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Minisode 3.2: July Grab Bag

Happy full moon and lunar eclipse! We hope you’re having a wonderful summer. In this minisode we talk about our recent magical experiences with art, gardening, beekeeping, travel, and new spiritual practices–plus some fabulous witchy recommendations.

Please note: Our use of the terms man/male and woman/female in this and all of our discussions is in no way intended to be trans-exclusive or to reinforce an essentialist binary model of gender. While we often use this language as a shorthand, we recognize, support, and welcome people of all genders.

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

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

Welcome/ Short Report (0:00 – 7:20)

Recent Magical Experiences (7:26 – 45:57)

Witchy Recommendations (46:00 – 1:10:45)

Outtakes/ Behind the Scenes (1:10:45 – 1:14:30)

Recommendations

Girling Up by Mayim Bialik

Boying Up by Mayim Bialik

The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

The Green Witch Tarot by Ann Moura and Kiri Leonard 

Goddess Power Oracle by Colette Baron Reid

Good Omens

Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer Trilogy) by Rae Carson

Lumos by Harry and the Potters

The Vision of Escaflowne 

Related Links

Guerrilla Girls

Dope Black Art

Secret Feminist Agenda Episode 3.16 (about being a female tattoo artist)

U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (four World Cup titles!)

“Changing Channels” (Washington Post article)

Beowulf in Old English

Canterbury Tales in Middle English

Barry clip (in Lululemon)

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Episode 3.4: Hex Wives

Happy Strawberry Moon and summer solstice! This month we’re discussing Hex Wives (DC Comics) #1-6.

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

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

Welcome/ “The Denim Diaries” (0:00 – 2:45)

Introduction (2:45 – 7:25)

Which Craft? (7:25 – 16:05)

“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (16:05 – 34:50)

“Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (34:50 – 1:01:35)

“Treguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis, Dee!” (1:01:35 – 1:28:00)

Final Spells (1:28:00 – 1:37:10)

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Episode 3.3: Madoka Magica

Happy flower moon! We hope everyone has been enjoying spring! This month we’re discussing the Japanese anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

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.)

Welcome/ “Hoes in Hose” (0:00 – 5:05)

Introduction + a short throwback “Which Craft?” (5:10 – 20:20)

“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (20:25 – 39:55)

“Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (39:59 – 1:16:00)

“Treguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis, Dee!” (1:16:02 – 1:39:33)

Final Spells + Outtakes (1:39:33 – 1:47:19)

Next month we’ll be discussing Hex Wives #1 (DC Comics). You can view our schedule here.

Important photo of Jenny’s cat:

IMG_2265

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Minisode 3.1: April Grab Bag

Happy Full Pink Moon! We hope everyone is enjoying spring. (The cherry blossoms here in L.A. are gorgeous and very pink!)

In this minisode, we talk about our recent magical experiences and share some witchy recommendations.

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

Welcome/ Pants, Pants, Pants! (0:00 – 6:50)

Part One: Magical Experiences, Discoveries, and Thoughts (6:50 – 25:50)

Grandmother hypothesis

Part Two: Witchy Recommendations (25:50 – 46:00)

The Pet Sematary Cat

Eight Whole Minutes of Bonus Content!!! (46:00 – 54:00)

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Episode 3.2: The Wee Free Men

Happy belated supermoon/ Ostara/ spring equinox! It was the closest coincidence of a full moon with the equinox since 2000, so we hope you did something magical to celebrate! (Katie and Jenny went to see the superbloom poppy fields in Southern California.)

We apologize for the delay getting this posted. Katie’s been going through some major life events, which got in the way of editing, but it’s never too late to enjoy our VERY fun discussion about The Wee Free Men, the first Tiffany Aching book in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Plus we have a gorgeously updated theme song from the talented Sarah Little Drum! (Listen to more of her music on her website.)

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

Welcome/ Pant Chant/ Introduction (0:00 – 10:15)

“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (10:20 – 35:20)

“‘Round About the Cauldron Go” (35:25 – 55:00)

“Treguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis, Dee!” (55:05 – 1:11:45)

Final Spells (1:11:50 – 1:19:00)

Sign Off and Bloopers (1:19:10 – 1:23:00)

Important Links

SNL H&M Sketch

Childish Gambino’s Live Performance of Redbone

Wee Free Men Heading to Cinemas!

