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Mystical Mocktails ft. Julia Halina Hadas · Seeking Witchcraft

0:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey everyone, welcome back to Seeking Witchcraft.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm your host Ashley, and today I'm joined by return guest Julia Helena Hadith.
0:06
[SPEAKER_00]: You may recognize her from our episodes where you discuss some of her other works, such as witchcraft cocktails and moon magic mixology, and Julia is also a certified righy crystal and energy worker, and I'm so stoked to have her back on the show.
0:20
[SPEAKER_00]: So welcome back Julia.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for coming.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, thank you so much for having me and actually you saying that reminded me that I did that energy work session on you.
0:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Why?
0:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Look at that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I forgot about that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, yes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So if anybody's looking for an energy work session, I highly recommend Julia.
0:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Please check her out.
0:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
0:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm glad you loved it so much.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I remember you wrote like this glowing review.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I still have to post.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But oh, no, no, of course.
0:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, today we're going to be talking about her newest book, mystical mock tales, and we're actually going to be doing a giveaway as well.
0:52
[SPEAKER_00]: So we'll be sharing some more information about that at the end of the episode.
0:55
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, Julia, I guess we should start before we get into the book for those who are hearing from you for the first time.
1:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you tell the listener a little bit about yourself?
1:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so I mixed my magical and mixedology practice.
1:08
[SPEAKER_01]: So of course, as a young teenager, I got into witchcrafts or working at a witch shop, you know, doing energy work, terror readings, and when it became a legal age, as I was transferring colleges, I got into mixedology.
1:22
[SPEAKER_01]: And this was about a decade ago or so, which is weird to say, as we get older, I know we're still relatively young, but I
1:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, for you now.
1:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, for you now.
1:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
1:32
[SPEAKER_01]: And immediately when I go on to the mixology scene, really learning about the history of mixology, how each spirit's made a naturally solid.
1:39
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, if I'm making a drink, that why not combine different herbal ingredients together if they're edible, that are first-specific intention, right?
1:47
[SPEAKER_01]: If I mix jasmine, chamomile, cinnamon for abundance, I can also put that in a drink.
1:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And that can also be with cocktails and mocktails.
1:56
[SPEAKER_01]: So kind of been doing that for like the last 10 years.
1:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, amazing.
2:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I have personally gotten super into mocktails over the last oh my gosh, almost two years I would say so I was super excited when this book was coming out and I do have a copy of the book and right before we had the recording for this episode I was telling Julia I was like honestly I'm so impressed with this book you took the photos yourself right?
2:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I did, yes, and they're beautiful, like they're so beautiful.
2:23
[SPEAKER_00]: They're so aesthetic.
2:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Like the drinks look so fabulous.
2:27
[SPEAKER_00]: The recipes look great.
2:29
[SPEAKER_00]: Everything looks awesome.
2:30
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm honestly so impressed.
2:31
[SPEAKER_00]: And as somebody like I said, getting into mocktails, I was so excited to have this look.
2:37
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm stoked for it.
2:39
[SPEAKER_00]: I wanted to ask like, I guess what was your motivation behind this book?
2:42
[SPEAKER_00]: I know some of your previous ones involved having alcohol in them and so this one not having alcohol is a little bit of a change, what was your thought process behind it?
2:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and thank you so much for your kind words because it's just so exciting to be able to do my own photography, but also like this is the book where I've had the most creative control I've had to date.
3:00
[SPEAKER_01]: So, before when I even got into Mixology, though, which craft shop I worked at, we held a meetings in the back and on weekends, and I'd be the person that would open up the shop, you know, interact with them, order their books, and some of my coworkers at the shop were
3:16
[SPEAKER_01]: part of AA as well.
3:18
[SPEAKER_01]: And so when I got into mixedology, I had to learn to like make non alcoholic versions because my Polish heritage, its sac religious, if someone doesn't eat or drink something that you've made.
3:30
[SPEAKER_01]: So,
3:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Rather than be the typical, you know, Slavic offended women, you know, I learned how to make non alcoholic options that they could partake.
3:41
[SPEAKER_01]: And so when I did write which craft cocktails, I did originally include in the book.
3:47
[SPEAKER_01]: puzzle, not alcoholic versions of the drinks.
3:50
[SPEAKER_01]: But in the end, that was 2020.
3:52
[SPEAKER_01]: And in combination with the time when I had to write that book and just the fact that mock tales were not a big thing back then.
3:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Publisher didn't really want to put the extra time to be able to include them in there.
4:03
[SPEAKER_01]: And it was always something that kind of bothered me because it was always a part of my journey.
4:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And especially, you know, about a year, almost two years ago now my partner got sober himself and I've always included unless it was like, you know, fashion, which is a little more complicated, you know, mocktail versions of different recipes on my blog to be inclusive that everyone so I've been like,
4:24
[SPEAKER_01]: I tried to pitch it a couple times over the last few years, like, hey, I want to do this book project, and it wasn't really until the last couple of years, like, mocktails really picked up, and I think that's a big part of, like, non-alcoholic spirits.
4:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And luckily, we found another publisher who was willing to work with me on the project, and so.
4:41
[SPEAKER_01]: It's kind of like for me, it's like with this piece of myself that I got left out years ago and so I've been able to go back and focus solely on mock tales and the things that were left out, but also I think things came together and the perfect timing because 2020, the weren't the non-alcohol experience like there are today and so that allowed a lot more creativity and approaching some of the recipes.
5:03
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, it sounded like the timing was great.
5:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you said, I mean, in 2020, I know a lot of people were getting drinks door-dash to themselves.
5:10
[SPEAKER_00]: I lived in an area where that wasn't a thing legally.
5:12
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, COVID happened and all of a sudden, I can door-dash myself to Andrea.
5:16
[SPEAKER_00]: So I was drinking a little bit for back then.
5:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yeah, yeah, I was drinking more back then, just because of what the novelty of it and also, I couldn't leave the house.
5:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
5:24
[SPEAKER_00]: But I'm not a big drinker in general.
5:26
[SPEAKER_00]: If I do drink on a social drinker.
5:28
[SPEAKER_00]: And yes.
5:29
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I just don't go out as often as I used to.
5:31
[SPEAKER_00]: That's about early 20s and such, and I guess pre-COVID.
5:35
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I think the reason I've gotten so into mocktails and why I was so excited for this, especially blending with craft with it.
5:40
[SPEAKER_00]: But when I'm at home, sometimes I want a nice fancy drink, but I don't want a soda, and I don't want water, but I don't want to like-
5:46
[SPEAKER_00]: have a drink either because like I said it was social drink or I don't really like drinking at home by myself like I'd rather go out with friends somewhere.
5:54
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I really like mocktails were a great way to engage in that like have like a fancy drink at home and have like a feel special and it wasn't just like my same old crystal light packet.
6:04
[SPEAKER_00]: I was throwing them by water.
6:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And then letting this with witchcraft, too.
6:09
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I was like a genius, like so I'm actually stoked that it didn't work out previously of adding mocktails with your previous book to the extent you probably would have wanted, because the fact that you have a book solely on mocktails speaks
6:22
[SPEAKER_00]: to my soul, and I'm very excited about it.
6:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I agree, because honestly, like the way that this whole book came together, like I said, this is the most creative control I've had to date.
6:32
[SPEAKER_01]: So I was really able to do things that I've wanted to be talking about for a while from exology in general, like whether it's about mocktails or not, and to being able to do that in this book.
6:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I am really, the other thing came together in the perfect timing.
6:46
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I'm slipping through the pages and they just, I know, I mentioned,
6:49
[SPEAKER_01]: earlier out of the recording when it just smells so good because there's literally a photo for every single drink which was like wild to me that they wanted that but that's what we did.
6:58
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know and I think that's so important too because like sometimes you know when you like go to a restaurant and like or like a bar and you see something somebody ordered across the way and you're just like oh my gosh whatever that is like I want it I think that sometimes when you have books that are with recipes that they don't have the photo of it like you don't always know if it's going to turn out right or if you make it correctly if it doesn't look like
7:18
[SPEAKER_00]: the picture.
7:18
[SPEAKER_00]: And so being able to kind of like visually see like this is what it should look like, sometimes before I even actually read what's on it.
7:25
[SPEAKER_00]: It kind of helps me make it does not.
7:26
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I want that one or not.
7:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I love to because the creativity has able to explore in this book, there's a number of ways I try to include magical elements beyond just like the
7:39
[SPEAKER_01]: gradient associations, but also being able to capture that in the photography of that imagery process of like, okay, how do I capture the magical aspect of this drink, selecting the crystals that would align to that recipe, garnishes, candles, like all those different things to kind of emit a bit of like the magical aspect of.
8:01
[SPEAKER_00]: the photography and those book is so nice.
8:03
[SPEAKER_00]: This would even make like a great coffee table book, honestly, it's so nicely done.
8:08
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I do want to talk about the magical aspects of the book too.
8:11
[SPEAKER_00]: So I want to mention, I really love that you have different sections, not just about a recipe or a motel and the correspondences with it, but I love that you have sections on like,
8:21
[SPEAKER_00]: different salts and garnishes and syrup and spices and ice cubes.
8:26
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like oh my god you really thought of everything with that.
8:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah I'm so glad that you noticed that because that was one of the things that like I'd always wanted to do in my previous books was to dive deep into a particular area and I just hadn't been able to do that.
8:39
[SPEAKER_01]: And so they allowed me to do that in this book.
8:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And so really, yeah, there's like this whole, they're like, call them like 10 mindful spirituality rituals, but they really dive into the ways that you can connect your drink recipes to other rituals, you can make it as simple or as complicated as you like.
8:54
[SPEAKER_01]: And like you said, the different types of salts, and things like, even the ice cube, I could use.
9:00
[SPEAKER_01]: I know there's a whole section talking about like ice cube magic and stuff like that, but like even one of the recipes I was just looking at because it's on my mind because where we are at in the timeline, the rows and maple daquery and like finding innovative ways to replace alcohol and it's like that one uses rose tea ice cubes as like a little bit of like a love spell because as the ice melts, you know, it kind of like brings in that love and harmony into the recipe because they're rose tea.
9:28
[SPEAKER_01]: So anyway.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's a lot of fun elements and creative stuff like that I tried to really include with each recipe and in those breakout sections diving deep into how you can align like the sweeteners that you put in your drinks to sweetening spells and things like that.
9:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I remember you're seeing that you even have some things on like self-care SEP is like including like a bath ritual which I mean about to with like different salts and herbs is kind of just like a gigantic tea cup that you're putting yourself into it actually reminded me like during the pandemic I think everybody had like a pandemic project that they were working on and the pandemic project I was attempting to work on but it never took off aka I'd never actually did much of it.
10:08
[SPEAKER_00]: was I was trying to make a spell infused bath bombs.
10:12
[SPEAKER_00]: So like with different herbs and such and then that's kind of like a spell and a bath bomb that they could just like drop in and soak in that.
10:20
[SPEAKER_00]: It didn't it didn't pan out because I like I only did like two batches of the bath bombs and then I realized it was a lot of work and yeah.
10:28
[SPEAKER_00]: I just was not that great at making them.
10:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyway, going back to it when I saw the different bath salts and scrubs and the bath virtual that you had it.
10:35
[SPEAKER_00]: kind of transformed it me back to that and I was like oh that was like such a fun idea and like that it's such a cool concept to think about doing.
10:42
[SPEAKER_00]: It's really like there's correspondences for magic and every day little things and having like a resource like this book I think is really great to help us remember that and being able to engage in magic every day.
10:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and it's really about like bringing the magic both within and without, you know, I think a lot of times like kitchen witchery stuff gets underplayed in modern witchcraft like, oh, it doesn't have a fancy candle or a nice fire element, but like really when you think about it like what you invite your body breaks down and so when you refuse that energy and intention and it's aligned and then you
11:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Drink that and put that into your body and like what is liquid symbolize?
11:22
[SPEAKER_01]: We all talk about like charging your move water, right?
11:25
[SPEAKER_01]: So I mean, it's just so powerful in aligning your body to the energy of what you're trying to bring in your life.
11:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And then there's a lot of cool ways that, okay, if you already have those ingredients, how can I cross use those in other little spells or rituals?
11:37
[SPEAKER_01]: And now the energy within and also without is imbued with my intention.
11:42
[SPEAKER_01]: So I really like it.
11:43
[SPEAKER_01]: It not like it's also like as simple as complicated as you'd like to do.
11:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the other night, I made that lunar passion recipe from the book so fucking delicious, right?
11:52
[SPEAKER_01]: You just want a yeah, I know.
11:54
[SPEAKER_01]: I know I live streamed it and I was like, God, it was so good.
11:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'm trying to do like this mock-till Monday thing, like, I love this thing.
12:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, well, I'm trying to do a couple recipes from the book, but also like the reason why I wanted to do it is because non-alcoholic spirits are so complicated, and they're not accessible for everyone.
12:13
[SPEAKER_01]: So one thing I did in this book is most and the majority from all the recipes where I include non-alcoholic spirits, they're optional.
12:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I'll either include some substitutes in the paragraph preceding it or include as
12:28
[SPEAKER_01]: access to it, but also non alcohol experience themselves.
12:33
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like more or less when it comes to alcohol like a vodka can replace a vodka.
12:37
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's going to be a little bit different quality, but you can still kind of substitute them out for each other.
12:42
[SPEAKER_01]: When it comes to non alcohol experience, they're all made so differently.
12:45
[SPEAKER_01]: that it doesn't quite work that same way.
12:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And sometimes they might taste not so great at first, but then you try them with the right recipe.
12:55
[SPEAKER_01]: It actually works amazingly for some reason in a specific recipe.
12:59
[SPEAKER_01]: So I kind of wanted to start exploring different non-alcoholic spirits, because I get expensive to invest in, you know, like some of them are like $30, $40 a bottle.
13:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, they are expensive sometimes.
13:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, exactly.
13:09
[SPEAKER_01]: And so investing in something you're not sure you're going to like, you know, like, so actually part of that is two is like one of the first stories is I was making recipe vellent for establishment.
13:19
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I was creating both cocktail versions and mocktail versions of the recipes.
13:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, okay, I've learned how to make mocktails.
13:25
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, like I said, when I did, I would use T-s, syrup shrubs to bypass the need for, you know, replacing whatever the alcohol represented in that drink recipe.
13:34
[SPEAKER_01]: But when I was doing recipe development for this gig, as if let me try some non alcohol experience because it might make it easier for staff, you know, it's going to be hard to keep a tea, you know, on hand for weeks at a.
13:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And the first couple of bottles I tried of the non alcohol experience, they were like 40 bucks.
13:54
[SPEAKER_01]: I won't name the brand, but they were so bad I had to return them.
13:57
[SPEAKER_01]: And I have never done that in my life with any spirit I've always found a way to
14:03
[SPEAKER_01]: So like it's just hard, but then you learn how to work with them and you find some good ones.
14:06
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's why I made them optional in the book because it can really elevate our drink recipe, but you do have to find the right ones.
14:12
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I'm hoping you'll explore that a little bit through live streaming on mock-toe Mondays like taste.
14:17
[SPEAKER_01]: test some more non alcohol experience how to use them and stuff like that.
14:20
[SPEAKER_00]: I've ordered mocktails at bars before and they're the same cost as if it had alcohol.
14:25
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like at that price point, I might this will just get the actual alcohol.
14:29
[SPEAKER_00]: But I have never actually tried a non-alcoholic spirit that tastes like vodka or rum or whatever.
14:35
[SPEAKER_00]: I think because I've become a nervous to try it, but I'm thinking now I might not be about idea to try it in a bar, for example, and see how I like how it's mixed.
14:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, and now you know why it costs just the same at a bar because honestly, like the non-alcohol experience, and it must be the way that it costs them to produce it, right?
