In this second episode of the nine-part Arbatel Project series, Erik and Evan explore the First Septenary of this 16th century Swiss grimoire. The episode delves into the Arbatel's emphasis on secrecy in magical practice, summarized by the opening aphorism: "Whoever wants to know secrets, needs to know how to keep secrets." The First Septenary establishes the foundation for the grimoire's approach to magic, encouraging practitioners to "live for the Muses" by embracing creativity and artistic pu...
Jul 11, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Finally, it is here, the premier of the Arbatel series! In this episode, we introduce two key parts of the series. First, my co-host Evan. Second, the Arbatel itself! Learn about this 16th century grimoire, its origins in Protestant Switzerland, and the mysteries surrounding its publishing and authorship. This is the first of a nine-part series about the Arbatel. Get the Arbatel so you can follow along: https://amzn.to/40eDW9E And join our chat on Discord: https://arnemancy.com/discord Support A...
Jun 27, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 1
My friends and frequent guests T. Susan Chang and Andrew B. Watt join me for part two of our 2024 retrospective. Susie, as usual, handles the Tarot cards, while Andrew manages the astrology. Pour yourself a beverage and settle in, as we poke at spreadsheets and explore last year's news to peer curiously into the past. Andrew B. Watt is an astrologer, magician, and cool wizard. T. Susan Chang is a Tarot expert, author, and cool wizard. Please enjoy our look back at the second, tumultuous half of ...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Season 6Ep. 8
This special bonus episode is from a brand new podcast, The Reflective Soul, hosted by my friend and recurring Arnemancy guest, Dr. Nick Literski. The Reflective Soul Podcast explores the intersection of psyche and spirit. Through engaging solo episodes and heartfelt interviews, discover how dreams, symbols, archetypes, and sacred stories can inspire transformation and growth. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Reflective Soul Podcast ! Support Arnemancy on Patreon: Support thi...
Jan 22, 2025•43 min
For the podcast's fifth anniversary, Eric Purdue joined me at Dark Star Magick in Portland, Oregon, for a live podcast recording. We had a live audience, livestreamed the conversation to YouTube, and overall had a really excellent time. Our conversation focused on his translation of Henry Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy , which was released in 2022. I wanted to find out more about the ongoing influence of his translation, and how it is reshaping the modern occult community. ...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Part 1 of the 2025 Forecast is here! The Confraternity of Prognosticators has convened once more, and I am joined by my friends Andrew B. Watt and T. Susan Chang to use astrology and Tarot to forecast the coming year. We are delighted to have you on this amusing journey! This episode covers the months January through June, along with a bonus forecast about TikTok. Andrew B. Watt is an astrologer, magician, and cool wizard. T. Susan Chang is a Tarot expert, author, and cool wizard. You know who w...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Happy holidays! My friend and returning guest Michael Sanborn joins me for this extra-special Christmas episode to drink yerba mate and discuss his latest Remy Boyer translation. The Way Without Masters: A Collection of Nondualist Texts is a collection of manifestos, hymns, verse, and prose that span a selection of collected topics from surrealism to Sebastianism to incoherism. We recorded this episode in the comfort of Michael's dining room while sipping yerba mate. Our conversation covers a br...
Dec 25, 2024•56 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Sam Block joins me to explain why he possibly thought it was a good idea to start a weekly Kybalion discussion group on the Hermetic House of Life (HHoL). Sam is a moderator of HHoL and runs the Digital Ambler website, a blog about Hermeticism, magic, and the occult. This episode is based off of my recent YouTube video, The Nightmare of Hermes Trismegistus , but it includes the full interview with Sam instead of just the bits that made it into the video. Listen and enjoy! By the way, if you are ...
Nov 13, 2024•42 min•Season 6Ep. 4
This episode is repurposed from my first YouTube video. It is an exploration of the methods behind why divination works, featuring my friend Tres Henry. Note that this is not an episode that tries to convince skeptics that divination works—we just take that for granted! Tres Henry is a magician, software engineer, and tinkerer who has worked in the tech industry for over twenty years. He is now bringing all of that nerd power to bear by creating digital tools for magicians. Two that you may have...
Oct 11, 2024•28 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Sara Mastros is the author of Sorcery of Solomon , Orphic Hymns Grimoire , and The Big Book of Magical Incense . She teaches magic and witchcraft online and is currently working on even more incredible Solomonic pentacle material. She joins me to discuss many topics, including the Solomonic pentacles and the nature of initiation. Sara helps put the Key of Solomon in its proper historic context, guiding us through the interpretation and explanation of these well-known but poorly-understood classi...