Next month will be a minisode. You can find our schedule for the season here.

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Episode 3.1: Siempre Bruja

Happy super snow moon! This month we’re discussing Netflix’s new show, Siempre Bruja. You can now download the episode and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher! (Apologies for minor audio issues. We were recording during a blizzard!)

Content warning: slavery, sexual assault.

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.)

Welcome/ Trouser Browser/ Introduction (0:00 – 11:15)

“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (11:15 – 31:50)

“Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (31:50 – 55:05)

“‘Round About the Cauldron Go” (55:05 – 1:08:50)

“Treguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis, Dee!” (1:08:50 – 1:21:55)

Final Spells (1:21:55 – 1:29:30)

Related Links

Netflix’s Siempre Bruja Conjures up Racist Tropes It’s Not Equipped to Address (A.V. Club)

Netflix’s Siempre Bruja Failed Black History Month (Refinery 29)

Love Doesn’t Conquer Shit: The Odd Obsession with Oppressive Interracial Relationships

This American Life: “Random Acts of History”

Next month we’ll be discussing The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. You can find our schedule for the season here.

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Episode 2.7: Season Finale

Happy full moon and winter solstice! We’ve reached the end of another year, and boy are we ready to move on! So long, 2018!

Please enjoy this reflective episode as we look back on Season 2 and the witches who inspired us to get through this rather challenging year. (Apologies for Katie’s mic issues!)

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

Listen to hear our answers to the following questions:

“Which witch…”

  • Inspired you to learn something new or to improve your craft?
  • Helped you to see other people in a new light or to better understand your own position in society (and/or take social action)?
  • Changed the way you think of your body or the human body in general?
  • Taught you something about the natural world or encouraged you to heal and/or connect with your environment?
  • Encouraged you to create art or foster a spiritual practice?
  • Made you laugh?

“What was your favorite/ most magical moment from doing the podcast?”

“Which witch wins the ‘Witch of the Year’ Award?”

You can find all of our previous episodes here.

If you enjoy listening to the podcast, please fill out this short (5 min) survey and let us know how we can improve things for Season 3! Thanks, witches! See you in 2019!

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Episode 2.6: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Happy full moon! This month we’re discussing Netflix’s new show, the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. There will be spoilers!

Content warning: brief mentions of Larry Nassar and Brett Kavanaugh, racial slurs, lynching, homophobia, transphobia.

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 – 3:11)

“Treguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis, Dee!” (3:17 – 32:06)

  • The show’s depiction of witchcraft as an inversion of evangelical Christianity
  • Wicca
  • Appropriation and misapplication of various religious and pagan symbols
  • Sabrina’s visions
  • Exorcism scene (power drawn from the women in Sabrina’s family tree)

Related Links

The Nutcracker/ “girl goes fantasy world”  conversation started on Jeannette Ng’s Twitter

“Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (32:13 – 46:27)

  • Witch bodies vs. human bodies
  • Witches’ lack of respect for others’ bodily autonomy
  • Sabrina’s erasing Harvey’s memories (with a kiss!), cursing Mr. Hawthorne, attempting resurrection
  • Witches’ treatment of familiars
  • Demonic possession and a man-eating Lilith
  • Portrayal of Sabrina’s body in the comics

Related Links

She-Ra is a recent example (on Netflix, too!) of a female character being reclaimed by women: An All-Female Writing Team Gives ‘She-Ra’ a Modern Makeover for a New Netflix Reboot

“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (46:36 – 1:13:15)

  • Susie = a non-binary character (played by Lachlan Watson, a non-binary actor)!
  • The show’s ambiguous, 60s-esque setting + its flat depiction of high school
  • Is Sabrina a good witch or a bad witch?
  • Prudence and the show’s difficulty navigating race
  • White women = complicit in white supremacy
  • Cousin Ambrose and Sabrina’s aunts

Related Links

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina‘s Non-Binary Character Deserves Better

Star Tati Gabrielle Talks Giving Depth to Prudence

In Defense of Prudence Night

Why Can’t Black Witches Get Some Respect in Popular Culture?

