Balancing Magic and Modern Life with Dave Gaddy

Discover the magic of authenticity in witchcraft with our special guest, Dave Gaddy, an author and practicing witch from Georgia. Dave offers a fascinating glimpse into his eclectic mix of folk magic, traditionalism, and animism, deeply rooted in nature and ancestral connections. He shares captivating stories about his family's rich witchcraft traditions, particularly the Appalachian and Gullah cultures, and the influence of his grandmother. Learn about his daily rituals and the meaningful items on his altar that help him connect with ancestral spirits.

Dave opens up about the challenges of balancing time and battling imposter syndrome within personal practice. He talks about the importance of authenticity and self-acceptance and why witchcraft isn't a competition but a celebration of individual paths. Reflect on the evolution of witchcraft practices, including moving away from hexing in anger to adopting more positive approaches. Gain insights into the flexibility of modern witchcraft, where diverse influences and practices enrich one's craft.

Find inspiration in Dave's journey through pivotal life decisions and the transformative power of pursuing one's passions. He shares techniques for overcoming creative slumps, like the rejuvenating practice of "forest bathing." This episode also tackles the crucial topic of mental health within the witch and pagan communities, advocating for openness and support networks. Embrace the power of vulnerability and authenticity, and challenge the notion of perfection in your magical and everyday life.

Follow Dave here: instagram.com/weathered_wiseman_real

Chapters

• 0:04 Witchcraft and Authenticity
• 15:20 The Essence of Authentic Witchcraft
• 26:38 Navigating Life Changes and Mental Health
• 45:13 Connecting With Your Average Witch

Transcript

Kim Host

00:04

Welcome back to your Average Witch, where every Tuesday, we talk about witch life, witch stories and sometimes a little witchcraft. Your Average Witch is brought to you by Crepuscular Conjuration and by supporters like you. If you'd like to know more behind-the-scenes info, or if you're just looking for a fun witchy community, come join us in Hive House! We post silly memes, share recipes, talk about our day and, of course, talk about witchcraft. Just go to facebook.com/groups/hivehouse and join up. Be sure you answer the questions so I don't think you're a bot or a scammer, but if you put something nuts that makes me laugh a lot, I will like you more for it. Using your imagination is a plus. This is also a private group, so if you need to stay in the broom closet and don't want other friends or relatives to see your comments, we will help you keep it that way. 

01:13

This week I'm talking with Dave Gaddy, an author and witch in Georgia. Dave talked about why authenticity is more important than power, told a cautionary tale about a candle, and talked about the wheel of the year. Now let's get to the stories. Hi, Dave, welcome to the show.

Dave 01:28

 Hi, how are you doing, Kim? 

KimHost

01:31

I am great. How are you? 

DaveGuest

01:34

I'm doing great here. 

KimHost

01:35

Good, can you please introduce yourself and let everybody know who you are and what you do and where they can find you.

DaveGuest

01:42

Sure, my name's Dave Gaddy. Online I go under Dave Gaddy and the Weathered Wise man, I'm on Facebook under the Weathered Wise man and on Instagram under @weathered_wiseman_real, and I am in the process of putting together a website and my preferred pronouns are he, him, so and I'm not going to jump you to get that, get that incorrect or wrong and I have just published my first book. It's called the Simple Magic of Wild Things. 

KimHost

02:27

Cool. What does it mean to you when you call yourself a witch? If you do?

DaveGuest

02:33

Actually I do call myself a witch. I use an old spelling, it's W-Y-T-C-H. People are like well, what significance does that have? I just like it. I'm not one of those that's going to gatekeep everything or argue semantics or anything like that. To me, being a witch is just living a magical life, just to be honest, and that can encompass so many different things. In my practice it involves a lot of nature and spending time in nature and animals and acknowledging the spirit of everything, and my practice very much involves animism. So that's pretty much basically what I see myself as. As a witch, my practice is an eclectic mix of folk magic and traditionalism and things like that, so I'm not one that gets hung up on a lot of rules. 

