Beltane 103: Fairy Circles

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

Beltane is held in the northern Hemisphere on May 1, and Nov 1 in the southern hemisphere, which is about halfway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. This festival was popular with herding communities and was traditionally the time that livestock was taken out into the fields after winter and the birthing season. It’s been celebrated with bonfires, visiting holy wells, fertility rituals, handfasting, honoring the fae, maypoles, feasts, and decorating with spring greenery, flowers, and ribbons.

During the Beltane season the veil between this world and the spirit real is thin, and it’s easier to communicate with spirits and the Fae folk. In this episode, we explore Fairy Circles: what they are, beliefs about them, and how you can use them in your magical practice. We also discuss simple ways to work with the Fae, and our own experiences with them.

Links for related episodes:

Beltane 101 (Episode 11): https://youtu.be/xGXwSGVkb6I

Beltane 102 (Episode 37): https://youtu.be/jh6bK8S39Kw

Working with the Fae (Episode 9): https://youtu.be/m4TPLUW6RG4

Types of Fae (Episode 39): https://youtu.be/izCVb9LUXD4

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/13/fairy-circles-namibia-australia-desert-mystery/

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/mystery-of-fairy-circles-in-australian-deserts-solved/news-story/3f422982dd73e1542e18d4b2f48a0107

https://sempervirens.org/news/redwood-fairy-rings-and-the-magic-of-science/

http://www.sterf.org/Media/Get/3028/article-fairy-rings

https://dimensionofstuff.com/things-that-are-about-1000-feet-ft-long/

https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/do-you-dare-enter-fairy-ring-mythical-mushroom-portals-supernatural-003677

https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/do-you-dare-enter-fairy-ring-mythical-mushroom-portals-supernatural-003677

https://fantasticfungi.com/understanding-the-mystical-fairy-circle/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring

Pub Chat: What non-Pagan stuff has Influenced your Practice?

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents.

This week we ask what non-pagan content, like books, movies, and tv-shows, has influenced your pagan practice. We explore some of our favorite stuff and discuss what it means to us and what we’ve learned and adapted into our individual pagan systems.

We discussed & explored:
Alan Watts

The Divine Dungeon Series by Dakota Krout

The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Magic the Gathering Book Series (Ice Age cycle) by Jeff Grubb

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne

The Nightwise Series by R.S. Belcher

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

The NeverEnding Story (movie)

Star Trek

Pop Culture Celtic Deities

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

What exactly is the Celtic pantheon? It’s a mish-mash of several different western European deities, that often get lumped into one camp. And unfairly so—there’s enough information, history, and lore for each region to have their very own deep dive! In fact, you may be surprised to know that they weren’t all natively worshipped in the same region.

In this episode, we discuss the various regional deities that make up what is commonly thought of as a Celtic pantheon. Where they come from, what they’re worshipped for, their appearance, and a brief list of correspondences. We go over the most popular deities attributed to the Celtic pantheon: The Dagda, Lugh, Brigid, Cernunnos, the Morrigan, and many more.

Pub Chat: On the Rise of Paganism #witchtok

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents.

This week we look at an article from National Geographics, Paganism is on the Rise – here’s where to discover its traditions. We discuss topics brought up in the article including #witchtok, our opinions on them, and what wasn’t said or not explored. So, read this short article, join us for a lighthearted conversation, and let us know what you think.

Paganism is on the Rise: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/where-to-go-to-explore-pagan-culture

An Interview with Bruja Wendy Mata Houseman

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

                Join us as we sit down for an amazing interview with Bruja Wendy Mata Houseman of Bruja Power Botanica. We had a fantastic and casual conversation covering a variety of topics from Brujeria to Power Vortexes. We look forward to more interviews and speaking with Bruja Wendy again.

You can find Bruja Wendy at:

Website: https://www.bruja.us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brujapowerbotanica/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brujapower/

Pub Chat: 10 Tips for “Baby Witches”

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents.

This week we look at the practice of worshiping alternative gods and characters from modern media. We discuss what we’ve seen in the space and explore different types of worship and practice. Join us as we explore the non-“Brand Name” gods and alternative faith.

