In episode 127 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew celebrate the Spring Equinox with their favorite trickster tales. In this conversation, they discuss the divine psychopomp from Greco-Roman lore, Mercury or Hermes. They discuss his planet, his metal, and the god’s role as a mythical messenger and Scribe of Saturn. They contemplate Mercury as a playful traveler, a patron of thieves, and a boundary-breaker with the golden touch. Kristin and Kate also venture ...
Mar 20, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 127
In episode 126 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew & Kristin Lisenby discuss building community and finding your coven. Joined by Tamed Wild creatrix Shelby Bundy, three witches gather around the virtual fire to talk about shedding winter’s skin, entrepreneurial shapeshifters, and eclipse season. Shelby introduces Tamed Wild’s latest offering, the Coven, and reflects on building community while staying true to yourself. They consider authenticity and accountability in magic...
Mar 06, 2024•57 min•Season 4Ep. 126
In episode 125 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew & Kristin Lisenby discuss elixirs of life and transformative potions. They talk about the goddess Maat and mythical brews laced with justice. They consider Gorgon blood and pomegranate juice, and how we ingest ancient wisdom. They contemplate kitchen witchery, milk and honey, and consuming the nectar of the gods. Sources: Season 1, Episode 14: Love Spells, Potion or Poison? Season 3, Episode 80: Psychedelic Witchcraft “Poti...
Feb 21, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 125
In episode 124 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew & Kristin Lisenby contemplate the power of three. They discuss triform deities, triads, and holy trinities, both modern and ancient. They gather triplicities from folklore and myth, including stories about the Graces, the Gorgons, the Fates, and the Erinyes. In this conversation, they address three-faced Hecate and Baba Yaga, and dissect riddles about the triple nature of the soul. Sources: Season 3, Episode 81: An Intervie...
Feb 07, 2024•28 min•Season 4Ep. 124
In episode 123 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew & Kristin Lisenby interview Danielle Dulsky. Danielle is a heathen visionary, painter, and word-witch. In this conversation, three witches discuss stories as spells, medicinal archetypes like the trickster and warrioress, and our academic wounds around writing. They contemplate fairy tales as prayers, and Danielle shares what she’s learned from guiding people on their writing journeys. She shares advice for people carrying ...
Jan 24, 2024•58 min•Season 4Ep. 123
In episode 122 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew contemplate the Witch & the Bitch. Following in the footsteps of Artemis, Hecate, and their sacred hounds, this conversation draws listeners into the Underworld. There, the wolf goddesses Leto and Lupa speak about guardianship, kinship, and reclamation. Medusa arrives next, followed by Asteria and the other moon goddesses turned monsters. Through a mythical lens, they consider the archetypal Bitch, Bitch...
Jan 10, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 122
In episode 121 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew follow 13 wintery threads, superstitions, and symbols, crafting a tapestry of story with these Yuletide yarns. Weaving together conversations about reindeer, snow globes, caroling, and winter plants, they contemplate the origins of these seasonal rituals and effigies. They also discuss The Nutcracker, snowmen, the ringing of bells, Mari Lwyd, and Christmastime villains. Join them around the virtual hearth as...
Dec 27, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 121
In episode 120 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby & Kate Belew journey to the symbolic Underworld. In this conversation, they discuss the practice of wintering and ‘hanging on for the bees.’ They forage for seasonal reflections and wintertime initiations. They contemplate the River Styx, the Heroes and Goddesses who have traveled there, and Styx herself. They also talk about the ferryman Charon, the Goddess Psyche, and asteroids in astrology. Sources: Paganism: An Int...
Dec 13, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 120
In episode 119 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby & Kate Belew interview Perdita Finn. Perdita is an author and the co-founder of the feral fellowship, The Way of the Rose. In this conversation, Perdita discusses connecting and honoring the unseen, trusting our intuition, imposter syndrome, and writing a book in collaboration with the dead. She speaks about the earth as an ancestor altar, the mothers and the grandmothers, and the draw of the Catskill Mountains. Perdit...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 119
In episode 118 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby welcome back Green Witch Robin Rose Bennett. Robin Rose is a storyteller, author, herbalist, and teacher. In this conversation, three witches discuss bibliomancy, word witchery, and the moments when writing and magick intersect. They also consider messages from the plants, the archetypal Elder, and Robin introduces listeners to her latest book, A Green Witch’s Pocket Book of Wisdom: Big Little Life Tips . Yo...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 118
In episode 117 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby share spooky tales from their hometowns. They begin in the hills of California, exploring mountain magick and contemplating stories of The Dark Watchers and Lemurians. Kristin introduces us to the legends of Mt. Shasta, and then Kate takes us on a journey through the haunted streets of Michigan. There, we meet the witches, spirits of those departed, and ghost ships in the night. Sources: “There’s Something A...
