Christian Brunner joins me to talk about his book Alpine Witchery. Christian has researched the accounts of hundreds of witch trials which took place in his native Austrian Alps. The accounts record the spells men and women were accused of conducting which he has carefully categorized with their elements and ingredients. This is not a grimoire per se, but does allow for those intersted to see how these folk traditions might be adapted and used today. Christian shares his connection to the materi...
Jun 08, 2025•51 min•Ep. 91
Are you a fan of Mid-Century Modern, Atomic Style design, cats, and tarot? Then this is the deck for you! I discovered this deck last year and picked up an early copy as a Yule gift for my husband. Now Atomic Cat Tarot creator Wendy Miller has launched it on Kickstarter to be able to publish more decks and have it available in the tarot world. Wendy joins me on this episode to talk about the deck, the process leading into it, the art, and more. It is a fun conversation with someone who loves cat...
May 19, 2025•36 min•Ep. 90
What is a witch? How have they been a part of history, pop culture, and in everyday life from history to today? Find out in the revised Witches: A Compendium by Judika Illes from Weiser books. Witches introduces you to a range of witches and how they have interacted with, impacted, and influenced society through the ages. Included are witches of history such as Marie Laveau, Tituba, Merlin, and the Countess Erzsebent Bathory to modern practitioners; divine witches; and witches of literature and ...
Jan 06, 2025•49 min•Ep. 89
>Thump< >Thump< Is that the sound of reindeer hooves on the rooftop? A knock at the door for a surprise appearance from Santa Clause to bring gifts? Maaaayyybe. Or maybe it's Père Fouettard, Belsnickel, or Sinterklaas with his chimney Piets arriving to punish the naughty. Perhaps Krampus, Gryla, the Yule Cat or Yule Lads, or the Mari Lwyd to take you away or kill you for venturing out in the cold, harsh, dark winter. Step in to the dark roots of Christmas with The Fright Before Chris...
Dec 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 88
Joining the podcast this episode are the incredible and talented creators of the Norse Goddess Rune Oracle - Rebecca Joy "Raven" Stark and Sharon McCleod. Raven is a rune practitioner, a volva, and a teacher of runes and Norse spirituality. Sharon is an artist/illustrator inspired by nature, myth, magic, and all thing otherworldly. Together they created the amazing Norse Goddess Rune Oracle which connects the power of Norse goddesses and beings with the power of the runes for use in divination, ...
Nov 29, 2024•48 min•Ep. 87
With the upcoming Winter Solstice and Yule season in the Northern Hemisphere, Imelda Almqvist joins me to talk about her upcoming webinars about Vrouw Holle (Frau Holle) and St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas in the Netherlands). We talk a little about who Vrouw Holle and Sinterklaas are and the interesting connections they have as soul conductors (psycho pomps) especially for children. In this discussion, get a nice introduction to them both and our experiences growing up with Vrouw Holle and Sinterklaa...
Nov 14, 2024•38 min•Ep. 86
Siri Vincent Plouff joins the podcast to talk about a favorite subject, runes. Their book, Queering the Runes, was just released in November 2024 and we talk about the book, dispel notions that runes are not for everyone (they are!), how they can relate from a queer perspective, and just about runes in general. The book is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the runes with a fresh look at how they interact with people today. Or if you are used to working with runes, have a look at them wit...
Nov 04, 2024•53 min•Ep. 85
As October inches towards Samhain, Rick de Yampert joins me to talk about the magic of Crows and Ravens from his book: Crows and Ravens: Mystery, Myth, and Magic of Sacred Corvids. Rick has been working with Crows and Ravens for a number of years along his path and has dedicated a lot of study to how corvids behave and how we can commune with them to enrich and enhance our connection to nature, magic, and the Web of Wyrd. Do you have crows or ravens appearing in your path or daily routine? Do th...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 84
"Welcome to the Nine Worlds, home of Gods, Valkyries, Dwarves, and more!" promises MacMillan Publishsers about the latest series by my guest; author and artist George O'Connor. George created the 12 volume series The Olympians and just released Thor in October 2024, the second book of his series The Asgardians. The first volume of The Asgardians series, Odin, was released in March 2024. We talk about his process for bringing the myths of these two popular pantheons as illustrated storytelling. I...
Oct 08, 2024•53 min•Ep. 83
Author Gunivortus Goos joins me to talk about the long awaited (by me especially) English translation of his book on Nehalennia. The book is avaialable in German, Dutch, and now English. The English title is: Nehalennia: Divine Lady of Prosperity, Trade and Safe Crossings. It is now available via Amazon throughout the world and in Europe on BoD Buchshop . Nehalennia is a Dutch Goddess who was revered and honored in the area controlled by the Romans of the first - second centuries in what is now ...
