Magick & Alchemy

Episode 179: Animal Oracles: The Fox and the Deer

In episode 179 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby track the footprints of animal oracles, beginning with the fox and the deer. Assigning meaning to animal sightings and chance interactions is called apantomancy, a form of divination with the wild. Through the lens of apantomancy, the fox might show up as a friend or foe, a fairy or a goddess. The fox is also a shapeshifter, much like its friend, the deer. Deer are ancient symbols of inspiration and creativity, and in folk stories and lullabies, they initiate humans into a realm of ancient magic.Sources & Shoutouts:Mr. Fox, Helen Oyeyemi Season 4, Episode 127: Trickster TalesBones & Honey: A Heathen Prayer Book, Danielle DulskyThe illustrated database of Japanese folkloreKitsune: Japan's Fox of Mystery, Romance and Humor, Kiyosho NozakiThe Age of Deer, Erica HowsareNational GeographicLady of the Beasts, Buffy JohnsonBainne nam fiadh (Deer’s Milk)We are Deer Kin - Missing WitchesJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 178: Women in Art & the Occult: Mary Wigman & Louise Bourgeois

3w ago00:34:10Tap to summarize

In episode 178 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew conclude their series on Women in Art & the Occult by sharing the stories of Mary Wigman and Louise Bourgeois. As a dancer, Mary Wigman was an artist whose medium was not paint nor pen, but movement. She was the creator of the "Witch Dance," a performance that transformed her into a fluid, intuitive conduit of magic. Louise Bourgeois was a sculptor who considered her art a form of divination and a means of emotional restoration. She is most known for her spider sculptures, which she saw as symbols of resilience, feminine power, creativity, and independence. Bourgeois allowed her mind to wander while creating (a process she called ‘gathering wool’), letting "thought traces, fragments of dreams, idols, speculations, hunches, and intuitions" coalesce into art.Sources & Shoutouts:Tethered: An Anthology of Magic“Re-reading Mary Wigman’s Hexentanz II (1926): the influence of the non-Western ‘Other’ on movement practice in early modern ‘German’ dance,” Lito Tsitsou and Lucy Weir Monte VeritaWitch Dance - YouTubeStephando Mudo - La Biennale di Venezia“Imagination is the Medium,” Literary Coven“Breathing Back the History of German Modern Dance through the Horror Film Genre in Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria,” Wesley Lim“The Language of Dance,” Mary WigmanLouise Bourgeois - Gathering Wool“Surrealist Threads in Louise Bourgeois’ Work,” Essie King“Louise Bourgeois: The Woman Behind The Spider Sculptures,” Essie King“The Damned, the Possessed and the Beloved: About Art, Architecture and Witchcraft”Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 177: Women in Art & the Occult: Stevie Nicks & Florence Welch

Apr 2900:39:13Tap to summarize

In episode 177 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew consider the bewitching work of Stevie Nicks and Florence Welch. Standing at the crossroads of music, magic, and mystery, Kate and Kristin explore Rock & Roll’s occult muses before diving into Nick’s journey as a singer and performer. They discuss the inspiration for her first hit song with Fleetwood Mac, “Rhiannon,” which Nicks explains “is a song about an old Welsh witch.” Kate and Kristin also discuss Florence Welch, a songstress who compares witchcraft to medicine. They contemplate the creation of her band, Florence and the Machine, Welch’s Witch Choir, and share some of the enchanting lyrics penned by this word witch.CW: MiscarriageSources & Shoutouts:Tamed Wild Samhain Retreat - October 202610th House Rising Classes & Community"It was if Merlin himself could not have concocted a spell more perfect": how Stevie Nicks turned to mythology to conjure up Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon,” Bill Demain “Stevie Nicks on Love, Loss and What She Wears,” Holly George-Warren - More MagazineFlorence Welch - Britannica‘The closest I came to making life was the closest I came to death’: Florence Welch on sexism, screaming and the lost pregnancy that nearly killed her, Rebecca Nicholson - The Guardian“For Florence Welch, Grief Has Become A Superpower,” Sarah Cristobal - L’Officiel“The Pagan Heart of Florence + The Machine,” Angelica Frey - JSTOR“Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poetry,” Florence WelchParis Paloma, LabourJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 176: Women in Art & the Occult: Ithell Colquhoun & Lucille Clifton

