“The glory of colour, which was his chief gift, is a strange blend of dark beauty and almost spectral luminosity.” - A.Kelly   In this episode Rachel and Phoebe put a spotlight on one of Ireland’s great artists: Harry Clarke. Famed for his stained glass art, Clarke’s work can be found in churches throughout Ireland, exhibiting his astounding use of colour and his distinctive figurative style. We discuss his place in Irish art history and his work establishing a distinctively Irish style in the 20th century. We contrast his religious work with his secular, often literary based pieces, and his use of gothic and grotesque elements in both. And we discuss how Clarke’s distinctive style draws the humanity out in his depictions of saints and his biblical scenes.   Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod   Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson   Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson   Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast   Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com   Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast    Works Mentioned:   To see the stained glass pieces discussed in this episode, visit the Risking Enchantment Substack. Dark Beauty: Hidden Detail in Harry Clarke’s Stained Glass by Lucy Costigan and Michael Cullen   Poems / by Theodore Maynard ; with an introduction by G.K. Chesterton   Alarms and Discursions by G.K.Chesterton   Orthodoxy by G.K Chesterton   What We’re Enjoying at the Moment   Phoebe: Murder on the Orient Express (on stage)   Rachel: A Spring Harvest by Geoffrey Bache Smith

"I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King In this episode, Jacob Moran returns to join me on a dive back into Middle-Earth, this time to explore the character of Frodo Baggins. Even among fans of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo comes in for a deal of criticism and even maligning, usually centred around his likeability and his failure at the end of the quest. Yet to misunderstand Frodo is to misunderstand a crucial part of what Tolkien is saying about heroism and virtue. In this episode Rachel and Jacob discuss Frodo's qualities, his example of self-sacrifice and his willingness to lay down even his likeability in order to save his friends and his home. Hosts: Rachel Sherlock and Jacob Moran Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast Works Mentioned: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed Humphrey Carpenter The Once and Future King by T.H. White The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot   What We're Enjoying at the Moment: Rachel: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens Jacob: DnD campaign planning  

"I was feeling like I never was young Followed a dream and a strange desire You picked me up in the dead of the night And gave me a chance to move on inside of your mystery" - You're Still a Mystery, Bleachers   In this February episode of Risking Enchantment, Matthias Conroy joins after a five year absence to talk about one of our favourite bands and albums, Strange Desire by Bleachers. Bleachers is founded and fronted by pop producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff. While he is most famous for his work co-writing and producing the music of Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and The 1975, Jack’s band Bleachers gives him the space to explore emotions and experiences close to his heart, namely love, grief, sorrow and hope. While in no way a Christian album, Strange Desire gives a depth of wisdom to the experience of love that gives us glimpses of divine love. Even the album’s title ‘Strange Desire’ has an almost Augustinian quality, hinting at our restless hearts yearning for the world beyond our senses. In the episode we discuss and explore the themes of the album and show how we can encounter God in unlikely places in our life and in our culture.   Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson The Risking Enchantment Substack account: https://riskingenchantment.substack.com/ Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast For links to the works mentioned in this podcast, visit our substack post below: https://riskingenchantment.substack.com/p/strange-desire-and-the-mystery-of What We’re Enjoying at the Moment: Matthias: David Bennet Piano - YouTube Channel Rachel: A Father Who Keeps His Promises by Scott Hahn

