Are We Witches?

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In this very special episode, we’re joined by folklorist, author, and podcaster Icy Sedgwick for a wonderfully wide-ranging conversation.

We chat about folklore, divination, ghosts, fairies, witch archetypes, cunning folk and wise women, love magic, ghost hunting, folklore in the digital age, why stories become attached to particular places, and whether folklore is something from the past or something we’re still creating today.

Icy shares the joys of “folklore tripping” and why seeking out the places behind old stories can bring a little enchantment back into everyday life.

And in Magic for the Masses, Icy shares a beautifully simple way to acknowledge the spirits of home and place.

Icy's latest book is Fate or Fortune: The Art and Folklore of Divination, a captivating exploration of divination throughout history, blending folklore, cultural context, and practical application.

Be sure to listen to Icy's wonderful podcast, Fabulous Folklore with Icy, wherever you get your podcasts, watch her video podcasts on YouTube @FabulousFolklore, and find her blog, books, and more at her website, icysedgwick.com.

Watch the video at https://youtu.be/rQCD_aKSnyg

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Follow us on instagram at arewewitches and write to us at arewewitches@gmail.com - we love hearing from you!

We are new to this community and these practices. All advice, tips and feedback will be gratefully received. After all, it takes a village to raise a witch.

Blessings to all those that rate & review (5 stars only, please!)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Sarah and Lisa ask: who dressed the witch?

From the pointy hat and black cloak to broomsticks, ceremonial robes and goth fashion, they trace how centuries of art, persecution, occultism, storytelling and pop culture created the witch aesthetic we instantly recognise today, even though the people historically accused of witchcraft looked nothing like it.

Then, they ask why witchcraft is so fashionable right now, and whether it ever really went out of fashion. From cunning folk and Victorian spiritualism to WitchTok and Etsy spells, they explore why uncertainty, social upheaval and the desire for a little control keep drawing us back to magic.

Plus, in How’s Tricks?, Lisa makes a humbling admission...

Sources for Who? What? Witch? Where?

BBC Article - Bronze Age to Elphaba: The centuries-old origins of the witch's hat

Library of Congress: Martin Le Franc, *Le Champion des Dames

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Follow us on instagram at arewewitches and write to us at arewewitches@gmail.com - we love hearing from you!

We are new to this community and these practices. All advice, tips and feedback will be gratefully received. After all, it takes a village to raise a witch.

Blessings to all those that rate & review (5 stars only, please!)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our fifth reading from the Tarot Vin workbook, Sarah and Lisa sit down with The Emperor and a glass of Cabernet Franc to ask what this powerful archetype has to say about creation; not just inspiration, but the kind that requires structure, discipline, and follow-through. As Lisa and Sarah juggle their ever-growing creative ambitions, they turn to The Emperor to see what guidance this card might offer for turning big ideas into something real.

Many thanks to Julie Albin for her Tarot Vin workbook which we continue to drink our way through, and to Labyrinthos for their tarot card interpretations.

—

Follow us on instagram at arewewitches and write to us at arewewitches@gmail.com - we love hearing from you!

We are new to this community and these practices. All advice, tips and feedback will be gratefully received. After all, it takes a village to raise a witch.

Blessings to all those that rate & review (5 stars only, please!)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah and Lisa tie up some loose ends from recent episodes, and check in on how they feel about calling themselves witches at this point on their journey.

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Follow us on instagram at arewewitches and write to us at arewewitches@gmail.com

Any problem you want a magical solution for, please write in for a bit of advice and a magical prescription. It's important we practice as much as possible to get our witchy credentials! We also want to hear how your spells are going, so please write in if you have practiced any magic mentioned in the show.

We are new to this community and these practices. All advice, tips and feedback will be gratefully received. After all, it takes a village to raise a witch.

Blessings to all those that rate & review (5 stars only, please
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intrepid, enchanted explorers Lisa and Sarah go searching for the places where magic might be found. From Celtic "thin places" to traditional sacred landmarks, they explore how people have mapped sacred landscapes, energetic hotspots, and the invisible pathways said to connect them.

Along the way, they discuss a witch's curse on the town of Paisley, the mystery of ley lines, and the thorny issue of spiritual and cultural appropriation.

Plus, in Show & Spell, they read their astrocartography charts and ask whether the stars really can point the way to a better place to live.

Join them as they go looking for magic on the map.

Sources for Who? What? Witch? Where?:

https://forest-healing.co.uk/articles/thin-places-and-liminal-spaces-in-celtic-culture

https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/enlighten/mapping-ley-lines-the-earth-s-energy-grid/

https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/ley-lines.htm

Wikipedia Entry for Ley Lines

Wikipedia Entry for Jim Lewis

Astrocartography.uk

Astrocartography maps from:

Astro.com

Magic for the Masses:

What 3 Words

_____________________________________________________________________

Follow us on instagram at arewewitches and write to us at arewewitches@gmail.com

Any problem you want a magical solution for, please write in for a bit of advice and a magical prescription. It's important we practice as much as possible to get our witchy credentials! We also want to hear how your spells are going, so please write in if you have practiced any magic mentioned in the show.

We are new to this community and these practices. All advice, tips and feedback will be gratefully received. After all, it takes a village to raise a witch.

Blessings to all those that rate & review (5 stars only, please!)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.