Spirit Box

In this episode of Spirit Box, I sit down with Gabriel, author of Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought Crimes of Robert Anton Wilson, for a deep dive into the wild and weird territory Wilson loved to inhabit—where Irish folklore, psychedelic exploration, and quantum physics intersect.Gabriel takes us into Wilson’s 1975 encounter with a Celtic Púca—part holy guardian angel, part mischievous trickster—and shows how this moment connects to his fascination with the “Celtic roots” of quantum theory. We get into William Rowan Hamilton’s strange mathematics that became essential to Schrödinger’s equation, the playful logic of the Irish language, and how Finnegans Wakesomehow helped name a subatomic particle.In The Plus Show Gabriel and I dig into Wilson’s spontaneous remote viewing experience that took place the exact same day the CIA’s Project Stargate psychics were in action. We also explore his magical practices, the Sirius connection, and his puckish dismantling of conspiracy culture.It’s a conversation that moves between myth and mathematics, with plenty of mischievous detours—very much in the spirit of Bob himself.Show notes:Gabriel Kennedy https://chapelperilous.usGet the book https://www.lulu.com/shop/gabriel-kennedy-and-douglas-rushkoff-and-grant-morrison-and-laura-kang/chapel-perilous/paperback/product-kvmj4v2.html?srsltid=AfmBOoojOH_J04aew2Q7N-jXvdL6A_HjRxLDdsMqSI4FIcYzN5L7phqL&page=1&pageSize=4Robert Anton Wilson: Talks About the Pooka. The Giant Rabbit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfKVaMO7QngThe Celtic Roots of Quantum Theory https://sites.google.com/site/onlymaybe/course-notes-and-syllabus/celtic-roots-of-quantum-theory?utm_source=chatgpt.comRAW books https://rawilson.com/books/?utm_source=chatgpt.comIngrid Cold. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indrid_ColdThe Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-SECRET-CIPHER-UfOnauts/dp/171864535XIngrid Cold phone call https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INtbv3cd1BADonnie Darko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZyBaFYFySkWoodrow Derenberger talks about his 1966 UFO sighting & encounter with a humanoid named Indrid Cold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP_NFPjgCXAThe Púca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PúcaWilliam Rowan Hamilton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rowan_HamiltonFinnegans Wake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnegans_WakeKeep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

In this episode of Spirit Box, I catch up with Aidan Wachter for a long overdue catch up on writing, magic, and what it means to stay human while the world feels like it’s cracking open.Aidan shares where he’s at with his latest book on animism — moving away from the old idea of manifesting stuff and into something deeper. He even talks about receiving guidance from on his walks, which, if you know Aidan, makes perfect sense.We dig into the weird pressure to have a book in print as some kind of spiritual badge of honour, and an indicator of having maxed out your practice which is rarely the case!We also talk about the messy association of magic and money — how people still expect quick wealth as proof that the magic works, when the reality is far more complex. From there, we drift into the state of things — how so many systems are failing and might shift radically in the next decade, and how we try to keep our heads and hearts intact through it all.In the Plus show, we share how we’re both finding community and mental balance these days. How changes that we've made have given benefits in kind. We discuss how the systems of Empire that are damaging people, and the quiet importance of self-reliance and local knowledge. It’s all part of the same question: how do we stay human, stay connected, and keep the spirit alive against the backdrop of a changing and volatile world?Show notes:https://www.aidanwachter.comhttps://www.patreon.com/c/aidanwachter/postsKeep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason

In this episode, I sit down with Sheer Zed for a deep and winding exploration of a life spent navigating the liminal spaces of Eastern philosophy, occult practice, and the hidden world of Thai tattoo magic.Sheer Zed shares how a childhood sparked by Zen stories, beat poets, and old Kung Fu shows led him into a lifelong fascination with Buddhism and the occult. From psychedelic journeys in London’s squat culture to Tibetan teachings in Los Angeles, his path has been anything but ordinary.We dive into Sheer Zed’s extraordinary experiences receiving Sak Yant — sacred tattoos given by Thai Ajarns (masters) — and the intense rituals that bind ink, mantra, and spirit into living magic. In the Plus show we go deeper still and he recounts vivid encounters with powerful teachers and possession by tiger spirits during ceremonies in Thailand, moments that transformed him forever.We also explore the rich, sometimes shadowy world of Thai amulets — from skull bones and protective spirits to the ethics of sourcing sacred objects that carry hidden histories.This conversation wanders through spiritual folklore, animism, Buddhism, and the occult, connecting them all through Sheer Zed’s firsthand stories.EnjoyShow notes:https://linktr.ee/SheerZedKeep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

