The Witch Wave

Yugen Blakrok is a critically-acclaimed hip-hop artist who hails from the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Her occult-flavored rhymes draw from world mythology and an eclectic blend of various spiritual systems, while sounding entirely unique and future-forward. Her 2013 album, Return of the Astro-Goth caught the attention of musical maestros such as Chuck D, who makes a cameo appearance on her newest album, Anima Mysterium (2019). Many might recognize her from her blazing performance on the Black Panther soundtrack via the song “Opps” which she did in collaboration with Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples. Yugen has toured throughout South Africa and Europe, and has opened for hip-hop icons such as MC Lyte and performed alongside such legends as Public Enemy. Her music is a mix of sci-fi soundscapes, meditative melodies, and trip-hop beats thanks in large part to her collaborator, Kanif the Jhatmaster, who also makes an appearance during the interview.On this episode, Yugen discusses the occult elements of her songs, her lifelong quest to balance shadow and light, and how she’s used music as medicine during tumultuous times.Pam also speaks about the sacred practice of reconciling opposite forces for Spring Equinox, and answers a listener question about participating in a ritual to help with the coronavirus.Our sponsors for this episode are Ethereal Visions Publishing, Foxglove Pharm, BetterHelp, and Mithras Candle

Jessica Dore is a licensed social worker and tarot practitioner, teacher, and writer who is interested in using tarot cards to, as she puts it, “help people understand the interplay between internal and external life, and to behave flexibly and in alignment with what is most precious.” In other words, she uses tarot as a means for helping the mind and the spirit work in more interconnected ways. Jessica’s hugely popular Twitter and Instagram accounts and beautifully written newsletter all delve into both the psychological and magical meanings of the tarot, and in her tarot sessions, she seeks to support people during times of transition and stagnation. Her insightful, integrated approach to tarot as a therapeutic tool has been featured in such places as The New York Times, New York Magazine‘s The Cut, Teen Vogue, and on NPR’s Weekend Edition. And her writing has been featured in O Magazine, VICE, and Psych Central.On this episode, Jessica discusses how tarot can offer psychological revelations, the importance of synchronicity, and why spirituality is a crucial component to maintaining one’s mental wellbeing.Pam also talks about mystical methods that help settle the mind during anxious times, and answers a listener question about witchcraft and mental health.Content warning: While we don’t go into graphic detail, we do discuss mental health struggles and therapies, including very brief mentions of suicidal ideation and self-harm. Again, it’s not extensive, but if even reading those words is distressing for you, then you may want to skip this episode.Disclaimer: As stated throughout the episode, tarot is not therapy, nor is it a replacement for therapy. If you are struggling with your mental wellness, please consult your doctor or seek support from an official mental health resource such as the National Aliiance on Mental Illness (NAMI).Our sponsors for this episode are Altar New Orleans, Ethereal Visions Publishing, and Mithras Candle

Staci Ivori is an extraordinary circle leader and ritual facilitator for women and feminine folks throughout the world. Her mission has been to create brave and sacred spaces that foster growth and re-connection with one’s true essence of self. She teaches and leads workshops, moon ceremonies, and other magical gatherings, and she also an intuitive guide, tarot reader, reiki practitioner, and herbalist. In addition to all that she is a representative for the nonprofit organization Woman Within International. Though many of her circles and workshops take place in Brooklyn where she’s based, she can also be found teaching and holding space at such renowned gatherings as Spirit Weavers, Origins, and many many more.On this episode, Staci discusses how to cultivate magical community, the importance of shadow work, and how white witches can be better allies for witches of color.Pam also talks about Mercury retrograde, and answers a listener question about smoke cleansing rituals and appropriation.Our sponsors for this episode are Blessed Be Magick, Foxglove Pharm, and BetterHelp.

Chelsea Selby is the creative visionary and CEO of Witch Baby Soap, a witchy bath and body care company with a cult following. Her line of soaps, bath bombs, body creams, and spell boxes are infused with magical ingredients and adorned with magical symbols. Not only is Witch Baby Soap lauded and obsessed over via their online shop and their massive social media presence on Instagram and TikTok, but Chelsea recently opened the Witch Baby Soap store which one can visit in Cranford, NJ. Chelsea and Witch Baby Soap have been featured in such publications as Allure, WIRED, TeenVogue, and Bustle, and her beloved products sell out consistently as demand for the brand grows.In this conversation Chelsea discusses why she combined her love of alternative medicine, beauty, and witchcraft; her favorite bath magic and self-love spells, and how she’s a building an enchanting and compassionately-run and bath and beauty empire.Pam also talks about Valentine’s Day and the magic of roses, and answers some listener questions about how to bring some witchery to their upcoming wedding ceremonies.Our sponsors for this episode are Hag Swag, Mithras Candle, and BetterHelp

