What Magic Is This?

Without a doubt, the second most recognizable and used Tarot deck in existence is the Thoth Tarot. While many are familiar with the originator of this deck, the Great Beast himself, Aleister Crowley, less is known about perhaps the most important person in this decks popularity- Lady Frieda Harris. In this episode, we are focussing solely on this infamous deck, the two figures who brought it to li...

Grab a Snapple™ and make sure your tips are frosted, we're going back to the distant, far off time of the decade right before Y2K ended everything. The decade kicked off with a shaky start, as distrust in the government boiled over leading to all sorts of interests in what we all perceived was being hidden from us. In this episode, we are joined by Artist and illustrator Brian Giordano as we take...

We truly live in a golden age for Magic, the Occult and all the high strangeness that comes with it. There are many of the greatest thinkers to ever tackle these strange and weird concepts alive right now; at this very moment. Every paradigm needs its heroes and villains, but more importantly- those who broaden and illuminate the ideas which are its very lifeblood. For Magic, one person has been t...

Most likely each and every one of us has walked into a building or a structure which had the capacity to touch something inside of you in some ineffable way. For Millenia, cultures around the world have constructed buildings which have this ability to cut through aesthetics of their appearance and bestow upon those who look upon or enter inside, a sort of spiritual reverence. How does this happen...

If there is one single concept which has been associated with Magic for the last 2000 years, none would be more notorious than Demons & Infernal Spirits. For centuries, the idea of illness, misfortune and all aspects of evil have been personified as a class of spirits. How they are conceptualized by different religions and spiritual traditions is fascinating and in a way- the key to understanding...

For the most part, What Magic is This? Podcast has stuck to the cozy realm of "Western" Magic and Occultism. Yet the listeners beg for a more expansive examination of the magical world we live in! It is with such curiosity that we head East to the continent of Asia and the country of China and take a look at some of the Magic which has arisen within the diverse tradition of Taoism. Helping us alon...

No list of early 20th century Magicians would be complete without Dion Fortune being there. Although many these days might not know her name, her books, or the magical order that she founded, nevertheless Dion Fortune's influence on contemporary magic is vast. Although she considered herself an occultist and ceremonial magician, it is within the realms of Wicca and Neopaganism that we can see much...

Just like today, our ancient ancestors would utilize magic through the use of amulets, talismans and other materials. Some of these we have to this day, and many are on display in museums around the world- amazing snapshots of magical beliefs of a bygone age. But these objects have much to tell us not only about the sorts of magic we used to do, but the spiritual and magical ecosystems from where...

Two figures who have changed the cultural and artistic landscape of the west, also happened to be great friends that inspired each other. One of them you most likely might have heard of. The other is virtually unknown these days. For a period of time, William Burroughs and Brion Gysin shared what they called "The Third Mind," a collaborative process which saw both figures egging each other on to g...

The most enduring mystery of the last 100 years has been the phenomenon of what appear to be ships or craft in the sky which completely defy gravity. Along with sightings of these craft, there emerged other phenomena including the idea of aliens from other galaxies as well as people being taken aboard these ships and meeting the extraterrestrials in what can be called abductions. Everyone in the w...

On our previous episode with the always eloquent Andrew Watt, we went over the history as well as foundations for the interplay of Astrology and Magic. On this episode, we delve into the nitty-gritty of utilizing the celestial spheres for one's magical rituals. From what metaphysical models one can use, to how to start doing astrological magic, to what to use it for- this episode is a torrent of i...

It has been a whole year and the time is right to dive right back in on perhaps one of the most popular topics covered on the Podcast so far- Solomonic Magic! Earlier we had talked about the method that is applied to this sort of magic, as well as its history. On this episode the host of the greatest Magic podcast of all time Glitch Bottle Podcast, the one and only Alexander Eth, (as well as Doug)...

