Practical Farm Magic

What if Lot’s wife had OCD? My mother has been asking this question for a long time. Maybe Lot's wife wasn't longing for Sodom. Maybe she was simply halfway down the road when she thought: Wait. Did I turn off the stove? This week in Stable Roots, I’m taking you with me while I close the farm at night: a ritual of cats and chickens, old horses and water buckets, gates checked and checked again, and one long walk toward the Secret Meadow where something is moving through the dark Appalachian woods. From there, we wander into the stranger territory of obsessive-compulsive disorder: the miserable little feedback loop that makes checking feel like safety, the usefulness of a hypervigilant brain when you manage a farm, and the line between responsibility and the impossible pursuit of certainty. And then, naturally, we get to witchcraft. Because after you’ve checked a gate you already know is closed five more times, you may have to admit you’re no longer practicing farm management. You’re bargaining with the universe. A story about OCD, ritual, intention, Appalachian haints, practical farm magic, and learning to trust what you’ve already done. And if I ever do look back one too many times and turn into a pillar of salt, at least the horses will know what to do with me. Love,Kim This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stableroots.substack.com/subscribe