Episodi
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A truly turned-on spiritual or magical path should do more than get you stuff. It should do more than open up communication with spirits or the dead. If you inherited a “Western” cosmovision like me, a truly turned-on spiritual or magical path should make you rethink everything you thought you knew about reality.
Joshua Cutchin writes my favorite kind of books. They are deep and playful, philosophical and fearless. They are head-first explorations of all the implications of living in a magical universe. The last time we had Josh on to talk about what felt like his magnum opus – Ecology of Souls – I imagined it would be a long time before he would take another stab at such vast hypothesizing about the nature of the phenomena. But here we are, and a year later, he brings us the delightful Fourth Wall Phantoms.
In some ways, Josh is the perfect guest for this show, writing joyfully at the intersection of folklore, pop culture, theology, and the thought experiment. His most recent journey into the nature of the “fourth wall break” – in media, history, the imagination, and the paranormal – is the ultimate runway for the seeker ready to rethink everything they thought they knew about reality.
SHOW NOTES:
Josh's Website: joshuacutchin.com
Get Josh's new book: Fourth Wall Phantoms
Josh's IG: w3eirdwayz
Sign Up for Esalen's Upcoming 'The Soul is a UFO: Understanding and Embracing Transcendence' this December: The Soul is a UFO
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We are living in an era where the term “folk” has become the modifier of choice for many looking for a unique way to describe their own spirituality or magical practice. Folk Witchcraft, Folk Catholicism, Folk Magic. “Folk” seems to denote a certain level of idiosyncrasy, authenticity, or earthiness. It also eschews connotations with more popular or commercialized forms of these practices. Sometimes this use of the word “folk” can feel like the way we used “alternative” in the nineties, particularly to describe genres of music. By the mid-nineties “alternative” rock was far and away the most popular music genre, leading one to ask: what exactly was it an alternative to? Similarly in the world of spirituality, sometimes the modifier “folk” can seem vague. I believe it was Jesse Hathaway Diaz who I first heard pose the question in regards to folk spirituality: “Who are the folk?”
In Scott Richardson-Read’s new book Milldust and Dreaming Bread – Exploring Scottish Folk Belief and Folk Magic, the “folk” in question are vivid and unmistakable. While the pastoral stories and customs of the past weave throughout the book, Scott also taps into the deep impressions a land and a people have made upon each other, setting the stage for the folk of today. The impression one gets reading Milldust and Dreaming Bread, is that the “folk” Scott is referring to has less to do with homespun or antiquated practices, and more to do with the Scottish culture’s deep and living sense of reciprocity and right relation in the face of the oppressive influence of Empire. This Scottish folkway imbues the myths of the Country, and is at the root of its magical expression.
As someone first lit up magically by a form of Witchcraft often called folkloric, a large part of my practice has been forged by pulling on the threads of what can sometimes seem like a vague cosmology, back to where I can find its sense of place, rooted in a culture and landscape. Scott’s work throughout the years on his blog the Cailleachs Herbarium (and now in this book) has been my own personal roadmap to find out for myself who the “folk” in question are.
SHOW NOTES:
Buy Scott's Book: Mill Dust and Dreaming Bread
Scott's Blog: The Cailleachs Herbarium
IG: @cailleachsherbarium
Scottish Histories of Resistance: https://www.scottishhistoriesofresistance.co.uk/
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Episodi mancanti?
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Magic is weird. The more it becomes a part of your life, the constructs you once held dearly as fundamental pillars of reality begin to break down, and in their place, new constructs start to emerge. As someone with a practice founded in Witchcraft and Druidry, I’ve replaced many of my preconceived notions of reality with a somewhat animist, and ancestral, and even gnostic (at times) interface with the world. This is completely idiosyncratic, but it’s true for me, and it allows me to tap into a live wire of personal gnosis that reverberates through my spells and ceremonies in a way that would feel hollow in any other way.
I don’t personally identify with the Christian current – Catholic, protestant, or Orthodox, respectively. I was raised in what I like to call “suburban Christianity,” which was a shallow form of spirituality that was either a victim or beneficiary (depending on your take) of Reaganomics and the prosperity gospel. That said, for many guests I’ve had on this show over the past year, there is a very live wire of power to be tapped into within the Christian current, which cuts through the artifice and limitations of my own experience with this religion.
