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Connecting with Mother Shipton: Rituals and Reflections on a Legendary Witch
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“Around the world Men's thoughts will fly. Quick as a twinkling of an eye. And what a shall great wonders do. How strange, And yet it shall come true. Through towering hills proud men shall ride. No horse or ass move by his side. Beneath the water men shall walk. Shall ride, Shall sleep, Shall even talk.....”- Mother Shipton’s famous prophecy….Or was it?
In Episode 58 of "The Bell Witch Podcast," host Swailes, the Friendly Green Witch, delves into the life and legacy of Mother Shipton, a legendary witch from Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. Swailes shares personal anecdotes, including visits to Mother Shipton's Cave and strange memories of a witch’s head carved onto the rockface above the River Nidd. The episode explores Mother Shipton's prophecies, her impact on folklore, and her significance in pop culture and tourism. Swailes also provides practical tips on connecting with Mother Shipton's spirit in modern witchcraft practices, emphasizing the importance of personal connection to nature and historical figures. This episode askes the question ‘Who Was Mother Shipton and Why Does She Matter Today?’
Sources- https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/09/mother-shiptons-cave/144665
Telling the Future in the Past – The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog
https://kids.kiddle.co/Mother_Shipton
Mother Shipton statue unveiled in Knaresborough - BBC News
https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Mother-Shipton-Prophesies/
Telling the Future in the Past – The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog
Part of the Darkcast Network Family Podcast Network | Darkcast Network
Podcast Pals- Autumn’s Oddities - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/autumns-oddities/id1588782051
Three Ravens- https://open.spotify.com/episode/20owGdL1lC3PxmOhQnqZCI?si=VIbqyQpqQFGKHhb64Kx8OQ
Real Life Ghost Stories- https://open.spotify.com/episode/4qty5V0te1vEWGK33usN02?si=1NqbUMNrQXKBd7C9W7uYDA
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#MotherShipton #Folklore #Yorkshire #Knerseborough #witchcraft #herbalism #historicengland
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Autumn's Oddities'
00:00:11
Speaker
Autumn's Oddities is a strange and unusual podcast made by the strange and unusual me, Autumn Groobie. Each week, I'll be taking you through some of the creepiest cases true crime has to offer.
00:00:25
Speaker
It won't only be true crime, I'll also be covering cryptids, haunted places, haunted things, and the true stories that inspired horror movies. Listen every Monday and Friday for new episodes, and remember, if it's creepy and weird, you'll find it here.
Prophetic Verses and Future Wonders
00:00:48
Speaker
Dark Cast Network, bringing our indie podcasts out of the shadows.
00:00:56
Speaker
Around the world men's thoughts will fly, Quick as the twinkling of an eye. And water shall, great wonders do, How strange, and yet it shall come true.
00:01:11
Speaker
Through towering hills proud men shall ride, No horse or ass move by his side. Beneath the water men shall walk,
00:01:22
Speaker
shall ride, shall sleep, shall even talk. And in the air men shall be seen, In white and black and even green.
00:01:36
Speaker
A great man shall come and go, For prophecy declares it so. In water iron then shall float, As easy as a wooden boat.
00:01:49
Speaker
Gold shall be seen in the stream of stones, And in land that is yet unknown.
Introduction to Mother Shipton Episode
00:02:27
Speaker
Hello, hello lovely witches and beautiful souls. Welcome to the Bell Witch Podcast with me, Swales, the Friendly Green Witch, a podcast to help you get witching in 21st century.
00:02:43
Speaker
This is episode 58 I do believe and it is a solitary witch episode from yours truly. In this episode we're going to have a little look at the history of a lovely witch, my favourite witch. She's very well known around these woods of Yorkshire. Quite it's a big deal in terms of pop culture, fiction and tourism. The wonderful Mother Shipton of Nairsborough in North Yorkshire, UK.
00:03:16
Speaker
I've known of Mother Shipton for a very long time. I used to go as a kid with my mum for day trips and it is quite close by to where I am now. And so I've always been meaning to do an episode on this witch and it just kept getting put on a back burner But as you know recently i ended up going to Nesbora a couple of times because I was looking to adopt a snake from the amazing K-Rescue of Nesbora which is this wonderful exotic animal rescue place where you can adopt snakes and lizards and rabbits and all kinds of cute amazing unusual animals.
00:03:56
Speaker
It is run by charity. it is such a joy to go in and just have a look around. So big shout out for the K Rescue Centre. I shall link their website in the show notes. And I highly encourage it, if you're ever around these nick of the woods, pop in, hello, perhaps hold a snake or a bunny rabbit.
Mother Shipton Statue Visit
00:04:16
Speaker
You'll have a great time.
