social justice – New World Witchery – The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft

Episode 261 – Cunning Folk with Tabitha Stanmore

Best. Road Trip. Ever.

Summary:

We get to sit down and chat with Dr. Tabitha Stanmore, author of Cunning Folk and historian of folk magic and service magicians in the Early Modern period! We chat about missing spoons, modern service magic, and just which of the cunning folk she’d slap with a fish given the opportunity. It’s a wonderful chat so we hope you enjoy!

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.

Producer for this show:

This episode is sponsored in part by listener Pretty Poisons Witch. We’ll be sending along several itinerant magicians with our thanks to perform some spells on your behalf shortly! Thank you for your support!

Play: Episode 261 – Cunning Folk with Tabitha Stanmore
Download (open and then click “download” to save): Episode 261 – Cunning Folk with Tabitha Stanmore

Sources

Links for our guest:

You can buy Cunning Folk at bookstores everywhere (and we highly recommend it!)
You can find out more about Dr. Stanmore and her work at her website
Cory also mentions Euan Cameron’s Enchanted Europe in this episode

Books and Things:

Please consider ordering our collaborative book Conjuring the Commonplace: A Guide to Everyday Enchantment and Junk Drawer Magic from 1000Volt Press! It’s available for purchase on Bookshop, Amazon, or from your local bookstore!

You can now buy Cory’s book, New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic! (also available from Amazon) and the recent release Llewellyn’s Complete Book of North American Folk Magic as well (also available on Amazon)!

Please note that clicking on links may provide some monetary compensation to New World Witchery.

Image via Pixabay (Used under CC 2.0 License, modified by New World Witchery)

If you have feedback you’d like to share, email us at compassandkey@gmail.com or newworldwitcherypodcast@gmail.com or leave a comment at the website: www.newworldwitchery.com . 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 are also on TikTok now. You can follow us on Instagram (main account, or you can follow Laine as well) or check out our new YouTube channel with back episodes of the podcast and new “Everyday Magic” videos, too (as well as most of our contest announcements)!

Promos and Music: Title music is “Woman Blues,” by Paul Avgerinos. All music is licensed from Audio Socket (#35954) or used under CC 2.0 license (from Kevin Macleod).

Please consider supporting us by purchasing our promotional items in the New World Witchery Threadless shop or by joining our Patreon supporters. If you like us AND you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will love our new show: Myth Taken: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast, now available through all the podcatchers! 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 260 – All Them Witches with Judika Illes

Who’s at your Witchy Dinner Party?

Summary:

We are chatting with one of our favorite witches, Judika Illes! We talk about the past 15 years of witchery, the nature of magical publishing, and much more.

Producer for this show:

This episode is sponsored in part by listener Jamie. We are thankful that Jamie is helping us support our quest to enchant our bookshelves so that they can hold an infinite amount of witchy books. Thank you for your support!

Play: Episode 260 – All Them Witches with Judika Illes
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FhAoz106Ceil0fahmUMGe?si=YyclNktwRnyfYlytmWvJMw

Sources

Links for our guest:

Judika’s website and author page at Weiser
Her new deck (Protection Spells) and latest book (Witches: A Compendium) are also available now!
Some favorite books by her include The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, the Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages, and The Encyclopedia of Spirits

Books and Things:

Please note that clicking on links may provide some monetary compensation to New World Witchery.

Image via Pixabay (Used under CC 2.0 License, modified by New World Witchery)

Promos and Music: Title music is “Woman Blues,” by Paul Avgerinos. All music is licensed from Audio Socket (#35954).

Episode 258 – Witchcraft for Wayward Girls with Grady Hendrix

Of Covens and Bookmobiles

Summary:

We interview horror author Grady Hendrix about his latest book, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. The discussion covers maternity homes, occult paperbacks, fears of satanic feminism from centuries gone by, and so much more!

Producer for this show:

Our producing supporter this month is Achija Branvin Sionach, and we’ll be sending you our cursed bookmobile full of haunted tomes to select a favorite as a token of our gratitude soon!

Play: Episode 258 – Witchcraft for Wayward Girls with Grady Hendrix
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3PqWua84xDUuybIsiZUDMc?si=QMl3Hj2aT2yrGjOYsyeOgw

Sources

Links for our guests:

Find out more about Grady at ⁠his website⁠
Pick up Witchcraft for Wayward Girls at ⁠bookshop.org⁠ and other ⁠online stores⁠
Learn more about maternity homes in ⁠The Girls Who Went Away⁠ by Anne Fessler
Read the ⁠Letterboxd review ⁠that sparked Grady’s story

Additional links (recommended by Grady Hendrix):

Trevor Hoyle – The Stigma
Mary MacLane – I Await the Devil’s Coming
Sylvia Townsend Warner – Lolly Willowes

Books and Things:

Please note that clicking on links may provide some monetary compensation to New World Witchery.

Image via Pixabay (Used under CC 2.0 License, modified by New World Witchery)

Promos and Music: Title music is “Woman Blues,” by Paul Avgerinos. All music is licensed from Audio Socket (#35954).

Episode 257 – Folk Magic of Romanistan

Travelers Welcome

Summary:

We chat with Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens about their work with preserving Roma traditions, the role of magic in Romani culture, and their work on their show Romanistan.

