witch – Page 16 – New World Witchery – The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft

Video – Disney and Harry Potter Haul and a Contest!

Hello Magical Folk!

Above you’ll see (hopefully) a video for our latest addition to our YouTube channel. In it, I’m sharing some of the things I picked up on a recent family trip to Disney World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. I focus especially on stuff with a magical edge to it, so it might be interesting to some of you. Sorry about the grainy film quality and the weird out-of-sync mouth/words about halfway through the video–no idea what happened!

In the video, I also mention we’re doing a contest that you might want to get in on, too! The rules of the contest are simple:

Share any of our videos from our YouTube channel via your favorite social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)* Feel free to tag us on those platforms, too, if you like!
Comment on the video above (the Disney/HP Haul video) telling us which video you shared and where you shared it

*We’d especially love it if you shared around our Compass & Key Charm School video on Sea Witches and Merfolk, since that has a tie-in to this project. We’d also love it if you’d consider subscribing to the YouTube channel, too!

That’s it! If you’re one of our awesome Patreon supporters, you automatically get an entry into the contest, too. And you can get multiple entries by sharing multiple videos (just leave a separate comment for each one you share so we can add you to the tally properly).

So what can you win? I’m glad you asked! The prize pack for this contest includes:

A deck of exclusive Haunted Mansion glow-in-the-dark playing cards from the Magic Kingdom
An adorable folk magic daruma doll from the Japan pavilion in Epcot
A copy of Cory’s book, 54 Devils, about fortune-telling and playing cards
A copy of Harry Potter: A History of Magic from the British Museum and the New York Historical Society and Library

That’s a lot of good stuff!

The contest will run through December 31st, 2018, so get your shares out there by then and make sure to comment on the video at the top of this post once you’ve shared so that you can get your name in the Sorting Hat for this contest.

Good luck, and thanks for watching!

-Cory

Video – Of Sea Witches and Merfolk

We’ve added something new over at our YouTube channel! We’re continuing the thread of our Disney Magic episode by starting a series of videos that explore the connections between popular culture, fairy tales, folklore, and folk magic. We’re calling it the Compass & Key Charm School. Our first installment is one of my favorite Disney witches, Ursula, and we look at the differences between Hans Christian Anderson’s classic literary fairy tale and the animated film version. We also discuss some of the ways that seaside witches use their magic (and how you might style your own magical cupboard after Ursula’s). Please feel free to comment, subscribe to the channel, and share the video around! Thanks for watching!

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 135 – Building a Magical Tradition with Ivo Dominguez Jr

Summary:

We have a conversation with Neopagan author and tradition elder Ivo Dominguez, Jr. about his work in growing his tradition, living through the Neopagan boom of the 80s and 90s, and the New Alexandrian Library project.

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Download: Episode 135 – Building a Magical Tradition with Ivo Dominguez Jr

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Our guest has several books worth checking out, including Spirit Speak, Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans, and Keys to Perception. You can find out more about his work at his website as well.

We also reference an ongoing conversation on the history (or pseudo-history) of contemporary Neopaganism in posts such as those by forest witch Sarah Anne Lawless, Patheos blogger Mat Auryn, and anthropologist Amy Hale. As we mention, this episode’s interview was recorded well before this conversation was going, but the chat with Ivo may relate to some of those discussions.

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. Incidental music is “Sedativa II,” by DR, from the Free Music Archive.

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 – 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 133 – From You to Us – Listener Feedback 2018

Summary:

We’re digging through listener responses to our shows and topics to bring you an apology, some thoughts on the Sephora witch kit controversy, and folklore about rabbits and red hats.

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Download: Episode 133 – From You to Us – Listener Feedback 2018

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We start off with an apology about a misstep that may have hurt some of our listeners in the disability community. The episode we address is 130 – Dirt Sorcery and Six Ways with Aidan Wachter. We are truly sorry for not being better about watching our own words and getting better clarity from our guest, which we know is our job. We will try to improve upon that, and thank you to the listener who pointed out our fumble.

If you want some background and perspective on the Sephora witch kit controversy, Fire Lyte of Inciting a Riot has a great post going over many of the key points.

Thanks also to AthenaBeth, whose YouTube channel you should check out! She sent in our (terrifying) rabbit lore in relation to our previous posts on things like lucky rabbit’s feet.

There was also a mention of an episode in which we shared lore on fairies wearing red caps, which is Episode 8 – Magical Media Mania, and there was a follow-up blog post about it as well.

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.

Episode 132 – Bodies, Gender, and Witchcraft with Paige from the Fat Feminist Witch

Summary:

We’re joined in this episode by Paige from the Fat Feminist Witch podcast to talk about the importance of listening, reclaiming “scary words,” the power of podcasting and social media in witchy circles (for good and ill), intersectional witchcraft, and pop culture magic.

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, & 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 132 – Bodies Gender and Witchcraft with Paige from the Fat Feminist Witch

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If you haven’t checked out Paige’s podcast, The Fat Feminist Witch, we highly recommend it! Some episodes that you might like in connection with this one include:

Also check out the American Folklore Society presentation by scholar and feminist Kay Turner called “The Witch in Flight,” which Cory mentions in this episode.

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.

Incidental music is “Ambient Gourd,” by Canton (Free Music Archive).

Episode 131 – Disney Magic Part One

Summary:

Cory and Laine start an ongoing discussion of the use of magic in Disney films, looking at the cultural context, the fairy tale sources, and the specific practices found in some of the films. We cover Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and Fantasia in this one.

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, & 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 131 – Disney Magic Part One

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There are plenty of great sources on Disney and fairy tales, but one Cory would highly recommend is the thoroughly researched (and highly entertaining) Disney Story Origins Podcast.

You can read one source version of “The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods” at SurLaLune. They also have an excellent version of “The Little Mermaid.”

Goethe’s poem “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” can be found at the VCU website.

We are in the final days of a contest in which we request your graveyard folklore at the end of this episode, with two potential prize packs available! Learn more about the contest and get complete rules at the official announcement post.

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 “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas and “The Sleeping Beauty Waltz” by Peter I. Tchaikovsky, both sourced from Archive.org‘s recording files.

Episode 130 – Dirt Sorcery and Six Ways with Aidan Wachter

Summary:

This time around we’re chatting with author and talisman-maker Aidan Wachter about his workshop, chaos magic, the importance of breath, and dirt sorcery.

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, & 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 130 – Dirt Sorcery and Six Ways with Aidan Wachter

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Of course the main source for this episode is Aidan Wachter himself. You can find out more about him through his website, where you can also see his gorgeous talismans.

His book, Six Ways: Approaches and Entries for Practical Magic is available now.

You can read our review of the book here.

We announce a contest in which we request your graveyard folklore at the end of this episode, and Aidan’s book is one of the potential prizes! Learn more about the contest and get complete rules at the official announcement post.

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.

Incidental music is “Voices of Hope,” by Vasily Boykov (Magnatune); “Sedativa V,” by DR (Magnatune); and “Blessings to You” and “Half Moon Bay Sunset,” by Viviana Guzman (Magnatune).