What Magic Is This?
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- 168
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- Letzte Folge
- 29. Okt. 2026
Über den Podcast
What Magic is This? is a topic based podcast about Magic, the Occult, the Esoteric, the Paranormal, the Supernatural and the Weird. Each episode revolves around one single topic in the hope that we can flesh out the important aspects one needs to know about it. From history to practices to important figures and more, What Magic is This? is for anyone curious about Magic and the strange world in which we live. If you're looking for the best place to find out about any of these topics, you've found the right Podcast to get you on your way.
Folgen 168
Curses
In almost every culture, Magic has historically been used for three things- getting some money, getting some sex and getting someone cursed. The ways in which curses have been preformed as well as the reasons …
Shownotes
In almost every culture, Magic has historically been used for three things- getting some money, getting some sex and getting someone cursed. The ways in which curses have been preformed as well as the reasons for doing so in the western magical tradition are beyond varied and fascinating. From spitting phlegm at someone in public to throwing a lead tablet down a well to even something as innocuous as a sinister glance, curses have been absolutely effective and show no signs of going anywhere. But what of curses these days, can they still be an appropriate and efficacious form of Magic in a world that no longer believes in them?
Jinn & Magic with J. M. Hamade
It goes without saying that Jinn are inherently magical beings. Throughout history and well before Islam, people have been interacting with these spiritual entities via magic. But what exactly does Jinn Magic …
Shownotes
It goes without saying that Jinn are inherently magical beings. Throughout history and well before Islam, people have been interacting with these spiritual entities via magic. But what exactly does Jinn Magic look like, and what are the reasons that someone would do magic with Jinn? Putting all the misconceptions in their place and enlightening us as to all the intersections of Jinn and magic we bring back to the show author, artist and magician J. M. Hamade.
The World of Jinn with J. M. Hamade
One of the most unique facets of the Jinn, is that they are attested to and given a complete history within both the main and supplementary scripture of Islam. In the Qur'an, the Jinn are there right at the …
Shownotes
One of the most unique facets of the Jinn, is that they are attested to and given a complete history within both the main and supplementary scripture of Islam. In the Qur'an, the Jinn are there right at the beginning of creation, along with humans and angels. From this special status comes many stories and lore which informs not just more legends, but also shaped individual supernatural experiences through the centuries. To billions of people on this planet, the Jinn are very active participants in life and this world. Helping put them into context for us is author, artist and magician J. M. Hamade.
"Tell me about the time you visited the City of Jinn, Darragh..."
What Magic is This? Podcast will be entering some unfamiliar territory. For the Islamicate world, a whole other group of beings share this reality with us. They are the Jinn, beings made from smokeless fire …
Shownotes
What Magic is This? Podcast will be entering some unfamiliar territory. For the Islamicate world, a whole other group of beings share this reality with us. They are the Jinn, beings made from smokeless fire that share many attributes with us mortals. Yet before we acquaint ourselves with the Jinn fully, it would be good to have a guide bridging the European and American traditions with that of the Islamicate world. Host of Spirit Box Podcast and friend of the show Darragh Mason went on a journey in 2016 to Delhi, known to many as the City of Jinn, to see how Jinn affected the lives of believers there.
The History of Fairies feat. Francis Young
It always felt somewhat incomplete; the Fistful of Fairies series here on What Magic is This? Podcast was in need of a revisitation. While the series went in many major and important directions, an overarching …
Shownotes
It always felt somewhat incomplete; the Fistful of Fairies series here on What Magic is This? Podcast was in need of a revisitation. While the series went in many major and important directions, an overarching History of the supernatural entities which we call fairies just wasn't there. And so, for the 7th anniversary of the podcast, and with the release of the wonderful book Fairies: A History by Dr. Francis Young, as well as with his help- this oversight shall be addressed and the Fistful shall be completed.