Today we chat with wonderful Celeste Mott who has been chronicling her experiences with an online Anne Rice "vampire cult." to great acclaim. A talented writer, witch and storyteller Celeste takes us on a weird and wonderful ride into the strange world of stories bending our reality and 'inviting us' to participate and become characters in tales that envelope our lives. All of which is based on her real life account of being in an online vampire cult in the 2000s.We spent time dissecting the idea of narrative magic and how the stories we tell ourselves, and the ones we absorb or indeed are captured by, can lead to real-world changes and transformations. Celeste shared some really thought-provoking insights into how childhood experiences and archetypes stick with us, influencing our perceptions in profound ways.It was clear that her past, particularly those early online encounters, has given her a unique lens through which to view the world, blurring the lines between what's considered real and what might just be a powerful shared imagination. We also touched on her successful video content and how it ties into a broader cultural yearning for mysticism. It's not about proving anything, but rather understanding the human need for these kinds of narratives.In Plus section, we really go deeper into some of Celeste's thoughts on the dangers of Narrative magic and how these strange phenomena make you question the very nature of reality. Are we in some weird matrix where stories are the very building blocks of our reality and are storytellers the sometimes unwitting creators of our world. We get into the work of Anne Rice in more detail and other storytellers that bring 'currents' into the world like Grant Morrison, Clive Barker and H.P. Lovecraft and how the 'Meta' element seems to be play significant factor in the stories bleeding into our reality.Show notes:Start here for The Vampire cult videos https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIUGqpUOmpE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Celeste's website https://www.celestemott.comTik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@celestemothPatreon https://www.patreon.com/celestemottAnne Rice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_RiceInterview with the Vampire 1994 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCmYN6TLd8AInterview with the Vampire 2022 AMC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8Oysn9I9K8Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason

Today we are joined by Christopher Freeland for a captivating journey into the hidden world of Ireland's mysterious round towers and the ancient art of dowsing. A seasoned practitioner of radiesthesia, Christopher reveals his unique approach to dowsing as a technique to access, what he terms 'the collective consciousness', drawing on his experiences as a monk in India and his extensive research.This episode challenges conventional historical narratives, as Christopher proposes that the enigmatic round towers of Ireland weren't simply defensive structures against rampaging Vikings but sophisticated ancient technologies designed to harness natural energies. I was fascinated to learn about Christopher's groundbreaking research into the magnetic properties of these ancient stone structures and their surprising connection to agricultural abundance. Could these towers have been influencing plant and animal growth for millennia? It certainly gave me a lot to think about.In the Plus show we get into the practicalities of pendulum dowsing and his work in Spirit release. Christopher shared invaluable insights from his decades of experience, emphasizing the dedication required to master this powerful tool. He took through the "universal pendulum," a fascinating device connected to multiple frequencies. It was incredible to hear how dowsing can aid in spirit communication and energy healing.Show notes:Get the book https://www.innertraditions.com/mysteries-of-the-round-towershttps://radiesthesia.online/Irish Round Towers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_round_towerAughagower https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AughagowerUniversal Pendulum https://emeraldinnovations.co.uk/pendulums/universal-pendulumChiang Mai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_MaiDún Aonghasa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dún_AonghasaBrú na Bóinne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrnaBóinnPetrie Crown http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-crafts/petrie-crown.htmOther Dimensional Entities https://www.waterstones.com/book/other-dimensional-entities/christopher-freeland/9781916159709

In this episode of 'Spirit Box,' I sit down with the incredible Arden Leigh. A true polymath, they dive deep into how their chaos magic underpins their coaching and repatterning work, and how it all weaves into their music. They’re on a mission to help people transform their lives, and in this conversation, they’ll share how they use these powerful modalities to do just that.Arden opens up about their fascinating journey, starting with how they combined New Age principles with practical magic to transform their life after moving to Los Angeles. They dive deep into their repatterning project, a powerful method for shifting thought patterns and beliefs to manifest desired outcomes. We discuss their personal experiences with trauma, including hypnotic programming, and how they used both magical and mundane approaches to overcome these challenges, emphasizing the importance of taking control of your own mental programming.Arden also shares their unique career trajectory, from being a professional dominatrix in New York City to becoming a successful business coach. They reveal how past traumatic experiences, including being doxxed, led them to develop clearer boundaries and processes for client interactions.We explore their teaching philosophy, the value of community, and the crucial need for internal alignment before seeking external changes. We get into their profound realizations from experiences with cannabis and ayahuasca, and how these led to a deeper understanding of intentional living. We also share our thoughts on the distractions of modern society and the power of consistency in personal development.In the Plus section show, where we go deeper into these topics and discussing the direct results of sorcery targeted on the self.Show notes:https://therepatterningproject.com/https://www.facebook.com/arden.leighhttps://www.facebook.com/therepatterningproject/https://www.instagram.com/itsmeardenleigh/https://www.youtube.com/user/ardensirenshttps://open.spotify.com/artist/5UW2XTUKJm8srNxBZHyV5f?si=Vbf76f26SLy3CxdYzk0HDw&nd=1&dlsi=777862d922804ed8Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

Join me as I sit down with visionary musician, record producer, author and rock star, Rodney Orpheus, and author, historian and Occult legend, the great Phil Hine,We are talking about Rodney and Phil's incredible new book, "Delinquent Elementals". This anthology is a treasure trove of the 'Pagan News' zines from the 1980s, offering a unique glimpse into a vibrant community. Rodney and Phil, were the creative pairing behind Pagan News, share how their publication emerged from the thriving Leeds occult scene in the north of England to fill a crucial gap, focusing on local events and unifying diverse pagan voices long before the internet existed.We have a candid discussion about the infamous Satanic Panic of the 80s and 90s. Rodney and Phil recount the very real dangers they faced, from death threats to arson, and how their magazine became a vital tool for documenting this dark period in history. In the Plus show we'll explore their innovative use of desktop publishing, their unique approach to occult satire(including the hilarious Barry Hairbrush!), and the legal and logistical challenges of running a monthly magazine that reached thousands.Whether you're curious about the intersection between summoning Laser printers and modern paganism, the impact of the Satanic Panic, or just love a good story about community and defiance, this episode is a must-listen! More importantly the book "Delinquent Elementals" preserves a vital piece of occult history for future generations.Show notes:Delinquent Elementals from Strange Attractor: https://strangeattractor.co.uk/shoppe/delinquent-elementals/Phil's Blog https://enfolding.org/Phil's substack: https://philhine.substack.com/Phil's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/philh.bsky.social Rodney's site: http://rodneyorpheus.comRodney's insta: https://www.instagram.com/rodneyorpheus/?hl=enKeep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

In this episode, I'm joined by the prolific Tobias Churton—author, scholar, and one of the most insightful voices on Western esotericism and early Christianity. We open with his recent book The Books of Enoch Revealed, and from there, the conversation unfolds across a wide and fascinating terrain.Tobias breaks down the Enochic texts and their influence on Jewish mysticism, apocalyptic religion, and the foundations of early Christianity. We explore how the figure of Enoch shaped beliefs around sin, salvation, and the afterlife, and how Jesus' ministry can be reinterpreted through this powerful lens.In the Plus show, Tobias and I dive deeper into the metaphysical heart of the Enochian tradition, focusing on the figure of Metatron—God’s scribe, “Little Yahweh,” and the transformed identity of Enoch himself. We explore the radical implications of Metatron’s throne in heaven, his relationship to the “Son of Man” archetype, and how this connects to early perceptions of Jesus as a divine intermediary or even a returned Enoch.Tobias also expands on the cross-cultural evolution of heaven as both a theological concept and a political one. We touch on his forthcoming book, which maps the idea of heaven across history, geography, and belief systems—from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to mystical ascent in Kabbalah and Islamic cosmology.This episode is rich in historical insight, theological nuance, and unapologetic critique. Tobias brings the weight of scholarship, but also the fire of someone deeply passionate about preserving the sacred, the strange, and the profound. Show notes:https://www.tobiaschurton.comhttps://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781644119259https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-books-of-enoch-revealed-the-wicked-watchers-metatron-and-the-fruits-of-forbidden-knowledge-tobias-churton/21681258?ean=9781644119259Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

