Head On Fire

Episode 171 is an interview with author, anti-racism activist, and minimalist Christine Platt. We discuss her new book, The Afrominimalist's Guide to Living with Less , which brings a fresh new perspective to the conversation of minimalism. Platt guides her reader through the sociological and psychological ways in which we form attachments to things and patterns of accumulation, not to tell you to...

Episode 170 is a roundtable with a diverse group of queer practitioners from around the world representing multiple facets of the magical community. The modern Pagan community is seen by many as focusing on fertility and binary gender identity which can leave LGBTQ+ practitioners feeling disenfranchised. We explore the notion of being LGBTQ+ in a fertility religion, embracing the term 'queer' as w...

Episode 169 asks What is an expert?  Is it formal academic achievement? Certifications? Is being an expert subjective to the field itself? To answer that question, I've brought together a circle of experts in different fields to parse out the finer points of the discourse surrounding expertise.    We discuss bona fides, goalposts, how experts identify experts and they way they identify frauds, the...

  Episode 168 of Inciting A Riot is a roundtable with some familiar voices. I am welcoming back Rene Collins, Ginger Doss, SJ Tucker, and Cheshire Moon to the podcast. They are some of modern Paganism's foremost musical acts, and we had a delightful conversation about the business of independent artistry, what leadership means, fear, and the joys of being a bard for a bunch of witches.    Links to...

Episode 167 is an interview with folklorist, witch, and author Via Hedera. We had a far-reaching discussion about the hidden history of superstition, the double-edged blade of using genetics as a basis for cultural exploration, the increasing visibility of BIPOC and queer witches, and the absolute grossest spell she knows. Her new book  Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experienc...

  Episode 166 is an interview with longtime friend of the show Dr. Cory Hutcheson, co-host of  New World Witchery  and author of a  new book of the same name . We have a far-reaching discussion about the academic and personal pursuit of folklore, why the Devil keeps coming up in his book, and how to find magic in your own backyard.    Find more about Dr. Cory Hutcheson here  and follow  New World...

Episode 165 is an interview with Dr. Sam Montano, expert in emergency management and author of Disaster-ology . We have a broad ranging discussion about climate change, how to talk about misinformation with loved ones, and how she would manage the fallout from WandaVision.  You can find more of Dr. Montano at Disaster-ology.com .  If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of...

      Episode 164 is an interview with magical makeup artist, occult researcher, and atheist witch Chaweon Koo. The conversation is an impactful deep dive on the nature of leadership, how to be an ally, skeptical spiritual seeking, and conspiracy theories.  Find more of Chaweon on social media @HiChaweon or on her YouTube channel .  Patreon supporters heard this show first (and got over 20 minutes...

Episode 163 is an interview with the Chaotic Witch Aunt, Frankie, who is one of the social media stars who rose to prominence during the 2020 lockdown. As people turned to new ways of connecting during the pandemic, such as TikTok, comedians, home chefs, and even a few witches, became overnight household names. These content creators are emblematic of the way in which witchcraft is being discovere...

  Episode 162 is an interview with Cassandra Snow - author of Queering Your Craft and Queering the Tarot . We discuss what cisgender people can get out of queering their craft, how tarot works, ethical readers, and the Babysitter's Club.    Find more of Cassandra at their website here . Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects ! You...

  Episode 161 is an interview with Welsh witch Mhara Starling, whose TikTok has gone viral in recent months for reviving ancient Welsh Paganism for a new generation. I'm particularly excited for this conversation, because, as a trans woman, Mhara's experience navigating the Pagan community - that is often so focused on sex, gender, and fertility - is part of a long history of queer people navigati...

  Episode 160 is an interview with author Maggie Tokuda-Hall about mermaids, pirates, writing queer, inclusive narratives, and setting stories in a world that doesn't center whiteness.   Find out more about Maggie at her website here.  Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects ! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio p...

  Patreon supporters joined me and my special guests Lilith Dorsey and Patti Wigington for a look at the highs and lows and comfort foods of 2020. This was my way of saying thank you to the folks who kept the lights on here at Inciting A Riot by paying the bills. If you'd like to become a supporter and partake in some sweet rewards, check out  Patreon.com/IncitingProjects . We'll be doing more fun...

Episode 158 is an interview with Christina Oakley-Harrington, owner and operator of the esoteric bookshop Treadwell's of London. We talked about building community, not seeing other Pagan creators as competition, the changing trends of Pagan interest, and the difference between the online and brick & mortar Pagan community.    Seek out more of Treadwell's here . Learn more about the Stitch and...

Episode 157 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with Joe Phillips. Joe is a comic book artist with an impressive resume that includes Marvel and DC, and he is also the creator of the viral witchy sensation "Witch Boys", which features a diverse array of queer men as witches. We chat about the comic book industry, authenticity, and inclusion in media, and the sometimes uncomfortable compromises one...

  Episode 156 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with "Sarah". Her name has been changed and identity protected in order to discuss her profession: being a phone psychic. Were her identity to be revealed, she would almost certainly lose her job and possibly face legal action. For this reason, I'm not releasing the video version of this episode on Patreon as per usual.   Sarah talked to me about wh...

  Episode 155 is an interview with Jess Mason, writer for The Mary Sue and hostess of the Reel Magic podcast which examines the intersection of magic and Paganism with how they're portrayed in film and television. We discuss queering media, curative fandom, and whether the aunts from Practical Magic are secretly a lesbian couple.    Find more about Jess Mason's writing here . You can also follow h...

  Welcome back to our annual celebration of stories and songs from across the Pagan world. Each of the storytellers and musicians is listed below. I encourage you to click their links, buy their wares if you can, and share them with your friends.    Stories “The Church”  Written & Narrated by Vinna Harper “Hunger Pains”  Written & Narrated by Rommy Driks Visit her Blog Buy her Book “A Purv...

  Episode 153 is an interview with Marika Clymer, an  Own Voices  Japanese-Ainu American reiki practitioner whose efforts to decolonize this traditional Japanese healing modality on social media have garnered her a lot of attention. She pulls no punches in discussing the many ways white practitioners unapologetically take from BIPOC spiritualities and the ways in which many of these practices have...

Episode 152 welcomes back author, artist, and all-around great guy Aidan Wachter as we celebrate the release of his second book Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, & Telling True Lies . Aidan's independently published books have made him a well-respected, best-selling Pagan author without going through the traditional "Big 2" publishing route. We spend some time not only talking abou...

  Episode 151 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with Moon Ferguson, creatrix of  Juju: the Web Series  available on Amazon Prime. Moon is a single mom who grew up with a love of Charmed, the Vampire Diaries, and Disney who went on to accidentally fall in love with film school while working as a Physician's Assistant. She talks openly about owning your sexuality, how bartending in a strip club hel...

 Episode 150 is an interview with witchy musician Alex Robshaw. She opened up about being an independent artist, creative burnout, the value of art, and when you can call yourself a musician. We also discussed her recent desire to discuss her white passing privilege during this time of social evolution. Listen to find out what she said "makes me be more solid in what my fights are".  Find more of...

  Episode 149 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with author Bill Konigsberg. We discuss how YA queer fiction has evolved, the complexities of writing diverse and representative characters, and the importance of treating teenagers like people.    You can learn more about Bill at his website here . Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingPro...

  Episode 148 continues my conversation with Cory Hutcheson of New World Witchery about the history of pandemics. This time we remain firmly in the present.    My thanks to Cory Hutcheson. Please go support him at New World Witchery !   Some sources for further reading:   https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/black-death https://www.jstor.org/stable/2764425?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents ht...

Episode 147 of Inciting A Riot brings back friend of the show Cory Hutcheson of New World Witchery for a look back at the social and folkloric history of pandemics. (Hey...you guys asked for this episode. I think the topic is kind of bleak, too, but... 🤷🏼‍♂️) Our topics ranged from some that were actual medical pandemics to others that were more of a social plague to get a good feel for how soci...