ghost stories – New World Witchery – The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft

Contest Time! Fall 2020 Edition

It’s contest time!

One of the kind of cool perks to creating New World Witchery is that we often get access to lots of books coming out on magical topics, and sometimes publishers even send us an extra copy or two of some books so we can give them away. I have been very lax in doing these sorts of giveaways, but I’m chalking it (loosely) up to Fate. Well, okay, and a touch of being a little overwhelmed with all the projects I do. But why Fate?

Because I have a few projects that I need your help with, and I thought why not combine those projects with an opportunity to give away a whole bunch of books? Maybe I’ve just been stockpiling these so that I would have a good cache of verbal treasures to send out as potential “thank yous” to a few lucky folks who help me out with my work!

So how can you help (and also get a chance to win one or more of these books)?

I’m currently doing a few research projects and I need people to share their experiences with me, so I’ve decided that if you participate in my project, you can also enter to win a book! Here’s how to participate and enter:

Fill out our “Campfire Tales” survey with your favorite spooky/funny/weird/eerie tale from around the old campfire! Importantly, please make sure it’s one that you’ve actually heard told to you, and not just read (or one that you’ve told and not just read) as I’m trying to get stories from the oral tradition. It’s totally fine if they’ve also been written down somewhere, too (and if you grew up reading the Alvin Schwartz Scary Stories series, you’ll know exactly what Campfire Tales are!), but definitely tell me the story in your own words! Make sure to leave a good email address with the survey so we can contact you if you win (we do NOT share your email address with advertisers or third parties).
Fill out our “Research Survey: Slumber Party and Supernatural Games” form. It will ask you questions about any spooky, weird, or slightly supernatural games you might have played/still play, including everything from “Bloody Mary” to using Ouija boards to newer versions of games like Midnight Man or Three Kings. Again, if you fill out this Google Form survey, make sure to provide an email address if you want to be considered for one of the books as a prize; we don’t share those with third parties or advertisers).

You can participate in one or both of these surveys to get an entry into our contest! If you’re one of our Patreon supporters, you’ll also get an automatic entry as well (just one of the perks of being a patron!).

So what are some of the books up for grabs?

Making Magic, by Briana Saussy (at least three copies) – A lovely guide to working everyday magic into your life through ritual, art, craft, and intention
Outside the Charmed Circle, by Misha Magdalene – All about magical and ritual explorations of gender and sexuality
Urban Magick, by Diana Rajchel – A great look at working funky, potent, animistic magic in a cityscape
What is Remembered Lives, by Phoenix LaFae – A book about working with ancestors, the Fae, and spiritual powers
The Magick of Food, by Gwion Raven – A marvelous overview of magical cookery, including historical recipes, ritual menus, and more
The Crooked Path, by Kelden Mercury – An introduction and orientation to Traditional Witchcraft
Besom, Stang, and Sword, by Chris Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire (not pictured, but a great book!) – A wonderful introduction to animistic, locally-rooted witchcraft by two amazing witches
Fifty-four Devils, by Cory Thomas Hutcheson (at least two signed copies) – My guide to the folklore of playing cards and a basic system of cartomancy

I may also add more books into the mix, depending on what I get/find/mysteriously find under a rock between now and when these contests end. Speaking of, get your entries in by no later than midnight, October 2nd, 2020 by EST to be considered for one of the book prizes!

You can win a prize in both contests, but only one book per survey (and multiple survey responses don’t increase your chances of winning). I’ll be picking the books and winners at random when the contest is over, then contacting winners to confirm a shipping address for any and all books you win.

There is no cost to you to participate in this contest, and you can also choose to do the surveys and not be entered into the drawing for the books if you like (but seriously, free books, why wouldn’t you?!?!)

Huge thanks to Llewellyn, Weiser, and Sounds True publications for all their generosity in offering these texts!

Best of luck, and my immense thanks to everyone who participates!

-Cory

Episode 136 – Graveyard Lore Part II

Summary:

We return under cover of darkness to the creaky gates and mossy tombstones of graveyards and crypts for this show. We cover a witch ring in a New York cemetery, spooky teenage trips to haunted graveyards, and holding your breath as you pass the local churchyard.

Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the same time. Even if you can’t give, spread the word and let others know, and maybe we can make New World Witchery even better than it is now.

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

Witch Ring in Fort Hill Cemetery, New York

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Download: Episode 136 – Graveyard Lore Part II

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Big thanks to many of our listeners, including AthenaBeth, Michelle, Katie, Emma, Annie, and Thornwald who submitted to this show. We definitely expect to keep mining this topic for more, as we still have tons of great listener submissions to share with you! Keep those coming!

Some of the graveyards mentioned include the Fort Hill Cemetery in New York and Simsbury Cemetery in Connecticut.

