

Plant Cunning Podcast
Plant Cunning Podcast
Plant Cunning Podcast brings together people wise to the ways of plants, fungi, healing practices, & the natural world to explore the mysteries of Nature. Co-Hosted by astrologer, gardener & musician, Isaac Hill and herbalist & educator A.C. Stauble. We invite herbalists, mages, mycologists, gardeners, community organizers, healers, spiritual seekers & all kinds of other interesting people to the microphone to share their wisdom. We like to bridge different worlds, make connections, inspire, and at times, have our minds blown by our amazing guests. Enjoy!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 17, 2024 • 52min
Ep. 150: Daniel Ingram on Worldviews, Enlightenment and Fire Kasina
Get your tickets for the Plant Cunning Conference here:
Plant Cunning Conference – July 26-28, 2024
In this episode we speak with the legendary Daniel Ingram, author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. We talk about his realizations, his path, teachers, worldviews, dreamwork, and useful and dangerous fire kasina practice.
MCTB:
MCTB.org – The home of the evolving Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha
Fire Kasina:
Fire Kasina – The Fire Kasina Meditation Site
#awakening #selfrealization #buddhistmeditation #enlightenment #realization #spiritualpath #meditation #firekasina #buddhist #pragmaticbuddhism #buddhistpractice #spiritualpractice #worldviews

Apr 10, 2024 • 52min
Ep.149: Rebecca Beyer on Mountain Magic
Rebecca Beyer will be speaking at this year's Plant Cunning Conference, July 26th-28th! Get your tickets here:
Plant Cunning Conference – July 26-28, 2024
Glad to get another chance to hang out with the one and only Rebecca Beyer of Blood and Spicebush fame (find her here:
BLOOD AND SPICEBUSH - Blood and Spicebush
We chat about a lot, from being a hedge witch, how she got into teaching in the first place, to her book Mountain Magic, SATOR squares, planting by the sings, and spring ephemerals!
Rebecca Beyer is an Appalachian Folk herbalist, Traditional Witch, and wild food forager dedicated to living simply on the Earth. She has taught and presented at universities, conferences and gatherings over the last 10 years with the hope of showing people that living a seasonal life grounded in connection with the Old Ways is possible. Through growing, foraging, hunting, fishing and preserving her own food, she strives to create a life as close to her ancestors as possible while paying homage to the diverse peoples who created beloved Appalachia.
Rebecca is the author of two books, Mountain Magic and Wild Witchcraft. She makes her living tattooing, teaching foraging and Appalachian folk herbalism and craft classes at her school, Blood and Spicebush School of Old Craft. Rebecca currently spends her days dedicating herself to Appalachian folk arts, primitive skills, folk music and learning the names of all the beings she shares her bioregion with.
#magick #folkmagic #herbalism #herbalmagic #foraging #witch #greenwitch #witchcraft #hedgewitch

Apr 3, 2024 • 1h 9min
Ep.148: Stephanie Rose Bird on The Healing Tree
Sign up for Pam Montgomery's free webinar on 4/6 here: https://wakeuptonature.ck.page/plants-help-us
Get tickets to the Plant Cunning Conference on 7/26-29 here: https://plantcunningconference.com/
In this episode Stephanie Rose Bird returns to talk about her book "The Healing Tree" from Weiser. We catch up with SRB and talk about some magical, medicinal, and life-sustaining trees, from the tropics to temperate climates.
You can find her here: https://www.stephanierosebird.com/index.htm
Priestess Stephanie Rose Bird is the author of numerous published books including the award-winning and bestselling Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs; her #1 New Amazon Releases, The Healing Tree and African American Magick, The Healing Power of African American Spirituality, 365 Days of Hoodoo, Earth Mama's Spiritual Guide to Weight Loss, A Healing Grove, Light, Bright, and Damned Near White, The Big Book of Soul, and Four Seasons of Mojo. Her latest is Motherland Herbal: The Story of African Holistic Health from HarperOne. Many of these works are available as audiobooks, e-books, on Kindle, and in French.

