0:03

When someone says Wicca, it’s hard to not immediately think of witches.

And this obviously makes me think of all my favorite, which has my personal favorite, obviously, the Scarlet Witch, also the Halliwell sisters, the Sanderson sisters, Sabrina my stepmom.

You name it.

I thought stinky, which was your favorite but I guess she’s at the bottom of the list low blow.

0:24

For those who don’t know.

That’s my nickname for my girlfriend.

Yeah Ikes yes.

Okay sticky which is at the top pressure top of Milas, okay, thank you for correcting me publicly, you’re so welcome, but Wicca is more than witches and spells.

0:40

It’s a nature-based spiritual movement that’s been practiced for around 80 years and today we’re going to get into its history.

I can’t wait.

I know a very surface level amount of Wicca, so teach me all the ways.

I don’t know if I’m the appropriate guide for this journey but I’ll hold your hand beside myself.

1:11

Hi everyone and welcome to rituals a Spotify original from podcast.

I’m M Schultz and I’m Christine Schieffer.

Every week, we’ll explore the evolution of spiritualism and the Occult through stories practices and the impact on Modern culture.

Very excited to talk about Wicca with you, I have a lot of opinions.

1:28

I’ve got a lot to say I’ve been looking for To this topic for quite a while, it’s one of my favorites.

So, let’s crack into it.

1:47

So comedy, gold star Christine Schieffer question for you.

Oh yes you called if we’re going to get into what I want to know first what your understanding of it as I guess how much do you actually know about Wicca?

I feel like I had to delve into my the recesses of my brain because I always feel like I have only a surface level knowledge but growing up.

2:09

I had friends who practiced Wicca and whose families did.

So, I think I’ve maybe absorbed more of it than I thought, but I find it very fascinating, spiritual practice.

I feel the same.

I feel like, I don’t know a lot, but I feel like I still know relatively more than likely be the average person, just because of who I’ve surrounded myself with right, do you remember the first time that you were actually introduced to it?

2:31

Yeah, I went to a friend’s house and she forced me to do some ritual with a candle.

And then it turns out, She said, she was practicing a Wicca ritual, but really, I think she was just like, Googling like scary things to do with candles and pendants.

2:47

And she like, made the candle blow up in green smoke.

It was very scary.

What?

We were like, 10 looking back.

I was like, this is what Wicca is.

I don’t think that was an accurate portrayal, but that was the first time where I really heard about it and thought this sounds fascinating and terrifying.

3:04

So I learned more about how that’s not quite what it’s actually.

About.

But that was my first kind of understanding of what was going on.

It does sound magical.

If like, all of a sudden, Green Smoke is everywhere.

It was magical, it turned green and neither of us seem to know how that happened.

3:20

So it was an interesting evening and I did call my mom in the middle of the night and tell her to come.

Pick me up.

Wow, we would have handled that very differently.

I would have immediately been indoctrinated into whatever she was practicing.

You know, I will say, I was on board at first and without getting too into the weeds, things went downhill and I can talk about that another podcast.

3:39

Happily.

Yeah, but what about you like what was your first introduction to Wicca?

I sound like a broken record at this point but my stepmom is Wiccan and since I was I’ve known her since I was four but I don’t think I actually knew about the witch stuff until like 12 or 13 is when I remember her.

4:00

And I talking about it really openly all the time.

Has she been Wicked for her whole life?

Yeah, I think even her parents practice.

I think she’s like one of those people I’ve met who is like a second generation grew up in it.

That’s cool.

Yeah, she was very open about it with me.

4:17

She answered all my questions.

I remember like as a kid, like watching Charmed with her and she would like pause the show.

Every time to tell me like, what was real, what was fake like?

What they have changed in the script for the sake of the show, The Candle turned green, and she was like that real.

4:32

That actually is what we do.

Now that I can tell you is a real thing, she taught me some basic stuff as I Got more interested.

So she taught me things like how to like cleanse crystals which we talked about that in our crystals episode.

Show me how to like open and closed circles and she actually taught me a like a ritual.

4:50

When my childhood dog died.

She did like a whole ritual with me to like say goodbye.

She always had like the best ghost stories.

I mean like in terms of like having a witch for a step-mom has a pretty solid deal to me.