KimHost

03:33

Would you say you have any family history with witchcraft? 

DaveGuest

03:37

Oh yeah, um, it starts with my grandma. Well, let's say that that's the latest one. Just simply because a lot of things were done, either out of superstition, she used a lot of what I've heard called granny magic just because the area that we grew up in is in rural North Carolina so Appalachians, the Appalachian influence is heavy there. So a lot of things that she would talk about, you get Appalachian magic, you get a mix of Gullah, because we were close to the South Carolina coast, so a lot of times you'd hear her talking about Haints and things like that. So we would get a lot of stories growing up about the Booger Woods. That's one of the areas I talk about in my book and it even goes back as far as when I was doing some research. I haven't put all the dots together yet, but there are Gowdies in my lineage, as in Isobel, and they are from the Aldern area, which is where she's from. But, like I said, I haven't been able to put that one final piece in there. 

KimHost

05:02

Can you introduce us to your practice, like any consistent things that you do that you'll share?

DaveGuest

05:07

Oh sure, a big part of my practice is ancestral work. I'm just one of those that believes that if you're going to try and deal with anything, that the little family treasures that are passed down go straight to the horse's mouth. So my altar is set up with pictures of relatives, things like that, things that mean things Like my grandmother. Her nickname growing up was Dobby, because they said she was shaped like a dirt dauber, and so one of the items on my altar is a dirt dauber's nest. 

KimHost

05:41

I mean, isn't it kind of nice? Well, a wasp waist is desirable right. 

DaveGuest

05:46

Exactly, exactly, and that's just it. I use a lot of things like that, like I've got a mirror that belonged to a great grandmother, and I've got a book that was passed down, so little things like that I put on my altar, and that's my way of engaging them and working with them on a regular basis. And I'm not one that just does ancestral work on the major Sabbats or whatever you would call it. I believe that you have to engage them every day. 

KimHost

06:19

I suck at that. 

DaveGuest

06:22

Well, and that's just it. Each of our practices are going to be different. I mean, that may be something that is a big part of my practice, but may not be so huge for you it probably should be, but it isn't, well, and that's like I said. That's where we're different. And and like for me, one of the big things for me is I have to get out. We have a set of woods back behind behind the condo, and I have to go out there every so often just to kind of get that cleanse, that grounded feeling, just because when you're a city witch you just don't get that opportunity that much. 

KimHost

07:01

Well, I'm glad to say I don't know what that's like. I’d miss living in the country a lot. 

DaveGuest

07:08

Being in the city was a huge wake-up call for me. Just because I was used to having woods back behind me, ponds, land, you name it, and then I moved into the city and it's just like buildings and cement. 

KimHost

07:25

I miss woods and ponds a lot.

DaveGuest

07:27

Well, like I said, that's the benefit. Behind the condos there's a little section of woods and not many people go out there, so I don't feel like I have to hide anything, I don't feel like I have to sneak around, so I just head out there when I need to. 

KimHost

07:44

That's nice. Would you say witchcraft has changed your life?

DaveGuest

07:51

I don't know that it's been, that it's something that's changed my life  as much as just added to it, just simply because I've always identified that way. So it's more of a progression than like aha moments, if that makes sense. It's kind of like learning to lean into the practice. 

KimHost

08:17

That makes sense. 

DaveGuest

08:18

Yeah, like one of the things I used to do is I worked as a vet assistant and one of the things that I learned about the breed of dog called Great Danes is they like to lean. So when you're there, you just have to kind of brace yourself and prepare for the lean. And that's the way I've kind of done with witchcraft in general. Just brace yourself and prepare for the lean.

KimHost

08:44

Huh, I think if I compared my practice to my dog who is at least half great dane it would go bad because he's a goober. 

Dave 

08:52 Well, and that's funny, because my one dog that essentially accompanied me on any kind of little magical adventure was a chihuahua and he was so not like a typical chihuahua. He was easy going, he didn't have any enemies, just chill. My dad used to call him a mini german shepherd.

