The Bones & Bobbins Podcast, Season 1, Episode 13: When Witches Were Waltzing

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The Bones & Bobbins Podcast, Season 1, Episode 13: When Witches Were Waltzing

As we descend into this year’s Spooky Season, we would just like to say that things maybe wouldn’t have been so messy with this Samhain/Halloween stuff if Constantine had properly hydrated. But, nobody asked us. So, instead, we’ll take you on a trip through some abridged pagan history, Haley will walk you through the sparkly treasures atop her witchcraft altar (and tell you how to set up your own), and Natali will bring in the bells, harvest husks, and candles to meet all of your witchcraft crafting needs!

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Show Notes:

Here are links to the sources and resources we used while researching this episode:

Links to research materials: 

Witch Bells 

• Wicca Living Article: https://wiccaliving.com/wiccan-bell/
• The Witch’s Bell As An Altar Tool: Calling Spirits & Change: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/starlight/2019/03/the-witchs-bell-as-an-altar-tool-calling-spirits-change/

Corn Dollies

• Corn Dollies, A Harvest Tradition: https://witchesandpagans.com/pagan-studies-blogs/hob-broom/corn-dollies-a-harvest-tradition.html
• Of Harvest & Hag: The Mabon Corn Dolly: https://nittygrittylife.com/mabon-corn-dolly-history-tutorial/

Candles

• National Candle Association: https://candles.org/history/#:~:text=Early%20Origins,reeds%20in%20melted%20animal%20fat.
• Candle Lore & Magic: https://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/477
• Candle Color Meaning in Witchcraft: A Guide for Beginners: https://medium.com/@witchcraft101/candle-color-meaning-in-witchcraft-detail-guide-for-beginners-518ff881becf

Samhain and Halloween 

• History Channel: The Haunted History of Halloween: https://amzn.to/3nmza5a (affiliate link)
• Samhain Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain 
• Samhain: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain 
• Why We Celebrate Halloween: A Short History: Seeking the hidden roots and symbols of a Celtic harvest festival in the modern day fun (Origins of Modern Festivals for Kids Book 1): https://amzn.to/30AgPYD (affiliate link)
• Origins in Samhain: https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/13things/7448.html 
• What is Samhain? https://time.com/5434659/halloween-pagan-origins-in-samhain/ 

Altar Creation 

• DIY Altarcraft: https://hauswitchstore.com/blogs/hauswitch-blog/diy-altarcraft
• Altar tools:

  View this post on Instagram

  Here is a list of the most common tools on an altar. It does not include everything, just the main items. You do not need altar tools to practice witchcraft and it doesn't have to be expensive! You can easily create many of your own tools. Read previous post for "What Is An Altar?". ?

  A post shared by Tips for Witches Everywhere! ✨ (@witchytips) on Jul 2, 2017 at 6:05pm PDT

• The Spell Book for New Witches: https://amzn.to/2SuqlYG (affiliate link)
• Haley’s altar in action:

  View this post on Instagram

  It’s the autumnal equinox/Mabon! Don’t forget to take a moment for gratitude—no matter how small—and to plan for the darker days ahead. ??

  A post shared by Haley Pierson-Cox (@redhandledscissors) on Sep 22, 2020 at 5:14pm PDT

• Haley’s stained glass athame:

  View this post on Instagram

  I love it when I get to buy art from other makers! Look at this gorgeous stained glass dagger from @hamboneglass! (It features real found cicada wings, which makes it even more magical!)

  A post shared by Haley Pierson-Cox (@redhandledscissors) on Sep 22, 2020 at 11:18am PDT

Further Reading:

• DIY Witch Bell Video: