The Witching Hour - Folklore of Midnight & Thresholds

What makes midnight so powerful and why do crossroads, mirrors, and doorways seem to hum with the same strange energy? This episode of Hex & Muse drifts through folklore, superstition, and the quiet psychology of liminal spaces, tracing how the witching hour became a symbol of transformation. From ancient rites and whispered superstitions to the ways we still navigate change today, it’s an exploration of thresholds- where the world softens, and something new begins to stir.Carl Jung – Archetypes and the Collective UnconsciousMircea Eliade – The Sacred and the ProfaneRonald Hutton – The Triumph of the MoonMarina Warner – From the Beast to the BlondeClaude Lecouteux – The Tradition of Household SpiritsTheresa Bane – Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology Katharine Briggs – An Encyclopedia of FairiesGiovanni Caputo – “The Strange-Face Illusion,” Perception, 2010Theoi Greek Mythology (online archive of Hecate and related deities)Encyclopedia of Shinto (Kokugakuin University) – Ushinotoki-Mairi: The Hour of the OxShakespeare, Hamlet (Act III, Scene II — “the very witching time of night”)These works informed the folklore, cultural history, and symbolic language woven through this episode.Hex & Muse is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I pay my deepest respects to their Elders past and present - and to all First Nations people, whose stories and spirits continue to shape this land.Follow along for more folklore, magic, and mythic musings:Instagram: @hexandmuse Website: www.hexandmuse.comHex & Muse is a spellbound journal of folklore, magic, art, and the sacred feminine - told through cinematic storytelling and whispered histories.From my altar to yours… thank you for listening.