Podcast 10 – Urban Conjure and an Interview with Rootworker Stephanie Palm

15 thoughts on “Podcast 10 – Urban Conjure and an Interview with Rootworker Stephanie Palm”

1. Thank you for thanking me… ;-p It’s my pleasure…

   Yet another fantastic episode X X

   1. Lol, thanks Sarah!

2. So….would a freeze-out spell work on a coworker who never shuts up?
   Thanks!

   1. Hi Ginger,

      I think yes, absolutely! That would be a great spell to try out in that situation, particularly if the coworker is something of a gossip. Let us know how it works out if you do that!

      All the best,

      Cory

3. Fantastic episode! I know I always say that, but I usually don’t mean it. (Just kidding! You guys are always awesome.)

   Anyway, among other things, I enjoyed your comments about adapting practices and ingredients, and the importance of both knowing what you’re changing and not simply changing things for the sake of change. And what crossed my mind is that not only is it good to think about why the original ingredient was used, as you said, but also sometimes making the extra effort to procure what you need can be part of the magic. This can be taken to extremes like anything else, but getting that special ingredient, when it takes a lot of work to do so, can be powerful.

   At the same time, I also think that learning the whys and wherefores of the original practice can let you look at modern ingredients – like the car accident glass – with new eyes, and come up with your own ways of using them. The people who created these practices were clever and pragmatic opportunists who used what was around them, and we can be, too. So sometimes “modernizing” a practice isn’t just change for change’s sake, it’s actually keeping the tradition alive through continuous adaptation.

   (But yeah, I have a soft spot for “the way it’s been done for generations.” As with everything else, I want to have it all. 😉

   Blessings,
   Oraia

   1. Haha, cute, Oraia 😛

      I think that’s an excellent point about modernization. Many of these practices evolved to incorporate the resources available at the time, and became traditional in the process. As long as a practitioner works respectfully with the magic, I don’t see why a little change and adaptation can’t happen along the way. In fact, I’d almost say it HAS to happen at some point. I think what I worry about, though, is when magic becomes “plug-n-play,” and people perform spells without regard to how their changes are affecting the spiritual side of the equation. For example, I don’t think any ceremonial magician would say “I don’t like summoning Vassago, so I’ll just invoke Asmodeus instead,” because that would yield VERY different results. Likewise, each of the components of a root work trick has a reason for being in the spell, so figuring that reason out before making a substitution is important. In my opinion, at least.

      And yeah, there’s that whole “I wish everything were lit by gas lamps and I could wear waistcoats with pocket watches while I do my magic” side of things, too. I think most of us magical folk are a bit romantic at heart, and a touch nostalgic to boot.

      Anyhow, thanks for your comment! As always, it’s a great one! And I’ll be eagerly grabbing your show today! Woo hoo!

      -Cory

4. hmm.. i like that concept of adaptation, especially when concerning the urban witch, which i would be. understanding your environment that you live in is an important part of that, understanding the energy of your city, and your country also a part of that.. especially when the ‘traditional’ correspondences do not really match.

   using such things as keys, railway yard dust, used batteries, glass from broken windows or car smashes, i am always collecting odd stuff from around, like useing newspapers found blowing around, (or runing down the street to catch them) and broken umbrellas for conjuring weather magic, or even creating elemental oils, very specific to Wellington which during the winter gets howling southerlies and lots of cold rain, *grins*

   but then there is also value to the older stuff to, its just a matter of following your heart knowledge, that feeling you get when you know that what you are doing is right, and if you added x as well then that would boost, tweek, or bring into modern times..

   but then New Zealand is not that old thus the “old stuff” is actually not that old, thus things are hmm.. different our folk lore is still very young, more like kitch, or what is called kiwiarna, which generally involved paua shell motifs, flying ducks, jandals, and other icconic stuff from the earlish part of the 1900’s

   balance.. its a continuing theme.. balancing old and new, and the land you live in.. *nods*

   *beams*

   1. Oh Polly! I totally forgot to mention you on the latest show! But I absolutely do value your wonderful comments on this blog, so please forgive my oversight!

      What you say about collecting the old stuff like keys, batteries, etc. reminds me a lot of what Papa Toad Bone said about making sure you have a “junk drawer” of all that stuff. You never know when it will come in handy, and you’re comment is an excellent illustration of that principle.

      And yes, I think you make a great point about when “old stuff” is not that old. I’ve lived in a city that had buildings that were nearly 1000 years old, and many at least 400 years old or more. That place hummed with history. For those of us in the new world, it can be hard to feel tapped into those ancient energies sometimes, but I still think they’re there.

      Though I do rather laugh when I hear things about how a building has been preserved to look like it did in the 1950’s here in the states. It always makes me think “Really? Isn’t that still in living memory? That doesn’t seem like so much of a challenge compared to, oh, I dunno, the Parthenon.” But I digress, lol…

      Anyway, thanks for the great comment!

      All the best,

      Cory

      1. its all good.. i don’t post that much.. *grins* side i took it as a give in that i was in the list when you said and everyone else who is also wonderful, or words to that effect.. *beams*

         oddly about ages of places.. now Australia has been colonised by the europeans, for about 50 or so years more than New Zealand, but there is a very distinct differences to the feel of the land in the different countries.. you see New Zealand has only had human inhabitants from around 1300 so not so very long, however Australia has had human inhabitants for about 40, 000 years if not longer.. and because humans interact so very strongly with their environment, (and not always in good ways) it has made a huge difference to the feel of the energy of the different countries.. like you said, you can almost feel the history or ancient history of habitation, where as the history feeling in New Zealand feels younger, fresher if you will.. …

         *ponders this*

5. Greetings! I just wanted to say thanks for the shout out, it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside! You guys have been great, very informative, and quite entertaining. Plus you know Papa Toad Bone, a personal friend and great conjure man that has taught me a thing or three about sorcery and the like, so you get lotsa cool points there too :P.

