Episode 1: What Does It Mean To Be Enchanted? From To Be Enchanted Podcast

In this first episode of To Be Enchanted I explore the language, spirit, and soul of the word “enchantment.”

Dear enchanted ones,

Welcome, with all my heart, to this very first episode of To Be Enchanted, a podcast from The Academy of the Enchanted Arts.

Before anything else, let me offer you just the deepest well of gratitude for being here. Your love, your presence, and your faith have anchored me through the fluttering nerves and excitement of birthing this new creation into the world. So, thank you, again and again, for walking beside me (or rather, listening beside me!)

And today, for my very first episode, I want to explore the language, spirit, and soul of the word “enchantment.” Answering the question of what does it truly mean to be enchanted?

So, I invite you to pause for a moment and ask yourself:
When you hear the word enchant, what arises in your heart?

Is it the casting of spells and the realms of magic?
Or is it the hush of wonder before beauty so profound you cannot describe it?

For me, the word enchantment carries within it an entire world: a shimmering constellation of meanings and mysteries. And in this episode, I’d love to uncover its essence with you, not only through feeling, but through the beautiful alchemy of language itself.

The Etymology of Enchantment

So let’s begin with one of my greatest passions: etymology, the study of the origins and histories of words.

I often say that to love writing is to love words: their shapes, their sounds, their secret music. But to love etymology is to fall in love with their roots: to dig into the soil from which they first bloomed.

And as for ‘enchantment’, we can see the word “enchant” first appears around 1374, meaning to influence or to delude. Then just three years later, it evolved into its more familiar meaning: to put under a spell.

We can also find origins from Old French “enchanter (enchantee)”, which comes from the Latin “incantare (in-can-tar-ey)”, which means "to consecrate with spells, to charm, to bewitch, to ensorcel" (in-sor-cell), and forms the basis of the word "enchant.” This word has later become “incantation” in English.

But here is where the mysticism of Etymology (Et-a-mology) deepens. For, we can separate the word incantare breaks into two parts:

✧ “in” = meaning upon,
✧ and “cantare” = meaning to sing.

So, to enchant, at its most ancient heart, means to sing upon, to sing into, to sing something into being. And so, as we revel in the history of “enchant” we can understand it with a new meaning: that sometimes songs can be so beautiful that they enchant you.

To Sing the World Alive

In Sharon Blackie’s luminous book, The Enchanted Life, a sacred text I believe every enchanted soul should read, she describes enchantment as:

“The process of singing ourselves back into the world.”

Isn’t that utterly breathtaking?

In one phrase, she evokes a truth so ancient, so beautiful: that to live an enchanted life is to participate in the poetic song of existence. To not merely observe beauty, but sing with it.

When I first discovered these words in 2018, I was in a very different season of my life. I had just been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Scleroderma, a name that translates from the Greek sclero, meaning hard, and derma, meaning skin.

And at that time, my world felt just as brittle as the name suggests. I felt disenchanted and severed from my vitality. It was as though life had hardened around me, my body, yes, but also my spirit.

And then I found this book. This luminous lantern staring at me in the dark in ‘News From Nowhere’ in Liverpool which, by the way, is one of my most cherished bookshops in the world.

But this discovery truly felt like a balm to my own heart, because, like many of you listening, my voice, both literal and metaphorical, has often been judged. Too soft. Too whimsical. Too childlike. And for so long, I dimmed myself to fit into the rigid structures of expectation.

But when I uncovered the true meaning of enchantment, it felt like a reclamation. Like I could finally give myself permission to sing my song into the world, in my voice, with my softness, with all its poetic cadence.

The Magic in Words

Of course, we mustn’t forget that enchantment also does has magical roots, in spells, incantations, and charms. And I believe we are here to reclaim that magic, not as superstition, but as the sacred act of creation.

The Hebrew root of “abracadabra” means: I will create as I speak.
In Aramaic: I create like the word.
The ancient Greeks held that magic and art were kin.
The Old Persian magush meant: to be able to have power.

Even in scripture, creation begins with the spoken word: “Let there be light.” And light was.

And for me, that’s what it felt like when I began to embody an enchanted life, and to devote myself wholly to it: to beauty, to reverence, to the quiet rituals of wonder.

Your Words Are Spells

So, dear heart, I invite you to consider:
What song will you sing into the world?

What songs are you listening to? What melodies are already humming all around you, within your body, your breath, the birdsong outside your window?

What words are you using to narrate your life?

And how might you begin to whisper a new song — a truer, more soulful spell — into the fabric of your days?

To help you begin your own reflection, I offer you three invitations — little rituals to awaken your inner enchantress:

1. Learn the Song of the Earth

Sing softly. Learn a new language. Listen to birdsong.
This is not about mastery, but intimacy with the world, with beauty, with sound itself. When we hum a folk tune, mimic a robin’s call, or learn how to say “I love you” in a new tongue, we attune ourselves to the many voices of the living world. We remember that language is not just words: it is vibration, relationship, breath.

Choose one:
– Learn a lullaby in a language not your own
– Imitate the birds each morning for one week
– Let the trees teach you the rhythm of wind

2. Read Aloud to the Trees

Take a book of poetry, a journal entry, or even a song lyric and bring it outside. Find a tree, or a patch of green. Read aloud to it as if reading to an old friend. Let your voice quiver, rise, fall. Let the words ripple through the leaves. When we speak to nature with reverence, something ancient within us begins to heal.

This practice is especially powerful with poems by Mary Oliver, Dorothy and William Wordsworth, Keats - or with your own unspoken writing.

3. Write a Blessing for Your Future Self

Begin with the words: “May you...” and let a blessing unfurl. Perhaps it’s for the you of tomorrow. Perhaps for the you of five years hence. Let your words be gentle, slow, and deeply sincere. Fold it into a letter. Place it in a drawer. Whisper it like prayer. Return to it when the world feels cold and you need to be reminded of your own kindness.

Try:
– “May you always find beauty, even in the ache.”
– “May your voice return to you when you need it most.”
– “May you walk lightly, and love deeply.”

Singing Your Own Song

So, enchanted one, as we draw this first episode to a close, I invite you to reflect once more:

What song will you sing into the world?
How will you reclaim your voice, your magic, your spell of becoming?

Enchantment is not about escape. It is about return.
Return to what is real, sacred, and alive.
Return to the world as it truly is and to yourself within it.

After this episode ends, begin listening. Begin noticing. The Earth is always singing for us.

In the hush of morning, when light kisses the horizon, the birds begin their song….
Not for applause. Not to impress. But to simply declare…..

I am here. I made it through the night. I am still alive.

This is not performance: it is essence.
Their song is a thread in the great tapestry of aliveness.
And you, beloved one, are also part of that sacred choir.

So I ask you again:

What song will you sing into the world?
What melody longs to rise from your soul?

Let this podcast be a lantern on your path of return.
A soft invocation. A spell of remembering.
An invitation.…to be enchanted.

Let this be your song, too.

Let’s Continue This Conversation

Now, before I go, I would love to hear from you.

How does this new understanding of enchantment shape the way you move through the world?

You can share your thoughts with me in the comments if you’re listening on Spotify, or reply through my Substack. I read every message with such reverence so thank you so deeply for your time and presence in advance. You can find all the links you need in the show notes.

Finally, if this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, or even better, sharing it with a fellow kindred spirit who’s ready to sing their soul’s song!

Until we meet again, take such precious care of your heart, and remember: you were always meant to be enchanted.

With love and enchantment,

Georgie xoxo

Categories: : To Be Enchanted Podcast