Kim: 

09:23

So he wasn't a vibrating ball of mad. 

Dave:

09:30

Nope, not at all, not one bit. I mean, as long as somebody was petting him or holding him, he was fine. He didn't care who and that was just. That was his nature. 

Kim:

09:35

My husband has a little Chihuahua poodle mix. 

DaveGuest

09:47

It's like that and that's why you can't tell me that it's in the nature of the dog. I believe it's in the way they're brought up and the way they're. I mean, he was essentially raised by a cat. 

KimHost

09:59

We got Smalls off the street. Nobody knows what he was raised by.

DaveGuest

10:15

Exactly.

Kim:

10:22

What's the biggest motivator in your practice and has it changed since you first started? 

Dave

10:28

I think the the the first attraction, and I think that as you grow in your practice, that that becomes less important and it becomes more about just being authentic. Living that magical life, whatever your definition of that, is living by intention. I know that we talk about intention and manifestation in the craft a lot. It's become more of a well as long as you have, of a well as long as you have the intention. As long as you have the intention, well, you have to live your life that way too, and I think that that's been a bleed over into my life as far as learning to walk my path. Not just a magical path, but my life path, with a little bit more intention. And I think that's what drove me to write the book to begin with, was just learning that everybody's voice needs to be heard and everybody's got something important to say. And the intention of the book is to give that voice to those. And I talk a lot about my ancestors and my kinfolk in the book is to give voice to those who've gone on before. 

KimHost

12:00

Speaking of books, what's on it? What's going on with your second book?

DaveGuest

12:05

This is something that's brand new. It's essentially going to be, the working title right now is Be the Witch That You Are, Embracing Your Magic.

Kim:

12:16

Oh oh, I like that.

Dave 

12:16

Yeah. So it's a continuation of The Simple Magic of Wild Things, with a little bit more bite and a little bit more edge to it. My mentor, Cindy Maluna, who passed away a couple of years ago, that was one of the phrases that she used a lot. Be the witch that you are, stop the whining, stop the pissing and moaning, just be who you are. And she was really big on being genuine. I mean, in this day and age, we've got too many personas. 

KimHost

12:49

Yeah. 

DaveGuest

12:51

And a lot of people are hiding behind masks and I'm pretty much who I am. The accent, the way I live my life, I mean what you see, is what you get. The way I live my life, I mean what you see, is what you get. 

KimHost

13:07

Hopefully I am too. When people meet me, I hope they're like oh, you really are like that. 

DaveGuest

13:14

Well, it's just like a friend of mine was doing a review of the book and the first chapter. When he was reading the little quote about being deep fried and dirt grown, he's like, oh my gosh, that is so you. He's like I can so hear you saying that.

Kim:

13:30

 I do like it 

Dave

13:36

Well, thank you. 

KimHost

13:41

What would you say is your biggest struggle when it comes to witchcraft? 

DaveGuest

13:45

Oh gosh.Time. Yeah. I mean honestly, when you work a full-time job, when you're trying to write books and being on podcast and everything in between, the time. I mean you have to consciously make an effort to do what needs to be done. And if that's at midnight after everybody's gone to bed, or going outside on the patio during the full moon so that you don't smoke up the house, I mean you just do what you have to do and, yeah, you can tell I've done that. 

KimHost

14:22

Especially if you've got one of those wired-in smoke detectors. Oh, yes. And you think I'll get up. Either stay up really late or get up really early and your partner's asleep because they got to go to work the next day, and then suddenly the entire house is just really loud. And then they come out mad. 

DaveGuest

14:41

Well, my big thing is the last time I tried to do something inside, I didn't count on the candle being as smoky as it was going to get, and I mean it just smoked up the whole freaking living room. 

KimHost

14:54

Was it a dollar store seven day candle?

Dave

15:10 No, it was actually a hag torch and I should have automatically assumed that it was going to smoke. That I don't think I would do that Exactly. Well, I won't again, but yeah, it's a matter of learning. The biggest challenge for me is time in general. 

