So I said last week I wanted the 100th blog post to be special, and I thought a contest might just be the way to add that little bit of extra charm. If you listened to the podcast we posted yesterday, you probably already know about this contest, at least to some extent. We’re hoping to put together some Yuletide specials, and part of that will involve getting lore from all over the continent (or the world, even) and incorporating that into our shows during December. We’d love your lore, especially, and we’re even willing to give away some prizes to encourage you to send in your best winter holiday traditions. Here’s the gist of it:
What We’re Looking For: Your winter folklore, including (but not limited to) holiday traditions, recipes, songs, and stories; superstitions about specific days, events, omens, or signs are welcome; ghost stories set during the winter, bits of historical information, and ethnic customs are greatly appreciated, too! We already know that many folks put up decorated trees and exchange presents, so no fair telling us that. Pretty much everything else is fair game, though. Try to include as much information as you can, and give us your general location (such as “Pacific Northwest” or “Southern France”). Also, please tell us if we can use your name when we read your contribution.
What We’re Giving Away: We’ve got two (2) signed copies of Judika Illes’ latest book, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches that we’re giving away as runner-up prizes. If you don’t know about this book, here’s the blurb from the publisher:
“Witches peek from greeting cards and advertisements, and they dig twisted roots from the ground. Witches dance beneath the stars and lurk around cauldrons. Witches heal, witches scare, witches creep, and witches teach! A compendium of witches through the ages, from earliest prehistory to some of the most significant modern practitioners, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches explores who and what is a witch. From such famed historical legends as Aleister Crowley, Marie Laveau and Elizabeth Bathory to the popular literary and cinematic figures Harry Potter and The Wicked Witch of the West, Illes offers a complete range of the history of witches. Included also are the sacred–Isis, Hekate, Aradia–and the profane–the Salem Witch trials and The Burning Times. The Weiser Field Guide to Witches is appropriate for readers of all ages and serves as an excellent and entertaining introduction for those fascinated by the topic.”
Those of you who are familiar with our blog and podcast probably know how highly we regard Ms. Illes, and this book is a wonderful addition to anyone’s magical library.
Our grand prize is a Compass & Key Hoodoo Kit, which will contain a number of sensational conjurational goodies, including:
- A bottle of each of our current condition oils (Attraction, Crown of Success, Uncrossing, Saints & Spirits, and Wall of Flame)
- A custom-made mojo bag, designed for Success & Prosperity
- Herb and Curio samples, such as a High John root, Chewing John, Gravel Root, & Spirit Money
- Condition Soaps designed for ritual bathing
- Flannel squares for making your own mojo bags
- A Lucky Rabbit’s Foot
- And more!
This kit would be a great way to get started with hoodoo, or build upon your current practice.
How to Enter: We want this to be easy, so please just leave a comment on either this blog post or the Podcast 19 Shownotes, or better yet send us an email with your submission at compassandkey@gmail.com! You can get an extra submission by blogging, tweeting, or sharing our contest and contact information with your social network and sending us either a screenshot or a direct link to where you’ve posted about us. The cutoff for submissions is Midnight (12:00 AM Central Standard Time) on December 6th (St. Nicholas Day).
If you have questions, feel free to email us those as well! We really want to get as much lore as we can, so please encourage others to send in their contributions (or if they aren’t interested in witchcraft, just find out their lore and send it in as part of your own entry).
Thank you so much everyone for making this blog such a wonderful place, and we’ll be looking forward to all your submissions very soon!
Thanks for reading!
-Cory
New World Witchery - The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft 