As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

At harvest’s edge, European folklore treats the final sheaf as a living vessel of the corn spirit—captured in plaited “corn dollies,” chased as a wolf or hare, or celebrated with the West Country’s eerie “Crying the Neck.” This episode traces how communities honoured, contained, or expelled that presence—and how darker echoes of sacrifice lingered beneath the feasting.

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Research Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_dolly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough

https://sacred-texts.com/pag/frazer/

https://cornwallforever.co.uk/story/crying-the-neck

https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/crying_neck.htm

https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2019/09/28/corn-dollies-from-the-old-crone-to-the-maiden/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Corn-Mother

https://www.tota.world/article/harvest-customs-of-wales/

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

Special thanks to Dixie for allowing us to share their story.

In this episode, we share one listener story and one Reddit story.

The BOOK

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Stories:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/uil86y/the_scarecrow/

Thanks so much for listening, and we'll catch up with you again tomorrow!

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

Across fields and centuries, harvest spirits blur the line between blessing and curse. We meet Habernitsa, the noon wraith who punishes scythe-swingers under the blazing sun; the Corn Mother, whose gifts are tangled with poison, sacrifice, and the last sheaf; and Chicomecōātl, the Aztec maize goddess who nourishes—and demands a life in return. A tour of folklore where grain is sacred, the stakes are mortal, and abundance is bought in blood.

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Research Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornflower_Wraith

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Midday

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergotism

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Corn-Mother

https://nativehistoryassociation.org/kanati_selu.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicomec%C5%8D%C4%81tl

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

In the Essex village of St. Osyth, a mustard-yellow cottage hides a grim past. Known as The Cage, it once served as a lock-up where accused witches—including figures tied to the 1582 trials—were held before judgment. 

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Research Links:

https://www.livescience.com/65694-medieval-witch-prison-house.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-14/haunted-house-that-housed-witches-in-medieval-times-for-sale/11208806

https://www.mamamia.com.au/st-osyth-cage/

https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/hauntings/the-cage-st-osyth/

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

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SURVEY

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As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

Healer and midwife Ursula Kemp became the focus of fear in St. Osyth, Essex, when neighbourly disputes and misfortune spiralled into witchcraft accusations in 1582. Pressed by magistrate Brian Darcy—and with testimony from her young son—Kemp confessed to directing animal “familiars,” was convicted at the Chelmsford Assizes, and hanged.

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Research Links:

https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/occult/ursula-kemp-and-the-st-osyths-witches/

https://engole.info/ursula-kemp-witch/

https://www.stosythmuseum.co.uk/buildings/the-cage

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-14/haunted-house-that-housed-witches-in-medieval-times-for-sale/11208806

https://www.mamamia.com.au/st-osyth-cage/

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

SURVEY

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

This September, we step into that threshold where folklore meets fear. From ancient curses to infamous trials, from haunted ground to witches said still to walk among us… welcome to the Season of the Witch.

In this episode, we share five creepy Reddit stories. Thanks to Scarysubmit for allowing us to share your stories.

The BOOK

BY US A COFFEE

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Stories:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/m8l62s/my_greatgreat_grandfather_married_a_witch/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/poksfv/witches_circle/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/nf0pbt/witchlike_laughs_heard_at_night_immediately/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/12aino3/seeing_shades_since_beginning_to_practise

https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/cd1mb7/witchcraft/

Thanks so much for listening, and we'll catch up with you again tomorrow!

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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This is a reupload for Apple listeners, as the original didn't pull through. Content is the same the same as the standard episode.

This September, we step into that threshold where folklore meets fear. From ancient curses to infamous trials, from haunted ground to witches said still to walk among us… welcome to the Season of the Witch.

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Research Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Shipton

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Mother-Shipton-Prophesies/

https://historytheinterestingbits.com/2015/08/14/old-mother-shipton/

https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2013/05/18/yorkshires-nostradamus/

https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/spooky-geology/

https://www.bitesizedbritain.co.uk/mother-shiptons-cave---englands-oldest-tourist-attraction/

https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/occult/mother-shipton/

https://www.mothershipton.co.uk/the-story/

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

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SURVEY

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As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

OBSCURATA - Apple Spotify Amazon

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Research Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Shipton

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Mother-Shipton-Prophesies/

https://historytheinterestingbits.com/2015/08/14/old-mother-shipton/

https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2013/05/18/yorkshires-nostradamus/

https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/spooky-geology/

https://www.bitesizedbritain.co.uk/mother-shiptons-cave---englands-oldest-tourist-attraction/

https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/occult/mother-shipton/

https://www.mothershipton.co.uk/the-story/

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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At the edge of Rajasthan’s Aravalli hills lies Bhangarh Fort, a 16th-century citadel now infamous as India’s most haunted ruin. Built in 1573 for Madho Singh, the fort once protected a thriving town of palaces, bazaars, and temples. Yet by the 18th century, it was abruptly abandoned, its roofless homes and crumbling walls left to the desert winds.

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The BOOK

BY US A COFFEE

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Research Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhangarh_Fort

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/5-mysterious-facts-about-bhangarh-that-will-scare-you-to-bits/photostory/85977969.cms

https://www.prameyanews.com/we-heard-strange-noises-at-12am-at-bhangarh-why-the-archaeological-survey-of-india-has-cautioned-visitors-

https://www.thomascook.in/blog/travel-guides/bhangarh-fort-ghost-stories-facts-behind-the-haunted-legends/

https://52perfectdays.com/india/bhangarh-fort-indias-most-haunted-location/

Thanks so much for listening, and we'll catch up with you again on tomorrow.

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Nestled in the Kent countryside, Pluckley has long been known as Britain’s most haunted village. From phantom horse-drawn carriages to red and white ladies, this episode explores the many strange stories tied to the village’s cottages, crossroads, woods, and churchyards.

The BOOK

BY US A COFFEE

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Sources:

https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/pluckley-kent-ghosts-haunted-study-b2738832.html

https://strangebritain.co.uk/ghosts-hauntings-supernatural/pluckley-village-britains-most-haunted-village

https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/archives/hauntings-of-pluckley-village-ashford

https://ghosts.fandom.com/wiki/Pluckley

https://www.london-walking-tours.co.uk/free-tours/haunted-pluckley.htm

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/;;;

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