KimHost

15:24

Yeah, yeah, do you feel like you have imposter syndrome about your practice? 

DaveGuest

15:31

Oh yeah, I think everybody deals with that. I mean, that's why I really, that's why I really concentrate on being as authentic as possible, just because, if you are who you are, nobody can call you on it. Yeah, I mean, I'm not one of those that's going to go out and say, well, this is what I do and just try to be all woo woo and all that stuff. We all have our rules. Exactly, we all have our woo woo moments. We all have those moments when we do something that people would think we're batshit crazy. But I mean, like I said, I try to be as genuine as I can be. Like when I do the conferences. I'm no different there than I would be if I were in my condo. I may be a little bit more mannerly but and not rough as a cob. 

KimHost

16:35

I'll wear pants and a bra. 

DaveGuest

16:38

Exactly. Well, I won't wear the bra, but I'll put on pants and I'll at least put on a decent shirt. 

KimHost

16:43

Nobody should ever wear a damn bra. 

DaveGuest

16:47

Yeah, I'm not going to argue with you on that one.

Kim:

16:50

What brings you the most joy in your practice?

Dave

16:55

Oh god, seeing everybody, seeing other people succeed, seeing other people have aha moments.

Kim:

17:00

That's so nice! I don't think anybody's said that before.

Dave

17:15

But well, you know the thing is, life's too competitive as it is. I'm not out to compete with anybody. I want to see you win as much as I want to see myself win.

Kim: 

17:19

I love that meme that says I want all of us to win. 

Dave

17:22

It's not, exactly and that's just it. Witchcraft is not a competition, I don't care, it's just like, for I don't know. If you know my history, I was a minister in the United Methodist, in the Assemblies of God Church, and even in those Denominations. In that religion there's so much competition. Oh, I want to be a better minister than you. I want to be able to preach and be a more dynamic speaker. I don't care, I mean, I teach courses because of things that I've learned over the years. I don't teach them for the recognition it's going to happen, but I want to pass along some wisdom so that you don't have to work as hard as I did to get it. And it's the same thing with seeing each other succeed. One of the chapters in the book is called the Magic of Encouragement. 

Kim:

18:21

That's nice. 

Dave

18:25

I just don't see a need to try to sabotage other people's craft or to gatekeep or to tell them they're doing it wrong or this, that and the other, each person, your practice is going to be as individual and as you, as your life, and for me to tell you you're doing it wrong indicates I have something that you don't, and I'm sorry. We're all special. I'm not that special. 

KimHost

18:57

What is something you did early on in your practice that you don't do anymore, and why don't you do it? 

DaveGuest

19:04

Oh gosh 10-0 to Hex. I mean, trust me, I'll put somebody in a jar in a hot minute, but I just found out that working witchcraft out of anger doesn't accomplish much. I mean, one of the best things I think you can tell somebody is have the day you deserve. 

KimHost

19:29

Exactly, exactly, exactly!

. 

DaveGuest

19:32

That is what I say, let karma sort it out and, like I said, I just I tend not to do it really at all. Like I said, I'll put somebody in a jar just to get them out of my way, but that's about it. 

KimHost

19:53

Yeah, I don't have a problem with doing it, but I haven't really. I mean, there's so many other things I can do.

Dave

19:57

 Exactly. There are other ways to approach a situation. The biggest one is, if I have a problem with somebody, cut them out. 

KimHost

20:03

Exactly. I got that INFJ door slam.

Dave

20:10

Exactly. I'm not going to put myself through something I don't need to put myself through. It's like Facebook, block and move on.

Kim:

20:18

Exactly. What is your favorite tool, and it does not have to be a physical object. 

DaveGuest

20:27

Oh gosh, I'm actually going to say myself, because I feel like without me, the magic just isn't going to do anything. 

KimHost

20:48

I agree with that. 

DaveGuest

20:52

I mean I can tell you I have a favorite wand or this, that and the other. We all have our favorite tools that we use. But the biggest part of magic I mean you don't have to have tools I mean you're the biggest part of it. 

