If you prefer your history lessons in podcast form, here’s a list of audio treats about witches, witch trials, and witch panics, from antiquity to the modern day. Check out these shows on your favorite podcast app!
I will update this list as I find new examples. Feel free to add your own!
(Last Updated Dec. 14, 2022 - Full post under Read More)
Witches & Witch Trials in History
Hex Positive
Ep. 3 - Hex Positive
June 1, 2020
Bree delves into what it means to be Hex Positive, as well as discussing and dismantling some of the confusion surrounding the use of hexes and curses. Just what IS the Threefold Law, anyway? The answer may surprise you.
Ep. 19 - The Trouble with Tarot
August 1, 2021
Tarot and tarot-reading have been a part of the modern witchcraft movement since the 1960s. But where did these cards and their meanings come from? Are they secretly Ancient Egyptian mystical texts? Do they have their origins among the Romani people? Are they a sacred closed practice that should not be used by outsiders? Nope, nope, and nope.
This month, we delve into the actual history of tarot cards, discover their origins on the gaming tables of Italy and France, meet the people who developed their imagery and symbolism into the deck we know today, and debunk some of the nonsense that’s been going around lately concerning their use. The Witchstorian is putting on her research specs for this one!
Ep. 20 - Witchcraft and the Law
September 1, 2021
A discussion of the history of witchcraft-related laws and how changing views on magic, religion, and superstition first denied the existence of witches, then panicked over their alleged activities, and finally settled into something resembling common sense. This is a long slog, encompassing over 3000 years of history from a broomstick-height view, and I get off on a few tangents where history crosses paths with modern issues. But if you’re a history buff, you’re gonna love this episode!
Ep. 21 - Witchcraft and Modern Law
September 21, 2021
A follow-up to Ep. 20, this time dealing with modern legal codes that may affect our practices even if they don’t deal with witchcraft directly. There is also some discussion of 20th-century events missed in the previous episode, as well as a brief overview of witch hunts still occurring in some parts of the world today.
Ep. 22 - Bree and Lozzie vs the Witch Hunters
October 1, 2021
Bree NicGarran and guest host Lozzie Stardust run down the history and many misdeeds of notorious witch hunters Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne.
Ep. 23 - The Name of the Game
November 1, 2021
Bree delves into the history, myths, and urban legends surrounding Ouija boards. Along the way, we’ll uncover their origins in the spiritualist movement, discover the pop culture phenomenon that labeled them portals to hell, and try to separate fact from internet fiction with regard to what these talking boards can actually do.
Ep. 28 - The Easter-Ostara Debacle
April 1, 2022
Bree puts on her Witchstorian hat once more to delve into the origins of both Easter and Ostara and to finally answer the age-old question: which came first – the bunny or the egg?
BS-Free Witchcraft
Ep 03: The History of Wicca
October 06, 2018
On this episode Trae digs deep into the history of Wicca, and tries to give the most accurate history of the religion as he can. I mean, yeah, we know this is a general Witchcraft podcast, but Wicca is the most widely practiced form of Witchcraft in the US, UK, Canada and Australia… so how it got started is kind of important for the modern Witchcraft movement. (And trust me, there aren’t any pulled punches here.)
Ep. 28: The Burning Times
May 30, 2020
On this installment of the podcast, we tackle probably one of the more controversial topics in the modern witchcraft movement: The Burning Times. What were the actual “Burning Times,” where do we get that phrase from, and what really happened? Also, how has this phrase been used in modern witchcraft? It’s a heavy one, folks.
Ep. 33: The Wheel of the Year
March 27, 2021
After two fairly depressing episodes, it’s time to move on to something a little less bleak. This time around we’re talking about the Wheel of the Year! Well, at least the basic idea. Where did it come from, who slapped these eight holidays together, and are they really something every witch needs to give a crap about? (Minor spoiler, the answer to that last question is a firm “no.”)
Ep. 39. - Mabon and Aidan Kelly
Sept. 25, 2021
In the last few years there has been some minor push back against using the name “Mabon” for the Autumnal Equinox. In this episode we’re going to talk about how Mabon got its name, who came up with the name, and why exactly a small group of British Traditional Wiccans are so mad about it. (Spoiler: it’s because a bunch of Gardnerian Wiccans are mad at Aidan Kelly.)
Ep. 43 - “Lilith”
Jan. 29, 2022
As long as I can remember, people have been debating whether or not it’s okay for non-Jewish witches to incorporate Lilith into their practices. Is Lilith closed? Is it cultural appropriation? There’s so much misinformation in new age and poorly written witchcraft books on Lilith, it’s hard for some witches to get a clear picture. Like I’ve run into folks on social media talking about Lilith as a “Goddess,” which she very much isn’t. Let’s dive into the origins of the folklore surrounding this figure, and I’ll let you decide whether or not it’s okay to work with Lilith. But, uh, spoiler – I don’t think you should.
Ep. 53 - Modern Witchcraft History
Nov. 26, 2022
This episode of BS-Free Witchcraft is actually a panel from CritWitchCon 2022 this last October. Spend an hour with Alex Wrekk, Bree NicGarran, Lozzie Stardust, and Trae Dorn as they talk about the history of modern witchcraft. Also you get to list to Trae speed run like 130 years of history in under five minutes. [It was epic.]
Irish History Podcast - The Kilkenny Witch Trial of 1342, pts 1-3
Dec 20, 2018 - Jan 28, 2019
One of the most famous or perhaps notorious incidents in Kilkenny’s medieval history took place in 1324 when the Bishop of Ossory accused Alice Kyteler, a powerful merchant in the city, of heresy and witchcraft. This sparked a lethal struggle in the town that would end in shocking brutality. The consequences for those caught in the middle would be devastating.
Historical Blindness - A Very Historically Blind Christmas
Dec. 18, 2018
An exploration of the origins of Christmas traditions, with special guest Brian Earl of the Christmas Past podcast.
Historical Blindness, E105 - Omens, Charms, and Rituals: A History of Superstition
Nov. 8, 2022
If you’ve ever wondered about common beliefs about what’s good or bad luck and what might be a portent of doom, then this episode is for you. In it, host Nathan Lloyd looks into the murky origins of superstitions and the folklore it’s related to, like jack o’lanterns, will o’ the wisp, and the fearsome Black Shuck.
Frightful, Eps. 28-29 - Hugh and Mary Parsons, The Springfield Witches
Nov, 6-20, 2022
The year is 1651, and strange things are starting to occur. Livestock are dying, crops are struggling, and food is starting to spoil. Locals are even having strange seizures, and at night, as they try to sleep, they are haunted by terrifying nightmares. Then, the children of the village start to die. Are they just going through a terrible season…or might this be the season of the witch?
Cabinet of Curiosities, E460 - Hocus Pocus
Nov. 17, 2022
Legendary battles and tales of revenge are the focus of this episode, including a brief rundown of the rather legendary feud between W.B. Yeats and the infamous Aleister Crowley.
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