Yuletide – New World Witchery – The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft

Episode 221 – Yuletide Cheer! 2022

Our annual “Tales and Wassails” episode for the midwinter nights

Summary:

We bring the year to a close with our midwinter festivities, including wassails and carols, a few fairy tales, a pair of poems, and even a bit of festive food lore. Got Jul and Happy Holidays to all!

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:

Abby, Achija Branvin Sionach, AromaG’s Botanica, AthenaBeth, Andrea, Bagga Marsh, Benjamin, Breanna, Carol, Carole, Catherine, Cheryl, Christopher, Colby, ConjuredCardea, Daniel, Dave, Don, Donna, Elizabeth, Eveline, Erin, Fergus, Griffin, Heather, Jamie, Jen Rue of Rue & Hyssop, Jess, Jenna, Jennifer, Jodi, John, Jonathan at the ModernSouthernPolytheist, Kat, Kee, Kristopher, Liz, Mark, Marisa, Matthew Venus of Spiritus Arcanum, Milo, Minimiel, Montine of Book of My Shadows, , Nikki, Payton, Sara, Scarlet Pirate, Sherry, Staci, Stephanie, Ralph from the Holle’s Haven Podcast, Vee, Victoria & Keifel of 1000 Volt Press, Violet, and WisdomQueen (if we missed you this episode, we’ll make sure you’re in the next one!). Big thanks to everyone supporting us!

Play:

Play: Episode 222 – Yuletide Cheer! 2022

Stream:

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Our stories for this episode are “The Golden Key” from the Brothers Grimm and “The Snow Maiden” from Russian folklore.

The poems are “Winter Stars,” by Sara Teasdale and “The Snow Fairy,” by Claude McKay.

The apple lore can be found in our Post #143 – Apples.

If you are interested in playing card divination, you can check out our Cartomancy post or pick up Cory’s book, 54 Devils.

Some upcoming publications from us:

Cory recently contributed to The Gorgon’s Guide to Magical Resistance, edited by Jenn Zahrt and Laura Tempest Zakroff (which includes his “penis trees” article along with a lot of other great pieces) and the upcoming release of the Llewellyn’s Complete Book of North American Folk Magic, out in Spring 2023. Also be on the lookout for our upcoming collaborative book Conjuring the Commonplace: A Guide to Everyday Enchantment and Junk Drawer Magic also coming in 2023 from 1000Volt Press.

You can now buy Cory’s book, New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic! (also available from 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)! 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 and Music:

Our music for this episode is used under Public Domain through Archive.org or licensed from AudioSocket unless noted otherwise. The songs for this episode are:

“Old Christmas,” by Boyd Asher (Library Of Congress – Public Domain)
“Jingle Bells,” by Morrie Morrison Orchestra (AudioSocket)
“Fum Fum Fum” by the US Army Men’s Choir (Public Domain)
“Pat-a-Pan,” by the Concordia Choir (Archive.org)
“Good King Wenceslas,” by the Harmony Choristers (Archive.org)
“Angels We Have Heard on High,” by Joe Matzzie (AudioSocket)
“Soul Cake,” by the Pagan Carolers (Archive.org)
“Carol of the Birds,” by Columbus Boyschoir (Archive.org)
“Sing We Noel Once More,” by the Harmony Choristers (Archive.org)
“The Wassail Song,” by the English Singers (Archive.org)
“We’ve Been A-Wandering,” by Concordia Choir (Archive.org)
“Somerset Wassail,” by the Pagan Carolers (Archive.org)
“Carol of the Bells,” by Columbus Boyschoir (Archive.org)
“Green Groweth the Holly,” by the Pagan Carolers (Archive.org)
“The Boar’s Head Carol,” by the Pagan Carolers (Archive.org)
“Silent Night,” by Steven Rice (AudioSocket)
“Da Day Dawn,” by Samantha Gillogly (used with permission of artist)

Incidental music includes work by Kevin MacLeod, made available under a CC 2.0 license, and found at the FreeMusicArchive.org

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! You can also check out Cory’s folklore show, Chasing Foxfire, where he explores the intersection of folklore and topics like history, medicine, science, nature, literature, pop culture, and more!

