What Magic Is This?

Hoodoo is a name given (somewhat unwillingly) to a culture, tradition and inheritance that arose due to a very special circumstance. This was the intersection of Indigenous, African and European culture and beliefs that occurred in South Eastern America. There are many things which arose out of this circumstance such as a Botanical knowledge of the areas in which these peoples found themselves, a special kind of spirituality, and much much more. There are many concepts of Hoodoo which require closer investigation, and joining WMiT? to help in this regard is Author, Rootworker and creator of The Hoodoo Tarot- Tayannah Lee McQuillar!

One of the most popular and purchased Occult Books of the last 100 years, perhaps the most purchased Occult book ever- is The Kybalion. Purported to be the work of the Three Initiates and the transcendent knowledge of the sage of Hermeticism Hermes Trismegistus, the Kybalion is a text that for many has been their introduction into the world of the unknown and Occult. But is the Kybalion all that is says it is? Are there things about this text that need to be considered before and after one reads it? On this Episode of WMiT? we are joined by Nicholas Chapel, someone who has looked much much deeper at the Kybalion than most dare to.

What does it take to call oneself a "Witch" these days? Are there certain things one must do, things that need to be believed, practices that need to be practiced? Or has Witchcraft really become so egalitarian that pretty much anything goes? Most people's conceptions of witchcraft are fairly modern conceptions, and many of the stories about the History of the Witch are myths. Is this a good thing, a bad thing, or just the way things go inevitably? To help out and give some guidance and direction for where one's witchcraft should situate itself these days, WMiT? is joined by Author, blogger and Witch Emma Kathryn.

One of the most controversial and downright confounding figures of 20th Century Science and Psychotherapy, was Wilhelm Reich. It was Reich's conjecture that he had discovered a powerful force that pervades not only all life here on earth, but also the cosmos as well. Reich called it Orgone, and it was the primary, sexual force of life. His views and research however has been met with obloquy and derision at every turn. In this episode, I am joined by Dan Lowe to go through the life and ideas of this oft maligned, yet fascinating figure.

Without a doubt, one moment that pretty much everyone is in agreement is absolutely seminal to the Occult, is when in 1471 Marcilio Ficino published the Corpus Hermeticum which he had recently translated. This triggered an explosion within Esoteric thought at the time, but also still right up to today. Finally, Hermeticism was something we could point a finger at and say that it was important. Since the publication, Hermeticism has had its ups and downs, but one thing is for sure- it is not going away any time soon. In this concluding episode, Erik Arneson and Sam Block go through Hermeticism over the last 600 years.

One word which gets used everywhere and almost as a substitute for Esoteric Thought and Philosophy- is Hermeticism. But what exactly is it and how did it come about? Is it a religion? A Philosophy? What was it all about? Our understanding of Hermeticism through time has changed vastly, much of the obscurity has been cleared up only within the last 100 years. In this, the first of a Two-Part series, I am joined by Erik Arneson and Sam Block to get to the bottom of the birth of Hermeticism and what it meant as it was originally conceived.

Two words that are never far away in the english-speaking word are both "Satan" and "Satanism." While many have ideas as to what both represent, much of the obscurity has been lifted from the philosophical beliefs that make up Satanism. Although there were a few groups and people that we could say were Satanic before the 20th century, Satanism as we all know it now is less than 60 years old. Based around the ideas of one man in particular, since its inception Satanism and ideas of what Satanists get up to has never been out of the public imagination for too long.

Many people that approach Magic for the first time are doing so because they believe that Magic has the ability to change them, usually for the better. Self-Transformation has been both a part as well as an ambition for a vast amount of us, but how exactly does one go about it? Most of us feel stuck somehow, that there are things about us that we'd like to change. Can Magic help with this, or does turning to Magic for something transformative in a way miss the point? Joining in this discussion is the Host of Spirit Box Podcast, the always luminous Darragh Mason.

Beyond a doubt, the most listener requested show up to this point. Seemingly everybody has their own take on Sex Magic. And why not?! For something as personal and important as sex, particularly when applied to a ritual or spell-based context, the topic itself is one that draws fascination as well as controversy. In this wonderful episode of WMiT? we are joined by the always luminous Luxa Strata of Lux Occult Podcast to hash out as much as possible our understandings of Sex Magic as we can! You asked for it.

In recent years, more and more attention has been directed at a somewhat neglected tradition of Magic- The Cunning Folk. Otherwise known as White Witches, they were known for providing many functions and needs all over Europe for a time. Divination, blessing, curse-breaking, dreams, conjuring of spirits, potions and much more were just some of the tools in their magical arsenal. They fulfilled many roles for those whom they served, for a price of course. In this Episode of WMiT? we are joined by The Wise Woman of Bushwick Avenue, Aerinn Hodges!