Aug 11, 2024•40 min•Ep. 82
It is great to have Amy Blackthorn on to talk about things botanical - brews, magic, and sacred plant magic. Amy us author of several books on botanical magic, including Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic, Blackthorn’s Botanical Brews, and Blackthorn’s Botanical Wellness. She is the founder of Blackthorn’s Botanicals. Her upcoming book Blackthorn's Book of Sacred Plant Magic is from Red Wheel/Weiser Books and scheduled for release in August 2024. Pre-order now with your local bookstore (if possible), ...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 81
Conversations With.... In this episode I invited a good friend to join me whom I've wanted to chat with for a while. Hilary has been in the Heathen community in the San Francisco Bay Area for several decades. She is a seidhkona, rune worker, and Freya's woman. This is a casual conversation about her journey in Heathenry and her work in those areas. Pull join us in our virtual seating area for this delightful time. * * * Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr Follow my channel on Instagram: @...
Jun 30, 2024•45 min•Ep. 80
Life is pretty busy lately and it's made a bit of a challenge to book guests. So I took a couple books off the shelf that I've had for a while adn thought I'd have a little review/chat about them. Loki and Sigyn: Lessons on Chaos, Laughter & Loyalty from the Norse Gods by Lea Svendsen. Llewellyn, February 2022. This captivating book takes you deep into the infamous legacy of Loki and the quiet power of Sigyn, the goddess of loyalty and compassion. As a controversial figure in Heathenry, Loki...
Jun 01, 2024•24 min•Ep. 79
The Cartomancer team: Amber Highland, Jaymi Elford, Saphira Stone This episode is recorded during Women's History Month and I'm pleased to bring on to the podcast three incredible women who are the skillfull creators of The Cartomancer Magazine. Joining in are Publisher Amber Highland, Creative Director Saphira Stone, and Line Editor Jaymi Elford. We discuss the history of the magazine and a lot of the behind the scenes of what goes into putting together each quarterly issue. And a lot of other ...
Mar 24, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 78
We're honored this episode to have Erika Robinson join us to talk about Lenormand. She is the author of The Language of Lenormand and Erika's Lenormand of Hope deck. Erika pulls out some tips for working with the Lenormand system from her book and the approach she took to writing it. Some very interesting information and process. We also talk about her Lenormand deck which was released in late 2023. This is an American Lenormand created for a modern audience in which the characters are "unapolog...
Feb 19, 2024•53 min•Ep. 77
What If the Norse went aviking to the stars? Ever wonder what the future might be like if Christianity hadn't taken hold of the Nordic lands? If Norse mythology continued in practice and the Norse ruled the sea - and the stars? Now, you can live those adventures in a new role playing game set in the Vikingverse. When the Wolf Comes is a complete tabletop role playing game with everything you need to create and play characters, form warbands in pursuit of fame and plunder, and tell sci-fi sagas w...
Jan 30, 2024•54 min•Ep. 76
A last minute idea for the holiday season, my friend Jenna Ball and I talk about Holiday (Christmas/Yuletide) themed decks for the season. This is a totally last minute, unscripted, and loosely planned discussion about the tarot, oracle, and lenormand decks in our collections. And also a holiday rune set! Have a listen and we hope we inspire you to find new decks to enjoy in the season. Decks we talked about: The Christmas Oracle, by John Hijatt and Vinnora, available on Etsy Yuletide Monsters O...
Dec 12, 2023•39 min•Ep. 75
As the 2023 holiday season is moving into full swing, I am joined by the joyful and delightful Kristoffer Hughes, certainly a helper of Father Christmas himself. We talk about the beautiful Yuletide/Midwinter Tarot he created with the gorgeous artwork of Erin O'Leary Brown. This delighful and festive deck is sure to reach through the divinatory veil and bring forth messages of great meaning. The deck includes images from folklore of Europe and a fully illustrated minor arcana adapting the Rider-...
Dec 03, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 74
Altar pieces bearing the images of the gods and goddesses we work with have been a part of worship and ritual pracites for thousands of years. There are many ways to get a god post for your ritual experience which have value and meaning to your practice. My guest this episode is Chris, aka Gungnir Godposts, who for the last decade has been carving god images out of wood. Listen in as he talks about his journey with the gods and his techniques and conenctions when carving these unique pieces of t...
Nov 14, 2023•44 min•Ep. 73
“Do you like the wild beast-man Krampus? Do you like the giant Yule Cat of Iceland? The deep of midwinter invites you to settle down by the fire with a seasonal beverage and this darkly folky oracle deck.” Then do we have an oracle deck for you! The Yultide Monsters Oracle by Madame Onca O'Leary. Joining me on this episode is the amazing and superbly talented Madame Onca. Madame Onca is an artist, writer, and entertainer. She is co-author of the World Spirit Tarot (a RWS-style deck with a focus ...
