Wise Crone Cottage Podcast

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will explore elder abuse, as seen in stories, folklore and actual life.  We'll start our exploration with a practice found in Japanese stories called ubasute or "abandoning the old woman."  Then we'll shift to modern day America and the recent death of my friend who was killed by a family member in an unspeakable act of "elder abuse."

Story:  Uchida, Yoshiko, The Wise Old Woman.  New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1994. 
Illustration: By Yoshitoshi  ( Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12303980muian04/04yoshitoshi05037.jpg )
For more information: National Center for Elder Abuse (https://ncea.acl.gov)
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2024 Kathy Shimpock.     

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will explore the Chinese folktale, “The Old Woman and the Tiger.”  The story is retold by Mary Hemingway who grew up in northern China.  In this story, we’ll see a different side of the wise crone archetype. No longer a side character, she is now the protagonist.  And rather than serving as the “helper,” this old woman puts herself first. She shows us that one person can make a difference and achieve justice to boot. It’s an old message but especially relevant today.

Story: Mary Hemingway, “The Old Woman and the Tiger,” vol. XI, no. 9 Story Parade (Sept. 1946): 11-14.
Richard Marshall, "Jack Zipes and the Many Subversions of the Fairy Tale."
Illustration: Photo from Pixabay.
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2024 Kathy Shimpock.     

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock explores the Grimm tale “Frau Trude.”   It’s a short didactic story that allows for many surprising interpretations. Whether she be a witch or a crone, there’s a lot of cackling and crackling going on.  Hopefully, we can stay out of the fire without getting burnt!  Either way, she's a friend you'll want to have. Fingers crossed!

My latest blog post discusses the color implications in this story.  Check it out to learn even more!

Story:  Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Frau Trude, Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales -- Grimms' Fairy Tales), no. 43, 1837.  Translation by D. L. Ashliman. © 2001. 
Sancinetti, Raquel, "The Wisdom of Living in the Present According to My 107-Year-Old Best Friend," New York Times, Nov. 14, 2023.
Illustration: Photo from Pixabay.
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2024 Kathy Shimpock.    

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode the Storyteller Kathy Shimpock explores the relationship of the crone within the maiden, mother, and crone trilogy.  She tells the Greek myth of "Demeter and Persephone" and shares a lesser known variation in which Hecate plays a pivotal role.

Story: "Demeter & Persephone" (a traditional Greek myth) as told by Kathy Shimpock. 
Cover illustration: "The Night of Enitharmon's Joy," by William Blake, 1795.
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  
Copyright 2020 Kathy Shimpock.    All rights reserved.

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, meets again with Master Hypnotherapist, Linda Bennett.  Together they discuss the Norwegian folktale, "Tatterhood," and explore its many meanings and interpretations by looking at its symbols, metaphors, and archetypes.  It's a fascinating model for dream interpretation too.  Part 2 of their conversation continues on  the "Crone & Queen's Fireside Podcast" where they discuss ways traditional stories can be used as a tool for personal growth and holistic healing. They explore the work of psychologist, Milton Erickson and share ways they've used stories within their own practice.  As you’ll soon see, stories can be used to facilitate change in many settings from life coaching to hypnosis, depth coaching to spiritual companioning. 

Story:   Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, Lurvehette [Tatterhood], Norske Folkeeventyr (Christiania [Oslo], 1842-1852), translated by George Webb Dasent (1859).   Translation revised by D. L. Ashliman. © 2001. 
Illustration: From Tatterhood and the Hobgoblins: A Norwegian Folktale, retold and illustrated by Lauren A. Mills. New York: Little, Brown, 1996.  [This beautifully illustrated book is now out of print, but available at used book stores.]
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2024 Kathy Shimpock.   

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will explore a little known Norwegian folktale, "Tatterhood."  It's a story in which an unexpected, young girl goes on a hero's journey.  She has quite a surprising role to play in a very unusual story.

Story:   Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, Lurvehette [Tatterhood], Norske Folkeeventyr (Christiania [Oslo], 1842-1852), translated by George Webb Dasent (1859).   Translation revised by D. L. Ashliman. © 2001.
More on Tatterhood:
"Dreams Vermilion" by Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman on Corvid Queen.
"The Feminine, Libido and Narcissism: Tatterhood Who Rides a Goat (Norwegian)," by Max McDowell on Jungian Therapy.
Henning, K. Schmsdorf, "AT 711 'The Beautiful and the Ugly Twin': The Tale and its Sociocultural Context," Scandinavian Studies 61, no. 4 (Autumn 1989):339-352.
Cover Image:   Pixabay. 
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2024 Kathy Shimpock.  

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will discuss archetypes with renowned hypnotherapist Linda Bennett.  Together, we’ll identify common archetypes and discover how they can be identified in both life and stories.

Cover Image:   Photo by Linda Bennett.
To learn more about Linda Bennett, check out her website for services offered (https://www.lindahypnoqueen.com).  For more information on Kathy Shimpock's transpersonal work see (https://www.symbolsofsoul.com). The book referenced in the podcast as "Story Myths" is Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell - and Live - the Best Stories Will Rule the Future  by Jonah Sachs. It's a fascinating read.  Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2024 Kathy Shimpock.     

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will focus on the Shadow side of the Christmas holiday. Not all folklore surrounding this time is happy and gay; some of the characters are birthed from our deepest nightmares.  This time, we’ll look at Krampus and the goblins from Charles Dickens’s imagination. She'll read “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton.” It’s a shadowy precursor to the Dickens' story “A Christmas Carol.”

Story: Dickens, Charles,  "Goblins Who Stole a Sexton"  in The Pickwick Papers. Part 10. 1837.
Cover Image:   "An Extraordinary Supernatural Visitor -The Goblin King,  illustrated by  Hablot K. Browne (1837).  (https://victorianweb.org/art/illustration/phiz/pickwick/24.html) 
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2023 Kathy Shimpock.    

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

 In this episode, the storyteller Kathy Shimpock, will continue our discussion of the Russian folktale "Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What." In doing so, we'll learn a bit more about Baba Yaga, the Slavic character who's part witch and part wise crone.  Who is she in this story?  Maybe it's a bit of both.   (Because this is a long story, our discussion is broken into two parts.  Last month the story was shared and this episode furthers the discussion.)

Story: "Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What." Adapted from Bain, R. Nisbet, Russian Fairy Tales: From the Skazki of Polevoi. 3rd ed. London: A. H. Bullen, 1901.
Cover Image:   Russian Wonder Tales, illustrated by  Ivan Bilibin (1902) . 
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2023 Kathy Shimpock.    

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller Kathy Shimpock, will read the Russian tale, “Go I Know Not Whither, Fetch I Know Not What.”  It’s a story with two crones: one the wise crone and the other the infamous Baba Yaga.  Perhaps she’s a wise crone too.  Only time will tell.  (Because this is a long story, our discussion will be broken into two parts. This month is the story and next month will be the discussion.)

Story: "Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What." Adapted from Bain, R. Nisbet, Russian Fairy Tales: From the Skazki of Polevoi. 3rd ed. London: A. H. Bullen, 1901. 
Cover Image:   Illustrated by N.Kochergin (1897-1974). 
Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2023 Kathy Shimpock.   

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).