I mean it sounds like the start of a Disney Channel original movie all the hijinks.

5:06

Yeah happened and somewhere in the butterfly effect.

Like she was supposed to become evil and then I saved the day with what?

She’s taught me or something.

Yeah.

But anyway, no, I did not work out that way.

It’s just that she really is very easy to buy gifts for because it’s a lot of candles and a lot of Wands worked out very well, but out of your knowledge that you have of Wicca, do you have like a favorite part of it or anything like a fun found your favorite piece?

5:32

I would say my favorite.

As far as I know is their respect for nature and the natural world I think.

That’s probably the thing that I relate to and respect the most.

I have a fun fact for you.

Teach you, I don’t know how beneficial does anybody but to keep in your back pocket.

5:49

The stereotypical like which items like a broomstick and a cauldron and a pointy hat and everything they all actually have like historical symbolism and that’s where they come from versus just like 0, which is right on brooms to fly with the devil I guess.

6:05

And it’s actually more like the rooms were used to sweep.

Way negative energy or like the pointy hats?

I think the pointy hats actually have like different versions of the history I guess.

Like there’s no one true origin but the story I always heard from my stepmom growing up, was that because it was ConEd it was almost like a funnel for natural knowledge or the world’s wisdom to funnel into your head.

6:27

So like, it’s like the world helping you gain wisdom.

Anyway, I’ve always thought that was called the like the stereotypes of things.

I like make a witch scarier actually, like have lovely backgrounds to them.

Yeah.

Well, we’ve talked about this to where I always found it, fascinating that the sort of, again, speaking of stereotypes that like I have new to not like using animal parts and things, they’re actually symbolic for.

6:49

I believe I have nude as Mustard Seed and so a lot of times they were meant to be plants.

They’re not, you know, actual eyeballs from gecko or whatever.

That’s a fair add on to my point.

Yeah.

Mmm.

All right.

So, before we get into this episode, I do want to do a quick PSA.

7:07

We want to acknowledge that.

We’re aware that there are many varieties of Wicca, and it’s practice in many different ways, so because this is such a huge topic.

Today, we’re just going to focus on its history and its Origins and if you were looking for like a more detailed segment on, like the way that you might particularly practice, we probably won’t be covering it.

7:28

I know my own stepmom will listen to this episode.

Be like you forgot to mention 100 things and I’m like, well, it’s like that’s maybe the advanced class.

I think she’ll hear it and be like, I’m so glad you mentioned.

And the pointy hat because that’s really what stuck like, I’m glad you mentioned.

I was a great step mom because yeah, I think she’s gonna be perfectly happy with this episode on her reputation is going to be A-OK at the end of this.

7:50

So just wanted to give that statement before he won.

Yeah, has any expectations?

So I think that happens a lot.

When were covering topics in one single episode.

It’s really difficult to kind of touch every aspect of it, especially when people around the world, practice it differently.

Hmm.

Yeah.

Something has brought, his religion is certainly not going to be fully covered in our 45 minutes.

8:09

So, right, just getting into it.

Wicca is a small religious community that likely originated in the UK in the late, 1930s, and wiccans.

Based their practices on pre-christian, religions, and cultures, and share some of the same beliefs as Druids and pagans, although there are similarities between wiccans and paganism.

8:30

Not all wiccans are pagans.

Oh my, I feel like I’m that Meme.

Where the math formulas are swirling around my head, not all All weekends, are pagans.

Wait, hang on, help against witches.

Say, okay, I think I get it.

Like, wiccans can take some, you know, elements from Higgins a bit.

8:48

It doesn’t mean they’re necessarily the same.

Sure.

Yes, on it.

And Wicca was partly inspired by a woman named Margaret Murray.

So Marie was born in 1863 and was a folklorist a feminist.

She’s an expert in Egyptian studies, very fun.

9:03

I like this one already and she also wrote several books on witchcraft including the one.

Called The Witch cult and Western Europe, which published in 1921 nice.

And the book was based on documents from the witch trials that took place in the 16th and 17th centuries and Marie adopted a theory called The Witch cult hypothesis.

9:24

I like it already love a good hypothesis.

That starts with witch cult.

Absolutely, you’re speaking my language, it claimed that people who were being accused of Witchcraft.