KimHost

21:08

Do you have a wand? 

DaveGuest

21:10

Oh yeah, I've got several, I've got lots and I make them. 

KimHost

21:16

That's not something I would think would be in a… Well. Okay, I'm projecting a little bit. I'm assuming you do Appalachian folk style magic. 

DaveGuest

21:26

I do, but I also dabble in traditional witchcraft. 

Kim

21:30

That makes sense.

Dave

21:33

So many different areas. Folk style magic I do, but I also dabble in traditional witchcraft. That makes sense, so many different areas. So, like I said, I'm not bound by one particular teaching. I mean, it's just my friends that are Wiccan. I'm not Wiccan. Do I incorporate some of it? Yeah, sure. I'm not, I don't know if it's the right term, I'm not a Satanist, so, but do I incorporate some of that practice? Sure, I mean, just because you always, there's always that form of the devil in the craft. But with the different pieces of the practices that I've incorporated, I've also incorporated using some of those tools. 

KimHost

22:19

Do you follow the wheel of the year? 

DaveGuest

22:23

I do, but not religiously. 

KimHost

22:26

Do you make up your own? 

DaveGuest

22:29

Sometimes; it just depends on my mood. Honestly, I mean I'll go by the seasons more than anything. I do a lot of seasonal magic: spring, summer, fall, winter. Fall and winter are my favorite times. 

KimHost

22:46

I was going to ask what's your favorite. 

DaveGuest

22:48

And see, I'm really weird because one of my absolute favorite holidays or Sabbats is Ostara, but I'm more of a fall person. 

KimHost

23:04

Oh, what makes it your favorite? 

DaveGuest

23:05

I think it falls back into the history of the church Because when I was in the church, easter was always that time of new beginnings and the time of growth and rebirth. So I still see Ostara as the same way and it's a starting time. It's a time for renewal and time for change and things like that, and I'm one of those people that I'm not crazy about change. I've learned to deal with it better over the years. To say I'm old and set in my ways is one way of putting it. But that's also how I see fall. I see it as a time of transition, a time of change, a time of rebirth. So to me, Ostara and Samhain fall together pretty much. But I also love the quiet of winter when everything sow and fall together pretty much. But I also love the quiet of winter when everything is essentially dead and getting its bearings back for the rebirth. 

KimHost

24:26

Okay, I have a question that is only vaguely related to what we're talking about as far as witchcraft goes. So it sounds like, and it's not just you, because I hear everyone doing it. You consider spring and fall to be transition periods, but the actual thing that is happening, that is, transitioning to and from, is summer and winter. That's weird that we do that.  And they're the same length, sort of that it's not a known thing. It’s like oh, this is an in-between period. That’s weird.

DaveGuest

24:56

Well, and with me being being in the south, summer has never and will never be my favorite season. It's hot, it's sticky, it's moist, it's nasty. It's just never going to be my favorite season in the South. So I'm more and when I say spring, I'm more about that transitional time when there's still that bite in the air as far as when things, I like it, when things bloom, but that's not the be all end all for me. It's more about feeling that change from the cold dead of winter into that brisk feeling in the mornings of spring, that tween time, I guess you'd say. And it's the same thing for fall, when you start, when you feel and smell that burst, yeah, when you can smell the leaves starting to decay. 

KimHost

26:05

Yeah, I do miss that smell. We have completely different seasons here, so it's like I'm on a different planet. 

DaveGuest

26:14

Well, and growing up in the South, people are like oh, I love the smell of fresh mown grass. No, because I was the one out mowing it. Oh no, in the dead of summer. No, I don't like the smell of fresh mown grass. 

KimHost

26:38

Can you pick out one decision that you've made in your life that changed the direction of it? 

Dave

26:42

I would say the decision to move to Atlanta? Probably yeah, because at that point well, I don't know right out of high school I left and went to New York city. That it kind of, yeah, I wanted to be an actor, so I just hop, hop the bus and went. 

KimHost

27:07

People who do that baffle me. 

