Tabitha Stanmore, author of 'Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic', joins the podcast to discuss medieval treasure hunting, practical magic in historical England, and the intricate world of cunning folk. The episode also touches on legal allegations, blame games involving wives, and intriguing flag controversies.
The defeat of the unionization vote at the Alabama UAW plant reveals challenges faced by labor movements against corporate and political opposition.
Exploring the era of practical magic uncovers the intertwined history of magic, religion, and science, showcasing the gender breakdown and unique practices of cunning folk.
Deep dives
Union Vote Results in Defeat at Mercedes-Benz Plant in Alabama
The Alabama UAW plant faced a significant unionizing vote resulting in a defeat for Mercedes-Benz employees. Despite hopes to join the United Auto Workers, the vote did not go in favor of unionizing. Opposition to unionization came not only from the company but also from the Republican Governor of Alabama and a majority of the plant's potential members.
Union Movements and Challenges: The Amazon Vote and Starbucks Workers Unionizing
The podcast discusses the setbacks faced by union movements, citing the success of the Amazon warehouse vote contrasted with subsequent failed votes. It highlights the challenges faced by the union, including concerns about the union president's focus, resignations of prominent members, and legal issues arising within the union.
Historical Context and Transition from Religion to Science in Practicing Magic
Exploring the era of practical magic, the podcast delves into the intertwined nature of magic, religion, and science during medieval England. It examines how practices like alchemy evolved into early chemistry and discusses the shift in perceptions towards magic users after the Protestant Reformation, leading to increased scrutiny and legal implications for practitioners.
Cunning Folk: Women in Practical Magic and Gender Dynamics
The podcast sheds light on the gender breakdown in the practice of practical magic, highlighting a 50-50 split between male and female cunning folk. It explores how limited access to education influenced the spell complexity offered by women practitioners and delves into the roles of cunning women in rituals, healing practices, and their unique summoning preferences of fairies over demons.
A Supreme Court spouse (hereafter "Mrs. Alito") hangs a flag upside down. Accusation of traitorousness ensure. Plus, a unionization vote fails in Alabama, or did it really just pre-succeed? And hundreds of years ago we didn't have GPS, Hinge, Tiles, trackers, or asprin, but we did have magic, as practiced by Cunning Folk. We're joined by Tabitha Stanmore the author of Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic.