Spirit Box

In January 1959, ten experienced young skiers set out for Mount Otorten in the far north of Russia. While one of the skiers fell ill and returned., the remaining nine lost their way and ended up on another mountain slope known as Kholat Syakhl (or ‘Mountain of the Dead’).    On the night of 1 February 1959 something or someone caused the skiers to flee their tent in such terror that they used knives to slash their way out. Search parties were sent out and their bodies were found, some with massive internal injuries but with no external marks on them.    The autopsy stated the violent injuries were caused by ‘an unknown compelling force’. The area was sealed off for years by the authorities and the full events of that night remained unexplained. Using original research carried out in Russia and photographs from the skier's cameras, author and researcher Keith McCloskey joins us today to explore  what happened to the nine young people who lost their lives in the mysterious ‘Dyatlov Pass Incident’.   All of the known negatives taken from the group’s cameras were examined in great detail. What they show is that not only were the group present on Mountain of the Dead that last night, but they were also watching something that was going on in the night sky.  Keith also discusses the Mansi, the tribes people of the area, their spiritual beliefs and folklore and how they fit into the mystery.   In the plus show Keith discusses the occurrences of lights in the sky in the area including meteors and how the bodies gave off traces of radiation and what he believes this to indicate. Theories of KGB involvement. Show Notes: http://www.dyatlov-pass-incident.com https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Dead-Dyatlov-Pass-Incident/dp/0752491482/ http://www.keithmccloskey.com https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9249247/Dyatlov-Pass-Eight-tourists-missing-Russia-nine-people-mysteriously-died-1959.html Keep in touch? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spiritbox TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox PODCAST - https://anchor.fm/spirit-box Music by Obliqka

For episode 51 we welcome author, landscape punk and creator of Hookland and AvalonCon speaker David Southwell.    As some of you know Spirit Box is the official podcast of AvalonCon and David is the first in the series of guests that will be appearing on the show in the run up to the event.   This was a fascinating conversation and one I greatly enjoyed. David traced the creative origins of Hookland back to sharing a taxi with J G Ballard through to the developed concept providing a magical perspective on the landscape as an act of a re-enchantment.    We also discuss Hookland’s function as a resistance to fascist claims on folklore. From there we go into David's childhood, growing up in Essex, being a 7 year old necromancer and the Southern TV interruption incident in 1977.   In the Plus show we discuss the Usborne supernatural books that had a big influence on us both and the haunted hotel in Glastonbury where a lot of the AvalonCon attendees are no doubt staying. We touch on David’s time as an end of pier fortune teller, classism in the Occult and much more.   Show Notes: Hookland: https://twitter.com/HooklandGuide David’s twitter: https://twitter.com/cultauthor   AvalonCon: https://avaloncon.uk Keep in touch? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spiritbox TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox PODCAST - https://anchor.fm/spirit-box Music by Obliqka

Mana Aelin is a shadowsinger, artist, intuitive reader, otherwordian traveler, witch, and cemetery walker. Hailing from the depths of the Underworld, Mana often finds themselves connecting with wolfish creatures of this plane and others, baneful plants, and those who live in constant liminality. Mana hosts the brilliant “The Real Witches of the End Times,” a podcast where magick and paranormal folk share their stories for an audience of not-just-witches, living people, or humans. A fun and interesting show we chat about the trials and tribulations of starting your own podcast, imaginary friends, spirit portraits and developing a relationship with a fae entity. We discuss the parallels in our own journeys and how travel thins the veil between worlds. There was also a very weird occurrence in that I seemed to know exactly what Mana was going to say on several occasions! In the Plus show we get into more details around Mana's experience's with the Fae being and her travels in Ireland so sign up to the Spirit Box Patreon if you'd like to hear that. Show notes: Mana’s website: https://www.mothmana.com Mana’s twitter: https://twitter.com/ManaAelin Mana’s patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mothmana Support the show: TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox PAYPAL - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/dmfphoto MUSIC - Obliqka

For episode 49 we are joined by author Anthony Tyler to discuss his book ‘Dive Manual, Empirical Investigations of Mysticism’.’ We discuss addiction, Jungian archetypes and psychology, fortean phenomena, mysticism, anthropology, mythology, folklore, symbolism, faith and most importantly belief. In the Plus show we discuss the work of author Clive Barker, I’m a huge fan. I saw Hellraiser when I was about 14, really too young to watch it and I didn’t really understand the themes but it still resonated with me on a primal level I guess. We go over Anthony’s thinking on the film and Barker's broader work. Show Notes: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dive-Manual-Empirical-Investigations-Mysticism-ebook/dp/B084R8PTYW https://www.divemind.net https://twitter.com/divemind667 Support the show: TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox PAYPAL - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/dmfphoto MUSIC - Obliqka

For episode 48 we are joined by astrologer Demian Allan to discuss the forecast for 2021. This was recorded on the 3rd of January and it’s interesting recording this intro on the 9th to see what has recently happened in the United States. We discuss when things are going to get better, revolution, our relationship with food and the parts of the year that will be more challenging. We also go over when travel will open up again. Demian has just started a YouTube channel so do check that out, the links are in the show notes. In the Plus section we get into the challenges across Autumn and Winter. Show notes: Demian’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-oZaKXct07R8iVAUMgVq6Q Demian’s website: https://www.demianallan.com