"[T]he life and work of the Forerunner, especially as presented in the gospel of John, greatly illuminates the poetic character of Christian life—indeed of all life" - Dwight Lindley, "The Poetics of John the Baptist"   Risking Enchantment is back for 2025 and for our first episode of the year we’re taking a look at St. John the Baptist. We discuss a fictionalised depiction of his imprisonment by Henriette Brey, a 20th-century Catholic writer, as well at looking at how this foremost of saints is represented in art and how his very life and divine mission gives us a lens to understand art from a Christian perspective. Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson Important Links: The new Risking Enchantment Substack account: https://riskingenchantment.substack.com/ Sign up as a paid subscriber in order to receive our monthly newsletter of recommendations.   The video of the conference panel featuring my talk: “The Ends of the Affairs: Medieval Ideals, Modern Trysts, and the Offering of Redemption in the Works of Graham Greene and T. H. White” FC24: A Hint of an Explanation – Graham Greene The chapter discussed in this episode: “Out of the Depths” When The Soul Is In Darkness: A Book For Those That Labor And Are Burdened by Henriette Brey   Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast   Works Mentioned   “Out of the Depths” When The Soul Is In Darkness: A Book For Those That Labor And Are Burdened by Henriette Brey   “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot   “The Poetics of John the Baptist”, by Dwight Lindley - Dappled Things   L’Apparition by Gustave Moreau   Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald   John the Baptist by Donatello (V&A Hall of Casts)   Saint John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci   Bacchus by Leonardo da Vinci   What We’re Enjoying at the Moment   Phoebe: Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens   12 Angry Men   Rachel: When Harry Met Sally   Word on Fire Bible Series  

"I can imagine that if there existed a God who loved, the devil would be driven to destroy even the weakest, most faulty imitation of that love. Wouldn’t he be afraid that the habit of love might grow, and wouldn’t he try to trap us all into being traitors, into helping him extinguish love." - Graham Greene   This episode of Risking Enchantment features a recording of paper given by Rachel Sherlock at this year's Fall Conference held by the de Nicola Institute for Ethics in Culture in Notre Dame University, held in conjuction with the Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference. the theme was Ever Ancient, Ever New: On Catholic Imagination. The focus of the conference was on the literary arts and so this paper was part of a panel on the author Graham Greene.   Host: Rachel Sherlock Follow Rachel on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Find out more about the conference: https://ethicscenter.nd.edu/programs/fall-conference/2024-ever-ancient-ever-new/ Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod

“I am not a reformer nor an embalmer! I am not a ‘reformer’ (by exercise of power) since it seems doomed to Sarumanism. But ‘embalming’ has its own punishments.” -J.R.R. Tolkien   For this episode we are delighted to be joined by Dr. Holly Ordway, Fellow of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute. We discuss her recent title, Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography, which traces Tolkien’s experience of the Catholic faith throughout his life, how he integrated it into his daily practices, his personal life and his work. We discuss his early religious experiences, his opinions on changes in the liturgy, and the ways he integrated his work and faith in his translation work especially on the Book of Jonah. Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Dr Holly Ordway   Follow Rachel on social media: @seekingwatson   Follow Holly on social media: @HollyOrdway   Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast   Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com   Find out more about Holly at http://www.hollyordway.com/   Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast   Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod     Works Mentioned   Tolkien’s Faith: A Spiritual Biography by Dr Holly Orday Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages by Dr Holly Ordway The Letters of J.R.R Tolkien Tolkien and the Great War by John Garth What We’re Enjoying at the Moment Holly: The Three Investigators Series by Robert Arthur, Jr. Rachel: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene  

“I'm capable of a great jerk, an effort, and then a relaxation—but steady, every-day goodness is beyond me. I must be a moral kangaroo!” -Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell   In our final episode before the summer break, Phoebe and Rachel are joined by their good friend, and long-time Risking Enchantment listener, Jacob Moran, to discuss his favourite novel: Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. We discuss how Gaskell demonstrates the precariousness of the moral life, even or perhaps especially in middle class and comfortable lives. The novel highlights the need to cultivate every-day virtue and how easily we can stray from our principles. We explore these themes through the various contrasting characters, including Molly Gibson with her steadfast virtue in difficult circumstances, her step-mother Mrs Gibson with all her facade of care. We hope you enjoy the summer and we look forward to returning with more Risking Enchantment episodes in September. Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson, Jacob Moran Follow us on social media: Rachel: @seekingwatson Jacob: @piousmouse Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast   Works Mentioned: Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell Keeping Your Word: Unfashionable Virtues in North and South - Risking Enchantment ‘Advice’ by Robert Crawford   What We’re Enjoying at the Moment Collective Recommendation:  The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel - Jenny Nicholson Phoebe: Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot - performed by CityLit Theatre, Chicago Rachel: Wildcat (2023) Jacob: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

