10. Swish and Flick

Send us Fan Mail🐈‍⬛ EPISODE FOURTEEN — SOUNDS FAMILIAR 🐈‍⬛Every witch needs a familiar… or do they?From black cats perched beside bubbling cauldrons to ravens, toads, owls and creatures that are a little harder to explain, the witch's familiar has become one of the most recognisable symbols of witchcraft on screen.But where did the idea of the familiar actually come from?In Episode Fourteen of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we're following the pawprints of one of witchcraft's most misunderstood companions: the familiar spirit.We'll explore the fascinating and sometimes disturbing history of familiars, from early modern witch trials and accusations of demonic animal companions to the folklore that transformed ordinary creatures into supposed servants of the Devil.Then we're heading to film and television, where familiars have become everything from loyal companions and magical protectors to sarcastic sidekicks and scene-stealing stars.From Salem in Sabrina the Teenage Witch to Binx in Hocus Pocus and the extraordinary animal companions of the wizarding world, we'll explore how popular culture has reinvented the relationship between witches and their animal companions.But this episode is also a particularly personal one.As a practising witch and lifelong cat lover, I'll be sharing the stories of the animals who have brought their own kind of magic into my life. From Oscar, my beloved soul cat of eighteen years, whose memory lives on in the HEXPOSITION logo and whose purr still accompanies the podcast's outro, to Tonks, Scott's familiar, and our mischievous silver tabby, Rufio.We'll explore what the idea of a familiar means to modern practitioners, why black cats have become so closely associated with witches, and how centuries of superstition have shaped the way we treat these wonderful animals.Because sometimes the greatest magic isn't found in a spellbook or at the bottom of a cauldron.Sometimes it's curled up beside you, purring.So were familiars really believed to be demons in disguise? Can any animal be a familiar? And how much of what we recognise today comes from history rather than Hollywood?✨ It's time for Fact, Fiction or Folklore. ✨And listen carefully… because this episode's Hidden Hex might be closer than you think. 👀🐾🎙️ Episode Fourteen: Sounds Familiar🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen🌙 New episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme music: "Huldufolk (Hidden People)" by Jamie Sims🐾 A Familiar Footsteps Production🔮 Join the Coven!🌐 Website: https://www.hexpositionpodcast.co.uk📘 Facebook: Hexposition: Witches on Screen📸 Instagram: @hexposition_podcast🎵 TikTok: @hexposition.witch✉️ Email: [email protected] a question, a favourite screen witch or a piece of folklore you'd like us to explore? Get in touch! If you'd prefer not to be mentioned on the podcast, just let me know.🎬 Audio excerpts and copyright acknowledgements:Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996–2003) — © CBS Studios Inc. and applicable rights holders.Hocus Pocus (1993) — © Disney Enterprises, Inc. and applicable rights holders.Audio excerpts are included for the purposes of commentary and critical analysis. All rights to the original recordings and productions remain with their respective copyright holders.Love and light x#HEXPOSITION #WitchesOnScreen #WitchyWednesday #BlackCats #Witchcraft

Send us Fan Mail🔥 BONUS BREW 3: REMEMBER, REMEMBER… 🔥Of Bonfires, Burning Witches and the Fires of PersecutionRemember, remember, the fifth of November… but what exactly are we remembering?This Bonfire Night, HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen is digging beneath the ashes to uncover the dark connections between the Gunpowder Plot, King James I, religious persecution and the burning of supposed witches.Were witches really burned at the stake? Why were some accused witches hanged instead? And what does the king who survived the Gunpowder Plot have to do with Britain's witch trials?From Esmeralda's terrifying fate in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame to Melisandre's fiery sacrifices in Game of Thrones, Myrtle Snow in American Horror Story: Coven, The Witch, and the real-life execution of Joan of Arc, we're exploring how history and Hollywood turned the burning witch into an enduring image of fear.We'll also uncover King James's obsession with witchcraft, his book Daemonologie, and the surprising connection between Bonfire Night and the persecution of those accused of magic.So grab your brew, gather around the fire, and discover why the flames of history have a lot more to tell us than we might think.✨ Join the Coven: www.hexpositionpodcast.co.uk🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.A Familiar Footsteps Production.Love and light. 🖤#HEXPOSITION #BonfireNight #WitchHistory #WitchesOnScreen #WitchyWednesday