Producer for this show:

Our producing supporter this month is AthenaBeth. You have our gratitude, and the cards we’ve pulled for you this month are the Three of Swords, the Tower, and…the Happy Squirrel?

Play: Episode 257 – Folk Magic of Romanistan
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LSm7IbNQSrfmwda1vvJ32

Sources

Links for our guests:

The ⁠Romanistan Podcast⁠
⁠Secrets of Romani Fortune-Telling⁠ by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Additional links:

Amaro Voice podcast
Guivlipen: Feminist Romani Theatre Company
The Romani Tea Room Podcast
O Verda Derano (Romani folklore podcast)

Books and Things:

Please note that clicking on links may provide some monetary compensation to New World Witchery.

Image via Pixabay (Used under CC 2.0 License, modified by New World Witchery)

Promos and Music: Title music is “Woman Blues,” by Paul Avgerinos. All music is licensed from Audio Socket (#35954).

Episode 256 – Rooted Folk Magic with Frankie Anne Castanea

Of Veils and Poles

Summary: We talk to Frankie Anne Castanea, the Chaotic Witch Aunt, about their journey into their roots with Italian folk magic, the role of magic in bodily autonomy, and balancing tradition and modernity.

Producer for this show: This episode is sponsored in part by listener Conjured Cardea. Thank you for supporting us and we’ll be sending La Befana to drop off your magical gifts of thanks as soon as we can find her (she seems to be very busy this time of year).

Play: Episode 256 – Rooted Folk Magic with Frankie Anne Castanea
Stream:

Sources

You can find out more about Frankie and their work through their website, Chaotic Witch Aunt.

You can also find their book, Spells for Change at Bookshop (and Amazon). You can also find their book, Ancestral Magic at Bookshop for preorder!

Find Frankie’s brevi bags and other charms here.

Some additional books mentioned in this episode:

Magic: A Theory from the South by Ernesto de Martino
Italian American Folklore by Melpezzi and Clements
Dark Mother by Lucia Chiarvola Birnbaum
Della Medicina by Lisa Fazio

The transcript for this episode is available on our Transcripts page.

Some upcoming publications from us:

Please note that clicking on links may provide some monetary compensation to New World Witchery.

Image via Pixabay (Used under CC 2.0 License, modified by New World Witchery)

Promos and Music: Title music is “Woman Blues,” by Paul Avgerinos. All music is licensed from Audio Socket (#35954).

Episode 254 – Bones

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

Summary: We rattle around the topic of bones in folk magic and witchcraft. We discuss ethical bone sourcing, some folk magical applications, and why keeping a jar of teeth is a totally normal and not-weird thing to do.

Producer for this show: This episode is sponsored in part by listener Catherine. We are greatly moved by your encouragement, and have reanimated a number of skeletons to come and deliver a personal thank-you to you on our behalf.

Play: Episode 254 – Bones
Stream:

Sources

We mention catherine yronwode’s Throwing the Bones as a source of info on bone reading techniques.

We note that Kate Freuler’s Of Blood and Bones was partly the impetus for this show.

We recommend looking at the work of Peter Paddon for more information on using skulls as conduits for Otherworld work.

You can learn more about scapulimancy in our November Folk Magician’s Notebook episode.

You can also learn about the history and lore of lucky rabbits’ feet in Cory’s New World Witchery article on the topic. Check out our two web articles on bones at the site as well: Dem Bones Part I and Dem Bones Part II.

The transcript for this episode is available on our Transcripts page.

Some upcoming publications from us:

Please note that clicking on links may provide some monetary compensation to New World Witchery.

Image via Pixabay (Used under CC 2.0 License, modified by New World Witchery)

Promos and Music: Title music is “Woman Blues,” by Paul Avgerinos. All music is licensed from Audio Socket (#35954).

Episode 253 – Researching Magic in the US with Heather Freeman

Let’s Get Nerdy (and Witchy)

Summary: Cory chats with Heather D. Freeman, host of the Magic in the United States podcast and academic researcher to talk about the road to witchcraft, the role of art and occulture, and why magic is so important to understanding U.S. history.

Producer for this show: This episode is sponsored in part by listener Catherine. We appreciate your support and are sending over a full accompaniment of library squirrels to help you sort your books as a reward for your patronage.

Play: Episode 252 – Reproductive Rites with Sophie Saint Thomas
Stream:

Sources

You can find out more about Heather’s work through her LinkTree.

We also recommend checking out the Magic in the United States podcast as well, of course!

The transcript for this episode is available on our Transcripts page.

Some upcoming publications from us:

Please note that clicking on links may provide some monetary compensation to New World Witchery.

Image via Pixabay (Used under CC 2.0 License, modified by New World Witchery)

Promos and Music: Title music is “Woman Blues,” by Paul Avgerinos. All music is licensed from Audio Socket (#35954).

Episode 252 – Reproductive Rites with Sophie Saint Thomas

Bodies, Sex, and Witchcraft

Summary: We sit down to have a fascinating conversation with author and journalist Sophie Saint Thomas about sthe intersection of witch hunts and reproductive justice, as well as issues of sex-positivity and more.

Producer for this show: This episode is sponsored in part by listener This episode is sponsored in part by listener Jen Rue. In appreciation for your ongoing enthusiasm, we’ll be witching some ravens and owls with copious notes of thanks your way.

Play: Episode 252 – Reproductive Rites with Sophie Saint Thomas
Stream: