PODCAST · religion
What Magic Is This?
by Douglas Batchelor
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.
Episodes
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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 look like, and what are the reasons that someone would do magic with Jinn? Putting all…
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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 beginning of creation, along with humans and angels. From this special status comes many...
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"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 that share many attributes with us mortals. Yet before we acquaint ourselves with the Jinn...
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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 History of the supernatural entities which we call fairies just wasn't there. And so…
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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 the time and unlike anything since. Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft was a...
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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 soon as something gets used for games, it immediately gets used for divination and...
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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 The Tarot, it would later be known as the Rider Waite Tarot, and for decades that is...
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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 value placed in the earth for people to seek out, treasure and the spirits which…
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"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 December without fail, you will hear the statement that Christmas is in fact Pagan, and…
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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 again and again. Many cultures throughout the world and throughout time have held this...
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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 stories seems to in some way come alive, not only to their creators but to those who are...
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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 certainly true for Solomonic Magic, a form of magic in which the magician takes their...
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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 onwards a particularly strong sort of European Demonology formed. This Demonology...
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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 messages. These messages and the ones bearing them have seemingly been contextualized in…
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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 restoration of the values and ambitions which started the show back in 2019. And why not share...
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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 already, but what does somebody who calls themself a "Hermeticist" actually believe and more...
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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, the What Magic is This? Patreon as well as me- Your favourite Podcast host for the last...
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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 overrepresented. But much of what makes Runes so special has been lost in the mix.…
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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 any other, but he had a very particular mixture of influences all of which came through…
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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 psyche; seemingly everyone has a ghost story to tell. While modern skepticism waves…
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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 like a bad penny in these collections are very obviously personal Grimoires that you can...
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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 about food, or fairy-tales, or astrology. Yet the most notorious of the Bibliothèque...
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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 became a Bishop before being martyred. This legend had quite some traction, as many…
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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 for books that you'd like to purchase that I have recommended through my show notes and I...
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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- Thailand. From spirits and ghosts to tattoos and amulets to monks and ajarns, Thailand is…
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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 things which are confirmed by traditions or in groups. They usually inform the belief system...
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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 Wicca are thoroughly modern and go back no further than the 20th century. Indeed…
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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 him. When we look into the past, A Dark Man has made their presence known in many ways....
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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 known about perhaps the most important person in this decks popularity- Lady Frieda…
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The Weird 90s - From A(rt Bell) to Z(apruder Film) with Brian Giordano
Grab a Snapple™ and make sure your tips are frosted, we're going back to the distant, far off time of the decade right before Y2K ended everything. The decade kicked off with a shaky start, as distrust in the government boiled over leading to all sorts of interests in what we all perceived was...
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Thinking Magically with Ramsey Dukes
We truly live in a golden age for Magic, the Occult and all the high strangeness that comes with it. There are many of the greatest thinkers to ever tackle these strange and weird concepts alive right now; at this very moment. Every paradigm needs its heroes and villains, but more importantly-...
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Sacred Architecture with Peter Mark Adams
Most likely each and every one of us has walked into a building or a structure which had the capacity to touch something inside of you in some ineffable way. For Millenia, cultures around the world have constructed buildings which have this ability to cut through aesthetics of their appearance…
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Demons & Infernal Spirits
If there is one single concept which has been associated with Magic for the last 2000 years, none would be more notorious than Demons & Infernal Spirits. For centuries, the idea of illness, misfortune and all aspects of evil have been personified as a class of spirits. How they are conceptualized...
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Taoist Magic with Jason Read
For the most part, What Magic is This? Podcast has stuck to the cozy realm of "Western" Magic and Occultism. Yet the listeners beg for a more expansive examination of the magical world we live in! It is with such curiosity that we head East to the continent of Asia and the country of China and…
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Dion Fortune with Professor WHAM
No list of early 20th century Magicians would be complete without Dion Fortune being there. Although many these days might not know her name, her books, or the magical order that she founded, nevertheless Dion Fortune's influence on contemporary magic is vast. Although she considered herself an...
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Ancient Magical Artefacts with Kirsten Dzwiza
Just like today, our ancient ancestors would utilize magic through the use of amulets, talismans and other materials. Some of these we have to this day, and many are on display in museums around the world- amazing snapshots of magical beliefs of a bygone age. But these objects have much to tell…
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William Burroughs & Brion Gysin with Vic Hyland
Two figures who have changed the cultural and artistic landscape of the west, also happened to be great friends that inspired each other. One of them you most likely might have heard of. The other is virtually unknown these days. For a period of time, William Burroughs and Brion Gysin shared what...
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UFOs?
The most enduring mystery of the last 100 years has been the phenomenon of what appear to be ships or craft in the sky which completely defy gravity. Along with sightings of these craft, there emerged other phenomena including the idea of aliens from other galaxies as well as people being taken...
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Astrological Magic with Andrew Watt Continued
On our previous episode with the always eloquent Andrew Watt, we went over the history as well as foundations for the interplay of Astrology and Magic. On this episode, we delve into the nitty-gritty of utilizing the celestial spheres for one's magical rituals. From what metaphysical models one…
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An Introduction to Solomonic Magic with Alexander Eth continued!
It has been a whole year and the time is right to dive right back in on perhaps one of the most popular topics covered on the Podcast so far- Solomonic Magic! Earlier we had talked about the method that is applied to this sort of magic, as well as its history. On this episode the host of the...
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Jack Parsons
Considered by many Magicians and Occultists to be as close as we have to a Rockstar, John Whiteside Parsons lived perhaps one of the most interesting and captivating lives of any resident of the Fools Gallery. A gifted chemist, many have said that he is one of the most important figures in the...
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Nigromancy with Julio Cesar Ody
If there is one thing that draws a considerable amount of controversy within contemporary magic, it is the blatant act of evoking Demons. It has been called many things but for simplicity's sake, Nigromancy seems historically specific enough. And yet, the practice of Nigromancy is long tenured...
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Stellar Witchcraft with Sasha Ravitch
New and unfamiliar ages bring us bold and pioneering Magicians. For the most part over the last 100 years when we look up into the night sky, we see celestial bodies dancing and bestowing their magnificence to us. But there is always something else up there. The night sky is mostly darkness and…
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Enochian Magic with Scott Stenwick & Cliff Wigtil
One of the most renown forms of Magic we have today was received by the Arch Mage of England John Dee and his scrying counterpart Edward Kelley. No doubt, even if you have a cursory knowledge of the world of Magic, the word "Enochian" conjures up many opinions. For some it is a beyond useful and...
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Occultism with Mitch Horowitz
The concept of what can be called Occult is fairly easy to pin down, but what can we say about "Occultism?" Ask seven Occultists and you will get seven wildly different answers. And yet it truly is a huge part of what has always seemingly bubbled below the surface of Western History for the last...
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Stones, Gems & Crystals with Nicholas Pearson
Despite being written off by quite a few folks within the Occult and Magic as New Age nonsense, Stones, Gems and Crystals have been a part of Magic for... Forever. As soon as we were able to pick up stones and rocks, we were utilizing them as spiritual allies in any way we could. There are very…
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Ouija
For something which is only about 150 years old, the grip that Ouija or Spirit Talking Boards have on the cultural imagination is staggering. For some, it has been used to great effect to help them write their best work. For others it is a demonic tool which allows evil spirits or even the devil...
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Astrological Magic with Andrew Watt
Astrology and Magic. Two things that go together like salt and pepper. When we look back through the ages, they always seem to have been intertwined, for matching what happens in the celestial spheres with what happens here on earth seems like such a natural interaction. But where does one even...
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Introduction to Paganism with Angela Puca
The term Paganism is used today (for the most part) to refer to contemporary religious and spiritual traditions which take their influences from historically pre-Christian beliefs. While many of these are fairly different from each other, there are some distinctions which these sorts of Paganism...
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The Celts... and Magic with Amy Hale
If one was to walk into their local New Age, Witchcraft and Magic shop and have a look around, one would notice that much of the merchandise in said shop was Celtic. From amulets, to books of Celtic Magic, even Celtic Oracle Cards. This would probably give one the impression that the Celts were…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Douglas Batchelor
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does What Magic Is This? have?
What Magic Is This? currently has 167 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is What Magic Is This? about?
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...
How often does What Magic Is This? release new episodes?
What Magic Is This? publishes regularly with 167 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to What Magic Is This??
You can listen to What Magic Is This? on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts What Magic Is This??
What Magic Is This? is created and hosted by Douglas Batchelor.
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