in high school, words that have shaped my work ethic through my entire life. It’s important to understand how and why these lessons are important to us. But we’re only halfway through the year! We’ve got so much more to learn!

Good luck and happy crafting witches!!

-Mod Hazel

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

April Week 4 - More Star Stuff

There's so much going on in space. And we've really only scratched the surface. So let's dig deeper into the cosmic witchy woo. Here's a few topics for this week!

Monday

New Page/ Research - Moon Phases - You can make one page for each phase, or one page to encompass them all. Do the moon phases influence your craft? Do they influence you? What do they represent to you, in your craft? What do they represent in others' crafts? What energies do the different phases control, or influence or change? Why are the phases called what they are? Historically, what have the moon phases represented? How can you connect to the moon in all of its phases? Find out as much as you can!

New Page/ Research - Herbal research - pick another herb from your list and research everything about it! Mundane, medicinal, culinary and magical uses and associations!

Tuesday

New Page/ Research -Solar Flares - What are solar flares, scientifically speaking? What do they effect? What magical energies and associations do they have? How do they or can they influence your magical practice?

New Page/ Research - Gemstone research - Pick another gemstone! Research all about it! If not a gemstone, then a tarot card, or rune, or other type of magic!

Wednesday

New Page/ Research - Auroras - What are auroras? How do they form? Why and where do they form? What circumstances cause them? How can they and do they influence your practice? What associations and myths/ legends are there surrounding them?

Practical - Moon Meditation - Take a little time to think about the moon in its current phase. What do you feel? What do you think? What does it mean to you? How do you connect to it? Sit beneath it and look at it, study it. Then journal about it!

Thursday

Catch up Day - Take time today to catch up on the many many heavy prompts we've had this month! There's so much info on the topic of cosmic/ space witchcraft and the way all these planets and things influence and effect our crafts.

Friday

New Page/ Research - This is an independant research. Think about all the prompts we've had for all the celestial bodies/ events/ objects and so on. Are there any you know of that we haven't been prompted to research? If so, look it up using the same lens we have for all the others. What is it physically? How does it form? What does it represent? Are there any magical associations? Any myths, legends or stories about it?

Gosh that's another big load of prompts! But we've made it! There's one more week of prompts in this month and it'll be another loaded week, so rest up, and prepare!

Good Luck and Happy Casting Witches!

-Mod Hazel