Episode 70: Practical Magic Series LoveFest
Summary: Welcome to Fall, friends, and dive into Spooky Season with Holly and Devin today. Our hosts are launching their favorite season of the year with our 7th LoveFest! We’re diving deep into the Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman - a four book, multi-generational saga following the Owens witches as they explore, grow, and combat a curse that keeps them all from long-time love. Hoffman’s style is known for its connection to nature, the focus on women, and a bittersweet treatment of life and aging. Whether you read these books in publication or chronological order, you’re in for a witchy treat!
Topics Discussed:
Practical Magic (10:19):
After their parents die, Sally and Gillian are raised by their eccentric aunts, Frances (Franny) and Jet Owens, in an old house filled with the scent of herbs and magic. The aunts openly practice witchcraft, and while this fascinates the girls, it also causes them to be ostracized by the townspeople.
The Owens women are notorious in their Massachusetts town for their magical abilities and are rumored to be cursed in matters of love; any man who falls in love with an Owens woman is doomed to an untimely death.
The sisters have contrasting personalities: Sally is practical, responsible, and yearns for a normal life, while Gillian is wild, impulsive, and eager to escape the confines of her small-town life.
The Rules of Magic (20:50):
Prequel to Practical Magic, going back to tell the story of their aunts from book 1
The novel is set in the 1960s and follows the lives of three siblings: Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens, who live in New York City. They come from a long line of witches, but their mother, Susanna Owens, forbids them from practicing magic or interacting with the supernatural. Despite their mother’s strict rules, the siblings are irresistibly drawn to magic.
Magic Lessons (27:45):
The story begins in the 1600s in England, where Maria Owens is born under mysterious circumstances. She is abandoned as an infant in a snowy field but is found and raised by Hannah Owens, a healer and practitioner of the “Nameless Art” (magic). From Hannah, Maria learns about herbs, healing, and magic. Hannah also gives her the essential rule that will shape Maria’s life: "Always love someone who will love you back."
Maria is betrayed by the man who once declared his love for her, who she follows to Salem, Massachusetts. Maria's experiences with love lead her to create the infamous Owens family curse: that any man who loves an Owens woman will meet a tragic end. This curse is born out of Maria's heartbreak and becomes a central element in the Owens family's history, affecting generations to come.
The Book of Magic (35:54):
The novel opens with Jet Owens receiving a sign that her time is near. As she nears death, she hears the "deathwatch beetle," a sound that heralds the impending death of an Owens family member. Before she dies, Jet leaves behind a letter revealing the key to breaking the family curse that has plagued the Owens women for centuries.
This novel ties together the stories of multiple generations of the Owens family, focusing on their quest to finally break the family curse and achieve a future where love does not result in tragedy.
Jet’s death deeply affects the family, especially Sally’s daughters, Kylie and Antonia. In the wake of Jet’s passing, Kylie discovers that the curse may have already started affecting her own life. She is in love, but fears for the life of her beloved.
Hot On the Shelf (45:59):
What’s Making Our Hearts Race (49:10):
Holly: Playing piano again
Devin: Experiencing live music at the Dillon Amphitheater
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