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

Special Episode – Folk Magician’s Notebook – December 2022

Holiday greenery and ghosts!

Summary:

Time to close out a year of Folk Magician’s Notebooks with a few nods to the holiday season. We’ve got scary ghost stories (well one anyway), a peek at the lunar calendar for the month, some generous and cozy cards, and more!

Producers for this show:

Play:

Play: Special Episode – Folk Magician’s Notebook – December 2022

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We highly recommend that you find an almanac or lunar-oriented datebook to help you with planning out your own magical year. Some we can recommend:

The Witches Almanac

Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook

Benebell Wen’s Metaphysician’s Planner

Montine’s Book of My Shadows

Or your local Farmer’s Almanac!

Our story this time is “The Golden Arm,” and you can find the version Cory reads on the Pitt.edu website.

We also have a whole post about “Holly and Ivy” if you’re interested!

If you are interested in playing card divination, you can check out our Cartomancy post or pick up Cory’s book, 54 Devils.

You can now buy Cory’s book, New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic! (also available from Amazon)

Image via Pixabay (CC 2.0)

Promos and Music:

Title and closing music are “Runaround (AM Radio),” by Aaron Solomon, and is licensed from Audio Socket. Incidental music is Shirley Cason, “Winter Mornings”; Pat Holmberg, “We Three Kings”; and Phil Symonds, “Coventry Carol” all licensed from Audio Socket. Additional music Kevin Macleod, from Free Music Arcive and used under a CC 2.0 license.

Sound effects from Freesound.org and in the Public Domain.

Please consider supporting us by purchasing our promotional items in the New World Witchery Threadless shop or by joining our Patreon supporters.

Episode 180 – Yuletide Cheer! 2020

Summary:

It’s our annual tradition! We share some old blessings for the new year in song, conversation, and charms this time. Welcome Yule!

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, Jennifer, Jen Rue of Rue & Hyssop, Little Wren, Khristopher, Tanner, Fergus from Queer as Folk Magic, Achija of Spellbound Bookbinding, Johnathan at the ModernSouthernPolytheist, Catherine, Payton, Carole, Stephanie, Kat, Breanna, Staci, Montine, Vic from the Distelfink Sippschaft of Urglaawe, Moma Sarah at ConjuredCardea, Jody, AthenaBeth, Bo, Scarlet Pirate, Tim, Bill, Leslie, Sherry, Jenna, Jess, Laura, Abbi, Nicole, AromaG’s Botanica, & Clever Kim’s Curios (if we missed you this episode, we’ll make sure you’re in the next one!). Big thanks to everyone supporting us!

Play:

Play: Episode 180 – Yuletide Cheer! 2020

Stream:

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Playlist:

Welcome Winter & Soul Cake – Pagan Carolers (Artist Permission)
I Saw Three Ships/Kerry Jig – Morrison Players (AudioSocket)
Miss Fogerty’s Christmas – Trillium (AudioSocket)
Good King Wenceslas – Matthew Ried (AudioSocket)
Deck the Halls – Pagan Carolers (Artist Permission)
O Tennenbaum – Nebbe Quartet (FMA)
O Yerusalayme – Ukrainian Village Singers (FMA)
Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella – Emma Wallace (AudioSocket)
In Praise of Yule & Yuletide Carol – Pagan Carolers (Artist Permission)
Gloucester Wassail & Boar’s Head Carol – Pagan Carolers (Artist Permission)
Here We Come A-Wassailing – Emma Wallace (AudioSocket)
Frosty Morning/Full Rigged Ship – Trillium (AudioSocket)
Silent Night – Emma Wallace (AudioSocket)
Auld Lang Syne – Mike Strickland (AudioSocket)
Da Day Dawn – Samantha Gillogly (Artist Permission)

All music sourced with artist permission (as noted), or from Audio Socket (with license), or from Free Music Archive (CC 2.0 License).

Plough Monday Charms are sourced from Nigel Pennick’s Field & Fen.