10 Tips for “Baby Witches”

1)      Stop calling yourself a “baby witch”. Unless you want to.

2)      Trust your intuition and trust in yourself.

3)      Write it down so you don’t forget.

4)      Magic doesn’t always have to be a big deal.

5)      Find magic in everyday things.

6)      Don’t measure your practice by other people’s rules.

7)      Don’t be a “judgey jerk”.

8)      You don’t need fancy tools or ingredients.

9)      Never rule out mundane reasons.

10)   Be patient, it takes time.

Ostara 103: Flower Magic

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

The sabbat Ostara is held on the Spring or Vernal Equinox, when night and day are equal. Cultures throughout the world have celebrated the equinox for thousands of years, as this is the time of year we see flowers pop up as palpable signs that winter’s icy grip is loosening, and life is coming back to the land. People have been assigning meanings, healing, and magical properties to flowers going back thousands of years.

As such, there’s no better time than now to talk about flower magic. In this episode, we discuss Floriography—a method of communication using flowers that was popular in the Victorian times. We also talk about how you can use the 19th century book The sentiment of flowers; or, Language of Flora, by Robert Tyas in your magical practice.

There’s also the usual banter, correspondences, and discussion of how we celebrate Ostara.

Links for Reading Material and Related Episodes:

Read The sentiment of flowers; or, Language of Flora, by Robert Tyas at Cornell Library (no account needed): http://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=flow721083#mode/1up

Ostara 101 (Episode 8): https://youtu.be/6_XuVpLtDm4

Ostara 102 (Episode 34): https://youtu.be/diLSXxD4NeM

Pub Chat: Do you only have to worship “Brand Name” Gods?

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents.

This week we look at the practice of worshiping alternative gods and characters from modern media. We discuss what we’ve seen in the space and explore different types of worship and practice. Join us as we explore the non-“Brand Name” gods and alternative faith.

Pontus and Other Primordial Greek Deities

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

Pontus is the Greek primordial sea god—a Protogenoi. But he isn’t just the god of the sea, he is the personification of sea. The other primordial deities, like Gaia, Uranus, Nyx, and others occupy an interesting space within Greek Mythos, so we touch on them as well.

We also discuss the concept of Animism, and how you can incorporate deities or spiritual archetypes into your practice, even if there’s not a lot of source material for them.

Our lively discussion also includes an invocation for Pontus, and a method for water scrying (divination). We reference serval of our other episodes, so if you liked this episode, you may also want to check out:

Episode #06, Aphrodite Deep Dive: https://youtu.be/Shvg97IPIkQ

Episode #18, Isis Deep Dive: https://youtu.be/uJgMj6YQZh0

Episode # 16, Olympian Family Tree: https://youtu.be/nVpa_CTAcWk

Imbolc 103: The Nine Herbs Charm

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

For our 103 series, we are exploring a specific area of lore or practice related to each Sabbat. In this episode, we are discussing Odin’s Nine Herbs Charm. In the Lacnunga, Woden (AKA Odin) uses the Nine Herbs charm to banish poison and heal. Translating ancient texts is difficult, so we aren’t entirely sure which herbs they are, but we think they are mugwort, plantain, bittercress, betony, chamomile, nettle, apple, chervil, and fennel.

In this episode, we discuss the Lacnunga, Odin’s role with herbs, and the specific herbs mentioned in the Nine Herbs Charm, and recommend some reading material to further your practice.

Links for Reading Material and Related Episodes:

Read the Nine Herbs Charm at Spitalfields Life: https://spitalfieldslife.com/2018/05/15/the-nine-herbs-charm/

Imbolc 101 (Episode 5): https://youtu.be/44Td_vOlKHg

Imbolc 102 (Episode 31): https://youtu.be/5rOasOB3QJY

Dagda Deep Dive (Episode 29): https://youtu.be/nXKQgea1niM

Intro to Modern Odinism (Episode 25): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2hFPkF0fw8

Magic on a Budget

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

Your magical practice doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg! Ancient people couldn’t buy things online, and often weren’t able to go to the store to pick up ingredients they needed for a spell.

