#83 - Veronica Varlow, Bohemian Witch

Veronica Varlow is the last of a line of Bohemian Witches, a fourth-generation intuitive, best-selling author, and international burlesque showgirl. She is the author of the absolutely gorgeous book, BOHEMIAN MAGICK: WITCHCRAFT AND SECRET SPELLS TO ELECTRIFY YOUR LIFE.

She is also a confidence and sensuality coach who has been featured on the Tonight Show, Playboy, CNN, and MTV in 150 countries worldwide. Veronica and her husband, David Varlow, established the branch of Witchcraft known as Spectaculus, an intersection of the Bohemian magick legacy of Veronica’s grandmother Helen, and Varlow’s rock-and-roll pagan practices, which stem from natural mysticism and instinctive creativity. Veronica is also one of the cofounders of the infamous Chelsea Hotel Coven in New York City and the founder of Witch Camp held at the Magick House in Woodstock, New York.

She has performed and done love rituals of many flavors all over the underground art scene including at House of Yes, Shanghai Mermaid, and Dances of Vice, and her client list includes Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Vogue, Marc Jacobs, Creative Time with David Byrne, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

On this episode, Veronica discusses the magic of both Bohemias, the power of communing with creative ancestors, and how to unleash your inner wild.

Pam also talks about community connection as a winter tonic, and answers a listener question about being an atheist witch.

Our sponsors for this episode are VERAMEAT, Blaspheme Boutique, Sanctuary, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, Plum Deluxe Tea, and The Path 365

#82 - Christi Johnson, Stitch Witch

Christi Johnson creates mystical garments that blend elements of botanical dyes with handcrafted stitches. She is the creator Mixed Color, a collection of textile goods made with natural materials and plant dyes, as well as an educational resource for textile artists. She is also the creator of Stitch Wish, a collection of hand embroidered talismans designed as a form of metaphysical enhancement for use in ritual.

Christi is also the author of Mystical Stitches: Embroidery for Personal Empowerment and Magical Embellishment. All of her work with textiles and talismans honor the body, its boundaries, its extensions, and its relations to the world and cosmos around us.

As a teacher, she also offers workshops in natural dyeing and embroidery and has created kits and booklets for students and DIYers. Her garments, booklets, kits, and embroidered artwork have sold at maker studios and boutiques across the US.

Raised in tropical Florida, Christi studied Fashion Design at Otis College of Art and Design. She worked in the fashion industry in Los Angeles for nearly a decade, before starting her own line of mystical garments and stitched artwork.

On this episode, Christi discusses talismanic fashion, why we should push past creative perfectionism, and the meditative magic of making.

Pam also talks about string spells, and answers a listener question about building a witch-friendly art therapy practice.

Our sponsors for this episode are VERAMEAT, Witch Baby Soap, Kate’s Magik, Snowy Owl Tea, BetterHelp, Lindsay Mack’s THRESHOLD course, and Fat and the Moon 

#81 - Sarah Shin, Co-founder of Ignota Books

Sarah Shin is a publisher, curator, and writer, and with her partner Ben Vickers is co-founder of Ignota Books, which they describe as "an experiment in the techniques of awakening." Ignota publishes a variety of tomes on magic, language, and consciousness, including their poetry anthology Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry and their new anthology Altered States. Ignota also publishes their annual Ignota Diary, a daily planner for seekers of the sacred. Sarah is also co-founder of the independent feminist publisher Silver Press, and she the founder of New Suns, a curation and storytelling project from feminist perspectives and practices.

On this episode, Sarah discusses language as a consciousness-expanding tool, the importance of publishing speculative writers, and guiding linguistic spirits including María Sabina, Hildegard of Bingen, and Ursula K. Le Guin.

Pam also discusses the magic of books, and answers a listener question about Jewitchery and the Bible.

Our sponsors for this episode are Lindsay Mack’s The Threshold course, VERAMEAT, Mithras Candle, Sarah Faith Gottesdiener’s Many Moons Lunar Planner, Snowy Owl Tea, BetterHelp, and Green Moon Apothecary

#80 - Tere Arcq, Remedios Varo Aficionado

Tere Arcq is arguably the world’s leading expert on the life and work of artist Remedios Varo, as well as a specialist in women surrealist artists overall. She was Chief Curator of the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico and director of an International Art Investment Fund. As an independent curator, she has creates and produces exhibitions in Mexico and abroad including including The Adventures of Women Surrealists in Mexico and the United States, an international project presented at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The National Museum of Fine Arts in Quebec, and The Modern Art Museum in Mexico. She has also contributed to countless exhibitions, most recently as a contributing curator of the astounding Surrealism Beyond Borders show that is up now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through January 20th, 2022.

Tere edited and wrote for the monograph The Five Keys to the Secret World of Remedios Varo, and has contributed to many publications on Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and other surrealist artists. With Susan L. Aberth, she wrote the book, The Tarot of Leonora Carrington. Tere has also collaborated in the production of documentaries and short films on artists, and she has also designed and organized specialized art tours for collectors. She is a frequent lecturer at museums, institutions, and universities worldwide. Tere has Masters Degree in Museum Studies and Art Management.

On this episode, Tere discusses Remedios Varo's bewitching art, her magical friendship with Leonora Carrington, and her lifelong pursuit of occult knowledge.

Pam also discusses why she claims Varo as a spiritual ancestor, and answers a listener question about finding a witchcraft routine.

Our sponsors for this episode are Kate’s Magik, VERAMEAT, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, and The Path 365

#79 - Lilith Dorsey, Author of "Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens"

Lilith Dorsey hails from many magickal traditions, including Celtic, Afro-Caribbean, and Native American spirituality. They are the author of many books including Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism, The African-American Ritual Cookbook, Love Magic, Water Magic, and their newest book, Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions. 

Lilith has been a professional psychic for over three decades and since 1991, they have been doing successful magick and readings for patrons of their business. In addition to all that, they are also editor/publisher of Oshun-African Magickal Quarterly, and the filmmaker of the experimental documentary Bodies of Water: Voodoo Identity and Tranceformation. They were also the choreographer for jazz legend Dr. John’s Night Tripper Voodoo Show.

Lilith’s formal education focused on plant science, anthropology, and film at the University of Rhode Island, New York University, and the University of London, and their magickal training includes numerous initiations in Santeria - also known as Lucumi - Haitian Vodoun, and New Orleans Voodoo.

On this episode, Lilith discusses the feminine magic of African diaspora traditions, the true power of love spells, and how they blend the different spiritual strands of their multicultural lineage with care and respect.

Pam also talks about Witches’ New Year and the new moon, and answers a listener question about heeding Hecate’s call.

Our sponsors for this episode are Witch Baby Soap, The Pretty Cult, Kate’s Magik, VERAMEAT, The Many Moons 2022 Daily Planner, BetterHelp, and The Path 365

BONUS Episode! Taschen's WITCHCRAFT co-editor Jessica Hundley and designer Nic Taylor

Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain! We've got a special Witch Wave bonus episode to celebrate the release of the bewitching new book that Pam co-edited and co-authored: WITCHCRAFT from Taschen's Library of Esoterica series.

On this episode, Pam speaks with Library of Esoterica series editor Jessica Hundley and series designer Nic Taylor about all of the art, writing, design, and magic that went into WITCHCRAFT.

Jessica Hundley is a journalist, editor, and author of numerous books on music, film, counterculture and psychedelia. As series editor of Taschen's Library of Esoterica series, she has overseen and written for all volumes including TAROT, ASTROLOGY, and WITCHCRAFT. Her other books include The New New Age: Crystals, an acclaimed biography on country rock icon Gram Parsons, and an extensive overview of the photography of Dennis Hopper from Taschen to name but a few. Her interviews and articles have appeared in such publications as Vogue, Rolling Stone, NY Times, Mojo, and many others. She is also a creative director and filmmaker, who has collaborated with such artists and brands as John Legend, Pepsi, and Bonobos.

Nic Taylor is the head of Thunderwing Studios, an award-winning Los Angeles-based creative studio founded in 2007 by Nic and his partner Jennifer Brandt-Taylor. They specialize visionary work with visionary people via a diverse portfolio of projects in publishing, music, film, fashion, food, interior design and cultural institutions. Some of their projects include design for the recent film adaptation of Emma directed by Autumn de Wilde and for gorgeous brands like Bellocq Tea and Rule of Three.

Our sponsor for this special episode is VERAMEAT.

#78 - Lorraine Monteagut, Author of "Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color"

Lorraine Monteagut is a Cuban-Colombian writer born in Miami, Florida. She is the author of Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color. Lorraine holds a PhD in communication from the University of South Florida, where she began her research on bruja feminism and the reclamation of ancestral healing traditions. Inspired to the spiritual life by her great grandmother, who was an espiritista in Cuba, she facilitates astrology workshops and moon circles in her local community in Tampa, Florida.

On this episode, Lorraine discusses the healing that comes with connecting to the magic of ancestors, the diversity of the Latinx witchcraft community, and how to decolonize spiritual research and practices.

Pam also talks about the importance of honoring one’s own ancestral magic, and answers a listener question about spell-casting for a new home.

Our sponsors for this episode are VVITCH Digital, Temperance Home and Bar, The Path 365 by Suzie Newell, Wishcraft Goods, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, Swandy’s The Throne Room album, and The Spiral Bookcase

#77 - Heather Greene, Author of "Lights, Camera, Witchcraft"

Heather Greene is the author of Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witches in American Film and Television. She is a freelance editor, writer, and journalist who has specialized in Witchcraft, Paganism, alternative religions, and other occult topics for over thirty years. She is the former managing editor of the Pagan news journal, The Wild Hunt, and her work has been published at such places as The Washington Post, Religion News Service, Patheos.com, and Turner Classic Movies. She is also an acquisitions consultant with Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. Heather has B.A. in Film Studies and French from the Wesleyan University in Connecticut and a masters degree in Film Studies from Emory University.

On this episode, Heather discusses the evolution of the witch in American cinema, bewitching television shows, and the everlasting influence of The Wizard of Oz.

Pam also talks about the witch in pop occulture and answers a listener question about how to honor a deceased, serpentine familiar.

Our sponsors for this episode are That Witch Life Podcast, VVITCH Digital, Temperance Home and Bar, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, Lindsay Mack’s “Heart of Service” course, and Green Moon Apothecary

#76 - Neko Case, Sovereign Songstress

It's the Witch Wave Season 5 premiere! We are honored to have Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Neko Case join us.

Neko’s seven solo albums include her 2006 breakthrough album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, and her two Grammy-nominated albums, Middle Cyclone of 2009 and 2013’s The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You. Her most recent album, Hell-On, is a gorgeous sonic tapestry of such tumultuous topics as climate change, twisted fate, and heartache. In 2016 she also released a collaborative album with musicians k.d. lang and Laura Veirs called CASE/LANG/VEIRS. She is also a member of the critically-acclaimed band, The New Pornographers.

Neko's music has been described as everything from country noir to art rock, but it transcends genre and soundscape. What is consistent are her signature brilliant lyrics which are full of sharp metaphors and enchanting mythological fragments, as well as her spectacular voice which cuts the air like a diamond. It's no wonder her career has spanned over twenty years - her songs are the stuff of legend.

Neko also has a newly-launched Substack newsletter called Entering the Lung. In it she writes lyrical essays about her relationship to the natural world.

On this episode, Neko discusses the influence of wildness on her music, her relationship to magical monstresses, and why she identifies as "she/sir."

Pam also talks about Witches' Thanksgiving and answers a listener question about how to make physical exercise a spiritual act.

Our sponsors for this episode are That Witch Life Podcast, Temperance Home and Bar, Lindsay Mack’s “Heart of Service” course, BetterHelp, Seagrape Apothecary, The Spiral Bookcase, and Jessica Globe Coaching.

#75 - SPELLLING's Tia Cabral

It’s the Season Finale of The Witch Wave! Tia Cabral is a Bay Area-based musician who performs under the magical moniker SPELLLING. She released her first moodily mystical full length Pantheon of Me in September 2017 to rave reviews including being Bandcamp’s #4 record of that year, and she followed it up in 2018 with her critically acclaimed darkly sparkling album Mazy Fly released on Sacred Bones Records. On both of these albums, she draws from dream imagery and esoteric symbolism to tap into the ethereal realm of emotion and spirit all spiraling from a synthy sonic palette.

Her brand new album, The Turning Wheel, marks a symphonic expansion for SPELLLING, with lush orchestral production that utilizes 31 musicians, and celebrates macrocosmic themes of, “human unity, the future, divine love and the enigmatic ups and downs of being a part of this carnival called life. ” It feels very much like a Magnum Opus, and heralds a brilliant and bewitching music-maker at the height of her powers. The visuals for the album are maximalist as well with SPELLLING and co. donning elaborate costumes and metamorphic makeup. SPELLLING has toured with Boy Harsher and Amen Dunes and her live performances are regarded as revelations of spell and spectacle.

On this episode, Tia discusses her magical music theories, divine influences from Kate Bush to Sun Ra, and how occult practices like tarot and alchemy helped conjure her new album, The Turning Wheel.

Pam also talks about the sacred symbolism of the wheel, and answers a listener question about meeting the felines of her dreams.

Our sponsors for this episode are Moon Dust Press, Witch Baby Soap, Motherland, BetterHelp, Mithras Candle, and Maude’s Paperwing Gallery

#74 - Haylin Belay, Pleasure Witch

Haylin Belay is a sex educator and health promotion professional with a focus in reproductive justice and intersectional, holistic strategies for healing and care. With over a decade of hands-on experience developing award-winning health education programming and providing professional development for clinicians, educators, and activists, she has dedicated her life to teaching people of all ages practical skills for a healthier, more pleasurable life. In addition to her classroom work, she’s also a yoga instructor and spiritual coach, offering workshops, trainings, and one-on-one coaching from a trauma-responsive, integrated mind-body-spirit perspective – and as you’ll hear in our conversation two of her witchcraft workshops, Abolitionist Witchcraft at Catland and Pleasure Magic & the Inner Shadow at Seagrape Apothecary, are coming up soon.

Haylin is the creator of the projects Sex Ed For All, My Feminism Involves Witchcraft, and Femiwitch, and she is a professional tarot reader and practicing witch. She also co-hosts a podcast, Emotional Labor, and is the host of Cosmopolitan web series How To Sex Toy.

On this episode, Haylin discusses the power of pleasure, abolitionist witchcraft, and how shadow work can be the antidote to shame.

Pam also talks about the solar magic of Summer Solstice, and answers a listener question about a disturbingly bewitching dream.

Our sponsors for this episode are Moon Dust Press, Ritualist, Motherland, The Spiral Bookcase, BetterHelp, Mithras Candle and Seasonal Steep

#73 - Simon Costin, Director of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic

Simon Costin is the director of Britain’s Museum of Witchcraft and Magic as well as the director of the Museum of British Folklore. He has been at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic for nearly a decade, and the museum itself is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Simon is also a world-renowned set designer, who has worked with such luminaries as Alexander McQueen and Tim Walker, as well as clients including Valentino, YSL, Lanvin, Hermes, Coach, Tiffany, and that’s just the tip of the glittering iceberg. His work has also been shown in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the ICA, and many other places, and he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Arts by the University of the Arts London for his outstanding contribution to fashion and design.

On this episode, Simon discusses the odd delights of running a bewitching museum, why to respectfully preserve the energies of supernatural objects, and the gifts of having a life in the arts (dark and otherwise).

Pam also talks about the magic of museums, and answers a listener question about the alleged evils of witchcraft.

Our sponsors for this episode are The Four Elements book by Ivo Dominguez, The Pretty Cult, Maude’s Paperwing Gallery, BetterHelp, and Mithras Candle

#72 - Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan

Natasha Khan AKA Bat for Lashes is known for her critically-acclaimed songs about otherworldly love and witchy revelations. She has released five studio albums starting in 2006 with Fur and Gold, followed by Two Suns (2009), The Haunted Man (2012), The Bride (2016), and her most recent, 2019’s Lost Girls - and she has been nominated for the Mercury Prize three times. Natasha also released an album under the moniker Sexwitch in 2015, which is a collection of reinterpreted psychedelic 1970s folk songs from around the world, and is a collaboration between herself and the band Toy. She also has composed the soundtrack for the television show Requiem. In addition to her mythic and supernatural symphonics, she is also a filmmaker, fashion and costume designer, and visual artist, who brings her unbridled imagination to her videos and shorts, and has been brewing some feature-length projects as well. Be sure to check out the brand new Bat For Lashes Patreon where you can get all kinds of bonus materials and magic direct from Natasha herself.

On this episode, Natasha discusses the importance of staying connected to childhood fascinations, the powerful pull of witches, and other inspirations for her sonic spells.

Pam also talks about maintaining the wonder of witchcraft, and answers a listener question about how to complete a working of maternal magic.

Our sponsors for this episode are Temperance Home and Bar, The Four Elements of the Wise book by Ivo Dominguez, Mithras Candle, Tarot for the Wild Soul, BetterHelp, Luna Lux Botanicals, and Seraphina Capranos

#71 - Elissa Washuta, Author of White Magic

Elissa Washuta is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and a nonfiction writer. She is the author of White Magic, My Body Is a Book of Rules, and Starvation Mode. With Theresa Warburton, she is co-editor of the anthology Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers. She’s a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship recipient, a Creative Capital awardee, and an assistant professor of creative writing at the Ohio State University.

On this episode, Elissa discusses her examination of Native American and white culture in her work and magical practice, how to approach life like a mystic detective à la Twin Peaks’ Agent Dale Cooper, and why writing is the ultimate spell.

Pam also talks about balancing belief and skepticism, and answers a listener question about the revelations and risks of paying attention to synchronicities.

Our sponsors for this episode are Tarot for the Wild Soul, Witch Baby Soap, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, and Hag Swag

#70 - Dori Midnight, Jewitch Healer

Dori Midnight is a Jewish mystic, herbalist, artist, and teacher of magic. She also practices intuitive healing, weaves collaborative, liberatory ritual spaces, makes potions, and writes liturgy, spells, prayers, and poems. For over 20 years, Dori has been teaching workshops on ritual and remedies for unraveling times, Jewish Plant Magic, community care work, and queer magic and healing.

Dori’s work is supported and inspired by a web of teachers, dreamers, and co-conspirators in Disability and Healing Justice work, queer liberation, and earth based, multi-rooted/diasporic Judaism and is in service to more love, more healing, and more freedom for every body.  

On this episode, Dori discusses the witchcraft of Judaism, ways to reconnect the seemingly broken links of diasporic traditions, and Jewish protection magic against demons of all kinds.

Pam also discusses her journey of weaving together her Paganism with her family’s Judaism, and answers a listener question about Jewish folk magic resources.

Our sponsors for this episode are The Spiral Bookcase, BetterHelp, and Maude’s Paperwing Gallery

#69 - Liza Fenster, Somatic Seer

Liza Fenster is a life long Witch who works as Reiki Master Teacher, tarot educator and reader, and ordained minister. She combines her intuitive gifts with 20 years of extensive spiritual and metaphysical practice and study from places including the Morris Pratt Institute, Southeastern School of Neuromuscular Massage, and more.

As a Reiki Master Teacher, she offers attunement classes as well as individual healing sessions. Her background in neuromuscular massage therapy also provides comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology – and lend itself to her integrated approach to gentle somatic therapy and healing in both the physical and spiritual realms. She’s also an ordained minister who sacred life events and sits for spiritual counseling sessions.

Acting in this way as community servant, she is committed to both ecological and community healing on local and global levels - and with that, deeply committed to social justice and the healing and reparation of BIPOC communities and to the decolonization of wellness. She works in service of the Crow Mother Kachina.

On this episode, Liza discusses how to combine divination practices of the body and the spirit, recent magical messages from the tarot, and her journey to reconnect with her Indigenous roots.

Pam also talks about witchcraft and the body, and answers a listener question about rituals for transitioning out of an old home and into a new one.

Our sponsors for this episode are Lindsay Mack’s Rewilding the Tarot workshop, Mithras Candle, Luna Lux Botanicals, BetterHelp, and the Magic Monday podcast.

#68 - Dylan Thuras, Atlas Obscura's Wonder Boy

Dylan Thuras is the cofounder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, an online and in-person portal to over 20,000 of the world’s most weird and wonderful places and experiences. He is co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders and the New York Times bestselling kids book The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid. He is also the host of the fabulous new Atlas Obscura podcast. Dylan has appeared as a host on NPR’s All Things Considered and a guest on Science Friday, and CBS Sunday Morning, and has been featured in the New York Times and The New Yorker, among others.

On this episode, Dylan discusses his favorite witchy travel destinations, the ethics of visiting sacred sites, and how to cultivate more wonder whether journeying far away or in your own neighborhood.

Pam also talks about balancing wanderlust with domestic magic, and answers a listener question about connecting with deities.

Our sponsors for this episode are Lindsay Mack’s Rewilding the Tarot workshop, BetterHelp, Marvel + Moon, and Seasonal Steep

#67 - Taisia Kitaiskaia, Literary Witch

Taisia Kitaiskaia is a Russian-American poet and writer of witchly words. She is the author of two books of experimental, enchanting advice from the infamous Slavic witch, Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles and its follow-up, Poetic Remedies for Troubled Times from Ask Baba Yaga. She has also written The Nightgown and Other Poems and Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers, the latter of which is a collaboration with artist (and former Witch Wave guest) Katy Horan that celebrates magical women writers - and was an NPR Best Book of 2017. Together they also released a divination deck, The Literary Witches Oracle.

Taisia has received fellowships from Yaddo and the James A. Michener Center for Writers, and her work has been published in journals such as A Public Space, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, StoryQuarterly, Fence, Guernica and more. She has written for The Hairpin, Electric Literature, Jezebel, and Bitch Media, and her work has been nominated three times for a Pushcart Prize.

On this episode, Taisia discusses her favorite witchly writers, the fairy tale aspects of her Russian childhood, and the wild wisdom of Baba Yaga.

Pam also discusses the crone archetype, and answers a listener question about changing direction in her academic study of death.

Our sponsors for this episode are Temperance Home and Bar, Mithras Candle, Seasonal Steep, BetterHelp, Hag Swag, and Sarah Faith Gottesdiener’s Moonbeaming online course

#66 - Brujas of Brooklyn, Bewitching Twins

The Brujas of Brooklyn are Griselda Rodriguez-Solomon and Miguelina Rodriguez. They are identical twin PhDs who are professors of the Social Sciences within the City College of New York (CUNY). These brujas merge the magic of ancestral medicine with sharp intellect, combining the physical, the mental, and the spiritual to help people become more fully integrated beings. Their platform provides the balm to help folks heal from internalized oppression, particularly women. As certified kundalini and hatha yogis, these Black Dominican sisters design multi-sensory workshops that provide sacred space for women of color to heal from womb imbalances. They’ve both authored academic pieces on the effects of racialized oppression on communities of color, Dominicans in particular. And their work has granted them has been featured in such places as Univision, Google, Buzz Feed’s Pero Like, and Facebook to name a few. And they say that “Joy is their ultimate form of resistance.”

On this episode, the Brujas of Brooklyn discuss their modern spin on brujeria, the importance of feminine bodily healing, and why the spiritual and political are intertwined.

Pam also discusses the misogynist history of the witch hunts, and answers a listener question about magic and pregnancy.

Our sponsors for this episode are The Flower Essences Deck, Witchy Washy Bath, The Spiral Bookcase, BetterHelp, and the Magic Monday podcast.

#65 - Douglas Little, Heretical Perfumer

Douglas Little is a natural perfumer, creative director, product designer, and artist. He is the founding director of Heretic, a natural, artisanal fragrance brand that develops scents based on the mysterious, sensual and feral aspects of nature. He has collaborated with the likes of Lady Gaga, Dita Von Teese, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Alexander McQueen, and has also specialized in installation work, creating provocative window displays and other artful branded environments for luxury clientele like Van Cleef & Arpels, Bergdorf Goodman, Maxfield Los Angeles, Jim Thompson, and the immersive dinner-theater experience Queen of the Night.

Douglas’s prior namesake brand, D. L. & Co.: Modern Alchemists and Purveyors of Curious Goods, made a splash in the marketplace by infusing visions of antique luxury with a fresh, modern spirit, combining of botany, Edwardian decadence, and dark beauty to a range of products beginning with artisanal perfumed candles and extending to home goods and accessories.

A California native, Douglas studied marketing and product development at UCLA and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, as well as at the Syndicat National des Fabricants de Produits Aromatiques in Grasse, France.

On this special Valentine’s Day episode, Douglas discusses how he’s blended his lifelong fascinations with fragrance and the occult, the magic of “dirty rose,” and how scent can make us more in touch with our sensual side.

Pam also discusses her V-Day (and B-Day) rituals, and answers a listener question about a witchy connection at work.

Our sponsors for this episode are Temperance Home and Bar Botanica, Mithras Candle, Hag Swag, BetterHelp, and Zouz Incense.