You can now also pre-order Cory’s forthcoming book, New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic! (also available from Amazon)

Image via Pixabay (CCL 2.0)

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 (as well as most of our contest announcements)! 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 and Music:

Incidental Music:

“Silent Night,” by Paul Frietas (AudioSocket); “The Christmas Waltz,” by Scott Kinsey (AudioSocket); “Jingle Bells” and “God Rest Ye,” by Phil Symonds (AudioSocket); “Coventry Carol,” by Jonathan Still (AudioSocket)

All music sourced with artist permission (as noted), or from Audio Socket (with license), or from Free Music Archive (CC 2.0 License).

Our immense thanks to Leigh Ann Hussey, Eli Goldberg, Prometheus Music, and the Pagan Carolers for letting us use their work in this episode.

Special thanks as well to Samantha Gillogly, whose “Da Day Dawn” has become our personal annual tradition.

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!

Episode 156 – Yuletide Cheer! 2019

Summary:

It’s time for our annual tradition of lessons and carols (with a little bit of a witchy flavor). We’re sharing songs and personal stories of travel and rest during the dark days of the waning year. Wishing you all a Merry Yule and Happy Holidays!

Producers for this show: Heather, Donald, WisdomQueen, Regina, Jen Rue of Rue & Hyssop, Little Wren, Khristopher, Tanner, Fergus from Queer as Folk Magic, Achija of Spellbound Bookbinding, Johnathan at the ModernSouthernPolytheist, Catherine, Patrick, Carole, Payton, Staci, Debra, Montine, Cynara at The Auburn Skye, WickedScense, Moma Sarah at ConjuredCardea, Jody, Josette, Clarissa, Leslie, Hazel, Amy, Victoria, Sherry, Tarsha, Jennifer, Jess, Laura, Emily, Clever Kim’s Curios, Donald, Bo, Drew, 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!

Play:

Download: Episode 156 – Yuletide Cheer! 2019

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Since most of our stories are personal this year, there aren’t many sources to list, but do check out the awesome artists in our playlist below!

Promotional image modified from image via Pixabay, public domain.

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

Promos & Music

All songs are licensed/used under Creative Commons License from the sites Magnatune, the Free Music Archive (FMA), or Wikimedia as designated below (except as denoted by an asterisk*).

Round about our Coal Fire – Shira Kamen (Magnatune)
Nou is Youle a Comen – Shira Kamen (Magnatune)
The Apple Tree Wassail – Shira Kamen (Magnatune)
Wassail – Traditional English – In Nova Cantica (Magnatune)
The Ohio/Kentucky Wassail – Quire Cleveland (Magnatune)
Patapan – Lisa Goettel/The Bird Sings* (CC License on Soundcloud)
Fum fum fum – US Army Chorus (Wikimedia)
I Saw Three Ships – Jean Ritchie (Public Domain – Library of Congress)
I Saw Three Ships – Matt Norris and the Moon (Wikimedia)
A Good Old Time Sleigh Ride – Peerless Quartet (FMA)
Children Go Where I Send Thee – Makemi (Wikimedia)
We Three Kings – Maya Solovoy (Magnatune)
Silent Night (Choral Version) – US Army Band (Wikimedia)
Twas in the Moon of Wintertime – Steve Euleberg (Magnatune)
Stella Splendens – In Nova Cantica (Magnatune)
Un Flambeau Jeanette Isabella – Emma Wallace (Magnatune)
This Endris Night – Z Randall Stroope (Soundcloud)
Song for a Winter’s Night – The Nancies (FMA)
Hail Smiling Morn – Edison Quartet (Wikimedia)
Deck the Halls – US Air Force Band (Wikimedia)
Good King Wenceslas – Army Band (Wikimedia)
Da Day Dawn – Samantha Gillogly* (Used by permission of artist)

Incidental Music is Auld Lang Syne – Navy Band (Wikimedia); Snow Drop – Kevin MacLeod (FMA); and The Sighful Branches – Axletree (FMA)

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!

Episode 137 – Yuletide Cheer! 2018

Summary:

In our annual holiday episode, we turn to the natural world for carols and lessons on the plants and animals of the Yuletide season.

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!

