Magick & Alchemy

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 her relationship to the dark side of love.Sources:Episode 92: Goddesses of Sex and WarEpisode 108: The Furies and HarpiesVenus and Aphrodite, Bettany HughesWhen God Was a Woman, Merlin StoneGoddesses in Every Woman, Dr. Jean BolenAphrodite - Theoi.com Peter KingsleySappho’s Ode to AphroditeKristin Chang Pynk by Janelle MonaeThe Barbie MovieValerie Steele, editor of the book “Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color” Join the Tamed Wild Coven!Subscribe to the Tamed Wild Quarterly Box - a quarterly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. Each box includes a seasonal workbook with 3 rituals, intention-setting guidance, astrological updates, and other helpful tools to help you harness the magick of the season.And sign up for the Book Coven - a digital subscription with weekly lives, reels, and discussions about witchcraft, tarot, herbs, business witchery, upcoming workshops, & the book of the month.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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 devotion in a digital world.Learn more about Shelby and her offerings on her website themoonincarolina.com or follow her story on Instagram @themoonincarolina.Sources:Applied Archetypal Astrology - Pacifica Astrology Planets in Play: How to Reimagine Your Life Through the Language of Astrology, Laurence Hillman Your Big Three, Andrea TaylorPlanetary Magick: The Heart of Western Magick, Phillips & Denning The Stars Within You, Julianna McCarthySaturn: A New Look at an Old Devil, Liz GreenAstrologer Riss CottrillGoddess Series: The Story of GaiaEpisode 45: Witchy Business with Shelby Bundy Shoutouts:Atro.comCafeastrology.comJoin the Tamed Wild Coven!Subscribe to the Tamed Wild Quarterly Box - a quarterly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. Each box includes a seasonal workbook with 3 rituals, intention-setting guidance, astrological updates, and other helpful tools to help you harness the magick of the season. And sign up for the Book Coven - a digital subscription with weekly lives, reels, and discussions about witchcraft, tarot, herbs, business witchery, upcoming workshops, & the book of the month.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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 Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo AudioSources: Women Who Run With the Wolves, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola EstesCat Call: Reclaiming the Feral Feminine, An Untamed History of the Cat Archetype in Myth and Magic, Kristin J. Solee Seasons of Moon and Flame, Danielle Dulsky"Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation," Silvia Federici “Feral Girl Summer is Coming,”  Roisin Lanigan“What is Feral Girl Summer?” - The Today ShowHow Girlboss Cannibals Slayed pop culture” - theface.comWhat Is Remembered Lives: Developing Relationships with Deities, Ancestors & the Fae,  LeFae and Parma “Walking,” Henry David ThoreauThe Holy Wild, Danielle Dulsky“How I Go Into the Woods,” Mary Oliver Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons,  Jane YolenCallimachus, Hymn 3 to Artemis 240 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) The Surprising Origin Story of Wonder Woman, Jill Lepore - Smithsonian MagazineShoutouts:Electric ForestAll-Star ComicsSensation Comics

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 Basilisk’s deadly gaze, foul breath, and aversion to rue. Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo AudioSources:The Book of Flowers Mysteries of the Dark Moon, Demetra George"Babylonian Story Of Bird-God Anzu ‘The Wise One’ And His Underworld Realm" - Ancient PagesLady of the Beasts, Buffy JohnsonSmithsonian Magazine - On the Trail of the Warsaw BasiliskNatural History, Pliny the ElderNew World Encyclopedia, The BasiliskThe Hammer of Witches, Malleus Maleficarum"Woman as Other: Medusa and Basilisk in Early Modern French Literature," Nancy M. Frelick The Witching Herbs, 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for your Magical Garden, Harold Roth

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 human. Believed to be angels or psychopomps, the Harpies reveal stories of vultures, ‘plucking,’ prophecy, and the magick of triplicity.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo AudioSources:Storytime: The Three Sisters of FateThe Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Barbara WalkerOvid’s Metamorphoses, Book 4Virgil's AeneidMysteries of the Dark Moon, Demetra GeorgeLady of the Beasts: The Goddess and her Sacred Animals, Buffy JohnsonThe Last Unicorn Shoutouts:Small Spells Deck by Tamed WildEpisode 104: Mothers of Monsters & Magick