Send us Fan Mail⚡️ EPISODE THIRTEEN — WHEN SHALL WE THREE MEET AGAIN? ⚡️Double, double, toil and trouble… there's something wicked this way comes!Three witches gathered around a bubbling cauldron, speaking in riddles and predicting a terrible future. It's one of the most recognisable scenes in literary history, but just how much has Shakespeare influenced the witches we see on screen today?In Episode Thirteen of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we're stepping onto the blasted heath to explore the Three Witches of Macbeth, their origins, their prophecies and their extraordinary influence on our cultural understanding of witchcraft.From the witch trials of King James VI and I and the publication of Daemonologie to the superstitions surrounding Shakespeare's infamous Scottish Play, we'll explore how the fears and beliefs of Jacobean England helped shape the witches who would haunt stages and screens for centuries.Then we're heading to film and television, exploring how different adaptations of Macbeth have reimagined the Three Witches, from traditional hags to mysterious supernatural figures, and how their influence can be recognised far beyond Shakespeare's original play. But were Shakespeare's witches really based on historical beliefs? Did King James influence their creation? And how much of what we now consider traditional witchcraft imagery can be traced back to three mysterious figures on a Scottish heath?✨ It's time for Fact, Fiction or Folklore. ✨And somewhere amongst the thunder, lightning and rain, there's another Hidden Hex waiting to be discovered… 👀🎙️ Episode Thirteen: When Shall We Three Meet Again?🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen🌙 New episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme music: "Huldufolk (Hidden People)" by Jamie Sims🐾 A Familiar Footsteps Production🔮 Join the Coven!🌐 Website: https://www.hexpositionpodcast.co.uk📘 Facebook: Hexposition: Witches on Screen📸 Instagram: @hexposition_podcast🎵 TikTok: @hexposition.witch✉️ Email: [email protected] a question, a favourite screen witch or a piece of folklore you'd like us to explore? Get in touch! If you'd prefer not to be mentioned on the podcast, just let me know.Love and light x#HEXPOSITION #WitchesOnScreen #WitchyWednesday #Macbeth #Shakespeare

Send us Fan Mail🎃 BONUS BREW 2: THIS IS… SAMHAIN? 🧙‍♀️Happy Halloween, Blessed Samhain, and Happy New Year! 🌙✨In this special episode of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we're exploring the Pagan roots of Halloween, from ancient Samhain traditions and remembering the dead to carved turnips, costumes and divination.Along the way, we're revisiting Hocus Pocus, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Supernatural — including that infamous pronunciation of “Sam-hain”! 👀Discover why Samhain marks the New Year for many witches, including me, and how centuries of folklore have shaped the Halloween we celebrate today.📖 Want to learn more? Explore my book What Is Samhain?, available on Amazon!👉 https://amzn.eu/d/0agVzp42🖤 Join the Coven and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or at:🔗 https://www.hexpositionpodcast.co.uk#Hexposition #Samhain #Halloween #Witchcraft #WitchesOnScreen

Send us Fan Mail💚🪢 BONUS EPISODE ONE — TYING THE KNOT 🪢💚Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue… and something a little bit witchy!We're taking a short break from our usual exploration of witches on screen for a very special episode of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, because today, I'm getting married! 💍🌿In our first ever bonus episode, Tying the Knot, we're exploring the beautiful tradition of handfasting, its history, its place in modern Pagan practice and the meaning behind literally tying the knot.From the historical roots of handfasting to the symbolic binding of hands with cords, we'll explore how this ancient custom has developed into a meaningful part of modern weddings and Pagan ceremonies.Of course, we couldn't leave the screen behind entirely! We'll visit the world of Vikings, including Floki and Helga's wedding, and Outlander, exploring how these stories bring historical wedding traditions to life for modern audiences.But this episode is also a little more personal.As Scott and I prepare to celebrate our own handfasting, I'll share some of the traditions we're including in our ceremony, the meaning behind our chosen cords and why we've decided to bind our hands not for a year and a day, or even for a lifetime, but for eternity. 💚From honouring our ancestors to exchanging rings and jumping the broom, this is a celebration of love, commitment and the traditions that make our wedding so special.Because sometimes the most wonderful magic doesn't need a wand, a spellbook or a bubbling cauldron.Sometimes, it just needs two people choosing each other. 💍🎙️ Bonus Episode One: Tying the Knot🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen💚 Special release: Friday 30 October 2026 — our wedding day!🌙 Regular episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme music: "Huldufolk (Hidden People)" by Jamie Sims🐾 A Familiar Footsteps Production🔮 Join the Coven!🌐 Website: https://www.hexpositionpodcast.co.uk📘 Facebook: Hexposition: Witches on Screen📸 Instagram: @hexposition_podcast🎵 TikTok: @hexposition.witch✉️ Email: [email protected] a question, a favourite screen witch or a piece of folklore you'd like us to explore? Get in touch! If you'd prefer not to be mentioned on the podcast, just let me know.Love and light x#HEXPOSITION #Handfasting #PaganWedding #WitchyWednesday #Witchcraft