Play:

Download: Episode 137 – Yuletide Cheer! 2018

Play:

-Sources-

Much of the lore featured in this episode comes from the following books and websites:

Henderson, Helene, ed. Holidays, Festivals, & Celebrations of the World Dictionary, 3rd ed. Omnigraphics, Detroit: 2005.
Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells. Harper Collins, New York: 2009.
Opie, Iona, and Moira Tatem. A Dictionary of Superstitions. Barnes & Noble Books, New York: 1989.
Raedisch, Linda. The Old Magic of Christmas. Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, MN: 2013.
Santino, Jack. All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life. Univ. of Illinois Press, Chicago: 1995.
Caring for wild birds in the winter season (Mother Nature Network): https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/how-to-take-care-of-birds-this-winter
Aesop’s Fables: “The Ants and the Grasshopper” (Library of Congress)

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

Music from this episode is licensed from Magnatune unless otherwise noted. “CC License” indicates a Creative Commons 2.0 Share-and-share-alike license.

Song List:

The Holly & the Ivy – Quire Cleveland
Ceremonies for Christmas Eve – Passsamezzo
The Holly Witches’ Dance – Harper’s Hamper
Ivy is Good – English Ayres
Green Grows the Holly – Shira Kammen
The Blood-red Rose at Yule – Music for a Winter’s Night
Christmas Tree – Emma Wallace
Kentucky (Ohio) Wassail – Quire Cleveland
Apple Tree Wassail – Shira Kammen
Here we Come a-Wassailing – Harper’s Hamper
Wassail Song (1913 – Vaughn Williams) – Quire Cleveland
While Shepherds Watched their Flocks – Alabama Sacred Harp Singers (Wikimedia – CC License)
Shepherd’s Carol to be Sung on New Year’s Day – Passamezzo
On Christmas Day – Jean Ritchie (Library of Congress – Public Domain)
The Boar’s Head Carol – Harper’s Hamper
The Wren in the Furze – Shira Kammen
Fowles in the Frith/Bird on a Briar – English Ayres
Little Skylark – J. Tucker (used with permission of artist)
Da Day Dawn – Samantha Gillogly (used with permission of artist)

Incidental Music for this episode includes “O Christmas Tree,” by Jeff Wahl (Magnatune); “Snow Drop,” by Kevin Macleod (Free Music Archive – CC License); and “The Sighful Branches,” by Axletree (Free Music Archive – CC License).

Blog Post 211 – Holly and Ivy

The holly and the ivy,

When they are both full grown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood,

The holly bears the crown.
–From “The Holly and the Ivy,” a traditional carol

We’re deep in the Yuletide season, which means not only can you expect an episode of carols and stories from us soon, but that you’re almost guaranteed to hear at least one or two carols mentioning holly, ivy, or both (in fairness, it’s probably a lot better to keep your elf-ears tuned in for those topics than to be hyper-vigilant in your efforts to avoid Wham!ageddon, right?)

The above-mentioned carol, “The Holly and the Ivy,” has been around for at least two hundred years, but likely dates back even further as a folk song, deriving from medieval traditions in England of associating the plants with various winter festivities and customs (see, for example, KIng Henry VIII’s carol “Green Groweth the Holly“).

In North America, we have several species of holly that are native to our continents, but ivy is a different matter. Most of the “ivies” associated with the holiday season are things like English ivy, which are imports and can be very invasive and destructive if not controlled (similar vines like Japanese kudzu are notorious for the damage they do and their proliferation). If you are in North America and using holly and ivy, it might be worth thinking about picking a twining vine native to the continent, like Virginia creeper, especially if you’re planning to plant anything.

Holly has long been used to decorate for the winter holidays, including in Ancient Rome. Some stories claim that the Christian cross was originally made from holly, which is why its berries are often stained red like blood. Linda Raedisch tells of a hobgoblin named Charlie who haunted an inn in Somerset, England and liked to perch on a holly beam above the fire to warm his feet (when he wasn’t hiding all the dinnerware to annoy the guests). Raedisch also notes several important appearances of holly in the lore and literature of the UK. She points out that in the classic Arthurian tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the titular swain appears at Arthur’s court to issue his challenge bearing an ax in one hand and a sprig of holly in the other. The Blue Hag of Scotland hides her magical staff under a holly bush (which prevents grass from growing beneath holly bushes in general). And of course, when the ghosts of Christmas Past and Present appear to Ebeneezer Scrooge in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, they both bear holly as well.