Benebell Wen is a writer and practitioner of many Western and Eastern esoteric systems including tarot, astrology, numerology, Feng Shui, and I Ching. She’s author of the books Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth and The Tao of Craft: Fu Talismans and Casting Sigils in the Eastern Esoteric Tradition. She’s also creator of the Spirit Keeper’s Tarot deck and her annual Metaphysician’s Day Planner, and she has also taught many classes on a plethora of occult topics both online and at such varied spaces as the Omega Institute, Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, and PantheaCon. In addition to all of that, she’s also a full-time lawyer.On this episode, Benebell discusses the ways one can work with the cosmic energies of 2020, how she balances her moonlighting magic with her corporate vocation, and her philosophy on bringing Eastern esoteric knowledge to a Western audience.Pam also talks about the integration of science and magic, and answers a listener question about conducting energy through her hands.Our sponsors for this episode are Blessed Be Magick, The Conjured Saint, Hag Swag, Mithras Candle, and HausWitch Home + Healing.

Augusten Burroughs is the author of many best-selling books and memoirs, including Dry, Magical Thinking, Lust and Wonder, and the literary behemoth, Running with Scissors. Despite his consistently confessional approach, Burroughs’s latest book, Toil & Trouble, explores a subject he had yet to broach: the fact that he identifies as a witch, and has been practicing witchcraft throughout his whole life. On this episode, he shares some of his spell casting techniques, discusses how magic has affected his marriage and career, and talks about why this newest book was the scariest one for him to write.Pam also talks about the concept of manifestation, and answers a listener question about casting spells with words vs. images.Our sponsors for this episode are The Magic Monday Podcast, Lindsay Mack’s Inner Voice course, Hag Swag, and Mithras Candle.

Dianca London is a writer whose articles about witchcraft, literature, and black occulture have appeared in such places as VICE, Bitch, Glamour, The Washington Post, Shondaland, SELF, Nylon, Electric Literature, and more, and her memoir PLANNING FOR THE APOCALYPSE is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster’s 37 Ink. She is a Kimbilio Fiction fellow, the former online editor of Well-Read Black Girl, and the former prose editor of Lit Magazine. She also teaches writing at The New School and Pratt Institute. On this episode, Dianca discusses the magic of her favorite poetry witches Audre Lorde and Lucille Clifton, the importance of shedding light on historical “outsiders,” and how she integrates Christianity and witchcraft in her spiritual life. Pam also talks about the balance of light and shadow during the winter holidays, and answers a listener question about how to tend to their inner garden. Our sponsors for this episode are The Sacred Space Conference and The Between The Worlds Conference, Cat Coven, and Mithras Candle.

Amanda Yates Garcia is a writer, artist, professional witch, who is also known as the Oracle of Los Angeles. Her book INITIATED: MEMOIR OF A WITCH has gotten glowing, starred accolades from places like Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Review, and she and her work have been featured in The New York Times, The LA Times, The Believer, CNN, and via a viral appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight. She has led classes and workshops on magic and witchcraft at institutions including UCLA, Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, The Hammer Museum, and The Getty, and she’s also the co-host of the beloved Strange Magic podcast. On this episode, Amanda discusses her own magical initiations, how she navigates the media as a public witch, and the ways she uses witchcraft to help transform creative blocks, personal struggles, and global challenges.Pam also discusses underworld journeys, and answers a listener question about feeling stuck in a spiritually draining job.Our sponsors for this episode are Blessed Be Magick, She Owl, and Mithras Candle.

Twin Temple bandmates – and real-life couple – Alexandra and Zachary James describe their music as Satanic Doo-Wop. Their classic 50s and 60s rock 'n roll sound is an irresistibly catchy contrast to their deliciously diabolical lyrics about witches, magic, sex, and liberation. As occult practitioners, Twin Temple also draw from their magical beliefs to create provocative and irreverent rituals on stage and on screen, and their albums have garnered praise from such outlets as VICE, NYLON, and The Los Angeles Times.On this episode, Twin Temple discuss how they use witchery to craft their music, why radical politics and magic are sexy bedfellows, and some lessons they’ve learned from the Dark Lord.Pam also discusses the historical relationship between witches and the devil, and answers a listener question about how to tame his shadow.Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, The Pretty Cult, Mithras Candle, HausWitch Home + Healing, and Lindsay Mack's Tarot for the Wild Soul.

Dorothea Lasky is a poet who has published five full-length collections of poetry including Milk, Thunderbird, and Rome and a new book of essays called Animal, as well as appearing in various literary journals and illustrious publications like The New Yorker, Paris Review, and American Poetry Review. She and Alex Dmitrov together are the Astro Poets, and their phenomenally popular Twitter account of poetic horoscopes and salty astrology insights has led them to writing the newly released book, Astro Poets: Your Guides to the Zodiac, as well as their own Astro Poets podcast.On this episode, Dorothea talks about slipping between the so-called “high” and “low” realms of poetry and astrology, the occult aspects of her writing, and the ways in which creativity can be a magical and revitalizing process.Pam also discusses other otherworldly poets and answers a listener question about how to utilize the magic of dreams.Our sponsors for this episode are Magic Monday and Mithras Candle.