Guest: Icy Sedgwick — folklorist, author, and host of The Fabulous Folklore Podcast Topic: 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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