I’m off to finish illustrating the Ogham deck, expand the botanica, and work on outlines for ethnobotanical courses and workshops to teach next season. Until we meet again for adult story time.

Blessings of the deep and the wild,
The Witch of Forest Grove

Follow the witch as she delves into the history of flying ointments through the literature of ancient Greece and Rome, then forward into the grimoires and verse of the early modern period, and then lastly to a modern folktale of a witch and a flying ointment from the United States, collected from oral sources in the 1930s. Learn about the poisonous plants and the methods used to create witches’ unguents and why they may be more ancient than commonly believed.

Music Credits: “Mandragora” by Alraune and “Belladonna Smiles” by Bone Poets Orchestra

Resources:

• Apuleius, Lucius . The Golden Ass. [160 AD].
• Blackwood, Margaret and Skelton, Robin. Earth Air Fire Water: Pre-Christian and Pagan Elements in British Songs, Rhymes and Ballads. Arkana: London, 1990.
• Davis, Hubert J. The Silver Bullet and Other American Witch Stories. Johnathan David Publishers, 1975.
• Della Porta, Giovanni Battista . De Miraculis Rerum Naturalium. 1558.
• MacGregor Mathers, S.L. The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin The Mage As Delivered by Abraham the Jew unto his Son Lamech, A.D. 1458. John M. Watkins: London, 1900.
• Rhodius, Apollonius. The Argonautica. [200 BC].
• Shantell Powell”Flying Potions and Getting to the Sabbat“. The Witching Hours. 1998.

Join me this episode for tales of death, ghosts, and necromancy just in time to get into the spirit of All Hallow’s Eve. We will travel from ancient Greece to the Pacific Northwest, then on to Scotland and Ireland, a haunted house in Athens, and, lastly, we will travel to Israel to hear a tale of necromancy from the Old Testament.

Main Characters: Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades, Persephone, Coyote, Eagle, Tam Lin, Saul, Samuel, The Witch of Endor

Music Credits: “Ancestor Chant” & “Cross the River” by T. Thorn Coyle & Sharon Knight, and “Tam Lin” by Tricky Pixie

Resources:

• Clark, Ella E. Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest. University of California Press, 2003.
• Ellis Davidson, Hilda. The Seer in Celtic and Other Traditions. John Donald, 1989.
• Felton, D. Haunted Greece and Rome: Ghost Stories from Classical Antiquity. University of Texas Press, 1998.
• Good News Bible (1 Samuel, 28: 3-25). Canadian Bible Society, 1990.
• Moncrieff, A.R. Hope. “Orpheus and Eurydice”. Classic Myth and Legend. New York: William H. Wise & Co., 1934.
• Morgan, Michael A. Sepher Ha-Razim: The Book of Mysteries. Society of Biblical Literature, 1983.
• Yeats, W.B. Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. London: Walter Scott, 1888.

This episode of HedgeFolk Tales is a special sabbat extravaganza. You shall hear tales of witches’ sabbats and full moon rites, chants, rhymes, rituals, and songs. Learn the meaning and history behind the witches’ sabbat and how to perform one for yourself or a group. Follow the witch deep into remnants of lore that together paint a complete picture of just what witches got up to in their rites on lonely hills and dark forests.

Music Credits:

“Come to the Sabbat” by Black Widow, “Witch’s Reel” by Green Crown, and “Satanic Mass” by Coven

References & Resources:

• Cochrane, Robert. 1964. Witches’ Esbat. New Dimensions. November.
• Cromek, R.H. Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song. London, 1810.
• Leland, Charles Godfrey. Aradia or the Gospel of Witches of Italy. London: David Nutt, 1899.
• Skelton, Robin & Blackwood, Margaret. Earth, Air, Fire, Water: Pre-Christian and Pagan Elements in British Songs, Rhymes and Ballads. London: Arkana, 1990.

Join the Witch of Forest Grove in crossing the hedge to explore the ancient art of shapeshifting on a journey through folklore, legends, songs, and magical incantations. Hear two tales of shapeshifting witches; one from Ireland and one from the Appalachians. Then the witch will take you through songs and chants to show you how to attempt shapeshifting yourself as well as provide a word or two of warning.

Tales Told & Chants Sung

• ‘The Witch- Hare” from Mr. and Mrs. S.C. Hall of Ireland
• “The Witch-Cat” from Helen Skeen of Virginia
• ‘The Fith-Fath Song” – Traditional Scots
• Fāth-Fīth Incantation from the Carmina Gadelica
• Isobel Gowdie’s Shapeshifting Chants

References and Resources:

• Carmichael, Alexander. The Carmina Gadelica / Ortha Nan Gaidheal: Hymns and Incantations with Illustrative Notes on Words, Rites, and Customs, Dying and Obsolete: Orally Collected in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: T. and A. Constable, 1900.
• Davidson, Thomas. Rowan Tree and Red Thread: A Scottish Witchcraft Miscellany of Tales, Legends and Ballads; Together with a Descriptions of the Witches’ Rites and Ceremonies. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1949.
• Davis, Hubert J. The Silver Bullet and Other American Witch Stories. New York: Jonathan David Publishers Inc., 1975.
• Spence, Lewis. The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain. London: Rider, 1949.
• Yeats, W.B. Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. London: Walter Scott, 1888.

