Witches in Britches

July’s moon is known as the Blessing Moon, Buck Moon, and Lavender Moon, and today’s full moon is particularly magical. Not only is it a deep red blood moon, but it is also the longest lunar eclipse of this century! So take the chance to harness some of that powerful energy!

In this minisode we discuss some of the incredible women running for office this November–and rant a fair bit about the realities of living in a patriarchal society.

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Our theme song is “Moon and Spruce” by Sarah Littledrum.

Part One: Magical Experiences, Discoveries, and Thoughts

“Doors”- MJ Hegar’s political ad

“The Courage to Change”- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political ad

“With blunt talk and compelling stories, viral videos are turning unknown women candidates into political sensations” (The Washington Post)

“These women have won their primaries. Will they be elected in November?” (The Washington Post)

“The Women Running in the Midterms During the Trump Era” (The New Yorker)

This American Life: “It’s My Party and I’ll Try if I Want To”

Unladylike: “How to Stop Getting Screwed in the SCOTUS”

Evangeline Lilly interview

Part Two: Witchy Recommendations

Circe by Madeline Miller

The Encore by Charity Tillemann-Dick

Caraval and Legendary by Stephanie Garber

An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

Happy Midsummer and Matariki (Māori New Year)! June’s full moon is known as the Strawberry Moon, Oak Moon, Honey Moon, Mead Moon, Rose Moon, and Basil Moon.

In this episode we discuss The Jumbies (audiobook), written by Tracey Baptiste and narrated by Robin Miles.

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Our theme song is “Moon and Spruce” by Sarah Littledrum.

Here’s a listening guide for the episode. (For a description of our segments, go here.)

Introduction (0:00 – 4:42)

Which Craft? (4:46 – 13:21)

“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (13:27 – 31:22)

Related Links

Colonization of the Caribbean: Before Europeans

Slavery in the Caribbean

“We Are Not a Nation of Immigrants”: “We should say: We are a Nation of Immigrants, Descendants of Chattel Slavery & First Peoples of this Land. This would compel all Americans to acquaint themselves to the true history and sacrifices of this land that carved out the opportunities they now enjoy.”

“Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (31:28 – 39:12)

“Round About the Cauldron Go” (39:18 – 51:52)

Related Links

The Green Man

“Treguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis, Dee!” (51:58 – 57:09)

Final Spells (57:14 – 1:00:55)

New Segment! Lunar Rituals with Jenny (1:01:00 – 1:06:43)

Re: our comments about family separations at the border. We recorded this episode before the new Executive Order. However, most of the families that were separated have not yet been reunited, and those that have are still being held in internment camps. You can help by calling your representatives and donating to the following organizations:

You may also want to participate in a Families Belong Together event on June 30.

May’s full moon is known as the Flower Moon, Mother’s Moon, Milk Moon, and Bee Balm Moon. (Check out the end of this post for a fun lunar ritual!)

In this not-so-mini minisode we touch on a whole range of topics, including the reframing power of travel (perfect for a full moon in Sagittarius!); the grounding effects of place and heritage; Carnival and the liberation of marginalized bodies; the peculiar magic of royal weddings; fairies, ghosts, and monsters, and just about everything except witches–which is ridiculous, considering our conversations were centered around New Orleans and Scotland! (To make up for it, I’ve linked some witchy recommendations below.)

Our thanks to Sarah Littledrum for providing the theme song, “Moon and Spruce” (she gets a bee-themed shout out from Jenny in this episode!), and a very special thank you to Linda’s sister, Alisha, who rescued Linda’s recording for us when Linda was out of town.

Finally, if you are moved by Linda’s account of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, please consider donating to help the people of Puerto Rico who are still suffering from the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. You can find a list of relief organizations here.

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Related Links

Our Outlander episode

Our Akata Witch episode

About women and masked/ liberated bodies in Carnival:

The Masked Merriment of Mardi Gras

History of All-Female Krewes

Women krewes march, dance into Mardi Gras history

NOLA History: Women in Carnival

“Carnival and the lower body” from Ritual in Early Modern Europe by Edward Muir (a little more on the academic side, but it unites several threads of our discussion)

About Scotland:

History of Scotch Whisky

Katie’s travel blog (see the Gryffindor apartment here)

Culloden Battlefield

Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition

Grey Cairns of Camster (which Katie crawled inside and immediately regretted)

The Jacobite Steam Train (aka Hogwarts Express)

Witch trials in early modern Scotland

Witchy Recommendations

Louisiana State Museum

Witchy things to do in New Orleans

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Secret Feminist Agenda Episodes 2.18 and 2.19

Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland by Lisa Schneidau

Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2018

All of Scotland! (Katie stayed in the Highlands, but if you happen to go to Edinburgh, be sure to check out all the witchy things!)

And finally, here is the ritual Jenny shared from Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook. (Plus a resource for creating your own rituals.)

Happy full moon, witches! April’s full moon (one of the most potent and magical!) is called the Pink Moon for the wild ground phlox flowers that bloom in North America in early spring. Other names include the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, the Fish Moon, the Grey Goose Moon, and the Hare Moon. This year it is also the Scorpio Full Moon.

In this fun grab bag of an episode–our first minisode of season two–we talk about the sorcery of predatory guardianship, the magic of daily practice and setting goals that focus on internal fulfillment, the mystical origins of birthday traditions, and the witchy power of Hamilton! (Tip: Listen closely to Jenny’s section for some beautiful birdsong in the background!) We also give recommendations for some uncanny books and board games. See below for links and further reading.

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Our theme song is “Moon and Spruce” by Sarah Littledrum.

Part One: Magical Experiences, Discoveries, and Thoughts

“How the Elderly Lose their Rights” by Rachel Aviv 

Classical Roots of Harry Potter Spells

Our Girl Who Drank the Moon Episode 

Anne Lamott: “12 Truths I Learned from Life and Writing”

This is Why You Get to Celebrate Your Birthday Every Year (NB: half of the citations are broken/ wrongly linked, so definitely take this with a grain of salt!)

Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend

“The Women of Hamilton”

Part Two: Witchy Recommendations

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

Mysterium

As d’Or (Golden Ace!)

Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden

Disclaimers about Joseph Boyden: here and here

Happy full moon, warriors! And happy Ostara, Passover, and Easter to those who celebrate. It’s the last blue moon of 2018, so we hope you’re doing something magical tonight!

In this episode we discuss Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved children’s classic A Wrinkle in Time as well as the recent (2018) film adaptation directed by Ava DuVernay.

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Our theme song is “Moon and Spruce” by Sarah Littledrum.

Here’s a listening guide for the episode. (For a description of our segments, go here.)

Introduction (0:00 – 4:11)

Which Craft? (4:16 – 30:50)

“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” + “Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (30:55 – 55:37)

Related Links

Vulture: Ava DuVernay on Meg’s Natural Hair

Code Switch: In Search of Black-on-Black Love

“‘Round About the Cauldron Go” (55:43 – 1:06:02)

Gather ’round while Jenny drops some of her boundless wisdom about gardens and flowers and the portrayal of the natural world in the film!

“Treguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis, Dee!” (1:06:05 – 1:16:44)

Final Spells (1:16:48 – 1:19:46)

Blooper Reel (1:20:42 – 1:23:52)

Claire’s Recommendations