Happy full moon, witches! December’s supermoon (kicking off a supermoon trilogy!) is in Gemini and is known in various cultures as the Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon.
Other names for December’s moon include the Bitter Moon (Chinese), Oak Moon (English), Snow Moon (Cherokee), Peach Moon (Choctaw), and Twelfth Moon (Dakotah Sioux).
We have reached our eighth episode (a very fortuitous number!) and the end of our first season. In this special episode, we reflect back on the texts we’ve discussed and the witches who have inspired us.
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?
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 and listen to all of our previous episodes here.
If you have comments, feedback, and/or suggestions for Season 2, please do let us know! Thanks again for listening, and we will see you on a forthcoming full moon in 2018!
Happy full moon! November’s moon (the most magical!) is in Taurus and known in the pagan tradition as the Tree Moon.
Here are some of the other names for the November moon: Dark Moon (Celtic), White Moon (Chinese), Snow Moon (English), Beaver Moon (Algonquin), Trading Moon (Cherokee), Sassafras Moon (Choctaw), Moon When Horns Are Broken Off (Dakotah Sioux), and Frost Moon (other Native American peoples). In the southern hemisphere it’s called the Corn Moon, Milk Moon, Flower Moon, and Hare Moon. Read more about November’s moon here.
In this episode we discuss Newbery medal winner The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.
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 – 3:33)
NB: We skipped our formal discussion of craft this time, but our observations about Barnhill’s writing are scattered throughout the episode.
“Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” (3:38 – 12:15)
Complex, nuanced depictions of female characters (most of the characters are women!)
There actually is a good witch and a bad witch in this book! Ignatia vs. Xan
The Sisters of the Star (female police force) vs. the Elders (male governing body)
Two primary characters, Ethyne and Antain, step away from the established institutions in order to enact change
The Elders’ authority is undermined by women’s friendship
We end with a brief discussion of race
“Bald Heads and Queer Noses” (12:18 – 46:29)
Adara’s “madness” and her magic
Antain’s scarred face (bodies as text!)
Luna’s neurodivergence, dyslexia, and changing body (and how it intersects with her magic)
Importance of the New England setting (maple leaves and fall)
Origins of Halloween and the intersection with Salem and colonialism
Binx the cat
The witches’ relationship with nature (plus speculation about the witches’ origins, their mother, and their relationship to immortal figures like Hecate and the devil)
Discussion of symbols and how the meaning of signs is dependent on context
The film’s portrayal of the afterlife and the soul
The witches’ psychosomatic pain
Clash of belief systems: science and technology vs. magic and nature
Max’s witchcraft and Alison’s witchcraft
The preservation of the Sanderson house as a museum
Today, to celebrate the new moon and solar eclipse, we’re bringing you a very special minisode about Claire’s visit to the Salem Witch Museum. We also share some thoughts about modern witch hunts (in the forms of racism and xenophobia, especially) and how to foster greater understanding in the face of difference. We at Witches in Britches condemn white supremacy and bigotry in all forms and encourage you to take a stand against intolerance and hate wherever it is found in your communities.
Our theme song is “Moon and Spruce” by Sarah Littledrum.
*Relevant quote from source above: “Women have traditionally been associated with the senses in Western culture, and in particular, with the ‘lower’ senses. Women are the forbidden taste, the mysterious smell, the dangerous touch. Men, by contrast, have been associated with reason, as opposed to the senses, or else with sight and hearing as the most ‘rational’ of the senses” (Constance Classen, The Color of Angels: Cosmology, Gender, and the Aesthetic Imagination, 1-2).
Next month (Sep. 6) we’ll be discussing Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. See you then!
For our third episode, we are excited to bring you our discussion of the 2017 film Wonder Woman! There will definitely be spoilers. (There are also spoilers for Captain America: The First Avenger.)
Here’s a listening guide for the episode. (For a description of our segments, go here.)
NB: One thing we meant to talk about, but didn’t get to, was how much of a role Chris Pine/ Steve Trevor was given, considering he was the love interest/ sidekick. (See McDorman’s review, linked below, for more about how Trevor is centered in the story.*) We also forgot to talk about Robin Wright!!! Nooooo!
Our first episode is a discussion of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. We would like to dedicate it to Marcelle Kosman and Hannah McGregor of Witch, Please. Thanks for inspiring us!
Content warning: assault, rape, domestic violence
Note: As writers and creators, we know how difficult it is to produce good art. Our comments are not meant to belittle or censure. Rather, we believe in deconstructing and critiquing the things we love, and we hope that our attempt to engage critically with these texts can help our listeners generate productive discussions and insights about themselves and the social structures in which they operate. Please feel free to join the conversation on our Twitter page!
Here are some links and resources you might find useful:
We recorded this introduction to the podcast–and ourselves–as part of our first episode but ended up cutting it due to time constraints. If you’re interested in learning more about us, then give it a listen. (You can also visit our About page.)
And for your enjoyment, here is our theme song, “Moon and Spruce,” written and performed by the talented Sarah Littledrum, in its glorious entirety.
Witches in Britches 