Apr 1500:38:09Tap to summarize

In episode 176 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew explore the creative lives of Ithell Colquhoun and Lucille Clifton. Colquhoun was an artist and author who combined surrealism with her interest in bodily landscapes, gender fluidity, ecology, mythology, transient states, and erotic alchemy. Both Colquhoun and Clifton believed their artistic practices were forms of divination and ways to connect with the spirit world. Clifton engaged with Ouija and ‘spirit writing’ to inspire her poetry, which focused on history, the African American experience, Blackness, and the Black body. She believed that the purpose of poetry and art was not to reveal answers but to ask questions.Sources & Shoutouts:The Myth of Apollo and ClytieThe Quest - Journal Archives The Quest Society “Ithell Colquhoun: A queer, occultist artist who created between worlds,” Isabella Greenwood Art Historian Katy Hessel “A Diagram of Desire, Androgyny, Queer Eroticism, and the Occult Visions of Ithell Colquhoun,” Isabella Greenwood First Look: Ithell Colquhoun: Between WorldsDawn Ades, ‘Notes on Two Women Surrealist Painters: Eileen Agar and Ithell Colquhoun’, Women in Art 3, no. 1 (1980) Scylla (1938)Alchemical Figure: Androgyne (1941) Diagrams of Love (1940)About Lucille Clifton - Poets.org"Won’t You Celebrate With Me," Lucille Clifton“Spirit Writing, Body Problems: Lucille Clifton’s Faith”“The Spirit Writing of Lucille Clifton,” Marina MagloireJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 175: Women in Art & the Occult: Georgie Yeats & Sylvia Plath

Apr 100:34:52Tap to summarize

In episode 175 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby continue their series on Women in Art & the Occult, dedicating this chapter to Georgie Yeats and Sylvia Plath. Georgie was an author and medium whose journey with automatic writing began during her honeymoon with the poet and author W.B. Yeats. Over the next decade, she channeled messages from spirits who called themselves the “Instructors,” producing 50 notebooks and thousands of pages of writing and geometric designs on the occult nature of reality. Meanwhile, fellow author and mystic Sylvia Plath preferred the Ouija board to communicate with the spirit world. Although she was fiercely private about her magical interests, she relied on astrology, ‘homemade talking boards,’ and tarot cards as tools to guide her pen.CW: Mention of SuicideSources & Shoutouts:W.B. Yeats - WikipediaA Vision, W.B. Yeats“The Vision of W.B. Yeats,” Gary Lachman“Yeats and the Golden Dawn: Occult Poetry and Automatic Writing,” Nicole Lau“The Tower,” W.B. Yeats“Exploring The Occult Sylvia Plath,” Kalenna Fraga“The Haunting Story Of How Sylvia Plath Died And The Tragic Events That Led Up To It,” Kaleena Fraga“Uncovering Sylvia Plath,” Emanuela Borgatta DunnettMagic Maker, Pam GrossmanThe Occult Sylvia Plath, Julie Gordon-Bramer“Sylvia Plath And The Occult,” Terri-Jane Dow“How Black Magic Killed Sylvia Plath,” - The GuardianJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 174: Women in Art & the Occult: Hilma af Klint & Vali Myers

Mar 1800:36:17Tap to summarize

In episode 174 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew delve into the creative lives of magical women for their new series, Women in Art & the Occult. They open with the story of Hilma af Klint, a Swedish artist who explored Spiritualism, mediumship, automatic drawing, and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner and Madame Blavatsky in her work and creative process. Kate and Kristin also discuss Vali Myers, a bohemian artist known as the Witch of Positano. Vali was a maker and a muse, a painter and a tattoo artist, who was compared to the goddesses Artemis and Diana for her close relationship with animals and mountains, and for her wild nature.Sources & Shoutouts:Episode 144: Wyrd Women, Pt. 2New Moon Magic, Amy Torok & Risa DickensWaking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, Pam GrossmanPaintings for the Temple, Guggenheim, New York“The Strange Afterlife of Hilma af Klint, Painting’s Posthumous Star,” Alice GregoryThe Spiral Dance, StarhawkJust Kids, Patti SmithA Lesson in True Bohemianism with the Witch of PositanoBohemian like you: Vali Myers the Witch of PositanoEverything Shines in the Darkness: Sheldon & Diane Rochlin's Vali, The Witch of Positano - YouTubeInside the remote Italian home of Australia’s bohemian high priestessPhotos: Revisiting Love on the Left Bank - Vanity FaireFlorence Welch on feminism, depression, fameVali Myers, the Witch of Positano - TumblrJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 173: Eclipses

Mar 400:28:56Tap to summarize

In episode 173 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew investigate the folklore, superstitions, and astrological significance of eclipses. Beginning with the myriad of eclipse mythologies from around the world, they consider the stories of monstrous Apep and heavenly Selene. They contemplate eclipses as omens, bolstering agents for medieval magicians, and course correctors for modern spellcasters. They also highlight the influence of these celestial phenomena on earth-dwellers, and how they deliver stories, guidance, and path-aligning magic.Sources & Shoutouts:Small Spells Deck by Tamed WildEpisode 128: Spring MagickHistory of Eclipses - NASAMoon Lore, Timothy Harley“Behold Rahu, the Beheaded Asura, and Other Eclipse Monsters of Yore,” Robert LambBrewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, John Ayto“Surprising facts and beliefs about eclipses during medieval and Renaissance times,” Sandra KnispelCarl Jung, Letter to Horst Scharschuch, 1 September 1952, Letters, Vol. IIAstrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, Robb Breszny“Totality,” Anne CarsonChani NicholasCalifornia Academy of Sciences supervisor Elise RicardDoug Duncan, director of the Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado, BoulderThe Astrology Podcast, Episode 215 Join Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 172: Creative Magick with Shelby Bundy & Amanda Paulson