00:04:17
Speaker
The snake citrine that I got from Nairsborough did indeed eat her first mouse last week when i fed her i was overjoyed that she's not too stressed and she's willing to eat anybody who's got royal pythons will know royal pythons are the most stressy animal when it comes to trying to feed them regularly but both mine were so starving and they proper snapped it up And while I was there, I had a nosey round Nesbora and stumbled across the statue of Mother Shipton and how beautiful it is.
00:04:52
Speaker
And spent a good 10 minutes having a look and taking pictures and spotting all the teeny tiny little details in and around the bench where Mother Shipton sat.
00:05:03
Speaker
I took a bunch of pictures, which I shall put on the Instagram The Bell Witch Podcast, separated by underscores, if you would like a little look.
Mother Shipton's Pop Culture Influence
00:05:12
Speaker
This statue was first proposed around 2013 and was installed, I think, in 2017. It's a bronze statue commissioned from the sculpture Chris Kelly following a fundraising campaign in the town.
00:05:29
Speaker
It sits in the market square on a bench across from the 18th century road engineer John McAuliffe, known as Blind Jack. And these two are two historic figures that belong to the town of Nesborough and are lovingly celebrated and talked about in the forms of education, museums, events, etc.
00:05:51
Speaker
Here's a lovely statue though I'm very impressed by the Mothershipton one. It's got lots of little details on it. She's sat perched on the bench with a scroll out on her lap with all the details of the things throughout history that is said that she predicted.
00:06:06
Speaker
There's a devil behind her. a hat there is punch from punch and judy there's a teddy bear which i think is left in her well to turn to stone at the museum in the present times sidebar they do actually sell these teddy bears i think in the gift shop if you wanted to buy one i wonder if they've got an online shop there's a strange little fairy thing i don't quite know what it is and she's not portrayed as a ugly old hag
00:06:38
Speaker
As is usually suggested when you Google Mother Shipton, instead it's quite a nice tasteful representative of Mother Shipton and if I found myself quite drawn to it. And alas, took it as a hint to cover Nairsborough and Mother Shipton for this solitary witch episode.
Engaging with the Podcast Community
00:06:57
Speaker
There's a lot already out there. I didn't want to just regurgitate all the stuff we already know. There's millions of podcast episodes on her history. So I was trying to think of it from a different angle in terms of working with her and her energy within your witchcraft practice.
00:07:14
Speaker
So we end, as usual, with a really nice... example of how to invite the spirit, the energy of the witch, which we're talking about in this episode.
00:07:25
Speaker
There's spell book, there's a ritual, there's a few little bits of bobs at the end because I love to make it a practical episode for your own witchcraft.
00:07:37
Speaker
Quick shout out to Zoe who kindly bought me a coffee last week. Thank you very much. I really do appreciate those donations. It's amazing. And welcome to Chris Artel of the Twisted Tales podcast.
00:07:52
Speaker
I see you joining my Patreon community. Hiya. Other ways you can support the Bell Witch Podcast, of course, is leave a rating, leave a review, hit them stars, share the podcast on your social medias. Feel free to tag me, to talk to me. I'll have a conversation with you about witchcraft any day.
00:08:12
Speaker
Because I love it. I'm mad for it. Absolutely mad. Okay, anything else for this intro? Let me think. ah You might have seen I did an interview spot with another podcast called Disciples of Truth or DOT for short.
00:08:30
Speaker
Craig has this a fantastic and very inspiring studio space where he records podcasts, audio and video with two seats like a proper interview studio. I sat down and in awe of the beauty of it had coins stuck to the floor that made a gorgeous mandala and I was like whoa must have taken a long time it's a really lovely space and it went really well although i was so nervous because it's all out of my comfort zone but I did it and it should be out in a month or so so I shall share that and did I have a hat on I think I did have a hat on as well so them two things always help
00:09:09
Speaker
I hope you enjoy this Solitary Witch episode and I shall speak to you next time for a another delightful Mutlu episode on all things magical.
Exploring Nesborough and Magical Origins
00:09:28
Speaker
In Yorkshire, there is a fantastic magical place known as Nesborough. A sweet little town in North Yorkshire, renowned for its unique blend of nature, beauty and rich history, from the Tudor-time buildings to the Victorian viaduct that stretches over the River Nid.
00:09:53
Speaker
There's a magic waterfall that is beyond belief as it has the amazing abilities to turn everyday items and objects into stone as well as a wishing well with immense powers that if you place your hand inside the sacred waters and whisper wishes, they shall indeed come true.
00:10:17
Speaker
And I am so lucky to live less than hour's pleasant drive from knaresborough but there's something else this is said to be the very birthplace of one of the most famous and celebrated witches and seers of all time you've probably heard of her for she became known as mother shipton in later life In fact, in Nesborough, there is one of the oldest UK tourist attractions still functioning to this day.
00:10:53
Speaker
The attraction, known as Mother Shipton's Cave, is over 400 years old. And it tells the story of how this amazing cunning woman came into the world in a most dramatic way.
00:11:12
Speaker
Everything we know about Mother Shipton was documented in random books and sources way, way after she died. i think I saw it said about 80 years after the death of Mother Shipton.
00:11:26
Speaker
This timing suggests that what was published was a legendary or mythical account and it contained numerous mainly regional predictions and only two poetic verses at the time when she was around nobody really wrote anything so a lot of these stories have been passed down generations in families via word of mouth and this has helped to cement the beautiful folklore feel of mother shipton and her fantastic fortune telling prophecies
00:12:02
Speaker
And she was unusual in a lot of ways. I mean, she was a successful woman for a start, who was born 15 years before Notre Dame, and was liked in the community generally, and helped the community, got married. And although she never had any children, she lived to a lovely ripe old age of late 70s, which was absolutely unheard of at the time, especially for a woman who was considered a witch.
00:12:29
Speaker
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's begin right at the very beginning. As Ursula Suthill was born on a stormy summer's night in the cave next to the river in 1488 to a young 15-year-old girl, unmarried and alone, called Agatha.
00:12:51
Speaker
Bless her. Sending her so much love must have been really hard and quite scary. And because she was unmarried and was pregnant, she was generally shunned from the community in Knaresborough and took refuge in this magical cave next to a petrifying well that turned things to stone.
Mother Shipton's Early Life and Folklore
00:13:12
Speaker
People were scared of this well, which, if you went too near, would turn you into stone too. But now, as 21st centuries, we know that what was the dripping well, and now is called the petrifying well, does not turn items into stone, but rather coats them in a layer of stone which builds up from the high levels of minerals and metals within the waters.
00:13:41
Speaker
These magical waters come from a natural underground lake, about a mile or so underground. As they climb to the surface, they travel along a narrow band of porous rocks called an aquifer and dissolve the massive amounts of minerals, which is just right for turning things into stone.
00:14:01
Speaker
Of course, that wasn't common knowledge back then. All this made the townsfolk chatter and gossip about this bastard child that was born in a cave that had magic powers and kind of resembled a skull.
00:14:16
Speaker
Had the devil delivered this child to this single mother? The baby was named Ursula. and was born with various deformities that seemed quite unusual at the time that used to shock people.
00:14:32
Speaker
A hunchback and a relatively big nose for her face. She used to get tormented and picked on because of her unusual looks. look And so she pretty much stayed away from people of the town, kept to herself and generally just hung out with her mum learning about plants and medicine and food and foraging, all the good stuff.
00:14:56
Speaker
But people wanted to help, quotation marks, Agatha, as they felt pity that she was on own with no man, bringing up a child. And so Agatha got sent to Nottingham to live in a nunnery and was separated from a daughter who got taken into foster care.
Herbalism and Community Influence
00:15:16
Speaker
and their lives would never entwine again. There is little known about the childhood Ursula, but it does appear that she was quite a trickster and a mischievous little girl that cackled a lot when people learnt lessons the hard way.
00:15:34
Speaker
One of the first stories about her refers to the trouble she caused the woman who had agreed to look after her. Finding her front door open on returning from an errand, Ursula's foster mother feared she had been burgled and called her neighbours to join her as she nervously entered the house.
00:15:54
Speaker
They said afterwards that there had been ah a dreadful wailing noise and that they had somehow been prevented by some invisible means from going into the kitchen.
00:16:04
Speaker
A passing clergyman calmed them down and led them inside the house. The cradle was empty. Ursula, then aged about two, was discovered sitting naked on an iron bar in the chimney from which the cooking hooks were suspended.
00:16:22
Speaker
She was smiling happily, very pleased at these pleasant exploits. So the accounts record, it was perhaps not inconvincible that her foster mother, fearing that someone might have accused her of leaving a child alone, should blame the devil and so of more gossip spread.
00:16:41
Speaker
And that story is direct out of Mother Shipton's prophecy book from Mother Shipton's Cave. But Ursula was very self-reliant. She didn't need people to like her. She had an understanding with the forest and the trees and the waterfall where it was said that she was born.
Marriage and Skepticism
00:17:00
Speaker
And so she developed a relationship with herbalism and became a bit of a medicine woman. She knew how to make things better for herself and eventually for others.
00:17:12
Speaker
But as a child, she was quite unusual and a little bit odd. And people would stay clear from her. And certain tales have been written down.
00:17:24
Speaker
And here is one I found, which I absolutely love. There is a source dating to 1686 that tells of an event where the chief members of the parish were gathered together in a meeting as Ursula walked past.
00:17:42
Speaker
Ursula was running an errand for her mother. I'm presuming that's her foster mother. and the men stopped to mock her, calling her a hag-face and the devil's bastard.
00:17:54
Speaker
Young Ursula kept walking to continue her errands, but as the men sat back down, the roof on the neck of one of the principal yeo men transformed into a toilet seat.
00:18:07
Speaker
that clapped down around his neck. The man next to him began to laugh and point, and as he did, the hat he was wearing suddenly was replaced with a chamber pot.
00:18:20
Speaker
The gathered members of the parish began to laugh loudly enough that the master of the house came running to see what was happening. or When he tried to run through the door,
00:18:31
Speaker
he found himself blocked by a large pair of horns that had grown suddenly from his head. The source reports that the strange occurrences reverted to normal shortly afterwards and the townspeople took them as a sign not to publicly mock the young Ursula any more.
00:18:51
Speaker
I love this tale and it is so, so folklore. It's really beautiful, actually. You know, like not be unkind because there'll be repercussions. But then I was thinking, would a toilet seat even exist at that time? Because you've got a chamber pot.
00:19:07
Speaker
Is a toilet seat a thing? Like legit don't know. I just thought I'd ask you what you think. An early tale of karma for you there, inspired by our mother Shipton. but ursula dealt with the local community by keeping herself to herself and journeying off into the woods and to the skull-shaped magic cave where she had been bored she studied local woodland in great detail enabling her to devise potions and remedies and concoctions made from the local floras and an awareness grew of ursula's abilities and knowledge as a herbalist
00:19:47
Speaker
and the community wanted to connect with her and call upon her resources for those wishing to cure illness and alignments. She was kind of feared, but also respected and very much part of the com community in her own way.
00:20:05
Speaker
The townsfolk suspected she had money hidden that she never really talked about. And that became more so when she met Tobias Shipton, a carpenter from York, and soon they got married.
Prophecies and Legacy
00:20:20
Speaker
People were so suspicious, thinking that she'd bewitched him to marry her, because how could he love her looking like that? It just seemed impossible. That's not very nice, is it?
00:20:31
Speaker
Maybe it was because she had bewitched him with her magical herbalism powers, or maybe it was because she had a secret stash of money that made her quite appealing to the young Tobias.
00:20:46
Speaker
But I don't know why. i do have, like, the notion of they were actually quite in love and nobody understood it. And I don't know where this is from. I don't know if I've spoken to somebody at the museum about it or it's come into my knowing. But I do feel like...
00:21:01
Speaker
Nobody understood it and they were actually really close and really in love. And for a short time, Ursula and Tobias had a normal married life within the culture and the society of the little town of Nesborough.
00:21:16
Speaker
Unfortunately, Tobias died in 1514 after only two years of marriage, leaving Ursula heartbroken and in despair.
00:21:28
Speaker
And despite her grieving, the townsfolk blamed her for her husband's death. And so Ursula, who was, a think, just starting to get the name of Mother Shipton, became a bit of a recluse in the woods, probably inherited his money so could get by and didn't really need anybody to depend on.
00:21:48
Speaker
But during in this time, it was said she started to talk openly about her seeing into the future. And it started to get a little bit of recognition.
00:21:59
Speaker
People would come and ask for information regarding thoughts. thefts of property and marriages and love spells. But one of the big moves was a prophecy catching the attention of King Henry VIII, who wrote a letter in 1537 to the Duke of Norfolk, where he mentions Ursula as the Witch of yor But as I researched, I realised that Ursula, our mother Shipton, isn't named as the witch. It is just the witch of York. So we are speculating when we're presuming that it is Ursula. It could have been any number of cunning women at the time. There is no concrete evidence that it was our witch.
00:22:47
Speaker
But the prophecy of Cardinal Thomas Worsley seeing York and never actually making it to York did come true. And he became ill on the road, ended up dying in a monastery.
Avoiding Persecution and Legacy
00:23:02
Speaker
And that was probably one of the most impressive prophecies ever said to have been foretold by Mother Shipton. to come into fruition. I'm not going to give you the details because it is really widely known and I'm trying to find things that aren't quite as common, which is really hard because she is so well documented on the internet and in books.
00:23:24
Speaker
But to once more, there's loads of controversy about who actually said these things, if these little rhymes really are from Mothershipton, the way the spoken and written historians argue that it wouldn't have been spoken like that in her time.
00:23:40
Speaker
The prophecy that everybody quotes about the end of times, where it's claimed she foretells the end of all humanity as we know it.
00:23:52
Speaker
The world to an end shall come 1881. and eighteen hundred and eighty one This version was not published more than a decade later.
00:24:03
Speaker
Its true author, Charles Hindley, admitted in print that he had created this manuscript. This fictional prophecy was published over the years with different dates and the booklet, The Life and Prophecies of Ursula, better known as Mother Shipton, has been repeatedly reprinted, predicted the world would end in 1991.
00:24:27
Speaker
It's just all a bit confusing and there is mountains of stuff that's been added after she was around. And it is a true evolution of and a fantastic folklore figure.
00:24:40
Speaker
I particularly love the technology. Quotes, A carriage without a horse shall go. Disaster will fill the world with woe.
00:24:51
Speaker
In water iron then shall float. As easy as a wooden boat. Is this predicting contemporary transport of today's world?
00:25:04
Speaker
And then there was one about the internet, weren't there? Like the words still travel around in a twinkling of an eye and people suggest that's the internet that she's talking about. But these riddles and metaphors are quite ambiguous and a little bit woolly. So I read people are not convinced.
00:25:23
Speaker
It was said that she predicted movements in the monarchy, the London Plague and the Fire of London, which erased the plague. There was a lot of political unrest and religious wars going on and people did generally turn against each other, call women witches and dob them in it.
00:25:47
Speaker
But somehow Mother Shipton just avoided all that and it really fascinates me how that actually happened. I think part of that was the burning times came about around the end of Mother Shipton's reign and so she swerved that bullet.
00:26:02
Speaker
But yes, she lived until a ripe old age of her mid-70s and she died at the beginning of Queen Elizabeth I's long reign.
00:26:13
Speaker
It is said that she predicted her own death in 1561 and for some time it was believed that she was buried in unconsecrated grounds somewhere on the outskirts of York.
00:26:27
Speaker
By tradition, a stone was raised on her grave with the following inscription. Here lies she who'd never lied, whose skill so often hath been tried.
00:26:41
Speaker
Her prophecies shall still survive and ever keep her name alive. 15 60 won't Nobody knows where this grave is.
00:26:52
Speaker
There's a theory that it got moved because it got weathered. So it had to go and get a bit of restoration work, but then got lost in transit. There's some theory about it being moved to a museum and then getting lost amongst the collections.
00:27:09
Speaker
And now nobody knows anything about it. So even in death, it is all a bit of a shrouded mystery. Proper suspicious. It is a bit weird. It's like the more you know, less you actually know. There's even a picture, like a well-known picture of her standing with an unrecognisable creature on her shoulder.
00:27:33
Speaker
Sometimes it's titled Mother Shipton and her familiar, which could have been a monkey or a chimp or something. I don't know how you'd get a chimp back in those days.
00:27:45
Speaker
Maybe it's a very ugly cat. And then there is one source that's titled Devil. A devil on a shoulder. course there's a devil on a shoulder, as she is obviously a witch, and the witch obviously works with the devils.
00:27:59
Speaker
Boo! And there's no information about this whatsoever other than it's a picture of Mother Shipton and her familiar. Now, did she stand and pose for this picture? Or is it somebody drawing it after her time who perhaps is religious, blah, blah, blah.
00:28:19
Speaker
There's something frightfully chilling going on in Otley town. Book yourself onto the Otley Ghost Hall and embrace the miserable history of Otley in Leeds.
00:28:32
Speaker
A seemingly quiet, quaint, historic market town settled neath the looming gates of the ancient chevin learn about the small town eccentrics who once upon a time hobbled over the cobbles and find out about the phantom characters who still persist today your ghoulish guides will regale you with tales of bygone days and you will finish the evening with an optional free drink in one of otter's most haunted brew houses
00:29:06
Speaker
Dear listeners, if you fancy yourself a deliciously dark evening in Otley, I'll let you into a little secret.
Historical Existence Debate
00:29:14
Speaker
I have formed a deal with the ghost leader, Spindle Shanks McScrew, and you will receive a free gift if you repeat this quote prior to your tour.
00:29:26
Speaker
Ooly booly, let's get gooly. Have a grizzly good time, witches.
00:29:36
Speaker
Even though it is said that Mother Shipton was probably most illiterate and didn't write anything in her life, whilst researching, I came across Mother Shipton's Wheel of Fortune, by means of which you may learn your future destiny.
00:29:57
Speaker
containing also fortune telling by cards, lines on their hands, as well as strange charms, spells, etc. Mother Shipton's Wheel of Fortune was printed in the 1860s by the Leeds-based publisher C. H. Johnson as part of the popular Royal Pocket Library range.
00:30:21
Speaker
According to the pamphlet's instructions, the oracle is best consulted in the evening when the inquirer should first don't a blindfold and then make a stab in the diagram, which is on the front of the book.
00:30:36
Speaker
And it'll be on this cover art for this episode as well. So I've found bits and pieces from this book. It's a bit ambiguous really when it was actually published because I've found a few dates from the 1700s, even the 1800s and I printed a copy out just to read to you. More of a booklet really than a book or even like a chat book.
00:31:01
Speaker
It's only got a few pages. The Wheel of Fortune is a pretty cool divination technique and is the Wheel of Fate which you must prick through the back of the wheel blindfolded.
00:31:16
Speaker
If the hour is of 12, the answer may be depended on. So if you do it at midnight, this magic is absolutely going to work. So it's a diagram with a witch in the middle and it's got loads of numbers on it and a few symbols in hearts and triangles.
00:31:35
Speaker
And the numbers go all the way up till 40. I won't read you them all. But number one is a life full of changes or die rich. Number two is early marriage and a handsome family. Number three is many lovers but die single.
00:31:54
Speaker
Number four, a speedy journey of great importance to others. And number five, become rich through a legacy. a lot of it is about your husband and me in love from the perspective of a woman, it seems.
00:32:11
Speaker
There's a few symbols such as the crown, which denotes a rise in your life the anchor your true lover will be often on the water the star is ill look unless in the center they're not sure what that means oh i guess if you pin it in the center it's good luck coughing is much sickness a death in your family a ring is an approaching wedding a cross is a religious partner but deceitful A shield is a good and happy marriage and a key is much treasure ascended with trouble.
00:32:46
Speaker
oh my gosh, I love it. And then the next page is about telling your future via a pack of cards. And that describes all the meanings, like the ace of diamonds shows a person of fond sporting.
00:33:04
Speaker
She even tells you how you shuffle the cards and how you cut them. So it is very much like early tarot, which I just absolutely adore. And I was thinking I could write this out and put it on my Patreon and then maybe be subscribers could have a bit of fun working with cards that Mother Shipton has directed. How much fun would that be?
00:33:26
Speaker
There is also write-up on the significance of mole positions. Egyptian charms and ceremonies. a curious spell.
00:33:37
Speaker
Apple pairings. A charm for dreaming. So I shall just go ahead and redo apple pairings, I think. It's very specific.
00:33:50
Speaker
On the 28th of October, which is Double Saints Day, take an apple, pair it whole, and take the parent in your right hand standing in the middle of the room say the following verse sent simon and jude on you i intrude by this pairing i hold to discover without any delay to tell me this day the first letter of my true lover
00:34:21
Speaker
Turn around three times on the spot and cast the pairing over your left shoulder and it will form the first letter of your future husband's surname.
00:34:33
Speaker
If the pairing breaks into many pieces so that no letter is present, you will never marry unless you take the pips of the same apples and put them in spring water and drink the water at bedtime.
00:34:51
Speaker
I just love that. it really enchants me. I love the idea that maybe she didn't write, but perhaps she told somebody and they wrote it. And there will be a lot of Chinese whispers type stuff going on, but how beautiful is that?
00:35:05
Speaker
I do ah hope some of you do this little spell and let me know how it comes about. I have done loads of research on Mother Shipton for this episode.
00:35:16
Speaker
And the more I did, the more it became apparent that people are questioning whether Mothershipton actually was real. ah think for a long time, people really did believe she was a real person.
00:35:31
Speaker
But because there's no evidence of her birth or her marriage or how Tobias died, of what cause and also even a death, there's just no paperwork. Nothing was written down. In fact, everything just seems a little bit half-assed in terms of recording stuff at that time in history.
00:35:50
Speaker
And I reckon a lot of that is because if she did exist, she was a woman and not as valued in society. She wouldn't have gone to school. She probably would have been a bit of a skivvy to her family. And it kind of broke my heart, if honest, because she is my absolute favourite witch from Yorkshire because she appears to be such a positive, well-established, self-reliant witch. And I think she embodies that that vibe, that soul, that spirit of eclectic and solitary witchcraft today.
Media Portrayals
00:36:20
Speaker
was listening to the Free Ravens podcast episode, which I will link below, and it is a fantastic in-depth episode about documented history and now pretty much everything we have and know about.
00:36:35
Speaker
This witch is written from 80 years after she died by kings and noblemen who might have had agendas in terms of political unrest and the church, but Although I find it hard to see why somebody would write something like what I've just read out.
00:36:54
Speaker
The Wheel of Fortune. It does feel like a woman wrote it. Or maybe not, I guess, because it was more about finding a man and stuff. And so I've kind of had to stop researching because I was upset.
00:37:07
Speaker
I was. And I was a bit like, oh my gosh. I was so sure that she was an actual, real, living, breathing person who knew her stuff, who became known as witch and who was thoroughly grounded in her own reality.
00:37:26
Speaker
i mean, maybe there was somebody who was born in those circumstances and became ah folklore as time progressed and nobody really knew what happened to her. Who knows? All we can do is speculate.
00:37:39
Speaker
And she has inspired so many, like the folklore and the legend of Mother Shipton has travelled widely up and down the UK, inspired books and pub names, you know, in other counties she gets mentions.
00:37:57
Speaker
She were even in Shakespeare's plays. And then there's the panto connection. The dames that are often a man dressed up as woman who know the bigger picture of the pantomime, who speak to the audience, you know, in terms of what's going to happen with the story.
00:38:14
Speaker
And then there's that connection to Punch and Judy, which is a very British tradition, which isn't ageing very well in terms of politically correctness.
00:38:28
Speaker
When my kids saw it a couple of years ago, was kind of cringing a bit because Punch was punching Judy, basically. There's so much violence and so much death and destruction. I was a bit like, oh my gosh, what these kids watching?
00:38:41
Speaker
Ha ha! But the connection between Mother Shipton's image that we all know and love and Punch from Punch and Judy's image, they are very similar. And there is an interesting reason for this.
00:38:54
Speaker
The illustrators and printers of the times would carve out plates to stamp print like newspapers and images and stuff.
00:39:05
Speaker
They had a play already of Punch from Punch and Judy and they used that template, changed it a little bit and called it Mother Shipton, hence the crossover of Image.
00:39:18
Speaker
And that has helped to cement that look of the classic Wicked Witch with a warty nose, a crooked warty nose and hunchback and a walking stick.
00:39:30
Speaker
and that is quite ugly and untrustworthy it's because of punch not because of mother shipton just want to put that out there and she inspires so much cool stuff i mean did you know that there is mother shipton moth how amazing is that The pattern on the wings look a little bit like her side profile with the crooked nose and the big chin.
00:39:55
Speaker
And the moth is native to this country. Absolutely beautiful and quite
Modern Witchcraft Practices
00:39:59
Speaker
big, apparently. So there's a moth named after Mother Shipton. I had to put that in there. I just had to. Yeah, I have a lot of love even now. After all this research, which I'm now going to stop, but remember going to see Mother Shipton's Cave with my mum when I was a teenager, maybe 15.
00:40:18
Speaker
And I remember walking. along the river, which is in the attraction of Mother Shipter's Cave, the river Nid, you know, from where the cave is down to where the yeah the little museum is.
00:40:31
Speaker
And I have this distinct memory of looking across the water at the rock face and me and my mum could see a face of a witch, like really vividly.
00:40:43
Speaker
And we weren't scared. We were like, whoa, look at that. Look at that witch in the rocks. It's amazing. tell you what it was a bit like, you know, if you go to london is it Landudno in Wales and there's the Queen's Head on the mountain, Snowdonia.
00:40:57
Speaker
It was very similar to that, although it definitely wasn't Snowdonia. I have been there, but this was absolutely in a forest above the river. It is a really strong memory that I hold and i I have thought about it on and off throughout my life.
00:41:13
Speaker
And you know memory's like, it is a bit strange, but I remember just being so fascinated that there were this witch's side profile carved almost into the rock face. It was so clear.
00:41:24
Speaker
ah have been back a few times since as an adult and with my kids. And I do look for this face, but I think where it was is now houses that have been built and the the rock face has obviously been changed and developed to create foundations for the houses on the banks where me and my mum saw this witch's face.
00:41:48
Speaker
So that is kind of like a personal story that is the foundation and the grounds to my love and connection with Mother Shipton and her fabulous magical cave. So that is a tiny little bit of Mother Shipton's history and legend.
00:42:05
Speaker
and There's masses of it and you should totally fall down that rabbit hole yourself with your own research and read books that really hard to get hold of that the library won't even lend me because they're so cherished and rare. Slightly annoying, but I do understand. You know me, though. I like to end with examples and call to actions and opportunities to work with the stuff I've talked about in your own magic right now. Examples of witching in the 21st century, right? I mean, this is the tagline of the Bell Witch Podcast.
00:42:36
Speaker
And so I was thinking about how I can ritualise working with Mother Shipton as a deity, as a spirit, as an energy, an ancestor of magic that feels really good and relative to me.
00:42:50
Speaker
Because Mother Shipton appears to have big connections with nature and the woodland around her, which is an ancient forest in Knaresborough.
00:43:02
Speaker
Full of native trees such as oak, beech, ash and hornbeam. Just a little interesting fast witchy fact for you.
00:43:13
Speaker
Hornbeam has become particularly scarce in recent years. You can recognise it by the rough twisted patterns on the bark. The wood is so hard that for centuries it was used to make mechanical compartments such as like bolts and wheels and cogs and stuff for ships and building work.
00:43:32
Speaker
Mother Shipton is definitely the spirit of a green witch, a nature witch. So if there's any woodlands around you, perhaps you could go visit them with Mother Shipton in mind.
00:43:45
Speaker
Maybe do a bit of clearing the forest or a bit of foraging and just try and keep her there with you in your thoughts and see if you get anything coming to your mind about her. Maybe come up with an on-the-spot little poem or a spell as you walk around and see what flows because, as you know, it is said that Mother Shipton didn't write anything in her lifetime. I ask you, listener, perhaps walking around the woods and connecting with the trees and the flora, verbally speak as Mother Shipton may have spoke, inciting spell that is in the here and now and not to be recorded.
00:44:22
Speaker
There's something quite beautiful about being in the moment and just reciting a spell on the spot. Not everything needs to be recorded, it is just about the pure moment. I have to excuse me, I'm running out of the throat power here.
00:44:37
Speaker
You could collect running water from a cave or a stream or a waterfall, bottle and use it within your magic. I mean, it'd be great if you could get the magical waters from the actual cave, which is for sale in the gift shop. And I use that in my magic as a blessing water when I clean the altar up.
00:44:58
Speaker
But I appreciate not everybody will be able to
Rituals for Connection
00:45:01
Speaker
make it there. So I think any running water would be a fantastic way to connect with the spirit and the essence of the Mothershipton. And I've gone ahead here and written a little ritual spell if you would like to have a listen.
00:45:16
Speaker
Write it down and perhaps take yourself to the woods and have lovely little time. Find a quiet space outdoors, preferably near a flowing body of water or an ancient tree.
00:45:31
Speaker
surrounded by nature and the birds. Take a white candle to symbolise purity and wisdom. A bowl of water that represents the spirit of Mother Shipton, perhaps that you could collect there and then for this ritual.
00:45:45
Speaker
Harvest fresh herbs like rosemary and sage for cleansing. Dried herbs are fine if that is all you can get your hands on right now. A little piece of paper and a writing tool if you wish.
00:45:59
Speaker
and a spring of wild flowers or even a couple of pebbles from the local river. Prepare your space, set your circle however you do that in your own craft.
00:46:10
Speaker
Light the white candle and hold the bowl of water in your other hand. Feeling the coolness and allowing it to ground you in the present moment. Walk around your space in a circle three times in clockwise direction, sprinkling the herbs from your gathering and as you walk, chant, Mother Shipton, wise and true, guard this space and guide me too.
00:46:38
Speaker
ah feel like this would benefit from being repeated maybe three or six or nine times kind of like to invoke the energies stand before your candle and speak to mother shipton inviting her presence mother shipton spirit of the land i call upon you to take my hand Share your wisdom your knowledge of old in your gentle arms my heart unfolds.
00:47:09
Speaker
Take at this moment to think about your intention of the circle you may wish to write it down or perhaps not just as Mother Shipton didn't. Be specific about the guidance you speak.
00:47:21
Speaker
Ask personally what you would like from your heart and from your soul. These can be your words. When you are finished, gaze at the flame or hold over the paper which you have written, letting it catch fire safely and then throw it into the bowl of water symbolising the transformation.
00:47:44
Speaker
Enjoy your circle. Close your eyes and meditate for a few minutes, concentrating on the candle's flame and the sound of the moving water. Allow your thoughts to wonder to Mother Shipton how she may have looked, how she may have taught all the things of herbs and magic, remedies.
00:48:07
Speaker
Imagine a beautiful cave full of those magical waters flowing freely. Feel her wisdom flowing towards you.
00:48:17
Speaker
Place the spring of wildflower or the stones and pebbles around the circle as an offering and say, Mother Shipton, with love I give, your spirit guides me, through you I live.
00:48:34
Speaker
Thank Mother Shipton for her guidance. Thank you, wise one. For your light, I carry your wisdom into the night. Extanguish the candle and take a moment to reflect.
00:48:49
Speaker
Take a deep breath. Feel your connections to this earth and gradually return your awareness to the present moment, holding on to the peace and wisdom which you have received.
00:49:01
Speaker
You can keep the bowl of water overnight on your altar or in a sacred space to absorb the energy of the spell. Or you can give it back to the earth there and then.
00:49:13
Speaker
This ritual can be performed whenever you seek clarity or guidance and to honour the legacy of Mother Shipton and her magic.
Conclusion and Community Engagement
00:49:24
Speaker
And may the beautiful folklore legend of Mother Shipton and her magical prophecies live on for years to come as folklore, as inspiration,
00:49:40
Speaker
and as guidance for us all.
00:49:47
Speaker
You have been listening to The Bell Witch Podcast. created with love and magic by me swales the friendly green witch i love to hear from you and i absolutely love love love love to celebrate you if you have a podcast or a business a witchy business a pagan related topic you love to talk about you can reach me on the bell which podcast at yahoo dot com send me a trailer and i will absolutely play it because there is magic in sharing audiences amongst podcasts music by jeff harvey of pixabay the official bell witch photographer is the lovely beverly thornton thank you so much for choosing the bell witch podcast to fill your ears stay magical witches