Season of the Witch – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to this week’s episode of Season of the Witch with Rowan Oaken, where we're getting real about healing the inner teen. After a brief hiatus due to personal loss I’m back, and it feels fitting to dive into something personal!

This episode isn't just about looking back at our teenage selves with a mix of nostalgia and cringe; it's about understanding how those years have shaped us, acknowledging the pain, the confusion, and the moments of growth.

In the episode I will compare healing the inner child to healing the inner teen, discussing how these phases impact us differently. The inner teen phase, with its identity crises, first heartbreaks, and quests for independence, requires a unique approach to healing.

I’ll share some personal stories and explore signs that you might have unresolved issues from your teenage years and what you can do about it. From journaling reflective prompts like your relationship with authority or how peer pressure influenced you, to reconnecting with your teenage self through hobbies or music, we’re covering it all.

And, of course, we’ll get a little witchy with it. Expect a spell or two to help embrace and heal your inner teen.

If you’ve got thoughts, feelings, or just want to share your journey, hit me up on Instagram @SOTWWITHROWAN or shoot me an email at seasonofthewitchpodcast@gmail.com. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Stay witchy, bitchy, sassy, and classy.

As promised in the episode, here are the journal prompts:

Describing the Teenage Experience: What were your teen years like? Reflect on the general atmosphere of this time in your life, considering both the highs and the lows.

Safety and Support: In what ways did you not feel safe or supported as a teen? Consider emotional, physical, and intellectual aspects.

Coping Mechanisms: How did you handle your feelings about not feeling safe or supported? Reflect on both healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms you might have adopted.

False Self: What kind of "false self" did you have to develop as a result of your experiences? How did you present yourself to the world to protect your true feelings or to fit in?

Relationship with Your Mother: What was your relationship with your mother (or primary caregiver) during your teen years? Consider both the positive aspects and the challenges.

Influence of Peers: How did your friendships and peer relationships influence your perception of yourself during your teenage years?

Dreams and Aspirations: What dreams or aspirations did you have as a teenager? Reflect on how these have changed or evolved over time.

Inner Teenager in Adulthood: How is your inner teenager showing up in your life right now as an adult? Consider behaviors, reactions, fears, and dreams.

Unmet Needs: What were the unmet needs of your teenage self? Reflect on emotional, physical, and social needs that were not addressed or fulfilled.

Messages Received: What messages did you receive about your worth, your body, and your capabilities as a teen? How have these messages influenced your self-perception?

Regrets and Forgiveness: Are there things you regret doing or not doing during your teen years? Explore the possibility of forgiving yourself and others.

Lessons Learned: What important lessons did you learn during your teenage years? Consider how these lessons have shaped your adult life.

Expression of Emotions: How did you express or suppress your emotions as a teenager? Reflect on the outlets you had or wished you had for emotional expression.

Changes in Beliefs: How have your beliefs (about yourself, others, and the world) changed since your teen years?

Letter to Your Teenage Self: Write a letter to your teenage self. What would you want to tell her? What advice, comfort, or warnings might you offer?

Celebrating the Teenage Self: What aspects of your teenage self are you proud of? Reflect on the strengths and unique qualities you possessed, even in the midst of challenges.

Welcome to our next episode looking at ways to protect yourself over the holiday period.

Episode Dedication: HighlySensitiveSoulPodcast

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Enforced Fun: The Holiday Struggle

Now, onto the topic of enforced fun. Enforced fun is that special category of social events like birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and New Year's celebrations. These occasions demand not just your presence but also your participation in spreading joy, hugging, smiling, cheek kisses, laughter, and merriment. But let's be real; enforced fun isn't everyone's cup of tea. It might even make you sound like a Scrooge, but I have to admit, it's the one thing I dislike the most about the holiday season.

Identifying Enforced Fun

1. Your desire to attend: If you'd rather not be there, that's a clear indicator. We should normalize saying no to things that make us uncomfortable.

2. Pressure to attend: Are you being coerced into going? Is there social pressure or judgment for not participating?

3. Pre-planned: If it's an event that's meticulously planned weeks or months in advance, it's likely enforced fun.

4. Uncomfortable small talk: Is there a lot of small talk and repetitive questions? That's a classic sign.

5. Unwanted company: Are there people you'd rather avoid, like family members you don't get along with?

6. Lack of joy: Simply put, if it doesn't bring you joy, it's enforced fun.

Now that we've defined enforced fun, let's talk about how to navigate it, especially during the holiday season, in a way that's safe and respectful to yourself and others.

Navigating Enforced Fun: Strategies

1. Protection Magick: You can protect yourself with crystals like black tourmaline or obsidian. Visualize shields or barriers to block negative energy.

2. Find Joy: Even in uncomfortable situations, find something that interests you, like helping with jobs or wearing bright colors to lift your mood.

3. Set Boundaries: Clearly communicate your limits, like specifying the time you'll spend at the event or taking breaks for yourself.

