Episode 347 - The Witch of York | Mother Shipton

Summary

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Two Girls One Ghost – Episode 347

The Witch of York | Mother Shipton

Air Date: November 9, 2025
Hosts: Corinne Vien & Sabrina Deana-Roga

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delves into the enigmatic and legendary life of Mother Shipton (Ursula Southeil), reputed as England’s most powerful witch and prophetess from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Through storytelling, historical context, and discussion, Corinne and Sabrina examine the blurred lines between myth and reality in Mother Shipton’s life, her famous prophecies, and her enduring legacy as a symbol of female survival, wisdom, and otherness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Early Lives – Agatha and Ursula (Mother Shipton)

• Intro to the Story: The hosts contextualize “witches who walked before us” and reflect on the importance of honoring their stories, especially as “baby witches” themselves [06:01–06:27].
• Legendary Origin:
  • Mother Shipton was born in 1488 in Yorkshire, England, to a 15-year-old orphan named Agatha, who labored alone in a cave during a thunderstorm.
  • The legend is gothic: Ursula’s birth coincides with dramatic weather, and her first sounds are cackles, not cries—her laughter echoing through the village [08:04–09:06].
    • “No one will ever forget the night the witch was born… the cackles bounce off the walls and travel down the mountainous landscape.” (Aurora, 08:04)
• Agatha’s Fate:
  • Agatha, ostracized for her mysterious pregnancy (rumored a pact with the devil), is forced to raise Ursula in the cave.
  • Eventually, a churchman finds them: Agatha is sent to a convent (where she dies soon after) and Ursula to foster care. They never reunite [21:04–21:34].
    • “He puts the mom, Agatha, in a convent, and then finds a foster family for Ursula. And Ursula and Agatha never see each other again.” (Aurora, 21:22)

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2. Ursula's (Mother Shipton’s) Early Life and Powers

• Growing Up Different:
  • Ursula is described as “strange,” clever, and able to perform unexplainable feats—levitating in a fireplace unharmed, finishing people’s sentences, and affecting her environment (school lights flicker, objects move) [22:41–23:23].
    • “She finds Ursula levitating in the fireplace… Ursula is not burning.” (Aurora, 22:47)
  • Constantly bullied and called 'Devil’s child,' she resorts to playful but sometimes vengeful magic, turning bullies’ belongings into oddities (roofs into hats, ale into vinegar) [24:19–25:04].
• Healing Powers & Respect:
  • Despite ridicule, townsfolk seek Ursula for her herbal and magical remedies—she becomes indispensable, respected and feared at once [25:06–25:37].
    • “They started to need her, too… she would gather herbs and roots, make remedies… could even predict the weather based on how a flower would open.” (Aurora, 25:11)

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3. Marriage, Loss, and Retreat

• Tobias Shipton:
  • Ursula marries Tobias, a local carpenter; the town gossips assume witchcraft is at play [29:33]. Tobias genuinely loves her independent spirit, but tragically dies after two years, leaving her bereft and under renewed suspicion [30:20–31:04].
    • “For two full years, they had a very happy life. Until Tobias suddenly dropped dead.” (Aurora, 30:20)
• Return to the Cave:
  • Widowed, Ursula returns to her cave, finding solace and safety in the place of her birth, resuming her role as the “witch in the cave” and drawing visitors from afar—including royalty [32:29–33:54].

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4. Prophecies & Encounters with Power

• Mother Shipton vs. Cardinal Wolsey:
  • King Henry VIII and the Duke of Norfolk correspond about her. Ursula foresees that Cardinal Wolsey will never reach York if he visits while the king is there. Cardinal sends nobles to test her; she identifies them by name and predicts their futures—each prophecy comes true [33:59–36:51].
    • “She removes the scarf... tosses it in the fire. That headscarf does not burn… If these will not burn, neither shall I.” (Aurora, 34:31)
    • “She told the Duke... you’ll one day be as low as I am… later fell from power and died in disgrace.” (Aurora, 35:09)
• Notable Prophecies:
  • Predicts the English Civil War outcome, power struggles, and the rise and reign of Queen Elizabeth I (the “woman with one eye”) [41:48–42:39].
  • Foretells technological revolutions (cars, planes, submarines) and even doomsday scenarios—although many of these were only attributed many centuries after her death [44:39–51:01].
    • “When carriages without horses run, when men shall fly as birds have flown. When ships shall swim beneath the sea. Then half the world, deep drenched in blood shall be.” (Aurora, 44:39)

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5. Fact, Fiction, and Historical Legacy

• Separating Legend from Reality:
  • The earliest records (1641 pamphlet) are already 70+ years posthumous and likely based on oral tradition; the 1881 “Mother Shipton Investigated” is full of embellishment and creative liberties (confirmed by its own author), casting doubt on many later “prophecies,” particularly the famous doomsday prediction [51:03–52:59].
    • “Charles Henley... admitted to taking creative liberties... so when you read his iterations of her story... that’s him dramatizing it.” (Aurora, 52:49)

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6. Mother Shipton’s Enduring Impact

• Survival & Symbolism:
  • Mother Shipton survived ostracization, transformed spite into power, and rewrote her own narrative. Despite little historical certainty, she remains a symbol of female strength, otherness, and prophecy [56:27–57:31].
    • “Mother Shipton is a survivor... her story is far more than prophecy or witchcraft. It really is about survival… even death could not silence her.” (Aurora, 57:13)
• Tourism, Myth & Science:
  • The cave and petrifying well where Ursula lived is now England’s oldest tourist attraction (since the 1630s), famous for turning objects to stone due to minerals in the water—once thought magical, now geologically explained [54:58–56:27].
    • “The cave has turned into a tourist attraction and is actually England’s oldest tourist attraction.” (Aurora, 54:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

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“No one will ever forget the night the witch was born. Agatha takes in her newborn baby girl for the very first time. And she's reminded again. She knows this girl will be strong, fierce, a force to be reckoned with.”
— Aurora [08:36]

“If these will not burn, neither shall I.”
— Aurora as Mother Shipton [35:06]

“She became an expert on the land of nature. She could predict the weather based on the way a flower would open...”
— Aurora [25:37]

“When carriages without horses run,
When men shall fly as birds have flown.
When ships shall swim beneath the sea.
Then half the world deep, drenched in blood shall be.”
— Aurora (quoting the 1881 prophecy) [44:39]

“Mother Shipton is a survivor. Her story is far more than prophecy or witchcraft. It really is about survival. A woman who was cast out for being different, who managed to survive and became larger than life... even death could not silence her.”
— Aurora [57:13]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [06:01] — Introduction of Mother Shipton and her extraordinary birth
• [08:04] — The stormy birth and Ursula’s infamous cackle
• [09:32] — Origin of the “outcast” legend; Agatha and Ursula in the cave
• [21:03] — Agatha and Ursula are separated; Agatha’s death
• [22:41] — Early signs of Ursula’s supernatural abilities
• [24:19] — Ursula’s playful, petty magical retribution
• [25:06] — Community relies on Ursula’s healing and prophecies
• [29:33] — Ursula’s marriage to Tobias Shipton, his sudden death
• [32:29] — Ursula returns to her cave; her legend grows
• [33:54] — The Cardinal Wolsey prophecy and the “testing” nobles
• [41:48] — Prophecy of Queen Elizabeth I, “the woman with one eye”
• [44:39] — 1881 prophecy: predictions of cars, planes, and submarines
• [51:03] — Dissecting the truth and myths of her published prophecies
• [54:58] — The petrifying well and England’s oldest tourist attraction
• [56:27] — Mother Shipton as survivor and symbol for women
• [57:31] — Listener story: “Witch Sister” from Cindy

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Listener Story Highlight

• [58:54–64:14] Sabrina reads “Witch Sister” from Cindy, describing childhood experiences in Salem, Massachusetts, and recurring past-life dreams of being burned as a witch. Cindy suffers physical manifestations (blisters and swelling) correlating with her dreams, feels drawn to the supernatural, and speculates on the blessings and curses of “witchy gifts.”
  • “For many years into my teens, I would have the same dream of being burned for being a witch. And then I would wake up with actual burn marks on my body.” (Cindy via Sabrina, 60:47)

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Tone & Style

The episode retains the signature friendly, humorous, and witchy banter of Corinne and Sabrina, blending researched storytelling with spontaneous discussion, empathy for historical women, and a healthy skepticism of legend. They intersperse tangents about personal experiences, modern witchcraft, and lighthearted asides, while maintaining a reverence for the subject.

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Takeaways

• Mother Shipton’s story embodies both the trauma and the agency of women labelled as 'other' by society: she leveraged outsider status into power, using her knowledge, wit, and reputation to survive—and even thrive—against the odds.
• Legends are complex, evolving mixtures of truth and embellishment: separating fact from fiction is fraught, but the meaning endures.
• Places of 'magic' often have natural explanations: yet myth and science can coexist, contributing to an enduring sense of wonder.
• Mother Shipton endures as a symbol—witch, survivor, prophetess, and icon for women and outsiders everywhere.