The Discoverie of Witchcraft
There are very few books within the Western Magical Tradition which have had an impact and legacy beyond the tradition itself. In 1584 a book appeared written by a country gentleman that was unlike anything at …
Shownotes
There are very few books within the Western Magical Tradition which have had an impact and legacy beyond the tradition itself. In 1584 a book appeared written by a country gentleman that was unlike anything at the time and unlike anything since. Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft was a massive work which saw Reginald attempt to shine a light on Witchcraft in order to discredit the common belief that Witches and Witchcraft had as much power as people believed it did. In exhaustive detail, Scot put many spells, enchantments and rituals in his book which only saw his work be used for Magic as opposed to against it. Simply put, The Discoverie of Witchcraft is one of the most important books in Magical History. Period.
The History of Cartomancy
Playing cards have always been magical. While not as ubiquitous and long tenured as dice and other means of games and gambling, card games have been a part of western culture for over 600 years. Inevitably, as …
Shownotes
Playing cards have always been magical. While not as ubiquitous and long tenured as dice and other means of games and gambling, card games have been a part of western culture for over 600 years. Inevitably, as soon as something gets used for games, it immediately gets used for divination and fortune-telling as well. This form of divination has been called Cartomancy and since the 15th century it has an incredibly diverse and fascinating history, one which currently sees it as the second most popular form of divination in the western world.
Pamela Colman Smith & The Tarot Deck which changed everything
If the western Magical tradition has one object which has bled into mainstream culture and seems like it is there to stay, it would be a pack of Tarot cards designed and released in 1909. Originally released as …
Shownotes
If the western Magical tradition has one object which has bled into mainstream culture and seems like it is there to stay, it would be a pack of Tarot cards designed and released in 1909. Originally released as The Tarot, it would later be known as the Rider Waite Tarot, and for decades that is what it would remain. Yet, this name negated perhaps the most important element of these cards- the artist herself. Pamela Colman Smith was an exceptional talent who lived a fascinating and tumultuous life. While her deck is beyond notorious, her story is almost entirely unknown by most. Pamela would like you to join her in the Fools Gallery, for she has much to tell us these days.
Magical Treasure Hunting
If there is one thing that can put a fire into the heart of many a person over the last two thousand years, it is the enticement of buried treasure. Yet for centuries, buried riches weren't merely just items of …
Shownotes
If there is one thing that can put a fire into the heart of many a person over the last two thousand years, it is the enticement of buried treasure. Yet for centuries, buried riches weren't merely just items of value placed in the earth for people to seek out, treasure and the spirits which guarded it had a long tenured lore all its own. What's more, treasure was a magical enterprise- looking for it, digging it up and even how treasure behaved while it was buried. To this day, treasure and its allure has always been magical.
"Christmas. It's All Pagan Anyway." - A Holiday Tradition
One must have their peculiar Holiday traditions. For me, being involved in the stranger side of life and culture, I always take note of a particular happenstance that occurs around this time of year. Every …
Shownotes
One must have their peculiar Holiday traditions. For me, being involved in the stranger side of life and culture, I always take note of a particular happenstance that occurs around this time of year. Every December without fail, you will hear the statement that Christmas is in fact Pagan, and that its symbols and customs have an origin that isn't Christian at all. Grab the Yule log, put up some mistletoe, we're going to go through all that such a statement entails!
Past Lives & Reincarnation
One of the longest enduring afterlife beliefs that we have is reincarnation. The thought goes that once we pass away, some part of us is reborn into a new person; a new body, and that life continues again and …
Shownotes
One of the longest enduring afterlife beliefs that we have is reincarnation. The thought goes that once we pass away, some part of us is reborn into a new person; a new body, and that life continues again and again and again. Many cultures throughout the world and throughout time have held this belief to be fundamentally true. It has only been in the last 70 years, that certain scientists and researchers have been seriously investigating claims from people that say that they have experienced a life before the one that they are currently living. The evidence that something truly profound and perplexing is happening, is irrefutable.
