Blackthorn's Protection Magic contains a 13,000 word escape and evasion course that includes how to evade a stalker, escape kidnapping, lose a tail and make it home safely.

Take care of each other.

LTZ: Artist, Author, Witch.

An artist, author, and fusion bellydance performer, Rhode Island-based Renaissance Witch Laura Tempest Zakroff is a simmering cauldron of talents and projects. They stopped by. TBG to talk about their work, Templefest shenanigans, book recs and more!

https://lauratempestzakroff.com/

Stuff discussed in this episode includes:

Adobe Fresco app

Blackfeather Mystery School: The Magpie Training by Irene Glasse & Caine Dreamwalker

A Witch's Ally: Building a Magical Relationship with Animal Familiars & Companions by Dodie Graham McKay and Kelden

Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small by Ted Andrews

Wise Child by Monica Furlong

In this episode recorded March 2022, Devin Hunter from Modern Witch dot com interviews Amy.

https://modernwitch.com/

Join The Blackthorn Grove in welcoming Victoria Laurie, author of the Psychic Eye Mysteries, as well as several other amazing series to talk about life as an author, questions she gets as a Medium, and how to balance it all and get words on the page!

Sponsored by Blackthorn's Botanicals tea shop.

This episode features an hour-long summer thunderstorm on the east coast of the United States recorded by our hostess Amy Blackthorn at her home in Delaware. Episode sponsored by Blackthorn’s Botanicals tea shop.

Join Amy in exploring the steps needed to get your book idea to be seen by the traditional publishers in our niche.

Important: This is my personal experience, I don't speak for any publisher. I'm not available to read manuscripts.

It's a new year and that means a new visit with Cyndi Brannen from Keeping Her Keys! 

We'll be discussing what it takes to be a Well Witch. 

Content Warning: There will be discussions on chronic pain, chronic illness and a brief mention of Eating Disorders, listen appropriately.

Sponsored by Blackthorn's Botanicals dot com. 

Sponsored by BlackthornsBotanicals.com 

Blackthorn's Botanical Wellness, out October 31st, 2022 from Weiser Books.

Mortellus stopped by to catch up, and the amazing stories we exchanged were moving and empowering.

Content warning: frank discussion of parenting, aging, inter-personal relationships,  and brief mention of surviving s*icide towards the end of the episode. 

Mortellus at PanParaCon Sept 30th-Oct 2nd 2022 or at PanParaCon.com and Mortellus.com

Jennie Blonde: An eclectic Pagan witch with a love of hearth and home witchery, Jennie has been practicing witchcraft for twenty years. She lives in Pennsylvania with two furry familiars, one witchling, and her husband.

Hearth and Home Witchcraft

Blending storytelling, witchcraft, and warm advice, Jennie Blonde (the @comfycozywitch) offers recipes, rituals, and spell work, to nourish yourself and your family.

Hearth and Home Witchcraft explores the following topics:

• rituals for protection and cleansing the hearth and home
• kitchen witchery, creating a kitchen altar, and recipes and rituals for nourishment
• the witch’s altar, tools, and spells, and creating a sacred space, no matter the size of the home
• herbs and plants, grounding rituals, and meditations to connect you with the earth
• witchy self-care, complete with rituals and recipes for ritual bath salts, oils, balms, and more

Sponsored by AmyBlackthorn.com and BlackthornsBotanicals.com

Mentions:

So Potent Art: The Magic of Shakespeare by Emily Carding
The Ritual Deck by Cassie Uhl

Enfys is a nonbinary, bisexual clergy member within the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, and the High Priest of the Fellowship of the Ancient White Stag (Near the District of Columbia). Enfys has been studying the Qabala since 2012 and teaching since 2015 including presenting at the Sacred Space conference. 

Lisa Wagoner stops by to talk about how to maintain a positive outlook when the world is out of control.

LisaWagoner.com for autographed copies

This episode sponsored by Blackthorn's Botanical Wellness, out November first wherever fine books are sold.

