Show Notes
There's a common phrase in Occult circles that often precedes a cautionary tale: "blowing your life up with magic." The story goes something like this: a burgeoning magician, fresh off the armchair, skips a few steps or bites off more than they can chew. Sometimes this neophyte is drawn to a dark current that they aren't prepared for, or catfished by a parasitic entity. What tends to unfold is the practitioner's life unraveling, and often poorly applied magical remedies just dig them deeper into a hole. It's a common enough story that I find it fascinating, and would be lying if I said I didn't have some experiences that might qualify. On the one hand, this trope is plucked straight from the ancient tale "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and can serve the common fairy-tale function of reinforcing the exoteric societal taboo that magic and the occult are not to be messed with. More interesting to me, though, is when blowing up your life with magic can be conceived of as an initiatory experience. When the spirits or the powers that be may be taking apart your life to build it back better. Is there a way to transition from a disenchanted world to one teeming with magic without undergoing a radical change? I'm so excited to explore this question today with the delightful Janie Roberts. Before that conversation, though, I just want to throw out a quick plug for the Radical Elphame Patreon page. There you will find extended interviews, exclusive essays, a private Discord server, and an entirely Patreon-exclusive podcast that I do with my friend Chaise Levy called The Imbas Transmissions. I've also got a free Substack that I'm particularly proud of, called The Foliate Head, where I have the opportunity to expand on the subjects we explore on this show through a different medium. Over on Substack, I've just released the sixth part of my ongoing essay series on the various theories surrounding the nature of faeries, which explores the relationship between faeries, time travel, and Pulp Fiction. If you like this show, I know you'll love this series. Without further ado, here's my chat with Janie Roberts. SHOW NOTES: Janie's Substack: Wild Horse Circle Janie's IG: @wherearethebigpeople Janie's Links: https://linktr.ee/wildhorsecircle
More from Radical Elphame
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
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.
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
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
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