DaveGuest

27:11

I would say mine. Mine isn't necessarily one decision, it's a whole lot of gradually than suddenlies. Like my life would take, like I'm working on a particular venture and things are gradually taking shape and then suddenly boom, there it is. 

KimHost

27:39

The glass of water overflowed. 

DaveGuest

27:41

Yes, exactly, and that's the way it was right in the book. I never thought that anybody would want to hear what I have to say, and that's the first thing I had to get over. So I started blogging at first and I realized people were listening. So the gradually became a suddenly and boom, here's a book. 

KimHost

28:04

Cool. How do you pull yourself out of a magical slump? 

DaveGuest

28:14

Getting lost in nature and that's pretty much the only way, Just because I feel like magical slumps, I feel like come because we get overwhelmed with everything around us. Come because we get overwhelmed with everything around us and I find that in those moments is when we have to kind of stop, separate, do what we need to, to kind of get back into that focus. Whether you call it grounding or whatever you call it, it's that separation time and think about it. As humans we have to have that time by ourselves. I mean, it can be harder to do in the city, especially if you have a house full of people. It can be harder to do, but there are ways that you can do it. But it’s just a matter of getting back to yourself, and we’re supposed to.

KimHost

29:14

I like the Japanese idea of forest bathing, and the fact that the terpenes and the plants happen mostly at the height that most human beings' heads are is so weird to me, but also cool.

DaveGuest

29:42

Mm-hmm, Well, and that's just like I mean when I go out into the woods here, I mean there's so many different things and I see something different every time I go out there. Um, like, one of the things that I've been noticing a lot is we have a lot of toadwort around here. I think they call it, I think the technical name is Trillium, but it's all through the woods and the funny thing about that is is if you move it from where it is, it will die, but if you let it stay where it is, it'll flower, it'll come back, and I think we're kind of the same way. We have to bloom where we're planted, so to speak. Yeah, and it's about learning, learning ways to to do what needs to be done wherever you're at. Like I said, being in the city is a lot different from when I lived back home. In North Carolina I could go out my back door and be in the woods and, two seconds, sit by the pond, go out into the little barn back behind the house, things like that. I mean everywhere around me there were animals. I mean we had goats, chickens, cows, I can't think of anything we didn't have at one point, but that was all right. In my backyard here not so much. I mean here you get a stray possum, stray cats, things like that, but nothing. I mean I've seen fox out there, but lots of squirrels, chipmunks and even the crow that I talk about in the book. 

KimHost

31:36

I miss crows too. I don't really see them. There aren't crows here. 

DaveGuest

31:40

Oh, there are a ton here. 

KimHost

31:43

I like that, I mean I know it's annoying if you have to deal with it every day, but I like hearing them yell about it? 

DaveGuest

31:48

Yeah, it's not. They stay high enough in the trees that it's really not something that would irritate somebody too badly. 

KimHost

32:00

What's something you wish was discussed more in the witch community?

DaveGuest

32:04

Mental health. I feel like we try to magic things away when it comes to that, and we've got a lot of people that struggle with depression, suicide, you name it, and it's kind of like that elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about, and I'm seeing more of a willingness to discuss that now. But I just feel like, and this is the case with all religions. We just tend to try to sweep it under the rug and act like it didn't happen and act like we're all healthy, happy, never have any issues. But I feel like if people would talk about more of what they are dealing with, that some good dialogue could be put into place to get some help out there for people, especially within the pagan community. One of the things I spoke at Sacred Spaces back Easter this year and the class that I taught was using ancestor magic to navigate their trauma, and one of the things that was talked about is they're in the process of putting together a pagan support network for mental health and I think that they're looking at the East Coast for now. But I'm curious to hear more about that for now. 

KimHost

33:38

I saw I mean relatively recently, it wasn't super recently that there was a kind of like a 12 step program that was pagan based instead of Bible. I like that a lot. 

DaveGuest

33:51

I've seen several of those happening lately. 

KimHost

33:54

Good. 

