Eye of Newt: Ep. 110

This week on Unorthodox, we're totally bewitched. Our Jewish guest is novelist Alice Hoffman, whose new book is The Rules of Magic, a prequel to her bestselling 1995 novel Practical Magic, which was made into the 1998 film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. She tells us how she re-immersed herself in the magical Owens family 20 years later, the ways in which her Jewish background influenced her interest in rebellious women, and why it's important to her to redefine the popular mythology of witches.

Our gentile of the week is a witch and priest in the Minoan Brotherhood, who studies neo-paganism at Harvard Divinity School. He tells us the difference between witches and pagans, how he planned to celebrate Samhain, the pagan festival also known as Halloween, and why eye of newt is something you might already have in your kitchen cabinet.

Join our new Facebook group! And sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, behind-the-scenes photos, and more! Email us at [email protected]—we may read your note on air.

Follow us on Twitter: @tabletmag , @markopp1, @liel, and @stuffism.

This episode is brought to you by Harry’s. Get a free trial shave set—including razor handle, blades, and gel—when you sign up at Harrys.com/Unorthodox.