In the past were just practicing an ancient religion and Marie road that the Christian patriarchy.

Of course, during the 16th and 17th century is considered the rituals and beliefs demonic.

9:44

So they persecuted anyone that participated in them, I see.

Okay, which is what led to Salem.

Witch Trials, all the witch trials, all the many that we’ve barely scratched the surface.

Yeah.

And Marie also wrote that witches, would meet up in groups of no, more than 13 people.

10:02

And these groups were known as covens.

I love this already, and what if you were the 14th person?

I was going to say.

For someone to drop out so that you could take the skiff really feels like the old-school like Myspace top eight.

Yeah.

It’s like oh you almost made it but like find another coven because the saying, find another Covenant.

10:20

Sorry, there’s no room.

I know coven’s are just a bound their endless and you’ll find so much or you may have to travel to a whole other Village so study is over.

But you’re not.

Welcome here.

That’s just gotta power, right?

I do wonder what the vetting processes or if there’s like a training season, you know.

10:36

Yeah.

Who makes the cut You know anyway, rituals, are you listening Park a?

This is where all the Twitter people are like, okay, we need to educate you because I would love to know.

I would too.

I would love to know.

So which is worshipped a master who tended to be a male and War in animal masks or animal skins.

10:57

And the animals are often a bull goat or horse.

Okay, this part, maybe not so much love in the animals, but you know what?

Huh, keep going quickly.

Yes, I will Marie also.

Claimed, which is would take part in ceremonies that included, rituals, dancing, and bonfires.

11:14

Okay, that part I been to a party.

Yeah, and let’s end this segment with a little fun fact about Margaret Murray, okay?

So in 1929, she wrote the Britannica Encyclopedia Centre for witchcraft and she was the go-to expert on which has four years.

11:31

Wow, but it’s important to note that today.

Her work has been debunked.

Wait.

Really after all this I was like, wow, I was like learning so much.

No wonder Twitter’s all mad in my in my mind.

11:47

They’re all mad and now they’re like ah, okay.

They’re like they got there.

They got the finally figured out that this was all fraudulent.

Well, okay, so plot twist.

The work has been debunked.

So how does all this play into Wicca?

And we are about to find out good because I have no idea.

12:04

I feel like, I thought I knew what was happening.

And now I do a whole sleight of hand over.

I hereby only out of magic, coming up a nudist and a cultist from the UK discovers Margaret Murray’s.

Writings on which Cults, leading him to lay the foundations for Wicca.

12:23

The plot twist just don’t stop coming.

12:37

So we just heard about Margaret Murray’s, witch, cult hypothesis.

Now, let’s get into how an inspired the early Wickham movement and let’s note here.

Get ready for your weird meme.

Venn diagram thing again.

Okay, not only are all wiccans, are not pagans, but not all wiccans, practice witchcraft.

12:55

Okay, interesting.

So I don’t know if you’re like circles, become little Triangle thing a little bubble.

It just kind of fell on the ground.

So I’m just going to stop trying to make it fit together and listen to you instead.

Well, someone who was inspired by Marie.

There was a guy named Gerald Gardner, and Garner was born in the north of England and 1884 and worked as a civil servant.

13:17

He studied the occult and spiritualism and was also a naturist and many consider him.

The father of modern.

Witchcraft Garner was born into a wealthy family and moved around a lot in his lifetime.

He lived in Uh, Sri Lanka, Malaya and Borneo, and during his travels.

13:33

He learned about local cultures, including religions the Supernatural, and magical beliefs.

Well, Gardner, moved back to the UK in 1936, where he eventually settled in the south of England.

And it was here where Gardner claims that he met a group of witches who were members of an ancient coven.

13:51

Wow, this is fun.

Little Pastime for him.

What a thing to stumble upon seriously, he said he came across Us them in a clearing and they were naked and standing in a circle.

Whoa, I know big thanks to some below cross all of a sudden feel like, yes, a group of women in the woods, I would be like oh what’s happening here and now they’re all naked and standing in a circle.

14:13

Anyone naked anywhere.

I’d be like, where have I ended up?

Oh my, if I meant to be here, probably am, I overdressed?

I think so the witches to Garner to a house where they stripped and blindfolded him and then placed him in the Enter of a ceremonial Circle.

