They said witches flew on broomsticks. But what they never told you… was what the broom was really for.
In this episode of The Forgotten Familiar, we explore the dark, intoxicating truth behind “flying ointments”—potent blends of herbs and fat used by women to slip between worlds. Belladonna, henbane, mandrake… all were part of a pharmacopoeia passed in secret, whispered from hand to hand, and later twisted into fear and myth.
Was it hallucination, heresy—or a quiet kind of freedom?
You decide.
✨ Featuring folklore, trial records, herbal lore, and the real reason witches may have taken flight.
🕯️ Want the deeper lore behind this episode? Join me in Whispers Beneath on Patreon.
⚠️ This episode discusses toxic herbs once used in historical folk practice. This is for educational storytelling only—do not attempt to ingest or apply any of these plants.
Music by Valerii Gomeniuk from Pixabay.
Wind Sound Effect by LoLa Joy from Pixabay.
Fire Sound Effect by DRAGON-STUDIO from Pixabay.
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