RECOLLECTIONS

A podcast exploring history and culture through the collections of the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University

Ep. 1: The Magical History of Bloodstones

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Bloodstone, also called heliotrope, is an aggregate mineral: a combination of green and black-colored jasper and red-colored hematite. The donor of our egg-shaped bloodstone said that the stone might date back to 19th century England, but the history of this item is largely a mystery. What we do know, however, is that cultures all over the world have used bloodstone as a magical tool for over a thousand years.

Beyer with bloodstone Bloodstone view

Our guest for this episode is Becky Beyer. Becky is a researcher and teacher of Appalachian folk magic, traditional witchcraft, primitive skills, homesteading, foraging and Appalachian ethnobotany and folkways. Learn more about Becky at her website: Blood and Spicebush. Read her blog here.

Music credits: Intro: Podington Bear, “Many Hands,” Blue Dot Sessions, “Borough”

"Recollections" is a production of the B. Carroll Reece Museum, a unit of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. This episode was produced by Saro Lynch-Thomason, with assistance from the staff at the Reece Museum. Special thanks to WETS for the use of their studios.