Exploring the connection between the tarot and our lives through music. Check out TarotTunes and MusicalConversations! Horse with No Name' America (Death) 'John Law Burned Down the Liquor Sto' by Chris Thomas King (Seven of Swords) 'Cult Leader' by King Mala (Emperor R) 'Is You Is or Is you Aint my Baby?' BB King version (The Lovers) 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda' the Pogues (The Fool) 'Hoochie Coochie Man' by Muddy Waters (Magician) 'Beat the Devil's Tattoo' by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 'Vehicle' by Ideology (The Chariot) 'Veteran of the Psychic Wars' by Blue Oyster Cult (The Hanged Man) 'You Can't Lose What you Aint Never Had' by Muddy Waters (Five of Cups) 'Way Down We Go' by KALEO (The Tower)

Over Labor Day weekend (US) I was the keynote speaker for Templefest, put on by the amazing members of the Temple of Witchcraft. The lovely CD offered to record the speech and it is offered here for your listening enjoyment. I 100% endorse anyone attending Templefest and hope you find it as loving and inclusive as I did.

Blackthorn's Book of Sacred Plant Magic is available now, wherever fine books are sold.

Rachele Walter stops by the podcast to talk about why secular voting is important for witchy and Pagan-umbrella voters.  She is a secular activist in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is Chair of Secular Democrats of Nebraska, President of Lincoln Atheists, and the Director for American Atheists-Nebraska. She has been involved in politics for over 35 years. 

Daily Magic is a perpetual calendar focused on days of spiritual and magical significance. April 30th for example, is perfect for spellcasting—especially spells for love, romance, fertility, and prosperity. Judika Illes teaches you how to create rituals and cast spells, provides recipes for potions, and offers advice on creating feasts to honor sacred beings.

Judika Illes is an independent scholar, educator, and author of several books of folklore, folkways, and mythology. Judika is a graduate of Rutgers University and has a certification in therapeutic aromatherapy from the Australasian College of Herbal Studies. Her books include Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, Encyclopedia of Spirits, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, and The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal (published under the name Judith Joyce).

:This episode sponsored by Blackthorn's Botanicals:

Alison stops by the podcast to talk about thaumaturgy, the Greek Magical Papyri, and results based practices

Practical Occult (www.practicaloccult.com)

Forthcoming: The Secrets of Helios: Unlocking the Practical Uses of PGM IV. 1596-1715

Sponsored by Blackthorn's Botanicals (BlackthornsBotanicals.com)

Lessons from the Empress: A Tarot Workbook for Self-Care and Creative Growth A hands-on workbook for using tarot to discover and express your authentic self―the foundation of true self-care.

Cassandra Snow has been a tarot reader in some capacity since they were eighteen years old and have gone pro for the last decade. Their work includes teaching and writing about tarot and witchcraft as well as doing readings. Cassandra is also calling on their BA in Theatre Arts and Humanities from Waldorf College for this project, and the decade-and-a-half experience they have leading creative teams as a theatre director, producer, and show curator with Gadfly Theatre Productions.

Siri Vincent Plouff is the brain behind the radical Heathenry podcast, Heathen’s Journey. Siri runs several flagship teaching programs, such as the annual Witchcraft Immersion, which is a witchcraft apprenticeship program, and Radical Runes. They have been a practicing witch for nearly twenty years and have been reading tarot and runes professionally for six.

Sponsored by Blackthorn's Botanicals dot com.

Heather K Veitch has been practicing Witchcraft for over thirty-five years, and holds degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2014, and has been exploring how to best modify her magical practice to support the ups and downs of her condition. Visit her online at http://www.heathwitch.com and @heathwitch on Instagram and TikTok.

Natalie Meraki is the creator of Tarot Mood deck, the Mood Oracle, Young Witch Tarot deck and a raucous fun time was had by all. (There are some brief mature themes in this episode, so listen wisely.)

