Magic in the United States

It’s the 1970s and New York City’s queer scene is vibrant and organizing itself after the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Meanwhile, Wicca — a form of contemporary witchcraft — is gaining traction as the new religious movement of the hour. Edmund Buczynski is a Seeker of initiatory witchcraft but is denied time and again, often due to homophobia and heterosexism. But Eddie is charismatic and inspired by magic and mythology. He won’t be stopped – even if he has to create his own witchcraft tradition. Featuring Thumper Forge, Michael Lloyd, and Matthew Sawicki.

Flowers. The first ripe berries. Love songs. They're all symbols of springtime, and they're found on shrines and altars across the U.S. to gods, goddesses, spirits, and ancestors. But is this magic, religion, spirituality — or something else entirely? Join host Heather Freeman for magic, religion, and spiritual remixing in Season 2 of Magic in the United States, wherever you get your podcasts. Season 2, Episode 1 airs May 7th, 2024.

Now in its third season, *A Little Juju *is dedicated to “Black Ass spirituality, community, and witchy womanist insights into healing and culture.” In this episode excerpt, host Juju Bae — now Osunfunmilola - shares the story of her amazing trip to Nigeria for her initiation into Ifa as a priestess of Osun. And head over to Jujubae.com to listen to the rest of Episode 103 where she talks about her return to New York City and so, so much more.

Reverend Erik L. Arneson’s podcast Arnemancy covers all things occult and esoteric. This includes a nine-part series on Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and his influential 1531 text Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Almost 500 years later, it’s still an influential text for many witches, wizards, and occultists. As Rev. Erik says, “If we want to understand Occult Philosophy, we first need to take a look at the world in which Agrippa lived. This episode will begin by looking at the Holy Roman Empire, where Agrippa was born and spent most of his life, and then examine a few key historical topics that are relevant to Agrippa and Occult Philosophy, including the Renaissance, the Reformation, [and] Science and Philosophy. Finally, this episode will give a general overview of Three Books of Occult Philosophy and outline a general plan for this series….” Listen to Rev. Erik’s series on Agrippa here: https://arnemancy.com/agrippa And check out his other podcast episodes here: https://arnemancy.com/episodes/

We’ll be back in a few months with the next season of Magic in the United States, but in the meantime, enjoy this excerpt from the podcast Dine with the Divine. In this episode, host Ashley interviews author David Shi about North Asian Shamanism. Then head over to www.dinewiththedivine.com to hear the rest of this episode, and listen to more of Ashley’s content which includes magically inspired recipes and occult history shout-outs!

We’ll be back this spring with a new season of Magic in the United States, but in the meantime, enjoy this guest episode from Seeking Witchcraft. In this episode, host Ashley interviews Gardnerian High Priestess and initiate of the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), Angela Z, about the life and times of Aleister Crowley. Angela tells us how Crowley became one of the best-known occultists of the 20th century, how he became involved with the O.T.O., founded Thelema, and got chummy with Wicca’s founder, Gerald Gardner. It’s a fascinating biography of a big occult personality, presented by two charming witches — enjoy!

We’ll be back with more Magic in the United States this Spring, but in the meantime, enjoy this excerpt from the latest episode of The Kitchen Sisters Present: Lou Reed's Tai Chi “Lou Reed, musician, rock icon, poet, leader of the legendary Velvet Underground, was obsessed with tai chi — the practice, the community, the health and spiritual benefits. Lou had been writing a book about this ancient martial art that was unfinished when he died in 2013. Lou’s wife, the artist and musician Laurie Anderson, looked at Lou's unfinished work and decided the book needed to be completed, that there was something important to be shared in Lou’s long, life-altering journey with tai chi. She turned to three of Lou's friends to help her with the project. By the time the book, The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi by Lou Reed, hit the stands in the spring of 2023, they had spoken with nearly 100 people and created a riveting portrait of Lou’s spiritual, medical and musical life, beckoning readers to enter the world of tai chi. The Kitchen Sisters read the book and we kept thinking, these conversations must have been taped. We asked Laurie if there were recordings. There were. Dozens and dozens of them from rock stars, to tai chi masters, to doctors, to family…. We listened to the raw interviews, this remarkable trove of sound and story, and created a podcast that goes deep inside the making of this book. Voices heard in the story include Laurie Anderson, Iggy Pop, Julian Schnabel, Hal Willner, Anohni, Master Ren and many more, plus archival recordings of Lou Reed.”

Asian Americans represent a vast diaspora within the United States, but many have been separated from the traditional folk healing and shamanic practices of their ancestors. Something is changing that, and some GenX and Millennial Asian Americans are pivoting their spiritual practices to those of their ancestral homes — like Korean Americans Jennifer Kim and Chaweon Koo. But this isn’t a nostalgia for a romanticized past. These practitioners are seeking, discovering, and creating entirely new ways of practicing shamanism, ancestor worship, and magic. And it’s only the beginning.

Hoodoo’s origin lies in resistance and survival. Developed by enslaved Black Americans during the antebellum South, Hoodoo, Rootwork, and Conjure practitioners provided medical care and protection. These practices continued to evolve under the continued injustices of Jim Crow and moved North with Black Americans during the Great Migration. And they flourish to this day, foundational to many distinctly American practices, from mixing peace water to crafting spell candles.

Perhaps the most famous magician of all time, Harry Houdini, had a complicated lifelong relationship with Spiritualist mediums. Spiritualism was as well-known in the United States as the great illusionist, himself, but schemers used seances to swindle grieving families, attracting legal crackdowns and the scorn of Harry Houdini. Houdini publicly debunked many mediums as frauds. Many Spiritualist mediums were torn between public practices with communities of adherents and avoiding public scrutiny. Yet the religious practice of Spiritualism was the home of some of America’s most important civil libertarians and remains a deeply meaningful practice for many to this day.

Pennsylvania Dutch powwower Nelson D. Rehmeyer was murdered in 1928. The Philadelphia Record called the murder trial “the weirdest and most curiously fascinating [trial] in the history of modern jurisprudence.” Because Rehmeyer’s killers feared he was practicing witchcraft against them, the trial captured national attention – and nearly destroyed the practice of powwow, a Pennsylvania Dutch healing tradition.

It’s the late 1980s. With a computer, modem, and phone line, you can log into PODSnet – the Pagan and Occult Distribution System network. It’s an early BBS, or Bulletin Board System, and for the first time, users could communicate with like-minded individuals all over the country within hours. This ancient digitech was asynchronous and expensive, but practitioners shared their spells and experimented with rituals on what was the ancestor of today’s social media

In this episode, we’ll meet two fascinating people who are remixing beliefs, spirituality, and religion every day. Dr. Rev. Aaron Davis is a minister and hospice worker. He is also a practitioner of Lucumi, Espiritismo, and a Rootworker. Thorn Mooney is a religious studies scholar and academic. She is also a Wiccan High Priestess. They share a distinctly American story of seeking one’s religious and spiritual identity – a story that’s more common than most of us realize.

Embark on an otherworldly journey from the rustic farms of Pennsylvania to bewitching California with Magic in the United States. Discover the witches, wizards, charmers, and healers of America’s most misunderstood practices. Hear the remarkable tales of magic in the lives of everyday Americans. Listen on October 24th to Magic in the United States, available on all major podcast platforms.

Discover the hidden magical realms of the United States. From modern sorcerous practices to the age-old blending of religion and spirituality, the mystical and mysterious are happening all around us. Join host Heather Freeman on October 24th to Magic in the United States, available on all major podcast platforms.