Heathen's Journey Podcast

In this episode, Siri interviews Máire Durkan. Máire Durkan is an author, ordained Heathen minister, devoted Friggswoman, and respected voice in contemporary Heathen spirituality. She serves as Clergy Coordinator for The Troth, one of the oldest international inclusive Heathen organizations, and works as both an interfaith hospital chaplain and birth doula, bringing together theological scholarshi...

Well hello there! I'm officially back for another season of the Heathen's Journey Podcast! In this first episode of Season 3, I wanted to look back on my previous work talking about heathen ways of fighting fascism, catch us up to speed as to where we are not at the time of recording, and provide more context about the importance of heathenry as the United States slips further into Christo...

This is a little bit of a different podcast! I'm actually posting an interview I did with Haley over at Opening the Door Podcast. This episode was originally titled "Exploring Nordic Folklore and Folk Witchcraft with Siri Vincent Plouff." Because it was released very close to Halloween, we ended up talking almost exclusively about Draugr. Now, posting this over a month later, it is still timely be...

This episode was recorded the Friday after election day. In this episode I talk about the ideas of localized resistance. I have a feeling I'll be putting out more episodes like this, probably with more research and heft behind them. I will also be launching a new podcast next month called Chaos and Cunning, which will be a space where I can expand beyond the confines of heathenry to talk about...

Nicolette Miele is an an author, herbalist, pagan witch, and animal advocate. Her first book, "Runes for the Green Witch," is a magical grimoire that immerses readers in the widsom and folklore of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark. Check out Nicolette's links, including her apothecary Handfuls Of Dust: handfulsofdust.com ** Read a transcript of this episode here: https://www.heathens...

Welcome back for a conversation about the Younger Futhark with Kari Tauring! This episode is released in celebration of her newest book. "The Runes: A Pandemic Journey" manifests Kari Tauring’s journaling and teaching of the embodied practice of Völva Stav. In its pages, she walks you through the sixteen Younger Futhark runes, the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, and the Norwegian Primstav...

hey hey! Just popping into your podcast feed to remind you that registration for the last ever live session of Radical Runes closes at midnight on Saturday, February 3rd! You can register here: https://www.sirivincentplouff.com/shop/p/radical-runes-winter-2024 Radical Runes is a six week course in Nordic divination practices using the Elder Futhark as a launchpad. Each week, I will cover a differe...

Perthro is a mysterious rune that means luck, mystery, and the mead. In this episode of the podcast Siri covers the beauty of this rune in a solo-episode. We talk about the different soul parts, and how Perthro is connected with the Hamingja. This rune disappears in the Younger Futhark, which only adds to its mystery. We also discuss the sacred quality of mead and seeking the mead as spiritual ini...

Happy Winter Solstice! Have a rerun episode! This episode was originally released on Dec 30 2020. Did you know there's no future tense in Old Norse? It's a huge part of why I (Siri) don't use the runes for predictive reading - instead, I use them for assessing the situation and figuring out what the best path forward is for me or my client. But there are plenty of other divination meth...

Welcome to the 2023 Halloween Werewolf Spectacular! There is a LOT of wolf lore in Nordic mythology and throughout folklore all around the world. I spoke with my friend Matt who has been obsessed with werewolves for most of his life. And at a certain point, doesn’t obsession beget expertise? So I decided to invite him on the podcast for a special werewolf bonanza. We’ll talk about the Werewolf Tri...

Today I'm sharing a conversation with my mentor Kari Tauring. She is the author of “The Volva Stav Manual,” “The Runes: A Deeper Journey,” and today we’re discussing her newest book: “The Day Begins at Sunset.” This is a collection of poems reflecting on the Primstav, an Old Norse calendar stick that helped people follow the seasons and the Saint Days in the Middle Ages. I spoke about this wit...

It's been one year since Cassandra Snow and I published "Lessons from the Empress: A tarot workbook for self-care and creative growth!" In celebration of the book's birthday, I invited a special guest host to interview Cassandra and I. Maria Minnis is a tarot reader and author of the forthcoming "Tarot for the Hard Work: An Archetypal Journey to Confront Racism and Inspire C...

Ren Zatopek is a heretical, hedgeriding witch of the Ced Tradition with more than fifteen years of experience working full-time as a spiritual guide, healer, and ritualist. She has a special interest in helping folks with exceptional intensity, sensitivity, and creativity explore the deeper, more troubling waters of witchery without losing their shit. She believes that a healthy, intentional relat...

Eiwaz is the first tree rune in the Elder Futhark. It is a highly toxic tree that is used to both poison and heal, and is thought by many to be the tree that Odin hangs himself on to take up the runes. Learn more about this fascinating rune in today's episode! You can read a transcript of this podcast here: https://www.heathensjourneypod.com/episodes/s2-e8-eiwaz-a-portal-to-the-underworld You...

Today on the podcast, Siri is in conversation with Ryan Smith, author of  The Way of Fire & Ice: The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism , and  Spinning Wyrd: Exploring the Nordic Mysteries. Expanding on the progressive ideas and practices in The Way of Fire and Ice, this next-step book teaches you how to tap into the forces of the Nordic cosmos. The greatest of these forces is wyrd, the sympho...

I am honored to have Tomás Prower as a guest on the podcast this week. When I started planning this season, I knew that I wanted to bring Tomás on. Tomás Prower is a graduate of the University of California: Santa Barbara with degrees in Global Socioeconomics and Latin American Studies. With fluency in English, French, and Spanish, he has worked for the French Government as a cultural liaison thro...

Siri discusses harvest festivals and the rune Jera. To Siri, Jera is not just about the year, but it is related to earth itself. This is a rune of appreciation of the gifts of nature, as well as of cultivation. The shape of the rune - two v’s turned on their side and intertwining - speaks to me of cycles. This episode happens to come out on Mabon, and so of course Siri discusses harvest festivals...

Isa represents Ice: That which is frozen. It is a barrier. It is water that has become so still, it has been made solid. Ice is one of the elements that signaled the birth of our world. "Ice is hard and without motion. It constrains the movement of waters, but those who try to walk on it may find themselves moving out of control." - Diana Paxson, "Taking Up The Runes." Resources:  National Ge...

After the storm, we must rebuild. After Hagalaz comes Nauthiz. In this episode, Siri explores the ways that the Nauthiz rune reveals what is truly necessary in our lives. Nauthiz, need-fire, rune of potential and action and making choices to get ourselves out of the direst of circumstances. ⁠Here is a YouTube video I found⁠ that provides a really nice view on making needfire for yourself. Just be...

Welcome back to the Heathen’s Journey Podcast! Siri took some time off to recalibrate and think through the direction of the podcast. We’re back now, in seasons! Each season we will be focusing on a major theme within heathenry and the runes. This season, we’re covering the second aett of the Elder Futhark through the lens of an Underworld Journey. In this opening episode, Siri covers Hel, Hagalaz...

Lex Ritchie returns to the podcast to talk about all things Underworld with Siri. They share wisdom from their wealth of knowledge about the Underwolrd, tell a queered version of the Persephone myth, and talk about the Underworld as a threat to capitalism. Lex Ritchie is a tarot reader and folk magician weaving spells for liberation, living in the Great Black Swamp. They believe individual liberat...

Aidan Wachter has been actively involved in magical practice since the 1980’s. His work reflects a wide ranging, eclectic, and non-dogmatic approach with influences from many paths including witchcraft, folk magic, and chaos magic. His books focus on the practice of the craft as a learnable set of skills that can be developed rather than innate talents that must be inherited or granted to the seek...

Cory Thomas Hutcheson is the cohost of the popular podcasts New World Witchery, Chasing Foxfire, and Myth-Taken: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast, and author of the book New World Witchery: A Trove of American Folk Magic. He has a doctorate in American Studies with specializations in folklore, religion, and ethnicity from Penn State. He is a contributor to the Oxford Handbook of American Folklor...

Katy Swallow is a spirit worker, reader, mage and reiki practitioner, who tends to specialize in uncomfortable things. Death, grief, and intergenerational and ancestral trauma are her frequent companions. Her work can be accurately described as “navigating the lines between everything.” In this episode, Katy and Siri talk about their experiences working with spirits, speaking with ancestors, and a...

While being incarcerated for her struggles with drug addiction, Awyn Dawn began to actively look for her spiritual side - and she found it in Paganism. By developing a profound relationship with the gods, Awyn gained greater clarity and a deep sense of peace. You can too with help from this empowering guide to starting and strengthening your spiritual practice. Her book comes out in December and i...