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Welcome to the 6th season of the Arnemancy Podcast! It has been a delightful ride. We are kicking off this season with another meeting of the Confraternity of Prognosticators. This time, we are reviewing our forecast for the first half of 2024, carefully combing through headlines for each month, to see where we were right, where we were wrong, and to discuss how forecasts can be more effective in the future. My friends and frequent guests T. Susan Chang and Andrew B. Watt join me for this retros...
Sep 13, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Jacob Budenz returns for a discussion of poetry, music, art, and how all of them intersect with witchcraft and magic. Jake shares some of their process, and discusses influences from a wide array of mystics and artists, including the anchoress Julian of Norwitch and artist Marjorie Kemp. This episode was a blast---we laughed a lot, and I am sure you will, too! Jacob Budenz is a queer author, multi-disciplinary performer, educator, and witch with an MFA from University of New Orleans and a BA fro...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Derek Hunter joins me in this episode to explore the rich and confusing world of literature in Elizabethan England! We talk about a number of very interesting characters, especially how they may relate to the question of the identity of William Shakespeare and the authorship of his plays. Derek is theauthor of 15 books—11 works of fiction, 4 nonfiction—the creator of a philosophy called Love Chaos, an occult practitioner, and a general seeker after the variety and depths of existence. Three of h...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Bishop Scott Rassbach joins me in this episode to discuss the Apostolic Johannite Church, the Friary Ordo Sacrae Flammae, and the AJC's annual Conclave , and all manner of mystical strangeness. Bishop Rassach has a Bachelor's degree in English and History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he prepared on a thesis on Philip K. Dick and his works. He also holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from St. Raphael’s seminary, where he has delved into many topics in Modern Gnosticism. He is...
May 24, 2024•58 min•Season 5Ep. 20
In this episode, Dr. Nick Literski joins me to explore the topic of spiritual guidance. What does a spiritual guide do? Who should seek one out? Along the way, we dive into the latest findings on religious affiliations and behaviors, which suggest that many identify with being spiritual seekers outside traditional settings. In such a diverse spiritual landscape, whom do these seekers turn to for guidance? Dr. Nick Literski is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the California Institute o...
Apr 05, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Rejoice, lovely listeners! In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Mat Dragonstone, astrologer, Tarot reader, astro-mage, all round nice guy. This is part two of our discussion on Agrippa, and you should definitely listen to part one on Mat's podcast before listening to this one. Our discussion begins with a conversation about two logical fallacies: the appeal to antiquity, and the appeal to novelty. We look at how these fallacies influenced Agrippa's work in Three Books of Occult Philosophy, but th...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Jacob Budenz joins me to discuss Greco-Roman witchcraft, and in particular the influences of a number of classical texts have had upon modern witchcraft practices. We discuss "Idyll II" by Theocritus, Euripides' Medea, and Metamorphoses by Apueleius (aka The Golden Ass). Jacob is a queer author, multi-disciplinary performer, educator, and witch with an MFA from University of New Orleans and a BA from Johns Hopkins whose work focuses broadly on the intersection of otherness and the otherworldly. ...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 17
I was recently a guest on Mat Dragonstone's podcast to talk about Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and his theories on divine light. My internet connection was doing horribly, though, so Mat had to do a lot of creative editing to get the episode to come out okay. He did an AMAZING job. Give it a listen, and then head over to his website to check out what else he has going on! Here is a link to the original episode. Mentioned in this episode: Visit Sword + Scythe Sword + Scythe creates handmade materia...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Would Mormonism even exist without magical treasure hunting? This is an amazing question and a strange topic, and I am really thrilled that I get to explore this topic with my guest in this episode, Dr. Nick Literski! Dr. Nick Literski is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and a professional spiritual guide. Nick holds a doctorate in Depth Psychology with Emphasis in Jungian and Archetypal Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute, as well as...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Heather Freeman returns to the podcast to share her newest podcast project: Magic in the United States. Heather is a Professor of Digital Media at the University of North Charlotte at Charlotte. Her new podcast covers centuries of history of magical practice and folk traditions in North America. Join us as she leads us on the journey of what it's like to get such an amazing podcast funded through real grants on a major podcast network! We discuss Heather's plans for future episodes, as well as t...