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! For those who are interested, we also now have a page on Pinterest you might like, called “The Olde Broom.” You can follow us on Instagram or check out our new YouTube channel with back episodes of the podcast and new “Everyday Magic” videos, too! Have something you want to say? Leave us a voice mail on our official NWW hotline: (442) 999-4824 (that’s 442-99-WITCH, if it helps).

Promos & Music

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

Please think about checking out our Audible Trial program. Visit Audibletrial.com/newworldwitchery to get your free trial of Audible, where you can download over 180,000 titles (including some narrated by Cory). Your purchases help support this show, and there’s no obligation to continue after the free trial

Episode 134 – Graveyard Lore Part I

Summary:

In this episode, we visit the crypts and churchyards to bring you some of our favorite graveyard lore. Huge thanks to those who submitted ideas for this! We’ve got more than enough for a part two another time, so if your submission isn’t here, don’t worry. We’ll be resurrecting it soon!

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Download: Episode 134 – Graveyard Lore Part I

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Much of the lore in this episode was submitted by our listeners. Huge thanks to Arrow Claire, Sam Silver, Polly Lind, Devon K, Bambi, and Annie who were featured in this episode, and thanks to all who sent in lore (we’ll be getting to yours in a future episode, too).

Listener Sam Silver, whose lore is in this show, has also written a book on cemetery stories called Grave Gossip.

We mention a lot of movies this time around, including Hocus Pocus (which both Laine and Cory are ambivalent about), Poltergeist, and the new Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

If you have feedback you’d like to share, email us or leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!

Promos & Music

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

Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – Drinking Companions

Summary:

Our final story comes from Chinese folklore, and tells the tale of a fisherman who generously shared his wine with a ghost and found out just what a good friend the dead can be.

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Download: Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – Drinking Companions

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We sourced this version of the story from Favorite Folktales from Around the World, edited by Jane Yolen, and it can also be found in collections like Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies, edited by Moss Roberts.

Promos & Music

Intro music is “Grifos Muertos” by Jeffery Luck Lucas, from his album What We Whisper, used under license from Magnatune.com and “Dry Bones,” by The Merry Macs, from Archive.org.

Incidental music is by Anthony Salvo, Intersonic Subformation, Viviana Guzman, Dr Sounds, and Julian Blackmore, all licensed from Magnatune.com.

Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – Aaron Kelly’s Bones

Summary:

We roam down South for a story of a dancing corpse in the latest spooky October tale, “Aaron Kelly’s Bones.”

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Download: Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – Aaron Kelly’s Bones

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This story is sourced from the quintessential children’s horror folklore collection, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, collected and edited by Alvin Schwartz. Schwartz himself took the story from John Bennett’s South Carolina collection The Doctor to the Dead.

Promos & Music

Intro music is “Grifos Muertos” by Jeffery Luck Lucas, from his album What We Whisper, used under license from Magnatune.com and “Dry Bones,” by The Merry Macs, from Archive.org.

Incidental music is by Anthony Salvo, Intersonic Subformation, Viviana Guzman, Dr Sounds, and Julian Blackmore, all licensed from Magnatune.com.

Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – A Pretty Girl in the Road

Summary:

Our Halloween storytelling continues with a popular legend that people have been telling for over a century, “A Pretty Girl in the Road.”

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Download: Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – A Pretty Girl in the Road

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This story is found in numerous forms throughout American folklore. The version in the episode is adapted from Favorite Folktales from Around the World, edited by Jane Yolen. You can also read all about the legend and its variants in the excellent book, The Vanishing Hitchhiker, by Jan Harold Brunvand.

Promos & Music

Intro music is “Grifos Muertos” by Jeffery Luck Lucas, from his album What We Whisper, used under license from Magnatune.com and “Dry Bones,” by The Merry Macs, from Archive.org.

Incidental music is by Anthony Salvo, Intersonic Subformation, Viviana Guzman, Dr Sounds, and Julian Blackmore, all licensed from Magnatune.com.

Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – The Adventure of the German Student

Summary:

We begin our annual tradition of spooky stories by hearing Washington Irving’s “The Adventure of the German Student.” Our theme this year is the dead returning from the grave, so prepare for a month of ghoulish delights!

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Download: Special Episode – All Hallows Read 2018 – The Adventure of the German Student

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Our story for this episode is Washington Irving’s “The Adventure of the German Student.” You can find it in American Fantastic Tales, from Library of America. You may also want to check out our episode with the reading of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Irving as well.

Promos & Music

Intro music is “Grifos Muertos” by Jeffery Luck Lucas, from his album What We Whisper, used under license from Magnatune.com and “Dry Bones,” by The Merry Macs, from Archive.org.

Incidental music is by Anthony Salvo, Intersonic Subformation, Viviana Guzman, Dr Sounds, and Julian Blackmore, all licensed from Magnatune.com.

