241 - The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas with Ellen Evert Hopman - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Release Date: 12/22/2023
250 - Roberta Grimes and Sandra Champlain: Another Listen - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
In this episode we look back at highlights of two great interviews from 2017 and 2019. Roberta Grimes is an afterlife expert, author of The Fun of Dying: Find Out What Really Happens Next, and host of the Seek Reality podcast. Sandra Champlain is the author of We Don't Die - A Skeptic’s Discovery of Life After Death and host of We Don't Die Radio and Shades of the Afterlife. Visit for more info. In this episode: Intro :00 A remastered look back at two afterlife experts! :49 Highlights from with Roberta Grimes, afterlife expert and author of The Fun of Dying: Find Out...
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249 - Psychic Medium Dana Stricker - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Psychic Medium Dana Stricker tells Patrick of the fascinating, yet strange experiences of her childhood that helped to shape her work, which began at the age of 15 when she gave tarot readings. Other topics include her "Battle Axe" of a spirit guide, a shared experience that left a handprint burned into Dana's leg, and what it really means to be a Witch! Plus, what's life like on the Other Side? Visit for more info. In this episode: Intro :00 Dana Stricker’s Bio :46 Patrick and Dana met each other at Amy Bruni’s Strange Escapes event at Belvoir Winery in 2022. 2:26...
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248 - Your Stories of Messages from Passed Loved Ones Part 2 - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Have you received communication from a dead loved one? In this Part 2 episode, listeners Leslie, Kelly, Susan, Bruce, and Amy certainly have! From a physical and literal sign left on a desk to a comforting voice from the garden. Plus a spirit who communicates through an alarm system, the return of a beloved cat, and a lost and found bracelet. Visit for more info, and to learn how you can share your own story! In this episode: Intro :00 Patrick recently asked listeners to send in stories of messages from loved ones in the spirit world. The most recent episode, , was Part 1...
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247 - Your Stories of Messages from Passed Loved Ones Part 1 - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Have you received communication from a dead loved one? Listeners Ayla, Melissa, Bruce, and Sherri have! From a gentle and reassuring touch by invisible hands, to a Christmas wish, and even a missing ingredient for a recipe from the afterlife! Visit for more info, and to learn how you can share your own story! In this episode: Intro :00 Patrick recently asked listeners to send in stories of messages from loved ones in the spirit world. And many of you followed through! This episode is Part 1 of Your Stories of Messages from Passed Loved Ones. There’s still room for more...
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246 - Staticom Spirit Communication Technology with Tony Rathman - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Building on the work of Friedrich Jürgenson and Marcello Bacci, Tony Rathman, along with wife Cherie, Ron Yacovetti, and Lourdes Gonzalez, has taken EVP and Direct Radio Voice to a brand new level. They've developed the technology and an exciting new method that they call Staticom! In this episode, Tony, who is also the founder and lead investigator for Entity Voices Paranormal Investigation (or EVPI), tells Patrick how it works, and even shares several fascinating audio samples of the method in action! Visit for more info! In this episode: Intro :00 Do you have a...
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245 - Messages from Passed Loved Ones - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Have you received messages from a dead loved one? Are you open to it? Do you encourage it? And how does it come through? Does it come through in dreams, signs, or symbols? Inspired by a beautiful conversation among a group of strangers, Patrick invites you to share your stories for an upcoming episode of the podcast. Visit for more info. In this episode: Intro :00 While working on a library reorganization project, Patrick was reminded of a presentation he gave at a local library and the conversations he had with a small group of people who stayed after to share their stories....
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244 - Mourning Society of St. Louis - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
The Mourning Society of St Louis is a civilian reenacting group with an interest in mourning, death culture, Spiritualism, and the funeral customs of the mid-nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. This incredibly unique group, co-founded by Edna Dieterle and Katherine Kozemczak in 2005, plans educational events such as historically accurate funerals and wakes, and is the first of its kind. Join the conversation with Patrick, Edna, Katherine, and Sherri Morrow, a member since 2015. How do they build the atmosphere and set the scene? What can modern society learn from...
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243 - Victorians and Spiritualism with Steele Alexandra Douris - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Step into the Victorian era with an author and Victorianist, Steele Alexandra Douris. Steele specializes in Victorian crime, gothic fiction, and Spiritualism, and is the author of Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural. In this episode you’ll discover the hidden gems of 19th-century newspapers, periodicals, and the women's magazines that helped to shape the Spiritualist community. Need a response to someone worried about the dangers of practicing any form of spirit communication? Try a timeless quote from prominent Spiritualist, W.T....