4. Assertiveness: Be polite but firm when asserting your boundaries.

5. Grounding: Connect with the earth's energy to stay centered and calm.

6. Cleansing: Use herbs like sage or rosemary to cleanse your space before and after the event.

7. Shadow Work: Reflect on past events that triggered discomfort and work on healing your inner child.

Remember, enforcing boundaries and taking care of your mental well-being is essential during enforced fun events. It's not about being an butt hole, but rather ensuring you're in a healthy state of mind.

For more tips and discussions, follow us me Instagram @SOTWWITHROWAN, and don't hesitate to reach out at seasonofthewitchpodcast@gmail.com.

Come join the discussion this week where we differentiate the concepts of Karma and the Threefold Law which often get confused within the craft. Here we will be questioning the negative binarism of good and bad acts, pondering whether it is possible to pay off karmic debt and spilling all tea whilst reading the Wiccan Rede to filth. 

To continue the conversation you can: 

• email at seasonofthewitchpodcast@gmail.com
• get in touch with Rowan @sotwwithrowan on Instagram
• get in touch with Tess @theobscurawitch on Instagram

Join is in a new journey through what is the raw and unfiltered Season of the Witch - yes there was editing in previous episodes believe it or not! In this week's episode we talk about our return to the podcast and why there has been such a long summer hiatus. 

Despite being a recap and roundup episode we still find time talk about Samhain and the horrors that was Rowan's Halloween. We also spend some time to ponder the thin veil and question why it may be that there are some spirits that seem to just be unreachable. Then we finish our conversation to consider what it would be like to bring our new unfiltered and raw energy into our craft, under our new term 'Nuding the Craft', being authentically stripped and honest with your practice. Do let us know if you give any of the prompts a go yourself and we will catch up with you next time to see how we both got one. 

Stay sassy and classy. 

We’re back to talk witchy herbs in the second part of our foraging series, and this time we’re chatting about Borage, St. John’s Wort, Mugwort and Yarrow - all the sexy midsummer plants. Find out which ones are good for the SADs and which will make you trip balls in your dreams. For the first ten minutes of the episode, we have a little dive into the cesspit of our Saturn Returns, as we blame the planet for every difficult situation in the past 2-3 years of our lives. For the fans only, stick around after the episode for a wee bonus chat about weird British culture, we know you’re all here for the weird stuff. I should add also, thank you so much for waiting on these episodes, you’ve all been so patient and loving with the gap in production. These were recorded so long ago, but because of personal circumstances I have been unable to produce them, and the podcast has unfortunately been left on simmer. Well, it’s time to take that tasty stew off the hob and soak it up. Continue the conversation with us: -  find Rowan @SotWwithRowan on Instagram and Facebook - find Tess @theobscurawitch on Instagram Come eat cheese with like-minded witches on the Facebook Cheese Witch Coven.

Thank you all for waiting for this next episode - IT'S HERE!  Join us this week as we spill the tea on common issues in online and offline witchcraft communities. In this episode, we will be explaining some of the common boundary-setting practices we have used before and how we deal with situations that have required binding. In addition to that, we will be serving up the hottest tea to talk about hierarchies, gatekeeping and some of the challenges established by communities who continue to use the word traditional as a guise for minimising others’ practices. In a series plot twist – Rowan changes his perspective on appropriation! Continue the conversation with us: -  find Rowan @SotWwithRowan on Instagram and Facebook - Find Tess @theobscurawitch on Instagram Come eat cheese with like-minded witches on the Facebook Cheese Witch Coven.

Come forage with us in the first episode of our wild and witchy foraging series.

This week we’ll be running through some of the plants growing near us, and what their magickal and mundane properties are; these include comfrey, lilac, sweet woodruff, watermint, wild garlic and more.  Rowan also learns that sassafras is a real thing, North American listens can begin their cringing now.

As we enter the fire festival of Beltane, there is a light touch discussion on the topic of the Sabbat but you may want to learn more about that over on the podcast in episode Season 1 Episode 20 here: 

https://anchor.fm/sotwwithrowan/episodes/Beltane-2021--Ep--20-evds3j

*MASSIVE disclaimer, be sure you know exactly what you are foraging and always consult with a professional if you are taking anything internally. Don’t put comfrey up your butt.

** The plants we discuss on the show are those that grow wild within England. These may not be native to your region.

Hello and welcome to another episode of Season of the Witch with Rowan Oaken and Tess Lauren. This week we are spilling all the tea on starting out in the craft, yes, you get to hear our embarrassing stories and list of things we wish we’d known when we began our witchling paths. This week, Rowan will be explaining why you need to put all that beginner literature down and get your mystical butt in gear to start crafting a witchy path with whatever you can find at your back door... There were a lot of booty references there.  Apologies also to Harmony Nice, it was not intentional to drag you so hard in this episode.  Tess takes us on a journey back to her early shady Tarot reading days and breaks down her views on witchy anxiety and how magickal correspondences are holding you back. Stay sassy and classy my witchy friends. Rowan and Tess x ps. Can Pokemon cards be used as tarot? - asking for a friend

Were back with you this week to talk career spells and how we can utilise our witchy skills in the working world.

Hello and welcome back to a new Season of the Witch with your hosts Rowan Oaken and Tess Lauren.