Jan 12, 2024•56 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Here we are with the last episode of the year! This is part 2 of the 2024 forecast, featuring the Confraternity of Prognosticators, T. Susan Chang and Andrew B. Watt. You will definitely want to listen to part 1 before this, so go back and check that out. In this episode, we cover 2024, July through December. We look at the presidential election! Susie draws some very strange cards . You don't want to miss this! Links T. Susan Chang's website Andrew B. Watt's website Mel Priestly's 2024 astrolog...
Dec 31, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 14
It is time for the 2024 Forecast! The Confraternity of Prognosticators has convened once more, and I am joined by my friends Andrew B. Watt and T. Susan Chang to use astrology and Tarot to forecast the coming year. This episode covers the months January through June. Links Andrew B. Watt's website T. Susan Chang's website Mel Priestly's 2024 astrological forecast for Canada Mentioned in this episode: Visit Sword + Scythe Sword + Scythe creates handmade materia magica, amulets, astrological talis...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 13
It's almost time for the 2024 Forecast, but to prepare, we decided to look back on how we did for our 2023 Forecast. My good friends and preferred prognosticators Andrew B. Watt and T. Susan Chang join me to review 2023. We look back over all of the crazy events of the past year to see which ones we came closest to predicting—and where our predictions completely fell down! Get a Discount on Tarot and Astrology Readings! Susie, Andrew, and I are all offering a 24% discount on divination services ...
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Jeffrey Groves, sometimes known as Satyr Magos, is a magical jeweler, public ritualist, novelist, and photographer. Xie joins me in this episode to discuss making astrological talismans, but our conversation also encompasses everything from magical origin stories to technology to the trials of being an artist in the 21st century. We also discuss Jeffrey's experiences as a queer and genderqueer person in the highly heteronormative spaces of witchcraft and ceremonial magic. Please enjoy Jeffrey's ...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Recently, I had the honor of joining my friends Dom and Janus on their podcast, The Magician and the Fool. We discussed dreams, dream magic, images, image magic, and the incredible power of the imagination. I didn't realize that we had talked for so long! I hope you enjoy this, and make sure to check out their podcast, where they feature tons of amazing occultists, magicians, and mystics. The Magician and the Fool E63: Erik Arneson on Image Magic Support the Arnemancy podcast! Mentioned in this ...
Oct 21, 2023•2 hr 9 min
Joining me this episode to discuss artificial intelligence, theurgy, the art of memory, and the alphabet of human thought is my friend Jack Kausch. Jack is a PhD student in Information Science at Western University of Ontario. His project is to create a characteristica universalis which uses hieroglyphs to translate information between different languages and domains of knowledge. He has also written esoteric fiction, including the novel Aretalogy , the story of how the historical figure of Imho...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Michael Sanborn joins me once more to discuss his new Rémi Boyer translation, The Rectified Scottish Rite: From the Doctrine of Reintegration to the Imago Templi . Michael is a book designer and translator specializing in contemporary European esoterica. He participates in several esoteric traditions, including Neoplatonism, and Templarism. He is also a gnostic bishop and a member of Azoth Temple in Portland, Oregon. Rémi Boyer has explored at length the world of the avant-garde, initiatory trad...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 9
In this episode, I am joined by Marlene Seven Bremner. She is a self-taught oil painter, author, poet, and musician, exploring esoteric themes arising from her study and practice of Hermeticism, alchemy, magic, astrology, and mythology. Seven developed her painting career in the Pacific Northwest, showing her work in both group and solo exhibitions along the West Coast and internationally, and now resides in the desert of New Mexico. She is the author of Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy:...
Jun 09, 2023•53 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Melissa Madara joins me to discuss cooking and magic. This is not your typical kitchen witchcraft, either, but recipes and foods drawn from grimoires, Renaissance magic, the PGM, and other ancient traditions. Melissa is a witch, chef, storyteller, botanist, and co-owner at Catland Books. Their work deals with the healing power of myth, divination, and immersion in the natural world. They are a teacher at Catland Books and numerous other metaphysical spaces around the country, and the author of t...
Mar 05, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Denny Sargent returns to the podcast with more howling fun! Denny is a Seattle writer, artist, and university instructor whose extensive global travels and esoteric studies informed the backbone to numerous published books. He is the author of Werewolf Magick and Werewolf Pack Magick, and the upcoming Feral Magick. In this episode, we discuss his new and upcoming books, including topics like the difference between normal old werewolf magic, and werewolf pack magic. We explore topics like animal ...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 6