Check out Natalie's Create your own Tarot deck workshop!
https://nataliemeraki.com/

@TarotMood on Insta

@MerakiMetaphysical on TikTok

Other resources:
78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack

The Ultimate Guide to Tarot by Liz Dean

Tarot Teas: BlackthornsBotanicals.com

Today I'm answering questions about what it is like to own a Pagan business, what we experience that non-Pagan businesses don't have to navigate, and how to make your Pagan business happy, healthy, prosperous and protected.  

Blackthorn's Protection Magic out March 1st from Weiser Books.

Download the first two chapters free at AmyBlackthorn.com

Readers have submitted stories and comments about persecution faced by witches in the workplace and in their community. Content warning: threats of harm.

Sponsored by BlackthornsBotanicals.com

Diana Rajchel stops by the podcast to chat about reversing curses in a variety of communities, how magic feels differently in city settings and the nuance of being an invited guest.   http://dianarajchel.com
Https://facebook.com/dianarajchelauthor
instagram: @drajchel
TikTok: spooncherry01

Hex Twisting: Countermagick Spells for the Irritated WitchPaperback – Out December 8, 2021

Amy is now on TikTok! @BlackthornsBotanicals
Blackthorn's Protection Magic: A Witch’s Guide to Mental and Physical Self-Defense by Amy Blackthorn  | Out Mar 1, 2022

Relax with me while we listen to the sounds of late summer in the Eastern Great Deciduous Forest. Breathe deeply and allow yourself to journey to the forest.

Beck Lawrence (they/them) lunar witch, and polytheist, is battling an unjust law in the state of Pennsylvania, making it illegal to read tarot or engage in 'fortune telling' activities. This is their story.

Please feel free to sign the petition to overturn this archaic law.

https://www.change.org/p/challenge-the-constitutionality-of-pennsylvania-title-18-section-7104

Join me in listening to the stories of art, tarot, and the connections witchcraft brings us with Shanna Stoker, descendant of Bram Stoker and creator of the Terror Tarot.

I'm joined by an expert panel to talk all things Hexy.

Ivo Domínguez, Jr. www.newalexandrianlibrary.com

 Byron Ballard, www.myvillagewitch.com

Diotima Mantineia, www.uraniaswell.com

Mortellus, Mortellus.com

Show Notes:

Content Warning: Minute 50-108 for survivors of violence

Books Mentioned:

Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations by Alexander Carmichael
Practical Techniques of Psychic Self-defence by Murry Hope
Hex Twisting: Counter-Magick Spells for the Irritated Witch by Diana Rajchel
Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life by Gary John Bishop
The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen
Blackthorn's Protection Magic: A Green Witch's Guide to Self Defense by Amy Blackthorn
Four Elements of the Wise: Working with the Magickal Powers of Earth, Air, Water, Fire by Ivo Dominguez
Touch the Earth, Kiss the Sky: Allowing the Rational Mind to Welcome Magic & Spirituality by Diotima Mantineia
Roots, Branches & Spirits: The Folkways & Witchery of Appalachia by H. Byron Ballard
Seasons of a Magical Life: A Pagan Path of Living by H. Byron Ballard

Learn what’s expected of us as we start interacting with people outside again! From what to bring, or not bring to ritual, to who to talk to and when.

Nicholas Pearson stops by to chat with us about his books, crystals and plant spirits.  

Nicholas Pearson is a flower essence practitioner and researcher whose love for plants grew alongside his love for the mineral kingdom. Best known for his work with crystal healing and Reiki, Nicholas is also a practicing witch and occultist. An internationally acclaimed presenter, Nicholas is the author of several books, including Crystals for Karmic Healing, Crystal Basics, and the forthcoming Flower Essences from the Witch’s Garden. He lives in Orlando, Florida. Find him at https://www.theluminouspearl.com

Cyndi Brannen of Keeping Her Keys and I got together for Beltane and chatted about:

 our favorite herbal allies

plant symbolism in magic

Aesthetics in Witchcraft 

maintaining healthy boundaries

communicating with plant spirits

and our top 3 plants to include in a witch's apothecary.

Courtney Weber is a Witch, author, Tarot adviser, and activist. She is the author of 'Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess,' 'Tarot for One: The Art of Reading for Yourself,' 'The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might and the forthcoming 'Hekate: Goddess of Witches.' She is a co-host of 'That Witch Life' podcast. She has been featured in Maxim, Playboy, Huffington Post, Vice, and the Thom Hartmann Show.  Visit her online at www.courtneyaweber.com.

This is a great interview with a friend of the podcast who had some questions for me about how to get started in incorporating herbs into our magic.  

Check out AmyBlackthorn.com to book a reading with Amy! 

Brought to you by BlackthornsBotanicals.com 

It's our one year birthday!  

In this episode we have the fabulous Mortellus back with us to talk about the useful materials we can find to incorporate in our magical practice and how they demystify necromancy.  Hint: most of us are practicing necromancy, without even knowing it! 

Find Mortellus' book, "Do I Have To Wear Black? Rituals, Customs and Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagans" and other handmade curios at Mortellus.com 

The southern Appalachians are rich in folk magic and witchery. This book explores the region's customs and traditions for magical healing, luck, prosperity, and more. Author Byron Ballard―known as the village witch of Asheville, North Carolina―teaches you about the old ways and why they work, from dowsing to communicating with spirits.

H. Byron Ballard, BA, MFA (Asheville, NC) is a western NC native, teacher, folklorist, and writer. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at several festivals and conferences, including the Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Starwood, Hexfest and many others. She serves as senior priestess and co-founder of Mother Grove Goddess Temple and the Coalition of Earth Religions/CERES, both in Asheville, NC. She podcasts about Appalachian folkways on "Wyrd Mountain Gals." Her essays are featured in several anthologies and she writes a regular column for SageWoman Magazine. Find her online at www.myvillagewitch.com.

Widely requested topic, WFB features a DOUBLE LENGTH EPISODE with words from:

Mortellus https://www.mortellus.com
Seeking Witchcraft Podcast anchor.fm/seekingwitchcraft
Irisanya Moon www.irisanya.com
Patti Wigington www.pattiwigington.com
Heather, https://thephoenixnest-healing.com/
Misha Magdalene www.mishamagdalene.com
That Kentucky Witch, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGUcGNGB-ZQ&t=10s
Blackthorn's Botanicals https://BlackthornsBotanicals.com
Blackthorn's Botanical Brews, Available wherever fine books are sold.

Davezilla became in 2001 the first blogger to be sued by a billion-dollar company (he won). Because of this, there is a Davezilla Wikipedia page and Dave has the dubious distinction of being a verb in the Urban Dictionary. He is a Gardnerian witch (initiated 1979), Discordian (hot dogs on Fridays), Ngangalero (initiated 1993), Santero (initiated 2006), and full-time illustrator. He prefers to paint occult, cryptid, alien, and other fringe topics. He has over forty years in occult/new age religions and thirty years of illustration experience. 

https://davezilla.com

This is an hour-long salon discussion about botanical witchcraft with 'Keeping Her Keys' author Cyndi Brannen.  https://keepingherkeys.com Featuring tidbits from both authors Amy Blackthorn and Cyndi Brannen discussing protection of the home, how to begin a botanical magic practice, how to start a relationship with your Spirits of Place, and more! Cyndi discusses her new book, 'Entering Hekate's Garden' and what our 'weeds' are trying to tell us.  

It's 9 days to Halloween and I'm seeing more (Non-Pagan) people mentioning their fear of Witches.  I try to tease out those strands with past  experience and truth. 

There's an announcement about my brand new candle line as well! Find those at BlackthornsBotanicals.com 

As always you can email me your thoughts at blackthorngrovepodcast at Gmail dot com.

Is the competitive spirit destroying your practice? 'Comparison is the thief of joy' -Theodore Roosevelt

If you do the thing that makes your heart sing, you'll bring magic into the world.  

30-page preview of Blackthorn's Botanical Brews, out Oct 5th
tinyurl.com/blackthornsbotanicalbrews.com
Brought to you by BlackthornsBotanicals.com 

You can read the excerpt at TinyUrl.com/BlackthornsBotanicalBrews

There are ones for Sacred Smoke, and Blackthorn's Botanical Magic as well.