While holly is often thought to be a good plant to bring in for the winter holidays, ivy is thought to bring ill fortune if carried indoors for winter festivities. Ivy is also associated with cemeteries and graves, as well as the wheel of St. Catherine, and thus, spinners and fiber workers (although it should be pointed out that St. Catherine’s wheel is NOT a spinning wheel, but a torture device…however it’s nice to see the imagery repurposed for better things). Some English lore says that ivy brought into a sick room will prevent recovery, and that taking ivy leaves from off of a church wall will doom the one who picks them to illness.

According to Judika Illes, medieval Europeans believed holly wood had the power to protect against wild animals. While the spell she references involves throwing a piece of holly at an aggressive beast, a contemporary alternative might be to take a small disk of holly wood and inscribe (paint, carve, or burn) it with the name of an animal friend or protector (a companion pet from your life or even one that you know of from books or stories). When preparing it, speak to the animal friend you have in mind and ask them to intercede with any creature you encounter and grant you safe passage. Wear the disk as a necklace or bracelet when going into wild places (possibly consider adding a couple of small bells to the jewelry, as that will alert wild animals to your presence long before you see them, and thus ensure they skedaddle before you make contact…they are usually far more scared of you, after all, than you are of them).

Holly was also thought to be protective against evil spirits. Churches and cemeteries planted holly around their perimeters in England as a way to deter pesky spirits who would get caught on the prickly leaves (this may also have worked to discourage vandals and some wild animals as well). If you do decide to plant holly, bear in mind that it is best left to grow on its own. It is considered very bad luck to cut down a holly tree.

One of the main uses of holly and ivy is in love work. A holly charm recommended by Judika involves picking nine holly leaves at midnight on a Friday. Without speaking, wrap them in a white cloth (like a handkerchief) and put that under your pillow. You should dream of your true love before daybreak. Ivy can also be used to determine who your lover will be. A Scottish charm involves plucking an ivy leaf in secret (not from a church, please) and uttering the words “Ivy, ivy, I pluck the, In my bosom I lay thee; The first young man who speaks to me, Shall surely my true lover be.”

Men hoping to attract women should carry holly leaves, and women hoping to attract men should carry ivy (those hoping to attract their same gender would carry the plant that most corresponds with their attraction: to attract women carry holly, to attract men, ivy).

You can also use ivy to discern who is working against you by wrapping a candle in ivy and burning it. The identity of your foe will become clear (likely through dreams or other omens). Ivy can help determine future illness, too, as one New Year’s divinatory ritual involves laying leaves of ivy in water on New Year’s Eve, naming each leaf for a loved one, and leaving them there until Twelfth Night (January 6th). Any leaves that are still green indicate health for that person, while leaves with black spots or those that have shriveled up reveal who will suffer great illness in the year to come (it probably helps to mark each leaf in some way, as with a dot of nail polish, to ensure you know whose leaf is whose).

And both holly and ivy can be used for more severe spellwork, too. You can put a token from a target (such as their name, a photo, or even a bit of their hair) into a bottle with twists of ivy and sharp-pointed holly leaves. Fill the bottle with black ink and some swamp water or war water, then seal it and bury it upside down. I can even imagine doing a rather dark and wicked little “sinner’s tree” of your enemies by taking a branch of holly and hanging little glass ornaments filled with your enemies’ names, holly leaves, and ivy, with a bit of black ink (they make fillable ones you can buy at craft stores, or you could just save a few small spice bottles). Tell them they will spend the next year in perdition and torment if they do not change their ways, then burn the tree and the contents of the bottles, and scatter the ashes at a crossroads or in running water.

Of course, if they *do* change their ways, you should probably put them on your “nice” list next year and perform an equally powerful blessing on their behalf.

Thanks for reading, and a Merry Yuletide to you!

-Cory

Sources

Henderson, Helene, ed. Holidays, Festivals, & Celebrations of the World Dictionary, 3rd ed. Omnigraphics, Detroit: 2005.
Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells. Harper Collins, New York: 2009.
Opie, Iona, and Moira Tatem. A Dictionary of Superstitions. Barnes & Noble Books, New York: 1989.
Raedisch, Linda. The Old Magic of Christmas. Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, MN: 2013.
Santino, Jack. All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life. Univ. of Illinois Press, Chicago: 1995.