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For more information or listener-submitted tales, visit Two Girls One Ghost Podcast or share your story at twogirls1ghostpodcastmail.com.

Next episode: More tales of witchy women and supernatural encounters.

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Transcript

[Jonathan Van Ness]

It's Jonathan Van Ness from Getting better. With Jonathan Van Ness, it's easy to feel hopeless, but we don't have to stay there. I'm all about finding places where we can turn that energy into hope and into action. One of those places is Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United, or au is this quiet but mighty force working every day to preserve freedom without favor and equality without exception. I am so obsessed with that tagline. And let me tell you something, honey, that wall between church and state, paper thin. It's got a leak, honey. It's one of the last safeguards protecting so many of our rights. So right now, from bodily autonomy to LGBTQ + rights to the future of public schools, to me, this is about creating a world where everyone gets to live as themselves as long as you're not harming anyone else. Now is not the time to curl up and hide. It's the time to link arms and stand together for a better future. Join Americans United for Separation of Church and State and their growing movement because church, state separation protects us all. Learn more and join. [e-mail] better. Let's go. Americans United.

[Aurora]

We all love a legendary comeback.

[Sabrina]

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[Aurora]

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[Sabrina]

It's a movement, a fan favorite that.

[Aurora]

Delivers bold, fresh vibes and all day sweat protection. Whether you have a man that spends hours in the gym, heads into the.

[Sabrina]

Office early, or is just trying to.

[Aurora]

Stay fresh on a long day, Cool Rush has their back. Head to your local Walmart or Target and grab Degree Cool Rush, the fan favorite scent from. From the world's number one antiperspirant brand. Very spooky. Hello.

[Sabrina]

This is Two girls, One ghost.

[Aurora]

Two girls, one ghost. We are your ghostesses. That is Corinne. Hello, I'm Sabrina. And there's room for Sven.

[Sabrina]

Mm. And the.

[Aurora]

Sorry, that just made me think of room for Jesus. Like, leave room for Jesus.

[Sabrina]

Leave. For the Holy Ghost.

[Aurora]

For the Holy Ghost.

[Sabrina]

Did you say for Jesus, like, at your school? It was like, for Jesus specifically.

[Aurora]

I think that's what people said. But it reminds me. So I was driving.

[Sabrina]

I'm such a bad Catholic. I'm like, what's the difference between the Holy Ghost and, like, Jesus?

[Aurora]

And this is not a religious podcast, but I do have a religion, believe it or not.

[Sabrina]

I did go to CCD for years.

[Aurora]

Catholic child detention. You know, we're real Catholics because we call it that. I was driving here today, and I'm like a big Spotify daylist girl. Like, I always listen to my daylist, and it's usually like some iteration of Sad girl Wednesday morning. Or like, you know, But I was listening this morning, and all of a sudden I realized, like, a Jesus song was playing. And I was like, what? This is not my music.

[Sabrina]

Sometimes it's hard to.

[Aurora]

I was so confused.

[Sabrina]

Differentiate until you're like.

[Aurora]

It took me, like, a minute. I was a full minute into the song.

[Sabrina]

Some of the Christian bands are good.

[Aurora]

Yeah.

[Sabrina]

Then you're like, wait a second. If you actually start paying attention to.

[Aurora]

The lyrics, I was like, these two beautiful voices are singing about Jesus.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. Your savior.

[Aurora]

Really?

[Sabrina]

Oh, this isn't my normal Noah Khan antidepressants.

[Aurora]

It literally went from Noah Khan 5 Music. I think Noah Con was right before it. Oh, yeah, I was actually.

[Sabrina]

I was thinking about Noah Con the other day, because when I was at Sugarbush, I went to what?

[Aurora]

I don't know what Sugar Bush is, but it sounds like something you would call your vagina.

[Sabrina]

Ski Mountain. And Sugarbush is the name for, like. Like, maple syrup, like, groves and your vagina. Okay. When I was actually. For the Kelsey's wedding.

[Aurora]

Oh, okay.

[Sabrina]

We went both mornings. My mom and Brian and Noah and I went to the same place for breakfast. And every other song was a Noah Kahn song both mornings. And I was just thinking. I was like, would it be so awkward? Like, obviously we don't have this experience, so we don't know. But I'm like, is it so awkward for people who have successful music careers to enter a place and hear their own music, but not just one song, but it's like their whole album is basically playing, and they're just like, isn't that the goal? Yeah, but is it, like, is it celebrated or is it uncomfy?

[Aurora]

I mean, I'm so uncomfy when I hear my own voice. So I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Anyway, me trying to sing, that won't.

[Sabrina]

For BS because they don't blast ghost podcasts in cafes.

[Aurora]

It's so funny. I brought my friend Lexi through Salem during October. It's now November, but everywhere we went, she was like, oh, my gosh, you and Corinne should do this. You and Corinne should do this. And she had so many good ideas.

[Sabrina]

Do we need to hire her as our idea?

[Aurora]

I was like, she literally generated. Here are free ideas. And, like, we'll just hire you. But one of them, she was like, all of these stores could be playing your podcast right now during October. And I.

[Sabrina]

That is a good Idea.

[Aurora]

You reach out to them. Go ahead, go ahead, girl.

[Sabrina]

It's also. It is a good idea. But at the same time I'm like, okay, promo wise, that would be a good idea for us. But like me just as a personal visitor of Salem and like loving the vibes of Salem, I also wouldn't want that. Like, I want it to be like the spooky music.

[Aurora]

But it wasn't spooky music in the store. Like, it was like playing pop music, like regular, just. Oh, yeah, exactly.

[Sabrina]

Okay, we'll trade that in. Oh, so they get a suggested playlist from us. Cause like, that's not Stevie Nicks.

[Aurora]

We're your spooky DJs now. Speaking of Salem, one of our listeners tapped me on the shoulder. So shout out to you, Brooklyn and your mom who came from Canada, and they did like a little spooky girls trip.

[Sabrina]

Oh my God.

[Aurora]

They went to Sleepy Hollow, New York, and then they went to Salem.

[Sabrina]

How was Sleepy Hollow? I am curious. Yeah, because I went that one time. But it was off season. That's when I realized it was an on season type of place.

[Aurora]

Yeah, I think it is.

[Sabrina]

Salem kind of gets you because when you live here, you're like, oh, these spooky places are year round. Because Salem is year round.

[Aurora]

Yeah, but Salem in October is only Salem in October. That's true.

[Sabrina]

Like the out. The vendors outside, the people on stilts.

[Aurora]

Exactly.

[Sabrina]

The cops everywhere. That's only in.

[Aurora]

They borrow cops from other towns, you know. But I have a very, very. I'm so excited about this episode. I didn't know anything about this woman Prior and it is, I think, incredible. Or I think it's also important as baby witches to talk about the witches who walked before us. And I think it's safe to say all of us are born. Right? We're all born.

[Sabrina]

Yeah, we're born.

[Aurora]

But not all of us are born in a cave. Mother Shipton, she was born in a cave.

[Sabrina]

Okay, this makes sense because this morning when I was trying to pick out a listener story to read at the end, I just gave mother shipped in a very quick Google because I was like, I just need to know like generally the direction of this witch.

[Aurora]

Yeah.

[Sabrina]

And then I didn't go any further than just looking at a picture of her looking into a cave. Then I was like, okay, it's a historical witch.

[Aurora]

It is.

[Sabrina]

I'll just choose something witchy.

[Aurora]

Perfect. The year was 1488. The place, Yorkshire, England. An angry storm raged through town. Thunder shook the walls. Lightning cracked in the moonless. Sky. And as most people found shelter and safety within their own homes, one woman seeked refuge in a place where no one else dare go. A cave carved out of limestone cliffs. Within this cave is this woman. Her name. Agatha. A woman who is alone and fully in labor. She breathes deeply before a contraction strikes. She lets out a primal scream as she pushes. And almost immediately, as if in tandem with her, the thunder claps. Agatha swears she is the storm. Every push, every groan, every labored movement she makes seems choreographed. With the storm outside. There's something about that synchronicity that fuels her, empowers her. This child will be strong, fierce, a force to be reckoned with. This she knows. But soon the world beyond the cave will know it, too. Agatha continues to push. She can tell the baby is coming.

[Sabrina]

She.

[Aurora]

And just as she feels this, the storm calms and a new sound comes forth. But it's not the sound Agatha expected. It's not the cries of a newborn baby. It is a cackle. She reaches for her baby, lifting her into her arms with worry. But sure enough, there it is again. A cackle. Her newborn baby is not crying. She is cackling. And these cackles bounce off the walls and travel down the mountainous landscape. And every person in town hears the cackles of this baby girl that would.

[Sabrina]

Be so confusing, so horrifying.