14:31

I wonder how much conversations happening during all this.

Or did they just grabbed him and dragged him into a house?

Yeah, I was gonna say, is this conceptual or is this?

Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on here.

That part is TBD.

I’m afraid.

But okay.

Garner claims that this was his initiation into their coven so.

14:48

Okay.

Welcome.

Yeah, big day.

So during the summer of 1940 Gardener and the coven performed, a ritual known as operation cone of power.

Not to be confused with the cone of shame ha.

Yeah that’s for the dog but their intention was to hex Hitler and prevent Germans landing on British Shores.

15:10

Well, that’s a big task, it’s a big task but I’m back undertaking.

Yeah.

Like wow.

Wow, the witches were like, we’ll handle this.

Like, don’t step aside.

Yeah, the ritual involved a raised giant cone, which they believed allowed them to transmit messages into Hitler’s brain.

15:27

Now this part I do not Hundred percent, think logically I back but yeah, I appreciate the commitment.

It feels a little bit like a stretch just because because logic fails because logic fails but also I have a very limited knowledge like admittedly, a very limited knowledge about this but I feel like a lot of times when you hear about people influencing others it’s like it has to be double sided.

15:52

Maybe that’s just what I learned growing up but especially with you know, things like Reiki.

The other person needs to be willing and able Able to receive the energy or the messages.

So yes, even if this cone was operating at top speed, I wonder if Hitler himself.

16:07

There was open to receive these messages from witches.

I don’t know, but it’s just a thought I had and you are correct.

By the way, that was one of the other things that my step mom taught me.

Very early on, is that if it’s not consensual on both ends, then it’s either not going to work.

It’s not going to work the way you think it is, or just maybe don’t do it.

16:26

Also, just the rule of three, it’ll backfire on you three times worse.

So, No, you never know what’s going to happen.

But that’s another thing I love about WIC has that it’s all based in consent.

So, yeah, that’s what I learned about Reiki as well, so they have clearly some similarities there.

Yeah.

16:42

Also, you can add to like your little Venn diagram, not all witches perform Reiki, but you know, not all Reiki.

Pillow, which is it gets muddy really quick.

It’s a mess.

It is a mess.

Oh yes.

This giant cone is supposed to transmit messages to Hitler’s brain without his consent and in 1947 Gardener met Aleister Crowley.

17:02

And I same a member of the Ordo, templi orientis, which Crowley help shape, and we have an entire episode on Aleister Crowley as well.

Let’s go back and listen to that.

On top of all this gardner wrote several books on witchcraft, including one that is still used in Wicca and teachings.

17:20

Today, I’m so excited to talk about it, okay?

Have you heard of it before?

It’s called The Book of Shadows.

Oh I mean I know the name but I don’t know anything about it, really?

Okay, so it’s called The Book of Shadows and it contains descriptions of Wick has core rituals, tools and code of practice how cool.

17:37

And he drew on influences from his travels druidism, Freemasonry ceremonial magic, Aleister Crowley and of course, Margaret Murray, whoa, A lot of people know of the Book of Shadows because they use that exact name in Charmed.

It’s like, they’re which manual.

17:54

And I don’t know, I can only reference off of my stepmom and the one which that I know.

Very well.

But she actually has her own Book of Shadows, but it’s not like one that was ever written by Gardner.

She actually made her own Book of Shadows inspired by Charmed where they had their own like manual and like that holds all their spells and all the ingredients Solutions and stuff.

18:14

And so, one of my like favorite memories with my stepmom and she would help me put things in her book of shadows.

And so, she also said that one day when she has passed on, oh my, I love that like A parents to our scrapbooking with their kids and you’re, you know, you’re using mod podge and putting some stuff into the Book of Shadows.

18:37

I was like taping wolfsbane next to us.

Spell incantation.

It was like a great time.

Also, it looks exactly like the Book of Shadows from charm so it’s like it looks like it came straight out of the TV show but it has like all of her like how to make a circle how to, you know, cleanse the air around you, how to get rid of negative energy, like what to do on summer solstice.

18:58

So it’s very Lovely.

So you know as soon as it’s in my possession it’ll probably be my nearest and dearest possession.

Yeah we can do like a whole reading of that on the podcast, she probably has a note written in there somewhere.

Like is it for your podcast process like leave Christina out of it?

19:14

She is not part of this.

Yeah, I don’t know how much I’m willing to try out of her book once she’s not here to tell me if I’m doing it right or not, but I’ll certainly at least.

Hold it safe.

Okay.

Yeah.

Me neither, but probably all she can ask a few.

So anyway, that’s the Book of Shadows.

19:29

And Gardner wanted to revive witchcraft in his own way.

So, he bought some land and started his own coven, which he named it brick, it would, and it still exists today.

Wow, that’s pretty cool.

If anyone from briquette would ever hears.

This, I would love an email from you just to say hello because I have questions and I just want to know you and that’s so fun.

19:50

I wouldn’t come over.

I know, I know, I just like if you are interested in a friend in l.a. you got one.

So interestingly the word wick away.

Wasn’t officially used until 1954 when Gardner used the term in his book witchcraft today and it was spelled with only one.

20:08

See at the time, I didn’t know that.

The funnest fact of the mall, my friend is so by the time of his death, 10 years later in 1964 Gerald Garner’s form of Wicca had spread across England and also made its way to the Us and other countries.

Which is so interesting but it only took 10 years and it was already.

20:26

Boom, I guess someone spelled it wrong.

There was a typo involved.

Still it’s perfectly.

Honestly, if that’s the only like fail, then I’m in the only drowned dropped, like aspect of this whole thing.

Everything else stayed intact.

Hopefully yeah.

As we said at the top of the episode, there are many forms of Wicca today, but there are some beliefs that are common to most modern wiccans.

20:48

So for their beliefs and rituals generally, there’s no governing body.

And there isn’t a Bible with set guidelines on how to practice Wicca which I really like that.

I appreciate the freedom because As I feel like people who practice a religion based around one book or many books, it’s much more limiting.

21:06

I feel like if you’re told like, well, as long as you’re doing good things and you’re trying your best, you’re respecting.

So is the Book of Shadows.

Not that like what is the Book of Shadows do then?

It’s kind of like a guy especially like the in today’s modern world The Book of Shadows are more like you can build out your own.

21:24

I see it’s not like a set strict Like rules or regulations.

Asians, that kind of thing.

Yeah, it’s almost like a manual, which I guess is how you could describe any book in our religion, think of like a starter set where I kind of teaches you.

A lot of Beginnings Isaacs and over time other people that have like their own book.

21:41

It’s more of like half Journal where they put their own.

Aha experiences into it.

I like that.

So it’s kind of unique to the practicing person.

Okay.

Yeah.

So everyone is individual if I ever met another, which I would ask if they had a book and could I have it and could I have it for your collection that you’re building?

22:00

For my library, where I don’t practice anything in it.

I just keep it safe for you.

I also like speaking of modern witches, like I actually just became friends with someone on Bumble, who is Wiccan and has been practicing for a few years now.

And I like mentioned like oh do you have like a book of shadows?

22:16

I was talking about my stepmoms and she was like, it’s 2022.

Like I have like a block.

We could just write it down like, on the computer all in the cloud.

Okay.

Yeah exactly.

It’s like I just Just text myself reminded note on my phone like how I keep my grocery list by Target shopping list?

22:35

It’s like what spell does what?

Well that was one of my favorite things that I also would learn from my stepmom going in.

As a child, I was like, where’s your cauldron?

She was like, I use a bowl like a puppy’s, the one I made you Bolognese and last night, okay, it’s multi-purpose issues like why on Earth would I have a cast-iron 300-pound cauldron but I could, it’s a great place.

22:57

It’s funny to think, like, back in the day, Somebody had gotten a glimpse of you saying, oh, I met someone who practices wick on Bumble BFF and be like, what the hell does that mean?

It’s like, no witchcraft could have prepared you for that.

Kabuna fo talk about modern witches.

23:12

Well, in today’s modern witchcraft, which this is something you and I also fully back is that most Americans believe and teach reincarnation.

Hmm.

And they say that the purpose of reincarnation is to enjoy experiencing life again and again and not to escape it and it’s to learn everything that can be To be learned.

23:30

I love that.

I love that too.

Because when I first hear experience life over and over again, I just want to scream into a pillow, my personal hell, got it.