For episode #47 we welcome back author Phil Hine to take us through his research into the opaque yet notorious Cannibal Club, a collection of British upper class victorian men who shared an interest in anthropology and the creation and collection of erotica. The podcast covers a range of subjects from obscure esoteric history to how India appears in Victorian erotica to the case for phallic worship as the root of religion. To give fair warning the show does touch on some difficult ideas from an historical context principally the racist and sexist ideas of the more deplorable members of the Club and the influence these ideas had on anthropology. We briefly discuss Phil’s excellent anthology ‘Hines Varieties’ which I highly recommend. The link for which you can find in the show notes. Show notes: Phil’s twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilH86835657 Hine’s Varieties: http://www.originalfalcon.com/hines-varieties.php Phil’s website: http://enfolding.org Treadwells Lectures: https://www.treadwells-london.com/lectures Support the show: TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox PAYPAL - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/dmfphoto MUSIC - Obliqka

For episode #46 it’s my great pleasure to welcome Mr Devin Hunter.  Devin is the bestselling author of the Witch Power Series and is the creator of ModernWitch.com (Podcast, Blog, Magazine), as well as a professional psychic medium and occultist.  He is part owner of The Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, CA, and an initiate of multiple occult orders, including his own, Sacred Fires and is the cofounder of the Black Rose Tradition of Witchcraft. He has been featured in multiple publications and is a frequent presenter and keynote at conferences, and festivals throughout the US.    We talk about the formative psychic experiences that led him down his path. We discuss how his witchcraft is unique to him but how one's journey or ‘The lonely road’ as he calls it is something we all will undertake if we’re called to this territory. He outlines how we must honour our individual experiences and not always try to rationalise things from a left brain perspective. That the goal should be to balance both the left and right sides of our brains  Devin gives his view of a crystal I picked up many years ago (check out the show art). And in the Plus show we get into crystals in some depth and the forces found within the crystal types, the Devas and the Dragon a subject he goes into in his upcoming book.   Show notes: Devin’s twitter: https://twitter.com/MrDevinHunter The Modern Witch: http://modernwitch.com   Devin’s website: http://devinhunter.net Support the show: TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox PAYPAL - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/dmfphoto

For episode #45 we welcome Pierre Sabak. He is an expert on ancient symbolism and etymology and is widely recognized as a leading academic in the fields of religion, mythology, mysticism and the esoteric. New Ufology is the Study of Occult Symbolism to deconstruct the Ufological tradition, a restricted teaching equated with the Flying Saucer and its occupants (a Crewmember of a Vessel). A completely new field of research, the focus of New Ufology is Skaphology (the Study of Angelic Boats within Religion and Mythology). Pierre Sabak's work on the Saucer Cults details a Secret Alien Code within Language which he calls the Artefact, one that is identified archaically with the ‘Angelic Sailor’ and its human and non-human Hosts. Sabak contends that it is only through studying the occult tradition that we can truly comprehend the UFO phenomenon, its astrological origins and more importantly its intentions for mankind!  -  to that end, what are its intentions for  mankind? Quite a bit to unpack there and some interesting twists and turns from the regular themes on this show. Which is good. No one and no system has all the answers so it is important to get off the map sometimes. Enjoy Show notes: Pierre's website: https://pierresabakbooks.com Pierre's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu_MHVgfRQoYuK1fMSHt0cQ Support the show: TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox PAYPAL - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/dmfphoto

For episode #44 we welcome my creative partner in the creation of the Sigil Engine, creative technologist and photographer David Tidman. In the show we go through the how the project came about and unpack the creative and esoteric concepts behind the engine. We breakdown how the project was technically approached and the challenges that arose from attempting to create a magickal tool via digital methods. We discuss what people are using it for, how the engine has a global user base and what's next for the project. The fundamental question is 'does it work?'. The first ever sigil created on the live tool was for a successful launch and in roughly10 days there were 100k sigils created and we're currently closing in on 150k. It was so successful we had to upgrade the server. So 'does it work?', time will tell for users, but it worked for us. Incidentally the project had a little write up on Boing Boing. In the patrons plus show we discuss our photographic work and reflect on a few of our mountain adventures over the years. Show Notes: https://www.sigilengine.com http://davidtidman.co.uk http://davidtidmanphotography.co.uk https://twitter.com/Tids__ https://avaloncon.uk https://boingboing.net/2020/12/02/digital-sigil-generator.html Keep in touch? TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/c/DarraghMasonField Music by Obliqka

For episode 43 I have the great pleasure of welcoming back Dana Fox to discuss his new project ‘The Valley of the Four Houses’ Firstly, it’s the name of the book he’s writing. Secondly, it’s the name of an ongoing series of talks and lectures he’s giving on Patreon.  The talks encompass film reviews, but not in the usual way. Dana present’s theories about particular films. It’s experimental. It’s a type of magic. The magic for me is learning to discount nothing, to see tiny hints of something which might lead you in an unexpected direction.  Links as always in the show notes.   In the show we cover all of the above and we talk about some of the paranormal subject matter, magick, philosophy and some rare and tragic cryptids.  There were some audio issues during the recording so there is some background noise in places but nothing too unbearable.   Show Notes: http://www.Patreon.com/valleyofthefourhouses http://www.sigilengine.com Keep in touch? TWITTER - https://twitter.com/spiritbox3 SUPPORT - https://www.patreon.com/spiritbox YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/c/DarraghMasonField Music by Obliqka