[Aurora]

No one will ever forget the night the witch was born. Agatha takes in her newborn baby girl for the very first time. And she's reminded again. She knows this girl will be strong, fierce, a force to be reckoned with. And as if in agreement, the storm returns with a cacophony of thunder and flashes of lightning. For all on that day in 1488, Mother Shipton was born. And she will forever be remembered.

[Sabrina]

You're such a good writer.

[Aurora]

Thank you.

[Sabrina]

The whole time you were reading that, I was, like, picturing myself reading it on a book. A page. Whoa. I can't even speak in a book. In a book. Like on the page. The opening page of a book.

[Aurora]

One day, you will read my words on a book.

[Sabrina]

On a book. My gosh. I'll just. Again. I said I was going to be quiet earlier. I'm going to continue to be quiet. I like my coffee. I am struggling today.

[Aurora]

Well, then, just sit back, relax, and hear a ghost story. So today we're going to share the story of Ursula Southeill. South Heel. Mother Shipton. I'm not going to say her last name, South Hill very often, so excuse my butchering. She is England's most powerful witch and prophetess. A woman who made countless prophecies that did in fact come true.

[Sabrina]

Damn. Like, are we sure her mom wasn't witchy too? Because Agatha is the most witchy name.

[Aurora]

I love the name Agatha. I'll tell you her story in a minute.

[Sabrina]

Oh, I'm glad that we get to.

[Aurora]

Hear hers so up front. This is a positive momentarily. Mother Shipton was not like most witches we've talked about in the past who were accused of witchcraft or wrongfully convicted. No. But she did face a lot of hardships, which we're going to get into. But let's start with Agatha. Agatha Southiel in 1488, was a 15 year old girl living in Knaresborough, England, which is a town in Yorkshire. And as legend tells, life had not been particularly kind to young Agatha. She was an orphan trying her best to survive. And I guess on this, like, one very particularly rough day, she ran off into a field and she found a tree and she just sat beneath it and cried.

[Sabrina]

But like, also kind of a shared experience, does not everyone at some point in their lives run to a tree to cry?

[Aurora]

Well, and I also was just imagining like this big limbs, outstretching tree, just like almost embracing her in a hug, which is something that she so desired.

[Sabrina]

And it's also a witchy thing to cry or, like, tell your woes and your problem to the trees, to nature. I like when people are like, I told the fish in the pond, like, good luck swimming next time.

[Aurora]

Yeah. Wait. Total little tangent. But our editor Jamie, just went on her honeymoon and I asked her how it was and she goes. We went snorkeling every day and there was this little swordfish who we befriended and. And like every day kept returning and like following them around.

[Sabrina]

What?

[Aurora]

I was like, that is so magical.

[Sabrina]

That is so magical and hilarious.

[Aurora]

A swordfish.

[Sabrina]

It's so cute.

[Aurora]

So cool. Aw. Okay, so she sits there under this tree and she's crying. But as she is sitting there in an otherwise quiet field, she hears something. And she looks up and she spots across the field a devilishly handsome man.

[Sabrina]

You have the devil on your shirt.

[Aurora]

Devilishly handsome. He walks toward her slowly, and it's as if time slows as he approaches her. Neither of them speak until he stops before her, sinks into his heels, lowers himself to be face to face with her. No room for Jesus. He caresses her cheek, cupping it in his hand, wiping her tears away. Still, no words are spoken. But Agatha feels drawn to him, like she can be safe with him. And she Leans into his caring hand.

[Sabrina]

This strange man in the woods.

[Aurora]

They stare at each other for what feels like hours. And his eyes are filled with a softness and a caring that she had been so deprived for so long. So like she's just drawn to him. And finally he speaks. His voice firm but comforting. He told her, you have nothing to cry about. I could offer you a life of ease, warmth, protection. All Agatha has to do is promise to be his.

[Sabrina]

This feels like a Fae trap. Is this not the beginning of fairy smut books? Come with me.

[Aurora]

Come with me. Just promise you'll be well.

[Sabrina]

Watch my gorgeous body for the rest of eternity.

[Aurora]

Doesn't sound terrible, does it? Well, Agatha is 15. She's an orphan. And so like this idea of warmth, safety, never needing to worry. It sounds pretty fucking great. She's like, hell yeah, sign me up, handsome man. And what happened next? I mean, a lot of this is because it's 1488. A lot of this is story told over time and lore and legend. But it is said that Agatha and the man had sex right then and there. And then he.

[Sabrina]

I don't like that. She's 15.

[Aurora]

She's 15. And then this man reveals himself to be the devil.

[Sabrina]

Well, it is a devilish thing to do.

[Aurora]

And as quickly as he had promised the world, he disappeared.

[Sabrina]

How many stories is the Devil disguised as a good looking man?

[Aurora]

Always.

[Sabrina]

Still happens. Today I just learned. Sorry, tangent. I just learned from my TikTok scrolls that when people are. Maybe it's part of like the CIA training or something like that. But basically the majority of the people working there are male. And they are taught that if a woman approaches you and she is, you know, like way too hot for you and suddenly start trying to like schmooze and get to know you, that it's a trap. Because there's no way someone that attractive would ever like you. So it's like part of their training to know that.

[Aurora]

That it's like attractive women don't want you.

[Sabrina]

If someone is too hot for you, it's a trick. They're not actually hitting on you. I love that. I was like, damn, that's kind of.

[Aurora]

Like brutal, sad, but, you know, probably very true for especially during like the like Russian spy Cold war era. Okay, but so this devilish man. Devilish. Why am I struggling to say devilishly good looking man. Good looking man, this handsome man, he disappears. Which it's interesting because most times we hear deals with the devil, they do get the deal. But in this situation he just disappears. So maybe he Pretended to be the devil.

[Sabrina]

I don't know.

[Aurora]

Either way, devil. And next thing, Agatha knows, she is pregnant. And now when the townspeople discover this, they are. It's 1488. They're like, who the heck got you pregnant? You cannot be pregnant as a single woman. You must be betrothed this man. But she refuses.

[Sabrina]

Woman's a strong word.

[Aurora]

Sure.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

Yeah. Young girl. But, I mean, back in 1488.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. Got your period? That was it.

[Aurora]

Yeah. Agatha refuses to tell them, and so they begin to spread rumors. They say that Agatha slept with the devil, that she's gonna give birth to the demon child. And so this is why this story is so. It's hard to know what's real, because so much of the history and, like, the origins of Agatha and Mother Shipton come from rumors spread by townspeople.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. And it's also interesting that that's where they would jump to, because why wouldn't people presume, especially in a community that is religious, that there was not immaculate conception? Why couldn't it be that? Why is it the devil?

[Aurora]

I think women who.

[Sabrina]

1400 years after Jesus was born, but.

[Aurora]

Women getting pregnant and not being married was so sinful, Like, I think that was so ingrained in that society that it's like, you committed an act of sin.

[Sabrina]

God would never do that to you.

[Aurora]

Exactly. So they start saying that she slept with devil and that she was gonna give birth to a demon child. So they literally turned their back on her to the point where she.

[Sabrina]

Oh, my gosh.

[Aurora]

This poor girl is basically exiled from.

[Sabrina]

Yeah, that's why she lives in the cave.

[Aurora]

So Agatha, I know there is a lot of sadness in this, but it.

[Sabrina]

Was a time machine, man.

[Aurora]

But there's no execution, and there's no, like, wrongful conviction of a witch.

[Sabrina]

What a rough, rough life.

[Aurora]

So Agatha ran to the woods, terrified and more alone than ever. And as sunset, the night air teased her with a chill. And she found it. A cave. The cave. And she knew she would be safe in there. So months later, on the night her contractions began, storm clouds covered the town. And between thunder and lightning, the townspeople heard Agatha's cries of labor. But instead of going to her aid, they just sat there. They listened until they heard that cackle. When the sounds of the baby's cackle struck their ears, that is when they went in search of Agatha. Because now they were like, oh, we're absolutely right. Agatha did have sex with the devil, and she did just give birth to a demon child that is now cackling loudly through the town. And they want to go see for themselves.

[Sabrina]

She named that child Damien.

[Aurora]

And this is very sad. Again, this is all rumor and conjecture from people who wanted to spread rumors. But according to legend, when they saw Agatha and the child, they did not see a baby girl. They saw a girl, deformed, twisted and strange, with red glowing eyes that illuminated like embers of fire. The rumors that spread after that night got even worse and more outrageous. And there's a text that was written about Mother shipton in the 1800s that we'll get to more in a little bit, but I just want to read like a little section.

[Sabrina]

This is like slightly reminding me of the story, which I can't even remember the name of now, where the woman on the ship was pregnant by the pirate, or like she gave birth and then the pirate, like spared her and ocean born Mary. Ocean born Mary. Fiery red hair.

[Aurora]

This is just a little quote from the text. The baby, Mother Shipton was at the time of her birth, of an indifferent height, but very morose and big boned. Her head very long, with very great goggling, but sharp and fiery eyes. Her nose of an incredible and unproportionable length, having in it many crooks and turnings, adorned with many strange pimples of divers colours, as red, blue and mixt, which like vapours of brimstone gave such a lustre to her frightened spectators at the time, dead of night.