Robert Peter is a perfect example of this. His “current shifting” and Chaos Magic approach to Christianity both subverts the preconceived notions of how the practice operates and opens paths to unlocking syncretism with a diverse arsenal of magic.
I’m excited to welcome Robert back to the show, as we explore his unique perspective on incorporating a wide range of influences into his “plug and play” approach to Christian magic.
SHOW NOTES:
No Hand Path: Robert's Substack
IG: @robertpeterservices
Art: Christ in the Desert by Nicholas Roerich, 1933.
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To celebrate Beltane we're welcoming back to the show Morgan Daimler, who just released a new book about love and sex in Fairy belief called Paid with a Kiss. We explore notions of gender expression and subversion in the fairy realm, and whether or not the 80's hair metal scene was secretly fairy-pilled. We also chat about the complicated nature of spirit marriage, and trends in popular witchcraft that seem skeptical of spirits altogether. I'm always grateful for a chance to chat with Morgan, and I think y'all are in for a treat.
SHOW NOTES:
Morgan's Books: Author Page
Paid with a Kiss: Moon Books
Feed the Fairies Podcast: Spotify Link
Morgan's Patheos Blog: Patheos Pagan
Morgan's Classes: Irish Pagan School
Morgan's Instagram: @morgandaimler
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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Today on the show I'm thrilled to share a chat I recently had with Fio Gede Parma. Fio is a writer, teacher, and witch whose voice and perspective I really vibe with. Fio has an exceptional knack for diving headfirst into the kind of dense and complicated philosophical territory we love on this show, and effortlessly encapsulating their ideas in an intuitive and accessible way. On the show we explore Fio's experiences as an initiate of the Feri Tradition, as well as diving deep into his recently re-released book: Ecstatic Witchcraft. Fio gracefully and confidently describes the complicated word "shaman," its relationship to Witchcraft, and by extension to ecstacy. We chat about some of the more novel approaches in Fio's book to some tried and true ritual techniques, and how Fio defines deep concepts like "deity" and "faerie" for themself. This is hopefully the first of many conversations we can bring you with Fio . . . enjoy!
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SHOW NOTES:
Fio's Site: Fiogedeparma.com
Ecstatic Witchcraft Book: Crossedcrowbooks.com
Fio's excellent Youtube Channel: @Fiogedeparma
IG: @Fiogedeparma
-MUSIC: "Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" by Andrew Marlin off the ablum Fable & Fire. https://www.andrewmarlin.com/
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For those of us drawn to the mysterious realm of Faerie, we're often led to folklore to dive deeper into the subject. While you know how Emma Wilby-pilled I am, there's something novel and exciting about stumbling upon an unpresented series of channeled texts ostensibly written by a faery woman named Fiona Macleod, through the faculties of a middle aged man (William Sharp). Steve Blamires has written extensively on this peculiar case, and in his most recent book: The Confessions of Fiona, he combs through the texts of Fiona Macleod for clues of an esoteric Faery Tradition of magic, as well as Gods and Goddesses particular to the Faerie realm. We also go into the mysterious figure of Dalua who inspired the opera The Immortal Hour, and his relationship to the Folkloric Devil, and explore Steve's writing on the Ogham script.
SHOW NOTES:
The Confessions of Fiona: Book
Celtic Tree Mysteries: Book
Steve's Site: Inchanted Journeys
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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I'm so excited to have Reverend Janglebones back on the show. He's one of the rare guests that makes me feel like hitting the record button without a list of questions or an outline for our conversation mapped out in advance. The result is a very fun and casual conversation about the Christ-like aspects of the Devil, and the Luciferian aspects of Jesus — amongst other things. We also talk about the importance of humor in spirituality, the bizarre experience of having a relationship with a spirit who also encapsulates some aspect of the fundamental fabric of our reality, and the reverse dualism that is somewhat prevalent in the Traditional/Folkloric Witchcraft community these days. I can't recommend checking out Reverend Janglebones' recent substack series (Hillock & Holler) on Jesus & Lucifer enough.
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SHOW NOTES:
Hillock & Holler: The Rev's Substack
-The Good Reverend's Writing, services and materia: Hillock & Holler
-Soapbox Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soapbox/id1628906671
IG: @reverendjanglebones
-MUSIC: "Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" by Andrew Marlin off the ablum Fable & Fire. https://www.andrewmarlin.com/
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Today on the one year anniversary of Radical Elphame, we invite back the guest who helped us kick off this peculiar experiment: the delightful Briar of The Greene Chapel. We explore a recent essay she published on her Greene Chapel site: "The Lady with a Mead Cup," which dives into the primordial image of a virginal Cup Bearer, and how this mythopoetics relates to divinely inspired poetic inspiration and prophecy as a sacred ritual. We untangle the labyrinthian mystery of the Celtic "imbas forosnai," and its relationship to the lady of the day: Brighid. We do some UPG mind melding as well, exploring the relationship between Brighid and her theorized Mothers: The Morrigan AND Boann. It was such a blast reconnecting with Briar, and getting to celebrate Imbolc with someone who can capture and crystalize the essence of Brighid better than anyone.
SHOW NOTES:
The Greene Chapel - https://www.greenechapel.com
Briar's Patreon: Briar of the Greene Chapel
Briar's Chapbook: The Beheading Game
Briar's Course: Working With Joan of Arc as Saint of the French Fairy Faith
Briar's IG: greene_chapel
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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We welcome back to the show the seership super group that is Rose Auroras, B. Key and Sfinga for a scryers round table: Unsolved Mysteries edition. We chat about the philosophy behind the practice of scrying, and what it's like to teach the technique to others. We also go through a greatest hits of the weirdest shit they've ever scryed — from Unsolved Mysteries, to paranormal hotspots and infamous people — and what insights they were able to glean. We also chat horror movies, cursed films, and summon good ol' Bobby Eggnog.
SHOW NOTES:
Sfinga and Key's website: With Cunning and Command Website
Sfinga and Key's Podcast: The Frightful Howls You May Hear
Rose's Website: Readings with Rose
Salem Witchfest: All of our guests today will be presenting in 2025
Sfinga's IG: Dragoncunning
B. Key's IG: Barnowl.key
Rose's IG: RoseAuroras
Horror Film Recommendation: In the Tall Grass (2019)
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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Today we welcome back my friend C.R. Sanders to the show for the first in person recording! We have a freewheelin' chat about CR's recent travels to Glastonbury, the mysterious nature of our human interactions with the numinous, and the magical sense of place we can uncover when we engage deeply with the land and culture of a given local. It was great getting to catch up and shoot the shit under the shadow of Mount Shasta.
SHOW NOTES:
C.R.'s Website: https://lalanomicon.com/
Alien Encounters: Fact or Fiction: HBO MAX
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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For the last show of the year, we're joined by the legendary Morgan Daimler. Morgan is a writer, a teacher of esoteric subjects, and a practitioner very well acquainted with the Othercrowd. We explore two of her most recent non-fiction books: Fairy: The Otherworld by Many Names, and Celtic Fairies in North America — both fascinating reads that feel very much of a piece to me. We dive into some of the more "thought experiment" approaches Morgan employs in these books that tug at the evergreen mystery: what is the nature of fairy? We also chat about a tagline of Morgan's own Feed the Fairies podcast: "Fae Propaganda," and what the implications of promoting engagement with the folklorically feared Othercrowd means. I'm so grateful to close out the year with such a great chat.
SHOW NOTES:
Morgan's Books: Author Page
Feed the Fairies Podcast: Spotify Link
Morgan's Patheos Blog: Patheos Pagan
Morgan's Classes: Irish Pagan School
Morgan's Instagram: @morgandaimler
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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Today on the show we chat with Chaise Levy of Northern Spirit House podcast. Chaise is a father, husband and storytelling sorcerer based in Northern California. We talk about the ideas and approaches behind his workshop with the School of Mythopoetics on Skaldskapr (Poetic Story Magic) — from historiola to engaging the mythic. We also explore the complex reality of engaging with a magical practice while parenting a young family — the difficulties, the inspiration, and the unexpected insights. To wrap up, Chaise shares a bit about a new workshop he's working on around our animistic relationship with Amanita Muscaria, the Fly Agaric mushroom of lore.
SHOW NOTES:
Chaise's Website: chaiselevy.com
Northern Spirit House Podcast: Spotify Link
Northern Spirit House Substack: Substack
Skaldskapr Course: School of Mythopoetics
Chaise's Instagram: @telluric_tounges
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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Today on the show we have the delightful Nay Noordmans of House of Gnomi to talk about the Saint beloved as much by Faeries and chthonic deities as by the good Catholics of Tours: Saint Martin. In honor of his feast day — and Old Halloween — Nay takes us on a deep dive of the life of Saint Martin, and we explore some of the more novel and whimsical moments in his hagiography. Nay also delves into how Saint Martin plays a role in the classic Fortean story of the Green Children of Woolpit, and might himself blur the lines between Saint and psychopomp at times. In what is sure to be the first of many conversations with Nay, we also explore the idea of the "Faerie Saint" as an intercessor for the magical practitioner, and where Fortean studies could be contextualized with magical philosophy.
SHOW NOTES:
House of Gnomi: https://www.instagram.com/houseofgnomi/
Nay's Links: https://linktr.ee/houseofgnomi
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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Today on the show we have a special Halloween hangover episode, with the hosts of the Southern Bramble podcast: Austin Fuller and Marshall the Witch of Southern Light. I've been a big fan of their show for a while now, and really appreciate the ideas and perspectives they've been promoting in the wider witchcraft community. We talk about Traditional Witchcraft — where it's going, how it got here — and how Marshall and Austin's practices have evolved during that journey. We explore the complicated modifier of "folk" in the context of a magical practice, the rise (or resurgence) of dual faith spirituality, reclaiming eclecticism, and the fundamental role of creativity in witchcraft.
SHOW NOTES:
Southern Bramble Podcast: Spotify Link
The Red Mother by Marshall WST: Marshall's new book!
Marshall's Links: https://linktr.ee/WitchofSouthernLight
Austin's Site: https://www.banexbramble.com/
Austin's Links: https://linktr.ee/Banexbramble
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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Today on the show we have the wonderful Jo Hickey-Hall of The Modern Fairy Sightings podcast. Jo is a Folklorist, Researcher, Social Historian, and an engaged practitioner. We talk about the novel age we're living in, where Fairy sightings appear to be the rise, and what might be behind that trajectory. Jo describes exploring the phenomenon through both academic and folkloric studies, as well as via magical pursuits. Jo also graciously shares an incredible story of an experience she had while performing an energy healing on a love one during an intense and dire moment. It was a real treat to turn the microphone around on Jo for a while, and hear more about the creator of such a personally beloved show.
SHOW NOTES:
The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast: https://www.scarlettofthefae.com/the-modern-fairy-sightings-podcast/
Jo's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOWBU36ADJMVxngGPFF9aSA
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
ART:
Painting by Katharine Cameron
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Today on the show we have the delightful Rose Auroras and B. Key. Both are accomplished seers and scryers with a strong foundation in folkloric and spirit-led techniques, but also a fascination with the modern incarnation of some of these skills — most often under the umbrella term "psi." We dive into the groovy world of the US Government's Psychic Spy Programs in the 70's and 80's, Remote Viewing, the Gateway Tapes, CE5, and where these topics intersect with more folkloric seership practices. We also talk UFOs, some personal experiences, and inspired by Rose and Key's shenanigan's of scrying "Unsolved Mysteries" topics in their spare time, we all have a go at scrying the mysterious Mount Shasta.
SHOW NOTES:
Readings with Rose: https://www.roseauroras.com/
With Cunning and Command Website: https://withcunningandcommand.com/
The Frightful Howls You May Hear podcast: https://thefrightfulhowlsyoumayhear.libsyn.com/site
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
ART:
Painting by Ingo Swann
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Sfinga joins us from The Frightful Howls You May Hear podcast, and With Cunning and Command. Sfinga is a traditional witch and diviner from the Balkans, as well as an initiate of Brazilian Quimbanda. We talk about Sfinga's incredible podcast, and the unique philosophies that inform its expert approach to a diverse array of spiritual and occult topics, all while maintaining a disarming, casual ,and communal tone. Sfinga also dives deep into the witchlore of the Balkans including the region's unique expression of dragons and The Vila. We also talk about the complex and powerful experience of incorporating spiritual currents from vastly different cultures into a single life. Sfinga is a fascinating thinker and a gracious communicator, and such a pleasure to chat with.
SHOW NOTES:
With Cunning and Command Website: https://withcunningandcommand.com/
The Frightful Howls You May Hear podcast: https://thefrightfulhowlsyoumayhear.libsyn.com/site
POEM:
Obilić Dragon's Son: https://sr.wikisource.org/sr-el/Милош_Обилић_змајски_син
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
ART:
"A Pavilion Neither in the Sky nor on the Earth" - Painting by William Sewell
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Today I have the true honor of welcoming to the show: Lee Morgan. Lee is a writer, teacher, traditional witch, and a story sorcerer. Lee has written what to my estimation are some of the essential texts on Traditional Witchcraft and the Faery Faith, and his newest book is a fascinating addition to that bibliography. People of the Outside is a fearless examination of all the cultural taboos that haunt the archetype of "the witch," and how many of these traits may be transmissions or memories from our Elder Folk ancestors, before they were subsumed by Sapiens. In the spirit of People of the Outside we don't shy away from any thorny topics here, and dive headfirst into the role cannibalism plays in witchcraft, the similarities between Faery culture and Elder Folk culture, the "witch blood" controversy, and yes . . . even Bigfoot. It was a blast getting to interview a personal hero of mine on the show, and I hope it inspires everyone in the audience to pick up Lee's new book.
SHOW NOTES:
Lee's Website: https://www.leemorganbooks.com/
Lee's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=19417687
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
ART:
"Cueva de las Manos"
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Today on the show we're joined by witch, writer, teacher: Aidan Wachter. Aidan is an excellent communicator on the subject of magic, and has the rare ability not to get bogged down with dogma while exploring what can often be incredibly complex topics with thoughtful and simple clarity. Today we discuss the fundamental and inherent nature of magic, its role in our lives, and how it interacts with the world around us. We consider the critique some occultists have been expressing lately that the current magical revival we're living through has possibly led to "too much magic," and resulted in a Capitalist influenced pursuit of "stuff" through magic. We talk about the controversial text "Aradia: The Gospel of Witches," and whether or not its historical authenticity has the final word on the role it has played in the craft. Of course we also go into where the current of witchcraft and the Fae realm meet, and why folklore is prone to making both into villains. It was a real pleasure getting to chat with Aidan, and I hope this is the first of many great discussions.
SHOW NOTES:
Aidan's Website: https://www.aidanwachter.com/
Aidan's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aidanwachter
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
ART:
"Untitled" by Roger Hane
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C.R. Sanders joins us to talk about his new Discovery Channel series — hosted by the legendary Mitch Horowitz — Alien Encounters: Fact or Fiction. When I heard that the newest Discovery channel UFO show was being produced by someone with such an accomplished occult background, I knew it was going to be something unique, and it does not disappoint. We explore the complex nature of the wider UFO / UAP subject, and its relationship with the Faerie realms and Otherworlds of mythology and folklore. We dip our toes into the wild "disclosure" news of the past few years, and wonder if there's any significance to the replacement of the word "object" with "phenomenon," in the recent reclassification of UFO with UAP by the powers that be. C.R. also shares some of his surreal and synchronistic adventures on site and in pursuit of experiencing the phenomenon.
SHOW NOTES:
C.R.'s Website: https://lalanomicon.com/
Alien Encounters: Fact or Fiction: https://go.discovery.com/show/alien-encounters-fact-or-fiction-discovery-atve-us
MUSIC:
"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com
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