Show Notes
On the darkest night of the year, when the world is cold and the sun only peeks out for a few short hours every day, we all need something to lift our spirits. In ancient times, this liminal period between the waning sun and the waxing sun was seen as a time of magic and so in almost every culture, there are rituals and rites that invite the sun's return. The Slavic countries are no exception. Long before the advent of Christianity, we began to celebrate a special winter holiday filled with rituals to banish evil, invite abundance, and honor our ancestors. There was fun, feasting, dressing up, singing, dancing, and fortune-telling: the perfect activities to lift those long, dark night blues. In this episode, Madame Pamita covers all the unique and magical aspects of this very special time of year.
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The Molfar or Molfarka is a special magical practitioner of the Carpathian Mountains. It is said that they shape-shift, communicate with animals, create charms, cure diseases or even control the elements. There are good molfars and some not-so-good molfars - while some can get rid of curses or remove negative spells, others can inflict disaster on people, their livestock or their property. Who are these mysterious molfars and molfarkas? In this episode we'll explore the stories of the molfars and molfarkas, I'll teach you about the most famous molfar of recent times, and we'll learn about some of the magical talismans of the molfars and how they are used in magic.
Imagine walking through the fields at high noon during the heat of late summer. You might feel exhausted by temperature and the sun beating down on you, but, if you are in Slavic lands, the heat might be the least of your problems if you encounter the Poludnytsia. The Poludnytsia is the guardian of the fields and crops - a young woman with golden hair dressed in white clothing, wandering the fields at the noon hour during the late summer harvest time. It is said that if you meet her, she will ask you confusing questions and if you can't answer them, she will kill you. But is she really a murderous monster or is she something more? In this episode, Madame Pamita tells you all about the Poludnytsia and the magic that she makes in the fields, how to avoid her wrath and even give you a guided visualization at the end where you can meet her safely in your mind's eye.
There's an old Ukrainian saying, "Where there is bread-salt-porridge, there is our home." In Ukrainian culture, khlib-sil', bread and salt, are not just food, they are powerful items filled with rich symbolism, deep history and potent positive magic. Bread is the sacred gift of grain from our Mother Earth, our Maty Zemlya, and salt is that once-rare seasoning that gives flavor to life. Bread and salt are honored in song and sworn upon when making agreements. They are included in rituals for the construction of a new home, for marriage, for welcoming newborns, and for seeing loved ones off to the afterlife. And for Ukrainians, who are famous for their hospitality, bread and salt are the stars of the show when it comes to welcoming guests. In this episode, Madame Pamita discusses the presentation of bread and salt and some of the many magical rituals that include this dynamic duo.
The word rushnyk translates as "towel" but a rushnyk is not a mere rag to dry our hands – a rushnyk is an embroidered talismanic cloth used for empowering us throughout our lives. These intricately woven or embroidered cloths protect and bless us from birth to death and every major life event in between. They are used to bless the bread and salt that we offer honored guests, they are used in ritual and they hang above the sacred icons in the holy corner of our homes. In this episode, Madame Pamita will take you on a journey to discover the magic of these beautiful talismans, tell you how the rushnyk was used in ceremonies of the past, and teach you how you can use one in your own magic today.
Summer's here and the time is right... for getting up before dawn to pick herbs, making flower crowns and floating them on the water to see how your love life will go, jumping over bonfires with your sweetie, and midnight searches for the elusive Fern Flower... yes, we are talking about the slavic midsummer holiday of Kupala! Kupala, or Ivana Kupala, is an ancient pagan holiday of the marriage of fire and water that has existed for hundreds and hundreds of years in many Slavic countries, including Ukraine. In this special episode, Ukrainian healer Tania Andreshko, the author of the Flower of the Magic Fern Ukrainian tarot, will be joining Madame Pamita for a very special episode where we will discuss this magical holiday. So join them to celebrate the sun, the water, the fire and magic on this special day.