Nov 01, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 117
In episode 116 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby pierce the thinning veil. In this conversation, they contemplate this mystical shroud and the veil’s relationship to textile magick, tarot, and veiled goddesses and spirits. They weave in lace and folktale traditions, the origin of bridal veils, and the tools of the weaving craft. They also answer a listener question about the seasonal veil and the meaning behind the phrase, ‘The veil is thin.” Sources: Asia...
Oct 18, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 116
In episode 115 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby talk Wild Medicine with Shelby Bundy. Authored by Tamed Wild Creatrix Shelby Bundy and Kate Belew, the Wild Medicine book is an illustrated guide to the magick of plants. In this conversation, Shelby and Kate discuss being initiated into the world of plant witchery and following the threads of herbal lineages and lore. They talk about rose alchemy, listening to our plant families, and the Wild Medicine Deck ...
Oct 04, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 115
In episode 114 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby celebrate Mabon and the start of Season 4! In this conversation, two witches harvest tales from corn. They discuss corn mazes, scarecrows, and the history and making of corn dollies. They talk about harvest spirits, crop circles, and deities of corn and grain. They also consider the fields of Midharvest as an archetype - the autumnal version of the fairy tale forest. Sources: Episode 72: Mabon Magick Mircea ...
Sep 20, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 114
In episode 113 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby talk resistance and re-enchantment with Amy Torok and Risa Dickens. Amy and Risa are the witches, activists, and storytellers behind The Missing Witches project. In their second visit to the podcast, Amy and Risa remind us that telling the truth is a spell. They discuss the magnificence of difference, rock ‘n’ roll as a spell, and self-care as ancestor worship. They reflect on what they’ve learned by living ...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 113
In episode 112 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby discuss the Golden One and Queen of the Dawn - the goddess Aphrodite. Inspired by their recent travels, in this conversation, Kristin and Kate highlight Aphrodite’s connection to roses, Sappho, Barbie, and the color pink. They consider Aphrodite’s many names (She Who Rises from the Waves, Gravedigger, She of the Tombs) and her adoration of glamour magick. They also contemplate Aphrodite as an archetype and h...
Aug 16, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 112
In episode 111 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby talk planetary magick with Shelby Bundy. Shelby is an astrologer, business coach, tarot reader, and the visionary behind Tamed Wild and Magick & Alchemy. In this conversation, three witches discuss working with the cosmos and their relationship to planetary correspondences like plants, mythologies, archetypes, and tarot. They consider their chart rulers, the ritual of paying attention, and planetary devo...
Jul 26, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 111
In episode 110 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby bid farewell to season three with a conversation about Feral Girl Summer. In this discussion, they contemplate the word ‘feral’ as a reclamation, an act of resistance, and a prayer. They reflect on wildness as an archetype and a doorway to the divine. They also discuss The Amazons, Artemis, Hippolyta, and Wonder Woman, the feral heroines raised by the wilderness. Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Mo...
Jun 21, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 110
In episode 109 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby conclude part 2 of their Mythical Creatures Series. In the final installment of this three-part conversation, they discuss the Anzu bird and the Basilisk. Beginning with the Anzu, they contemplate the stories of this giant bird and its role as a deliverer of storms and chaos. While the Anzu is associated with eagles, vultures, and lions, the Basilisk is known as the King of Serpents. They discuss the Basilis...
Jun 14, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 109
In episode 108 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby continue part 2 of their Mythical Creatures Series. In the second installment of this three-part conversation, they consider the Furies and Harpies as personifications of sacred rage. They discuss the Furies as maidens (or monsters) of divine punishment and their relationship with Demeter, Medusa, hounds, and serpents. They also talk about the Harpies, three female death spirits that are part bird, part huma...