Considered by many Magicians and Occultists to be as close as we have to a Rockstar, John Whiteside Parsons lived perhaps one of the most interesting and captivating lives of any resident of the Fools Gallery. A gifted chemist, many have said that he is one of the most important figures in the history of space exploration; some even going so far to say that without Jack Parsons, humanity would not...

If there is one thing that draws a considerable amount of controversy within contemporary magic, it is the blatant act of evoking Demons. It has been called many things but for simplicity's sake, Nigromancy seems historically specific enough. And yet, the practice of Nigromancy is long tenured throughout not just western ritual magic but many other spiritual traditions as well. One who has experie...

New and unfamiliar ages bring us bold and pioneering Magicians. For the most part over the last 100 years when we look up into the night sky, we see celestial bodies dancing and bestowing their magnificence to us. But there is always something else up there. The night sky is mostly darkness and is certainly spilling over with spirits that show signs and interact with us, whether we like it or not....

One of the most renown forms of Magic we have today was received by the Arch Mage of England John Dee and his scrying counterpart Edward Kelley. No doubt, even if you have a cursory knowledge of the world of Magic, the word "Enochian" conjures up many opinions. For some it is a beyond useful and very powerful type of magical process which tests the magician resolve. For others, it is such a powerf...

The concept of what can be called Occult is fairly easy to pin down, but what can we say about "Occultism?" Ask seven Occultists and you will get seven wildly different answers. And yet it truly is a huge part of what has always seemingly bubbled below the surface of Western History for the last 500 years, despite the word Occultism being a 19th century invention. Taking us through what Occultism...

Despite being written off by quite a few folks within the Occult and Magic as New Age nonsense, Stones, Gems and Crystals have been a part of Magic for... Forever. As soon as we were able to pick up stones and rocks, we were utilizing them as spiritual allies in any way we could. There are very few universals in Magic but Stones, Gems and Crystals is one of them. For something this important we ne...

For something which is only about 150 years old, the grip that Ouija or Spirit Talking Boards have on the cultural imagination is staggering. For some, it has been used to great effect to help them write their best work. For others it is a demonic tool which allows evil spirits or even the devil into your life. Yet for most of us who have used them, they never seem to disappoint; there is always s...

Astrology and Magic. Two things that go together like salt and pepper. When we look back through the ages, they always seem to have been intertwined, for matching what happens in the celestial spheres with what happens here on earth seems like such a natural interaction. But where does one even start? What things should one keep in mind if they want Astrology to be the major aspect of their Magica...

The term Paganism is used today (for the most part) to refer to contemporary religious and spiritual traditions which take their influences from historically pre-Christian beliefs. While many of these are fairly different from each other, there are some distinctions which these sorts of Paganism all seem to share for the most part. Many are Polytheist, see spirit and the sacred as being imminent,...

If one was to walk into their local New Age, Witchcraft and Magic shop and have a look around, one would notice that much of the merchandise in said shop was Celtic. From amulets, to books of Celtic Magic, even Celtic Oracle Cards. This would probably give one the impression that the Celts were an enormously  magical civilization, perhaps even the most magical that has ever existed. But how much d...

When most of us close our eyes and think of Fairies, more often than not the winged fairies of 19th century Britain is what will come to mind. Over the last 160 years, some historians and folklorists have attempted to figure out just how the British conception of the fairy came to be. For the most part and in the minds of many, it seems like fairies were some sort of Pagan Celtic survival of Chris...

Much of the last four episodes in the Fistful o' Fairies series has been about the history and folklore of the Fairies. But what does a Magical world look like with Fairies involved; what is a Fairy witchcraft? While most folks through history have done their best to avoid or appease the Good Neighbours, what things should be kept in mind if one would wish to interact in some way with them? Giving...

When one looks back at older documents belonging to and written by ritual magicians, for the most part they seem to be about compelling Angels, Demons and Spirits to aid you in your magical activities. And yet, not discussed very much by anyone is the fact that in some of these Grimoires, Fairies seem to make an appearance. What's more, the reason that fairies are evoked seems to be for entirely d...