Before you hit play on this one…
Close your eyes. You’re standing at the edge of a sea cliff somewhere in the northern isles of Scotland. Gulls call in the distance. Below you, waves crash against the rocks. You can smell the brine of the haar — thick, cool sea fog — rolling in off the sea. The veil between this world and the next is thin here. The Otherworld is close.
That’s where this episode begins.
“And there’s a scary element of that liminality [in Scotland]…if you look at Scotland’s landscape initially, there’s a lot of empty space, and the landscape is seen as a beautiful thing, but also there’s a lot of danger there.”
We’re back with our Celtic bathing series, and this episode is specifically for my ritual practitioners, my stewards of the sauna, my keepers of the steam. I’ve been working on this series because as someone who came to sauna through ritual (I’m a sauna Aufguss master), I’m drawn to the ritual and folkloric practices of different cultures and what those traditions might teach us about our own ritual practice. Scotland holds a special place in my heart. It’s where my twin sister lives, and for over a decade, I’ve considered it my second home. Scotland also boasts colorful folklore, sweeping landscapes, and ancient tradition. My hope is that you will find as much inspiration from the magic of Scotland as I do.
This episode is the first of two dedicated to Celtic Magic. My guest is Lyndsey Croal, a Scottish author of strange and speculative fiction whose work is deeply rooted in the landscape and mythology of her homeland. Her writing has appeared in over 100 magazines and anthologies — including Apex, Electric Literature, and Best of British Science Fiction — and her longer works include Limelight and Other Stories, Dark Crescent, and In This City, Where it Rains (all via Shortwave and Luna Press). She’s a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awardee, a Shirley Jackson Award and British Fantasy Award finalist, and a former Hawthornden Fellow. She lives in Edinburgh with her giant cat Pippin, and she knows the spooky nooks and crannies of that city better than most.
I’m excited for Lyndsey to join us because her writing incorporates ecology, myth, and place. Topics that are so important in bathing culture. The spirit that takes us into the sauna, connecting us with something older and slower than our everyday lives, is the same spirit that animates the stories she tells and Celtic magic and folklore they are inspired by.
“There’s something quite magical and grounding and refreshing about wild swimming… it’s like a shock to the system, but you also feel a bit more connected. And that feels a bit like a ritual to me.”
We talk about faeries, thin places, the danger inherent in the liminal, relationship to the natural world, and of course Scottish folklore traditions and rituals.
In Part 2 of Celtic Magic, I’ll be bringing in a practitioner to complement what Lyndsey shares, so stay tuned for more magic.
In this episode we explore…
Celtic folklore
Scottish mythology
Nature rituals
Celtic holidays and traditions
Thin places
Faeries
Bathing culture
Ritual practice
Wild swimming in Scotland
You can find Lyndsey on Bluesky and Instagram @lyndseycroal or at lyndseycroal.co.uk.
Folklore resources & mentions from this episode:
Further Reading on Scottish Folklore. Lyndsey’s full list is available in the Bibliography section of Dark Crescent.
Cunning Folk Magazine: www.cunning-folk.com
Druidry: www.druidry.org
Folklore Thursday: folklorethursday.com
Breslin, Teresa (2012). An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales, Floris Books
Dougles, Ronald Macdonald (1982). Scottish Lore and Folklore, Crown Publishers
Westwood & Kingshill (2011). The Lore of Scotland: A guide to Scottish legends, Random House Books.
Winsham, Willow (2022). Magpies & Red Skies--The Enchanting Origins of 100 Superstitions, Wellbeck.
Learn more about:
Turnip carving (photo credit for image below)
Ancient wells (photo credit for image below)
This episode was edited by Lila Woodbridge.
Iceland is calling. Alisa, a former guest of Badii Talk podcast and the founder of Howl at the Moon Sauna Co, has built something incredible out in Michigan. And now she’s partnering with Your Wandering Roots on a sauna + thermal bathing journey through Iceland.
Join Alisa and Anna for a curated 7-day bathing adventure immersing yourself in Iceland’s rich thermal bathing culture. Expect excursions, a private chef, and an inspiring community of women.
Happening November 2–8, 2026 and Limited to 10 spots. Use code BADII for 10% off your deposit. Learn more.
At Badii, we’re very intentional about who we partner with. You can trust that we only bring you recommendations that we feel confident and proud to support. Recommendations that center respect for culture, curiosity, and education. And of course thermal bathing.
💙 Subscribe today and support an independently produced and funded podcast. The sauna and bathing industry in the US and UK is growing fast. Where there’s growth, money and big companies will follow. If you want to see a bathing culture that isn’t just led by the folks with the most cash, support a platform that is run from a grassroots level. A platform that can authentically prioritize a respect for culture, science, and community.
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Today’s member shout out goes to MacKenzie Boling. MacKenzie is the founder of Longevity Law, which offers Risk Architecture for Bathhouse Innovators. She is also an awesome person, and I had the privilege of sauna and spa hopping with her in Colorado this spring. Thank you for supporting Badii Talk, MacKenzie!
Tschüss,
Sarah
P.S. The Lab is back! Join Nell Waters and me for an 8-week virtual bathing culture lab—The Business of Sweat. Registration is now open for our fall cohort. Learn more.
