What Magic Is This?

Most likely each and every one of us has walked into a building or a structure which had the capacity to touch something inside of you in some ineffable way. For Millenia, cultures around the world have constructed buildings which have this ability to cut through aesthetics of their appearance and bestow upon those who look upon or enter inside, a sort of spiritual reverence. How does this happen and what sort of elements make up these structures? Helping us break ground on this curious topic is the author and scholar of esotericism, Peter Mark Adams!

If there is one single concept which has been associated with Magic for the last 2000 years, none would be more notorious than Demons & Infernal Spirits. For centuries, the idea of illness, misfortune and all aspects of evil have been personified as a class of spirits. How they are conceptualized by different religions and spiritual traditions is fascinating and in a way- the key to understanding these faiths and how they view evil. Everyone has an idea in their head as to what demons are or if they even exist. It is time to put them front and centre as we look closer at these agents of malevolence.

For the most part, What Magic is This? Podcast has stuck to the cozy realm of "Western" Magic and Occultism. Yet the listeners beg for a more expansive examination of the magical world we live in! It is with such curiosity that we head East to the continent of Asia and the country of China and take a look at some of the Magic which has arisen within the diverse tradition of Taoism. Helping us along the way is Chinese Magical practitioner and author of Practical Chinese Magic- Jason Read!

No list of early 20th century Magicians would be complete without Dion Fortune being there. Although many these days might not know her name, her books, or the magical order that she founded, nevertheless Dion Fortune's influence on contemporary magic is vast. Although she considered herself an occultist and ceremonial magician, it is within the realms of Wicca and Neopaganism that we can see much of Dion's impact. Helping us through the world of one of most notorious Occultists of the last 150 years is magic and paranormal author and researcher, Professor WHAM!

Just like today, our ancient ancestors would utilize magic through the use of amulets, talismans and other materials. Some of these we have to this day, and many are on display in museums around the world- amazing snapshots of magical beliefs of a bygone age. But these objects have much to tell us not only about the sorts of magic we used to do, but the spiritual and magical ecosystems from where they were produced. Helping us examine these amazing ancient magical artefacts is an Archeologist of Ancient Magic- Dr. Kirsten Dzwiza!

Two figures who have changed the cultural and artistic landscape of the west, also happened to be great friends that inspired each other. One of them you most likely might have heard of. The other is virtually unknown these days. For a period of time, William Burroughs and Brion Gysin shared what they called "The Third Mind," a collaborative process which saw both figures egging each other on to greater heights of inspiration and creativity. But what helped them during this process? Magic of course. For the first time ever in the Fools Gallery, we look at two artists in the same episode, and are joined by musician, author and Podcaster Vic Hyland!

The most enduring mystery of the last 100 years has been the phenomenon of what appear to be ships or craft in the sky which completely defy gravity. Along with sightings of these craft, there emerged other phenomena including the idea of aliens from other galaxies as well as people being taken aboard these ships and meeting the extraterrestrials in what can be called abductions. Everyone in the western world knows about Unidentified Flying Objects and what they get up to. But is there another way to approach the whole topic that makes it something more than just wondering about visitors from other planets? It's time to take a different perspective on the whole mystery.

On our previous episode with the always eloquent Andrew Watt, we went over the history as well as foundations for the interplay of Astrology and Magic. On this episode, we delve into the nitty-gritty of utilizing the celestial spheres for one's magical rituals. From what metaphysical models one can use, to how to start doing astrological magic, to what to use it for- this episode is a torrent of information for those curious about Astrology and Magic and for practitioners alike!

It has been a whole year and the time is right to dive right back in on perhaps one of the most popular topics covered on the Podcast so far- Solomonic Magic! Earlier we had talked about the method that is applied to this sort of magic, as well as its history. On this episode the host of the greatest Magic podcast of all time Glitch Bottle Podcast, the one and only Alexander Eth, (as well as Doug) would like to brighten some of the less looked in corners involving this austere and amazing form of Magic!

Considered by many Magicians and Occultists to be as close as we have to a Rockstar, John Whiteside Parsons lived perhaps one of the most interesting and captivating lives of any resident of the Fools Gallery. A gifted chemist, many have said that he is one of the most important figures in the history of space exploration; some even going so far to say that without Jack Parsons, humanity would not have made it to the moon. And yet going hand in hand with his rocket chemical brilliance was a fanatical obsession with Western Magic, particularly that of Aleister Crowley's Thelema. Consider this an introduction to one of the most fascinating humans to grace this planet in the last 100 years- Jack Parsons.

