Skylight Books Podcast Series

SKYLIT: Megan Giddings, ”THE WOMEN COULD FLY”

Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother's disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch. This is the most worrying charge because in a world where witches are real, peculiar behavior raises suspicions and a woman—especially a Black woman—can find herself on trial for witchcraft.  

But fourteen years have passed since her mother’s disappearance, and now Jo is finally ready to let go of the past. Yet her future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of 30—or enroll in a registry that allows them to be monitored, effectively forfeiting their autonomy. At 28, Jo is ambivalent about marriage. With her ability to control her life on the line, she feels as if she has her never understood her mother more. When she’s offered the opportunity to honor one last request from her mother's will, Jo leaves her regular life to feel connected to her one last time.

In this powerful and timely novel, Megan Giddings explores the limits women face—and the powers they have to transgress and transcend them. 

Join us for a wonderful conversation between Giddings and Skylight's Nat Freeman about Giddings' new novel, The Women Could Fly.

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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

SKYLIT: Frances F. Denny, "MAJOR ARCANA" w/ Lisa Locascio

Based on her critically acclaimed exhibition, Major Arcana collects the work of photographer Frances F. Denny, who traveled around the U.S. photographing and interviewing a diverse group of people who identify as witches.

This book is an exploration of contemporary witchery told through striking photographs and short, inspiring essays written by the “Terry Gross of witches,” Pam Grossman, and the subjects themselves. From occultists and Neo-pagans, to herbalists and Wiccan High Priestesses, Denny’s portraits capture the face of modern American witchcraft and challenge our assumptions about who and what a witch really is.

Denny is in conversation with writer Lisa Locascio.

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Produced by Maddie Gobbo & Michael Kowaleski

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," a new, unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

Visit https://www.skylightbooks.com/event for future offerings from the Skylight Books Events team.

 

Amanda Yates Garcia, "INITIATED" w/ Pam Grossman

An initiation signals a beginning: a door opens and you step through. Traditional Wiccan initiates are usually brought into the craft through a ceremony with a High Priestess. But even though Amanda Yates Garcia's mother, a practicing witch herself, initiated her into the earth-centered practice of witchcraft when she was 13 years old, Amanda's real life as a witch only began when she underwent a series of spontaneous initiations of her own.

Descending into the underworlds of poverty, sex work, and misogyny, Initiated describes Amanda's journey to return to her body, harness her power, and create the magical world she longed for through witchcraft. Hailed by crows, seduced by magicians, and haunted by ancestors broken beneath the wheels of patriarchy, Amanda's quest for self-discovery and empowerment is a deep exploration of a modern witch's trials - healing ancient wounds, chafing against cultural expectations, creating intimacy - all while on a mission to re-enchant the world. Peppered with mythology, tales of the goddesses and magical women throughout history, Initiated stands squarely at the intersection of witchcraft and feminism. With generosity and heart, this book speaks to the question: is it possible to live a life of beauty and integrity in a world that feels like it's dying?

Garcia is in conversation with Pam Grossman, creator and host of The Witch Wave podcast and the author of Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power.

Emma Steinkellner, "THE OKAY WITCH" w/ Barbra Dillon

Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. With that revelation, Moth’s adventure truly begins – an adventure that spans centuries, generations, and even worlds – as she unravels the legacy at the heart of her life.

The Okay Witch author Emma Steinkellner is in conversation with Barbra Dillon, the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press, an award-winning publishing company that seeks to produce new and distinctive works that give voice to the themes, ideals, and people that make “geekdom” so exceptional.

Gabriella Herstick, "INNER WITCH"

This isn’t your great-great-great-great grandmother’s guide to witchcraft. Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft, by Nylon’s Ask A Witch columnist Gabriela Herstik, invites everyone into the coven, modernizing the ancient craft and creating a space for all to come and express their sacred self.

As uncertainty rages across the globe, many have a turned to the sacred, ancient crafts—witchcraft, astrology, crystals, and similar practices—to find balance, especially young women. Inner Witch grants practitioners from all walks of the life the freedom to assume their place in the universe while connecting with a force far greater than themselves.

MAJA D'AOUST DISCUSSES HER NEW TAROT DECK THE WHITE WITCH TAROT

Join White Witch Maja D’Aoust as she gives a live divination demonstration exploring an alternative method for reading the Tarot based on Alchemical techniques.  Her new Tarot deck, The White Witch Tarot, uses a spread that encourages the use of psychological archetypes in a marriage of opposites that mirror the Shakespearean drama.  Examine the purposes and properties of the Tarot through this unique deck that uses meditative channeled images and text to convey the mysteries.

Use the transformative and healing power of the white witch as White Witch Maja D’Aoust explores the 22 Major Arcana archetypes of the Tarot through meditative art and channeled mysteries in this stunning black and gold deck and companion guide. Use this deck as a traditional Tarot Majors-only system or delve into a technique using protagonists and antagonists pitted against each other until they reach unification, much like Shakespearean therapy where we explore problems via another lens. Learn to visualize and build your own reality by discovering answers to your deepest questions, bringing to light powerful truths and seeing the radiance of the self through a poetic treatment of the Majors. Created through decades of research into Alchemy and different divination modalities, this deck offers a fresh new perspective on using the cards to unveil what has been hidden.

Maja D'Aoust is a practicing Witch who performs public rituals and gives educational lectures. Maja's interest in Alchemy, magic and the esoteric sciences spans her entire lifetime.  After completing her Bachelors degree in Biochemistry, Maja studied oriental medicine, martial arts and acupuncture, later earning her Masters degree in Transformational Psychology. Maja worked for 11 years as the librarian of Manly P. Hall's Philosophical Research Society. Author of several books, journal articles and blog content Maja writes and is a visual artist. Currently Maja is starting a public educational non-profit 501 c-3 called The Well Wishers which focuses on teaching wellness and esoteric sciences to the community.

Event date: 

Saturday, September 2, 2017 - 5:00pm