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242 - Psychic Medium April Roane Returns - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Listen in as psychic medium April Roane, who can always be depended on for powerful insights, discusses the evolution of her journey since her last appearance on the Big Seance Podcast in 2016. She provides a unique perspective on the shifts in paranormal investigation and how psychic mediums contribute to them. Hear a powerful discussion on the dangerous side effects of paranormal investigation, including the chilling tale that led to the need for an exorcism. April candidly discusses her move to East Texas and the area’s complicated paranormal culture. Other topics include the 2020...
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241 - The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas with Ellen Evert Hopman - Big Seance
Big Seance: My Paranormal World
Uncover the enchanting history of Yule and Christmas in this interview with Ellen Evert Hopman, master herbalist and Druidic initiate since 1984. Her book, The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas: Remedies, Recipes, Magic and Brews for the Winter Season, gets beautiful reviews. The recipes, cocktails, and traditional Christmas meals from around the world will have you salivating. Ellen introduces you to mystical figures like Gully Gawk, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Flora the Roman Goddess, Saint Lucia with the candles on her head, and of course, Krampus. Learn about the origins of putting...
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Uncover the enchanting history of Yule and Christmas in this interview with Ellen Evert Hopman, master herbalist and Druidic initiate since 1984. Her book, The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas: Remedies, Recipes, Magic and Brews for the Winter Season, gets beautiful reviews. The recipes, cocktails, and traditional Christmas meals from around the world will have you salivating. Ellen introduces you to mystical figures like Gully Gawk, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Flora the Roman Goddess, Saint Lucia with the candles on her head, and of course, Krampus. Learn about the origins of putting candles in windows, and why we leave a place at the table for our dead loved ones, or leave our beds empty. Plus the history of mistletoe, the traditional red and green colors, and why you should absolutely NOT answer the door on Christmas Eve if a werewolf is on the other side! Visit BigSeance.com/241 for more info.
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In this episode:
Intro :00
Call in or reach out with your holiday traditions for this time of the year, no matter the holiday, and particularly if it’s different from what we might think of as traditional American holiday activities. What are some of the interesting traditions that maybe have been passed down for centuries at this time of year? Email [email protected]. There are also a couple of ways that you can leave a voice message, and to learn more about that go to BigSeance.com/contact. Patrick can’t wait to hear from you! :50
Ellen Evert Hopman is a master herbalist and lay homeopath, who has been a Druidic initiate since 1984. She is a founding member of the Order of the White Oak, the Archdruid Amerita and founder of Tribe of the Oak, a former professor at the Grey School of Wizardry, and a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages. She is the author of Celtic herbals and Druid novels, including Secret Medicines from Your Garden, The Sacred Herbs of Samhain, and Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year. She lives in Massachusetts. You can learn more about Ellen at EllenEvertHopman.com. 2:41
Reviews for The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas: Remedies, Recipes, Magic and Brews for the Winter Season. 4:57
The similarities between our Halloween/Samhain traditions and Christmas. 6:20
Why do we put lights on trees? 8:20
Have goblins? Burn old shoes in the fireplace! 9:49
Have a persistent ghost that won’t go away? Burn a strip of leather! 10:21
Guising and Mumming 11:19
Memories of May Day 12:05
Are you bad or good? Mystical Icelandic figures, including Gully Gawk, Stubby, Spoon Licker, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Door Slammer, Sausage Snatcher, and Doorway Sniffer, and yes, Krampus! 14:03
“This is really a life or death time of year.” Why have we been scaring children, for centuries, to get good behavior? 16:20
“Iceland is an unusually literate, book-loving society, and on Christmas Eve, Icelanders exchange books as gifts and then spend the night reading them, often while drinking hot chocolate or an alcohol-free Christmas ale…” 17:51
The Office (Dwight Christmas) and Belsnickeling 19:05
The Roman Goddess, Flora. “Bring a goat to the festival and liberate a rabbit.” 19:58
The Goddess of Winter 22:24
Ellen reads her Call in the Three Worlds of the Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Gods, and the Petition for Healing, which is from the Rite for the Goddess at the Winter Solstice. 23:04
Recipes, Cocktails, and Christmas meal traditions from around the world. 28:47
The Irish tradition of Women’s Christmas 33:30
The spirit of Santa isn’t the only spirit that comes down the chimney! Plus, lighting candles, leaving beds empty, and a place set at the table with food for dead loved ones. 36:09
Libation and the Essence of Food 38:52
Saint Lucia, the Christian figure with candles on her head. 41:31
Did you know all of Santa’s reindeer were women? Plus, the red and white Amanita Muscaria mushroom. 44:15
Mistletoe 47:48
Where did we get the traditional Christmas colors of red and green? 51:11
Final Thoughts from Ellen Evert Hopman 53:01
Tip: Do NOT answer the door on Christmas Eve if it’s a werewolf! 55:16
Outro 56:06
A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 57:26
For more on Ellen Evert Hopman
The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas on Amazon
The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!