“Joyful singing and music is likewise a constant invitation to believers and to all people of good will to work hard to give humanity a future rich in hope.” -Pope Benedict XVI   In this episode we are joined by Katie Marquette, host of the Born of Wonder podcast. We discuss our love of music, what can learn about the human desire to write new songs about our common experiences, and how participating in the creation of music unites us to the music imbued in God’s creation. Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod   Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Katie Marquette   Listen to Katie’s podcast: Born of Wonder   Follow Rachel on social media: @seekingwatson   Follow Katie on social media: @bornofwonder   Read Katie on Substack: https://bornofwonder.substack.com/   Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast   Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com   Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast   Join Katie Marquette on a pilgrimage to Ireland: https://www.bornofwonder.com/come-to-ireland-with-me   Rachel was also previously a guest on the Born of Wonder podcast. To listen to that episode, click here: S7:10 EP102: Taylor Swift and the Power of Collective Experience with Rachel Sherlock   Works Referenced: Music is fundamentally joy, says this professor of music What about Bad Music? Pope Benedict XVI and The Power of Music The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons   What We’re Enjoying at the Moment Katie: Les Misérables [Katie’s recent episode on this topic: S7:12 EP 104: The Economy of Love in Les Miserables with Maddie Dobrowski] Rachel: Detectorists

"We are watchful for works written in a contemporary idiom that yet reach the roots of fundamental questions, that honor the almost three-thousand-year-long conversations committed to these questions, and that incite our hunger for the splendor of truth." Masthead for Wiseblood Books We are delighted to welcome to the podcast Mary Finnegan, deputy editor at Wiseblood Books, a small Catholic press which fosters works of fiction, poetry, and philosophy. In our episode today we discuss the process of publishing, how to strive for excellent in craft while encouraging new writers, and publishing as a vocation. We dive into Dana Gioia's essay "The Catholic Writer Today" and address the problems facing Catholic writing and publishing in our current times. Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Mary Finnegan Follow us on social media: @seekingwatson @maryraphaela Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod   Wiseblood Books: https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/ University of St Thomas: Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing Dappled Things: https://www.dappledthings.org/   Works Mentioned "The Catholic Writer Today" by Dana Gioia - Article in First Things The Catholic Writer Today by Dana Gioia - Monograph by Wiseblood Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor "Christianity and Poetry" by Dana Gioia - Article in First Things Christianity and Poetry by Dana Gioia - Monograph by Wiseblood Under Satan's Sun by Georges Bernanos The Demons: A Double-Volume Novel by Heimito von Doderer Seneca: The Madness of Hercules, Translated and Introduced by Dana Gioia  Memory's Abacus: Poems by Anna Lewis Painting Over the Growth Chart: Poems, by Dan Rattelle Works of Mercy by Sally Thomas  How to Think Like a Poet by Ryan Wilson   What We're Enjoying at the Moment "A Theology of Fiction" by Cassandra Nelson The End of the Affair by Graham Greene  

“What does the Lord want of me?  Of course, this is always a great adventure, but life can be successful only if we have the courage to be adventurous, trusting that the Lord will never leave me alone, that the Lord will go with me and help me.”     – Pope Benedict XVI For this episode of Risking Enchantment, Rachel and Phoebe discuss Arthur Ransome’s series of children’s books known as the Swallows and Amazons series. These books are full of wonder and imagination as well as practical detail, as they follow a group of children spending their holidays in the Lake District of northern England. The children sail, set up camp, climb mountains and have many delightful adventures. In our podcast discussion we explore the importance of this sense of adventure for both children and adults, and how this relates to our spiritual lives and how we embrace God’s plan for us. We discuss the balance of duty and responsibility with the sense of freedom that this kind of adventuring perspective brings, and we highlight the connection with Creation that can come from being out in nature.   Works mentioned in this episode Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome Swallowdale by Arthur Ransome Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Matilda by Roald Dahl ‘Swallows and Amazons for Ever!’ Slightly Foxed, by Jim Ring Spe Salvi by Pope Benedict XVI “Encounter of His Holiness Benedict XVI with the Youth, Saint Peter's Square, Thursday, 6 April 2006” S2:9 EP18: Wonder in a Digital Age, Born of Wonder podcast “Swallows, Amazons and Adventure, Part 1” by Jon Sparks “Oxford Junior Dictionary’s replacement of ‘natural’ words with 21st-century terms sparks outcry”, The Guardian, Alison Flood   What We’re Enjoying at the Moment: Phoebe: BBC’s Hildegard von Bingen - In Portrait (1994) Rachel: Knitting

