Come pull up a chair by the fireside with Daddy Splitfoot and listen to some devilish folklore submitted by listeners (and expanded upon by your sinister host).
The source for most of this episode is YOU! Our wonderful listeners, who supplied us with this lore back in the Spring during our contest. I also augment two of the pieces of lore with outside sources: 1) The story of Spring-Heeled Jack, adapted from Daniel Cohen’s Encyclopedia of Monsters, and 2) The Wendigo, told from Alvin Schwartz’s collection Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Incidental music by So I’m an Islander (“Quiet Storm Surge”), Canton (“Ambient Gourd”), & Olssons (“Ambient1”). All tracks are used through Creative Commons license on SoundCloud.
The song between acts is “Me & the Devil Blues,” by Robert Johnson, and is available at archive.org.
In this month’s episode, we’re responding to some of our listener mail and feedback. We’ll talk about interfaith relationships, doing magical research, folk magic in the Western U.S., and address some questions about technical issues with the show.
This episode focuses on the Pennsylvania Dutch system of folk healing and magic known as Pow-wow (among many other names). We look at the cultural history, the religious contexts, and the actual practice of the system itself. Author and Pow-wow practitioner Rob Phoenix brings his extensive knowledge to the table to give us a well-rounded portrait of this culturally rich and still living tradition.
Be sure to check out the upcoming film, “Hex Hollow,” which will feature several of our previous guests and favorite authors, including Rob, Chris Bilardi, and Thomas White.
Upcoming Appearances
Cory will be at two upcoming events, and will likely be holding talks/discussions at both of them, which you might find interesting:
Title music: “Homebound,” by Jag, from Cypress Grove Blues. From Magnatune.
Incidental music by So I’m an Islander (“Quiet Storm Surge”), Elias Liljestrom (“Bach’s ‘Jesus Bleibet Meine Freunde”), Trinity Choir (“Bach Rehearsal”), and Vantala (“Unser Vater”), used through Creative Commons license on SoundCloud.
My podcast recommendation for this episode is the Lore Podcast, which features spooky folktales presented with historical and literary interpretations (which I found through Betwixt & Between).
Title & end music: “Grifos Muertos” by Jeffery Luck Lucas, from his album What We Whisper, on Magnatune.com Incidental music by Genomic Sequence (“Energy and Nothing”) and So I’m an Islander (“Quiet Storm Surge”, used through Creative Commons license on SoundCloud.
In this fun diversion from serious witchcraft, Laine and Cory discuss their favorite films in the supernatural and folk horror genres. We also kick off a “Halloween in July” storytelling series (albeit somewhat by accident).
You can also check out George A. Romero’s classic zombie film, Night of the Living Dead, for free at the internet Archive.
There is also a segment near the end which involves Ambrose Bierce’s “An Inhabitant of Carcosa,” which you can find in the book, The Weiser Book of Horror and the Occult.
Upcoming Appearances
Cory will be at two upcoming events, and will likely be holding talks/discussions at both of them, which you might find interesting:
Title music: “Homebound,” by Jag, from Cypress Grove Blues. From Magnatune. Additional Music: “She Moved Through the Faire,” by Kellianna, from Traditions. Incidental music by Disparition.
We draw a good bit upon Aradia, by C.G. Leland, for questions about witch mythology and abilities.
For a nice rundown of different witchcraft traditions (as touched upon in this episode) I heartily recommend the post “Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft,” by Sarah Anne Lawless, and her series of posts on various witchcraft traditiosn found in that article.
The Element Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft, by Judika Illes, has lots of lovely background on the history and folklore of witches. It’s out of print, but you can usually find it secondhand. You can also check her Weiser Field Guide to Witches, which covers some of the same sort of ground. I’d also recommend The Silver Bullet, by Hubert J. Davis, for some other examples of American folklore about witches.
I mention Harold Roth, a brilliant herbal alchemist and proprieter of Alchemy Works.
Since we discuss Salem and its witchcraft at a bit of length, I would definitely recommend the following books about that period of American history:
We announce the winners of our Spring Lore 2015 contest, so listen in to see if you won one of our prizes!
Upcoming Appearances
Cory will be at two upcoming events, and will likely be holding talks/discussions at both of them, which you might find interesting:
Today we’re tackling a hodgepodge of springtime symbols, including rabbits, eggs, maypoles, and flowers. We’ll discuss some of the myths and folklore surrounding these icons of spring, as well as some of the spells and magic that use these elements.
Some springtime symbols in fiction that might be of interest include Louisa May Alcott’s “May Flowers“ and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The May-pole of Merry Mount.”
Big thanks again to Atticus Hob, who recently announced that his show is indefinitely off the air, but who did a marvelous job as our co-host last month. Check out his Orphan’s Almanac site for updates.
Summary:
We’re back with our eyes on the sky, talking about the role of the moon in magic. We’ll discuss the divinity, folklore, and practical spellwork we associate with our lovely satellite, and make a plan for kick-starting our witchy engines in the moonlight. Plus, a new contest! Play:
Download: New World Witchery – Episode 75
-Sources-
Please continue to keep Laine in your thoughts and prayers, as she is dealing with a serious (but thankfully not life-threatening) medical issue.
Big thanks again to Atticus Hob, who recently announced that his show is indefinitely off the air, but who did a marvelous job as our co-host last month. Check out his Orphan’s Almanac site for updates.
We talk about the concept of moon calendar names, a subject derived from a recent discussion on Betwixt & Between.
Our apologies for the technical glitch in the middle of the episode. We’ll try harder next time, we promise!
Promos & Music
Title music: “Homebound,” by Jag, from Cypress Grove Blues. From Magnatune. Incidental music is “Calling the Moon,” by Dar Williams and “Channel Z,” by the B-52’s.
You can find Cory’s article on magical books, including Joshua Gordon’s Commonplace Book, in Witches & Pagans magazine. He also mentions Rob Chapman’s Pow-wow Grimoire, and both discuss Grimoires by Owen Davies. We also both recommended the recend Llewellyn edition of Hohman’s Long-lost Friend, edited by Daniel Harms. Hob highly recommends Jim Baker’s Cunning Man’s Handbook.
Please stop by Hob’s current website, the Orphan’s Almanac, which is a wonderful fusion of the esoteric, the poetic, and the curious.
If you have feedback you’d like to share, email us or leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!
Summary:
We begin 2015 wih a look at protection spells, as well as some talismans of interest. We also have an adorable background guest star visitng us. Play:
Download: New World Witchery – Episode 73
Some of the various protective charms and talismans we discuss include: horsehoes, silver (including Mercury dimes), salt, iron, evil eye beads, the ojo de dios/God’s eye, dreamcatchers, gargoyles, the rowan cross, the SATOR and Abracadabra charms, and High John root.
I mention (and recommend) the Sweet Dreams oil from Mrs. Oddly
If you have feedback you’d like to share, email us or leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!
Don’t forget to follow us at Twitter! And check out our Facebook page! Promos & Music
Title music: “Homebound,” by Jag, from Cypress Grove Blues. From Magnatune.
New World Witchery - The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft 