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The Southern Witching Hour Podcast

The Southern Witching Hour Podcast

By LadyG

The Southern Witching Hour Podcast, hosted by Gwin, aka LadyG, is a liminal space for magical storytelling.
"The witching hour," a time for supernatural events, typically occurs between midnight and 3:00am, but, around here, we know that it can happen anytime!
Especially at twilight!
And so...
I invite you to join me, LadyG, on my back porch as I seek to regale you with 'strange and unusual' tales about Southern spirituality, culture, traditions, superstition and the downright spooky!
By the way, I'd love to hear from you!
Look for new episodes every Friday.
Please subscribe and share!
Currently playing episode

The Veiled Child: Gifted? Lucky? Or Accursed?

The Southern Witching Hour PodcastSep 17, 2023

00:00
21:24
The Veiled Child: Gifted? Lucky? Or Accursed?

The Veiled Child: Gifted? Lucky? Or Accursed?

In the South, they say that children born with the veil, or en caul, can see and communicate with spirit. It is also said that they can foretell death. Some say that they are lucky. What say you? What do you know about "the veiled child?"

*Some Adult Language

Follow me here and on Instagram @The_Southern_Witching_Hour

Sep 17, 202321:24
What You Won't Do For Love: Deadly Obsessions

What You Won't Do For Love: Deadly Obsessions

If you're looking for something to whet your appetite for the halloween season, look no further!

In this first episode of season two, I am sharing two pieces that I wrote about the chilling lengths that people will go to for "love."

Both works were originally published on my blog, Seekthebestblog, which is now archived.

The first publication, "The Client," imagines a wise rootworker's strong advice to a lovesick young woman.

The second publication, "She Needed Me," is a poem about how a woman's cold hearted obsession led to a family tragedy. This one is told from a "unique perspective."


  • Follow me @the_southern_witching_hour, let me know you found me through the podcast and I will follow you back!
  • Email me at gwin@thesouthernwitchinghour.com

Sep 09, 202309:41
*Season 1 Bonus Episode: What Happened in Montgomery?

*Season 1 Bonus Episode: What Happened in Montgomery?

Contains Adult Content and Language

This is the least that I will say about what happened when a violent free-for-all broke out at the Riverfront in Montgomery, Alabama.

This story is relevant to the podcast because it occurred in an area that is "sacred" to the descendants of enslaved Africans in the South. In essence, it once functioned as a port where their African ancestors were trafficked and traded.

Since my parents are from that general area of Alabama, it is quite possible that some of my own ancestors were probably brought down the Alabama River to that very spot and sold right up the street.

Hence, my connection and strong interest.





Aug 08, 202310:22
Southern Cautionary Tales: Happy Family

Southern Cautionary Tales: Happy Family

*Contains Adult Language

In today’s episode we're talking about how, in the South, storytellers often use tragic events in a person's life to tell a cautionary tale.

While I do spend some time discussing the meaning and elements of a cautionary tale, I definitely do not belabor the point--this is not school 😂.

Anyway, like most everybody else in the world, Southerners love talking about folks and we usually credit the origins of the story to “they or them.”

That said, our stories often begin with "They say..."

Listen to today's podcast to find out what "they said" about a "happy family" and how their lives served as a cautionary tale for me when I was growing up.




Aug 04, 202306:07
LadyG's out on the Porch! An UNEDITED Ramble

LadyG's out on the Porch! An UNEDITED Ramble

*Contains Adult Language

Just me rambling on and on. Also a huge thank you for listening!

Aug 03, 202313:02
Southern Cautionary Tales: A Man With A Checkered Past

Southern Cautionary Tales: A Man With A Checkered Past

*Contains Adult Language

In today’s episode we're talking about how, in the South, storytellers often use tragic events in a person's life to tell a cautionary tale.

While I do spend some time discussing the meaning and elements of a cautionary tale, I definitely do not belabor the point--this is not school 😂.

Anyway, like most everybody else in the world, Southerners love talking about folks and we usually credit the origins of the story to “they or them.”

That said, our stories often begin with "They say..."

Listen to today's podcast to find out what "they said" about a certain man with a "checkered past,' and how his life served as a cautionary tale for me when I was growing up.



Jul 23, 202307:34
Southern Cautionary Tales: A Beautiful Woman

Southern Cautionary Tales: A Beautiful Woman

In today’s episode we're talking about how, in the South, storytellers often use tragic events in a person's life to tell a cautionary tale.

While I do spend some time discussing the meaning and elements of a cautionary tale, I definitely do not belabor the point--this is not school 😂.

Anyway, like most everybody else in the world, Southerners love talking about folks and we usually credit the origins of the story to “they or them.”

That said, our stories often begin with "They say..."

Listen to today's podcast to find out what "they said" about a certain "beautiful woman," and how her life served as a cautionary tale for me when I was growing up.



Jul 14, 202308:09
The Liminal World of Sleep and Why You Should Never Go Anywhere With Dead Folks
Jul 01, 202324:17
Hurricanes: Divine Retribution or the Work of Angry Ancestors?
Jun 23, 202325:39
Southern Cookouts and Old School Games |The Summer Solstice Shift From Stories of Day to Night

Southern Cookouts and Old School Games |The Summer Solstice Shift From Stories of Day to Night

This episode is all about Southern Cookouts and what goes down at them! I also share more summer memories and old school 1970's and '80's games we used to play.

***BONUS: My 77 year-old Dad, in his own words, shares one of his favorite childhood games from the 1950's, "The Red Head Devil."


If you are from a different region of the U.S. or from another country, you may have trouble understanding his thick Southeastern Alabama accent--his accent is much thicker than mine.

Don't let it bother you though, just enjoy the beauty of it.

Jun 16, 202335:37
A Super Short Lesson on Southern Vernacular and Colloquialisms

A Super Short Lesson on Southern Vernacular and Colloquialisms

*Includes Adult Language

In today's episode, I'll provide a super short lesson on the vernacular and colloquialisms spoken in my neck of the woods. Why? Because it's important for you to understand me--should I happen to veer from the conventions of formal or standard English! Trust me, it happens from time to time.


Also, be aware that vernacular and colloquialisms will vary from region to region in the South.


By the way, it's important to note that not everyone here uses this informal language. Some Southerners are sticklers for speaking proper English--even if it is cloaked in a distinctive twang!


Understanding our vernacular will become increasingly important as we start to explore more stories and themes from this the South.

Jun 09, 202311:11
Real Talk On The Porch: Tina Turner! Put some RESPECK on Her Name & Stories From My Lifetime of Gay and Lesbian Friendships

Real Talk On The Porch: Tina Turner! Put some RESPECK on Her Name & Stories From My Lifetime of Gay and Lesbian Friendships

*Contains Adult Language and Themes

In this episode we go straight to the porch for some real talk on Tina Turner. I also tell some funny stories about me and my gay & lesbian friends with all of our shenanigans in the 1970's, '80's and '90's!

Happy Pride to the entire LGBTQIA+ community!

*Rest In Peace David and Ernest


Jun 02, 202332:18
Hot Fun In The Summer Time
May 26, 202314:12
It Must Be Magick!
May 19, 202318:44
Take Me To The River: Supernatural Water Lore and More

Take Me To The River: Supernatural Water Lore and More

In today’s episode, I'll talk about supernatural lore related to bodies of water. I’ll also discuss several possible reasons why bodies of water, specifically rivers, are a logical setting for stories about witches, ghosts, sea serpents, and superstitions.

Also, in this episode, I’ll read snippets about:

  • The Yazoo City, Mississippi Witch, who is said to have made good on her promise to get revenge
  • A mysterious sea creature in the Chattahoochee River
  • An evil entity who haunts the marshes, creeks and bogs along coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

I’ll also briefly mention an event that occurred near St. Simons Island, Georgia, where a group of enslaved Africans from Nigeria are said to have committed mass suicide---or did they?

Hmmm…Let's talk about it.

Now you know we won't stay shut up inside the house on a beautiful evening, so we’ll saunter out onto the porch, drink some sweet tea, and have a conversation.

While we're out under the stars, I’ll share some crazy childhood memories of fishing with my parents and my grandfather in Augusta, GA and Eufaula, AL. 

By the way, here's a GeorgiaBama fishing quiz:

  1. What are "whitecaps?"
  2. What are "crappies?"
  3. What's a fish fry?

By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to define all of the above! LOL! Sorry for the tangent, that's just the educator in me messing with you. If you know, you know!

Finally, I'll spill some tea on what investigators keep finding in the Chattahoochee River around the I-20 stretch near Atlanta.

Right now, it remains a mystery but there is talk of ritual sacrifice.

As always, my loves, take what resonates and chunk the rest!


***NOTE: The article on Tie Snakes uses the word "Indian," to describe "Indigenous" people native to Columbus, Georgia and surrounding areas. So please don't @ me, I'm just reading their words verbatim.

Links:

Yazoo City Witch 

Great River Road

Tie Snake 

The Gullah Geechee Nation 

The Boo-Hag

Igbo Landing

Mystery in the Chattahoochee


Contact LadyG

Instagram: ⁠@the_southern_witching_hour⁠

email: gwin@thesouthernwitchinghour.com





May 12, 202324:14
Tales From The Porch: A Supernatural Short Story Set In Florida

Tales From The Porch: A Supernatural Short Story Set In Florida

Greetings! I am your host, LadyG.

In today’s episode of The Southern Witching Hour Podcast, I expand on the topic of storytelling by talking about the significance of the porch (back or front) where Southern families traditionally gather to talk about daily events and share long drawn-out stories.

I’ll also read a very short passage from Tananarive Due's Last Stop on Route 9.

Last Stop on Route 9 is one of my favorite supernatural short stories.  This story has an extra appeal to me because it is set in Florida, home to my maternal grandfather's family.  According to my mom, they lived in Quincy, Florida.

Unfortunately, I never got to know him or his people, but my mother remembered visiting the family in Florida when she was a kid.

At any rate, Tananarive Due is one of my favorite short story writers and I'm telling you, if you love contemporary supernatural stories set in the South, she's the TRUTH!

In this episode, I'll focus on what happens immediately after Charlotte, the main character, and her cousin Kai, accidentally hit something on a creepy Florida backroad during a drive to her grandmother's post-funeral luncheon...Southerners call it a repast. 😌

Anyway, having no idea what she hit, Charlotte comes to a stop near a home with a very unsettling atmosphere.

I'll read a bit of what happens after Charlotte gets out of her car, against Kai’s advice, to check her tire. Although she contemplates approaching the house to ask for assistance, Charlotte notes her menacing surroundings and decides against it.

Moments later, she is accused of an 'unforgivable' act.

Last Stop on Route 9 was originally published in Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery, edited by Christopher Golden. (2019)


Links to Tananarive Due:

Find Tananarive Due at her Medium Blog

Here's a link to her books on ⁠Goodreads⁠

(****I do not receive any compensation for referrals of any kind; if I ever do, I'll let you know upfront****)


Links to my post on Medium and Contact Information

⁠Tales from The Porch: A Southern Tradition⁠

Instagram: ⁠@the_southern_witching_hour⁠

email: gwin@thesouthernwitchinghour.com

 

 



May 06, 202310:05
A Grave Encounter: The Four Legged Cemetery Ghoul (A True Story)
Apr 29, 202305:20
Southern Lore: The Moon, Love and Money
Apr 27, 202314:52
Southern Signs and Omens: Living In Tune with The Natural World
Apr 26, 202312:37
Southern Supernatural Storytelling

Southern Supernatural Storytelling

Today’s topic is  Supernatural Storytelling in Southern Culture

In this episode, I give you a quick overview of the topic, followed by an invitation to go out on the porch and talk about it.

Overview on Supernatural Storytelling in the South:

Supernatural storytelling has always been a part of Southern culture since the earliest days of its settlement. The Southern U.S. has a rich tradition of supernatural storytelling largely due to its diverse spiritual, cultural and racial makeup.

Bearing this in mind, one of the unique qualities of this form of storytelling is its blending of African, European and Native American spiritual and religious influences.  

In the South, stories that revolve around supernatural beings and events and are often used to explain the unexplainable or teach moral lessons. Cautionary tales, and stories involving ghosts, witches and demons, are nearly always woven into a good Southern yarn.

Please stick around for our chat on the porch!

That's where I tell you about my Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts in Alabama.

Warning, incoming trivia alert!

Do you remember Prince Albert cigarettes in the red tin can? The Lawrence Welk Show ? Hee-Haw? How about Roy Clark? You probably have to be a Gen-Xer or Boomer to remember this stuff!

Yessir! I talk about all of these things on the porch.

Oh, I also share a true spooky story that my Granddaddy used to tell.

 



Apr 24, 202317:35
Welcome To The Southern Witching Hour Podcast!

Welcome To The Southern Witching Hour Podcast!

My name is Gwin, aka, LadyG, and this episode contains a brief overview of The Southern Witching Hour Podcast. The main goal of this podcast is to celebrate Southern supernatural storytelling, customs, traditions and more!

Apr 23, 202302:11