In this episode, join us as we give you our take on magical principles and substitutions you can embrace to practice magic on a budget. We go over many ways to cultivate a low-cost magical practice, from smart splurging to altar décor to the benefits of shopping small and local. We don’t even tell you to give up your daily coffee or avocado toast!

We give you correspondences and two spells we’ve written, along with our personal ways to save money, take care of the planet, and live magically.

Free internet book archives:

Internet Archive: http://www.archive.org/

Twilit Grotto- Archives of Western Esoterica: http://www.esotericarchives.com/

Internet Sacred Text Archive: https://sacred-texts.com/

Other episodes you may also want to watch:

Imbolc 101 (Ep 5): https://youtu.be/44Td_vOlKHg

Spellcrafting 101 (Ep 4): https://youtu.be/E4ueJuQ2lpU

Spellcrafting 102- Book of Shadows and Grimoires (Ep 30): https://youtu.be/eI-SOxxCZ6A

Intro to Protection Magic (Ep 12): https://youtu.be/qEVRpeEvl5U

Meditation Basics (Ep 13): https://youtu.be/snAMunKM03w

Technomancy (Ep 36): https://youtu.be/jT7llHYG1Qs

Kitchen Witchery (Ep 19): https://youtu.be/jsiCwIEk4zY

Kitchen Witchery- Potions (Ep 38): https://youtu.be/25CrF9YYdz4

Pub Chat: What even is Santa Claus?

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents.

This week we look into Santa Claus, is he a god, an egregore, or something else? How does his power or Magic work and where does it come from? Join us as we explore the arbiter of this festive holiday season and delve into the lore of one Kris Kringle.

Yule 103: The Wild Hunt

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

For our 103 series, we are exploring a specific area of lore or practice related to each Sabbat. In this episode, we are discussing The Wild Hunt.  It is a group of ghostly figures pursuing an entity, which is either another ghostly entity, or hapless humans out at the wrong time.

In this episode, we discuss the who, what, and why of The Wild Hunt. The various leaders of the Hunt, and especially Odin’s role within the hunt. We tell a tale related to Odin and the Wild Hunt and recommend some reading material to further your practice.

Links for Reading Material and Related Episodes:

Teutonic Mythology Vol III, by Jacob Grimm, pages 917-950 (Link to this book on the Internet Archive): https://archive.org/details/JacobGrimmTeutonicMythologyVol3/page/n77/mode/2up

Yule 101 (Episode 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8NG89qOqXk

Yule 102 (Episode 28): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbDfRxWUPhU

Hidden Heathenry in Modern Holidays (Episode 26): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzm9NkGLF5s

Intro to Modern Odinism (Episode 25): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2hFPkF0fw8

Tasseomancy

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

Tasseomancy is the practice of using tea leaves, coffee, or other infusions for divination. Its exact origins are unknown, and its popularity boomed in areas where tea or coffee drinking was common. In this episode, we discuss the known history of tasseomancy and give you tips to enhance your practice.

We go over the process of tasseomancy from brews to consumption of tea to reading the symbols. There are many different ways of doing this, so we give you a few different options so you can choose your favorite. In addition to two tea leaf reading rituals, we give you divination correspondences to boost your spellwork, and discuss our favorite tasseomancy methods.

Our two-year podcast anniversary is coming up, and we’ll be doing a YouTube Live stream to celebrate! Join us on Sunday, December 11, 3033 at 5 pm PST. We’ll be doing a live Q  & A and talking about our plans for year three!

“Tea-Cup Reading and Fortune-Telling by Tea Leaves,” by A Highland Seer, Courtesy of The Gutenberg Project: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/18241/18241-h/18241-h.htm#2

Samhain 102

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

Samhain is the third and final harvest festival. It takes place on October 31 (or April 30 in the Southern Hemisphere), which is halfway between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice.  This is a time to celebrate the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Mute dinners, costumes, trick or treating, jack-o-lanterns, bonfires, and divination are also part of the festivities!

