Rune Soup
by Gordon
Rune Soup is a podcast channel that platforms the most important discussions at the cutting edge of magic, animism and spirit work.Gordon is chaos magician, shamanic practitioner, podcaster, author and permaculture designer with a background in data and analytics gained at some of the world's largest media companies. He is the author of four books on magic, animism and star lore: Star.Ships: A Prehistory of the Spirits, The Chaos Protocols, Pieces of Eight and Ani.Mystic: Encounters With A Living Cosmos.When not travelling, Gordon hosts his weekly show, Rune Soup, from a small permaculture farm in southern Tasmania.
Episodes
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Thoughts on the passing of Peter J Carroll
The one and only Peter J Carroll has completed his incarnation. I wanted to get down some thoughts about what he and his work meant to me. You can also watch this one.
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Synchromysticism and Magic: How To Get Better At Both
In this side quest from the Hospicing Modernity's Magic series, I make the case that Synchromysticism is modernity's best available form of omen logic. And that getting good at it is one of the more reliable ways to get good at magic. We'll cover Seneca's distinction between the candle and the...
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What happens to ayahuasca now? Lessons for modern magic
Ayahuasca's peak cultural moment has been and gone. So what does she do now? And what are the lessons for western magic in the complex journey of this incredible plant teacher? I have some thoughts on all this mid-dieta, in the Upper Amazon. As usual, this one is also a YouTube video. You can see...
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What are we to make of the Book of the Law?
It's the anniversary of the reception of the Book of the Law. Joining me to explore the questions of What to make of it? How to think about it? What, if anything, to do with it Are two very special guests: Alan Chapman and Peter Grey. Now, like me, neither of them is a Thelemite. But what they do...
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Wearing Jung's skin like a pelt
Is magic just a less sophisticated form of psychology? That is probably the cornerstone claim of what I am calling 'Modernity's Magic'. And in the next instalment of our series 'Hospicing Modernity's Magic', I want to look at: How psychology diverged from magic and why. Jung's role during his...
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Hospicing Modernity's Magic
What continues to exist from the 'safe' and 'quirky' magic of the twentieth century that finally needs to die? And what has maybe been left behind that might even belong better in our current era of magic? This is the beginning of a little project exploring what we should take with us through…
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This is all in the model (Epstein files)
What is ours to do during the putrefactory collapse of Western civilisation? Let's find out! At the very least, it is choosing the right story to live in so that we can nudge the trajectory of this ghastly moment more and more toward the good. Here are some off-the-cuff thoughts on how we might…
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Do It For The Plot (Is Good Advice)
There's a meme that's been evolving since 2021, and in its current chaotic incarnation, it's become accidentally magical—even if the people using it don't realise it. In this episode, I'm unpacking "do it for the plot" as a practical framework for the year ahead. Not just as permission to take...
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The Purpose of Ghosts
At this time of year, when many of us are rudely awoken from our hard-earned slumber by multiple ghosts wanting us to support their gofundme or something, I thought we might look at ghosts. What are they? Are they even real? And if they're not, what are they for? And the exploration is framed by…
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2026 Astrology Forecast (H1) | Austin Coppock
Austinmas 2025! Can you even believe it? Legendary astrologer, Austin Coppock, returns to the show for a look at what 2026 has in store for you. Here's what we cover: 🪐The end of "nothing ever happens" energy 🪐 What war looks like in the Age of Air 🪐 January's hidden assemblies and the parade...
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Lucifer: Praxis | Peter Grey
Lucifer: Praxis! Peter Grey joins the show once again to talk about his explosive new book. We explore who the being of Lucifer is, his relationship to western magic, western magicians' relationships to him and how the current of liberty, individualism and legitimate rebellion have shaped…
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Discovering the Sacred Through The X-Files | Christopher Knowles
Synchromystic raconteur, author, and pattern seeker Christopher Knowles returns to the show, as well as the wheelhouse, for this one. Not that we would ever need one, but the flimsy excuse for Chris coming back this time is so that we can discuss his amazing new book, XF-ULTRA: The X-Files,...
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Travelling Ghosts Bent Spoons and the Science of Magic | Dean Radin
In this episode, Dr Radin returns to the show to talk to us about his amazing new book, The Science of Magic. We look at Meta-analyses with trillion-to-one odds. Hotel poltergeists that target specific researchers. Spoons that bend without force. Sigils. Always, always sigils. Radin explains why...
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Otto Rahn, Nazi Grail Hunter | Richard Stanley
Filmmaker Richard Stanley joins us to unpack his incredible book "Otto Rahn: Grail Hunter" - the true story of a gay Jewish medievalist who became the SS's chief grail hunter in Nazi Germany. We explore Stanley's own supernatural experiences on Montségur (getting trapped by lightning), the brutal...
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How Spirit Entities Shape Human Affairs | Vanese McNeill
Vanese McNeill, co-producer of the Magical Egypt series, returns to the show. In this episode, we explore the hows and possible whys of spirit involvement in history, from the super-elite level down to the everyday. And also across to some of the sillier claims about AI floating in the air like…
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What Would You Do If Certainty Never Returned?
Back on the farm, jetlagged and hustling. I've been sitting with this question since I decided not to renew my lease in Asunción. So today, I want to give you my thoughts. There's some frosty farm pics over on my Substack. Enjoy!
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Zombie Co-Creation
Or why our horrible internet is good, actually. Sick in an AirBnb in Paraguay, I make the case for co-creation still being the best way to exist with our ever-enhorribling media landscape. Show Notes End The Day With Ceremony, Not Distraction. Two things to watch or listen to with your lunch (of...
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The Kali Yuga, Astrology & The Power Of Long Cycles | Dan Waites
Dan Waites joins us to discuss the literal long view, which is to say the things we can see and the frameworks we can find when we widen our perspective out to millennia-long cycles and epochal shifts. We explore: The Kali Yuga and why it may have ended THIS year. The Age of Aquarius and how it...
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Why You Came To Earth | Alberto Villoldo
Note: Before we begin, my six-week Shadow Work Intensive, The Shaman's Devil, Is Now Live. There are only a few spaces left, so if you think you might be interested, move quickly. If you know me, you'll know this is a pretty big deal for me. The one and only Dr Alberto Villoldo joins the show…
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Astrology Forecast | Austin Coppock | H2 2025
I spent way too much time trying to shoehorn a Warhammer 40K reference into this episode title, and it devolved into something that would make a Chaos Marine blush. So we're keeping it professional (kinda) and diving straight into the space weather for 2025's back 9. Watch along on YouTube here…
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They Broke Upon This Fortress Like Waves Upon Rock
I've been revisiting Ursula K. Le Guin's brilliant essay "The Child and the Shadow". Le Guin was defending fantasy against the sterile modernism of her era—but what happens when that defence needs to evolve? We're no longer fighting a battle between "good" and "bad" fantasy. Instead, we're caught...
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LinkedIn For Ghosts
Last night I got halfway through a Substack post on a related issue to some of the subjects that came up on my appearance on the Disintegrator podcast. When I went to link to it, it suddenly dawned on me I had only shared it on the Rune Soup Premium Members Mighty Network. (Join below.) So here…
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I See That Strange Tales Are Woven About You
Magical objects aren't just forged—they're found. In this solo episode, I explore the secret life of enchanted tools: the knife with a story, the crystal touched by a world-mountain, the wand bought in a witch town that still summons fairy queens. What gives an object its power? Sometimes it's...
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Huáscar Rising
Hello from Cusco, where the streets are laid out like a puma and hawkers offer massages on every corner. I've been thinking about Huáscar, the last true Sapa Inca, who willingly took sacred knowledge into the underworld until the time was right for its return. What if the strange convergence…
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Tolkien's Shire Anarchy and the Mandate of Heaven
This week, I'm welcoming fellow substacker and Tolkien nerd, Charles McBride, whose essay 'Shire Anarchy' caught my eye in the cultural curiosity that is the substack notes app. We're diving into the political imagination behind Middle-Earth – a world where having a king is perfectly fine, as…
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Bathed In A Blue Suede Light | Miguel Conner
Everyone's favourite gnostic raconteur, Miguel Conner, returns to the show this week to discuss his latest book, The Occult Elvis. The book becomes an entryway into a wide-ranging discussion on the role of shamans, cultural transformation, fate and the destiny of America. (Mere trifles!)…
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Gandalf And The Ice Wall: You Shall Not Pass?
