My guest for this final episode of season 03 is the wonderful Devin Hunter. Devin Hunter is the bestselling author of The Witch's Book of Power, The Witch's Book of Spirits, The Witch's Book of Mysteries, the critically acclaimed Modern Witch, and Crystal Magic for the Modern Witch. Initiated into multiple occult orders, Devin is the founder of the Sacred Fires Tradition of Witchcraft and co-founder of the Black Rose Tradition of Witchcraft. He hosts the Modern Witch podcast, recommended by both...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 36 min
My guest today is Troy Kokoszka, author of "Bogowie: Bogowie: A Study of Eastern Europe's Ancient Gods" from Moon Books. T.D. Kokoszka grew up in Texas with a Jewish mother and a Polish-American father. While he was aware of roots going back to Eastern Europe from both families, he found it hard to learn very much about them. He knew that Polish people would whack one another with palm leaves around Easter, and he knew that his great-grandmother purportedly believed in forest spirits known as bo...
Dec 23, 2023•53 min
Jhenah Telyndru holds an MA in Celtic Studies from the University of Wales, Trinity St. David, and has a bachelor's degree in archaeology. She is the founder of the Sisterhood of Avalon, an international Celtic women's mysteries organization. Jhenah teaches four-day residential training retreats around North America and the UK, and facilitates pilgrimages to sacred sites in the British Isles and Ireland through Mythic Seeker Tours. She is a frequent presenter and guest speaker at academic confer...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Chris Allaun has been studying witchcraft, magick, and paganism since 1992. He is one of the founders and an ordained minister with The Fellowship of the Phoenix. He has been an initiate of Traditional Witchcraft since 2002. He is also a Native American Pipe Carrier and studies that path of the Red Road. He teaches classes and workshops on magick, healing, shamanism, and necromancy. He has been teaching and writing for many years. He is the author of Underworld: Shamanism, Myth, and Magick, Deep...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 5 min
My guest this week is Dorian Manticore. He/they is a creative hailing from Narrm/Kulin Nation lands (Melbourne, Australia). They're an author, poet, LARP creator, artist, disability, and trans rights advocate, and crafter/maker. Dorian has been a practicing pagan and witch for roughly the past 23 years, firstly by solitary practice, then joining the Reclaiming community, becoming involved in numerous events such as the Australian Wiccan Conference, and serving as a committee member for the Pagan...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr
Led deep into the wilds of Wales by dreams and wandering words, Halo has been a practising witch since childhood, and a Dr. of Philosophy since 2022. Their magic has always focused on listening to the spirits of the land, an animistic path which introduced them to the Welsh deities, with an embodied, sensual approach to their craft. Trained in several traditions of Witchcraft, they have taught at many events over the years, developing their own magical path through observing the interconnection ...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Lee Morgan is a duel British and Australian author, scholar and traditional witch residing on a communal homestead on kunanyi/Mt Wellington in nipaluna/Hobart, where he creates sanctuary for other weirdos, raises books, people, and ideas from the grave. He has had novels and non-fiction published by Moon Books, Three Hands Press, The Witches Almanac and Rebel Satori. Traditional witchcraft and the faerie faith have occupied Lee’s attention from an early age and he has held office in his magical ...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr
Bret Bernhoft is a Web Developer, who loves learning; especially when making applications for the global Web. He began his journey in technology with WordPress and Web Analytics. Eventually he'd like to work as an Artificial Intelligence Programmer. Bret has been a practicing pagan for about ten years, and his major interests are in technology and paganism, and their intersections into transhumanism. In this discussion, we discuss Bret's views on magic in the cyber realm, 'meme magic' and the pa...
Nov 28, 2023•44 min
My guest today is author, Pagan clergy member, former Marine, and an organizer of the annual Between the Worlds conference, the wonderful Irene Glasse! To find out more about Irene go and visit: https://glassewitchcottage.com/...
