What Magic Is This?

Say the words Magician, Occultist and Angel Magic and one name comes immediately to mind - Dr. John Dee. About as close as England has ever come to producing a real life Wizard, Dee is one of the most scrutinized, analyzed and obsessed over figures of the 16th century. Blazingly brilliant at Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrology in his own time, he is known mostly nowadays for a particular segment of his life. For less than a decade, Dee and a questionable figure by the name of Edward Kelley...

Instantly recognizable; you know a Wizard when you see one. Not only by appearance- Beards, older, white hair but also by the items associated with them- Robes, pointed hat, staff and old books. There is seemingly something archetypal about the wizard, which literally means "One who is Wise." These days, the Wizard ranks among some of the most beloved characters in books, films, art and more. In this Episode of WMiT?, we are joined by a real life Wizard Devin Person, to go through why the...

Through the vastness of time, one thing we've all had in common was the sky, especially that of the night sky. The Stars, Moon and planets have meant many different things to our Ancestors. Many saw the cosmic dance these celestial bodies followed as an integral part of not only their Myths or Cosmology but having real agency in our lives and in events here on earth. There is much magic in the stars, and to discuss as well as elucidate such things is my guest for this episode, Amaya Rourke!

To many the words "Christianity" and "Magic" should be like oil and water. For most Christians, the Occult is strictly forbidden; a dalliance with the dark forces of Satan. For Occultists, Christianity is the great adversary; always seeking to destroy and do away with those who use Magic of any form. Yet these dichotomies are somewhat new and it has not always been so easy to seperate. Much of the nuance has been lost, but luckily over the last 15 years, many of those into Magic and...

We all dream. Yet sometimes, while we are dreaming we become conscious of the fact that it is almost as if we are in the dream; we realize that we are active in our thoughts and actions. This is Lucid Dreaming, the ability to be aware while in a dream state. Most people have had at least one Lucid dream, others can lucid dream in great detail and frequently. In this episode of WMiT? we tackle this odd phenomenon which has massive possibilities for the study of consciousness. Joining the show...

Holmes & Watson. Salt & Pepper. Hell, even Sturm und Drang- there are some classic combinations in this world. Rock 'n Roll & The Occult just seems natural. Although a relatively recent musical form, less than a century, the dalliances of the diabolical with Rock music were there nearly from the beginning. The combination of drums, guitars and a hollering vocals seem the very thing that the Occult offers in some way as well- Powerful, animal, and emotive. Yet the story of Rock and the Occult...

Kept safe in many Special Collections around the world are very odd and very special Books. They are filled with interesting content- Invocations, Evocations, Prayers, Spells as well as odd diagrams. These are Grimoires- A Magician's textbook and are used for many purposes such as divination, crafting talismans, herbs and stones, as well as how to summon Demons, Angels, Spirits and other entities. Joining this episode to discuss these fascinating and incredible documents is the Scholar,...

Without a doubt, the last 5 years has seen a resurgence of interest in the Celestial Art of Astrology. At base, Astrology is looking at the positions of celestial bodies like the planets and stars, in order to divine information relevant to the past, the present and the future. A discipline unto itself, to say that Astrology was important in ages past is a vast understatement. On this episode of WMiT? we are joined by Scholar, Author and Consulting Astrologer Dr. Becca Tarnas, whose views...

Starting off the New Year with a Titan of Magic. Austin Osman Spare means many things to many people. For some, he was an extremely talented Artist whose antisocial behaviour and unwillingness to compromise left him forgotten by the art world. For others, he is the grandfather of sigil magic; a fiercely independent occultist who came up with his own system of magic which was considered revolutionary long after he passed away. Chances are we will never get the full story of the magic of...

If you dismiss the humanities, you dismiss the prophets among you... Perhaps no other contemporary figure's ideas are brought up more in WMiT? than Dr. Jeffrey Kripal. His work is the stuff which fuels much of my thinking about the paranormal, the supernatural and extraordinary experience. Always with a comparative eye, Dr. Kripal not only looks into the past and the present, but also has his gaze fixed on the future; on what could be awaiting us if we only allow ourselves to tell each...

What if you could see aspects of your future merely by being asleep? What if the unconscious mind was in some way prophetic? What if precognition and psi effects are memories of your future experiences; something you premember? In this Episode of WMiT? I am joined by a guest whose ideas I have mentioned numerous times on the Podcast- Dr. Eric Wargo. His book Time Loops has been one of my greatest reading experiences of the last decade, and he's only getting started.

We all have them. Or, do they have us? The Tapestry of life is a complex web of family, lineage and blood. Their struggles and triumphs are yours as well. For many beginning in Magic, the idea of Ancestors and their elevation does not seem like the most interesting aspect to start practicing, but many these days are making a case that starting with ancestors is beyond beneficial. Joining WMiT? is a man who is well versed in the realm of the restless dead and how it applies to your health and...

Since 2011, my guest Sam Block, also known as Polyphanes, has written well over 1.5 Million words on his Blog, The Digital Ambler. Having found his work in late 2013, I loved his passion and process regarding such texts as the Corpus Hermeticum and the Greek Magical Papyri. In this episode of WMiT? I finally get to pick his brain about some of my favourite aspects of magic, his process and how he tackles such things as using Barbarous names, substituting ingredients, even prayer. The Magical...

Fish falling from the sky. People disappearing from one area only to be found in another. People igniting on fire for no reason. Such phenomena was finally given a voice in the early 20th Century all thanks to one man- Charles Fort. The word 'Fortean' is used by some to describe this phenomena but the thing is, cataloguing strange instances when reality seems to get weird should not be the only thing that Charles Fort is known for. The man who invented the Supernatural (a term Charles...

Where does one even begin? Kabbalah has been marked down as one of if not the foundational Element of the Western Magical Tradition. It has also been marked down as a much maligned and misused Judaic Esoteric Tradition; a beautiful and vast tradition that was passed from master to student. Suffice to say, a lot of what passes for Modern Magic is inspired in some way by what is called Hermetic and/or Practical Kabbalah. In this episode of What Magic is This? Doug is joined by Tanin to share...

It probably didn't take us humans very long to discover that certain plants and fungi, when we interacted with them or ingested them- would cause strange effects. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes prophetic, often exhilarating- Drugs and our dalliances with them have intrigued and enthralled us for longer than we've been recording history. Many would say that these substances and spirituality are intrinsically linked in many ways. Of course, Magicians and Witches have utilized this to great...

Something available to each and every one of us is a capacity to explore strange worlds, dimensions, and realms. This can be as simple as having a dream each night, to as complex and unusual as a full-blown Out of Body Experience. While some would argue that this is merely just an act of Imagination, to those who Journey often such an explanation seems as far away from the truth as anything could possibly be. Joining the show to share some knowledge is a luminous soul who has Out of Body...

'But Dead Men tell no Tales, they say! Except old tales that burn away the stifling tapestries of day. Old Tales of life, of love and hate, of time and space, and will, and fate.' Western magic has recently seen a revitalization of the Practice of Necromancy- Divination, Invocation, Evocation and Communication with Spirits of the Dead. Most likely, Necromancy has its origins in Ancestor veneration but came to be something more. Cultures around the world have their own forms of Necromantic...

The Time has come. It was bound to happen. Now, you will have the chance to support me (your host- Douglas!) and my work with the Podcast. In this Episode of WMiT? I go through some of my thoughts on starting a Patreon account, the reasons for doing so, why one should join, what might be on the Patreon and More! Speaking from the heart, this is not an episode to skip; Hear me out... Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

One is constantly surprised by the world and universe we find ourselves in. Every Ecosystem seems to overflow with life, be it forest, desert, tundra, even cities. The longer one sticks with Magic, the more it seems like the whole Universe is somehow alive. Yet despite things we can identify as certainly being alive, perhaps some of the denizens of the ecosystem we say clearly aren't alive- actually are, including the ecosystem itself. This is Animism. In this Episode of WMiT?, Doug is...