Feb 1801:12:01Tap to summarize

In episode 172 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew welcome back Shelby Bundy and Amanda Paulson! Shelby Bundy is the visionary and creatrix behind Tamed Wild, where modern magick meets ancient wisdom, and Amanda Paulson is a paranormal investigator and psychic medium based in the Pacific Northwest. In this conversation, the coven discusses the crossroads of magick and creativity, highlighting their literary muses and current works in progress. They talk about different writing methods and rituals, finding inspiration in unlikely places (bogs), and the areas of their craft they plan to explore more in depth.To connect with Shelby, visit her website, subscribe to her Substack, and follow her on Instagram @themoonincarolina.To learn more about Amanda, visit prettyfnspooky.com, look for her on Substack, and follow her online @prettyfnspooky.Sources & Shoutouts:Barabra G. Walker's recommended reading listHans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1975) - YouTubeJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 171: Creative Magic with Charlie Claire Burgess

Feb 401:17:51Tap to summarize

In episode 171 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby interview Charlie Claire Burgess. Charlie is a queer and trans-nonbinary author and artist working at the intersection of spirituality and queerness. In this conversation, they discuss queer deities, word witchery as devotion, tugging on the threads of stories, and working with fantasy as a portal. Charlie gives advice on embracing the words "Word Witch" or "writer," and also speaks about creative rituals. They discuss tarot, the card of the year for 2026, and the importance of knowing how to fall and how to get back up to fight again.To learn more about Charlie, visit their website, follow them on Instagram and Substack, and find their latest books and decks here.Sources & Shoutouts:Queer Devotion: Spirituality Beyond the Binary in Myth, Story, and Practice, Charlie BurgessThe Gay Marseille Tarot“Learning How to Fall: Or, How Getting Relentlessly Thrown on My Ass Helped Me Learn to Love the Wheel” - Queerly Devoted SubstackJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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Episode 170: Creative Magic with Sanyu Estelle

Jan 2101:33:22Tap to summarize

In episode 170 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby and Kate Belew interview Sanyu Estelle. Sanyu is an author, artist, and Word Witch whose work challenges supremacist narratives while exploring the intersection of cultures, histories, and ontologies. In this conversation, Sanyu speaks about the magical lanterns of poetry and magic. Together, three witches discuss creativity and word witchery, tracing their way back into the roots of words as sacred secrets. Sanyu guides listeners toward new approaches to their craft, infusing each action with a sense of possibility and enchantment. She shares what it means to be a Word Witch, and how to work with your gut messages and intuitive hits as missives from past and future selves. To learn more about Sanyu and her offerings, follow her on Instagram @sanyuestelle and read her words on Substack. Visit her website at SanyuEstelle.com Sources & Shoutouts:Tamed Wild Beltane RetreatThe Moon in Carolina podcastEpisode 12: ImbolcEpisode 50: Imbolc Plant & Animal LoreEpisode 136: Asteroids with Empress AtlantisKate & Kristin’s to-be-read book piles:Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra GeorgeMany Masters, Many Lives, Brian WeissJourney of Souls, Dr. Michael NewtonThe King and the Corpse, Heinrich ZimmerThe Power of Myth, Joseph CampbellNear to the Wild Heart, Clarice LispectorThe River Has Roots, Amal El-MohtarSlewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery, BromBog Queen, Anna NorthThe Other Side: A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World, Jennifer HiggieWuthering Heights, Emily BrontëAednan, Linnea AxelssonJoin Tenth House Rising! Tenth House Rising offers seasonal learning for those who seek meaning through myth, magick, and memory. Rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and inspired by the Wheel of the Year, each month brings a new theme that echoes the energies of the natural world. Learn more at TenthHouseRising.com.For those who desire magick in the mail, you can also subscribe to the Tamed Wild Box, a monthly delivery of magic & earth medicine. Each box is crafted around a season and includes items for the earth-spirited and the lovers of all things mystical and natural. Deliveries can include crystals, herbs & teas, ritual tools, altar items, jewelry, essential oils & other lifestyle pieces. The Tamed Wild Box is a monthly offering of 5-7 items, chosen for the month and season we are in. Each delivery includes a box card that explains your items and a little ritual you can do with your new tools. You will also receive access to a monthly moon gathering, exclusive to box subscribers! Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio Montero.Music by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio

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All episodes

Episode 179: Animal Oracles: The Fox and the Deer

Episode 178: Women in Art & the Occult: Mary Wigman & Louise Bourgeois

Episode 177: Women in Art & the Occult: Stevie Nicks & Florence Welch

Episode 176: Women in Art & the Occult: Ithell Colquhoun & Lucille Clifton

Episode 175: Women in Art & the Occult: Georgie Yeats & Sylvia Plath

Episode 174: Women in Art & the Occult: Hilma af Klint & Vali Myers

Episode 173: Eclipses

Episode 172: Creative Magick with Shelby Bundy & Amanda Paulson

Episode 171: Creative Magic with Charlie Claire Burgess

Episode 170: Creative Magic with Sanyu Estelle