Send us Fan Mail🍎 EPISODE TWELVE — PICK YOUR POISON 🍎One bite, one sip, one drop… and suddenly, happily ever after doesn't seem quite so certain.From poisoned apples and deadly potions to mysterious herbs and bubbling cauldrons, witches have been mixing up trouble in stories for centuries. But why has poison become such an important part of the witch's image?In Episode Twelve of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we're exploring the fascinating and sometimes deadly relationship between witchcraft, poison, potions and the women accused of using them.We'll delve into the history of herbal medicine, poisonous plants and the blurred boundaries between healing and harm, exploring how knowledge of the natural world could make a woman both valued and feared.Then we're heading to the screen, where poison has become one of the witch's most memorable weapons. From the Evil Queen's poisoned apple in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Yzma's rather unfortunate potion experiments in The Emperor's New Groove, we'll explore how filmmakers have turned the witch's knowledge of herbs and mixtures into something sinister, magical and occasionally hilarious.We'll also visit the potion-filled world of Harry Potter and the Sanderson sisters' magical mixtures in Hocus Pocus, exploring how the screen has transformed the witch's cauldron into a place where almost anything is possible.We'll look at the difference between historical poisoners, traditional herbal practices and the magical potions of folklore, asking why the image of a woman mixing something in a cauldron can still make audiences suspicious.Because sometimes a potion is a cure, sometimes it's a curse, and sometimes it's simply the wrong lever.So where does the history end and the Hollywood magic begin?✨ It's time for Fact, Fiction or Folklore. ✨And keep your eyes peeled for another Hidden Hex, hiding in plain sight… 👀🎙️ Episode Twelve: Pick Your Poison🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen🌙 New episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme music: "Huldufolk (Hidden People)" by Jamie Sims🎬 Audio excerpts and acknowledgements:The Emperor's New Groove (2000) — © Disney Enterprises, Inc.Harry Potter film series — © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and applicable rights holders.Hocus Pocus (1993) — © Disney Enterprises, Inc.Audio excerpts included for commentary and critical analysis. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.🐾 A Familiar Footsteps Production🔮 Join the Coven!🌐 Website: https://www.hexpositionpodcast.co.uk📘 Facebook: Hexposition: Witches on Screen📸 Instagram: @hexposition_podcast🎵 TikTok: @hexposition.witch✉️ Email: [email protected] a question, a favourite screen witch or a piece of folklore you'd like us to explore? Get in touch! If you'd prefer not to be mentioned on the podcast, just let me know.Love and light x#HEXPOSITION #WitchesOnScreen #WitchyWednesday #Disney #HarryPotter

Send us Fan Mail🧹 EPISODE ELEVEN — COME FLY WITH ME 🧹Forget aeroplanes, trains and automobiles. When you're a witch, all you need is a broomstick!But why do witches fly on broomsticks in the first place?In Episode Eleven of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we're taking to the skies to explore one of the most famous images in witchcraft: the flying witch.From medieval folklore and accusations of midnight flights to the witches' sabbath and the mysterious history of flying ointments, we'll uncover how an everyday household object became the witch's favourite form of transport.Then we're heading to Hollywood, where broomsticks have carried witches through some of cinema's most magical moments. From the terrifying silhouette of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz to the unforgettable broomstick scenes in Hocus Pocus, the magical deliveries of Kiki's Delivery Service and the high-flying world of Quidditch in Harry Potter, we'll explore how filmmakers have brought the flying witch to life.We'll also look at the broom's place in real witchcraft and Pagan traditions, including the besom, its uses in ritual practice and its connection to handfasting ceremonies.So did people really believe witches could fly? What was the truth behind flying ointments? And how did the broomstick become such an essential part of the witch's image?✨ It's time for Fact, Fiction or Folklore. ✨And somewhere amongst the clouds, there's another Hidden Hex waiting to be discovered… 👀🎙️ Episode Eleven: Come Fly with Me🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen🌙 New episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme music: "Huldufolk (Hidden Folk)" by Jamie Sims🐾 A Familiar Footsteps Production🌐 www.hexpositionpodcast.co.uk🎬 Audio excerpt: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), directed by Chris Columbus. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and applicable rights holders. Soundclip included for commentary and critical analysis.Love and light x#HEXPOSITION #WitchesOnScreen #WitchyWednesday #HocusPocus #HarryPotter

