Show Notes
Kate Belew is an author, poet, and Witch. Her work exists at the crossroads of creativity and magic. She has taught and facilitated circles and workshops worldwide since 2017. She is dedicated to the spirit of poetry, the sacred wild of the planet, and seeks enchantment in all she does. She is a forever student of the plants and the stars. She has an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College and is an initiated Green Witch. Her new book, Word Witch: How to Call Upon and Cultivate the Creative Magic Within You is out now.
On this episode, Kate discusses the magic of wordcraft, how she works with creative ancestors, and why poetry is perhaps the most spellbinding form of writing.
Pam also talks about the connection between language and spells, and answers a listener question about sacred and mundane ways to help with writing.
Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!) Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Witch Baby Soap, The Meta Muse Tarot, BetterHelp, Robin Rose Bennett, and Mithras Candle We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop. And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave
More from The Witch Wave
Cain Culto is a singer, rapper, producer, violinist, and visual artist whose genre-defying music is some of the most exciting being made today. This Kentucky-bred Latinx polymath writes songs about the occult, queerness, activism, and healing from religious trauma, and he describes his music as being “for anyone that can relate to the feeling of being rejected, being ostracized, being misunderstood.” Incorporating Appalachian strings with Afro-Latino beats, English and Spanish lyrics, and folk magic elements with avant-garde visuals, Cain Culto’s music is a study in alchemizing disparate energies to create something entirely new, world-shaking, and booty shaking. After a series of blisteringly catchy EPs, his first full-length album, CULTO, is out now, and it’s tremendous. Mark Pam’s words: it’s only a matter of time before Cain Culto is talked about in the same breath as Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga, Doechii, and other art pop royalty. On this episode, Cain discusses how music and magic helped liberate him from his fundamentalist roots, the healing power of authentically made art, and why he identifies with the witch/bruja archetype. Pam also talks about the importance of in-person magic making, and answers a listener question about crafting a witchy wedding. Cain Culto’s songs featured in the episode are all from his album CULTO: KFC Santeria a plague, a pestilence colita de rana Pam’s upcoming events: Oct 26: The Witch Wave with Pam Grossman LIVE! at Littlefield in Brooklyn!! Get tickets now Nov 1: Samhain Séance ritual workshop with Pam and Janaka Stucky (online) Donate to Pam’s fundraiser for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!) Our sponsors for this episode are Wheel of Fate, Llewellyn Books, Crystal Coffin Tarot, Horse Parsley Provisions, BetterHelp, Feral Eye, Blessed Be Magick, and Snowy Owl Tea We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop. And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave
Bill Crisafi is an artist and illustrator and now author whose drawings of witches, ghouls, and magical toad ladies have amassed an enormous legion of fans. Campy, sexy, whimsical, and always full of flair, Bill’s supernatural creative world strikes a balance between the spooky and the joyfully absurd, appealing to everyone from magic practitioners to drag queens to horror buffs to taste-making art aficionados. His characters can be found populating his line of prints, clothing, stuffed animals, and housewares. Bill’s illustration and costume work has been commissioned by musicians, filmmakers, and institutions alike, including Chappell Roan, Chelsea Wolfe, the Peabody Essex Museum, Heretic Parfum, Boston Seaport, and Blumhouse Productions among others. His new book, The Glam Reaper’s Guide to Slaying: Life Lessons for Rebellious Souls, is available everywhere now. On this episode, Bill discusses his occult-camp illustrations, how he confronts creative burn-out, and how his new book helped him slay his inner demons with style. Pam also talks about why she loves spookiness mixed with silliness, and answers a listener question about Salem witchcraft tourism.
It’s The Witch Wave Season 10 premiere!! Shannon Purser (she/they) is an Emmy-nominated actor, singer-songwriter, screenwriter, and director. They’ve played such iconic onscreen roles as Barb in Stranger Things (Netflix) and Ethel Muggs in Riverdale (CW), and they’ve starred in the Netflix film Sierra Burgess is a Loser. Shannon has written and directed the forthcoming short film, Sisters, and she also writes and performs music as sister seer. They’ve also appeared onstage in La Cages aux Folles directed by Sam Pinkleton at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2024, and they’re about to make their NYC Off-Broadway stage debut alongside Marilu Henner in The Ask, written by Matthew Freeman. The Ask will be up from Oct 6 – Nov 22 at Theater 555, and tickets are available now. On this episode, Shannon discusses their evolving witchly interests and gender identity, how tarot has guided their life, and the charmed magic behind her acting roles on stage and on screen.
Our Season Finale guest is Rachel Dratch, a comedy LEGEND who was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1999-2006, during which she developed and performed such iconic characters as Debbie Downer, “The Love-ahs” with Will Ferrell, and the Boston teen Denise "Zazu" McDenna. (And she still pops up there from time to time to play Senator Amy Klobuchar.) She’s appeared in countless TV shows including The King of Queens, Frasier, 30 Rock, and Broad City, and in films including Down with Love, Wine Country, and A Clüsterfünke Christmas which she co-wrote with her co-star and fellow SNL alum Ana Gasteyer. Rachel has starred in several Broadway shows, earning her two Tony nominations, the first for POTUS in 2022, and the second just this year in The Rocky Horror Show which she’s starring in now. She is also the author of the memoir Girl Walks into a Bar...: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle, and she’s the host of the supernatural podcast, Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch.
Lindsay Mack is an intuitive tarot teacher, writer, and founder of Tarot for the Wild Soul, as well as the host of the popular podcast of the same name, which has been downloaded over ten million times. Lindsay’s new book Tarot for the Wild Soul: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Growth, Healing, and Grounding in the Present Moment is out now, as is their new tarot deck Soul Tarot, illustrated by Chelsea Granger. Through Lindsay’s beloved workshops, retreats, and online Tarot courses, they have taught Soul Tarot to many tens of thousands of students from all around the world. And as a queer, neurodivergent, and (now) joyful survivor of childhood abuse living with complex PTSD and chronic pain, Lindsay is passionately dedicated to honoring and helping to bring space, light, and healing to those who are experiencing any kind of suffering. On this episode, Lindsay discusses how to use tarot as a tool for understanding the present, why it’s OK to show up to your deck “messy,” and their gender-transcending interpretations of the cards.