"Ran" by Thorskegga Thorn

In this episode, the Witch of Forest Grove tells the tale of “The Witch of Lok Island”. This folktale was collected from oral sources by Elsie Masson in 1929 and translated into English from the Breton tongue and included in her work Folk-Tales of Brittany. Now that I’ve covered the bigger mythological themes, I’d like to delve into the realm HedgeFolk Tales was original intended for – the ream of fairy and folk tales. After reading this tale, journey with me through the folklore and fairy tales of Brittany and the mythology of the ancient Celts and Norse to discover the Pagan roots of “The Witch of Lok Island” and how, as modern magical practitioners, we can take knowledge away from the tale and add it to our spiritual practice.

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Main Characters: Houarn, Bella, the Witch of Lok Island, Jennik, Rán, Old Nick

Music Credits: Opening – “Siren Moon” from Sharon Knight’s Song of the Sea album; Closing – “Song of the Siren” from Susheela Raman’s Salt Rain album

References & Resources:

• Evans-Wentz, Walter Yeeling. The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries. University Books, 1966.
• Gregorson Campbell, John. The Gaelic Otherworld. Birlinn, 2005.
• Gundarsson, Kveldulf. Elves, Wights, and Trolls. iUniverse Inc., 2007.
• Mackenzie, Donald A. Teutonic Myth and Legend. The Gresham Publishing Co., [1912].
• Masson, Elsie. Folk-Tales of Brittany. Macrae Smith Company, 1929.

In this third installment of HedgeFolk Tales the witch covers the initiation of the shaman – from knowledge of this world into knowledge of all worlds and the universe itself. You will be hearing two tales; first a retelling of the Welsh myth of the famous bard and poet Taliesin and then a special appearance of Mojo from the Wigglian Way Pagan Podcast with a trancework tale of an apprentice’s journey into initiation. Join us on the shaman’s journey to find out if it is reflected in your own life… (and excuse my possibly horrible Welsh pronunciation)

Main Characters: Cerridwen, Morfran, Gwion Bach, Taliesin,  Gwyddno Garanhir, King Maelgwn, Elphin, Rhun, Heinnin Fardd (chief bard)

Music Credits: Opening — “Cân Cerridwen” by Gwydion; Closing — “Crystal Cave” by S.J. Tucker

References & Resources:

• Cochrane, Jennifer. “Taliesin”. Encyclopedia Mythica <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/taliesin.html>
• Dr. Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson
• Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton University Press, 2004.
• Guest, Lady Charlotte. The Mabinogion. Bernard Quaritch, 1877.
• Harris-Logan, Stuart A. Singing With Blackbirds: The Survival of Primal Celtic Shamanism in later Folk-Traditions. Grey House in the Woods, 2006.
• Llyfr Taliesin – The Book of Taliesin
• Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru by Elis Gruffydd
• Wilby, Emma. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic. Sussex Academic Press, 2005.

“The apple cannot be stuck back on the tree of knowledge; once we begin to see, we are doomed and challenged to seek the strength to see more, not less.” ~ Arthur Miller

In this episode I will explore the creation of humankind and our subsequent fall from the garden by delving into two myths: The Garden of Eden from the original Hebrew translation of Genesis, and Prometheus and the Human Race compiled from ancient Greek sources. I also promised last episode that I would explain how the ancient peoples knew about things we thought only our modern science and technology could explain, but of course the answer is also found in the tales of the Old Ones….

Main Characters: Adam, Eve, Jehovah, Serpent, Epimetheus, Erinyes, Gaia, Iapetus, Klymene, Meliae, Pandora, Prometheus, Ouranos/Zeus

Music Credits: Opening – “Woodstock” by CSN; Closing – “Genesis” by Christopher Bingham

References & Resources:

• “Genesis”. Good News Bible. Canadian Bible Society, 1990.
• Hesiod. Theogony. [800?] BC.
• Kerényi, Karl. The Gods of the Greeks. Thames & Hudson, 1951.
• Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989.

Like any storyteller knows, you always start at the beginning, so with this podcast episode we will start at the beginning of the universe – the Birth of the Cosmos. I start the show by telling three ancient creation myths in order of their age (Assyrian, Greek, and Norse) and afterward I analyze the tales to reveal their hidden meaning.

Happy listening!

Main Characters:

Anshar (Asshur), Anu, Apsu, Atlas, Bor, Buri, Chaos, Cronus, Cyclopes, Ea, Enlil, Erebus, Eros (Protogonus, Phanes), Frost Giants (ogres) Gaia (Gaea), Ginnungagap, Igigi, Hecatonchires, Kingu, Kishar, Lachamu (Lahamu), Lachmu (Lahmu), Merodack (Marduk), Mummu, Nyx (Night) Ouranos (Uranus), Rhea,  Tiamat, Ymir, Zeus

References & Resources:

• From Snorri Sturlson’s Edda: The Viking Gods. Gudrun Publishing, 1995.
• Hesiod’s Theogyny (800 BC?).
• Joseph, Rawn Ph.D. “Black Holes”, Journal of Cosmology.
• Kerényi, Karl. The Gods of the Greeks. Thames & Hudson, 1951.
• National Geographic
• Seven Tablets of Creation. From the library of Ashurbanipal (685-627 BC). Translation and arrangement by Donald A. McKenzie
• Sturlson, Snorri. The Poetic Edda (1200 AD).

Music samples are from Kan’Nal‘s “Dreamwalker” album

P.S. Does anyone know how to pronounce Ginnungagap and Hecatonchires?