Witch Country

Ok, just one more pod to end the year! Two extraordinary tales to see in Christmas with, retold in my own words.

The Christmas Masquerade - Published by Mary E. Wilkins, 1892

The Sparrow and the Winter Fairy - Published by Georgianna M. Bishop, 1859

Thank you for joining me this year in Witch Country.

May these old stories bring warmth to your hearth and a spark of wonder to your winter days. We’ll meet again in the new year for more tales, folklore, and seasonal reflections.

Until next time, ke...

Duration: 00:30:49

For your festive nights, enjoy this gathering of tales!

The Frozen Hearth Fairy (From the Old-Fashioned Fairy Book Constance Cary Harrison, 1843 - 1920

Extracts from Christmas and Christmas lore by Thomas G. Crippen, published in 1923

The Story of the Year by Hans Christian Anderson, 1805 - 1875

And I close with the poem Under the Holly Bough by Charles Mackay, published in 1857

Thank you for joining me through 2025. Here's to a merry and magical winter and bright 2026! 

Sarah xxx

Duration: 00:40:15

Welcome, friends, to the November episode of Witch Country. As the nights draw in and the air grows sharp with autumn’s edge, I’ve been walking among the Rollright Stones — a circle steeped in story. Kings turned to stone, witches weaving fate, and whispers carried on the wind linger here. In this episode, I share my own walk among the stones, along with the folklore, legends, and uncanny tales that have gathered around them for centuries. And to close, a delectable and chilling treat: the tale of the Stone King, another version of the Rollright story, read by the inc...

Duration: 00:31:39

I’ve left the most chilling of our tales until the edge of Halloween…Set in Scotland. In this haunting tale of fear, death, hardship and superstition, Mary has the misfortune of meeting a Bean Nighe. This story is from a book called Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch. Written by Dorothy K. Haynes, it's a collection of eerie tales published in 1949.

Sarah xxx

Duration: 00:26:35

Witch Country Arrives!!

This October, Witch Country the podcast and Witch Country the book finally meet! In this episode I read a large section from the October chapter. (I do say in the recording that it’s the full chapter—but in the end I trimmed it slightly for brevity, and to whet your appetite for more!)

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this journey so far. And fear not—the path of Witch Country is far from over!

Sarah xxx

As of Halloween, you can buy Witch Country in p...

Duration: 00:00:41

As autumn descends, I wanted to face a classic symbol in British and European folklore - the black dog

We start in East Anglia, England, with perhaps the most famous of all shadow hounds: Black Shuck, who makes an appearance in St Mary's church of Bungay in 1577, storms to raise havoc. And a reading drawn from Ghosts and Witches by Wentworth + Ayrton, 1991, on the Galleytrot and Shuck.

Before facing:

The Barghest of Yorkshire, accompanied by rattling chains, may have inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula's transformation into an enormous black dog in Whitby.

Duration: 00:33:27

Welcome to the strange and fascinating tale of The Haunted Organist of Hurly Burly, from the mind and pen of Rosa Mulholland. First published in 1891, it’s one of the oldest stories in our series — 133 years old! And a rare ghost story set in the crackling heat of summer, which adds perhaps to the frenzy…

The Mistress and Squire Hurly of Hurly Burly know their son Lewis has been dead for some 20 years. How then has he been seen not 5 days ago… the strong and industrious Margaret Calderwood, who was Lewis’s fiancée before his untimely and cursed...

Duration: 00:38:54

With thanks to Mark from Dorset for inspiring much of this episode! Featuring ideas, stories and poems from Gemma Gary, Enid Blyton, Olive Knott and Walter del la Mare

Sarah XXX

Duration: 00:26:59

A very exciting episode with news and songs and delights!

As mentioned in the episode, find me on

Instagram @thisiswitchcountry

Patreon - www.patreon.com/witchcountry

And don’t forget to head over to WomancraftPublishing.com on July 9th!

Sarah xxx

Duration: 00:28:46

Welcome to Witch Country Ghost Stories. Prepare this month, to meet the White Lady of the Lyttletons, found in The Grey Ghost Book

by Jessie Adelaide Middleton, 1915

Sarah XXX

Duration: 00:12:41

Duration: 00:19:24

Wishing you all a very Marvellous May!

Mentioned in the podcast:

Witch Country Ghost Stories

Kitchen Witch audiobook

xxx

Duration: 00:29:24

Duration: 00:30:22

Join me as I wade though water, myth and marshy lands in the New Forest!

XXX

Duration: 00:18:31

For 2025, Our podcast journey starts with a wander to Avebury. My friend and I took a walk amongst these stones last year, about this time, as the equinox sun shone.

Links Mentioned:

Find me on Instagram

Join the chats on Patreon

Duration: 00:19:20

I am thrilled to present, in what I plan to be a festive tradition for Witch Country: A Ghost Story for Christmas!