Tinyurl.com/SacredSmokeBook

Tinyurl.com/BlackthornsbotanicalMagic 

Interview with Thelemite, producer of Hexwork Burlesque and all around awesome human, Eyrie Twilight.

Author of ‘Living Spirits: A Guide to Magic in a World of Spirits’ and ‘Luminarium: A Grimoire of Cunning Conjuration,’ BJ chats with us about his history blending several magical traditions and a history with the OTO with the divine practice of honoring his ancestors and Hekate.

We explore six methods for calming and centering yourself, to connect with your inner self in times of stress.

Mortellus is the High Priestess of the Coven of Leaves in Rutherfordton NC, a Gardnerian Coven operating an Outer Court training group who like to say that they are a bubbling cauldron of bitter esoterica slithering their way through Western North Carolina. Additionally, she is a Mortician, Author, Medium, and Necromancer. Her book of pagan death rites and rituals for Llewellyn is set to come out Winter of 2020 with a second un-announced project in the works. Currently, she resides on 3 acres that are hastily becoming overgrown again with her husband, daughter, two year old boy girl twins, two chickens, and one really, really ridiculous dog. Follow Mortellus on social media at: Insta: acrowandthedead Twitter: acrowandthedead Facebook.com/mortellus tinyurl.com/y5zzbnn3

A casual chat about some of my favorite magical small businesses. Perfume, jewelry, candles and soaps, all for your enjoyment.

De-stigmatizing mental health, money and magic, and striving for personal happiness in our practices.

Sabrina is a teacher, diviner, writer, and coach. Over the last 40 years, she's developed her own system of reading and teaching tarot using round tarot cards. She's an Elder in the Blue Star Tradition of Wicca who also practices Buddhism, and a graduate of the Gryphon’s Grove School of Shamanism.  In a former life, Sabrina was a social scientist who loved being a professor. During her academic career, she excavated Mayan ruins as an archaeologist and directed an interdisciplinary Urban Health Ph.D program as a medical anthropologist. Now she's a full-time Diviner who specializes in deep dive-readings that encourage personal transformation. Most of her clients are teachers, healers, witches, and change agents---people who are here to create a new kind of world. 

We’re talking about kicking gatekeeping, embracing the practices and how our practices effect our lives. You’ll get a little background on Amy Blackthorn in an interview and a segment on touch, consent and hugging.

Witches need community now more than ever

Jamie Anderson said, “Grief is just love with no place to go.”

Today we hear from three experts on grief in their chosen fields and discuss how it applies to the witchcraft community.

Lulu- @thesalemplantwitch on TT. Runs a therapeutic group for witches in berevement.

Mortellus @acrowandthedead on Insta. Author of 'Do I Have to Wear Black? Rituals, Customs and Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagans' and 'The Bones Fall In a Spiral: a Necromantic Primer.'

Courtney Weber @courtneyaweber on Insta. One of the hosts of That Witch Life podcast; author of the forthcoming 'Sacred Tears: A Witch's Guide to Grief.' Out June 2024.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine and Mark Nepo

Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying by Sallie Tisdale

The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life by Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, et al.

There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love by Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell

For children dealing with grief:

Death Is Stupid (Ordinary Terrible Things) by Anastasia Higginbotham

“A beautiful blend of folklore, botanical science, acquired wisdom, and spiritual guidance.” —from the foreword by Luisah Teish

Stephanie Rose Bird is a painter and the author of several bestselling books on earth spirituality, hoodoo, and anthropology, including Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones; 365 Days of Hoodoo; Light, Bright and Damned Near White; and African American Magick. Bird, who holds a BFA cum laude and MFA, is a devotee of the Divinely Feminine. She is an Elder, Priestess, magick maker, and keeper of the spiritual wisdom of her indigenous African ancestors. Her work centers on the nexus of earth wisdom and the legacy of Black cultural heritage. Find her at stephanierosebird.com and follow her on Instagram @s.r.bird. 

Also mentioned in this episode, Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals