New World Witchery - The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft

Summary: If you’re looking for a wide-ranging conversation on the topic of magic, Chaweon Koo is the person to go to! In this episode, we discuss atheist occultism, Korean shamanism, spiritual bypassing, Eminem, Dolly Parton, the “invisible hand” of esoteric power, keeping a skeptical outlook, ancestors, glamour, and just for fun, Tinder matches gone wrong. … Continue reading "Episode 182 – Inters...

Summary: We open our new year with a look back at 2020’s impact on our magical practices, some final thoughts on last year’s book club (as well as a bit about this year’s club), a discussion of planning for witchery, and some new bits involving cartomancy and listener feedback. Please check out our Patreon page! You … Continue reading "Episode 181 – Plans and Prognostications"

Summary: It’s our annual tradition! We share some old blessings for the new year in song, conversation, and charms this time. Welcome Yule! Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the same time. Even if you can’t … Continue reading "Episode 180 – Yuletide Cheer! 2020"

Summary: We turn to the final chapters of our Scott Cunningham Natural Magic books to talk about the folklore and uses of snow and ice, as well as crafting your own rituals. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome … Continue reading "Episode 179 – The Winter Witchery Book Club"

Summary: We are filling up on magic at the dinner table as we look to the folklore and enchanted uses of ingredients like corn, apples, potatoes, and more! Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the … Continue reading "Episode 178 – A Cornucopia of Magic"

Summary: We dampen our spirits–in the best possible way–and take a look at the folk magic of storms, fog, rain, and other wet weather in our latest Cunningham book club episode. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome … Continue reading "Episode 177 – The Stormy Spellcaster Book Club"

Summary: We feature listener feedback of the macabre, morbid, and magical in this episode. We’ll hear tales of nighttime peepers, Wild Hunt taunters, creepy floating lights, and more! Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the … Continue reading "Episode 176 – Spooktacular Listener Tales"

Summary: We conclude our annual #AllHallowsRead with a spooky tale of New Year’s Eve terror adapted from one shared by a listener, one we’re calling “He Likes It Loud.” Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at … Continue reading "Special Episode – Camp Splitfoot – He Likes It Loud"

Summary: We continue our tales around the bewitched bonfire with our second installment this #AllHallowsRead. This time, we hear “The Avenging Voice,” a tale adapted from Midwestern folklore.   Play Download: Special Episode – Camp Splitfoot – The Avenging Voice Play: -Sources- This tale is read by Laine, and adapted from a story found in … Continue reading "Special Episode – Camp Splitfoot – The...

Summary: We begin our annual All Hallows Read tradition by visiting our local campsite, Camp Splitfoot. Tonight, we hear the tale of “Junior,” inspired by a local legend from author Victoria Raschke. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get … Continue reading "Special Episode – Camp Splitfoot – Junior"

Summary: Once again we dive into Cunningham’s Earth Power folk magic books, and get a little bit of everything! We talk candles, dolls, wax figures, mirrors, stars, and more in this one! Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome … Continue reading "Episode 175 – The Kitchen Sink Magic Book Club"

Summary: We talk with author and conjure worker Jake Richards about folk magic in the Southern Highlands, the many magical-cultural influences found throughout the mountains, and what people get right and wrong about Appalachia. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and … Continue reading "Episode 174 – Backwoods Witchcraft with Jake Ri...

Summary: We take a second look (after eight years) at the role of animals in folk magic. We talk about the use of animals as personal representations, issues of animal sacrifice, working with deceased pets, and animals in tarot and astrology. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as … Continue reading "Episode 173 – Magical Animals Revisited"

Summary: We are joined by geophysicist, volcanologist, and magical friend of the show Kathleen Borealis to talk about rocks, gems, and geology for witchy folk. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the same time. Even … Continue reading "Episode 172 – Magic Rocks with Kathleen Borealis"

Summary: We use our monthly book club to look at questions surround the magic found in stones, gems, minerals, magnets, and just for fun, trees as well! Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the same … Continue reading "Episode 171 – The Stone Magic Book Club"

Summary We are joined by author and world-traveler Gwion Raven as we discuss the ways in which food, cooking, and sharing a meal add some enchantment to the world. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at … Continue reading "Episode 170 – Food and Folk Magic with Gwion Raven"

Summary: This time we ramble a bit about how we have used our time during the past few months of pandemic life, both to keep ourselves safe and sane and also to try a few new things. We talk tarot, baking, knitting, and art. Plus we discuss the elemental magic of Water in our Cunningham … Continue reading "Episode 169 – How I Hexed My Summer Pandemic"

Summary: We welcome back author, anthropologist, priestess, and absolute delight of a human being Lilith Dorsey. We discuss her latest book, African Traditional Religions, the Divine Feminine, so much water, and what it’s like to write for a modern witchy marketplace. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as … Continue reading "Episode 168 – Orishas Goddesses and Que...

Summary: We open the pages of literary witchcraft one more time, but this time we look at magic and literature from the author’s point of view. We talk with urban supernatural mystery writer Victoria Raschke about how she weaves magic into her words, and how her magical experiences in real life influence what winds up … Continue reading "Episode 167 – Writing Witchcraft with Victoria Raschke"

Summary: We rekindle (see what I did there) our monthly Cunningham book club and talk about fire magic, where we see candles and incense fitting in, way too many pop culture references, and the connections between fire and the sun. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little … Continue reading "Episode 166 – The Fire Magic Book Club"

Summary: We’re diving into the pages of some of our favorite (non-witchy) fiction today to discuss how we draw inspiration from literature and popular culture in magical practices. Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for as little as a dollar a month, and get some awesome rewards at the … Continue reading "Episode 165 – Literary Witchcraft"

Summary: We settle in by a good turf fire to chat with Morgan Daimler, author of numerous books on folklore, magic, and fairies. We discuss the role of Irish belief systems and folkways on North American magical traditions, as well as the way that fairies have evolved over time. (Content Warning: Child abduction, death, or … Continue reading "Episode 164 – Irish Folklore and Magic with Morgan Daim...

Summary: This time we’re looking at dreamscapes and discussing sleep-based magic and folklore. We talk about lucid dreaming, dream interpretation, mara/nightmares, and ways to boost dreaming. We also discuss Air in our Cunningham Book Club (as well as the smugness of birds). Please check out our Patreon page! You can help support the show for … Continue reading "Episode 163 – Dreams"

Summary: This episode features an interview with author Diana Rajchel about folk magic in the big city! We discuss the spirits of a city, ways to gather urban spell ingredients, and getting to know the difference between the land and the place of an urban witch’s environment. Please check out our Patreon page! You can … Continue reading "Episode 162 – Urban Witchery with Diana Rajchel"

We discuss the (apparently very large) issue of magical safety practices. We talk about how to avoid burning down your favorite home or familiar, as well as making sure to close out your Ouija board properly. Plus we discuss earth spells in our Cunningham Natural Magic book club.