Jun 07, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 108
In episode 107 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby begin part 2 of their Mythical Creature Series. In the first installment of this 3-part conversation, they contemplate the magick of satyrs and centaurs. They discuss the satyr Pan’s wild woods, his panic-inducing yell, and his overlap with trickster spirits like Hermes and Dionysus. They also visit the famed centaur and wounded healer Chiron. They talk about Chiron’s role as a mentor and oracle, and how he ...
May 31, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 107
In episode 106 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby talk grief, plants, and shapeshifting with community weaver Mara June. Mara is a writer, caregiver, death doula, and community herbalist who encourages people to dream and create courageously in times of change and grief. In this conversation, they discuss herbs as enchantment medicine, planting ourselves within sacred communities, and the trickster power of grief. They also discuss Mara’s Grief Spells, arch...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 106
In episode 105 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby team up with Caitlyn Barone to host a virtual book club. From nostalgic reads to their favorite, well-loved tomes, in this conversation, three witches share the books that have been most influential throughout their magickal journeys. They discuss books about plant witchery, out-of-body experiences, and dark goddesses like Hecate and Persephone. They discuss tales for the wild women, astrological reads, and ...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 105
In episode 104 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby discuss two of the lesser-known mothers of mythology. They begin with Echidna, the mother of monsters, whose children include the Sphinx, Cerberus, and Python, the giant serpentine creature that protects Delphi. While tracing Echidna’s family tree, they contemplate this mother’s overlap with Medusa, Gorgons, and other cave-dwelling monsters. They also discuss Asteria, the mother of Hecate, our goddess of wit...
May 10, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 104
In episode 103 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby interview Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz. Felicia is a Curandera, Author, Indigenous Foods Activist, and Natural Foods Chef. In this conversation, Felicia discusses Curanderismo and her life as a Kitchen Curandera. She shares her thoughts on ancestral veneration, seasonal wildcrafting, and cultural appropriation vs. misappropriation. Felicia also discusses how the elements influence her craft and introduces us to her new b...
May 03, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 103
In episode 102 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew celebrate Beltane with the bones. In this conversation, they discuss bone folklore, corpse medicine, and Baba Yaga’s walkway of fiery skulls. They consider bones as keepers of memories, consciousness, and the soul. They also contemplate antlers, the archetypal skeleton, and Beltane’s sacred fires, originally known as bonefires . Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero Music by Follow the Wind, Tai...
Apr 26, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 102
In episode 101 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew interview Sophie Saint Thomas. Sophie Saint Thomas is an award-winning journalist and author whose written for VICE, Playboy, GQ, Glamour, Marie Claire, PRIDE, Cosmopolitan, High Times, Gawker (RIP), and Harper’s Bazaar. In this conversation, Sophie talks sex magick, cannabis culture, and how these practices influence her craft. She also discusses her journey to becoming a published author, why ‘fortune favo...
Apr 19, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 101
In the 100th episode of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew discuss the relationship between masks and ritual. They consider masks as a way to enact magick, channel the dead, and divine with the animal world. They talk about Samhain, Carnival, Krampusnacht, and other celebrations where masking is part of the dress code. They ponder masks as conduits, portals, and one of the oldest art forms in the world. Created by Tamed Wild . Production by Julio Montero Music...
Apr 12, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 100
In episode 99 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby reflect on some signs of spring. Inspired by Ostara and a season of renewal, they discuss the chalice and the cauldron, and what’s collected or brewed in these sacred vessels. They talk about rain, rhythmic tides, and purification rites. They also share some moon stories, including ‘The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Princess,’ and consider the moon as a shapeshifter, a cosmic bow, and a sanctuary. Created by Tam...
Apr 05, 2023•23 min•Season 3Ep. 99
On episode 98 of the Magick & Alchemy Podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby talk moon signs and horoscopes with Annabel Gat. An astrologer who has been writing the daily and monthly horoscope column at VICE since 2015, Annabel is also the author of two books, The Astrology of Love & Sex and The Moon Sign Guide. In this conversation, Annabel talks about astrology as an ancient artifact and storytelling device, and the planets as archetypes. She also discusses progressed moons, her...
Mar 29, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 98