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”   David Copperfield, Charles Dickens   We are joined for this episode of Risking Enchantment by Catholic author Eleanor Bourg Nicholson. Eleanor has previously published several Gothic novels including, A Bloody Habit (2018) and Brother Wolf (2021), with her latest novel Wake of Malice set to publish later this year.   In this episode we discuss our deep love of the novels of Charles Dickens. We explore three of his greatest works, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby and Great Expectations, each of which follows a young male protagonist through the many adventures, triumphs and pitfalls of his life. In each case we look at the virtues and the failings of these heroes, the Romantic tropes that Dickens employs to characterize them, and the subversions of these that he uses, particularly in the case of Great Expectations.   Works Mentioned:   Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens   David Copperfield by Charles Dickens   Great Expectations by Charles Dickens   A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens   Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens   Dickens: A Critical Study by G.K. Chesterton   David Copperfield: Ignatius Critical Edition (coming soon) by Charles Dickens   “The Age of Cant” by Theodore Dalrymple   What We are Enjoying at the Moment   Eleanor: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen   Rachel: Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

But if there’s nothing, if there’s nothingThen what’s that song that keeps hounding me?In the still dark of the morningJust one more cradle down the creekAu revoir my little memoriesThen tell me: this is not your loss, this is your offering - Wake, 'Offerings' In this episode we are joined again by Shane Jenkins to discuss the album Offerings by Typhoon. Led by singer-songwriter Kyle Morton, the album is a fascinating, at times difficult, but ultimately transfixing examination of the end of a life. It follows various characters through the experience of dementia, sickness and death, allowing the listener to enter into that space through its rich musicality and lyricism. In our episode we pull out some of the imagery of the album, it's literary and biblical references and allusions and address its powerful and important themes. Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Shane Jenkins Follow us on social media: @seekingwatson @shanekins Shane's Website: https://sjenkin46.wixsite.com/ipofollies/about Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Works Mentioned Offerings by Typhoon Hunger and Thirst by Typhoon White Lighter by Typhoon "Kyle Morton & Typhoon: In Conversation with Great Minds" — The DePaul Humanities Center The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri 'Little Gidding', The Four Quartets, by T.S. Eliot The Choruses from The Rock by T.S. Eliot 'The Hound of Heaven' by Francis Thompson 8 1/2, dir. Frederico Fellini Lost in the Cosmos by Walker Percy   What We're Enjoying at the Moment Shane: Cargo by Pio Harnett Rachel: The Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith      

Welcome back to Risking Enchantment! For our first episode of 2024, Rachel and Phoebe discuss the place that poetry has in our everyday lives, its importance in our faith, and why it’s good to learn poetry by heart. We highlight some of the poems that have been most impactful in our lives and spotlight some of the great resources for Catholics interested in poetry today.   Click here for more information about Select Tours: Irish Wisdom and Wonder Pilgrimage with Katie Marquette and Christy Isinger.   Click here to browse Wiseblood Books. Works Mentioned:   “Have it by Heart”, The Spectator by Douglas Murray “Influences”, The Boston Review by Seamus Heaney “Christianity and Poetry”, First Things by Dana Gioia 100 Great Catholic Poems by Sally Read “America, and Fall, Needs Poetry”, The American Conservative by Katya Sedgwick “Should Catholics care about poetry?”, Catholic News Agency, by Mary Farrow “Catholics Need Poetry” Word on Fire by Andrew Tolkmith Wiseblood Books “The Integral Humanism of Poetry,” Evangelisation and Culture by James Matthew Wilson   Poems Referenced: “The Lovesong of J.Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot “A Christmas Childhood” by Patrick Kavanagh “Wind” by Ted Hughes “Advent” by Patrick Kavanagh “Little Gidding” by T.S. Eliot Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost “The Road not Taken” by Robert Frost “Oíche Nollaig na mBan” by Seán Ó Ríordáin “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Hamlet by William Shakespeare “Ceasefire” by Michael Longely “The Wasteland” by T.S. Eliot