Spirits, Stories & the Supreme Secret of Sorcery! with Wren Collier & Joshua Cutchin
One of the oddest and least talked about aspects of the Paranormal and the Supernatural is something called fictional incursions. Simply put, this is when certain ideas, characters or details of narrative …
Shownotes
One of the oddest and least talked about aspects of the Paranormal and the Supernatural is something called fictional incursions. Simply put, this is when certain ideas, characters or details of narrative stories seems to in some way come alive, not only to their creators but to those who are familiar with the stories. As crazy as it sounds, in some way stories are alive and show themselves to us in certain situations. There is no other group of people that this occurs to more in Western Culture than Magicians and Occultists. Here to pull apart and examine this extremely odd phenomenon are Magician Wren Collier and the author of a new book which delves into this occurrence, Joshua Cutchin!
Solomonic Magic: Addendum
The interest in the history of magic, witchcraft and the occult has seen a discernible rise in the last 25 years. In many cases, our picture of its story through the ages has been made much clearer. This is …
Shownotes
The interest in the history of magic, witchcraft and the occult has seen a discernible rise in the last 25 years. In many cases, our picture of its story through the ages has been made much clearer. This is certainly true for Solomonic Magic, a form of magic in which the magician takes their rituals from Grimoires in order to evoke spirits and bind them to do their bidding. However, new research and perspectives have urged us that we might need to revise our understandings of this powerful and alluring variety of magic. It's time for a revisit.
Demonology
Simply put, Demonology is the study of Demons; what they do and how they interact with humans. While most cultures throughout time here in the west have had their own specific Demonology, from the middle ages …
Shownotes
Simply put, Demonology is the study of Demons; what they do and how they interact with humans. While most cultures throughout time here in the west have had their own specific Demonology, from the middle ages onwards a particularly strong sort of European Demonology formed. This Demonology eventually lead to the hunt and persecution of tens of thousands of people for hundreds of years as witches and sorcerers. How this Demonology took shape is both fascinating and very telling of how our society conceives and adopts deleterious paradigms during certain periods of time.
Angels
We live in an infinitely complex cosmos, more alive and chaotic than any of us can ever imagine. Throughout human history, the great mystery of our existence has been rendered to us mortals through certain …
Shownotes
We live in an infinitely complex cosmos, more alive and chaotic than any of us can ever imagine. Throughout human history, the great mystery of our existence has been rendered to us mortals through certain messages. These messages and the ones bearing them have seemingly been contextualized in many ways through many cultures. Here in the western world, we have given them a name- Angels. These figures have not lost any of their influence throughout the centuries; basically everyone knows what an Angel looks like. Yet, most people do not know exactly what they are, or what they supposedly do. If there is one entity which has been sanitized and overly familiarized to us, it is the Angel. We must look closer.
Putting the Hamster Back on the Wheel
Excellent news, weirdos- The Great What Magic is This? Podcast Hiatus of 2025 is coming to an end! The show will be returning shortly with a newish presentation and new ambitions. It's a little bit of a …
Shownotes
Excellent news, weirdos- The Great What Magic is This? Podcast Hiatus of 2025 is coming to an end! The show will be returning shortly with a newish presentation and new ambitions. It's a little bit of a restoration of the values and ambitions which started the show back in 2019. And why not share the news on the 6th Anniversary of the first episode of What Magic is This? being released. I hope you're excited!
Doing Hermeticism & Magical Timing with Sam Block
One of the most asked questions that I get, is about something which has already been covered on the podcast previously but perhaps needs a bit more context. Hermeticism is hard to get one's head around …
Shownotes
One of the most asked questions that I get, is about something which has already been covered on the podcast previously but perhaps needs a bit more context. Hermeticism is hard to get one's head around already, but what does somebody who calls themself a "Hermeticist" actually believe and more than that- what do they actually do? Taking us through this form of mysticism, and as a bonus, how Magical Timing can help your magic is my favourite person to talk to about Magic- The one and only Sam Block.
Dad Jokes
Happy 2025 Humble Listeners! We made it! I thought that this would be an appropriate time to make a small announcement. Please be sure to have a listen to get some news regarding What Magic is This? Podcast …
Shownotes
Happy 2025 Humble Listeners! We made it! I thought that this would be an appropriate time to make a small announcement. Please be sure to have a listen to get some news regarding What Magic is This? Podcast, the What Magic is This? Patreon as well as me- Your favourite Podcast host for the last five and a half years. Stay Luminous!