[Sabrina]

Well, newborns aren't the most attractive.

[Aurora]

No, agreed, like.

[Sabrina]

But they're like, give this child a break. They're just a few more months to cook themselves further, hook themselves.

[Aurora]

From the moment that she was born, I think they just determined that she was a witch. So Mother Shipton really didn't have a choice. But she ended up becoming this incredible. Which I think is very safe to say a lot of this is untrue. Maybe she did look a little strange, but like you said, a newborn baby. Show me a picture of a cute newborn baby. Like a really actually cute. Fresh out of the womb.

[Sabrina]

Yeah, like under two days old.

[Aurora]

They all look like aliens. Their heads are not like formed. Yeah, they're like cones.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. They're so puffy and swollen.

[Aurora]

Yeah. So these lies have been spread over the centuries because again, this took place in 1488 and into the 1500s. Records not the same. What is true is that the life for Agatha and her young baby girl was difficult. And the people in town viewed them as outcasts and viewed them as working with the devil. But Agatha, she loved her daughter. She named her Ursula and Together, the two of them lived in the cave, surviving the impossible, which made rumors in the town spread even more. They're like, how are they living in a cave? They must be working with the devil. Like, that's the only way they could survive that.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. Agatha and Ursula. It does remind me a little bit of you and your mom in terms of names. Like, I feel like.

[Aurora]

Because I was born in a cave too.

[Sabrina]

Like, I feel no offense to your sister and your brother, but Lexi and Graham are.

[Aurora]

Well, it's Alexis.

[Sabrina]

Still not like Aurora and Sabrina. Aurora and Sabrina are like witchy Agatha and Ursula and go together or something there.

[Aurora]

Well, Aurora is a princess name, and Sabrina's the witch.

[Sabrina]

The witch.

[Aurora]

Okay. So I have mixed feelings about this because in some ways this is a positive thing, but in other ways, it's a very tragic thing. So this gossip spread through the town so much that it did eventually reach a church and a religious man who in his mind was like, a young child cannot be living out in a cave. Like, I need to help these people. So he goes up to the cave, he finds Agatha and Ursula. This is. Now, Ursula is probably two years old. Oh, wow.

[Sabrina]

So they.

[Aurora]

So they survived in the cave for two years at least. Yeah. And in his mind, this religious holy man believes he's rescuing young Ursula from a horrific life living in a cold, damp cave. But the tragic part is he did rip a two year old girl from her mother.

[Sabrina]

Oh, he didn't take both of them.

[Aurora]

He does, but he puts the mom, Agatha, in a convent, and then he finds a foster family for Ursula. And Ursula and Agatha never see each other again.

[Sabrina]

Oh, my gosh.

[Aurora]

I know.

[Sabrina]

Burn him at the stake.

[Aurora]

He's a witch.

[Sabrina]

Witch.

[Aurora]

He's a bitch.

[Sabrina]

Yes, a witch with a capital B.

[Aurora]

See, we could put that on merch. But. So, yes, tragically, Ursula and Agatha never saw each other again. And not too long after arriving at the convent, Agatha did pass away. Broken heart syndrome, probably. But fortunately, as far as we know, Ursula's foster family was kind and caring. And they. They knew Ursula was different, but they accepted her in as far as. Like, they had to. There was no stopping what. What Ursula became. They did not believe that she was quite the devil's daughter like everyone in town wanted them to believe. But she definitely was very strange. She spent a lot of time alone. She was almost too clever, and she could do things that were unnatural. Like the one time that her foster mother returned home to find the front door open, and she was like, oh, no. Like, is Ursula okay? And she runs around the house trying to find Ursula. She heard laughing. She follows the laughing, and she finds Ursula levitating in the fireplace. That is burning fire. But Ursula is not burning.

[Sabrina]

What the fuck?

[Aurora]

She obviously terrified. Rips her out of the fireplace, right? Like, checks her. No burn marks, nothing.

[Sabrina]

Oh, my gosh. This still just reminds me of all the people that are, like, remembering their childhoods. Them levitating or, like, doing weird things, weird witchy things that now people can't tap into one day.

[Aurora]

So these odd things took place a lot inside the home. But then as she got older, they would take place outside of the home. So she'd be in school and lights would flicker, objects would fly around the room.

[Sabrina]

Okay, Carrie.

[Aurora]

And she could finish people's thoughts and knew what they were. Like, she could finish their sentences without them.

[Sabrina]

That's so Edward Cullen.

[Aurora]

It is. And it's also very like Matilda.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

But unfortunately, because Matilda did not exist in 1488, it wasn't a dream that every child wanted to be Matilda. They thought Ursula was a freak.

[Sabrina]

This is so wild because, like, this feels like a made up story. Like, it feels like lore, but at the same time, like, it's very possible that it. That all of this.

[Aurora]

I think a lot of it is fake and dramatized, embellished, especially because it's been how many years since then?

[Sabrina]

But I do think I'm also, like, the fact that this whole community is so scared of like, a newborn cackling. If there was a child levitating over a fire pit or like a fireplace, I can't imagine that that would just be like, oh, no, come down here, sweetie. Like, don't do that.

[Aurora]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, I do think there's some of this is rooted in truth. But it's hard to know what is truth because people were spreading so many rumors.

[Sabrina]

Right. And I just still am heartbroken for Agatha.

[Aurora]

I know. So everyone starts ridiculing her and mocking her, continuing to call her the devil's child because of her appearance and the way she was born. But instead of cowering, Ursula's like, mm, I'm gonna take a stand for myself and use my powers against you bullies. So she overheard, like, an older man and his friend talking about her one day and, like, mocking her. The man returns to his house to find the roof of his house had been replaced with, like, an oversized hat.

[Sabrina]

I love this.

[Aurora]

Like, she did things like this, and then she would turn.

[Sabrina]

It definitely negatively affects the person, but.

[Aurora]

Like, they're like petty crimes.

[Sabrina]

Right?

[Aurora]

Like turning a Hat into a chamber pot instead.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

Or turning ale into vinegar.

[Sabrina]

How powerful is she? My God. I know.

[Aurora]

And I feel like she's young, so she's having fun with it again. Who knows how valid a lot of this is? But what is true is that while people continued to mock her, they started to need her too. Because as people got sick, they would turn to Ursula to help heal them. And she would. And she helped them. She would gather herbs and roots. She would make remedies out of her home. She became an expert on the land of nature. She could predict the weather based on the way a flower would open, which I what I think is so cool.

[Sabrina]

That is the type of magic I want to learn.

[Aurora]

And like the collective narrative didn't change. Ursula was still very much a witch to the public. But when it really came down to it, they needed Ursula. They went to her for help. She could cure a fever. She could aid in childbirth. She even whispered secrets of the future, which became more and more prevalent as she aged. And by 20 years old, Ursula was making very accurate predictions.

[Sabrina]

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[Aurora]

Not only are they giving back, all of their products are also 100 vegan, cruelty free, and made with clean, skin loving ingredients that work with your skin, not against it. Meaning that what you're putting on your skin is not damaging your skin, which is so important to us. And all of their products are amazing. It's a win, win, win.

[Sabrina]

And I do have to say, their Infinity waterproof eyeliner I have appreciated more and more as I've gotten older because I'm trying to not pull on my skin and create some wrinkles. But their eyeliner glides so smoothly that I don't have to tug to get the correct shape right.

[Aurora]

Plus, they have eight shades, so you can mix it up, maximize your look with minimal effort. Go to thrivecosmetics.com TGOG for an exclusive, exclusive offer of 20 off your first order. That's Thrive Cosmetics. C A U S E M E t I c s.com TGOG and despite the strange dichotomy that Ursula was living, she was ostracized, but needed and trusted. She built a life for herself. And sometime in 1512, Ursula met a man, Tobias Shipton. Toby, or Tobias, was a carpenter and he was a well liked working class man from York. And the two fell in love. Within a few weeks of meeting and getting to know each other, Tobias proposes to Ursula and what do the people in town think? There's no way Tobias would have fallen in love with Ursula. She's a witch. She must have bewitched him, right?

[Sabrina]

Yeah, love spells.

[Aurora]

But despite the rumors, Tobias really did love Ursula. Like so much. He loved the way that she wasn't like everyone else. Which makes me think a little bit of like Belle from Beauty and the.

[Sabrina]

Beast, you know, right where just nose.

[Aurora]

In the bed, she falls in love with the Beast because he's not Gaston, who's like everyone else, and everyone's obsessed with him, like, whatever. And Belle's also beautiful and different and reads smart, but. So he liked that she had a sharp tongue and that she didn't just bow down to men. She was like her own person.

[Sabrina]

Right. She's powerful.

[Aurora]

She's a bad.

[Sabrina]

He liked a strong woman.

[Aurora]

He really did. They built a life together. They lived in marital bliss. They got married. And for two full years, they had a very happy life. Until Tobias suddenly dropped dead.

[Sabrina]

Wow. That was. I went through, like, a rush of emotions just now because I thought that he was going to do something to, like, betray her. And I actually felt relief hearing that he just died instead.

[Aurora]

I also took you through a whirlwind of emotions of, like, they fell in love. This is great. And then he died. It was unexpected. He passed away and there was no cause there. Like, it just truly. I mean, I don't know how old he was, but as you.

[Sabrina]

This is not gonna do well for my anxiety thinking about stuff like this.

[Aurora]

This is 1488. I gotta start crying or 1512, I think. I think you're okay. Corinna. Oh, my gosh. You know how you were freaking out about the one time on Patreon where the video kept cutting on and then I die or whatever, and then I die?

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

Recently there was a video where I was just a disembodied head. My body was missing. How? I don't know. Like, multiple people on a Patreon video. So I don't know what's going on. But on Patreon, that one video.

[Sabrina]

That's weird because how would that, Like, I understand, at least mine, where it's like going back and glitching or something and repeating the same thing. But for video wise, for your body to just.

[Aurora]

It would freeze. And in that frozen shot, I would have no body. It would just be my head. I'm like, am I going to get beheaded?

[Sabrina]

What the fuck?

[Aurora]

They talk about headless ghosts. What if I'm just ahead? Anyway, things to look forward to.

[Sabrina]

Now I'm scared. Should we just not leave the house? Like, stay here for a studio? We'll just stay here for a while.

[Aurora]

There's no bathroom, though. Pick a corner. Do we have a bucket? Back to Ursula. So, unfortunately, very tragically, Tobias does pass away. And as you can imagine, the people in town point fingers at Ursula.

[Sabrina]

Girl cannot catch a break.

[Aurora]

She cannot and for a really long time, she was like, I'm just gonna ignore everyone because I'm just living my life, doing my own thing. And then she met this man that she loved. And despite what they said, she's way more powerful, too. So it's like. But despite what they said, she was like, at least I have this. But now they're pointing fingers, and she's just lost the love of her life. She's like, I can't.

[Sabrina]

She's lows.

[Aurora]

I don't want to take this anymore. So what does she do? She packs up her things and walks into the woods. And she keeps walking until she finds her way back to the cave she was born in. She was immediately overcome with that feeling of safety, familiarity. This cave that she was brought into the world in, it is home. And she spent. I mean, she built a little cottage, but she spent majority of her life, the rest of her life in this cave. She continued to create potions and herbal remedies, and people would come from far and wide to visit her. People all over knew of the witch in the cave. Mother Shipton. Her name was whispered in candlelight. And even reaching King Henry viii, there is a documented letter that King Henry VIII wrote to the Duke of Norfolk in which he mentions the witch of York. And interestingly enough, Mother Shipton had a prophecy that did involve King Henry viii. It wasn't about him, but it was about a man who was in good terms with the king. So according to a text that was published in 1881, based on a pamphlet of Mother Shipton's prophecies, that was originally dated and published in 1641, this is what the prophecy said. Mother Shipton warned that when Henry VIII became king, that Cardinal Wolseley should not accompany him to York, for if he did, he would never return. So now Cardinal Wolseley gets word of this prophecy, and he's like, who's this bitch, right? What does she think?

[Sabrina]

I like to feel so challenged. The ego in you would be like, oh, well, I'm for sure going, yeah.

[Aurora]

So he, like, wants to prove her wrong, right? So he decides to test this witch, and he sends three noblemen in disguise to her cottage. But immediately, when these three men arrive, Mother Shipment, who's never met them before, looks at all three men and addresses each and every single one of them by their real names, and she invites them in.

[Sabrina]

Oh, that's when you don't go in, when you're like, oh, my God.

[Aurora]

Right? That part kind of reminds me of Bell Witch a little bit yeah, like that. I don't know. Just like the men approaching to see what's up with the witch.

[Sabrina]

And then, how did that turn out for them? Half of them died.

[Aurora]

Exactly. So while in her cottage, the noblemen are taunting her. They're like, the Cardinal Wolseley will come to York and you will be burned at the stake. What does Mother Shipton do? She removes the scarf that was on her head and she tosses it in the fire. That headscarf does not burn. What does she then do? She places another personal item in the fire. It, too, does not burn. Then she looks these three men in their eyes and says, if these will not burn, neither shall I.

[Sabrina]

She can't say the same of you.

[Aurora]

She then tells the three men of their futures. She tells the Duke of Suffolk, you'll one day be as low as I am. This man later fell from power and died in disgrace. She told Lord Percy that he would do well, but his body would be buried in York's pavement and his head would be stolen to France. Just. That happened.

[Sabrina]

That is. Okay. That is wild. Like, to get all of the details.

[Aurora]

Of that Lord Darcy, she told that he had built a great cannon. He would go to war, hurt many, but kill none, which is such a diss to him.

[Sabrina]

Right.

[Aurora]

And he was later executed after a failed uprising. So he tried to, like, lead an uprising and.

[Sabrina]

Damn.

[Aurora]

Yeah.

[Sabrina]

And the fact. So, like, all of these men are in power, and so she maybe could have predicted, like, just knowing how things kind of play out, she could have just, like, thrown out a few of these things. But to get them correct for each individual and the level of details, too, with them, like the beheading and where it happens and all of that.

[Aurora]

Yes. So then even more accurately, so after this all gets back to Cardinal Wolseley, Cardinal Wolseley's like, I still don't believe her, and I'm gonna prove her wrong. So he's like, I'm gonna travel to York, which is where King Henry VIII is already in York. So he's traveling from London to York. He gets.

[Sabrina]

He's not supposed to.

[Aurora]

Right? He's not supposed to. Warning. It's specifically, like, don't go to York when the king is there. Like, you'll never make it. And in her prophecy, I, like, don't know the specific wording, but she says, he will see York, but he will never make it there. So he's on his journey there. He's atop a hill some eight miles away from York. So he's on the hill and he can see York, and he is, like, mocking the witch. He's like, I am one day away from York. And ha, ha ha, you stupid witch. Like, you're wrong. Your prophecy's wrong.

[Sabrina]

Isn't she so popular? Like, the fact that she's got all these guys talking about her.

[Aurora]

Right, right. So then as he's, like, saying that, I imagine he's saying it out loud because he's that type of guy.

[Sabrina]

He's for sure bragging to all of the guys in his 100%.

[Aurora]

But as he's doing this, he is beckoned back to London because, I don't know, I didn't look into, like, the real history of it, but apparently he had done something that lost his favor with the King. And the King was like, fuck that guy. Hate him. He was sent from where he was back to London. So he had to literally turn around, never reached York. He was arrested for treason and died.

[Sabrina]

Holy shit. Also, I'm just picturing, like, obviously he had to be told that he was summoned back. So I'm just picturing the job of the people who have to, like, force.

[Aurora]

Dash through the woods and then force him back.

[Sabrina]

Right?

[Aurora]

Because, you know, he wants to travel those last eight miles to prove her wrong.

[Sabrina]

Right.

[Aurora]

Mother Shipton was correct. Cardinal Wolseley would never reach York. So now people are like, oh, this woman knows the future. And she made many other accurate predictions. So we're going to talk about some of them, and we're also going to talk about the validity of some of them afterwards. There are two documents that lay out the predictions, or primary documents. The first is a pamphlet that was Originally published in 1641. And the second is a text that was published in 1881, many, many years after Mother Shipton lived and died, which there are some issues with that one specifically, but we'll get there. You can also read both of these. It's dense because it's written in old timey English. Okay. But let's talk about the prophecies documented in the 1641 pamphlet. First, she wrote in one prophecy before that Aus Bridge and Trinity Church meet. They shall build on the day, and it shall fall in the night. So there's a bridge called Ouse Bridge in York that had collapsed several times by the 1500s. And so this prophecy was said to reflect the way humans build and also destroy when night falls, humans just destroy everything that they build. I think the prophecy continued to say that until the stone of the church is used to build the bridge, it will never stay sturdy, which I Think is also commentary on how the church was this pious, pompous, we are better than all. And she was trying to say, like, you have to touch earth, touch grass kind of thing. Go touch grass. Go touch grass. Like the 1500 version of Go touch grass. And sure enough, despite continuously rebuilding the bridge, it kept falling, even killing multiple people. In 1565, they did try to rebuild with not the Trinity Church stone, but like stone from a fallen church. And it didn't work. But I wonder if they had used the stone from Trinity Church as she said, would it have stayed up? I don't know. Okay, so now another prophecy stated the following. The north shall rue it wondrous sore, but the south shall rue it forevermore. So people believe that this prophecy was actually about the English Civil War, which took place many years after Mother Shifman's death, from 1642 to 1651. So it basically is saying that the north and the south will both have so much tragedy, but by the end of it, the south will rule and have power forever. And so this prophecy now has been analyzed so many times because it has become true time and time again in this way that history repeats itself.

