BYM012 - Kolyada – Ancient Slavic Winter Rituals

The Molfar or Molfarka is a special magical practitioner of the Carpathian Mountains. It is said that they shape-shift, communicate with animals, create charms, cure diseases or even control the elements. There are good molfars and some not-so-good molfars - while some can get rid of curses or remove negative spells, others can inflict disaster on people, their livestock or their property. Who are these mysterious molfars and molfarkas? In this episode we’ll explore the stories of the molfars and molfarkas, I’ll teach you about the most famous molfar of recent times, and we’ll learn about some of the magical talismans of the molfars and how they are used in magic.

Imagine walking through the fields at high noon during the heat of late summer. You might feel exhausted by temperature and the sun beating down on you, but, if you are in Slavic lands, the heat might be the least of your problems if you encounter the Poludnytsia. The Poludnytsia is the guardian of the fields and crops - a young woman with golden hair dressed in white clothing, wandering the fields at the noon hour during the late summer harvest time. It is said that if you meet her, she will ask you confusing questions and if you can’t answer them, she will kill you. But is she really a murderous monster or is she something more? In this episode, Madame Pamita tells you all about the Poludnytsia and the magic that she makes in the fields, how to avoid her wrath and even give you a guided visualization at the end where you can meet her safely in your mind’s eye.

There’s an old Ukrainian saying, “Where there is bread-salt-porridge, there is our home.” In Ukrainian culture, khlib-sil’, bread and salt, are not just food, they are powerful items filled with rich symbolism, deep history and potent positive magic. Bread is the sacred gift of grain from our Mother Earth, our Maty Zemlya, and salt is that once-rare seasoning that gives flavor to life.  Bread and salt are honored in song and sworn upon when making agreements. They are included in rituals for the construction of a new home, for marriage, for welcoming newborns, and for seeing loved ones off to the afterlife. And for Ukrainians, who are famous for their hospitality, bread and salt are the stars of the show when it comes to welcoming guests. In this episode, Madame Pamita discusses the presentation of bread and salt and some of the many magical rituals that include this dynamic duo.

The word rushnyk translates as “towel” but a rushnyk is not a mere rag to dry our hands – a rushnyk is an embroidered talismanic cloth used for empowering us throughout our lives. These intricately woven or embroidered cloths protect and bless us from birth to death and every major life event in between. They are used to bless the bread and salt that we offer honored guests, they are used in ritual and they hang above the sacred icons in the holy corner of our homes. In this episode, Madame Pamita will take you on a journey to discover the magic of these beautiful talismans, tell you how the rushnyk was used in ceremonies of the past, and teach you how you can use one in your own magic today.

Summer’s here and the time is right... for getting up before dawn to pick herbs, making flower crowns and floating them on the water to see how your love life will go, jumping over bonfires with your sweetie, and midnight searches for the elusive Fern Flower... yes, we are talking about the slavic midsummer holiday of Kupala! Kupala, or Ivana Kupala, is an ancient pagan holiday of the marriage of fire and water that has existed for hundreds and hundreds of years in many Slavic countries, including Ukraine. In this special episode, Ukrainian healer Tania Andreshko, the author of the Flower of the Magic Fern Ukrainian tarot, will be joining Madame Pamita for a very special episode where we will discuss this magical holiday. So join them to celebrate the sun, the water, the fire and magic on this special day.

When most English speakers think of a green holiday, St. Patrick Day comes to mind. But for Slavic people Zelenyy Tyzhdenʹ, or Green Week, is a special holiday celebrating the end of spring, and the beginning of summer. During this special week, we honor our ancestors, celebrate sacred trees and plants, hang out with the rusalky, and perform special rituals designed to ensure a good harvest. Join Madame Pamita in this episode, where she teaches you all about the mystery and magic of this very special ancient holiday.

Late in the spring, a person crouches at the edge of a river and slowly drops eggshells into the water...what are they doing? Are they feeding the fish? Throwing away the leftovers of their lunch? Adding calcium to the water supply? If they are in Ukraine or Belarus, what you might be witnessing is part of the ritual of Rahman easter, a ritual that is nowadays associated with the Christian holiday but goes back to ancient pagan times. What are they doing and who are the mysterious Rahman? In this episode, Madame Pamita will teach you about this ancient tradition and all the magic associated with it. Save those springtime eggshells and let’s make some magic!

You might have heard of the Mexican holiday called Day of the Dead but did you know that Slavic people have a similar holiday in the spring called Provody? This special holiday is the time where we party down with our ancestor spirits: eating, drinking, chatting and laughing... in the cemetery. This special holiday centers around the Easter holiday now, but goes back to ancient pagan spring holidays associated with the return of the sun. Come and join Madame Pamita and learn about this special time to connect to our loved ones who have gone on to the great beyond.

Spiritual cleansing and healing are a part of almost every folk magic practice under the sun, however Slavic folk magic practices have some fascinating ways of removing curses, the evil eye and just general spiritual gunk. Join Madame Pamita in this episode where you’ll learn about prychyna and vroki, the baba sheptukha, and the unique ways that Ukrainians and other Slavic people get rid of negativity in all its forms.

There’s an old Ukrainian saying that goes, “Don’t look up at the heavens—there is no bread there. As you get closer to Earth, you get closer to bread.” If you really want to meet the divine, you don’t need to look up to the sky. The earth beneath your feet is alive and all-knowing: Zemlya Svyata Maty, Holy Mother Earth. In this episode, Madame Pamita discusses the ways Slavic practitioners honor Mother Earth and connect to her, different locations for you to get in touch with her power and how to do spells of protection, healing magic, and making powerful oaths on earth. We’ll get down and dirty with all the magic of Mother Earth in this episode... so let’s dig in!