Episode 80: Psychedelic Witchcraft

Episode DescriptionOn episode 80 of the Magick & Alchemy Podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby discuss the relationship between psychedelic states and witchcraft. They talk about magickal elixirs, like those given to initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries, and Circe’s ‘love filters.’ They consider magic mushrooms, mandrake, poppy flowers, LSD, and how these substances played a role in journeying, dreamwork, and divination. They talk about Isis, Hecate, Inanna, Demeter, Persephone, Asclepius, Maria Sabina, St. Nick, and reflect on the connection between ergot (a psychoactive fungus) and the Salem Witch Trials.Created by Tamed Wild.Production by Julio MonteroMusic by Follow the Wind,Taizo Audio. Sources:“Plants of the Gods” by Richard Evan Schultes, Albert Hofman, and Christian Ratsch“Witchcraft Medicine” by Claudia Muller Ebeling, Christian Ratsch, and Wolf-Dieter Storl“Psychedelic Mystery Traditions: Spirit Plants, Magical Practices, and Ecstatic States” by Thomas Hatsis"The Witch's Ointment" by Thomas Hatsis"Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path"by Dale Pendell "Maria Sabina: Selections (Poets for the Millennium)," Volume 2by Maria Sabina and Jerome Rothenberg“Mushrooms and Mankind” by James Arthur“Missing Witches” by Amy Torok and Risa Dickens“Psychedelics & Witchcraft: Deliriants, Soporifics, & Folklore.” Tripsitter.com, 2022“Why Do Witches Ride Brooms?” via The AtlanticMerry JaneJohn Rush via LiveScienceDr. Linnda Caporael from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute HistoricMysteries.comHeriberto YepezHieroglyphica, sive, de sacris Aegyptiorvm aliarvmqve gentivm listeris commentari (1575 manuscript)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