In this episode, I explore the shifting landscape of conspiracy culture and what I've been noticing about an emerging "conspiracy canon." Recording from my new apartment in Paraguay, I dive into observations from my recent event with Greg Carlwood in Florida, examining how conspiracy thinking has...
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Amor Fatty
Hi from the Amazon jungle. Honestly, if I'd known that AI would do such a good job of describing this podcast, I would have left it in charge and stayed longer. Although I will say, I asked it to write it in the style of the speaker, and it made me sound way more polite than I usually am to you...
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Magic: You're Not Ready Till You're Ready
A solo show from Asunción, Paraguay. I wanted to share some thoughts that I have been sitting with while remastering all the premium member courses, beginning with Grimoires. These thoughts turned into a full-length solo show. Hope you like it! AI certainly seems to have had an absolute blast...
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Magic: You're Not Ready Till You're Ready
A solo show from Asunción, Paraguay. I wanted to share some thoughts that I have been sitting with while remastering all the premium member courses, beginning with Grimoires. These thoughts turned into a full-length solo show. Hope you like it! AI certainly seems to have had an absolute blast...
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Does the West Have a Magical Metaphysics? | John Michael Greer
Ringing in the new year with a banger! John Michael Greer returns to the show to explore Whether we can say if 'western' magic has a discernable metaphysics. What those might be. Seeing as AI did such a good job of giving us a definition of metaphysics (which you will get in the show), here's…
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2025 Astrology Forecast (H1) | Austin Coppock
Austin Coppock returns to the show for our traditional six-monthly astrological forecast, this time for the first half of 2025. We are calling this one Just The Tip (Of The Chainsword)! 00:00 Introduction to 2025 Astrology Predictions 02:56 The Significance of Warhammer 40K in 2025 05:45...
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There is only ever one revolution (The Invisibles as model of Belonging)
In this episode, Gordon discusses the evolution of his podcast, the connections between magical individuals, and the themes presented in Grant Morrison's comic series, The Invisibles. He explores The loneliness epidemic in modern society. The role of digital connectivity. The concept of the...
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The Life, Times and Legacy of Robert Anton Wilson | Gabriel Kennedy
Gabriel Kennedy joins the show to discuss Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought Crimes of Robert Anton Wilson, the first-ever book-length biography of ol' RAW. We explore Wilson's life, philosophy, and literary contributions. Kennedy shares his personal journey of discovering Wilson's work, the...
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How To Gaslight Yourself Out Of Magical Success
The show returns with some actionable findings from almost a year of regular sigil work. We look at The ways you mess up your own magical results by not admitting what you want. The ways you mess up your own magical results by not admitting where you are at. What to do about it. And toward the…
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The World Without Sin Has Arrived | Solo Show
We're trialling a new format this week, as I am in the Bay of Fires for work. A visit to a beer-drinking pig inspired some ruminations on how and why we connect as this idiotic, digital hellscape builds itself around us. The episode discusses the manipulation and sanitization of reality through...
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Mayan Calendar Shamanism | Julián Katari
This week, we welcome to the show Mexican-Bolivian-Chilean healer, Red Path shaman and teacher Julián Katari. Fun fact about Julián: He was my translator for my recent trip up to stay with the Kallawaya in the Bolivian High Andes. So we talk about that, of course. We also talk about his own...
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Time Magic and the I Ching | Maja D'Aoust
Witch, author, biochemist and oriental medicine specialist, Maja D'Aoust, joins us to discuss Time Magic and the I Ching. We explore: The impact childhood illness can have on the practice of magic. The difference between ancient Chinese and more 'Western' experiences of time. The origin of the I...
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Art As Evocation | Phil Ford & JF Martel
The dynamic duo behind Weird Studies, Phil Ford and J F Martel, join the show to explore the ways in which art is a form of evocation. We look at: Orson Welles as divine shamanic faker. Hollywood's vaudeville origins. What is a trick and what is a lie and can you even use those words if they show...
