Podcast 16– An Interview with Judika Illes and Listener Feedback

7 thoughts on “Podcast 16– An Interview with Judika Illes and Listener Feedback”

1. ok so questions.. about Hair.. long beautiful hair, Long beautiful hair, Shining, gleaming, Streaming, flaxen, waxen *cough*.. opps..

   so. obviously it is used in conjure, when making spells against owner of said hair.. apparently stolen from their own bathrooms.. *evil grins*.. anyhoo.. i believe i understand the reasoning behind it, but i would like to here your take on it? at its essence hair is dead, and once it has fallen out or been cut, it is no longer connected to the body.. or is there a difference between cut hair and hair that has fallen out. ??

   i know that hairs are very important when left at crime scenes, <— Ooo i watch csi.. teheh how are they connected/important in hoodoo?

   and also is there a way of countering or releasing your connection with hair that falls out so that sneaky new world witchery hosts can't steel it when you invite them around for cups of tea.. *cheeky evil grin*

   also what about hair extensions? often they are human hair? what about dreads? (i have dreads.. they are pretty.. well i like them *grins*)

   *pondering things while singing and long beautiful hair*

   1. Lol 🙂 Thanks for the musical flashback, Polly!

      Hair is useful mostly b/c of its sympathetic significance in magic. It is dead material, but it contains enough of the person it’s from to “stand in” for them in a magical working. There’s no difference in any of the systems I’ve seen between cut and fallen hair, though I may just not have run into that lore yet.

      As far as breaking a connection, burning the hair is one way to do it. Regular cleansings and blessings are also important as they can at least disrupt any negative spells coming at you. As for hair extensions, because they have been in contact with a person, they are as useful as clothing would be (which is pretty darn useful), though not quite as useful as hair (because they never actually grew from the person’s body). Dreads should work the same as hair, maybe even better as they are carefully cultivated and “lock in” the experiences and life of the person they’re on. Does that help?

      Great question! Thanks Polly!

      -Cory

      1. yes.. it is interesting that Hair as a connection to the person who grew it, is found in all? magical type systems. i know that hair was used in jewellery way back when as a remembrance type thing so yeah can understand the connection thing. also some people feel different when they have had their hair cut, and others keep it short as they carry ‘stress’ and exronious energy around in it, which was an interesting consideration when i got my dreads because the hair that naturally falls out is tangled up in the dreads. hmm.. but then i made a special wash for them so all good. *grins*

         hmm.. fun and interesting things to ponder..

         thanks Cory

         *beams*

2. Loved the interview with Judika Illes. As it happens I’d finally bought 5000 Spells two days before (because of your frequent praise of it) so the timing was perfect. What a book! What a woman! I’m going to have to clear off half a bookshelf so I can get her other books.

   1. Oh good, Wulf! I’m really glad you got that book! I think you’ll find it’s a constant resource and companion in magical work. I also feel very positively about her Encyclopedia of Spirits book, too. But she’s definitely getting my money again in the future for some of her upcoming releases! She’s great!

      Thanks so much for the great comments and sweet words about us!

      All the best,

      -Cory

3. Hi. 🙂 I found an awesome abandoned and very dilapidated house this weekend and in it I found a brick with “whiteside quarry” imprinted on it. I looked up the quarry and it’s from York county south Carolina. I am wondering if this would be an appropriate item to use for red brick dust and if so, do you have any hints for pulverizing it? And would y’all like some if I manage to?

   1. Hi there!

      Yes, that would be an excellent brick for dusting. As for how to do that, I recommend about 10% arm strength, 90% patience. It’s really time-consuming work. If you can get a small sledge hammer, it will help, and you’ll need a solid surface that can take some punishment (like concrete or steel). You’ll also want bags and a small broom or brush to sweep the dust off of the surface. Then, it’s just a matter of smashing the brick into smaller and smaller pieces. It took me about 12 hours of smashing to get a cup or so of brick dust, so again, be patient.

      If anyone has faster methods for doing this, I’d LOVE to hear them!

      Thanks!

      -Cory

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