The Oracle Podcast

Episode 28: Women of the Witch Hunts is a taste of Miriam's new course Spindle & Flame: Women and the Witch Hunts, beginning November 2nd.

This is the second part of a 3-part series on Witches. You'll hear Miriam speak on:



Creation of the Diabolical Witch

Heinrich Kramer and the Malleus Maleficarum:

The Myth of the Midwife-Witch

King James VI and Daemonologie

Sexualised Violence in the Witch Hunts

The Witch-Hunting Economy

Old Women & the Witch Archetype

Women Accusing Women

The five witch wounds

Spindle & Flame begins on November 2nd. Read more about it here.Website: The Academy of Feminine Spirituality.
Instagram: @miriamropschitz
With gratitude to our friends at Earth Echo Sound Collective for providing our beautiful soundtrack.

Below are some of the texts quoted or used as source material in the creation of this episode, with immense thanks to the authors, except Kramer who can rest in piss.

Brian P. Levack, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe (4th ed., Routledge, 2016)

Richard Kieckhefer, European Witch Trials: Their Foundations in Popular and Learned Culture, 1300–1500 (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976)

Heinrich Kramer, The Hammer of Witches: A Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, trans. Christopher S. Mackay (Cambridge University Press, 2009)

Lawrence Normand and Gareth Roberts (eds.), Witchcraft in Early Modern Scotland: James VI’s Demonology and the North Berwick Witches (University of Exeter Press, 2000).

Robin Briggs, Witches and Neighbours: The Social and Cultural Context of European Witchcraft (2nd ed., Blackwell, 2002)

Lyndal Roper, Witch Craze: Terror and Fantasy in Baroque Germany (Yale University Press, 2004)

Thomas Potts, The Wonderful Discovery of Witches in the County of Lancaster (1613).

Reginald Scot, The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584)

David Harley “Historians as Demonologists: The Myth of the Midwife-Witch” (Social History of Medicine, 1990)

Episode 27 Witches of Europe is a taste of Miriam's new 5-week course Spindle & Flame: Women and the Witch Hunts, beginning November 2.

In today's episode Miriam speaks about the enchanters, healers, herbalists and cunning women of medieval Europe before they were called 'Witch'.

You'll hear her speak about:

The Norse Völva Thorbjörg and the seeress of Fyrkat.

The three eras of the witch. Where the word “witch” comes from.

European names for the Witches.

Enchantment: the voice and the body.

Penitentials as a window into everyday folk magic.

Henbane, rain charms and herb-women.

Goddesses of spinning and fate.

Key books and essays used in this episode with thanks to the authors:

Dashu, Max. Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700–1100. Richmond, CA: Veleda Press, 2016.

Filotas, Bernadette. Pagan Survivals, Superstitions and Popular Cultures in Early Medieval Pastoral Literature. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2005.

Heide, Eldar. “Spinning seiðr.” In Old Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives, edited by Anders Andrén, Kristina Jennbert and Catharina Raudvere. Lund: Nordic Academic Press, 2006.

Dickinson, Tania M. “An Anglo-Saxon ‘Cunning Woman’ from Bidford-on-Avon.” In In Search of Cult: Archaeological Investigations in Honour of Philip Rahtz, edited by Martin Carver. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1993.

Meaney, Audrey L. Anglo-Saxon Amulets and Curing Stones. BAR British Series 96. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, 1981.

In Episode 26 of The Oracle Podcast, Miriam shares 11 lessons from 11 years of running women's spiritual retreats.

This is a great episode to watch if you are:

1. Thinking of joining Miriam in Greece this September on retreat.
2. Already running women's retreats and wanting to make them even more memorable.
3. Wanting to run women's retreats and desiring some intel on what to include.

There are two spaces left to join Miriam in Greece, September 19-25 for her 'Jewel' priestess retreat. Read more here.

Miriam spoke about a Substack article, 'The Web of Love' where she discusses a spiritual experience which has influences the way she hosts retreats. You can read it here.

In Episode 25 of The Oracle Podcast Miriam speaks with Austin-based writer, poet and photographer Emma Zeck about:

– Emma’s experience at missionary school
– Why she left evangelical religion
– The etymology of Sin, Repent
– Creative expression and the Erotic
– Women & our relationship to shame
– What does ‘dethroning God’ mean?
– Emma’s most-loved female writers and heretics
– Emma’s message for creative women

Emma’s debut poetry collection ‘Everything is Beautiful And I Want to Die’ is available for pre-order here. You can donate to her Kickstarter campaign here.

You can find her ‘All My Bitches Are Heretics’ on her Kickstarter here.

The book she mentioned is 'Babalon Hymnal: Poetry from the Abyss Paperback' by Dr. Georgia van Raalte.

Emma’s website.
Emma’s Instagram.

In this episode, Miriam speaks about why Mitochondrial Medicine offers us profound root-cause wisdom for healthy menstruation and robust fertility.

This episode is a taste of what is taught in The Cosmic Feminine Facilitator Training. If you feel inspired to learn more about bringing the wisdom shared in this episode to your communities, join the next cohort here. We begin March 25th.

This episode offers listeners several mitochondria-supporting tools they can immediately bring into their lives. You'll hear Miriam speak about:

What are Mitochondria?

Mitochondrial Medicine and PMS, PMDD, PCOS and Endometriosis.

Why block blue light for hormonal balance?

The four types of natural light we need every day.

Her favourite tools for blocking blue light.

Cooking methods for cellular health.

Toxic fats to avoid & healthy fats to use.

The four fatty acids your cells need.

We'd love to hear your thoughts about this episode in the comments.