Witch BBC Radio 4

The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?

Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.

It's clear that the witch hunts still cast a shadow over our lives. India hears from some of the guests in the series on the legacies of the witch hunts, and how witches today might be a powerful way of resisting and addressing the damage of the past.

Guests: Bones Tan Jones, Mona Chollet, Prof Ronald Hutton, Dr Eleanor Janega

Scored with original music by The Big Moon

Presenter: India Rakusen
Executive Producer: Alex Hollands
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
Producer: Elle Scott
AP: Tatum Swithenbank
Production Manager: Kerry Luter
Sound Design: Olga Reed

A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4

The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?

Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.

The act of witches gathering together to practise their craft seems to have its own special power. India spends time with a group of witches in Scotland and a coven in Cornwall, and explores the power of group rituals.

Scored with original music by The Big Moon

Presenter: India Rakusen
Executive Producer: Alex Hollands
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
Producer: Elle Scott
AP: Tatum Swithenbank
Production Manager: Kerry Luter
Sound Design: Olga Reed

A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4

The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?

Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.

Witches seem to have a rare familiarity and ease with the idea of death But what does that look like in practice? India spends time at an ancestor workshop, talks to Tatum about Silent Suppers and goes to Cornwall to experience a séance.

Scored with original music by The Big Moon.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Executive Producer: Alex Hollands
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
Producer: Elle Scott
AP: Tatum Swithenbank
Production Manager: Kerry Luter
Sound Design: Olga Reed

A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4

The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?

Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.

India explores the business end of witchcraft, and the murky ways in which people and companies might profit from the idea. From crystals and witch kits, to tarot readings and a high-flying 'industrial intuitive', what are the ethics behind making money from magic?

Scored with original music by The Big Moon.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Executive Producer: Alex Hollands
Producer: Elle Scott
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
AP: Tatum Swithenbank
Production Manager: Kerry Luter
Sound Design: Olga Reed

A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4

The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?

Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.

It's one thing to choose to be a witch - it's quite another to be accused. India explores historical and modern witch hunts and the impact of being accused of witchcraft.


Scored with original music by The Big Moon.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Executive Producer: Alex Hollands
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
Producer: Elle Scott
AP: Tatum Swithenbank
Production Manager: Kerry Luter
Sound Design: Olga Reed

A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4

The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?

Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.

In this episode, we're investigating what made older women a key target during the witch hunts in many places in Europe. India wants to find out why that was, and how this has subsequently shaped life for older women several hundred years later. We meet modern witches who show us how covens help to break down ageism.

'Hag' poem written and performed by Sarah MacGillivray.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Additional voiceover: Emma Taylor
Scored with original music by The Big Moon.

Executive Producer: Alex Hollands
Producer: Elle Scott
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
AP: Tatum Swithenbank
Production Manager: Kerry Luter
Sound Design: Olga Reed

A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4