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 came to live in the stars.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio.Sources:Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods & Heroes, Edith HamiltonMerriamWebster.com - Pan & PanicHistoryCooperative.org - Animal Spirits of Ancient GreeceA Dictionary of Symbols, J.E. CirlotThe Faerie Queens: A Collection of Essays Exploring the Myths, Magic and Mythology of the Faerie Queens, Sorita d’Este and David RankineArtemis : Virgin Goddess of the Sun, Moon & Hunt, Sorita d’EsteHomeric Hymn 19 to PanChani Nicholas on Chiron Shoutouts:Mythical Creatures Part 1:Episode 82: The Unicorn & the PhoenixEpisode 83: The Mermaid & the SidheEpisode 84: The Dragon, Gryphon, & Sphinx Episode 90: An Interview with Sophie StrandEpisode 60: Cannabis MagickEpisode 95: An Interview with Juliana McCarthy of Ethereal Culture

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, archetypal shapeshifters, tarot, and grief's capacity to unravel and reorient us within the sacred webs of life.Learn more about Mara June and their offerings via their website, motherwortandrose.com. Consider signing up for one of their upcoming workshops like Tears of the Gods: Flowers, Death, Grief, & Shapeshifting or Dream + Flower Magick for Grief Support. You can also follow them on Instagram @motherwortandrose, and sign up for their newsletter here.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio.Sources:Shapeshifters: A History,  John KachubaShoutouts:Shapeshifter Series: The RusalkiAnimal Symbology: The OctopusMythic Beasts & Beings: Selkie FolkKate Belew’s Bardo Writing School

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 the books that delivered ‘aha!’ moments.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio.Sources:Kate’s Books:Wise Child, Monica FurlongHealing Magic, Robin Rose BennettWomen Who Run with the Wolves, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola EstesKristin’s Books:Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess, Demetra GeorgeWitch, Christopher PikeJourney of Souls, Dr. Michael NewtonDestiny of Souls, Dr. Michael Newton Journeys out of the Body, Robert MonroeCaitlyn’s Books:The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess, StarhawkMysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess, Demetra GeorgeThe Treadwell’s Book of Plant Magick, Christina Oakley HarringtonUnder the Bramble Arch, Corinne BoyerCunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott CunninghamWitchcraft, TaschenAdditional Book Mentions:Seasons of Moon & Flame, Danielle DulskyWere Tales: A Shapeshifter Anthology, Jonathan Maberry, Eric J. Guignard, Stephanie Ellis, Catherine McCarthy, Gabino IglesiasThe Stars Within Us, Juliana McCarthyWitches of New York, Ami McKayIlana, Tamora PierceGrimoire for the Green Witch: A Complete Book of Shadows, Ann MouraEncyclopedia of Spells, Judika IllesShoutouts:Tamed Wild’s Book Coven - digital subscription!Episode 26: Art Magick MotherhoodEpisode 71: Nostalgia MagickEpisode 77: An Interview with Danielle Dulsky

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 witches. As the Titan of falling stars, it was Asteria who spurred nighttime divinations, oracular dreams, and astrology. In this conversation, they consider the mothers who exist beyond the confines of tradition, and how their stories shape ours.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio.Sources:Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes Musings of the Muses by Heather Vassalo, Callie Blackstone, Hailey Piper, Stephanie EllisLady of the Beasts: The Goddess and Her Sacred Animals by Buffie Johnson Theoi.comThe Homeric Hymn 3 to Delian Apollo 50 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) Hesiod’s TheogonyShoutouts:Episode 26: Art, Magick, & Motherhood with Caitlyn BaroneEpisode 27: The Mother Archetype

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 book Earth Medicines: Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera. To learn more about Felicia and her offerings, follow her on Instagram @feliciacocotzin, visit her website kitchencurandera.com, and order a copy of her book, Earth Medicines: Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio.