Radical Elphame

"The Good, the Bad, & the Faery" with Douglas Batchelor

Radical Elphame

Show Notes

Three years ago, Douglas Batchelor of the What Magic is This? podcast released a series that caught my attention. I had been a fan of his show for years and had come to expect his episodes to revolve around magical history, often with an emphasis on the ceremonial and evocatory variety. He called this series A Fistful o' Fairies, and over six episodes, he brought on an assortment of amazing guests to delve into different facets of the various interpretations of "who faeries actually are." As someone with a strange compulsion to explore this liminal realm and its denizens, this was a rare encounter with a podcast that didn't broach "fairies" as a one-off curio but rather gave the vast topic the searching consideration it demands. I loved this series, and after it ended, I asked myself, "What if that series spun off into an entire podcast?" Within a matter of months, Radical Elphame was born. In light of the monumental influence Douglas had on the inception of this show, it was a true honor to chat with him and explore what inspired him to go down the faerie rabbit hole in the first place, and where it has continued to lead him today. SHOW NOTES: What Magic is This? Podcast Douglas' Patreon Douglas' Website

More from Radical Elphame

Oct 14, 2026

I'm excited to welcome Morgan Daimler back to the show. We settle into the Autumnal season with an appropriately spooky conversation about the globe-spanning phenomenon of "The Wild Hunt," and speak about their upcoming release on the Irish Goddess Macha. We explore the complex constellations of triplicities within the Irish Pantheon, and Morgan shares some of their UPG surrounding The Morrigan sisters and their complementary magical roles. SHOW NOTES: Morgan's Books: Author Page The Fairy Courts: Moon Books Feed the Fairies Podcast: Spotify Link Morgan's Patheos Blog: Patheos Pagan Morgan's Classes: Irish Pagan School Morgan's Instagram: @morgandaimler

Oct 2, 2026

I'm excited to usher in the Fall season and share this fascinating conversation that I recently had with Amanda D. Paulson of Pretty Fn Spooky fame. We chat about her novel approaches to ghost hunting, born out of her mediumship abilities and Witchcraft practice, and when a ghost might actually be something more. We also go deep on her Paranormal Emotive Touchpoint theory, which explores the roles of nostalgia, déjà vu, liminality, and synchronicity in our encounters with the Other.

Sep 25, 2026

Enjoy a Patreon preview of the fourth episode of The Imbas Transmissions. This time, we chat about initiation as a translator of the ineffable, the perennial influence of Austin Osman Spare well beyond chaos magic, and ergodic literature as Imbas transmission. You can receive full episodes of The Imbas Transmissions by joining the Radical Elphame or Chaise Levy Storyteller on Patreon, or by subscribing to Chaise's Inspiration, Move Me Brightly Substack. Radical Elphame Patreon Chaise's Patreon Chaise's Substack: Inspiration, Move Me Brightly The Hagstone Podcast Theme Song: "Move it" by Dunham

Sep 17, 2026

Further evidence of just how small a world it is: nestled here in my tiny rural valley, amongst the deer, the evergreen forests, and the bucolic mountain streams, is not just one Occult Podcaster, but two. Today I'm thrilled to sit down with that other Occult Podcaster in my yard with some tea, and share our chat with you. Robyn Valentine is a writer, teacher, "witchfluencer" (whether she likes it or not), and one of the hosts of the delightful Coffee & Cauldrons podcast. We talk about the moment witchcraft went from being a hobby to a practice for her, the trials and tribulations of giving tarot readings for a living, the role of the Witch in the dying process, and we discuss future plans to summon Bigfoot. SHOW NOTES: Robyn's upcoming Tarot course Robyn's Website: tiredwitch.com Coffee & Cauldrons Podcast Order Robyn's Books @atiredwitch on IG

Sep 4, 2026

I'm thrilled to share my recent chat with Malachas Ivernus. Malachas is an excellent Irish Poet, writer of magical fiction, and frequenter (if not an orphan) of the Otherworld. We explore the creativity inherent to operative magic, the spiritual gauntlet of initiation, and the dance of divine inspiration. If you haven't, you must check out Malachas' wonderful work over on Substack under: The Hollow Behind the Hearthstone. SHOW NOTES: Malachas' Substack: The Hollow Behind the Hearthstone The Best thing Malachas has ever done: O Beautiful Ungovernable World Malachas' YouTube Channel: MalachasIvernus Malachas' Occult Thriller: Unreal City Malachas' Website: thehollowbehindthehearthstone.com Malachas on IG: @the_hedge_school

See all episodes →