#47 - Jessica Dore, Psychospiritual Tarot Guide

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

#46 - Staci Ivori, Coven Cultivator

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.

#45 - Chelsea Selby of Witch Baby Soap

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

#44 - Benebell Wen, Metaphysical Maven

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.

#43 - Augusten Burroughs, Author of Toil & Trouble, Running with Scissors, and more

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.

#42 - Dianca London, Witchly Writer

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.

#41 - Amanda Yates Garcia, The Oracle of Los Angeles

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.

#40 - Twin Temple, Diabolical Rockers

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.

#39 - Dorothea Lasky, Astro Poet

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.

#38 - Chelsea Wolfe, Music Magicienne

Chelsea Wolfe is a musician with six critically acclaimed full-length albums under her belt. Though her sound spans various genres from goth rock to electronica to folk melancholia, what remains consistent is her romantically dark, witchy vibe and lyrics that seem sprouted from a surreal and mysterious mindscape.

On this episode, Chelsea talks about her technique of channeling songs, the ways she uses place as muse, and the part witchcraft plays in her creative practice both onstage and off.

Pam also discusses the importance of costume and alter egos whether on Samhain or year-round, and answers a listener question about being a skeptical witch.

Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Modern Women, Dr. Oristano, Sacred Wheel, and Sacred Space Foundation.

#37 - BONUS Episode: Witch Wave Live! with Jessa Crispin and Jen May of Spolia Tarot

Surprise! It’s a Witch Wave bonus episode to tide you over until our Season 3 return on October 30th.

This is a live episode: a conversation between Pam and Spolia Tarot’s Jessa Crispin and Jen May, recorded at Catland Books this summer.

Jessa Crispin is the founder and editor of Bookslut.com and Spolia magazine. She is the author of The Dead Ladies Project (The University of Chicago Press), The Creative Tarot (Touchstone), and Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto. She has written for many publications, some of which are still in existence.

Jen May is an artist whose illustrations and collages have been featured in such outlets as New York Magazine, Catapult, and The Toast.

On this episode, Jessa and Jen discuss the tenuous relationship between creativity and magic, the ubiquity of the terms “witch” and “feminist,” and their collaboration on the Spolia Tarot and their new zine, Screaming Women.

Pam also reads an excerpt about art witches from her new book, Waking the Witch.

Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books and the Mystical Menagerie Market.

#36 - Julia Pott, Creator of Summer Camp Island on Cartoon Network

Julia Pott is an animator and illustrator and the creator of the show Summer Camp Island on Cartoon Network. Her award-winning shorts such as Belly, The Event, and My First Crush have played at festivals worldwide including Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca. She’s also done animations for bands including Bat for Lashes and The Decemberists, and brands such as Oreo and Toyota. Julia was named one of the “10 Animators to Watch” by Variety in 2017, and she was a staff writer for the legendary animated series, Adventure Time.

On this Season Finale episode, Julia discusses the bewitching feelings of childhood, the ways that comfortable spaces can conjure risky ideas, and the very real magic that inspires her seriously whimsical work.

Pam also talks about the importance of maintaining the childlike wonder of summer, and answers a listener question about how to stay protected from spooky spirits.

Our sponsors for this episode are Blessed Be Magick, Charming Disaster, and Mithras Candle.

#35 - Pam Grossman's WAKING THE WITCH: The Witch Wave X Missing Witches Crossover Episode

This is a special crossover episode between The Witch Wave and the Missing Witches podcasts in celebration of Pam’s new book, WAKING THE WITCH: REFLECTIONS ON WOMEN, MAGIC, AND POWER.

Missing Witches is a research-based, feminist, occult storytelling podcast that goes looking for the witches we've been missing throughout history, and then shines the light on contemporary witches, too. This episode begins with Pam interviewing Missing Witches co-hosts Risa Dickens and Amy Torok, who are both artists, musicians, writers, and witches based outside of Montreal. Then the tables turn, and Pam answers questions from them about her new book.

On this episode, Pam, Risa, and Amy discuss how they each came to explore the witch archetype, the importance of maintaining the magic of youth, and the rise of intersectional feminist witchcraft.

Pam also talks about being guided by the goddess Artemis during a big life change, and answers listener questions about how to find a deity to work with.

Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Fat and the Moon, and Mithras Candle.

#34 - Jessica Lanyadoo, Astrology Star

Jessica Lanyadoo is an internationally renowned Astrologer, Psychic Medium, Tarot Reader, and Animal Communicator who has been working to help people help themselves in one on one consultations since 1995, and by writing her weekly horoscope since 2003. She is also the host of Ghost of a Podcast, and co-hosts TLC’s digital show Stargazing on Facebook Watch. She is currently the resident astrologer for Girlboss (USA), and Chatelaine (Canada), and she has been the astrology columnist for various publications, including The Hoodwitch, Target, Martha Stewart's Body and Soul Magazine, On Our Backs Magazine, Glamour Magazine, and Rookie.

On this episode, Jessica discusses the truth and misconceptions about astrology, cosmic destiny versus self-determination, and how to engage in contemporary divination with compassion and justice for all.

Pam also talks about learning to choose love over fear, and answers a listener question about witch imposter syndrome.

Our sponsors for this episode are Blessed Be Magick, DeerWomen, and Mithras Candle.

#33 - Mya Spalter, Author of Enchantments: A Modern Witch's Guide to Self-Possession

Mya Spalter is the author of Enchantments: A Modern Witch's Guide to Self Possession, a wonderful witchcraft how-to book. Mya is longtime employee of New York City's oldest occult shop also called Enchantments, where she’s worked on and off since the year 2000. In addition to that, she writes poems and stories about science and mystery, and she infuses everything she does with wit, heart, and smarts.

On this episode, Mya discusses what it’s like to be a professional witch in a retail environment, the importance of pop occulture, and ways to make magic with whatever you have at hand.

Pam also talks about the magic of frivolity and answers a listener question about how to get back into a ritual routine when time is tight.

Our sponsors for this episode are Phoenix & Lotus, Health Witch, Hag Swag, and The VeraMeat Podcast.

#32 - Mallory Lance, Editor-in-Chief of Ravenous Zine

Mallory Lance is the editor-in-chief of Ravenous Zine, which aims help to people foster more feminine wildness and witchy wonder in their lives. She is the founder and creative director of Ravenous Media, through which she also produces events about crafting and conscious collaboration, and she’s begun work on a documentary series about women who cook with fire. Mallory is also a chef, food stylist, and creator of magical feasts, and her various projects has been featured in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, and many many more.

On this episode, Mallory discusses the feral feminine, sustainable vitality, and the ways in which covens can teach us how to be more mindful and interconnected global citizens.

Pam also talks about Beltane sensuality and answers a listener question about crafting a pregnancy ritual.

Our sponsors for this episode are Blessed Be Magick, Hag Swag, and Mithras Candle.

#31 - Janaka Stucky, Occult Poet

Janaka Stucky is a mystic poet, performer, and publisher who incorporates occult practice and imagery into his work. Led Zeppelin’s legendary guitarist Jimmy Page has said, “Janaka Stucky is extraordinary, and his work riveting,” and when Jack White launched a new publishing imprint in 2015 called Third Man Books, they chose Janaka’s full-length poetry collection, The Truth Is We Are Perfect, as their inaugural title. This month, Janaka has a new book coming out with Third Man called Ascend Ascend, which is a full-length ecstatic poem about interfacing with the divine. Janaka is also the founding editor of Black Ocean and the annual poetry journal, Handsome.

On this episode, Janaka discusses the links between language and magic, his mystical methods of writing and reciting poetry, and ways to translate transcendent experiences into words.

Pam also celebrates National Poetry Month by talking about poetry as spellcraft, and answers a listener question about how to stay away from spiritual toxicity and keep on a positive witchy path.

Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle and Hag Swag.

#30 - Jinkx Monsoon, Drag Sorceress Superstar

Jinkx Monsoon is an internationally beloved drag queen, and the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5. The character of Jinkx is a combination of many powerful femme personas, and is also informed by performer Jerick Hoffer’s real-life witchcraft practice both on and off-stage. A tremendously gifted comedian, actor, and singer, Hoffer performs in and out of drag worldwide, and as Jinkx Monsoon, they have recorded such albums as The Ginger Snapped and The Inevitable Album.

On this episode, Jinkx discusses the magic of drag, the influence of witchcraft, and the ways in which they’ve come to master the art of illusion, identity, and integration.

Pam also talks about the significance of The Magician tarot card and answers a listener question about how to find a coven.

Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Sanctuary, and Mithras Candle.

#29 - Yumi Sakugawa, Cosmic Comic Book Artist

Yumi Sakugawa is an artist and author whose illustrated books and comics include Your Illustrated Guide To Becoming One With The Universe, There Is No Right Way to Meditate: And Other Lessons, and her newest book, Fashion Forecasts. Her comics have appeared in many publications such as The Believer, Bitch, The Best American Non­required Reading 2014, and The Rumpus. She has also exhibited multimedia installations at the Japanese American National Museum and the Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building.

On this episode, Yumi discuss how she came to combine her art and writing with her spiritual practice, the magic of meditation, and the importance of having tea with your demons.

Pam also talks about what she’s learned from meditation, and answers a listener question about witchcraft and anxiety.

Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle, Tarot for the Wild Soul, and Magick with a K.

#28 - Juliet Diaz of November Sage Apothecary

Juliet Diaz is a healer, seer, and herbalist, and she holds a Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine. She is a descendent of a long line of witch healers from Cuba and has Indigenous roots as a member of the Taíno tribe. Juliet owns and runs her shop, November Sage Apothecary, and her online witchcraft learning community, Plant Coven (formerly known as November Sage Herbarium – A Witch Healer School). She is also the author of the book Witchery: Embrace the Witch Within which comes out on March 5th. On this episode, Juliet discusses her various healing practices, the ways in which she expresses her Indigenous heritage while navigating issues of craft and commodity, and how to heed the hero’s call.

Pam also talks about appreciation vs. appropriation of other spiritual cultures, and she answers a listener question from a witch dealing with Catholic guilt.

Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle, Blood Milk Jewels, and Tarot for the Wild Soul.