14:54
[SPEAKER_01]: So like something like non-alcoholic or de-alcoholized wine, they basically make wine most of the time if it's de-alcoholized, and then it removes the alcohol afterwards through some method.
15:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And so as someone who's worked at a distillery, I look at that and I'm like, okay, great.
15:08
[SPEAKER_01]: This is wonderful for them because it's wine.
15:11
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's less than a percent of alcohol.
15:12
[SPEAKER_01]: So when you lose the alcohol, it keeps it's flavor profiles more or less.
15:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And then when you distill off the alcohol, they can also resell that alcohol to another brand to use.
15:24
[SPEAKER_01]: So they're really not using a lot of profit for them.
15:27
[SPEAKER_01]: And a lot of de-alcoholized wines are actually pretty,
15:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Approachable like one of my favorite things is the alcoholized sparkling white wine.
15:34
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like 10 bucks.
15:35
[SPEAKER_01]: It's low calorie So fucking delicious.
15:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I can't get over it But with non alcohol experience like it gets complicated because they can't really do that right They can't take something like wine and then like you know otherwise It's gonna be dealculized wine and not the non alcohol Spirit because the spirits defined by the alcohol
15:53
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think a lot of times the production cost is the reason why the those bottles cost so much and then when establishment uses it, it keeps the price point because the non alcohol experience, honestly, oftentimes more expensive than what you buy a bottle of alcohol for.
16:11
[SPEAKER_01]: But that being said like obviously there are bars or establishments that make mock tales that don't use non alcohol experience and those should be priced lower because you can't do it.
16:21
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just a little more like you know of experimentation required.
16:26
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean that makes sense.
16:27
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean we're thinking of magical practices.
16:29
[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of them have historically involved having alcohol at most specifically I'm thinking of like wine.
16:34
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you think that like we're moving alcohol?
16:36
[SPEAKER_00]: They're replacing it with one of these spirits.
16:38
[SPEAKER_00]: can shift magical work.
16:40
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you think it can have the same effects or the same vibe to it?
16:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Or do you think it creates like a new adventure?
16:46
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't really know the word to you is but
16:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, obviously virtual practices across the world, with as majority, have some kind of mind altering substance that was imbued in their practice to communicate with the other side, that the took a variety of different forms, you know, that were aware of today.
17:03
[SPEAKER_01]: But a lot of these ancient practices, no matter what mind altering substance they were using, if it was something like fear, wine, alcohol, or
17:11
[SPEAKER_01]: plants and spirits of my altering chemicals.
17:15
[SPEAKER_01]: There were like guides in rules and regulation around how those things were used and this comes from back when I was getting my anthropology degree.
17:22
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it wasn't just something that you did every day.
17:25
[SPEAKER_01]: It was like reserve for ceremony, you know, specific occasions or celebrations.
17:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Part of the reason why I love the work that I do is it's bringing the meaning back.
17:33
[SPEAKER_01]: to the spiritual practices, the spiritual roots of these ingredients, but a lot of our culture is kind of like removed that meaning at large from those beverages.
17:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And there's kind of not a lot of intentionality.
17:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And as a result, you know, there's a lot of people who can't partake an alcohol mindfully, right?
17:53
[SPEAKER_01]: So there's people like, for example, my husband who had to go sober, as he was able to stop drinking whenever he did it.
17:59
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, he's a great guy.
18:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Like,
18:02
[SPEAKER_01]: like say that it's all from a negative perspective, but it's just like some people, you know, we just aren't able to have that stopping mechanism.
18:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And so everyone's really different.
18:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Our bodies are different, where we're at and different, like if you're depressed, you really shouldn't be drinking alcohol, because it can enhance things like that.
18:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, I'm not a licensed medical practitioner, but to say that like, we need to be intentional about how and when we choose to drink alcohol, if at all.
18:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And having non alcoholic options is great for that, because at least
18:32
[SPEAKER_01]: that are takes in having alcohol.
18:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes like myself when I'm not pregnant.
18:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully you definitely not like pregnant.
18:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, exactly.
18:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm having mocktails for that is great.
18:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Look, I wasn't a crazy drinker than either to me.
18:48
[SPEAKER_01]: It was about like the cocktail and the tensionality.
18:50
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'd really enjoy only half a couple every so often.
18:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so being said, you know, it's it's really important to be mindful of whether or not and how that interacts with you, whether or not you should be having alcohol and when you remove the alcohol, you still have all of these magical ingredients right so like we know in which craft that we use herbs for different intentions, like I said before with cinnamon's.
19:11
[SPEAKER_01]: popular for fast, flat, right, lemon spells, for cleansing and stuff like that.
19:15
[SPEAKER_01]: And so when you put that in your drink, you're still connecting to those herbal ingredients, their magical potential, and you're still inviting it and putting it into your body.
19:25
[SPEAKER_01]: So, it really is just as powerful, you know, obviously you just don't have the mind altering impacts unless you put some other kind of concoction.
19:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, if you're California sober, but,
19:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the one big difference I will say it makes is that when you do remove the alcohol, it's really with mocktails, they have to be made fresh.
19:46
[SPEAKER_01]: So a lot of times with cocktails, I was able to like pre batch a bunch, keep it in the fridge or in the freezer, and with mocktails, they just don't have that same preservative.
19:56
[SPEAKER_01]: So you have pretty much drink them as soon as possible.
19:58
[SPEAKER_01]: But other than that, it's just like the lunar passion yesterday that I'm so good and it makes you feel amazing because you're really connecting to those benefits of those plants especially when you're using something like a tea to replace the alcohol or like coconut water, which is so hydrating and it's great for the moon.
20:16
[SPEAKER_01]: There's so many fun ways to replace the alcohol and it opens up so much creative possibility that really sometimes I think you can make more elevated beverages that would be much more elevated.
20:28
[SPEAKER_01]: than it, that would be as a cocktail.
20:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I will say on your point of, you have to make it fresh, that's totally fine with me.
20:35
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to take a short break and we'll be right back in just a moment.
20:39
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, and welcome back.
20:41
[SPEAKER_00]: you were talking about like intention setting and the different ingredients.
20:45
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I should ask how does intention setting transform one of these models?
20:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Something, you know, we just drank as we're at paying up a friend or something into something that we're working with magically.
20:54
[SPEAKER_00]: Does there have to be some sort of energy put into it or mindfulness or how do you see that part playing out?
21:00
[SPEAKER_01]: there's a couple of different layers and so one thing I did want to be aware of in this book is and keeping with again the themes of accessibility the same reason I made an on alcohol experience optional for law the drinks is you know some people are going to want to just open up a recipe book and just make the freaking recipe.
21:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Which sometimes drives me crazy.
21:18
[SPEAKER_01]: I won't lie because I'll get comments.
21:20
[SPEAKER_01]: I like I can tell when someone's read my previous books, you know, based off of what they say to me on it.
21:25
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, well, if you read the front matter, but this is one of the things with recipe books.
21:30
[SPEAKER_01]: So I didn't want to make it that way.
21:32
[SPEAKER_01]: If someone really just didn't want to invest a whole lot of time, just really wanted to make something on the fly and keep things as accessible as quick as possible.
21:42
[SPEAKER_01]: In the drink recipes, a number of key ingredients lists the magical intention on there.
21:48
[SPEAKER_01]: There's three optional affirmations to choose from.
21:51
[SPEAKER_01]: One aspect of it, mocktails have a higher water content to them, which is by nature.
21:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And so with the higher water content, magically we think of charge and water with energy and things like that.
22:01
[SPEAKER_01]: So adding each ingredient first of all with intention and being aware of why you're adding it in that recipe.
22:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you want to go the extra step of connecting to that ingredient, so smelling it, holding it just feelings energy, you can take that extra time you'll have to, but still adding it with intention.
22:19
[SPEAKER_01]: And then furthermore, with affirmation, it's kind of like charging the water of the recipe.
22:24
[SPEAKER_01]: There are parts in the book that like dive deeper into ritualizing the whole process.
22:28
[SPEAKER_01]: So there is the section chapter four mixing a mocktail magic and it really talks about and viewing each step of like making even a simple non alcoholic mojito.
22:40
[SPEAKER_01]: how would you and view that with intention, you know, the modeling process of muddling down the mint, the mint expressing the oils, the refreshing quality of mint into, you know, the sugar that's sweetening and so already starting this whole relaxation process and connecting to the meaning of those ingredients has your juice.
23:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Anyway, so
23:01
[SPEAKER_01]: You do a good community about this stuff.
23:03
[SPEAKER_01]: I could talk all that.
23:04
[SPEAKER_01]: So there's a lot in there.
23:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Someone wants to dive deep into adding attention to that process.
23:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Because part of like, for me, getting in for us probably didn't imagine for you to getting into witchcraft before it got popular online, is going in person to rituals and dance and movement where a big part of like raising out of it.
23:22
[SPEAKER_01]: energy, right?
23:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And so that's a lot of mixology is physical acts that raise energy.
23:29
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're squeezing a fresh citrus, right?
23:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Using that squeezing moment to think of what you're purifying away with that added herbal ingredient, that's a line to your intention, you know, the lemon, like, and then you're doing that with intentions, enhancing that moment and directing energy flow.
23:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And then also you're drinking this
23:46
[SPEAKER_01]: So there's just so many ways it's like obviously, you know, if you want to keep things surface level, you can just kind of be aware.
23:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I break it down for you of how that breeding is in line to your intention, but you can really also like and view it with more energy.
23:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Because obviously has an energy worker, you know, like when I can feel like when I'm really connecting with plant spirit of an ingredient.
24:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I do want to just put a pointer that if you go through this whole process and maybe you're not feeling the energy, you know, most people who have or listening this have probably had a drink in their hand while they're dancing the night away at a club.
24:19
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, you always you know, drink with it in your hand, because I mean, I know I've done that.
24:25
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not saying everybody listening has probably done that, but you know, most people have probably, you know, shimming along with the dance floor with the drink.
24:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I thought I would be honest though, I don't mean like talk myself up.
24:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's hard to make one of these drinks and not feel something that also could be like I'm drinking the ones that I make and I also know for myself like as a bartender or when I still when I do an event everyone's in a while you know what I and I'll make a drink for someone like I've been told before that I've ruined a cocktail for someone because like nothing will ever compare.
24:57
[SPEAKER_01]: I know it is, and so it's like, I don't know if it's just because I'm making it or if it's the recipe itself, you know that I did also create so I can't I don't really have that differentiation, but it's like these are so packed with like there's a lined herbal ingredients like a little pinch of spice, you know, row, they're looking at like the rose quartz harm and arment tea, which it sounds weird to say a lot, it's funny or read on the paper every because it's harm and tea instead of harmony, but I've got it, I got it, I got it.
25:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and all of these things too, it's like it's really not wild because like when I started this book my anthropology side of my brain and I'm totally aware this was a bachelor's degree years ago, so like I'm out of touch with the modern industry.
25:39
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's important to press that you know like when you got a degree our many years ago, it's been a while I'm on academia anymore, like it's still valid.
25:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, it's important to me to be able to like research things and find historical context for them.
25:54
[SPEAKER_01]: And so when I was trying to do this book, I really wanted to find historical examples of non alcoholic drinks, which is a little hard because you have to look at like scientific studies, which is one about resources.
26:06
[SPEAKER_01]: So if you can go through your library, that's great.
26:08
[SPEAKER_01]: But trying to find those scientific studies and not necessarily just articles, people write on their blog, the word drink, it's like oftentimes you just get alcohol.
26:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Right, and so I already know all about the history of alcohol and ancient spirituality.
26:20
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what I've written about in my previous books and things like that.
26:23
[SPEAKER_01]: So I really had to dig in a creative ways to find things that were not alcoholic.
26:27
[SPEAKER_01]: And a lot of times, part of that is also just because of the organic matter and the way it breaks down.
26:31
[SPEAKER_01]: It has to have a specific chemical composition.
26:34
[SPEAKER_01]: So something like caffeine.
26:36
[SPEAKER_01]: was would be easier to trace chemically because of some of the chemical compositions of it.
26:41
[SPEAKER_01]: So there's a lot of like ancient caffeine drinks like urba mate that have like it's really just the urba mate itself is a ritual in South American countries around.
26:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Argentina and stuff and my grandma lived there for a while and so it's like there are a lot of these examples or you can think of the Japanese tea ceremony and there are a lot of these which was that revolver I'm not an alcoholic drinks it's just we don't often think of them and so you have to like search a little harder to find them and then you're like oh yeah when part of that is too I will say like just a check keep things in check as part of it is it's hard to get access to click water in the ancient days and so like the fermentation and like beer
27:20
[SPEAKER_01]: early beer was part of the reason how they had safe drinking water and stuff like that.
27:23
[SPEAKER_00]: We've talked a lot about how there are different ingredients that are associated with different correspondences and how we could use it magically.
27:31
[SPEAKER_00]: But I also know there's a large proportion of the audience for this podcast that are completely new in which craft and might be a little intimidated by the thought of getting started.
27:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I know I definitely faced that myself.
27:42
[SPEAKER_00]: So for those that that might apply to, how can this book just kind of gently invite them into the cyber practice?
27:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I think this is actually the best way to do it.
27:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Part of it is already drinking beverages already, right?
27:54
[SPEAKER_01]: And so in the front matter of the book, I spent a lot of time really intentionally selecting information to help you connect to the magic that you put in your cup.
28:04
[SPEAKER_01]: no matter what it is, even if it's coffee, even if it's water, even if it's just as simple, like rose tea, you know, whatever it is.
28:11
[SPEAKER_01]: That front matter, not just talking about the historical context, can help you see how these moments, whatever you invite can really be a magical ritual in itself, but also how it aligns to things like your spirituality, what's the symbol of the cup of the chalice for what you bring into your body, into your life,
28:30
[SPEAKER_01]: and so whether or not you decide to make a layered fancy mocktail or just keep things kind of simple I think really reading through the book and finding that magic in there it's going to make getting back into you know witchcraft or your practice.
28:46
[SPEAKER_01]: It's gonna it's accessible and it really makes you think about something that you already do every day that you don't really think about of in a magical way.
28:53
[SPEAKER_00]: I love that explanation.
28:54
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that there's magic in the mundane all the time.
28:57
[SPEAKER_00]: But sometimes you just have to kind of keep your eyes peeled to notice it.
29:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's hard in our modern life.
29:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Like we're everything is just so freaking quick, you know?
29:07
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's just like even sometimes with the seasonal transitions, although maybe it's just a pattern where you are in the world because I live in California and then also now in Arizona.
29:17
[SPEAKER_01]: But it's just like, world is so quick.
29:18
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just hard sometimes to be present in the moment.
29:21
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think really using something you already do every day, like a beverage to just pause and connect to where you're at, which is what a lot of these drinks are.
29:29
[SPEAKER_01]: They include reflections and things like that.
29:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Can help you really bring that magical moment into any day.
29:37
[SPEAKER_00]: I love that.
29:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I do want to ask now.
29:38
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you hope that listeners can take away from this book?
29:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I really hope there's so many things that I would want people to take away, like I said, what's the most creative control I've had, like, I've really put a lot in here and try and include it in a way that there's surface level pieces.
29:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And my service law, I don't mean that they're meaningless, but I mean, like, if you really just want easy things you can do, it's in there, you know.
29:57
[SPEAKER_01]: or if you want to go deeper, it's also in there too.
29:59
[SPEAKER_01]: But part of it is overall just the magic of what you put in your beverages and also being able to offer accessibility and options for everyone, because everyone really does deserve a drink at the table.
30:11
[SPEAKER_01]: And so having something for people who aren't from getting alongside alcoholic cocktails is important, I will say like we recently got married.
30:19
[SPEAKER_01]: My partner and I, and like
30:20
[SPEAKER_01]: We had the official celebration.
30:22
[SPEAKER_01]: My family's Polish, okay, and they drink a lot and it was just so awkward because my partner sober and I am pregnant.