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Jake Richards (Dr. Buck) holds his Appalachian heritage close in his blood and bones. His family legacy in Appalachia goes back generations. Jake has practiced Appalachian folk magic for over a decade now, and serves his community as a conjure man, power doctor, and Yarb (herb) doctor. Jake has published three books on the subject (Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia, Doctoring the Devil: Notebooks of an Appalachian Conjure Man, and Ossman and Steel’s Classic Household...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Coby Michael is a practitioner of the Poison Path of occult herbalism and a cultivator of entheogenic herbs. He contributes to the Pagan Archives at Valdosta University, writes regularly for The House of Twigs, and maintains a blog, Poisoner’s Apothecary, on Patheos Pagan. He is the host of the Botanica Obscura Conference. He teaches classes and online workshops on plant magic, baneful herbs, and traditional witchcraft. He lives in Florida. To find out more about him and his work, visit: thepois...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 18 min
My guest today is someone who needs no introduction, best-selling author and all around witch-nerd, Mat Auryn! Mat Auryn is an influential author and teacher in the fields of occultism and witchcraft, with an audience that extends beyond the United States to an international level. His deep knowledge and experience comes from years of dedicated study, practice, and training in a variety of occult traditions and esoteric orders, often under the guidance of prominent knowledgeable mentors. His awa...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 43 min
My guest today is Lyndon Bradley-Peters, cohost of the 'Shove It Up Your Awen" podcast with the fabulous Clinty Ourin Burn. Lyndon joins us today to talk about his experience entering the Catholic faith and his spiritual work as a 'Catholic charmer.' Lyndon's background has been varied, from Anglicanism to Wicca, witchcraft and Druidry... he was confirmed Catholic this past Easter. He has a deep love for the mysteries and the folk practices that make Catholicism such a deep and vibrant religion ...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 11 min
My guest today is Vini Higginbotham, the author of 'How Witchcraft Saved My Life' and coauthor of 'Thrifty Witchery.' Mostly self-taught, Vini is not initiated in any traditional form or witchcraft practice. He follows his gut in all things magic but spends plenty of time researching to be sure his intuition is informed by wisdom before setting his intentions. It is Vini's goal to empower others the way he wishes he had been empowered in his early years. He has a dedicated practice with the godd...
Oct 16, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 7
My guest today is fellow therapist, Ash McKernan, author of "Wyrdcraft: Healing Through the Mysteries of the Fates." Matthew Ash McKernan, LMFT, is a licensed psychotherapist, ecotherapist, bard, naturalist, and wyrdworker. He has degrees in anthropology and counseling psychology and loves to spend time at the crossroads where psyche, nature, magic, and healing intersect. You can visit his website at www.WyrdWildWeb.com To see the video version, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKa9Tw...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 6
My guest this week is Storm Faerywolf, prolific member of the queer magical community. Storm Faerywolf is a published author, experienced teacher, visionary poet, and professional warlock. He is a regular contributor to Modern Witch and is a founding teacher of Black Rose, an online school of modern folkloric witchcraft. He has written several books, including Betwixt and Between, Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft, and The Stars Within the Earth (Mystic Dream Press, 2003). For more, visit ...
Oct 06, 2023•2 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Albert Björn Shiell grew up in the shade of the South Downs of Sussex, England. He spent his days there walking ancient chalk hills, full of burial mounds and folklore. Trading it all in 2017 for cold and seemingly desolate Iceland, Albert picked up his life and moved North. He now lives in downtown Reykjavík, writing and researching, translating old Icelandic books. He spends his days walking the land around him, learning and conversing with the many plant and land spirits of Iceland. Focusing ...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Madame Pamita is a teacher, candle maker, spellcaster, tarot reader, and a Ukrainian diaspora witch. She is the owner of an online spiritual apothecary called Madame Pamita's Parlour of Wonders. She is the host of a YouTube video series, Candle Magic Class and the weekly Magic Q&A Tea Party. She is the proprietor of Madame Pamita's Parlour of Wonders. To find out more, please visit: https://www.parlourofwonders.com
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 3
My guest today is Nathan Hall ( @moonlithedge ), author of "The Path of the Moonlit Hedge: Discovering the Magick of Animistic Witchcraft" out through @llewellynbooks Nathan joins me to discuss the book, his animistic worldview, his community activities, and what it was like to relocate from the Midwest to Florida. To find out more about Nathan, go visit: www.moonlithedge.com To view the video episode visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeCyjHKCHqM&t=31s Audio can be found: https://open.s...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome to the first episode of my Fall series "Essence Podcast" Into the Woods" in which I speak with Folkloric and Tradititional practitioners and witches. My first guest is the lovely Byron Ballard. Byron is a western NC native, teacher, folklorist, and writer. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at several festivals and conferences, including the Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Starwood, Hexfest and many others. She serves as senior priestess and co-founder of M...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 1
My guest this week is my friend Gareth Blacthorne, queer Virginian occult artist, political activist, and traditional witch. I first came across Gareth online through mutuals and he shared his artwork with me... I knew I had to have him on! -------------------------- LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to keep up with the Essence Summer Series Podcast. Join us on our other socials: IG: www.instagram.com/benstimpsonauthor YT: www.youtube.com/@BenStimpsonAuthor FB: www.facebook.com/BenStimpsonAuthor WS: www.bensti...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 19
My guest today is best-selling author Kristoffer Hughes, head of the Anglesey Druid Order; author, a Mount Haemus Scholar, drag performer, and former member of Her Majesty's Coroner. We discuss the relationship between death, drag, and druidry; relationship to landscape; and his upcoming Yuletide Tarot.To learn more about Kristoffer and their work, go to: https://www.angleseydruidorder.co.uk/kristoffer To view the episode, please click here: https://youtu.be/2qQfixM_Bnw Audio version can be foun...