If there is one thing that draws a considerable amount of controversy within contemporary magic, it is the blatant act of evoking Demons. It has been called many things but for simplicity's sake, Nigromancy seems historically specific enough. And yet, the practice of Nigromancy is long tenured throughout not just western ritual magic but many other spiritual traditions as well. One who has experience in both realms, is the Sorcerer and author Julio Cesar Ody.

New and unfamiliar ages bring us bold and pioneering Magicians. For the most part over the last 100 years when we look up into the night sky, we see celestial bodies dancing and bestowing their magnificence to us. But there is always something else up there. The night sky is mostly darkness and is certainly spilling over with spirits that show signs and interact with us, whether we like it or not. A kind of Stellar Witchcraft is taking shape and pioneering all that it entails is the one-of-a-kind Astrolater Sasha Ravitch!

One of the most renown forms of Magic we have today was received by the Arch Mage of England John Dee and his scrying counterpart Edward Kelley. No doubt, even if you have a cursory knowledge of the world of Magic, the word "Enochian" conjures up many opinions. For some it is a beyond useful and very powerful type of magical process which tests the magician resolve. For others, it is such a powerful form of magic that doing it could cause ruination, insanity and disaster for the one who dares attempt it. On this Episode, we have Scott Stenwick and Cliff Wigtil helping us get some perspective on the whole enterprise that is called Enochian Magic.

The concept of what can be called Occult is fairly easy to pin down, but what can we say about "Occultism?" Ask seven Occultists and you will get seven wildly different answers. And yet it truly is a huge part of what has always seemingly bubbled below the surface of Western History for the last 500 years, despite the word Occultism being a 19th century invention. Taking us through what Occultism appears to be, as well as how we presently conceptualize it is Occult Historian, Author and Lecturer- Mitch Horowitz!

Despite being written off by quite a few folks within the Occult and Magic as New Age nonsense, Stones, Gems and Crystals have been a part of Magic for... Forever. As soon as we were able to pick up stones and rocks, we were utilizing them as spiritual allies in any way we could. There are very few universals in Magic but Stones, Gems and Crystals is one of them. For something this important we needed the perfect guest and so joining us to take the listeners through all things mineral is The Luminous Pearl- Nicholas Pearson!

For something which is only about 150 years old, the grip that Ouija or Spirit Talking Boards have on the cultural imagination is staggering. For some, it has been used to great effect to help them write their best work. For others it is a demonic tool which allows evil spirits or even the devil into your life. Yet for most of us who have used them, they never seem to disappoint; there is always seemingly an interesting story attached. The Ouija board has been explained away by science and skeptics, but I think it is past time we reconsider what it is about these amazing objects which keeps us coming back decade after decade.

Astrology and Magic. Two things that go together like salt and pepper. When we look back through the ages, they always seem to have been intertwined, for matching what happens in the celestial spheres with what happens here on earth seems like such a natural interaction. But where does one even start? What things should one keep in mind if they want Astrology to be the major aspect of their Magical spells and rituals. Helping us through it is the Astrologer, Magician and Poet- Andrew Watt.

The term Paganism is used today (for the most part) to refer to contemporary religious and spiritual traditions which take their influences from historically pre-Christian beliefs. While many of these are fairly different from each other, there are some distinctions which these sorts of Paganism all seem to share for the most part. Many are Polytheist, see spirit and the sacred as being imminent, and hold the natural world in high regard. Taking us through some of the broader strokes of contemporary Paganism is the scholar of Magic, Witchcraft, and Paganism- Dr. Angela Puca!

If one was to walk into their local New Age, Witchcraft and Magic shop and have a look around, one would notice that much of the merchandise in said shop was Celtic. From amulets, to books of Celtic Magic, even Celtic Oracle Cards. This would probably give one the impression that the Celts were an enormously magical civilization, perhaps even the most magical that has ever existed. But how much do we know about the Celts, and how should we think about Celts these days? To help us understand better is Folklorist and scholar Dr. Amy Hale.

When most of us close our eyes and think of Fairies, more often than not the winged fairies of 19th century Britain is what will come to mind. Over the last 160 years, some historians and folklorists have attempted to figure out just how the British conception of the fairy came to be. For the most part and in the minds of many, it seems like fairies were some sort of Pagan Celtic survival of Christianization. However, this might not be the case at all. Taking us through the Origins of Fairies in Britain, is Author and Historian Dr. Francis Young.