Hana O'Neill, a Professional Tarot reader and Witch from Australia, joins the hosts to debunk misconceptions about witchcraft. They discuss the stigma surrounding witchcraft and similarities between spiritual practices. Hana shares their journey with tarot and finding identity after leaving a religious community. They touch on mediumship, exploring spirituality beyond their conservative church, astrology, and the origins of witchcraft in the Bible.
Witchcraft is a personal practice rooted in wisdom, nature, and a connection to oneself.
Encounters with the supernatural challenged the speaker's previous beliefs and opened their mind to the potential of witchcraft.
Witchcraft can involve divination, spells, and aligning with natural cycles, and differs in practices and beliefs across individuals.
Deep dives
Introduction to Witchcraft
The speaker shares their journey from being deeply entrenched in the Christian church to exploring witchcraft. They discuss experiences with divination, such as palm readings and tea leaf readings, and the realization that these practices felt true and had personal effects. The speaker highlights the nature-based aspect of witchcraft, living in sync with natural cycles like the moon phases and solstices. They emphasize that witchcraft is not about trickery or demonic worship, but rather a personal practice rooted in wisdom and a connection to nature.
Unexpected Encounters
The speaker shares experiences where they encountered supernatural phenomena that challenged their previous beliefs. They recount encounters with ghosts in Louisiana and the realization that these experiences didn't fit within their understanding of demons. Seeking guidance from a witch, they underwent a cleansing which alleviated the negative presence. These encounters opened the speaker to the possibilities of the unseen world and the potential of witchcraft to address such experiences.
Experiments and Discoveries
The speaker delves into their experiments with witchcraft, beginning with tea leaf readings and gradually exploring divination and magical practices. They explain how spells or rituals for manifesting intentions became part of their practice, using items that symbolized their intentions and aligning with natural cycles. The speaker acknowledges that their beliefs and experiences may differ from others and highlights the diverse practices within witchcraft.
Redefined Spirituality
The speaker reflects on the metaphysical aspects of witchcraft and how it is a personal redefinition of spirituality for them. They embrace witchcraft's connection to the rhythms of nature, aligning with lunar phases and the solstices. The speaker draws comparisons between elements of witchcraft and rituals in Christianity, such as divination, prayer, and the recognition of spiritual gifts. They emphasize that witchcraft is an exploration of wisdom, personal experiences, and a connection to oneself and the natural world.
Exploring Different Spiritual Gifts
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the various spiritual gifts and experiences that exist both within and outside of the church. They highlight the misconception that gifts like prophecy and divination are exclusive to the church, when in reality, they can be found in different spiritual practices. The speaker mentions gifts such as dreams, intuition, clear hearing, and clairsentience, emphasizing that these experiences are not unique to Christianity. They also explore different beliefs regarding spirituality and God, mentioning their personal belief in a higher power or source energy. Overall, the episode challenges the notion that spiritual experiences and gifts are limited to a specific religious context.
Deconstructing Beliefs and Views on the Bible
In this podcast episode, the speaker shares their journey of deconstructing their beliefs and views on the Bible. They discuss how studying the Bible in a more contextual and critical manner led them to question its literal interpretation. They mention the presence of witchcraft and spiritual practices in the Bible, highlighting examples like the Witch of Endor and the use of divination. The speaker also addresses the ethical considerations in witchcraft and emphasizes the importance of consent in any spiritual practice. They express their view that spirituality and connection with a higher power can exist outside of organized religion. The episode concludes with the speaker highlighting the positive impact of their shift in beliefs, leading to personal growth, happiness, and a stronger moral compass.
If you grew up evangelical like we did, you were probably taught that anything "witchy" was evil and satanic. So, let's find out the truth about modern witchcraft. Hana O'Neill, aka The Suburban Witch, joins April and Paul to talk about all about it. Hana is a Professional Tarot reader, Natal Astrologer and Witch located in Australia.
Her goal is to make witchcraft and alternative spirituality easy, fun and accessible to all. She hosts the podcast ‘Witch Talks’ interviewing key Witches in the community, has a thriving YouTube channel with content from Spellcrafting, Tarot tutorials, Witchcraft basics and even details her own journey from Pentecostal Christian to proud Witch.