[Sabrina]

Also, I'm like, how is this woman not given a castle and just put on this pedestal and be like, yes, everyone, go and have your fortune told.

[Aurora]

Right?

[Sabrina]

Why is she still living in the cave?

[Aurora]

In the Civil War, the North did suffer many losses. Entire towns were burned and the south lost its king. King Charles I was executed in 1649. And then Cromwell rose and the south persisted. So like the Crown London, the South continued to rule. And this echoes throughout history. The Civil War was first, then the Industrial Revolution and then Brexit. Saying like, history continues to repeat itself. Which even if you want to say, like, okay, anyone could say that, like, history repeats itself. She's smart enough to put that into words. And she's a woman who grew up in a cave.

[Sabrina]

Right? She's living in a cave. She's been exiled like a million times now. People aren't offering up information or being kind to her ever.

[Aurora]

Right, okay, so now here's another one. And I'm also just reading, like, the major ones. There are so many more in the pamphlet and in the other text, but this one's called the Woman with one Eye. So listen to this quote because it's like the most gruesome, but also like powerful image. Then shall come a woman with one eye, and she shall tread in many men's blood to the knee. So a one eyed woman wading through the blood of men up to her knee. Just picture that. Yeah, it's powerful.

[Sabrina]

It is very powerful.

[Aurora]

So this is believed to be about Queen Elizabeth I, who's the daughter of Anne Boleyn. So she's born and raised in a life of bloodshed, originally, initially. But then when she takes the throne in 1585, it's a reign marked by many periods of bloodshed, particularly persecution of Catholics and political threats, some of which were women, like Mary, Queen of Scots, but a lot of them were men. And Queen Elizabeth I was said to have one eye that was, like, very poor vision, so she kind of only had one eye. But it also could just be about women in general that you should fear them, fear the power and the retribution that they will take and have the power to take.

[Sabrina]

Yeah, well. And just like, the will to survive. And how many, I guess, like, atrocities perpetrated by men do happen to women every day? Every single day.

[Aurora]

Every day.

[Sabrina]

And by the time a woman gets to the end of her life, she does have. She is waiting up to her waist with, like, the terrors inflicted by men. By men.

[Aurora]

Yeah.

[Sabrina]

Sorry to our male listeners, but men just do better. Tell your friends.

[Aurora]

Everyone just do better. That's not. You know, I think humankind is terrible.

[Sabrina]

Humans are terrible.

[Aurora]

This is why I would like to be a cat. Okay.

[Sabrina]

But some. I will say some animals in the animal kingdom are also, like, very vicious.

[Aurora]

Okay. I would love to be a chunky house cat. I'd like to be Leia.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

Leia has a sick life.

[Sabrina]

It's like, where do we go to just have, like, peace and beauty? I mean, even think about trees.

[Aurora]

Even trees are brutally murdered.

[Sabrina]

Well, but also, it's like, they can live so peacefully amongst one another, and, like, if one of the trees is not doing well, they can, like, help it. Help it. But on the flip side, if there's a tree that's being too selfish and is taking too much, they will kill that tree. They will restrict all the shared nutrients and just exile their fellow tree and be like, no, you're too greedy. Be gone.

[Aurora]

So are we just eating trees? Are we just doomed?

[Sabrina]

Pick and choose who they want to live and die.

[Aurora]

I don't like thinking about that. Okay, well, more things to think about. There are more prophecies that were documented, like I said, in the 1881 text, and that's called Mother Shipton Investigated. The most famous of all Mother Shipton prophecies is as follows. When carriages without horses run, when men shall fly as birds have flown. When ships shall swim beneath the sea. Then half the world deep, drenched in blood shall be. Let's break that down. When carriages without horses run. Cars. When men shall fly as birds have flown. Planks. When ships shall swim beneath the sea. Submarines. Then half the world deep, drenched in blood shall be. Cars. Planes. Submarines.

[Sabrina]

War.

[Aurora]

Death. War. World War I. Yeah, literally, like death. But keep in mind mother Shipton lived 1488 to, like, mid-1500s, way before any of this was even a thought.

[Sabrina]

Centuries.

[Aurora]

Yeah. This prophecy cemented Mother Shipton as the female Nostradamus of England. And this line appeared all over the world. It was, like, quoted in newspapers, and I think it was in almanacs until, like, kind of recently.

[Sabrina]

Really?

[Aurora]

Yeah.

[Sabrina]

It's funny because when Marissa was visiting a month or two ago, she made a comment about how I have the Farmer's Almanac and, like, kind of made fun of me for having it. And I was like, no, this is like my Bible. Like, I truly reference it for, like, weather and making plans and doing stuff like that. Well, do you remember when can I plan this one event that I think is going to be outside? Let me look at where the stars and the weather patterns and. So you're a witch.

[Aurora]

What's happening there? Yeah, that's your witchy Bible.

[Sabrina]

I guess I'm a farmer witch.

[Aurora]

You're a green witch.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. Yeah, I guess it keeps coming back to that.

[Aurora]

Do you remember how in middle school, Internet is kind of a thing at this time, but we're not. We don't have as much access to computers, so you would. You have to go do research. You go grab an almanac. Yeah. And you look things up and then you grab other texts that are in the library.

[Sabrina]

We had library classes. You remember where the librarians would teach us and, like, test us on.

[Aurora]

I love the Dewey Decimal System so much. Like, that might be my kink.

[Sabrina]

Dewey Decimal systemal system.

[Aurora]

Like, if you have a at home library and it's arranged by the Dewey Decimal System, call me, let me get a look at it.

[Sabrina]

Send pics.

[Aurora]

Okay. So similarly, another prophecy, again written in the 1881 text, was about the evolution of humankind and technology, and it went like this. Around the world. Thoughts shall fly in the twinkling of an eye. How could she know that thoughts would travel that quickly? The Internet mail, like, posts, like, whatever, all that stuff. How did she know it was going to happen like that? You know? You know what I just got that I am so obsessed with and now is going to be my holiday gift for everyone in my life. The bamboo pajama set from Cozy Earth.

[Sabrina]

I'll be honest, every time they come out with a new pattern, I buy it. It is like I have a hundred pairs of pajamas from Cozy Earth basically.

[Aurora]

And all their sheets and yeah, every, every product that Cozy Earth has, we have it.

[Sabrina]

It's so soft. How could you not be obsessed with their stuff?

[Aurora]

Plus their bamboo pajama set is designed with a soft stretch knit that drapes beautifully and sleeps degrees cooler than cotton. So it's a lightweight set that keeps you cozy without overheating.

[Sabrina]

And I will say it holds up really well. I have destroyed so many of my clothes with just like my life and all of my pajama sets from Cozy Earth. I I'm not going on like year four with some of them.

[Aurora]

Yeah, they're made to last and that is why they have a 100 night sleep trial so you can try them out and if you don't love them, return them hassle free. But like Corinne said, you won't want to. Plus they have a 10 year warranty because once you feel this level of comfort, you will want it to last a decade.

[Sabrina]

And Black Friday has come early at Cozy Earth. Right now you can stack our Code TGOG on top of their site Wide sale giving you up to 40% off in savings. That's cozyearth.com, code TGoG for up to 40% off in Savings. And these deals won't last. So start your holiday shopping today and if you get a post purchase survey, be sure to mention that you heard about Cozy Earth right here. Wrap the ones you love in luxury with Cozy Earth.

[Aurora]

I have talked about my hormone issues on this podcast many a times before. It has been something I struggle with constantly until I found Glow by Beam. It has been making such a difference and I just want to start by saying BEME is offering our listeners an amazing discount. Beam's Cyber Sale is now open for early access for our listeners and it's the best offer of the year. But only for 48 hours. Our listeners get up to 50% off when you go to shopbeam.com TGOG and use our code TGOG at checkout. That breaks down to only $1.08 per day to revamp your health routine for better.

[Sabrina]

And if you're wondering what is glo, well it's a once daily hormone balancing blend for women that has made a huge improvement in my life. So you got to try it too.

[Aurora]

Like I said, it just works. I've been taking it now for like two months. And I've seen such great results, especially my energy. I just feel like it's much more. It's reliable. My energy is now reliable.

[Sabrina]

Yeah, more consistent.

[Aurora]

I wake up and I'm like, okay, I'm ready to tackle the day. And also bonus, my hair and nails are stronger.

[Sabrina]

And now, like you said earlier, for a limited time, Beam is offering our listeners up to 50% off Glow Early Access to their cyber sale is live. And this price only lasts for the next 48 hours. Just visit shopbeam.com TGOG and use code TGOG at checkout. That's shop B-E-A-M.com TGOG and don't forget to use code TGOG for your exclusive discount of up to 50% off.

[Aurora]

She made many other prophecies, but perhaps her most ominous prophecy, and the very first doomsday prophecy to go viral, she.

[Sabrina]

Wrote for the Simpsons.

[Aurora]

She basically is the Simpsons, right? She wrote, the world to an end shall come in 1881. So people are panicking as it's getting closer to 1881. It's like, is the world gonna end?