DaveGuest

33:58

But yeah, it's time to get the pagan community. We've got to start taking away the mask. I mean, just, it's okay to be vulnerable, it's okay to not be perfect, and I think that there are so many in the witchcraft in the pagan community that are so scared to to show that they aren't perfect. I never have been, never will be. 

KimHost

34:33

Who is?

Dave

34:35

Exactly.

Kim:

34:37

Think about the three biggest influences on your practice, whether it's a person, or a book, or a theory, scientific theory, whatever a song, thank them for the influence they have. Thank them for the influence they have.

Dave

34:50

 Oh gosh, that's pretty easy. Honestly, the biggest influence was my mentor, Cindy Maluna. She encompassed everything that when I think of witchcraft, she's who I think of. She would be the Wikipedia picture, just because she was strong, but she was vulnerable. She was magical, but she wasn't so magically minded that she was no earthly good. That's an old phrase from the church. So heavenly minded that you're no earthly good. That's an old phrase from the church. So heavenly minded that you're no earthly good. 

KimHost

35:39

Oh, it sounds very Southern to me. 

DaveGuest

35:42

It is. It is very Southern, but yeah, she was the one that I mean she's like just be yourself. Just people adapt. I mean, if they don't like you, they don't like you. Just be yourself, People adapt. If they don't like you, they don't like you Big deal. She was one influence. Another was, oh my gosh, if I start naming books, Keldon's book the Crooked Path was huge. Anything by Jim McGarry Gosh, so many things, so many books. Honestly, Even some of the Scott Cunningham books from way back. But most of my influence does come through people. With the mentorship with Cindy, we had a small circle of friends that we I mean we kept keep in touch still, and those people were the ones that we bounced ideas off of, we talked about struggles and things like that. So I would say mostly people. 

KimHost

37:07

Do you have any advice for new witches? 

DaveGuest

37:12

Oh yeah, it's all through my book, and that's part of why I wrote what I did, because it's stuff that new witches can use as well as seasoned witches. The first one is find your passion. Find your passion, read, read, read, read, read. You don't have to settle on one path. You're only limited by yourself. I guess the biggest thing would be go in with your eyes wide open and just learn as much as you can learn. 

KimHost

38:04

Now that you've seen what it's like to talk to me, and seen the questions. Who do you think I should have on the show? Who would you find entertaining? 

DaveGuest

38:15

Nathan Hall's a good one, and these are people that I've worked with. I don't know if you've ever heard of Brett Hollyhead. He's out of the UK. Him and his partner, moss Mathy are wonderful. Adam Conjure or I'm trying to think he's on Facebook. He actually has a shop called. I want to say it's Adam Darkly. 

KimHost

38:59

Is there anything else you wanted to bring up, anything happening with you, or did you have any questions for me? 

DaveGuest

39:07

I will be at Mystic South the end of July, which is here in Atlanta, and I'll be teaching the class on using ancestor magic to navigate through trauma. I have several podcasts coming up. I work with the storybook podcast on a regular basis and I will be releasing my second book in the summer of 2025. Yay, and I will be releasing my second book in the summer of 2025. 

KimHost

39:35

Yay, so the last two things I ask of guests are thing number one please recommend something to the listeners. It doesn't have to be related to your practice or witchcraft at all. Just whatever you are into this week, recommend it.

DaveGuest

39:53

Oh my gosh, oh have mercy. 

KimHost

39:59

I have an example. 

DaveGuest

40:00

Okay. 

KimHost

40:01

Wienerschnitzel has this chili dog called a Junkyard Dog and it has french fries and cheese on it and you should go get it. 

DaveGuest

40:09

Oh my gosh, I don't think we have one of those here. 

KimHost

40:13

Just throw some chilis, throw some french fries on your chili dog. 

DaveGuest

40:18

Sounds good to me. Trying to think, if there's anything that I've been really into lately, the one thing that I would tell people is try to get out there and try to create something. I mean, whether it be trying to draw paint, whatever, it doesn't have to be pretty, just do it. 