Send us Fan Mail🪄 EPISODE TEN — SWISH AND FLICK 🪄Swish and flick! It's one of the most famous instructions in magical cinema, but why do witches and wizards need wands in the first place?In Episode Ten of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we're exploring the history, folklore and cinematic magic behind one of the most recognisable tools of witchcraft: the magic wand.From ancient rituals and magical staffs to fairy godmothers, powerful sorcerers and the spellcasting students of Hogwarts, we'll trace how the wand became such an important part of the witch's image, and why a simple piece of wood has become a symbol of extraordinary power.We'll explore the magical world of Harry Potter, where wands choose their witches and wizards, and consider how film and television use movement, light and sound to turn an ordinary object into something truly magical.But what about real witchcraft? Do practising witches actually use wands? Where did the tradition come from, and how does the wand used in modern Pagan practice compare with its Hollywood counterpart?Because whether it's a carefully crafted magical instrument, a fairy godmother's sparkling accessory or a battered old wand held together by spellotape, there's much more to the magic than a wave of the wrist.✨ It's time for Fact, Fiction or Folklore. ✨And, as always, there's another Hidden Hex waiting to be discovered… 👀🎙️ Episode Ten: Swish and Flick🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen🌙 New episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme music: "Huldufolk (Hidden Folk)" by Jamie Sims🎬 Audio excerpts: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), directed by Chris Columbus. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and applicable rights holders. Soundbites included for commentary and critical analysis.🐾 A Familiar Footsteps Production🌐 www.hexpositionpodcast.co.ukLove and light x#HEXPOSITION #WitchesOnScreen #WitchyWednesday #HarryPotter #Witchcraft

Send us Fan Mail🌲 EPISODE NINE — INTO THE WOODS 🌲If you go down to the woods today… you might find a witch.From fairy tales whispered for generations to some of the most memorable witches on screen, the forest has long been one of the witch’s favourite places to hide. But why do we keep sending her there?In Episode Nine of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we’re venturing beyond the safety of the village and into the woods to explore the relationship between witches, forests and the wild.We’ll follow the witch through folklore, fairy tales, history and popular culture, looking at the forest as a place of fear and danger, but also freedom, knowledge and power. It is somewhere beyond the rules of ordinary society — exactly where storytellers have so often decided the witch belongs.From the dark woods of the Brothers Grimm to the forests of The Witch, Into the Woods, Hansel & Gretel and beyond, we’ll explore what happens when our characters cross the treeline — and why audiences already know that something magical, dangerous or wonderfully witchy might be waiting on the other side.Because perhaps the witch isn’t hiding in the forest at all.Perhaps that’s simply where she is free.✨ It’s time for Fact, Fiction or Folklore. ✨And keep your eyes on the path… there’s another Hidden Hex hiding amongst the trees. 👀🌲🎙️ Episode Nine: Into the Woods🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen🌙 New episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme: “Huldufolk (Hidden Folk)” by Jamie Sims🐾 A Familiar Footsteps ProductionLove and light x#BlairWitch #WitchesOnScreen #WitchyWednesday #IntoTheWoods #Witchcraft

Send us Fan Mail😈 EPISODE EIGHT — BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW 😈What does the Devil have to do with witches?For centuries, the witch and the Devil have been tangled together in the Western imagination. Pacts signed in blood, midnight meetings, forbidden power and women supposedly surrendering themselves to Satan became some of the most enduring accusations surrounding witchcraft.But where did that connection actually come from?In Episode Eight of HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen, we’re following the Devil through the history of witchcraft — from Christian ideas about heresy and demonic magic to witch-trial testimony, the supposed witches’ sabbath and the belief that a witch’s power must ultimately come from Satan.Then we turn to the screen, where the Devil has remained remarkably difficult for the witch to shake. From the seductive promise of power to outright demonic horror, we explore how film and television continue to draw on centuries-old ideas about what happens when a witch makes a deal with the Devil.And importantly, we separate witchcraft, Paganism and Satanism — traditions and practices that popular culture has repeatedly pushed together despite them not being interchangeable.So did historical witches really worship the Devil? Where did the idea of the Satanic witch come from? And why does cinema keep bringing them back together?✨ It’s time for Fact, Fiction or Folklore. ✨And somewhere in the darkness, another Hidden Hex is waiting… 👀🎙️ Episode Eight: Better the Devil You Know🎧 HEXPOSITION: Witches on Screen🌙 New episodes every Witchy Wednesday!🎵 Theme: “Huldufolk (Hidden Folk)” by Jamie Sims🐾 A Familiar Footsteps ProductionLove and light x#Supernatural #WitchesOnScreen #WitchesofEastwick #Witchcraft #TheDevil