Cousin Ambrose is the Most Compelling Part of Sabrina

Final Spells (1:13:19 – 1:26:25)

  • The nature of spells (Latin vs. vernacular, words vs. intention)
  • The comics’ influence on popular ideas about witches
  • Jenny’s lunar ritual: Gemini Sage Moon

Related Links

Tarot-Inspired Character Palettes

 

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Episode 2.5: Shadow of Night

Happy full moon–and Halloween month!!! October’s full moon is the Hunter’s Moon, which is perfect, because in this episode we’re talking about the continuing adventures of Diana Bishop in Shadow of Night (book two of the All Souls Trilogy) by Deborah Harkness. (Listen to our episode about the first book in the series here.)

Content warning: domestic violence, sexual assault, Brett Kavanaugh, miscarriage.

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 (1:00 – 3:49)

Which Craft? (3:54 – 33:05)

  • Sensory details
  • Clothing as a means of communication
  • Historical figures and events–fitting the story into an early modern context
  • Audiobook narration (read by Jennifer Ikeda)
  • Structure and genre (meta discussion about vampire novels)
  • Logistics of time travel
  • Matthew and Diana’s character growth

“Are you a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (33:08 – 53:40)

  • Wide range of female characters!
  • The Earl of Northumberland’s hearing impairment
  • Fatherhood and losing a child
  • Christopher Marlowe and gay villains
  • Matthew and Diana’s relationship

“Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (53:43 – 1:20:40)

  • Diana’s objectification (and elbows!)
  • Marcus and Phoebe
  • Reading Diana’s body
  • Early modern understandings of memory and bodies as texts
  • Diana’s pregnancies and miscarriage
  • Diana’s familiar

Related Links

Witches Plan Ritual to Hex Brett Kavanaugh

“Round about the…Satis Dee” (1:20:43 – 1:44:23)

  • Nature-based symbols (bee and snake)
  • Cyclical nature of time
  • Self-discovery as process
  • Alchemy and the Arbor Dianae
  • Diana and Philippe as liminal characters
  • Rituals and rites of passage

Final Spells (1:44:28 – 1:54:21)

Blooper Reel (1:55:20 – 1:56:50)

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episode 2.4: the witch doesn’t burn in this one

happy harvest moon, witches! and happy fall equinox!

this month we’re discussing the witch doesn’t burn in this one by amanda lovelace. content warning for discussions of sexual assault (+ a brief mention of louis c.k.) and eating disorders.

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 – 2:01)

which craft? (2:08 – 27:16)

  • what is poetry? and who can write it?
  • organization and structure; repetition
  • fire imagery
  • poetry as visual art: lowercase text, font color/ size, white space, etc.
  • poetry as an open text; allusions to other works of literature and pop culture

works we reference:

related links

secret feminist agenda episode 2.16: poetry is cool

rupi kaur: the inevitable backlash against instagram’s favorite poet

the comedy-destroying, soul-affirming art of hannah gadsby

“are you a good witch or a bad witch?” (27:20 – 37:15)

  • making space for all women
  • fallacy of “not all men” and “boys will be boys”
  • the “not like all the other girls” trope

related links

“not like other girls” trope

rupi kaur

“bald heads and queer noses” (37:17 – 49:45)

  • textual bodies: writing through trauma, women as more than textual objects, reclaiming our voices and stories
  • bleeding poetry
  • eating disorders and body image

secret feminist agenda episode 2.18: fat liberation

“eat” by zion t.

male authors writing female characters

“round about the cauldron go” (49:49 – 1:08:05)

  • lavender
  • what we can learn from trees
  • self-love potions
  • the importance of breath and clean air
  • symbolism of fire

related links

the lavender menace

lunar ritual: parsley moon (1:08:08 – 1:11:41)

final thoughts (1:11:45 – 1:14:05)

 

next month we’ll be discussing shadow of night (book 2 in the all souls trilogy) by deborah harkness. you can listen to our episode about a discovery of witches (book 1) here.