KimHost

40:41

That's a good one, Okay. The last thing is please tell me a story. 

DaveGuest

40:50

Oh my gosh, now you're asking an old Southern man to tell you a story. This could go on for hours. 

KimHost

40:57

I'm excited. 

DaveGuest

41:00

I'll tell you the story of the booger woods. 

KimHost

41:03

Okay. 

DaveGuest

41:04

Back when we were kids, my grandmother used to love to. I mean, she would tell stories. Most of the time I think she just liked to scare the shit out of us. But she would tell us the story of the booger. I think she just liked to scare the shit out of us. She would tell us the story of the booger woods, her and her little brother. There was this patch of woods not far from where they lived. The kids were always told don't go near the booger woods. 

41:25

There was a headless hog that would chase you through those woods. Oh Jesus, her and her brother were at the edge of the woods and they needed to get home and the only options were going around them or going through them. Her little brother thought that he was bigger than anybody else, so he decided he was going to go through them. She's like, okay, I'm not going through them, I'm going to go around them. So her little brother, Bobby, Bobby, went on through the woods and she's like she could hear all these noises coming through. She could hear breathing and running and all kinds of stuff and screaming. So she got to the other side and he was already there, out of breath, looked like he'd seen a ghost said this headless hog had chased him through the woods and he could feel the breath on the back of his neck. 

42:18

And of course, me being the little instigator I was, I was like, so how's he going to feel breath of a headless hog? And she would tell us about how. He said that the eyes of the hog glowed. And again I'd be like, okay, so tell me how this headless hog had eyes that glowed. And of course, that point I'd be like, okay, so tell me how this headless hog had eyes that glowed. And of course, at that point I'd be like you, little shit, just hush and listen. Yeah, but I tried my best to get her to show me where those booger woods were and she never would do it. So that's something that went with her to her grave and nobody else seems to where they are, and all of her brothers and sisters are gone too, so I guess I'll never get to experience the booger woods. Unless I just, I'll poke it with a stick, and if there's someone rowdy, I will poke it with a stick you go ahead. and I can still hear my grandma. Now, if you go, get eaten by a headless hog, don't come whining to me. how's the headless hog gonna eat me with his head gone? And again she'd say you little shit, quit asking questions. 

KimHost

43:41

Well, thank you so much for being on the show. 

DaveGuest

43:46

Thank you for having me. 

KimHost

43:47

And for telling stories. So everybody, be sure to go down and in the show notes and check out the links and I will see you. I actually talked to you on Facebook, exactly, although I did just follow you on Instagram. Go talk to us on the internet, okay, bye! Dave. 

DaveGuest

44:09

Yes. 

KimHost

44:10

Welcome to Hive House. 

DaveGuest

44:13

Well, thank you. 

KimHost

44:17

I have some cards Say when when. 

44:25

To hear more of the Members Only episode, head over to crepuscularconjuration.com. The Monthly Magic tier will give you access to the Monthly Magic Marco Polo group, the private Facebook group, and access to the written monthly spells. There's also Crepuscular Conjurations, giving you bonus podcast episodes, coloring pages, guided meditations, spell crafting videos, printable downloads and a lot more. The free Witchy Wonderment level will give you a little sample of everything I just mentioned. You can also visit my shop, Clever Kim's Curios, to get spell boxes one at a time or by monthly subscription, intentional handcrafted jewelry that I make especially for witches, and handmade altar tools. You can even listen to the full Your Average Witch podcast library, including show notes and transcripts. Check it out at crepuscularconjuration.com. 

45:13

Thanks for listening to this episode of your Average Witch. You can find us all around the internet on Instagram @youraveragewitchpodcast, facebook.com/groups/hivehouse, at www.youraveragewitch.com, and at your favorite podcast service. If you'd like to recommend someone for the podcast, like to be on it yourself, or if you'd like to advertise on the podcast, send an email to YourAverageWitchPodcast at gmailcom. Thanks for listening and I'll see you next Tuesday.