Episode 833: A Hodgepodge of Thanksgiving and Holiday Cheer

There is a 104 year gap between Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol published in 1843, and Jimmy Stewart's  movie It's A Wonderful Life which came out in 1947 but both are classics and watched or read when Christmas comes around. You might think that the stories would have nothing in common, but think again. We had a nice chat with Charles Dickens and Jimmy Stewart and they had lots to say. 

Ellen Evert Hopman shares folklore, recipes, rituals, and crafts to enliven your Yuletide observance. She explores the origins of the Christmas tree and Santa Claus as well as holiday Spirits and Yuletide animals. She explains how to perform Winter Solstice divinations and make traditional foods and drinks such as Elizabethan gingerbread cookies and Wassail. And she looks in depth at the medicinal and magical properties of the many herbs, barks, and berries associated with the Christmas and Yuletide season such as Frankincense and Myrrh, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Hibiscus, Bayberry, and many more. This guide offers practical and magical ways to celebrate and honor the darkest days of the year.

During the holidays, we miss our loved ones who aren't with us anymore. It's tough, whether they passed recently or many years gone by. I like to repeat this podcast this time of year to make it a little bit easier when we're looking at those empty chairs.   

Angels are loving forces in our lives. Each of us has the ability to communicate with them if we open our minds to their teachings. Belinda Womack was a believer in Angels until the age of 12, when she decided she wanted to become a scientist. Years later, working in a biology lab, she found herself in the presence of the Archangel Gabriel and realized her calling as a spiritual conduit for Angelic healing and support.

Ron and Marla are joined by the hardest working man in the paranormal, Jeff Belanger, to discuss his latest project, Shadow Zine

Ron always says that I'm his favorite West Coast Witch although I'm not sure that he knows any witches on the West Coast so I'm not sure it's true,  but I do know that Ron knows quite a few East Coast witches, and have no doubt that Judika is his favorite East Coast witch.   

 In Antonio Pagliarulo's book, he explores the phenomenon of the Evil Eye: what it is, its origins and causes— and, most crucially, how to avoid, repel, and remove it. We talked about cultural anecdotes and traditions, mystical lore, and modern concepts from the book and this turned out to be a very interesting and helpful podcast.

This is the story of the 1974 Bridgeport, Connecticut poltergeist is at last revealed. A crowd of more than 2,000 onlookers gathered. National media reported jumping furniture, floating refrigerators, and attacking entities.

Angels come to us in many ways: through the lyrics of a song we hear, a timely hand on the shoulder, or a book we happen upon. Angels come to our aid to help us feel safe and help our hearts open wide, so our light and our love shine through. 

Way back when,  Tim Shaw and I always had fun on our Halloween Rev and Witch shows. This one goes way back, so we decided to grab our virtual shovels and dig it up and bring it back to life.