The Witch Wave

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.