But if we’re framing it as like, oh, because there’s always something to learn and there’s always a way to ascend.

And I mean, that’s the belief behind the akashic records as well, is that, you know, you’re coming back to learn and Ascend and become a better version of yourself.

23:54

Yeah.

So when your spirit and Wicca stops reincarnating, it moves on, Another realm known as the land of Youth or it’s also called Summerland, it sounds like fire Fest reincarnated even horrible, memories like that Canadian car.

24:10

So wiccans use magic to help heal people and to help with everyday life problems and it should not be used for harm.

So if you are truly practicing witchcraft in general, I would even say if you’re using it for harm, you are not using it for good.

You are not practicing properly.

24:26

So some wiccans.

Keep both a goddess and a God and sometimes they are known as mother goddess and horned gunwoo their rituals tend to center around phases of the moon and can include herbalism and other natural things and the wheel of the year, I don’t know if you’ve seen this, have you seen the real deal as looks like a wheel with eight cheong?

24:48

OK, cut through it but it symbolizes the eight festivals that are important to me.

Pagans wiccans of witches.

So they’re known as Sabbath’s and they follow a nature-based calendar and I Might some on probably has maybe 20 of these, so all over the house, but it’s basically just a calendar to let you know, you know what, festivals coming up next and where you are and their fire Fest.

25:10

Fire Summerlin.

So rituals and celebrations are typically held on the Sabbath and they begin at Sunset and then end at Sunset the next day.

So, full 24 hours, that’s how I party.

So I’m into it, I love it.

25:26

The main one that people know is Samhain.

It marks the Beginning of the wiccan New Year and is commonly celebrated on Halloween and the word means Summer’s end, or it’s also known as like the dark half of.

Okay, I love that and on Samhain which I got to, like practice growing up, which was very lovely.

25:44

It’s the same concept as Halloween and that, this is where the physical world and the spiritual world, the veil is the thinnest and therefore, you’re more likely to interact with things on the other side.

And it was very lovely, especially the year when my childhood dog died.

My step mom taught me how to like, do like these.

Rituals and put out food for them and everything’s like, welcome them over to our side of the world.

26:04

And it’s nice.

It’s very lovely, that word, by the way, if you’re listening Samhain, that was one that a couple years ago.

And when I were recording and I pronounced it Samhain because that’s how it’s spelled and now I’m corrected, me em and then sorry the next week my Twitter was really a mess so I it was bad.

26:23

It was bad and it still gets that way when people get to that up said, so in case you’re wondering that word And you may have seen it in writing but it’s pronounced Samhain.

Yeah it definitely doesn’t look like Sam.

Yeah so the other sabots our Yule imbolc astara Beltane litha lughnasadh and maiden or Marvin in the UK.

26:45

I really do appreciate that.

Even like the biggest days they are.

First of all, they have eight whole holidays love of it, but they’re all.

Yeah, they’re just different parts of like appreciating nature and yeah and it can what’s out can be hard.

At least for people like me who have seasonal Affective disorder for the winter months to be you know rolling around but it’s kind of nice to be able to reframe it and celebrate the dark days of the year.

27:08

Yeah, exactly.

Up next, we’ll get into how Wicca has made its way into contemporary life and its rise in popularity.

Okay.

I can’t wait to hear the modern take.

27:32

At the start of this episode, I referenced one of my favorite witches.

I Won’t Say I’m now being reminded that I have a stinky which at all.

Sure do.

That’s my job to keep her a top of your mind.

Thank you.

My other favorite which is MC use.

Scarlet Witch or Wanda maximoff.

27:48

So just before we you know get into anything else I’d like To throw in my fun.

Little fact here in the world of Pop Culture.

Scarlet, Witch has two sons and one of them is literally named Wicca.

Oh, that’s fun.

I know, and we have officially Cannon to the MCU as well.

28:04

If you watched Wanda Vision, it’s a her son.

Billy grows up to be Wicked.

Some fun fact.

Also, there’s the 90’s movie now, cult classic the craft.

Well fun fact, Christine a Wiccan High Priestess.

Advised its filmmakers on how to accurately represent Wiccan rituals in the film Which I love.

28:23

I also really appreciate so Hocus Pocus, which is something but I’m a big Nostalgia childhood fan of Hocus Pocus, and the one who plays Mary Sanderson, she actually was really hesitant at first before taking the job because she was afraid of offending actual with chills.

28:41

And so she was like I just want to make sure that like witches are also going to enjoy this movie and I’m not just like making a farce of them.

So I appreciated that so I like when they try to, you know, be mine.

Full that stuff before making content to that.

Kids are now going to see today in 2019.

28:57

The New York Times published an article, which I love this headline.

It was.

When did everyone become a widow?

They’re like wait a second.

They looking around like hey, hang on, I got there’s a lot of witches around here.

What happened?

And the writer claimed that we have reached Peak which Which by the way, they had no idea what they were talking about because one year later, the pandemic would begin and everyone inside started looking into witchcraft hard Games, Galore plant, lady’s Crystal collection, I mean, should have waited one more year, one more year.

29:31

And then, you really would have seen what was possible in the world of Witchcraft.

I’m also, by the way, totally cool.

With the phrase, reaching Peak, which, I just don’t know if we ever will, I like the phrase but I don’t want to reach Peak which, because it There’s only one way to go and it’s down, and I don’t want to go down.

29:47

I want to keep getting which year in which here, but I feel like I like the sound of it, but I, yeah, I don’t think it’s true in my mind.

If more people become witches, they might raise their children in that and then it just keeps growing and growing.

I don’t know.

Yeah, maybe we can aspire to be a peak, which but will never actually reach it because it’s just sting and unattainable goal.

30:05

Yes, yes, yes.

I like it a few years ago, this is where it gets the cringey Sephora received widespread critical.

Criticism from wiccans.

And other people who identify as much as when the company launched a starter which kitty boy, and it included a Tarot deck and Sage.

30:23

This is also by the way, where I will give a personal PSA that using sage and your Spell’s is a closed practice, and if you are not a part of certain communities, you should not be using Sage, even though it definitely has a.

I guess the stereotype is that people start getting into witchcraft or start getting into the spiritual World by Incorporating Sage into their life.

30:45

And even we did that for a long time because we were unaware of that.

But now that we have been educated, it’s our job to also educate you.

So, there are other ways that you can have the exact same effect in your home without using solution.

So just a quick, Google is all it takes and speaking of other Wicca misconceptions.

31:03

One misconception about wiccans is that they worship the god and goddess.

A, although interesting, not true, not true.

Just like the biggest Now, I can give you is that Satan is a Christian idea and rest, never existed in Wicca.

It doesn’t even make sense.

31:18

That, that would be the case.

There are also people who believe that Wiccan sacrifice animals, which yikes, this is also an accurate because wiccans are taught to respect all living telling you, I have no tits, Mustard Seed, don’t even worry, I think you’re really onto something there, because that would have been one of my first reasons of like, oh, well, think of all the things they put into potions and it’s like, what a dead man’s toe.

31:41

Like, okay, I don’t think they’re actually going out.

Seeking bat.

So the united states recognizes Wicca as a religion, by the way, which I love and the New Jersey Department of Education.

Recognizes all a Twix and holidays.

Cool.

And this way everyone should be New Jersey.

31:57

Just saying the rest of the world should take heed, and that’s a bold statement.

Everyone should be like New Jersey.

I think I said in this in this case.

Okay gotcha sorry in 2014 a Pew research study estimated that close to 1 million.

32:13

People identified as Wiccan or Pagan in the United States.

So that’s about point, three percent of the population.

That’s cool.

I’m curious to see what the next percentage is.

Like, when they run the study, again, I wonder in 2022 because I was almost a decade ago.

Yeah.

So maybe I just surround myself in a particular area of the world but it to me, I’m noticing a lot of people deconstructing their faith and becoming more spiritual and open-minded to this kind of stuff.

32:39

So I feel like there’s definitely going to be a massive influx in that now.

We’re getting closer and closer every day twitch.

Which yeah.

Yeah.

But anyway, that’s the origins of Wicca, my friend.

I’m so happy to know this.

I really, as much as I knew some Basics about, like, the holidays and that kind of thing.

32:56

I really didn’t know where it came from.

So learned a lot.

Yeah.

Is there any lingering questions you have?