   Through you guys, I have also found other great podcasters like Oraia, Firelyte, and Brenden and Juniper, all of which I listen to as soon as they come out.

   Now I have a bit of a question/rant I have to throw at someone, and this seems as good a place as any. I work at a beer and tobacco store in Southern Mississippi (yay college job…) and lately a lot of the younger customers have been coming in wearing plastic bead catholic-style rosaries with little plastic crucifixes. When I ask them about about the rosaries, they claim to either have always been catholic, or that “someone gave it to me.”

   I’m no expert on Catholicism, being raised pentecostal and becoming pagan later on in life, but these folks are wearing the rosary like a necklace. I was under the impression that the rosary wasn’t worn around like that, and was only used for prayer. Now I’m also not one to say who is and who isn’t catholic, but most of these folks just don’t seem catholic. Comments like “Jesus is my blood bra!” just doesn’t really sell it to me. That, and the majority of Christians in South Mississippi are baptist.

   My guess is that its some type of trend that’s getting started up. Now being pagan, you’re probably wondering “Why do you even care about this, Odom?” Well its more that it irritates me when people take something from another culture/worldview and do something with it without knowing the importance or what it means. Basically Cultural Appropriation in its negative meaning. I’m personally for “if you understand it and respect it then use it,” but from what I have seen, this is not the case.

   Sigh, sorry about my long-winded rant on a subject that doesn’t really fit on the topic of this blog/podcast, but I was just wondering what your take on this is.

   From what I can find, it looks as if Catholic-affiliated people make these as an inexpensive rosary that can be quickly made in bulk, but as to why random guy #28 is sporting one like a fine piece of jewelry eludes me.

   Keep up the great work and I look forward to hearing from you guys!

   -Odom of the Evil Eye

   1. Hi Odom!

      Yes, we’re definitely glad to have you and PTB as friends of the blog/podcast 🙂

      You are absolutely right about rosaries not being worn as jewelry, though I imagine few priests anymore would say much about it (they’re just happy to have someone using a Catholic symbol in a positive light, I think). Then nuns would probably get upset, though (they’re feistier than the priests). There’s a great page on rosaries here, if you (or anyone) wants to know more about them. If you want to throw off someone wearing a rosary in a decorative manner, ask them which Mysteries they pray most often: joyful, sorrowful, or glorious and watch for a blank stare.

      As for the cultural appropriation aspect, it can be very frustrating. At the same time, I’m vaguely encouraged by examples like yours, because it tells me there’s some sharing going on between magical and religious groups. But again, I’m only vaguely encouraged, because like you said, it seems they don’t really know what they’re doing, which is disheartening. I think that’s what I mean by “change with respect” towards tradition. If I saw someone wearing a rosary that obviously had some value to them and they at least knew what its original intentions were or how to use it, I think I’d be okay even if it was being used as jewelry. Of course, I’m not a Catholic priest, nun, bishop, pope, deacon, or any other type of Catholic, for that matter, so my opinion is probably worth about zero in that context, lol.

      Anyhow, great post and definitely something that got me thinking (and typing), so thanks for that!

      Be well,

      Cory

      1. Thanks for the link Cory. I have spent the past couple of hours perusing the “Being Catholic” site, especially the rosary section. I myself have a pagan rosary that sports an old key with no known door in place of the crucifix that I use for meditation. I had a basic knowledge of the rosary beforehand, but that site has been a great supplement.

         As far as the rosary wearers, it appears that it is a trend. Check this site out:

         http://icenbling.com/514/ROSARY_

         Here is a whole assortment of ‘thugged-out’ rosaries. What Catholicism and hip-hop have in common is still beyond me.

         Oh well, enough griping about it. Thanks for the info Cory!

         -Odom

6. Another great episode guys!

   I chuckled when I heard the new opening as at the time I was sorting through my bag of bits, bones, sticks and stones I use for divination.

   We’ve been getting other podcasters to make closing credits for us, we should do a swap. That would be fun!

   Cheers!

7. yes ur right folks. cradle to grave catholic here. the only people that are supposed to wear a rosary aroubd their neck is a nun, priest, monk, or friar. an individual of any faith or catholic pariah parishoner can wear a chaplet bracelet or rosary ring. but seriously have u seen the rosary ring? i guarantee u it wouldnt last long on a finger for decoration. pokes the crap out of u. yes it serves a very specific purpose just like a rosary or chaplet. they do make chaplets for cars & thats ok but i know if i see someone other than Madonna wearing a full rosary around their neck there is no way in hell they are catholc bc they would NEVER do this. for them to do that is enormously sacreligious to us. we were taught this at a very young age, no exceptions period! not een if you are a lay minister or deacon can you do this. bottom line is theyre protestant, agnostic, or another christian or pagan religion and they do not know better. a true catholic knows better from 1st grade when they receive the 2nd sacrament of communion. Sister so and so sees them wearing a rosary like that and theyre likely to get
   snatched up and get a beat down with the ruler!
   fo’ sho’!! lol

   1. Thanks for that, Shannon! I have heard of those rosary rings, but they do seem like they would be rather unwieldy. And I definitely don’t want to aggravate nuns, for sure, lol! They really know how to give a good beating with those rulers!

      Thanks for responding! Hope you are well!

      -Cory

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