Through the Blackthorn Arch Hearth Witch

Today I wanted to sit down and chat about a few witchcraft topics I've had on my mind. These are all related to the current changes in our lives and in the world as a whole, touching on animal signs, candle substitutions, university witchcraft and more.

I hope that you do enjoy this episode, if you would like, it is also available in video form via youtube: http://www.youtube.com/hearthwitch/

Today we're sitting down for a slightly different episode. I'm currently in the process of filming season 2, so while we wait, I'm hoping to do a few sit down and chat episodes surrounding witchcraft and other occult topics. This week we're talking about the most recent lunar eclipse, sabbats, my own ghost encounters and the differences between being empathetic and empathic.

I hope that you do enjoy this episode, if you would like, it is also available in video form via youtube: http://www.youtube.com/hearthwitch/

In today's episode we are looking at the Welsh folk tradition of the Mari Lwyd. A celebration with unknown origin, that continues to be celebrated throughout South Wales to this day.

If you would like to watch this episode, it can be found on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThroughTheBlackthornArch/videos

References:

The Tradition of the Welsh Christmas Horse Skull: Mari Lwyd in Dinas Mawddwy – We Learn Welsh

About | Chepstow Wassail Mari Lwyd

Mari Lwyd Article – Trac Cymru

The Story of Mari Lwyd – Rhinwedd

Mari Lwyd (folkwales.org.uk)

Tradition of the Mari Lwyd - BBC Cymru - YouTube

Welsh myths and legends from King Arthur to Celtic rituals | Visit Wales

The Mari Lwyd | Wales.com

Mari Lwyd - Wikipedia

Videos: 

Historic Video: https://youtu.be/G_xFo6Hifzk
Modern Celebration: https://youtu.be/6ptel9C3Zhg
Information on Mari Lwyd: https://youtu.be/YU5pk-Hc758

Today on Through the Blackthorn Arch, we are discussing the headless horrors among other hauntings of the Tower of London.     



References: Myths and mysteries: 

The haunted Tower of London - Newspaper - DAWN.COM  

Haunted Castles England - Tower of London (medieval-castle.com)  

Heads Will Roll: 8 Restless Ghosts of the Tower of London (the-line-up.com)  

The Tower of London - Ghosts and Hauntings (anomalien.com)  

The Haunted Tower of London – Strange Unexplained Mysteries (coolinterestingstuff.com)  

The Tower of London Ghosts: Headless Haunts, Suffocating Sensations and Wandering White Women - Exploring Castles (exploring-castles.com)  

Tower of London Ghost Stories: Most Haunted Castle in England - Amy's Crypt (amyscrypt.com)  

The Tower of London, London | Haunted Rooms®  

Haunted London – 10 London Ghosts and the Places They Purportedly Haunt - Londontopia  

The Tower of London: England's Haunted Monument | Connolly Cove  

Haunted London |Tower of London - Paranormal Hauntings  16 Spookiest Tower Of London Ghosts And Hauntings | Spooky Isles   



All photos are public domain from Wikipedia

In today's episode we are looking at encounters with the Black Shuck. These phantom dogs have roamed through British legend for centuries, these are just a few of the hundreds of encounters, both historical and modern.

If you would like to watch this episode, it can be found on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThroughTheBlackthornArch/videos

References:

Black Shuck: Proof of Existence Finally Found? - #FolkloreThursday

Shucks-_-Barguest-dogs.jpg (800×1082) (wp.com)

Black Shuck | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom

Bungay History - The Market Place & The Great Fire - Bungay Business & Events Association (bungay-suffolk.co.uk)

The Legend of the Bungay Black Dog (thesuffolkcoast.co.uk)

Black Shuck at Blythburgh Church - The Suffolk church with a terrifying link to a ferocious hell hound - Suffolk Live

A straunge and terrible wunder wrought very late in the the parish church of Bongay, a tovvn of no great distance from the citie of Norwich, namely the fourth of this August, in ye yeere of our Lord 1577 in a great tempest of violent raine, lightning, and thunder, the like wherof hath been seldome seene. With the appeerance of an horrible shaped thing, sensibly perceiued of the the people then and there assembled. Drawen into a plain method according to the written copye. by Abraham Fleming. (umich.edu)

St Mary's Church, Bungay - Wikipedia

Is this the skeleton of legendary devil dog Black Shuck who terrorised 16th century East Anglia? | Daily Mail Online

Apparitions Of Black Dogs (archive.org)

'A Strange and Terrible Wonder' » (onesuffolk.net)

Black dog ghosts in popular culture - Wikipedia

Black dog (folklore) - Wikipedia

Barghest - Wikipedia

File:A Staunge and terrible Wunder.jpg - Wikipedia

The Element Encyclopaedia of Spirits and Hauntings

The Element Encyclopaedia of Magical Creatures

For the Fifth episode, I wanted to touch on a relatively well known story, across the water in Ireland. After family recently returned from Ireland and told me the story, I knew I had to cover it in full on here. Today we're talking about the Legend of the Giant's Causeway.



If you would like to watch this episode, it can be found on Youtube: https://youtu.be/CzlLcPV6Ga8



References: 

Myths & Legends of the Causeway | The Giants Causeway Guide | Tours | Info | Things ToDo (giantscausewayofficialguide.com)  

The Giant's Causeway (irelandsmythsandlegends.com)  

The Giant's Causeway – Where Geology Blends With Mythology | Ancient Origins (ancient-origins.net)  

How the Giant's Causeway was Made (Irish Mythology) - Wasabiroots  The Bigger Giant: the Myth of the Giant's Causeway - Luminous Lore (luminous-lore.com)  

Giant's Causeway | National Trust  Was the Giant's Causeway built for love? | National Trust  The Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's only World Heritage Site | National Trust   

Photos:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%27s_Causeway#/media/File:The_Chimney_Stacks,_Giants_Causeway,_County_Antrim.jpg