Magick & Alchemy

Episode 184: Sacred Words

In episode 184 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew kick off season seven! Magic practitioners know that words are spells. That's why we set intentions and recite prayers, study old myths and fairy tales, and petition the spirit word for guidance. In this conversation, they begin with the origins of open sesame and hocus pocus, speaking about the sacredness of words. Next, they discuss invocations and the power of speaking aloud, and the mysterious origins of abracadabra. Sources & Shoutouts: Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics by Starhawk The Harvest Moments and History of Sesame Seeds Around the World The Paris Review: Open Sesame In Babylon They Believed in a Mixture of Honey and Sesame Seeds The Pagan Origins of Three Catholic Practices The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker A Candle in the Dark by Thomas Ady Mithraism The Witch’s Art of Incantation by Roger J. Horne Magic Maker by Pam Grossman Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra The Ancient and Mysterious History of Abracadabra Lady Gaga Tells Us Everything You Want to Know About Abracadabra After That Spectacular Grammys Reveal Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

• Transcript

Episode 183: Harvest Magick

In episode 183 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew head to the harvest time fields to summon the haunts and cryptids of our reaping season. They begin with the Headless Horseman, a fictional rider with possible ties to Crom Cruach, the Dullahan, and other ancient spirits from Irish folklore. Next they meet the Puca, a trickster, shapeshifter, and faerie spirit who watches over our crops in exchange for a “puca’s share” of the harvest. Lastly, they share some strange, seasonal superstitions related to Poludnica, the Polevik, and the Feldgeister. Sources & Shoutouts: Episode 114: Tales of the Corn Episode 137: Autumn Magick “Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland” by Thomas Crofton Croker “Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry” by W.B. Yeats “Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving "The Sagen Tale," Brothers Grimm "The Wild Huntsman," Brothers Grimm Crom Cruach – The Dark Irish Pagan God of Sacrifice and Stone, Paul Sheldon The Puca - Wilderness Ireland Monster of the Week: The Poludnica Polevic - Book of Creatures Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 182: Mothers of Magic & Matriarchy with Perdita Finn

In episode 182 of Magick & Alchemy, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby welcome back Perdita Finn to the podcast. Perdita is an author, educator, and co-founder of the feral fellowship, The Way of the Rose. In this conversation, Perdita talks about channeling the old ones and working with our beloved dead in the spirit world. She contemplates romantic animism and asks, if your mother was an animal, what animal would she be? Perdita also introduces us to her new book, Mothers of Magic: Summoning the Wisdom of Our Ancestors. To connect with Perdita, visit her website, subscribe to her Substack, follow her on Instagram, and order her latest book, Mothers of Magic: Summoning the Wisdom of Our Ancestors. Sources & Shoutouts: Episode 104: The Mothers of Monsters and Magic Episode 136: Asteroid Astrology with Empress of Atlantis Episode 128: Spring Magick “The Dead Need to Speak,” Perdita Finn Goliath’s Curse, Luke Kemp Ancient Mirrors of Motherhood, Merlin Stone The Salt King, Natasha Pulley The Other Side, Jennifer Higgie Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 181: Animal Oracles: The Bat & the Crocodile

In episode 181 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew celebrate the end of their 6th season alongside Animal Oracles, the bat and the crocodile. Beginning with the bat, a creature that roosts in caves, on cliffsides, and within the hollows of trees, Kristin discusses the bat’s relationship to thresholds, mythical junctures, and initiatory landmarks. She highlights its connection to vampires and libraries, and how bats ‘see’ using echolocation. Next, Kate explores crocodile folklore and mythology. She contemplates crocodile deities like Sobek and Ammit, their influence on fertility and the heart, and the quiet ferocity of this primordial creature. Sources & Shoutouts: Episode 161: Hecate with Melissa Madera Episode 162: Word Witch with Kate Belew Episode 163: Something in the Woods Loves You with Jarod K. Anderson Episode 172: Creative Magick with Shelby Bundy & Amanda Paulson Dionysos: Exciter to Frenzy, Vicki Bramshaw Energy Magick of the Vampire, Don Webb “Echolocation is nature’s built-in sonar. Here’s how it works,” Liz Langley - National Geographic “These Portuguese Libraries Are Infested With Bats—and They Like It That Way,” Julie H. Case - Smithsonian Magazine Taschen’s Book of Symbols The Rise of Sobek in The Middle Kingdom by Maryan Ragheb from the American Research Center in Egypt Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum Ammit - Egypt Museum Back From the Brink - PBS Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 180: Animal Oracles: The Octopus & the Dolphin

In episode 180 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby continue their series on animal oracles with the octopus and the dolphin. They begin with the eight-limbed octopus, a creature known as the sea alien. As a symbol of the strange, not only can the octopus alter the color and texture of its body on command, but it also uses tools, solves puzzles, and can escape from seemingly impossible spaces. Like the octopus, the dolphin is a liminal being, moving between shallow waters and deep, oceanic depths. Dolphins are considered our ‘brothers of the sea,’ delivering messengers of joy, friendship, and creation. Sources & Shoutouts: Tamed Wild Beltane Retreat 2027 “The Mind of an Octopus,” Scientific American “A Dictionary of Symbols,” J. E. Cirlot “Octopus Legends and Urban Myths,” PBS “Breverton’s Phantasmagoria: A Compendium Of Monsters, Myths And Legends,” Terry Breverton “Sea monsters and their inspiration: Serpents, mermaids, the kraken and more,” Natural History Museum Dolphin Communication Project Dolphins in Ancient Mythology, PBS “The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images,” Taschen Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 179: Animal Oracles: The Fox and the Deer

In episode 179 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby track the footprints of animal oracles, beginning with the fox and the deer. Assigning meaning to animal sightings and chance interactions is called apantomancy, a form of divination with the wild. Through the lens of apantomancy, the fox might show up as a friend or foe, a fairy or a goddess. The fox is also a shapeshifter, much like its friend, the deer. Deer are ancient symbols of inspiration and creativity, and in folk stories and lullabies, they initiate humans into a realm of ancient magic. Sources & Shoutouts: Mr. Fox, Helen Oyeyemi Season 4, Episode 127: Trickster Tales Bones & Honey: A Heathen Prayer Book, Danielle Dulsky The illustrated database of Japanese folklore Kitsune: Japan's Fox of Mystery, Romance and Humor, Kiyosho Nozaki The Age of Deer, Erica Howsare National Geographic Lady of the Beasts, Buffy Johnson Bainne nam fiadh (Deer’s Milk) We are Deer Kin - Missing Witches Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 178: Women in Art & the Occult: Mary Wigman & Louise Bourgeois

In episode 178 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew conclude their series on Women in Art & the Occult by sharing the stories of Mary Wigman and Louise Bourgeois. As a dancer, Mary Wigman was an artist whose medium was not paint nor pen, but movement. She was the creator of the "Witch Dance," a performance that transformed her into a fluid, intuitive conduit of magic. Louise Bourgeois was a sculptor who considered her art a form of divination and a means of emotional restoration. She is most known for her spider sculptures, which she saw as symbols of resilience, feminine power, creativity, and independence. Bourgeois allowed her mind to wander while creating (a process she called ‘gathering wool’), letting "thought traces, fragments of dreams, idols, speculations, hunches, and intuitions" coalesce into art. Sources & Shoutouts: Tethered: An Anthology of Magic “Re-reading Mary Wigman’s Hexentanz II (1926): the influence of the non-Western ‘Other’ on movement practice in early modern ‘German’ dance,” Lito Tsitsou and Lucy Weir Monte Verita Witch Dance - YouTube Stephando Mudo - La Biennale di Venezia “Imagination is the Medium,” Literary Coven “Breathing Back the History of German Modern Dance through the Horror Film Genre in Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria,” Wesley Lim “The Language of Dance,” Mary Wigman Louise Bourgeois - Gathering Wool “Surrealist Threads in Louise Bourgeois’ Work,” Essie King “Louise Bourgeois: The Woman Behind The Spider Sculptures,” Essie King “The Damned, the Possessed and the Beloved: About Art, Architecture and Witchcraft” Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 177: Women in Art & the Occult: Stevie Nicks & Florence Welch

