Wise Crone Cottage Podcast

In this episode we'll reflect on two stories that demand retelling. In each tale (from "Star Wars" to King Arthur), we'll see how the story is poised to continue through the intervention of a single storyteller. In the sharing of the story, its meaning, values, and Truth continue to inspire and motivate those who stop to listen and tell again.
Story: White, T.H., The Once and Future King. New York: G. P. Putnam's, 1939. "Star Wars, the Rise of Skywalker," J.J. Abrams, director. San Francisco, CA: Lucas Films, 2020.
Cover illustration: Photographs by Pixabay.
Music: The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Copyright 2022 Kathy Shimpock.

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For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode we’ll explore the Irish folktale “The Witches Excursion.” It was recorded by Patrick Kennedy in the book Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts published in 1866. Like the Grimm tale, “Frau Holle,” here is another story that began as a myth and became a folktale. We’ll discuss how the character of Queen Medb is reflected in this tale and how the wise crone once again saves the day!
Story: "The Witches' Excursion" collected and narrated by Patrick Kennedy in Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts (London: Macmillan), 1866.
Cover illustration: Woodcut by Mathers' Wonders of the Invisible World (1689) and used in an 18th-century pamphlet about the Lancashire witches.
Music: The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Copyright 2022 Kathy Shimpock.

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In these very dark days, when the world has gone awry, a story comes out of the darkness. In this episode, we're entering a haunting tale with storyteller, Kathy Shimpock. It is a dire tale rarely told to children. Over time, the story grew even darker, more dire and its message corrupted. It is the corruption of that message, that we'll explore. And so, before we can get to the hope, and before we can get to the light, we must first enter the secret chamber of Bluebeard! Sadly, it’s a place we are all too familiar with.
Stories: "Bluebeard" ("La Barbe Bleue") by Charles Perrault included in Histoires ou Contes du Temps Passe (Stories of Tales of Past Times), 1697. "Mr. Fox" by Joseph Jacobs included in English Fairy Tales. London: David Nutt, 1890.
Cover illustration: "Mr Fox" collage image from portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh.
Music: The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Copyright 2022 Kathy Shimpock.

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, we’ll meet Medusa with the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock. Some call Medusa a Gorgon, others a cursed beauty. Maligned in popular media, controversy has followed Medusa wherever she goes. In her first recorded interview, Medusa will sit down with the Wise Crone for a tell-all exchange. Her visit is courtesy of the Jungian technique “active imagination.” Hold on to your seats, there is much more to come!
Stories: "Interview with Medusa" by Kathy Shimpock.
Cover illustration: Pixabay (http://www.pixabay.com).
Music: The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Copyright 2022 Kathy Shimpock.

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, meets again with Master Hypnotherapist, Linda Bennett. Together they discuss the Norwegian folktale, "Tatterhood," and explore its many meanings and interpretations by looking at its symbols, metaphors, and archetypes. It's a fascinating model for dream interpretation too. Part 2 of their conversation continues on the "Crone & Queen's Fireside Podcast" where they discuss ways traditional stories can be used as a tool for personal growth and holistic healing. They explore the work of psychologist, Milton Erickson and share ways they've used stories within their own practice. As you’ll soon see, stories can be used to facilitate change in many settings from life coaching to hypnosis, depth coaching to spiritual companioning.
Story: Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, Lurvehette [Tatterhood], Norske Folkeeventyr (Christiania [Oslo], 1842-1852), translated by George Webb Dasent (1859). Translation revised by D. L. Ashliman. © 2001.
Illustration: From Tatterhood and the Hobgoblins: A Norwegian Folktale, retold and illustrated by Lauren A. Mills. New York: Little, Brown, 1996. [This beautifully illustrated book is now out of print, but available at used book stores.]
Music: The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
Copyright 2024 Kathy Shimpock.

Support the show

For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).