Yes, I actually do have just one and I don’t know if you can answer this or not but I wonder if this is something for example that I want to learn more about and get into is this something where you know not to use a phrase closed Practice again, because that’s sort of a referring to something else.

33:16

But like, is this something where I need to be cautious about approaching this?

Or is it open anyone to practice and learn more about without overstepping, the opinion?

I have gotten from people when I’ve asked the question, is that a lot of people who especially have been in the religion for a long time, and are very excited that people are finally getting into it and we’re breaking down stereotypes and they’re feeling safer to be seen and heard, I think the Already has been very excited for more people to join, I don’t know, the most ethical or even the spiritually safest way to get involved.

33:52

I would imagine your best bet is to find someone who has been practicing for a long time and almost have them as a mentor.

Oh good.

I’ll call your stepmom.

Okay, yeah.

I was going to say like that part’s easy, you got one.

One thing that I would like to know is if I were a fully practicing witch or Wiccan or you know, in paganism at all, I would be really.

34:13

Excited that the world is changing but with that comes, a lot of people who don’t know what they’re doing, and I wouldn’t be worried about people coming in hot and making either a farce of something, or thinking, they’re being helpful, but they’re actually like getting on a platform and saying, all the wrong information and I hope that’s not something I’ve done.

34:30

And now I’m like just talking about myself but I worry for them that it’s not being represented properly so I would definitely go to them before.

Sure soon.

Okay.

Okay, well, if anybody out there I don’t really know anybody currently who practices.

So if you know anything, Thing about it, give me a tweet.

You know.

34:46

Let me know.

Yeah.

Only if you’re open to talking about it but I’m curious to chat with them.

Yeah.

Might want to I would also love to know more about covens and what that actually looks like because I feel like in modern my God is that a group chat?

Em heard frickin like there’s an exclusive group of 13 people and you have to be invited and I was like I’m going to be in it, I’m going to be part of it.

35:05

Well I do Wonder like because that was through Margaret Murray who ended up all of her work ended up being deal right?

True under true.

So I wonder if 18 is the number two that because, remember 13 is also a really sake.

Remember?

So, I wonder if they’re our covens that stick by that rule but maybe there’s just like big, like meetup.com groups, right?

35:25

Like people just forgot our local groups that you could join.

I bet ya.

So what have you learned today?

That surprised you the most, I guess I didn’t realize that the Wicca practice is so recent like I mean even the word alone wasn’t founded until the 50s.

35:43

I didn’t know.

That’s very good to know.

Yeah, I didn’t know that either because now that I think about how long my stepmoms been in it.

I’m like, have you been there since the beginning?

Absolutely dawn of Wicca.

Yeah, it’s like you were there when it was written.

What about any misconceptions you have any that I was able to solve for you or talk you through?

36:02

I feel like you had a good head on your shoulders about.

Thanks.

I had a general understanding, I didn’t know the background of it really at all.

I also didn’t know they tried to hex Hitler.

So that’s interesting honest.

Interesting twist at should be.

I think a misconception that we keep spreading is that oh, the well, not even a misconception.

36:19

They were against Hitler.

I’m like totally the enemy not far, I guess doesn’t really surprise me.

It’s the pointed hat or the co-owner whatever they were trying to get Absol.

Surprising to me.

36:39

Thanks so much for listening.

We’ll be back next week with another great episode information.

On today’s episode came from the BBC far out magazine Vice the new inquiry, history.com and brick it would coven .co.uk remember to follow rituals on Spotify to get a brand new episode every week and you can listen to this and all other episodes of rituals for free exclusively on Spotify.

37:02

And if you like the show, follow at par cast on.

Facebook and Instagram and at podcast Network on Twitter.

You can find me at the M Schultz and you can find me at Eckstein Schieffer, thanks again for listening and we will see you next week.

Rituals is executive produced by Max Cutler and is a Spotify original from podcast.

37:18

It was created by Max color, sound design by Kristen Acevedo with associate.

Sound, design by Kevin McAlpine fact-checking by Catherine Barner research by Chelsea would.

It’s produced by Kristen Acevedo and Jonathan, Ratliff with production assistants by Ron Shapiro.

We’re your host, Christine chief.

37:35

Fur, and M Schultz.

Fur, and M Schultz.