Episode 126 – Magic and the Great Lakes

Summary:

In our continuing quest to explore the North American magical landscape, we turn to a massive section of the continent chock-full of magic: the Great Lakes Region. Special guests Scarlet from Lakefront Pagan Voice and Witchdoctor Utu from Dragon Ritual Drummers help us get a toe in some very big, mythically deep waters!

Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the same time. Even if you can’t give, spread the word and let others know, and maybe we can make New World Witchery even better than it is now.

Producers for this show: Heather, Achija of Spellbound Bookbinding, Raven Dark Moon, WisdomQueen, Regina, Jen Rue of Rue & Hyssop, Little Wren, Khristopher, Tanner, Jody, Johnathan at the ModernSouthernPolytheist, Catherine, Montine, Amy, Josette, Carole, Cynara at The Auburn Skye, Sarah at ConjuredCardea,The Trinket Witch, Victoria, Jody, 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 126 – Magic and the Great Lakes

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Immense thanks to both of my guests this time! We highly recommend checking out Scarlet’s podcast, Lakefront Pagan Voice, and Witchdoctor Utu’s excellent musical group, the Dragon Ritual Drummers.

Want to know more about the mound-builder cultures and Native landscapes in North America? Cory recommends a good primer on pre-European Native cultures called 1491, by Charles Mann, as a way to get some good background. Several listeners have also recommended the book Star Songs & Water Spirits, by Victoria Brehm, as well.

The tale of the Bannockburn can be found here and here, as well as in Dwight Boyer’s Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes.

Cory reads from and discusses some of the “Yooper” bloodstopper and bearwalker lore found in Richard M. Dorson’s aptly titled Bloodstoppers and Bearwalkers.

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! For those who are interested, we also now have a page on Pinterest you might like, called “The Olde Broom.” Have something you want to say? Leave us a voice mail on our official NWW hotline: (442) 999-4824 (that’s 442-99-WITCH, if it helps).

Promos & Music

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

“Blessings to You,” by Victoria Guzman, licensed from Magnatune
“Masters of Chaos,” by the Dragon Ritual Drummers (used with gracious permission)
“We’re Going to Pump Out Lake Erie,” by Pearl R. Nye, and “Koivun Oksat…,” by Amanda Harkonen, both from the Lomax Collection at the Library of Congress (public domain)
“Quiet Storm Surge,” by Stella Stormfloj; “Sedativa I & V,” by DR; and “Energy and Nothing,” by Genomic Sequence, from the Free Music Archive (CC License)

Episode 116 – Spooky Stories Live! 2017

Summary:

For our recent live broadcast/group chat, we brought on two of our supporters—AthenaBeth and Heather—to share their spookiest encounters. Then we all discussed other spooky stories sent in by listeners, and the eerie #DearDavid phenomenon.

Producers for this show: Corvus, Khristopher, J.C., Josette, Renee Odders, Ye Olde Magic Shoppe, Raven Dark Moon, Sarah, Catherine, AthenaBeth, Jen Rue of Rue & Hyssop, Little Wren, Jessica, Victoria, Johnathan at the ModernSouthernPolytheist, Montine, Achija of Spellbound Bookbinding, Mandy, Regina, and Hazel (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 116 – Spooky Stories Live! 2017

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Most of our stories this time came from you, our listeners! Thank you so much to everyone who sent in stories to us this year, including Thistle at Parting the Mists, Elliot, Heather, and AthenaBeth

We mention both the “Auntie Bells” story from Reddit, sent in by listener Trey, and the really spooky and terrifying true(?) story of #DearDavid as well.

If you want to keep up on our live broadcasts, chat with us, and otherwise participate in future live shows, you should definitely go check out our Mixlr page.

If you have feedback you’d like to share, email us or leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!

Promos & Music

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

Special Episode – Can Peter Play?

Summary:

Our second #AllHallowsRead episode is about a game almost everyone has played: tag. Only this time, we’re playing in the dark, and a new player arrives just in time to cause a few chills.

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Download: Special Episode – Can Peter Play

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I’ve adapted this version based on several similar tag games found in Simon Bronner’s American Children’s Folklore, as well as an internet-based version I found through the Reddit No Sleep forum.

Promos & Music

Intro music is “Grifos Muertos” by Jeffery Luck Lucas, from his album What We Whisper, used under license from Magnatune.com

Incidental music by Olssons (“Ambient One”); DR (“Sedativa V”); Byzons (“Apatheia (Or, The Story of a Girl Trapped in a World of Madness)),” all of which are used through Creative Commons license on SoundCloud.

Sound effects are sourced from Creative Commons licensed recordings at Sound Bible. Special thanks to guest voices Jack and Poppy. Now go to bed, kids.