[Sabrina]

I know, I'm trying to think of what happened in 1881. I'm like, okay, well the 1810, 1812.

[Aurora]

There was wars here.

[Sabrina]

Well, 1881, we were moving Edwardian into Victorian era.

[Aurora]

Is that right? But so like basically. And we'll get to this in a second, but like, newspapers are really ramping up the fear mongering with this. They're like this witch back from the 15th century claimed that the world will end. Like the countdown clock is coming when 1881 arrived.

[Sabrina]

Like, what does a world ending mean? It's kind of like the death of self. Like it doesn't mean you actually die, it's just there's a new version and new opportunities coming.

[Aurora]

But when 1881 arrived, the world did not end. And there are a lot of questions to be asked about said prophecies because keep in mind, Mother Shipton lived in the 1500s.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

Most of these were published in 1881.

[Sabrina]

Did anything happen that was significant?

[Aurora]

That's what I'm saying. It's important to ask, how valid are these, given that they were written so long afterwards? The 1641 pamphlet, it did exist and it's housed in the British Library and it's printed by Richard Lowndes and it's believed to be accurate. It was published more than 70 years after Mother Chipton's death. Meaning that everything that was in there is secondhand told over generations. But a lot of those were already public knowledge before they were documented and published in this book. But the 1881 text is messy. Charles Henley, this man.

[Sabrina]

So it's probably not authentically from her. Yes, got it.

[Aurora]

So Charles Henley, who republished her prophecies in 1862 through 1881, admitted to taking creative liberties.

[Sabrina]

Okay, well, that pisses me off because that basically is just like him disrespecting her prophecies, being like, well, I don't really believe it. Anyone can just make stuff up. And then.

[Aurora]

Or he just wanted to ride on her fame, which is men doing that to women. Again, like, being like, yeah, I'm going to take this powerful woman story and just like, of take a. Make a mockery of it and make it my own success.

[Sabrina]

Right.

[Aurora]

Like, I'm not successful in my own right. So I'm gonna just like, use this other word in ways it feels semi.

[Sabrina]

Hypocritical, given that we are a podcast that only talks about other people and their stories.

[Aurora]

But we're not. We're not making mockery or we're not trying to make our own names.

[Sabrina]

We're not attaching ourselves.

[Aurora]

We're telling multiple different stories.

[Sabrina]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Aurora]

And we try to stay as truthful as possible. This guy took so many creative liberties that when you read his iterations of her history, like, I kind of read the one from up beginning, like how she was born. That's him dramatizing. He's turning a true story into a fictitious story because he thinks it will sell better.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

Whereas he could have just written a fictional story about a witch born in a cave and had fun with it and done all these creative liberties, and it could have been inspired by Mother Shipton. But he's like, no, this is the truth of Mother Shipton.

[Sabrina]

Right.

[Aurora]

But he was like, yeah, I took some creative liberties, but the rest of it's true. And it's like, well, okay, well, which part of it.

[Sabrina]

I need you to, like, indicate line by line what's true and what's he did say.

[Aurora]

He absolutely took creative liberties when it came to the 1881 prophecy. Okay, so like, End of Days. That being said, Mother Shipton was in fact a healer, a good. A powerful witch who indeed did predict many things of the future accurately. Mother Shipton is and was an incredible woman who walked so we could run. And I believe that wholeheartedly. She spent the later years of her life in solitude. She withdrew from the world, watching from the edge of the forest. And when she felt her end was near, she returned to the place where it all began. The cave by the River Nidd, her birthplace. Some even say that her body still lays, like, in the cave, but I don't think that's true. And we don't know specifically when Ursula Shipton or Mother Shipton died, but it was somewhere around 1560.

[Sabrina]

Although I will say, what a turn of events if her body is in fact in the cave and it's perfectly preserved, because then she would basically be deemed a saint by the Catholic Church.

[Aurora]

You know what? It would be perfectly preserved, because this cave turns things to stone.

[Sabrina]

Yeah, limestone.

[Aurora]

Many people claim to see Ursula's spirit, and they've even heard laughter echoing in the cave. Staff that work at Mother Shipton's park say that sometimes, right before a storm, the cave will grow colder, even though the air outside is warm. Like, she's almost. She is the storm. You know, she was born in the storm. She is the storm. Phones will glitch, recordings distort, Dripping from the cave will slow, as if time is pausing. Whether it's Mother Shipton's ghost or just the strange magnetism of this place, no one really knows. But we do know for sure that Mother Shipton made such an impact on society that the cave has turned into a tourist attraction and is actually England's oldest tourist attraction.

[Sabrina]

I love this.

[Aurora]

Yeah. So right next to the cave, I guess. Yeah.

[Sabrina]

1400S.

[Aurora]

Right. And it, like, kind of became like a pilgrimage spot for people to go. So right next to the cave, there's this small, ancient waterfall. And for centuries, people believed it was cursed. Cursed by Mother Shipton, because anything that is left beneath its dripping edge, a flower, a doll, a shoe, turns to stone.

[Sabrina]

That is so wild. This kind of feels like, in a way, like the old Grimm's Brother fairy tales.

[Aurora]

It absolutely does. You can see there are. Here, I'll show you a picture. I mean, there are tons and tons of glasses, they're getting, like, calcified, that are hanging just outside the ledge of this cave. And for a very long time, people were like, this is Mother Shipton's magic. Or she put a curse on this. And, you know, whoever dare go into her cave while she's not there will turn into stone.

[Sabrina]

How perfect that this is located right near her cave. Because I love that, like, even when things might naturally be occurring, it still is associated with her and her power.

[Aurora]

She's so powerful.

[Sabrina]

She's so powerful.

[Aurora]

But the truth is, yes, it is science. It's chemistry. So there are minerals from the limestone cliffs above, mostly Calcium carbonate that as they drip, coat them with mineral layers, and over time, they harden into stone. But this happens in, like, most caves, but it does happen a lot faster here, which I think is just like the geology of this specific place. And like Mother Shipton.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

Yeah. So since the 1630s, this has been a tourist site. It has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Visitors started out in the 1630s paying one penny to go visit the witch as well. It is the oldest, like I said, England's oldest, continuously operating tourist attraction. Even royalty would come to visit. Everyone wanted to see the cave where a witch was born and where the earth itself seemed to breathe magic. And you can still visit today. You can wander the woodlands, touch grass, touch the ancient stone, and hang your own token beneath the petrifying waters. But I think the most important lesson and thing to end this story on is that Mother Shipton is a survivor. Her story is far more than prophecy or witchcraft. It really is about survival. A woman who was cast out for being different, who managed to survive and became larger than life. She outlived many outlasted wars and fires, and even death could not silence her. Damn powerful. That is the story of Mother Shipton, a witch who walked before us.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. I love her.

[Aurora]

I love her so much.

[Sabrina]

This also made me think about the woman who. I think she was from Spain, who was living in a cave as, like, an experiment. She was supposed to spend, like, 500 days or something like that in a cave. And when they came to get her at the 500 day mark, she thought it had only been, like, a couple months. And she was like, wait, what?

[Aurora]

Which is crazy.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. Like, I'm not done with my books yet, though.

[Aurora]

I was watching Tangled with Noemi.

[Sabrina]

I love Tangled.

[Aurora]

It was really good. Noemi's in such a princess phase, but.

[Sabrina]

That is so cute.

[Aurora]

I was watching it with her, and there's that one song where she, like, talks about what she does every day and how she, like, reads her three books. And then if she has time in the afternoon, she reads those same books over and over. And I'm just thinking about this woman who spent 500 days in the cave. Like, I would go crazy.

[Sabrina]

Oh, I would too.

[Aurora]

I couldn't do it.

[Sabrina]

I don't think I am mentally strong enough to do that either.

[Aurora]

I do love Cozy Earth as having, like, the bedrotting challenge.

[Sabrina]

Okay. The bedrotting challenge. I could absolutely.

[Aurora]

I could do so easy. You can get up and pee, right? I think I could spend weeks in bed.

[Sabrina]

Yeah. So how long is the Bedrotting challenge.

[Aurora]

I don't know. I think it's like whoever loses or whoever outlasts everyone else, put us in. Put us in, Coach. We'll win.

[Sabrina]

Can we bedrot cozy?

[Aurora]

Invite us?

[Sabrina]

Tap us in or just give us more sheets. Okay, I have a story, and this is from Cindy. It's called Witch Sister.

[Aurora]

Love it.

[Sabrina]

Hello. I'd like to say I've been a fan of Whitney for years.

[Aurora]

She's a witch sister.

[Sabrina]

She's so sweet and funny and adorable. The episode you were in made me want to share a story.

[Aurora]

She also adopted one of my foster babies, Monroe, who she is now named Sabbath. And one of the nicknames.

[Sabrina]

Wait, I didn't realize that.

[Aurora]

Yeah, after the animal. That's so funny.

