Episode 128 – Borderlands Lore with David Bowles – New World Witchery – The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft

Summary:

We look at the supernatural folklore and mythology of the Borderlands area along the Mexican-U.S. boundary in this episode. We talk to author, professor, and story collector David Bowles about his experiences growing up there, the legends that permeate the culture in that region, and we share one of the stories from his collections.

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Producers for this show: Heather, Achija of Spellbound Bookbinding, WisdomQueen, Regina, Jen Rue of Rue & Hyssop, Little Wren, Khristopher, Tanner, Jody, Amy (the First), Amy (the Second), Johnathan at the ModernSouthernPolytheist, Catherine, Montine, Josette, Carole, Cynara at The Auburn Skye, Moma Sarah at ConjuredCardea,The Trinket Witch, Victoria 1, Victoria 2, Sherry, & AthenaBeth. (if we missed you this episode, we’ll make sure you’re in the next one!). Big thanks to everyone supporting us!

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Download: Episode 128 – Borderlands Lore with David Bowles

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-Sources-

Please check out David Bowles’ website, where you can find out more about him and the (many, many) projects he’s working on. We’d also recommend picking up a few of his books, such as:

Clockwork Curandera (forthcoming graphic novel)
The Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico
The Smoking Mirror (Garza Twins, part I – a Pura Belpre Prize winning book)
Border Lore: Folktales and Legends of South Texas (where the story in this episode, “The Witch Owl” comes from)
Ghosts of the Rio Grande Valley

If you’re interested in knowing more about the history of migration and the borderlands in the United States, check out BackStory’s episode on the topic.

You may also be interested in some of our previous articles and episodes on the magic and lore of the Borderlands region:

Finally, we highly recommend reading Gloria Anzaldua’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” which can be found in her book, Borderlands/La Frontera.

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Promos & Music

Title and closing music is “Homebound,” by Bluesboy Jag, and is used under license from Magnatune.

Incidental music is “Were-Owl,” by S.J. Tucker, used with permission. Additional incidental music includes “Sedativa V,” by DR (FreeMusicArchive); “La Gitane,” by Eric Kamen (Magnatune); and “Soul’s Journey,” by Viviana Guzman (Magnatune).