30:29
[SPEAKER_01]: So I couldn't drink and there just wasn't that inclusion.
30:33
[SPEAKER_01]: So of course, luckily I was there.
30:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I was able to make sure like my partner and I were.
30:37
[SPEAKER_01]: cared for.
30:37
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think it's just so important to be more aware and include options for everyone because these are delicious drinks without alcohol and being able to create space and community and connection is really important, especially in our magical practices.
30:54
[SPEAKER_00]: I love that phrase that you said like everybody deserves a drink at the table.
30:56
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's really beautiful.
30:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I will say if anybody's listening who has not really engaged too much in mock tales when like going out with friends, if you're interested, just a little personal anecdote, I went far hopping in New Orleans with some friends when we were out visiting the city.
31:12
[SPEAKER_00]: We'd like to go to your about there together.
31:13
[SPEAKER_00]: I remember one of the bars we went to I decided to get a mocktail just because it looked good and honestly it was so good this mocktail that I went back to New Orleans a couple months later for business trip and I went to that bar specifically just ordered this mocktail in like the middle of the day and do nothing else so give a mocktail try if you typically only stick with alcohol, but they're interested in like just trying out some other drinks that feel kind of fancy and fun definitely try it out and I would say definitely try out some of the ones from this book
31:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I do want to ask Julia what are some of your favorite cocktails from your book.
31:47
[SPEAKER_01]: So you just gave me a genius idea that I'm just writing it down.
31:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Sorry, I'll explain it in a second.
31:55
[SPEAKER_01]: No, because one thing I was like thinking about is like, back when I was in the bar before, you know, the 2020 pandemic shot everything down.
32:02
[SPEAKER_01]: I will say like, I'm really glad to hear you have that experience in New Orleans.
32:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's fucking awesome.
32:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Especially because I got invited to go back out there in November, but I was also like, I'm going to be pregnant.
32:12
[SPEAKER_01]: So this is not.
32:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, oh my goodness, survive in like cocktail, haven, crap cocktail, haven of the world.
32:19
[SPEAKER_01]: And so it's weird that they had amazing mocktails, like, that makes me really happy.
32:23
[SPEAKER_01]: But I will say like, I know that for not every establishment, like, I'm still bummed when I go somewhere.
32:29
[SPEAKER_01]: And they just don't have like, mocktail options, you know?
32:32
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm hoping more places will start to do that.
32:35
[SPEAKER_01]: One thing that I do wish, because like when I was circling back, so apologize.
32:42
[SPEAKER_00]: It's all good.
32:43
[SPEAKER_00]: We all love, we love circles here.
32:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
32:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And like I said, part of like how let me learning to make like mock tills is to like serve my community, right?
32:49
[SPEAKER_01]: And so that's why I did it when I first got into mixedology.
32:52
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I'd always be grateful when I got to be someone's bartender when they were like either that doesn't need a driver or we're sober and just going out.
33:01
[SPEAKER_01]: the bar to be with their friends because if they got me as a bartender, I would always ask them what kind of flavors they like, you know, how they wanted to feel and I would put together a custom drink on the spot for them.
33:16
[SPEAKER_01]: I do that with cocktails too but with cocktails it was a lot more fun because
33:20
[SPEAKER_01]: When you're with the alcohol, and you don't have to center the drink around the alcohol, there's so much flavor expression you can get.
33:26
[SPEAKER_01]: And so that was always my favorite thing to do because a lot of times those establishments back then and hopefully more in the future won't be that way, wouldn't really offer options for people like that.
33:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And so being able to do that was meaningful.
33:38
[SPEAKER_01]: And the reason why I was saying
33:40
[SPEAKER_01]: You gave me the idea, I was just like, you know what?
33:43
[SPEAKER_01]: If I had one magical power, it would be that every time which goes to a bar, whether they're sober or drinking at cocktail, I just wish that I was their bartender.
33:54
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I could just magically appear or have a traveling bar shop or something because that's just like really bartending for the community what we used the most to me.
34:05
[SPEAKER_01]: So I was like, maybe that's a cool fiction book to write.
34:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
34:10
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's the hard one for me because it's like choosing my favorite child and I do love them.
34:16
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they're all like for different moments, right?
34:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Because they're organized by intentionality.
34:20
[SPEAKER_01]: So like the fact that I have lunar passion yesterday, so fucking good.
34:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's what I keep thinking of.
34:26
[SPEAKER_01]: But for a couple of key ones, the moon got us a lot of lunar passions.
34:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I just made that so that's fresh on my mind.
34:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And where is it?
34:34
[SPEAKER_01]: The cherry blossom beverage.
34:37
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they're all so good or something simpler.
34:39
[SPEAKER_01]: The high-biscous lavender iced tea.
34:41
[SPEAKER_01]: That's when I would make like every time my uncle would come over and so it's just really good for bringing like harmony and good times and stuff like that.
34:49
[SPEAKER_01]: But I cannot get over that lunar passion for me yesterday.
34:52
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm simply going to have to try that one out.
34:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
34:56
[SPEAKER_01]: which was we're calling you.
34:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah so I made a whole list of different ones and I even have the page number so if anybody is following along.
35:04
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm interested in, I'm just going to go to the whole list.
35:06
[SPEAKER_00]: The Manga Mandarin Road Open Cocktail on Page 51, the Summer Siffer on Page 89, the very fun mocktail on Page 97 which I'm especially excited for, just my purpose coming up and I'm doing like a dart
35:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, she did forest theme for it.
35:22
[SPEAKER_00]: So might have to look into that one.
35:24
[SPEAKER_00]: The rose remembrance on 155, the coffee clove and cinnamon notini on 173 because I love an espresso martini and that reminded me of that and the pumpkin moon mocktail on page 175 because I am a basic pumpkin loving fish.
35:41
[SPEAKER_00]: So that was really good.
35:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Me too, yeah, I love it.
35:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, you know, it's so old.
35:48
[SPEAKER_01]: So many of these drinks have stories that as you're saying, um, so like the summer sun zipper, you know, it's funny about them.
35:52
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you look at the picture, the drink looks really dark.
35:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And so when I made that recipe, I didn't realize that there was something, I think there's a purple raspberries.
36:02
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'd actually use purple raspberries for the recipe.
36:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And I didn't really know that, but it just they tasted like normal raspberries to me.
36:08
[SPEAKER_01]: So if you want, I'm going to be that dark purple color.
36:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Otherwise,
36:13
[SPEAKER_01]: That's like, it's the thing of shopping at Costco, but it was pretty tropical to me so I was about it.
36:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's delicious either way, like the type of raspberry didn't change the flavor at all, but it was like, I didn't even know purple raspberry's riff thing until I was like, I'm making this trick again.
36:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Why isn't it that same deep color?
36:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, hey, you know, a good little tip to know from the people who are listening to this podcast.
36:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's listen to them on the book.
36:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
36:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, Julia, as we've mentioned in the beginning of the episode, we are going to be hosting a giveaway for this book.
36:44
[SPEAKER_00]: So that is very exciting.
36:46
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are interested in entering that giveaway, we'll have more on our Instagrams.
36:51
[SPEAKER_00]: So follow our Instagram or information of how to enter this.
36:54
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to find me, you can find me on Instagram at Seeking Witchcraft.
36:57
[SPEAKER_00]: And Julia, if you want to provide yours, so that listeners can find us.
37:02
[SPEAKER_01]: I am at which craft cocktail on Instagram.
37:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Perfect.
37:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And I will have this linked in the bio.
37:08
[SPEAKER_00]: I do want to ask more of your social media information, but before I do that before I forget, I asked everybody at the end of every episode what's one piece of advice you can give to beginner.
37:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Doesn't have to be related to what we talked about, but what would that one piece of advice be?
37:21
[SPEAKER_01]: He know what this might just be worth at right now in my personal practice in life, but there's so much free information online.
37:29
[SPEAKER_01]: It just gets so overwhelming and it's hard to know what to navigate.
37:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And sometimes, I don't know, I get like analysis paralysis.
37:37
[SPEAKER_01]: too many things to choose between.
37:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
37:39
[SPEAKER_01]: So like really just start with where you're at what you need right now in this moment and find something that's easy for you to integrate.
37:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Doesn't have to be in elaborate ritual.
37:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Can be something small is like in viewing your water with intention, but whatever it is, that's just going to like keep you to it and get you started.
37:58
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the place to put your energy into.
38:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Awesome, very sound piece of advice.
38:04
[SPEAKER_00]: So that said, as you mentioned, you're on Instagram, but where else could the listeners find you?
38:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the best place, obviously, because we do not own the social platforms as recent political events, you know, have shown us.
38:16
[SPEAKER_01]: I've gotten some warnings.
38:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Recently, so definitely my website, whichcraftcoctales.com is the best place.
38:25
[SPEAKER_01]: It links to all my souls.
38:27
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm starting a stream on Twitch and YouTube.
38:30
[SPEAKER_01]: So if you want to catch like a live stream to chat in the moment, those are fun places, but the website is going to be the best place to find current links.
38:37
[SPEAKER_01]: It case something happens to any other profile.
38:40
[SPEAKER_00]: Amazing, and you can also find me on Facebook at SeekingWishCraft podcast, but play Instagram is really where all the things are.
38:47
[SPEAKER_00]: So, Julie, thank you so much for coming on and sharing details about your very delicious looking book.
38:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I definitely have my list of mocktails I want to make, and as always, it's such a pleasure talking to you.
38:57
[SPEAKER_00]: I really always have so much fun, and I'm seriously so impressed with this book, and I really hope that everybody takes the chance and the time to check it out because it really is incredible, and you can see all the time and care and effort that you put into it.
39:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
39:09
[SPEAKER_01]: That means the world, and I always love talking to you too.
39:11
[SPEAKER_01]: So thank you for having space for me.
39:13
[SPEAKER_01]: And even when you did the energy work with me a while back, like I just was meaningful that you took the time for that.
39:19
[SPEAKER_01]: So thank you.
39:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, absolutely.
39:21
[SPEAKER_00]: And yes, if anybody's interested in energy work, again, would you like to hit her up?
39:24
[SPEAKER_00]: She was great.
39:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Sorry, not to plug that, but I was just like I forgot about that until you brought you mentioned that earlier.
39:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, you know what, like, I just appreciate you took the time.
39:32
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, to do that.
39:33
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm reasonable.
39:35
[SPEAKER_00]: I appreciate it the reading.
39:36
[SPEAKER_00]: It was wonderful.
39:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you everybody for listening and we will be in touch with the giveaway information and I hope you all have a great rest of your day or evening when you're listening to this.
39:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Bye.
39:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Bye.