Mar 27, 2024 • 1h 21min
Ep.147: Dana O'Driscoll on Land Healing
Dana returns to talk about her new book "Land Healing: Physical, Metaphysical and Ritual Practices for Healing the Earth", and we get into some very practical tips on helping to heal the earth: refugia gardens, rituals, communication and much more. We also get into a fun discussion on personalizing rituals like the "Sphere of Protection", how it differs from the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and nerd out on ritual magic.
#animism #ceremonialmagic #ritualmagic #ecospirituality #ritual #naturerituals #healingtheearth #earthenergy #landhealing

Mar 20, 2024 • 1h 32min
Ep. 146: Spring Forecast with ZamboniFunk: Aries Ingress, Eclipses, Jupiter-Uranus
Zamboni is back to break down the spring quarter astro-weather for us. We check out the Aries Ingress chart, look into the lunar eclipse on the 25th of March, the Great American Solar Eclipse of April 8th, the Jupiter Uranus conjunction, Jupiter moving into Gemini, and much more. There is a lot going on this quarter, and even just teasing out the implications of the Great Eclipse could be an episode, so I hope you enjoy it!
#astrology #eclipse #ariesseason #ariesingress #springforecast #astrologicalforecast #astrologypodcast

Mar 13, 2024 • 55min
Ep. 145: Denise Alvarado on Rootwork, Voodoo and Marie Laveau
In this episode we sit down with rootworker, healer, author and teacher Denise Alvarado about her new book "Marie Laveau's Voodoo Grimoire", talk about rootwork, New Orleans Voodoo, hoodoo, and dispel myths about who Marie Laveau was.
"Having grown up steeped in the rich cultural milieu of New Orleans, Louisiana, I've dedicated over four decades of my life to exploring indigenous healing traditions both personally and academically. My passion continues to be the preservation of the folkways of my culture of origin, and to the documentation of African, Black, and indigenous resistance fighters, and the study of quality of life in Native American populations.
My journey as a tradition keeper and healer began when I was five years old on a Mississippi bayou where my aunt introduced me to the mysteries of Spiritualism. In addition, my Catholic Creole culture of origin informs my work. To be Creole in New Orleans means our blood derives from Spanish, French, Indigenous, and African ancestry, or some admixture within, and with that comes the traditions of our ancestors. From their rich mélange of food, music, culture, and religions, we can find healing modalities and magickal works designed for empowered, resilient, and resourceful living. My goal has been to bring these forms of healing and empowerment to others for the benefit of our planetary family.
I am a proud member of the American Anthropological Association, the Association of Indigenous Anthropologists, and the Association of Latina/o & Latinx Anthropologists. After serving on the editorial board for the Journal for Social and Behavioral Sciences, I brought those academic skills and experience to Hoodoo & Conjure Quarterly, The Journal of American Rootwork, Gumbo Ya Ya, and the Hoodoo Almanacs. My journey has led me to pen over twenty books, including "Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits and Hoodoo Saints," "The Magic of Marie Laveau," and my latest work, "The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire."
Having been nurtured by my parents as an artist since birth, my ritual art has graced television screens in shows like National Geographic's Taboo, the Originals, and Blue Bloods. My work, whether in art or writing, echoes my roles as a rootworker, tradition-keeper, spiritual artisan, and guardian of the sacred wisdom of Southern folk magick and folkways."
#hoodoo #voodoo #conjure #rootwork #magicalherbalism

