On this episode we are stepping into the strange, earthy and folkloric energy of May Witchcraft.
We begin with Lily of the Valley after my mum recently gifted one to me for my garden and naturally, I ended up completely falling down the rabbit hole of its folklore and magical associations. Together we explore the flowers connections to faery folklore, protection, divination, springtime traditions, connected deities, old Christian symbolism, weddings, luck, death omens and the return of happiness. Despite its delicate appearance Lily of the Valley carries an incredibly liminal energy and has long been associated with the veil between worlds.
From there we descend underground into the world of coal and charcoal magic. Lately I have been feeling much more earthy and grounded within my practice, perhaps because of Taurus season but also because I have been spending so much time gardening, growing herbs and reconnecting with the soil again. This led me towards wanting to explore the simple but powerful ingredients that would once have been accessible within everyday folk magic — things like salt, charcoal and coal.
We look at the magical uses of coal and charcoal throughout history including protection, grounding, purification, banishing, prosperity work and spiritual cleansing alongside old folk beliefs surrounding miners, omens and underground spirits.
Finally we finish with haunted mining folklore and ghost stories inspired by the folk horror novel Scratch Moss by David Barnett. Expect tales of Knockers, phantom miners, eerie omens, ghostly hands carrying candles through the tunnels, spectral black dogs, Bluecap spirits and the strange supernatural folklore that grew from the deep mines beneath the earth.
So make yourself a cup of tea, settle in and join me for this wonderfully strange journey into May Witchcraft.
Over on Patreon this month we descend beneath the tides with our new theme - Sea Witch.
Throughout September we will be exploring the magic of the sea through guided meditation, folklore, plant magic, ritual, glamour, tides and oceanic witchcraft. Together we will journey into the liminal space between shore and sea, working with the subconscious, emotional alchemy and the deep, magnetic energy of the ocean.
This month includes a guided meditation journey beneath the waves, sea plant lore exploring kelp and bladderwrack, a deep dive podcast episode on sea witchcraft and a Sea Witch Glamour & Power ritual focused on embodiment, magnetism, beauty and feminine ocean energy.
Join here - https://www.patreon.com/c/TheHedgeandHollow?redirect=true
My new zine Beneath the Hawthorn Tree is out now, in this zine my zine covers an in-depth look at Beltane and how you can celebrate it, all of its magickal associations, related deities, herbs, flowers, foods, crystals, trees, animals and journal and tarot prompts for Beltane, we look at the element of fire and how to honour it within your practice and then we go full fae with sections the faery realm, how to journey or astral travel to the faery realm, faery witchcraft, pixies, brownies, the bantee or woman of the house (a female Irish counterpart of the brownie), then we look at deities such as Morgan Le Fay and Cliodhna, their lore and how to work with them. We finish up with a very in depth section on faery flora and fauna with foxglove and hawthorn. There will also be a witch box alongside this zine with 'Night of the Fae' candles, herb blend, vanilla incense and a fae altar print of trooping faeries. My Etsy store can be found here with a ton of witchy zines, witch boxes, altar prints and candles - https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWhiteWitchCompany?ref=dashboard-header
Find me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thewhitewitchpodcast/
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