  "It is emptiness like the hollow in the reed, the narrow restless emptiness which can have only one destiny: to receive the piper’s breath and to utter the song that is in his heart." - Caryll Houselander In our Christmas episode of Risking Enchantment, we are looking at a seasonal devotional classic, Caryll Houselander’s The Reed of God. This small book packs a powerful punch in its meditations on the humanity of Mary, the Mother of God. We discuss its themes of emptiness, the promise of fulfillment and the secrecy of God’s life growing within us. We reflect on how Christmas can be a time of both joy and grief, but that we can bear God into the world in all the small moments and acts of service in our lives.   We would like to wish all our listeners a very happy Christmas season. Risking Enchantment will return in February 2024.    Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson   Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson   Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast   Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com   Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast     Works Mentioned:   The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander   A Rocking Horse Catholic by Caryll Houselander   “Reed of God”, Catholic Insight by Sarah Gould   “Journey of the Magi” by T.S. Eliot   “Into the Dark with God”, You Crown the Year with your Goodness by Hans Urs Von Balthasar   A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens   What We’re Enjoying at the Moment   Phoebe: Christmas Choral Concerts - The Dublin Bach Singers and Culwick Choral Society   Rachel: “Holy Ghost” and “Manna”, Manna Part: 1 by Chris Renzema “52:10” and “The Color Green”, A Liturgy, A Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band by Rich Mullins Principium by The Arcadian Wild

After an unexpected hiatus, Risking Enchantment is back. In this episode we’re taking a look at some classic family movies and what they can tell us about our attitudes towards growing up, and our modern tendency to stay in a perpetual adolescence. We’re looking at the kingdom of Vulgaria in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where children are illegal but the toy maker is in high demand from the Baron and Baroness. We are also discussing Jim Henson’s Labyrinth where Sarah goes on a journey to leave behind some of her childish ways, and toys, in order to step up to her responsibilities and make new friends.   Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast   Works Mentioned: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) Labyrinth (1986) “You Have No Power Over Me”: When David Bowie Was Satan (A Tribute Of Sorts) "You Remind Me of the Babe With the Power": How Jim Henson Redefined the Portrayal of Young Girls in Fanastial Movies in His Film, Labyrinth Everyone needs to grow up Childless society gone to the dogs, warns Pope "On Three Ways of Writing for Children" by C.S. Lewis Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot "How T.S. Eliot Predicted the Coming of Male Millennials" "The Drift from Domesticity" by G.K. Chesterton   What We're Enjoying at the Moment Phoebe: A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter Rachel: Offerings by Typhoon (album)  

“Fiction is hard if not impossible to write because fiction is so very much an incarnation art…The fact is that the materials of the fiction are the humblest. Fiction is about everything human and we are made out of dust, and if you scorn getting yourself dusty, then you shouldn’t try to write fiction. It’s not a grand enough job for you.” - Flannery O’Connor In this episode we are joined by Shane Jenkins to discuss the mystery of the author Flannery O’Connor. We delve into her personal writing, in her prayer journal, her letters and her essays, in order to try to understand her and her writing. Much touted for her Catholicism, nevertheless many readers, especially Catholic readers, struggle with the bleak and grotesque imagery in her writing. While the power of her fiction stands on its own, in this episode we take a look at how Flannery’s personality, so vivid in her personal writing, helps position and give context to her fiction in a way that opens it up for readers today. Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Shane Jenkins Follow us on social media: @seekingwatson @shanekins Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Works Mentioned Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose by Flannery O’Connor The Habit of Being by Flannery O’Connor Prayer Journal by Flannery O’Connor The Complete Short Stories by Flannery O’Connor Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor Bishop Barron Presents | Ethan and Maya Hawke - Understanding Flannery Wildcat (2023) Flannery O'Connor Collection, Word on Fire Classics   What We’re Enjoying at the Moment: Shane: Typhoon The 1975 John Lucas Rachel The Bear

