Interview with Jessica Hundley

Nov 24, 2025

Jessica Hundley, a writer and filmmaker known for her work on the Library of Esoterica series, dives into fascinating discussions about spiritual channeling and the creative process. She reflects on the artists throughout history who have embraced the unseen, including surrealists and spirit artists like Paulina Peavy. Hundley shares her own experiences with tarot and the occult, revealing connections between creativity, psychedelia, and even recent UFO encounters. Her mission? To make esoteric histories accessible and connect communities through art.

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INSIGHT

Esoterica As Visual Encyclopedias

The Library of Esoterica frames esoteric traditions as encyclopedic art books that map occult ideas through visual culture.
Jessica Hundley aims to make hidden spiritual histories accessible and visually compelling to a modern audience.

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ANECDOTE

Tarot And Childhood Witchcraft

Jessica received her first tarot deck as a kid and practiced adolescent witchcraft in the woods near her hometown.
Those early experiences seeded a lifelong interest that later shaped the tarot volume of the series.

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ANECDOTE

Living Over A Burial Mound

Jessica's family home was built over a Native American burial mound and excavations revealed remains during construction.
She and friends later experienced a chilling cold presence in the basement that drove them out, shaping her respect for the other side.

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What is the Library of Esoterica?

03:40 • 2min

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Jessica's career origins and zine days

05:37 • 5min

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Early occult interests and tarot

11:02 • 2min

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Living above Native burial grounds

Channeling and creativity

23:22 • 1min

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Artists who channel: surrealists and spirit art

24:49 • 5min

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Paulina Peavy and prolonged spirit contact

29:27 • 3min

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Favorite volume: Plant Magick

32:53 • 3min

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Music, psychedelia, and occult ties

35:44 • 4min

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Recent UFO and nonhuman encounters

39:38 • 5min

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Esalen retreat: military researchers and dialogue

44:51 • 4min

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Why keep building the series?

The first book of the series is tarot and the sort of history of tarot, which is this esoteric philosophy and tradition that's been around for at least since the 1100s. The series aims to present these ideas in a way that feels modern, inclusive, open, and excited, allowing people to delve deeper into what resonates with them. It is presented in a journalistic way, sharing stories, histories, and the unknown in a non-dogmatic way. The editor's goal is to share things that are beautiful, valuable, or cathartic, bringing them back and showing them to a new audience in a new way.

The Library of Esoterica

an expansive anthology that traces esoteric philosophies, mystical practices, and occult traditions through the visual history of art and media

Jessica Hundley

The Library of Esoterica is a multivolume project that explores esoteric philosophies, mystical practices, and occult traditions through the visual history of art and media. Each volume delves into a distinct theme, from Tarot to Plant Magick and more, revealing how artists across time have interpreted the unseen. The series aims to present these ideas in a way that feels modern, inclusive, open, and excited, allowing people to delve deeper into what resonates with them. It is presented in a journalistic way, sharing stories, histories, and the unknown in a non-dogmatic way. The editor's goal is to share things that are beautiful, valuable, or cathartic, bringing them back and showing them to a new audience in a new way.

#14584

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

The Secret Teachings of All Ages

An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy

Manly Palmer Hall

This book, self-published by Manly P. Hall in 1928, is a dense and detailed exploration of various esoteric subjects. It includes nearly 50 chapters that delve into ancient mysteries, secret societies, and symbolic philosophies. The book covers a wide range of topics including Hermeticism, Egyptian mythology, Pythagorean theory, and more. Each chapter is accompanied by vivid illustrations, and the book is considered a classic reference in the field of occult studies. Despite some controversial and outdated material, the book remains a significant resource for those interested in esoteric knowledge.

Spirit Worlds

Jessica Hundley

Spirit Worlds is the newest volume in The Library of Esoterica series that explores the ways cultures ritualize and honor death throughout history. It talks a lot about the ways that we ritualize death and kind of honor death through across cultures and throughout time and sort of brought me right back to the not so honorable way that a 1980s. The book also features work from psychic Paulina Peavy, who encountered a spirit called Lacamo, who she said was from another world. The book features artists and people throughout history who have claimed to have channeled their artwork through speaking to, you know, a spirit or a guide or something. The series also incorporates horror movies and ghost stories.

Plant Magic

Jessica Hundley

Plant Magic is one of the volumes from the Library of Esoterica series that is about our relationship to the plants the tree worlds in myth and religion and ritual. It also is, of course, about the use of plants for consciousness expansion, where, of course, a lot of art is channeled through plant medicine. It is focused around the use of plants for consciousness expansion, where, of course, a lot of art is channeled through plant medicine. The series aims to present these ideas in a way that feels modern, inclusive, open, and excited, allowing people to delve deeper into what resonates with them.

Jessica Hundley is a writer, filmmaker, and creative director whose journalistic work spans music, film, and the arts. She is the creator, author, and series editor of Taschen’s ongoing multivolume project, The Library of Esoterica, an expansive anthology that traces esoteric philosophies, mystical practices, and occult traditions through the visual history of art and media. Each volume delves into a distinct theme, from Tarot to Plant Magick and more, revealing how artists across time have interpreted the unseen.

Jack speaks with Jessica about the making of this series, the artists throughout history who have used spiritual channeling in their creative process, and the newest volume in the collection, Spirit Worlds.

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