In episode 177 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew consider the bewitching work of Stevie Nicks and Florence Welch. Standing at the crossroads of music, magic, and mystery, Kate and Kristin explore Rock & Roll’s occult muses before diving into Nick’s journey as a singer and performer. They discuss the inspiration for her first hit song with Fleetwood Mac, “Rhiannon,” which Nicks explains “is a song about an old Welsh witch.” Kate and Kristin also discuss Florence Welch, a songstress who compares witchcraft to medicine. They contemplate the creation of her band, Florence and the Machine, Welch’s Witch Choir, and share some of the enchanting lyrics penned by this word witch. CW: Miscarriage Sources & Shoutouts: Tamed Wild Samhain Retreat - October 2026 10th House Rising Classes & Community "It was if Merlin himself could not have concocted a spell more perfect": how Stevie Nicks turned to mythology to conjure up Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon,” Bill Demain “Stevie Nicks on Love, Loss and What She Wears,” Holly George-Warren - More Magazine Florence Welch - Britannica ‘The closest I came to making life was the closest I came to death’: Florence Welch on sexism, screaming and the lost pregnancy that nearly killed her, Rebecca Nicholson - The Guardian “For Florence Welch, Grief Has Become A Superpower,” Sarah Cristobal - L’Officiel “The Pagan Heart of Florence + The Machine,” Angelica Frey - JSTOR “Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poetry,” Florence Welch Paris Paloma, Labour Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 176: Women in Art & the Occult: Ithell Colquhoun & Lucille Clifton

In episode 176 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew explore the creative lives of Ithell Colquhoun and Lucille Clifton. Colquhoun was an artist and author who combined surrealism with her interest in bodily landscapes, gender fluidity, ecology, mythology, transient states, and erotic alchemy. Both Colquhoun and Clifton believed their artistic practices were forms of divination and ways to connect with the spirit world. Clifton engaged with Ouija and ‘spirit writing’ to inspire her poetry, which focused on history, the African American experience, Blackness, and the Black body. She believed that the purpose of poetry and art was not to reveal answers but to ask questions. Sources & Shoutouts: The Myth of Apollo and Clytie The Quest - Journal Archives The Quest Society “Ithell Colquhoun: A queer, occultist artist who created between worlds,” Isabella Greenwood Art Historian Katy Hessel “A Diagram of Desire, Androgyny, Queer Eroticism, and the Occult Visions of Ithell Colquhoun,” Isabella Greenwood First Look: Ithell Colquhoun: Between Worlds Dawn Ades, ‘Notes on Two Women Surrealist Painters: Eileen Agar and Ithell Colquhoun’, Women in Art 3, no. 1 (1980) Scylla (1938) Alchemical Figure: Androgyne (1941) Diagrams of Love (1940) About Lucille Clifton - Poets.org "Won’t You Celebrate With Me," Lucille Clifton “Spirit Writing, Body Problems: Lucille Clifton’s Faith” “The Spirit Writing of Lucille Clifton,” Marina Magloire Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 175: Women in Art & the Occult: Georgie Yeats & Sylvia Plath

In episode 175 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby continue their series on Women in Art & the Occult, dedicating this chapter to Georgie Yeats and Sylvia Plath. Georgie was an author and medium whose journey with automatic writing began during her honeymoon with the poet and author W.B. Yeats. Over the next decade, she channeled messages from spirits who called themselves the “Instructors,” producing 50 notebooks and thousands of pages of writing and geometric designs on the occult nature of reality. Meanwhile, fellow author and mystic Sylvia Plath preferred the Ouija board to communicate with the spirit world. Although she was fiercely private about her magical interests, she relied on astrology, ‘homemade talking boards,’ and tarot cards as tools to guide her pen. CW: Mention of Suicide Sources & Shoutouts: W.B. Yeats - Wikipedia A Vision, W.B. Yeats “The Vision of W.B. Yeats,” Gary Lachman “Yeats and the Golden Dawn: Occult Poetry and Automatic Writing,” Nicole Lau “The Tower,” W.B. Yeats “Exploring The Occult Sylvia Plath,” Kalenna Fraga “The Haunting Story Of How Sylvia Plath Died And The Tragic Events That Led Up To It,” Kaleena Fraga “Uncovering Sylvia Plath,” Emanuela Borgatta Dunnett Magic Maker, Pam Grossman The Occult Sylvia Plath, Julie Gordon-Bramer “Sylvia Plath And The Occult,” Terri-Jane Dow “How Black Magic Killed Sylvia Plath,” - The Guardian Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 174: Women in Art & the Occult: Hilma af Klint & Vali Myers