Since the days of Charles Dickens and a Christmas Carol (1843), and, I'm sure, long before, we have huddled around fires to tell tales of spirits and ghosts during the cold yuletide nights.

So here is a tale where witches raise storms and become ghosts themselves, seeking a little retribution, perhaps.

Merry Christmas One and All! Xx

Duration: 00:26:51

My frosted trip to Dartmoor was a beautiful adventure! With eerie misty tales and tricksy standing stones! (I’m still not quite sure I understand how many stones the ‘Nine Maidens’ is supposed to be!)

Wishing you all a bright November and a very Merry Midwinter; I look forward to sharing new adventures with you in 2025! & If you’d like to keep up to date with my adventures, keep an eye on my ⁠patreon page!⁠ Where I’ll continue to post snippets over the winter break.

Duration: 00:20:48

Enjoy some Folk Fun and Food drawn from my fourth Book; ⁠Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tale!⁠ and ⁠Kitchen Witch Companion: Recipes, Rituals & Reflections

Wishing you all many happy hallowed evenings this October!

Join me for Tales from the Wildwood live Zoom event on October 30th, 6pm (GMT) ⁠⁠Eventbrite Link⁠

Duration: 00:24:27

A short and sweet podcast episode for September!

If you are seeking more tales of forest folklore and witchy woods, Do pick up a copy of the Witch and the Wildwood

Join me for Tales from the Wildwood live Zoom event on October 30th, 6pm (GMT) ⁠⁠Eventbrite Link⁠

Duration: 00:13:50

A wonderful wander with stones, witches and wizards!

Duration: 00:15:30

In June, I journeyed along the Fife Witches Trail to stand at the stone we call Lilias Adies’ grave and to pay my respects to the accused witches of Scotland at Dunferlimne Abbey.

Duration: 00:25:52

Happy Solstice Season to All!

Duration: 00:21:07

This is a bit of a wandering journey! Where did the name Witches Castle come from? And what role do the fairies play? Listen and learn more!

Thoughts on this episode? ideas? new witchy places I should explore? Say hi on Instagram! @thisiswitchcountry

Find me on the Insight Timer App link here - which offers oodles of free meditations and talks

Thank you to all who have supported me on Patreon this month - do check it out. There are free resources and bonus goodies each month!

Duration: 00:20:40

Our three Gathered Tales were:

Goblin Combe: You’ll find many versions of this story, including the one in Folktales of England, by Katharine Briggs and Ruth Tongue, 1965

The Brecon Elves & the Wise Housewife: A Variation of a story that can be found in Folk tales of Wales by Eirwen Jones, 1978

The Fairy of the Dell: A short and sweet version of a tale told in Welsh Fairy Tales By William Elliot Griffis, 1921

Thank you to all who have supported me on Patreon this month - do check it out. Th...

Duration: 00:22:00

Today, I have a collection of tales! I start the podcast with some snippets from my upcoming book, The Witch and the Wildwood. Then, I head out on a journey to Arundel, Sussex, to indulge in Wassail and a walk around in muddy fields looking for Witch Hares!

Episode Notes

Here is my Patreon page www.patreon.com/witchcountry- with various notes, videos, folk tales and delights!

I will let you all know when The Witch and the Wildwood is ready to Pre-order! This is my book for 2024, and in 2025, Witch Country, the...

Duration: 00:30:00

Links Mentioned:

My Books (which can be bought directly from the publisher, all the usual online places and you can get your local indie to order in!)

Yoga for Witches

Yin Magic

Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tale

Enchanted Journeys: Guided Meditations for Magical Transformation

Duration: 00:29:25

Spying witch marks in the dim light of the Tithe Barn at Bradford on Avon, a walk through winter evergreens, and along the Kennet & Avon Canal

I mention two of my books in this episode: Enchanted Journeys and Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tale, you can follow the links if you’d like to learn more!

Thoughts on this episode? questions? ideas? new witchy places I should explore? Say Hi on Instagram! @thisiswitchcountry

Duration: 00:25:45

Welcome to Midwinter!

Thankyou to Haley and Leigh who suggested I might add the Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft & Magic and the Maggie Wall Monument to my ‘To Visit’ List.

Our Tree Tales this month are of the Pine tree and Christmas Trees:

“In Germany the Christmas-tree is not a luxury for well-to-do people as in England, but a necessity, the very centre of the festival…For one thing, perhaps, in a land of forests the tree seems more in place; it is a kind of sacrament linking mankind to the mysteries of the woodland...

Duration: 00:29:51

Starting Witch Country: A Journey through story and landscape and all things witch, with perhaps the most famous, infamous witches of England - the accused witches collectively known as the Pendle witches.

Thoughts on this episode? questions? ideas? new witchy places I should explore? Say Hi on Instagram! @thisiswitchcountry

Duration: 00:34:25