Oct 15, 2023•56 min•Ep. 72
Irisanya Moon joins me this episode to talk about her latest book in the Pagan Portals series from Moon Books - The Norns: Weavers of Fate and Magick. We talk about the most well known of the Norns - Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, and talk about how we can work with them to connect with the threads of our web of Wyrd. There isn't much material out about working with the Norns, and this book is a great starting point for a beginner and also a great resource for those who are familiar with the Norns to...
Sep 07, 2023•50 min•Ep. 71
Author Christine Ashworth joins the episode to talk about her upcoming book: Scott Cunningham, The Path Taken from Weiser Books. Cunningham's pioneering books on Wicca, herbs, magic, and other metaphysical topics opened the doors for many to step onto the path of Wicca and paganism. His books are still in print and are a beloved starting point for many who seek to enter a practical magical life. Scott passed in 1993 and not much is known about the man behind the many books. With this book, Chris...
Aug 06, 2023•34 min•Ep. 70
Chris Allaun is back to talk about his latest release, The Black Book of Johnathan Knotbristle: A Devil's Parable and Guide for Witches from Crossed Crow Books. We talk about Chris' process for writing the book and a bit about the journey of Johnathan Knotbristle who meets the Devil after a series of family tragedies. The book is about how he navigates the worlds of fairy, magic, and his community after meeting the mysterious stranger. It's a fun and interesting book which will capture your inte...
Jul 03, 2023•45 min•Ep. 69
Author Ash McKernan joins the podcast to talk about his book Wyrdcraft: Healing Self & Nature through the Mysteries of the Fates. We chat about aspects of the books, Wyrd, working with nature for healing, and the journey through the forest for this book to come into being. If the Fates are calling you to interact with the Web of Wyrd, this may be a tool to facilitate your connection. Pick up a copy from your local bookstore or order at Llewellyn . How to find Ash: Instagram at @wyrdwildweb w...
May 24, 2023•37 min•Ep. 68
Joining me on this podcast is author Imelda Almqvist to talk about her latest book, North Sea Water In My Veins, the Pre-Christian Spirituality of the Low Countries. The book covers materials from the Low Countries which covers the areas for The Netherlands, Belgium, and the border regions with Germany. It's a wonderful book documenting the ancient gods, goddesses, practices, and traditions of the area and asks the question: Is there enough material to reconstruct a practice for today? Tune in t...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 67
Delighted to have Winifred Hodge Rose return to the podcast to speak about her children's book Idunn's Trees, storytelling, and modern Yuletide customs. As a bonus, Winifred sings a couple of songs she wrote to established tunes. What a treat! Winifred has writtend two books on Heathen sole lore, many articles on Heathen topics, Idunn's Trees with Forest Hawkins, an upcoming book on Oaths and related topics, and an article and ritual booklet for Yule and Mother's Night. You can find her writings...
Dec 03, 2022•53 min•Ep. 66
Bela Siol is back with another beautiful deck to share honoring the witches of Triora, Italy, with her new oracel deck - The Witches of Triora. The witches of this area are akin to the Seeresses of the Germanic north and others who practiced the craft. Bela has created other beautiful decks including the Oracle of Nehalennia, the Oracle of Freya, and the Transformational Oracle of the Morrighan. Bela talks about her passion for creating this deck as an honor and love project to the women who wer...
Oct 14, 2022•46 min•Ep. 65
Allthingi is back! This time, Joshua Gillingham discusses the expansion pack for the Allthingi One Will Rise card game: Saga Heroes. We talk a little about the Althingi anthology and the base game of One Will Rise but then talk about the expansion to the game which adds new elements of play an new characters. The Saga Heroes expansion is now part of a Kickstarter campaign (through October 30, 2022) to get the backing for production. Kickstarter: Althingi - Saga Heroes Link mentions: Outland Ente...
Oct 04, 2022•48 min•Ep. 64
Alaric Albertsson and I discuss the re-release of the revised edition of his book: Travels Through Middle Earth published by Crossed Crow Books. This is part two of our discussion focusing on his book. Alaric Albertsson is an author and speaker of Anglo-Saxon Practices. He has authored To Walk a Pagan Path and Handbook of Saxon Sorcery & Magic (available from Llewellyn) and Travels Through Middle Earth is available from Crossed Crow Books . He also collaborated with Taren Martin on the Anglo...
Aug 09, 2022•36 min•Ep. 63
Tune in for a fun chat about runes with Alaric Albertsson. The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc runes. Alaric and I were recording a podcase episode and we wandered into rune territory right away! So I decided to make two (shorter) episodes to keep the content on it's own podcast. Sit in with us for a spell and let us know about your interactions with the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. Alaric Albertsson is an author and speaker of Anglo-Saxon Practices. He has authored To Walk a Pagan Path and Handbook of Saxon Sorcer...
Aug 01, 2022•29 min•Ep. 62