Mar 6, 2024 • 1h 7min
Ep.143: Bill Meridian on Eclipses, Financial Astrology and Uranian Planets
In this episode we take a deep dive into financial astrology and eclipse paths with esteemed astrologer Bill Meridian. We talk about his groundbreaking work "The Predictive Power of Eclipse Paths" where he builds on the research of astrologers Lorne Edward Johndro and Charles Jayne.
You can find his work at https://billmeridian.com/
Bill Meridian is a respected astrologer known for his expertise in financial astrology. Born in 1953, in the United States, Meridian has dedicated over four decades to the study and practice of astrology.
Meridian gained prominence for his groundbreaking work in applying astrological principles to financial markets, a discipline known as "astro-economics." He has authored influential books such as "Planetary Stock Trading" and "The Predictive Power of Eclipse Paths," offering investors and traders unique insights into market trends and investment strategies.
In addition to his contributions to financial astrology, Meridian is skilled in traditional astrological techniques, including horary and mundane astrology. He has conducted consultations worldwide, assisting individuals in gaining clarity on various aspects of their lives.
Through his writing, consulting, and teaching engagements, Bill Meridian continues to be a respected figure in the astrological community, admired for his expertise, accuracy, and dedication to advancing the field.
#eclipse #podcast #solareclipse #eclipseseason #eclipses #astrology #astrologer #uranian #predictiveastrology

Feb 28, 2024 • 52min
Ep. 142: Dr. Faith Mitchell on Hoodoo Medicine
In this episode we speak with Dr. Faith Mitchell about her groundbreaking study of Gullah/Geechee plant medicine "Hoodoo Medicine", and about the plants, people, and magic of the Sea Islands.
You can find her at: https://www.drfaithmitchell.com/
"I am blessed to have grown up close to the land and to be descended from people who over the generations never lost that connection. When I was a child, Black people were not writing about nature, so I turned to the rich wisdom of my American Indian ancestors. They were my first source of knowledge about healing plants. Then, when I was in college, I visited a Gullah/Geechee community for the first time and had the life changing experience of living with Black people whose lives were grounded in the rhythms and beauty of the Low Country. The natural world was an integral part of their history, stories, cuisine, and healing ways. It’s my honor to preserve some of their deep knowledge in Hoodoo Medicine.
When I first visited the Sea Islands very few people on Wadmalaw Island, where I lived, had telephones, cars, or even running water. I was stunned to come upon backwoods settlements that had changed very little in decades. But above all I was affected by the rich, fertile beauty of the Islands and by the strength and integrity of the families I met.
I soon discovered that the Sea Islands were as abundant in folk culture—ghost stories, animal tales, the Gullah/Geechee language itself—as they were in animal and plant life. However, the islands were already in transition, and it was clear that the Gullah/Geechee culture was under threat. These first experiences among the Gullah/Geechee people led me to a lifelong interest in African American history and culture, and a commitment to health and progressive social issues.
I have a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley and am currently a Fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington DC. I blog on health-related topics.
My supernatural thriller based on Geechee/Gullah history and customs is The Book of Secrets, Part 1. "
#hoodoo #plantmedicine #herbalism #herbalists #herbalmagic #magick #folkmagic #conjure #rootwork #rootworker

Feb 21, 2024 • 1h 2min
Ep. 142: John Michael Greer on the Five Tibetan Rites and the Golden Age of American Occultism
In this episode we interview John Michael Greer about his new book "The Secret of the Five Rites", where he delves into the hidden teachings of the popular form of exercise. We delve into the book it comes from, "The Eye of Revelation", the dangers of Kundalini awakening, the subtle energy body, how esoteric knowledge diffuses, changes and transforms over time and through cultures, the roots of the Tree of Life, the Golden Age of American occultism, and the strains of esotericism that fed it. Some of the figures we talk about include: Manly P. Hall, George Winslow Plummer, Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardner, The Fox Sisters, Max Heindel, Paul Foster Case, Yogananda, John Dee, William Lilly, and many more.
#esoteric #esotericknowledge #magick #podcast #occult #occultism #ocultpodcast #rosicrucian #spiritualism #americanhistory #kundalini #kundaliniyoga #kundaliniawakening #energybody #subtleenergy

46 snips
Feb 7, 2024 • 50min
Ep.141: The Ars Notoria with Matthias Castle
Learn about the medieval angelic magic of Ars Notoria and its connection to wisdom and knowledge. Discover the secrets of angel water, ritualistic tea ceremonies, and the historical figures like King Solomon and Apollonius of Tyana. Explore the magical text's influence on modern sciences and its place in the notorial art tradition.