Join us as we deep dive into the history of Samhain and its tradition of being of being a liminal festival. We also give you a bunch of ideas to celebrate the season and discuss our own experiences and traditions. There’s also a simple ritual, and correspondences for Samhain.

If you’d like to learn more about Samhain, please listen to episode #24, Samhain 101.

Pub Chat: What is Godsposuing, Thor and Utgarda-Loki, The Gate

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents.

Our question of the week is about god spousing. The practice goes back to ancient times and spans all cultures.

In Story Time, Jon tells the story of Thor and Utgarda-Loki, AKA that one time that Thor took a trip to a giant’s house and was told to never come back.

During the month of October, we only watch horror movies! We just watched The Gate, and we discuss the wild weird Speilbergian antics of the movie. There’s death metal and pint-sized demons!

Mabon 102

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals. It takes place on the Autumnal Equinox when night and day are equal. While Mabon is a newer festival, cultures throughout the world have been celebrating the Autumn Equinox for thousands of years. It’s a time of sharing and giving thanks, transition, reflection, preparing for the winter, and of course Feasting and drinking!

Join us as we deep dive into the history and traditions of thankfulness surrounding Mabon and the Autumn Equinox. We also give you a bunch of ideas to celebrate Mabon season and discuss our own experiences and traditions. There’s also a simple ritual, and correspondences for Mabon.

If you’d like to learn more about Mabon, please listen to episode #11, Mabon 101.

Pub Chat: Magic and Burnout, Thor Love and Thunder

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents. This is a bit of a catch up episode, so grab a beverage and hang out with us!

We’re thrilled to say that we’re back from having a bit of an unplanned break! In this episode, we discuss our break and burnout. Mostly how you can fit magic into your routine to help you recover from or stave off burnout. We also talk about our personal experiences with burnout, and how we’ve handled it.

We watched Thor: Love and Thunder recently and discuss the themes of magic and deities in the movie. We’ll definitely be watching it again!

Freyja Deep Dive

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to the Horn and Cauldron podcast…

The Norse goddess Freyja is known by many names: The Giver, Queen of the Valkyries, Possessor of Brisingamen, Mistress of Cats, and many more. She is a Vanir, and is particularly known for her associations with love, magic, abundance, and the afterlife.

We discuss Freyja in depth and touch on her epithets, iconography, possible origins, as well as a few tangents. There are several Heathen blots that are suitable for worshipping her, which we go over, in addition to sharing an invocation and a spell that we’ve written to honor her. As always, we also list some correspondences that can be used in conjunction with her worship.

In our discussion, we reference serval of our other episodes, so if you liked this episode, you may also want to check out these:

Episode #06, Aphrodite Deep Dive: https://youtu.be/Shvg97IPIkQ

Episode #10, Thor Deep Dive: https://youtu.be/7z3HlTcTrHw

Episode #14, Loki Deep Dive: https://youtu.be/jqrFadRE-bY

Episode #18, Isis Deep Dive: https://youtu.be/uJgMj6YQZh0

Episode #22, Toxic Internet Witchcraft: https://youtu.be/BBaJ0rGufEQ

Episode #25, Intro to Modern Odinism and Heathenry: https://youtu.be/D2hFPkF0fw8

Episode #33, Norse Family Tree: https://youtu.be/Wrxio5z6DVQ

Pub Chat: How can I help, Medusa, Love Death & Robots

Greeting’s heathens and witches,

Welcome to Pub Chat! These episodes are for us to have a more free-form way to discuss listener questions, shorter subjects, as well as magical happenings, musings, and of course, go off on tangents. This is a bit of a heavy episode, so grab a beverage and buckle up!

Our question of the week is focused on current events. Many pagans and heathens out there want to know what they can do to help those in need, and how to protect our rights. We give some mundane and witchy ideas and tips to help.

In Story Time, we talk about Medusa: her myths, themes, and how she fits into the broader theme of this particular episode.

We watched Love, Death, and Robots recently and discuss the Jibaro story, and how it ties into the idea of sirens. In our town, there’s a small theater troupe that recently finished a run of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This classic tale has lots of witchy themes, and we briefly discuss them.