[Sabrina]

That she bought in Salem the first time she came up to visit.

[Aurora]

One of the nicknames she's calling him is Sabby. And I was like.

[Sabrina]

Like you?

[Aurora]

Like his mother? His OG mother.

[Sabrina]

Oh, my gosh.

[Aurora]

Actually.

[Sabrina]

Wait, so this is.

[Aurora]

I only just blood mother.

[Sabrina]

Let me announce I'm not pregnant. However, because Brian and I have started talking about, like, our family planning and because we had so much trouble picking a name last time I bought a book that came up, it's like, recommended on TikTok 100,000 baby names. Because last time we did 10,000, then we came up with one, so we need more.

[Aurora]

Isn't there last night where you can both, like, swipe on names?

[Sabrina]

Yep. Did that. Went through it. No matches. Wild. We're struggling.

[Aurora]

Sabrina, tell Brian to like baby. Sabrina, listen to me.

[Sabrina]

So Cindy, fan of Whitney now? Maybe fan of us? I'm not sure.

[Aurora]

Maybe.

[Sabrina]

Okay. I'm 50 years old now, but when I was little, maybe like four, my mom had taken my sister, my brother and I on a trip, and we ended up in Salem, Massachusetts. We did the normal sightseeing things, but I felt like I was at home. A man asked if he could paint my picture down by the water.

[Aurora]

Wait, sorry. I'm just picturing him be like, come with me down by the water so I can take your picture.

[Sabrina]

I think it was less creepy. I know they were down by the water. It seems like he was painting a landscape and he asked if he could paint her, too.

[Aurora]

Okay.

[Sabrina]

Cindy writes, my mom let him, and I have no clue who he was or whatever happened to that picture, but it felt like he was an old soul and somehow, like he and I were connected.

[Aurora]

Wow.

[Sabrina]

Which is wild. Like, she's feeling this when she's four.

[Aurora]

Yeah, that's very, very.

[Sabrina]

And it stuck with Her. For many years into my teens, I would have the same dream of being burned for being a witch. And then I would wake up with actual burn marks on my body. I had a small mole on my temple, and it would swell and bleed. My dad had a doctor remove the mole when I was around 14 or 15. And to this day, I have dreams that it will swell and bleed even though the mole is now gone. My fingers will have little blisters as well as my chest. I've always been drawn to go back to Salem as an adult, and maybe someday I will. My dad told me that he does think I am an old soul. I've seen and talked and felt spirits in my life. Some good, some very evil. And there are times there are so many of them all talking at once that I can't take it. And I have to shut off my brain, and I have.

[Aurora]

That's wild. Yeah.

[Sabrina]

And I have to shut off my brain or it feels like there's going to be electrical shocks throughout my brain. It can be a blessing, and it can be a curse. Our gifts are not always under control. I can remember pieces of several lives, but being burned as a witch is the life that comes forward most often. Enjoy your gifts. I just wanted to share my witch story with you. Wish you all the best on your journeys. Sincerely, Cindy.

[Aurora]

Wow. Well, I'm so interested, because I love that Cindy's drawn to Salem and, like.

[Sabrina]

Has kindred spirits there, too, clearly.

[Aurora]

But as we know that, like, Salem, none of the witches or accused witches were burned. They're all hanged or oppressed or, you know, no one was burned. But it almost feels like Cindy was burned as a accused witch in another place. That all of those souls probably have such empathy and, like, love for one another that they're drawn to. You know, like, they. They know they can feel that energy and are shared. Yeah. So I'd be curious if Cindy went to. You know, there's so many places in Europe where innocent people were accused and.

[Sabrina]

Tried drownings and burnings and witchcraft.

[Aurora]

If she would feel the same way.

[Sabrina]

Right. Yeah. It is interesting because even just, like, her molecule, like, there's blisters, there's swelling, there's bleeding, and it's like. It does seem all like it burns and, like, the result of fire. But at the same time, it also makes me wonder if that's just kind of like the manifestation of something horrible happening. Sure. It's like, this is how. Like, this is the idea that you think of when you think of witches. And this is the clearest way that.

[Aurora]

Like, I can show you that this is your past.

[Sabrina]

Right.

[Aurora]

I'm also so curious. Where's that picture that this man drew?

[Sabrina]

I know. Probably in an antique shop in Salem. We should go find it.

[Aurora]

Yeah.

[Sabrina]

Or Cindy should go back and see if. Oh, my God. What if she's, like, drawn into a place and finds it?

[Aurora]

I always think about in this story was so wild. This girl had this, like, little tchotchke. We read it on our podcast, and I cannot remember what episode, but she had this little tchotchke, and they lost it. But she met a guy who was from overseas, and when they went to go visit his family, I want to say it was, like, in Iceland, and that same Chachi was in the family house, and it was. They had found it in the water.

[Sabrina]

I think it was like an invisible string theory.

[Aurora]

It was an invisible string theory story. But I was like, how crazy.

[Sabrina]

It's like, chills.

[Aurora]

Like, where is that now? Creepy. And, like, is it going to come back to you in your life from someone else? Anyway, Love magic. Love witches.

[Sabrina]

Love you all. Mother Shipton.

[Aurora]

Love Mother Shipton. Love you witches with capital B. Except for the men who have done us wrong, who are bitches. Just be. Just.

[Sabrina]

Just anyone. Anyone who's wronged us in the past.

[Aurora]

Be warned of Corinne when she's a ghost, because she will.

[Sabrina]

Guys, once upon a time, you should have been scared. Now I can't remember anything. Did you say something mean to me? I don't know. I don't remember. Did you? When?

[Aurora]

What did you say? Survival mode. You're still. You're like, day by day, minute by minute.

[Sabrina]

Actually, my doctor's appointment, I had to give them the dates of when I was pregnant, and I was like, I truly don't know. They were like, how old. How old were you? I was like, can you please first tell me how old I am right now? And then I can do the math backwards. I truly didn't know. We were there for, like, five minutes.

[Aurora]

Where I was, like, trying to figure it out. Well, that is also very hard because it's like when someone asks you also, like, when you. What you had for breakfast. Yeah.

[Sabrina]

I don't know.

[Aurora]

I just think about.

[Sabrina]

I can't remember those 10 months of life.

[Aurora]

All I know is that our Tour was in 2023, so that's my.

[Sabrina]

Was I 30? I think I was 30 when I was pregnant. I'm 32 now. Right. That's what. You were pregnant.

[Aurora]

You must have just turned 30.

[Sabrina]

Okay. That's what I Eventually said I was like, I turned 30.

[Aurora]

That's what Brian told you. Brian told you you're 32?

[Sabrina]

He told me I'm 32. We are 32.

[Aurora]

We are 32.

[Sabrina]

Yeah.

[Aurora]

And my mom said that I was in my mid-30s. I was like, no, I'm not like, okay, like what I'm gonna call you. You're in your late 60s. She's turning 60. That's just bitch.

[Sabrina]

Fighting words, Aurora.

[Aurora]

Anyway, we love you all.

[Sabrina]

That's not very princess behavior, Aurora.

[Aurora]

No, no, it's not. Don't anger the witch over here. But we love you all. Thank you so much for being here. If you have any witchy stories, if you've visited the cave in York, it's actually I. So I'm going to York. I'll be there when this. Or I'll have just been there when this episode comes out.

[Sabrina]

Are you gonna go to this cave?

[Aurora]

So it's a 45 minute drive.

[Sabrina]

Oh. How many days are you doing in New York?

[Aurora]

Not that many. So it just depends on what I get done there and if I have time. Yeah, but it will be close and I'll be in the town New York, which is where the story takes place. So if you've been, please email us. If you have any stories in general about the paranormal or odd or supernatural or cryptid, whatever it is, email it to [e-mail]. Join us on Patreon, where we have a new tier and we're doing some witchy classes over there. We have book club, extra encounters.

[Sabrina]

We had our first witch class and I can't stop thinking about the magic, the magic of it. And also just like the phrase walking the path of the witch like that just so stuck out with me. So if you want to walk the path of the witch with us, head.

[Aurora]

Over to Patreon over there. Thank you to our editor and producer, Jamie Ryan and thank you to our producer, Emma Laventer.

[Sabrina]

You keep us sane and so do all of you. Well, actually maybe the opposite.

[Aurora]

Insane, but sometimes insanity.

[Sabrina]

We need balance.

[Aurora]

Yeah, of course.

[Sabrina]

So we love you and we will see you on the other side.

[Aurora]

Very spooky.

[Jonathan Van Ness]

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[Sabrina]

What would we do differently? Would we go to bed at a consistent time or take steps to reduce interruptions to our sleep? With the all new sleep score, Apple.

[Jonathan Van Ness]

Watch measures your bedtime consistency, interruptions and sleep duration. Then every morning it combines these factors.

[Sabrina]

Into an easy to understand score from 1 to 100. So you'll know how to take the quality of your sleep from good to excellent. Introducing the new sleep score on Apple Watch iPhone 11 or later required.