Old Ways New Days

Before spices were trendy, they were powerful. 🌿  From garden herbs to world-changing seeds, this episode of Old Ways New Days explores how to grow, dry, store, and honor the seasonings that once shaped empires—and can still shape your pantry today. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581390940178 Send us an email at oldwaysnewdayspodcas...

Food preservation isn’t pretty — it’s powerful. This episode of Old Ways New Days dives deep into real‑world food preservation: pressure canning, water bath canning, drying, salt preservation, and the mistakes that teach us how to do it right. Because resilience is built one jar at a time. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581390940178...

February is not an empty month. It’s a time of milk returning to the pail,  candles lit against the cold,  homes cleansed for what comes next,  and new years beginning under a different moon. In this episode of Old Ways New Days , we explore February’s holidays and holy days—from Imbolc’s dairy and fire , to folk traditions of purification , to fertility rites , and the Lunar New Year’s ancestral...

Book: "Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier" by Tom Kizzia (Crown Publishers, 2013) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-4673 Send us Fan Mail Support the show Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile....

The Homestead Act of 1862 promised land, opportunity, and independence — but its story didn’t end in the 1800s. In this episode of Old Ways New Days , we explore where the Homestead Act began, how it shaped American land ownership, and how homesteading laws and land policies have continued to evolve — including key changes and interpretations that emerged and bring us into the modern era. Because...

January isn’t too early — it’s intentional. While the land rests under frost, this is when the real work begins: choosing seeds, reading light, warming soil, and planning growth before spring ever arrives. In this episode of Old Ways New Days , we explore why January seed starting matters, what actually thrives when started early, and how quiet winter prep leads to stronger, more resilient gardens...

What does self-reliance really look like when the internet goes quiet and the grid feels fragile? In this episode of Old Ways New Days , we take a thoughtful look at Backwoods Home Magazine — its roots, its philosophy, and its place in modern homesteading culture. From practical skills and off-grid living to the deeper mindset of preparedness and independence, we explore what this long-running pub...

In this FREE bonus episode we announce our winner and get to speak with them on the phone; followed by a compilation of bloopers that were edited out from our December episodes. Enjoy!! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581390940178 Send us an email at oldwaysnewdayspodcast@gmail.com Episode sponsor: Medicinal Garden Kit https://www.dig...

Winter may slow the world outside, but a homestead never truly sleeps. In this week’s episode, we’re diving into midwinter maintenance—the quiet, essential work that keeps the hearth warm, the tools ready, and the home resilient. From practical tips to old seasonal traditions, join us as we tend the heart of the homestead during the coldest days of the year.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Find...

When December's darkness falls and the year breathes its last cold breath, ancient fires are kindled. Long before modern winter holidays, our ancestors gathered to celebrate the returning light, honor the gods of winter, and feast in defiance of the dark. In this episode, we journey through the sacred December traditions of our pagan past — from Yule fires and Saturnalia feasts to the Wild Hu...

Before the first shoot breaks the soil, before the garden hums with bees and sun-warm leaves, there is a quieter kind of magic—the moment we place a tiny seed into waiting earth and trust it to become more. In this episode, we step into that early, hopeful space and explore the rituals, techniques, and old traditions of seed starting. If you’re ready to coax life from the stillness of winter and a...

This week we’re pulling back the curtain on the cottagecore fantasy and diving into the raw, sacred, often messy reality of land-based pagan living. From ancient multipurpose homes to modern anti-consumer magic, we explore what it truly means to live with the Earth—not just pose beside it.   Authentic. Grounded. Magical.  Listen now on your favorite platform.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Fin...

As the days grow shorter and the nights stretch longer, many of us feel the weight of winter settling into our bones. It's more than just the cold — it's a heaviness in the heart, a fog in the mind, a longing for light. In this episode, we're talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — what it is, why it happens, and how to find your way back to balance when the darkness feels...

Before we tend our first garden bed or harvest our first herbs, we must ask: whose land are we standing on? This Indigenous Peoples Day, we explore how pagan homesteaders can honor the original caretakers of these lands — not through appropriation, but through reciprocity, respect, and action. Discover how to homestead with awareness, give back to indigenous communities, and walk humbly on land th...

When frost settles on the windows and the land lies dreaming, the heart of the homestead still beats—softly, greenly—beneath the glow of indoor light. In this episode, we gather around the hearth of herbal wisdom, tracing the roots of medicine and magic through time. From Hippocrates’ humours to the alchemy of Chinese Qi and the balance of Ayurvedic doshas, we rediscover the language of the living...

Winter is coming, and a well-stocked pantry can make all the difference. In this episode, we’ll break down how to plan, store, and organize your food supply for the cold months ahead. From choosing the right staples and rotating stock to managing limited space and preventing waste, you’ll learn how to build a pantry that’s efficient, affordable, and ready for anything the season throws your way. ...

When the Moon disappears and the nights stretch longest, the world turns inward. From Samhain to Imbolc, we walk through the dark — not to be lost, but to be remade. In this episode, we journey through the Dark of the Moon and the Dark of the Year — exploring shadow work, ritual, destruction, and the quiet magic of rebirth. This is where endings become beginnings… and silence becomes power. Join u...

The city never really sleeps. Even in the quiet hours, it hums — glowing white and blue against the sky. Beneath that light, the night still breathes. This week on Old Ways New Days, we explore the power of red light —how a simple shift in color can protect nocturnal animals, restore your sleep, and reconnect city living to ancient rhythms of darkness and rest.  It’s science — and it’s spirit. Sus...

As the autumnal season comes to an end it is time to celebrate Samhain and the final harvest. Join us as we provide a brief overview of this ancient holiday and how you can bring it all together by living seasonally with the land. Music "Friendly Ghost" provided by Danijel Zambo, from uppbeat.io Send us Fan Mail Support the show Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id...

Introduction to your podcast hosts, Kaila and Nelle, a little bit about who we are and why we wanted to share our knowledge about homesteading, sustainable living, and living in harmony with nature.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581390940178 Send us an email at oldwaysnewdayspodcast@gmail.com Episode sponsor: Medicinal Garden Kit h...