Runes with Siri Vincent Plouff
Not unlike the Celts, if you head to your local New Age Occult store you will notice that there is an overabundance of Runes. From necklace pendants, to books, to divination stones and more- Runes are seemingly …
Shownotes
Not unlike the Celts, if you head to your local New Age Occult store you will notice that there is an overabundance of Runes. From necklace pendants, to books, to divination stones and more- Runes are seemingly overrepresented. But much of what makes Runes so special has been lost in the mix. Here to help us through why Runes are not always what meets the eye in both scholarly and New age circles, is Podcaster and author Siri Vincent Plouff!
The Influences & Influence of Robert Anton Wilson with Richard Metzger
It has been quite some time since What Magic is This? has had the chance to talk about one of the most important figures of High Strangeness in the last 100 years. Robert Anton Wilson was a phenomenon unlike …
Shownotes
It has been quite some time since What Magic is This? has had the chance to talk about one of the most important figures of High Strangeness in the last 100 years. Robert Anton Wilson was a phenomenon unlike any other, but he had a very particular mixture of influences all of which came through in his worldviews and his work. Discussing with Doug why Bob is still a fellow worth knowing and reading, is the one person who started Doug down this very particular path of Magic. We are beyond delighted to finally welcome to the Podcast the counterculture éminence grise- Richard Metzger!
Ghosts?
As far as we can look back into our past, humanity has both interacted with and been haunted by the spirits of the dead. The tales of apparitions and hauntings pervade not only our most popular art but also our …
Shownotes
As far as we can look back into our past, humanity has both interacted with and been haunted by the spirits of the dead. The tales of apparitions and hauntings pervade not only our most popular art but also our psyche; seemingly everyone has a ghost story to tell. While modern skepticism waves away ghosts as being merely the product of fear and imagination, many these days are saying that it is not so simple. Ghosts still have much to tell us, if we allow ourselves to be willingly haunted by the ideas that they bring forth.
Magician's Workbooks with Alexander Cummins
Most Grimoires which are housed in the many museums and collections around the world are somewhat well copied documents that seems to have been done by professionals. Yet every once in a while what shows up …
Shownotes
Most Grimoires which are housed in the many museums and collections around the world are somewhat well copied documents that seems to have been done by professionals. Yet every once in a while what shows up like a bad penny in these collections are very obviously personal Grimoires that you can tell have been worked on and with by at least one but in some cases a few practicing magicians. What these astounding documents show us within their pages can tell us a lot about not only the times in which they were used, but how magic has evolved through the ages. No one knows Magician's Workbooks quite like the greatest Cunning Man of our age- Dr. Alexander Cummins.
Blue Grimoires with Aaman Lamba
For over 200 years, France was inundated with small cheaply produced books, bound with blue covers, filled with some of the most amazing things. These were the Bibliothèque bleue. Lots of these books would be …
Shownotes
For over 200 years, France was inundated with small cheaply produced books, bound with blue covers, filled with some of the most amazing things. These were the Bibliothèque bleue. Lots of these books would be about food, or fairy-tales, or astrology. Yet the most notorious of the Bibliothèque bleue, were the books on Magic, charms and spells. These are called Blue Grimoires today. Helping us get our fingers inky with why these small chapbooks were so important to magic, is author and magician Aaman Lamba.
The Book of Saint Cyprian with José Leitão
After King Solomon, the legend of Cyprian of Antioch looms quite large in the Western Magical Tradition. A spirit conjurer and occasional summoner of the devil, Cyprian later converted to Christianity and …
Shownotes
After King Solomon, the legend of Cyprian of Antioch looms quite large in the Western Magical Tradition. A spirit conjurer and occasional summoner of the devil, Cyprian later converted to Christianity and became a Bishop before being martyred. This legend had quite some traction, as many grimoires evoked the name of Cyprian within their pages and in the title of the Grimoire itself particularly in Iberia. Taking the listeners through the Book of Saint Cyprian, is the scholar of Portuguese esotericism and author José Leitão!
A Rather Bookish Announcement!
Have a listen and be sure to check out my What Magic is This? Bookshop, please! Hopefully all of the show notes book recommendations will be in place and updated by October 2024, but if you have any requests …
Shownotes
Have a listen and be sure to check out my What Magic is This? Bookshop, please! Hopefully all of the show notes book recommendations will be in place and updated by October 2024, but if you have any requests for books that you'd like to purchase that I have recommended through my show notes and I haven't had a chance to change yet, please be sure to email me and I will send you an affiliate link for that title. Happy Shopping, and thank you for keeping Independant Bookshops thriving!
Thai Magic with Peter Jenx
Southeast Asia has always been a place with many magical and animistic cultures. Perhaps no other country in the modern age has such a sycretic and extraordinary Magical environment than the land of smiles …
Shownotes
Southeast Asia has always been a place with many magical and animistic cultures. Perhaps no other country in the modern age has such a sycretic and extraordinary Magical environment than the land of smiles- Thailand. From spirits and ghosts to tattoos and amulets to monks and ajarns, Thailand is a place which still lives and breathes magic. Helping us get an introduction to the vast Magical world of the Thai, is author and practitioner of Thai Magic, Peter Jenx!
Unverified Personal Gnosis with Aidan Wachter
It's time to kick around an idea that gets brought up and used quite a bit these days. Unverified personal Gnosis are the terms used to describe a belief gained through personal subjective experience, not …
Shownotes
It's time to kick around an idea that gets brought up and used quite a bit these days. Unverified personal Gnosis are the terms used to describe a belief gained through personal subjective experience, not things which are confirmed by traditions or in groups. They usually inform the belief system of those that experience them. On this episode, we will be talking with someone whose entire practice is based around Unverified Personal Gnosis. That's right! It's the long-awaited return of author and animist sorcerer Aidan Wachter!
Wicca with Christina Oakley-Harrington
For the last 50 years, many people around the world but particularly in the west, identify themselves as a witch and if asked what religion they ascribe to, will say Wicca. Despite what some claim, the roots of …
Shownotes
For the last 50 years, many people around the world but particularly in the west, identify themselves as a witch and if asked what religion they ascribe to, will say Wicca. Despite what some claim, the roots of Wicca are thoroughly modern and go back no further than the 20th century. Indeed, Wicca has been dubbed the only fully formed religion that England has given the world. Many myths and misconceptions surround Wicca, so much so that even those who claim to be a Wiccan will be unaware of many of the finer details of its origins. To set the record straight is Wiccan Priestess, author and owner of the greatest occult bookshop in the world, Christina Oakley-Harrington!
The Dark Man with Darragh Mason
Throughout the centuries, one figure has flittered through both folkloric and fortean encounters. To some, this figure has simply been called the Devil, yet others aren't so hasty to place such an epithet on …
Shownotes
Throughout the centuries, one figure has flittered through both folkloric and fortean encounters. To some, this figure has simply been called the Devil, yet others aren't so hasty to place such an epithet on him. When we look into the past, A Dark Man has made their presence known in many ways. Some within the confines of the occult and witchcraft would even go so far as to call this Dark Man the witchfather. Digging deeper into the lore of the Dark Man is our guest, the podcaster and author of the new book Song of the Dark Man- Darragh Mason!
The Thoth Tarot with Lon Milo Duquette
Without a doubt, the second most recognizable and used Tarot deck in existence is the Thoth Tarot. While many are familiar with the originator of this deck, the Great Beast himself, Aleister Crowley, less is …
Shownotes
Without a doubt, the second most recognizable and used Tarot deck in existence is the Thoth Tarot. While many are familiar with the originator of this deck, the Great Beast himself, Aleister Crowley, less is known about perhaps the most important person in this decks popularity- Lady Frieda Harris. In this episode, we are focussing solely on this infamous deck, the two figures who brought it to life, and the history of it. No one knows this deck better than my guest- Lon Milo Duquette!
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