In this episode, I'm joined once again by the ever-brilliant Joshua Cutchin to discuss his latest book Fourth Wall Phantoms. This conversation is a deep dive into the fertile terrain between fiction and reality, where paranormal phenomena blur into imagination, archetype, and culture. He asks; What if stories were more than just stories? What if fictions came to life? What would that say about our greatest mysteries? What would that say about you?Joshua shares how this book was a cleansing act for him—an unapologetic exploration of how stories, symbols, and media shape and even generate anomalous experiences. We talk about everything from the dream-logic of high strangeness to the surrealist lens through which we might better understand UFOs, spirits, and cryptids.In the Plus show, Joshua notes a striking decline in classic alien abduction reports and explores how new kinds of contact experiences are emerging—ones that seem increasingly visionary, entangled with altered states of consciousness, and reflective of deeper shifts in cultural and psychic landscapes. We also touch on ideas that sit close to my own work: the transformative power of archetypes, the intoxicating grip of creative inspiration, and how folklore is not just a remnant of the past but an active force shaping our present. Joshua’s notion of spirits as stories—brought to life through belief, performance, and imagination—feels especially resonant here.The conversation ends with some potent reflections on the current state of storytelling in Western culture. Are we running out of myths? Is the imagination drying up—or are we standing at the threshold of something new?Show notes:Website & book https://www.joshuacutchin.com/fourth-wall-phantomsKeep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

In this episode of Spirit Box, I had the pleasure of speaking with folklorist and writer Scott Richardson-Read the brilliant mind behind Cailleach’s Herbarium. The focus of today's chat is Scott’s new book 'Mill Dust And Dreaming Bread, exploring Scottish folk belief & folk magic'. Together, we explore the deep roots of Scottish folk beliefs, looking at how animistic worldviews were layered over time with Christian, Norse, and Anglo-Saxon influence. Scott introduced me to the Gaelic concept of Dùthchas—the inherited right to place and belonging—and we discussed its significance in shaping Highland identity and political history. We also touched on the shared rhythms of Irish and Scottish Gaelic, the legacy of Alexander Carmichael and the Carmina Gadelica, and the enduring power of charms and spoken magic. One story that really stood out was that of St. Columba lending out his sacred book, only to burn it upon its return—a tale that sparked a discussion about healing, miracle-working, and the threads of folk magic that persist beneath the surface of Christianity. Through it all, Scott painted a vivid picture of a world where people lived in deep, reciprocal relationship with land, weather, ancestors, and the unseen. In the Plus show we ventured deeper into the mythic and cosmological territory of his book. We talked about the Three Worlds, the Primordial Twin, and how these ancient ideas mirror spiritual systems across the globe. We explored the notion of a pact between realms, the sacred nature of hospitality, and what it means to live in a world where everything is animate and interconnected. One of the most fascinating parts of the Plus Show was our discussion on the origins of spoken healing charms—those poetic, potent utterances passed down through families to stop bleeding, mend bones, or ward off illness. Scott spoke beautifully about how these charms carry ancestral knowledge, and I shared stories of people I know who still use them today. We also talked about the Cailleach, the powerful old woman of Gaelic tradition—part ancestor, part deity—who shapes weather and land and who remains a potent figure in both lore and personal practice. Scott spoke about how the Cailleach features in his work and how she represents the deep animism and ecological awareness at the heart of Scottish folk cosmology. We closed our conversation reflecting on the deep-time resonance of folklore—from the Milky Way as the Path of the White Cow to the sacred symbolism of rivers, straw, and cows. This wasn’t just a discussion about stories; it was about remembering who we are, where we come from, and how we might live again in right relationship with the world around us. Show notes:Get the book: https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/sample-page/shop/book/mill-dust-and-dreaming-bread-limited-special-edition/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaftMzheNukHpulzhH64G-Mln_jBm74bDGZYS1g-bIZh1LuZP_COI6SzSnp1Sg_aem_UdtHrClZcQ2j4aUkPomT-QScott's instagram https://www.instagram.com/cailleachsherbarium/Tigh na Bodach https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/2018/01/the-cailleach-scotlands-midwife-tigh-na-bodach/The Three Realms https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/2023/11/scottish-cosmology-of-the-three-realms/St Columba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColumbaCailleach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CailleachBodach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BodachDonn Dubh