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Magic Is Post-Institutional | Douglas Rushkoff
Media theorist and internet legend Douglas Rushkoff joins the show this week. We explore: Is there even such a thing as 'media' anymore? The promises and (many) failings of the tech world. UBIs, digital utopias and dystopias. Where we look for hope and optimism now. Where magic sits in our shared...
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Cards Against Divinity - Balthazar Blacke & Natalia Lee
Two contemporary deck creators, Balthazar Blacke and Natalia Lee, join the show this week for a round table on fortune telling and the role oracle cards specifically should have in your cartomantic practice. We explore: The things oracle cards can do that tarot cannot. (And vice versa!) Which...
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Magic, Media And Chaos with Richard Metzger
Legendary cultural curator, media theorist and provocateur Richard Metzger joins the show this week. Richard, of course, co-founded The Disinformation Company, founded Dangerous Minds and has spent decades observing and participating in the changing media landscape. He is with us now to talk…
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Magical Thinking 101: What It Really Is And How To Improve Your Life With It
This week's solo show forms part of a collection of observations lining us up for the beginning of the five-month, gargantuan Time Magic course we're starting in August. Here, we explore the quiet politics of magical thinking: The origin of the term. How it sort of is and sort of isn't like…
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Magical Egypt and The Legacy of John Anthony West | Chance Gardner and Vanese McNeil
Chance Gardner and Vanese McNeil, producers of the legendary documentary series Magical Egypt, join the show this week. We discuss Getting history right and wrong. The legacy of John Anthony West and R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz. Materialism and its impact on studying history. The latest series of...
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Astrology Forecast H2 2024 - Austin Coppock
Six moons have passed and so the Council of the Wise was summoned once again. Also I was there. Austin Coppock returns to the show for the traditional half-yearly forecast. Join us as we talk about Mars retrogrades, eclipses, elections and proxy wars. Stick around till the end for some TV...
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How To Be A Synchromystic - Christopher Knowles
The legendary Christopher Knowles of the Secret Sun joins us this week to explain how to be a synchromystic. We learn ✅ What is synchronicity? ✅ What role synchronicity plays in modern mysticism. ✅ The importance of symbol sets in this pursuit. ✅ How this modern practice is really an ancient one...
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Iamblichus, Theurgy and The Body | Professor Gregory Shaw
Gregory Shaw, Professor of Religious Studies at Stonehill College, joins the show to discuss, theurgy, the work of Iamblichus, and how we have probably got the Neoplatonists' attitude to the body quite wrong. We discuss The DESCENT of rather than ASCENT TO the gods. The theurgic imagination and…
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Adventure As Epistemology | Solo Show
Let's make the most of my jet lag and jump right back into regular live streams the morning after I arrive back on the farm! In this episode, we discuss How and why Wade Davis is my hero. The definition of adventure and why that matters for magicians. How adventuring creates reality. Sacred…
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Jake Stratton-Kent's Night School | Erzebet Barthold
Hadean Press's Erzebet Barthold returns to the show this week, on the occasion of the release of Cyprian's Offices of the Spirits -the posthumously published final volume in Jake Stratton-Kent's Night School. We talk about goetia, we talk about the sublunar, we talk about English Qaballa -all the...
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How To Get Good at Magic - Notes From Bolivia | Solo Show
Coming to you from the shores of Lake Titicaca! Some lessons on how to get good at magic, specifically sigil magic, learned on the road in Bolivia. The short answer is your first hundred sigils will teach you more about magic than any book ever will. The long answer is.... this podcast. Here I...
About this show
Rune Soup is a podcast channel that platforms the most important discussions at the cutting edge of magic, animism and spirit work.Gordon is chaos magician, shamanic practitioner, podcaster, author and permaculture designer with a background in data and analytics gained at some of the world's largest media companies. He is the author of four books on magic, animism and star lore: Star.Ships: A Prehistory of the Spirits, The Chaos Protocols, Pieces of Eight and Ani.Mystic: Encounters With A Living Cosmos.When not travelling, Gordon hosts his weekly show, Rune Soup, from a small permaculture farm in southern Tasmania.
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