Aug 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min
My guest today is folklorist and author Brandon Weston. Brandon's work focusses primarily on the Ozark region of the south-mid United States. They own and operate Ozark Healing Traditions, an online collective of articles, lectures, and workshops focusing on the Ozark Mountain region. As a practicing folk healer, their work with clients includes everything from spiritual cleanses to house blessings. Their books include Ozark Folk Magic, Ozark Mountain Spell Book, and Granny Thornapple's Book of ...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Brett Hollyhead is a traditional witch based in Wrecsam, North Wales. Immersed in the culture and landscape of Shropshire and the Borders, Brett has spoken across the United Kingdom and Internationally. Brett's written work can be seen in various magazines, as well as content on his social media pages. He is a member of the Welsh language coven, Sarffes Goch, with previous Essence podcast guests Moss and Mhara. Brett previously presented a talk at the Salem Festival of Folklore and Witchcraft, w...
Aug 07, 2023•1 hr 16 min
My guest today is Ash William Mills, author and museum founder. Ash is the author of "The Black Book of Isobel Gowdie" and we talk about his relationship to his spirit guide, Isobel; Scottish witchcraft; the sometimes precarious relationship between academia and folk practice; and his favourite items he's collected or been donated for his museum. Find Ash at: https://www.facebook.com/museumofmfw or https://www.museummfw.com/ ------------------- LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to keep up with the Essence Summ...
Aug 01, 2023•59 min
Michel Valim is a spiritual practitioner hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Michel is a Bruxo/Witch, Sacerdote/Priest of Aphrodite and Dionysus, Priest of the Religion of Antinous. He is a reiki practitioner and works as an integrative therapist and diviner of witch runes. On today's show we talk about Michel's spiritual journey, the relationship between Aphrodite/Dionysus/Antinous in his life, and his work at community building in the queer pagan community in Brazil. To connect with Michel, p...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 6 min
My guest today is Chris Lyon, founder of Mystai and host of "Into the Couldron." Chris is a trained archeologist, having completed his Bachelors at UCL in London, a long time occultist with particular interests in the Greek Magical Papyri and Hermetic traditions. We talk about his journey, his archeological background, and his interest in building community. To find out more about Chris and follow his socials, visit www.mystai.co.uk Copyright information: Title Music: "Wintersong" by Alexander N...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 31 min
My guest this week is award winning and best selling author Nicholas Pearson. Among the foremost experts on crystals, author and teacher Nicholas Pearson combines his extensive background in mineral science with a love of healing, spirituality, and folklore to illustrate the healing properties of gemstones. As an avid Reiki practitioner and shihan (師範, “instructor”), Nicholas is also passionate about understanding the roots of the system of Reiki. An international speaker, Nicholas’ has taught i...
Jul 11, 2023•1 hr 17 min
My guest today is Mhara Starling. Mhara is a witch, published author, lecturer and good luck troll officienado who resides in the English city of Chester, and who originally comes from Ynys Mon (Anglesey, North Wales). Mhara has been featured on the BBC, S4C and has been a presenter at various conferences and events throughout the United Kingdom. In this episode we talk about what life has been like since her book came out, the changing relationship to Wales and the Borders, and what founding th...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Craig Spencer is a Lancashire-born Anglo-Italian witch who practices Traditional Lancashire Witchcraft. His academic background earned him a Bachelor of Science degree with honours from the University of Salford and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Central Lancashire. He is an integrated therapist and Reiki teacher. In his downtime he enjoys reading, learning new languages (currently Mandarin “ni hao!”), and has a love for all things comedy and horror. He is the aut...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 10
