Guest: Icy Sedgwick — folklorist, author, and host of The Fabulous Folklore PodcastTopic: Love magic, divination, and the rituals people used to find (or keep) love.

Book: ⁠Bring Me Love: Finding and Keeping Love Using Divination and Folk Magic⁠ by Icy Sedgwick

In this episode, we welcome back folklorist, author, and host of The Fabulous Folklore Podcast, Icy Sedgwick, to talk about her newest book: Bring Me Love: Finding and Keeping Love Using Folk Magic.

If you’ve listened before, you’ll know Icy’s brilliant blend of deep research, humour, and a lifelong fascination with the supernatural. If you’re new — you’re in for a treat.

We dive into the wonderfully strange, practical, and often charming world of love magic and divination.

* The historical roots of love magic and why it mattered so deeply, especially for women with limited choices.

* How everyday objects — herbs, cakes, pins, candles — became tools for predicting or attracting love.

* Why many rituals focused on discovering a future spouse’s occupation rather than their personality.

* The difference between folk magic, cunning folk, and more ceremonial occult traditions.

* How love divination travelled and transformed across regions, especially from Europe to North America.

* The ethical and practical challenges of deciding what to include in a book on love magic.

We also explore the delightfully odd rituals people genuinely tried — from walking upstairs backwards in silence to baking “silent cakes,” and even interpreting the shapes of egg whites floating in warm water.

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