“The perfect stillness of the night was thrilled by a more solemn silence. The darkness held a presence that was all the more felt because it was not seen. I could not any more have doubted that He was there than that I was. Indeed, I felt myself to be, if possible, the less real of the two.”—William James In this episode of Risking Enchantment, we are delighted to welcome back Katie Marquette, host of the podcast Born of Wonder, to talk about the experience of liminal spaces, what it means to encounter the numinous, and how we interpret this in our lives of faith. We discuss the Eucharist as the meeting point between heaven and earth, but also the moments of the 'thinning of the veil' to be found in nature and even our own homes. Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Katie Marquette Listen to Katie’s podcast: Born of Wonder Follow Rachel on social media: @seekingwatson Follow Katie on social media: @bornofwonder Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast Rachel was also previously a guest on the Born of Wonder podcast. To listen to that episode, click here: Falling in Love with Words: Nora Ephron and You’ve Got Mail with Rachel Sherlock   Works Referenced: Born of Wonder: S4:9 EP51: The Lure of the Edge and Trying to Capture it Born of Wonder: S4:10 EP52: Thin Places: Lifting the Veil Between Heaven and Earth A Photographer at the Ends of the Earth Thomas Joshua Cooper | The World's Edge Rudolf Otto's 'Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans' of the Numinous Experience Otto on the Numinous November: A Thin Place The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis 'Effing the Ineffable' by Roger Scruton Letters to Malcolm by C.S. Lewis The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham   What We're Enjoying At the Moment: Katie: Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie Rachel: House of David by Molly O'Mahony

"The man on his holiday becomes the man he might have been, the man he could have been, had things worked out a little differently. All men are equal on their holidays: all are free to dream their castles without thought of expense, or skill of architect. Dreams based upon such a delicate fabric must be nursed with reverence and held away from the crude light of tomorrow week." - R.C. Sherriff   For our first official episode back, Rachel and Phoebe reflect on the importance of holidays, and the unique opportunity they hold to show virtue and love for your family or fellow travelers. We discuss R.C. Sherriff's tender portrayal of the small family moments on their traditional trip to the sea in The Fortnight in September, and we return to Elizabeth von Arnim's The Enchanted April to look at how selfishness and a need to protect one's own experience and comfort takes away from the spirit of generosity necessary for a good holiday.   Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast   Works mentioned: The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim 'The War on Holidays' Utopia of Usurers, by G.K. Chesterton What's Wrong with the World by G.K. Chesterton   What we’re enjoying at the moment: Phoebe: Evangelium Conference Rachel: Open mic nights

"First become a person" - St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross This bonus episode is the recording of a talk I gave over this summer for the Youth 2000 summer festival on Catholic womanhood. The slides discussed in the talk can be found by clicking the following link: Presentation Slides To find out more about Youth 2000 Ireland and their mission click here: Youth 2000   Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast

“Healing is impossible in loneliness; it is the opposite of loneliness. Conviviality is healing. To be healed we must come with all the other creatures to the feast of Creation.” - Wendell Berry   In this, our last episode before the summer break, Phoebe is back to discuss some of our favourite children’s literature. We explore the theme of health and healing, in Goodnight Mr. Tom and The Secret Garden, and how both stories show the importance of nature and community in human flourishing. Looking to the writing of Wendell Berry we discuss how our health, our environment and our society are all interconnected, and how our faith informs how we should cultivate all three of those strands of life.   Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast   Works mentioned:   Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim Heidi by Johanna Spyri ‘Health is Membership’ by Wendell Berry The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry by Wendell Berry Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis   What we’re enjoying at the moment: Phoebe: The appendices discs to The Lord of the Rings extended edition Rachel: Sam Amidon (musician)