In episode 174 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew delve into the creative lives of magical women for their new series, Women in Art & the Occult. They open with the story of Hilma af Klint, a Swedish artist who explored Spiritualism, mediumship, automatic drawing, and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner and Madame Blavatsky in her work and creative process. Kate and Kristin also discuss Vali Myers, a bohemian artist known as the Witch of Positano. Vali was a maker and a muse, a painter and a tattoo artist, who was compared to the goddesses Artemis and Diana for her close relationship with animals and mountains, and for her wild nature. Sources & Shoutouts: Episode 144: Wyrd Women, Pt. 2 New Moon Magic, Amy Torok & Risa Dickens Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, Pam Grossman Paintings for the Temple, Guggenheim, New York “The Strange Afterlife of Hilma af Klint, Painting’s Posthumous Star,” Alice Gregory The Spiral Dance, Starhawk Just Kids, Patti Smith A Lesson in True Bohemianism with the Witch of Positano Bohemian like you: Vali Myers the Witch of Positano Everything Shines in the Darkness: Sheldon & Diane Rochlin's Vali, The Witch of Positano - YouTube Inside the remote Italian home of Australia’s bohemian high priestess Photos: Revisiting Love on the Left Bank - Vanity Faire Florence Welch on feminism, depression, fame Vali Myers, the Witch of Positano - Tumblr Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 173: Eclipses

In episode 173 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew investigate the folklore, superstitions, and astrological significance of eclipses. Beginning with the myriad of eclipse mythologies from around the world, they consider the stories of monstrous Apep and heavenly Selene. They contemplate eclipses as omens, bolstering agents for medieval magicians, and course correctors for modern spellcasters. They also highlight the influence of these celestial phenomena on earth-dwellers, and how they deliver stories, guidance, and path-aligning magic. Sources & Shoutouts: Small Spells Deck by Tamed Wild Episode 128: Spring Magick History of Eclipses - NASA Moon Lore, Timothy Harley “Behold Rahu, the Beheaded Asura, and Other Eclipse Monsters of Yore,” Robert Lamb Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, John Ayto “Surprising facts and beliefs about eclipses during medieval and Renaissance times,” Sandra Knispel Carl Jung, Letter to Horst Scharschuch, 1 September 1952, Letters, Vol. II Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, Robb Breszny “Totality,” Anne Carson Chani Nicholas California Academy of Sciences supervisor Elise Ricard Doug Duncan, director of the Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado, Boulder The Astrology Podcast, Episode 215 Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 172: Creative Magick with Shelby Bundy & Amanda Paulson

In episode 172 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew welcome back Shelby Bundy and Amanda Paulson! Shelby Bundy is the visionary and creatrix behind Tamed Wild, where modern magick meets ancient wisdom, and Amanda Paulson is a paranormal investigator and psychic medium based in the Pacific Northwest. In this conversation, the coven discusses the crossroads of magick and creativity, highlighting their literary muses and current works in progress. They talk about different writing methods and rituals, finding inspiration in unlikely places (bogs), and the areas of their craft they plan to explore more in depth. To connect with Shelby, visit her website, subscribe to her Substack, and follow her on Instagram @themoonincarolina. To learn more about Amanda, visit prettyfnspooky.com, look for her on Substack, and follow her online @prettyfnspooky. Sources & Shoutouts: Barabra G. Walker's recommended reading list Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975) - YouTube Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 171: Creative Magic with Charlie Claire Burgess

In episode 171 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby interview Charlie Claire Burgess. Charlie is a queer and trans-nonbinary author and artist working at the intersection of spirituality and queerness. In this conversation, they discuss queer deities, word witchery as devotion, tugging on the threads of stories, and working with fantasy as a portal. Charlie gives advice on embracing the words "Word Witch" or "writer," and also speaks about creative rituals. They discuss tarot, the card of the year for 2026, and the importance of knowing how to fall and how to get back up to fight again. To learn more about Charlie, visit their website, follow them on Instagram and Substack, and find their latest books and decks here. Sources & Shoutouts: Queer Devotion: Spirituality Beyond the Binary in Myth, Story, and Practice, Charlie Burgess The Gay Marseille Tarot “Learning How to Fall: Or, How Getting Relentlessly Thrown on My Ass Helped Me Learn to Love the Wheel” - Queerly Devoted Substack Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 170: Creative Magic with Sanyu Estelle

In episode 170 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew interview Sanyu Estelle. Sanyu is an author, artist, and Word Witch whose work challenges supremacist narratives while exploring the intersection of cultures, histories, and ontologies. In this conversation, Sanyu speaks about the magical lanterns of poetry and magic. Together, three witches discuss creativity and word witchery, tracing their way back into the roots of words as sacred secrets. Sanyu guides listeners toward new approaches to their craft, infusing each action with a sense of possibility and enchantment. She shares what it means to be a Word Witch, and how to work with your gut messages and intuitive hits as missives from past and future selves. To learn more about Sanyu and her offerings, follow her on Instagram @sanyuestelle and read her words on Substack. Visit her website at SanyuEstelle.com Sources & Shoutouts: Tamed Wild Beltane Retreat The Moon in Carolina podcast Episode 12: Imbolc Episode 50: Imbolc Plant & Animal Lore Episode 136: Asteroids with Empress Atlantis Kate & Kristin’s to-be-read book piles: Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra George Many Masters, Many Lives, Brian Weiss Journey of Souls, Dr. Michael Newton The King and the Corpse, Heinrich Zimmer The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell Near to the Wild Heart, Clarice Lispector The River Has Roots, Amal El-Mohtar Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery, Brom Bog Queen, Anna North The Other Side: A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World, Jennifer Higgie Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë Aednan, Linnea Axelsson Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 169: Creative Magic with the Missing Witches

In episode 169 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby welcome back Amy Torok and Risa Dickens! Also known as the Missing Witches. Amy and Risa are old friends, creative collaborators, curious crafters, big cacklers, howlers at the moon, grumpy old crones, and a couple of perpetual baby Witches living, writing, recording, and making magic out in the woods on unceded Anishinaabe territory in Quebec, Canada. In this conversation, Amy and Risa discuss community and collaboration as essential to our creativity. They talk about the power of music, sharing songs, and spells for the collective. They discuss claiming our creative magic, community outreach, giving back, and strengthening networks of support in a magical sense. To connect with Amy and Risa, follow @missingwitches on social media and join their community, the Missing Witches Coven. Listen to the Missing Witches podcast, and find their books and oracle deck at MissingWitches.com. Sources & Shoutouts: Tethered: An Anthology of Magic - Tamed Wild Substack The Crossroads: Sacred Stories & the Dark Moon Edgar Fabian Frias New Moon Magic: 13 Anti-Capitalist Tools for Resistance and Re-enchantment, Amy Torok and Risa Dickens If you want to join the Magick & Alchemy dance party, here are the songs we mentioned listening to on repeat: Make Your Own Kind of Music, Cass Elliott My Way is Cloudy, Jake Blount & Mali Obomsawin feat. Joe Rainey Old Tape, Lucius feat. Adam Granduciel Sympathy Magic, Florence and the Machine Don’t Fight it, Feel it, Primal Scream Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 168: Polish Folk Magic with Joanna Tarnawska

In episode 168 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew & Kristin Lisenby interview Joanna Tarnawska. Joanna is an animist, folk practitioner, writer, and psychologist residing in the mountains of Lower Silesia, Poland. In this conversation, they dive deep into Polish folk magic. Guided by Joanna, listeners explore her homeland, her ancestors' teachings, how she came to folk magic, and her new book, Polish Folk Magic: Ancestral Lore & Traditions of the West Slavs. They also discuss the diaspora traditions of Polish heritage and a new perspective on the beloved and fierce Baba Yaga. To learn more about Joanna, visit her website and Patreon, follow her online @polish.folk.witch, and order her latest book, Polish Folk Magic. Sources & Shoutouts: Polish Folk Magic: Ancestral Lore & Traditions of the West Slavs, Joanna Tarnawska Episode 164: To Die For, Gravestone Recipe’s with Rosie Grant Episode 81: An Interview with Madam Pamita Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 167: The Number of the Beast

In episode 167 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew return to the realm of sacred numbers in search of 666, the Number of the Beast. In this conversation, Kate and Kristin share lore and superstitions surrounding this number, highlighting its connection to mystery and solar magick. They consider pre-Christian mythologies, in which 666 was not a symbol of sin but a symbol of the sun. They contemplate 666 in art and magical communities and its evolution through pop culture. Sources & Shoutouts: Beltane Retreat The Moon in Carolina podcast Muse Mail Tenth House Rising - Ritualizing Demeter Oracle of the Hecatean Path Oracle The Moon in Carolina, Episode 35: Psychic Abilities with Kristin Lisenby Episode 155: Sacred Numbers Episode 93: Types of Magick, pt. 2 Episode 88: An Interview with Chaweon Koo Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, John Ayto “666, the Beast, and the Sun-King: An Esoteric Biblical Exploration,” Michelle Hayman “The number of the beast is 666,” William Blake Iron Maiden, Number of the Beast Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock & Roll, Peter Bebergal Fountain of the Fallen Angel, Atlas Obscura “Why are we so fascinated by the number 666?” Mike Rampton “What Is Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia?” Lisa Fritscher Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 166: Magic Maker with Pam Grossman

In episode 166 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby interview Pam Grossman. Pam is a writer, curator, and teacher of magical practice and history. She is also the host of the internationally beloved podcast, The Witch Wave. In this conversation, Pam considers creativity as magic and magic as creativity. She talks about the archetype of the magician and working with the God Hermes as a guide for her new book, Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity. Together, three witches celebrate this new book and talk about casting its spell. They also discuss creating with their younger selves, the rituals of writing and word witchery, and how to enchant the sharing of our work. To learn more and connect with Pam, look for her online @phantasmaphile, buy her books on her website pamgrossman.com, and listen to her on the Witch Wave wherever you get your podcasts! Sources & Shoutouts: Magick & Alchemy book list - download here! Robin Rose Bennett Normandy Ellis, “Awakening Osiris” Lynda Barry Rosarium Blends Occult Humanities Conference Jinkx Monsoon Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio

Episode 165: Naturally, The Herbalist's Guide to Health and Transformation with Rachelle Robinett

In episode 165 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby interview Rachelle Robinett. Rachelle Robinett, RH (AHG), is a writer, herbalist, educator, and life-long naturalist. She’s the founder of multidisciplinary companies dedicated to the art and science of natural wellness. Combining traditional medicine and current health insights with an understanding of individual behavior modification, Rachelle has provided accessible plant-based healing to countless people. In this conversation, Rachelle guides listeners to connect with the magical plant world and claim the title of herbalist for themselves. She speaks about the potency of writing, habits, and rituals, and discusses the relationship between plants and pleasure. She shares the history of herbalism, how such a wide-reaching practice has been deemed "alternative," the roots of the "happy hour," and the kinship between herbalists and witches. To learn more about Rachelle, visit her website here: https://www.rachellerobinett.com/ Sources & Shoutouts: Naturally: The Herbalist's Guide to Health and Transformation Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com. For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly 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. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild. Production by Julio Montero. Music by Follow the Wind, Taizo Audio