E128: How Halloween Saved My Samhain

I've had the worst damn month, y’all.  And so, I did something happy.  We, as Witches and Pagans, often separate Halloween from Samhain--and, I get that.  But, Halloween made me who I am.  It prepared me for Samhain as an adult, deepened that resonance and steadied me for my grown life as a witch.  And sometimes, when I'm super sad, all it takes the whiff of a bonfire and some caramel to bring the magic back around.  This episode meant something to me.  And somewhere between recording it and publishing it, the light shifted toward fall. (It’s almost imperceptible, but I assure you: my friend Robin always notices it and heralds it in.)

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E127: INVALUABLE

More than anything, the poverty of my younger years taught me to see past material wealth. There was one woman who mattered in that lesson, who showed me the magic of making something good out of not much at all.

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E126: CAMOUFLAGE AND THE SOUTHERN WITCH: A CHAT WITH JOHN BECKETT

Many weeks ago now, I saw an article on Patheos called "Remembering the Witch in Witchcraft" that really took off on social media. John Beckett, a Druid Priest and author in our community, jumped into the conversation and wrote a response blog to that original article (linked in the episode notes) and, well, I was still in a quandary about it all.

And so, I asked him onto the podcast. I respect John and wanted to think this out with him, especially as a Witch from the Deep South (John also has Southern roots). He was more than open to that and the resulting wonderful conversation gave me quite a bit of fodder to think through for the future. It was a chat worth having! Thank you, John.

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E124: MAGIC IN MY POCKET--CRAFTING IN THE TIME OF LATE-STAGE CAPITALISM

I've had done, as my ancestors would say, with the contention that effectual witches should have access to money.  That's not the way the universe works--that's not the way witchcraft works.  Here's my take on that.  Write in and let me know your stance on this? seba@southernfriedwitch.com.

To support this podcast and enjoy extra content, go to: https://www.patreon.com/southernfriedwitch

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E123: THE SECRETS WITCHES KEEP

Hey, y’all: a listener and patron of the podcast wrote in to further ponder the nature of secrets within the Craft, and so I’m doing a deeper dive today. While the line between what secrets we keep and what can be shared can, at times, be murky: there are some situations that are steadfastly dependent upon staying hushed up. Settle in on the porch and let me tell you a story about one that no longer needs secrecy, if my memory will let me. Sometimes, forgetting is part of the deal.

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E122: IN BETWIXT--THE UNSANITIZED WITCH

Y’all, today I’m reading a listener letter about forging connection to Nature from limited spaces, such as apartments in the city and the like. But, also, I wanted to delve further into the idea of Crafting within the in-between spaces of dark and light. It has always been evident to me that these binary concepts (good/evil, black/white) do more harm than good. And so, I’m telling a story about how wholly buying into either of those polarities can throw us horribly off balance. It’s untenable to live that way, and as a Witch, I cannot imagine reducing my Craft to mere bane or glitter.

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E121: Inconvenient Paganism

Y’all, today I’m reflecting on the inherent inconvenience that occurs when walking a dedicated, deeply Pagan path. From the loss of quick and easy chemicals to sharing the harvest on our little farm with the critters of the woods, I have learned that there is a cost to living this way. It’s horribly inconvenient, from time to time. And it’s worth moment. (A ghostly event occurs between minute 15-16, so be aware if these things frighten you!)

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E120: Ancestors, Land Connection, and Inherent Magick with Kanani Soleil

We had a blast, y'all!  Kanani is one of the three gals from That Witch Life podcast and a Witchy friend of mine, so it will shock no one that we might be related. Settle in as my PNW cousin and I chat about what we inherently carry in our Witch bodies, including Magick memory and how to reconnect to our sacred source.

We also talked about faith, ancestors, connections to the land and trees--like witches do.  Snuggle onto the proverbial porch—it’s a good one. Love y'all!

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