BS-Free Witchcraft (Trae Dorn)

On this episode of BS-Free Witchcraft, Trae attempts to cover a topic from one of the show's listeners: How the heck do you get started in Witchcraft in the first place? What we end up with is twenty minutes of Trae attempting to cover this exceptionally broad topic which is, at the very least, entertaining... and hopefully informative. Hopefully.

How witches are represented on television and media has always been a controversial topic in the modern witchcraft community, and 2018 has seen several high profile series launch with the reboot of Charmed and the adaptation of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. In this episode, Trae looks at these new shows and how they represent witchcraft in popular culture -- and how they fall short.

On this episode of the podcast, the topic is the importance of accepting that we're all ridiculous human beings and that's it's a good thing. Witchcraft should be done with a sense of play, and we should all keep that in mind before we take ourselves too seriously. Because when we take ourselves too seriously, none of us are remotely pleasant to be around. Doing witchcraft by rote isn't the best idea, gatekeeping is bad, and there's probably not a wrong way to do a spell. Unless you like light yourself on fire or something. Try not to do that.

On this eighth episode of the podcast, we're talking about good old Technopaganism. Well, "Technowitchcraft" is probably the better term, but I'm old and from the 90s. In any case, the point is that there's a lot of ways that technology can be incorporated into Witchcraft, but there are a lot of questions we have to ask along the way. Or something.

The Wiccan Rede is the foundational moral principle of Wicca. As it's one of the larger forms of Witchcraft practiced today, I thought we'd dig into it and understand where it came from, what it means, and why it's important.

The Satanic Panic of the 70s, 80s, and 90s shaped the Modern Witchcraft Movement in a lot of unexpected ways. Its effects still ripple through a lot of our sources, so in this installment of the podcast we're digging into this extremely weird part of American history. It's a bit of a doozy, after all.

It's generally accepted that witchcraft is "just a phase" for some people -- that they'll dabble a bit and then move on from it. I guess my question then is... is this actually a bad thing? Isn't trying out stuff good? I think it is.

Last year one of the biggest hub bubs in the Witch community was Pinrose introducing a "Starter Witch Set" which was intended to be sold at Sephora stores. There was such an uproar from the Witchcraft community that Sephora ended up pulling the kits before they were ever able to reach consumers. But was this remotely a good thing? On this episode of the podcast Trae's going to talk about the commercialization of Witchcraft... and how its pretty much okay. For the most part.

On this episode of the podcast I'm answering questions sent in from listeners like you! I'm also doing it from a cabin in the Wisconsin Northwoods though, so there is no music, no second takes, and it's been recorded on my iPhone. Hopefully this doesn't turn out terribly.

There are a lot of regressive ideas built into some forms of witchcraft when it comes to gender, and it's about time we sat down and talked about it. On this episode of the podcast we're talking about gender and witchcraft, and how gender essentialism is massively bull. So, y'know, we're keeping it light.

On this episode of the podcast we're digging into the differences between "Paganism" and "Witchcraft." While there is clearly a lot of overlap between these two umbrella terms, there are some important differences. So, yeah, let's talk about them.

It's that spooky time of year again. With Halloween and Samhain coming up in a few days, it's time to talk about ghost stories again. This time around I'm joined by the author of Grovedaughter Witchery: Practical Spellcraft and The Sisters Grimmoire Bree NicGarran as we talk about our personal experiences with the paranormal. Like last year, this is an extended, hour long episode. Oh, and I complain about deer for a minute in there. Because deer are annoying.

I got a question in my inbox from a listener asking if whether or not knowing a lot of Wicca was created less than a hundred years ago made it feel less legitimate. It's an interesting question, and whether or not something being more "established" makes it more "real" is something I thought we should tackle. Also, there's a tiny bit more of that interview with author Bree NicGarran from last episode that serendipitously applied (that was cut), so I've included it here.

On this episode of the podcast we are talking about something this show rarely covers -- actual practical spellcraft advice. Specifically, we're just going to talk about candles. Yep, you read that correctly, this is twenty-something minutes of Trae talking about fricking candles. It'll make sense when you listen to it

While reading a post on The Wild Hunt I got to thinking about the wild world of self publishing and Witchcraft books. How does a new Witch know if a source is good or bad? How can they tell if it's a genuine writer or a pen name optimized for SEO? Why is everything so frickin' complicated?

We've talked before about how dabbling in witchcraft is not just perfectly acceptable, but should be encouraged. It leaves the question open though -- just how does one dabble? With that in mind, and at the suggestion of Tumblr user AskSecularWitch, I've gone through and created a "Dabbler's Week" -- a week of activities that someone could do to get a taste of what my form of witchcraft is like.

So we don't talk about a lot of new age gurus, life coaches, and other "spiritual leaders" on this show. But when so called "Wealth Witch" Leah Steele reached out to me literally out of nowhere this month... I ended up going down the weirdest rabbit hole that ended at an "Australian Sex Wizard." That is a sentence I just typed. Last month we went solidly into the Witchcraft category, this month we're deep into the BS instead.

So on last month's episode we talked about would-be-gurus like Leah Steele. This month we're instead going to look at her low-budget cousins though: Spell Farms. What's a Spell Farm? They are websites where the average person can plunk down some money for a "witch" to cast a spell for them. And they're just as reliable and honest as they sound.

On this installment of the podcast we tackle probably one of the more controversial topics in the modern witchcraft movement: The Burning Times. What were the actual "Burning Times," where do we get that phrase from, and what really happened? Also, how has this phrase been used in modern witchcraft. It's a heavy one, folks.

It's strange to think that a 90s teenage horror/urban fantasy film would be massively culturally important to the modern witchcraft movement, but for a generation of witches that's exactly what The Craft is. In this super long episode of the podcast (seriously -- it's almost an hour and a half), I sit down with Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran for a chat about the film. We tackle the themes, plot, and cultural impact of this movie, along with some fun tangents along the way.

It's July, and that means we're doing another Q&A special where I answer questions from listeners like you. And this year I remembered to record it before I hid in a cabin for a week! We talk about your questions about Witchcraft, the show in general, and just stuff I guess. Watch what happens when I get fact checked! It's neat!

So the world is a massive garbage fire at the moment, and we're all trying to cope. Witchcraft right now isn't the easiest thing to do, and we need to take the time and acknowledge that it's okay to not to feel jazzed about it sometimes. Like -- it's okay to not be okay. Also, apparently we're all astral projecting and sleeping with people in their dreams? Why did no one tell me that was the plan?

On this episode of the podcast we're going towards a more positive note, and talking about a pretty great thing in the larger Witchcraft and Pagan community. I'm joined by Amanda Tomasini, former organizer of Central Illinois Pagan Pride Day, to discuss... well... Pagan Pride Day. Kind of spoiled that one there, didn't I.

It's Halloween. Like, literally. And like every other October episode on the BS-Free Witchcraft podcast, that means we're talking about personal ghost experiences. Joining me this episode (from all around the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network) are Gen Prock (from The Nerd & Tie Podcast and Stormwood & Associates), Cris Sass-Council (from Let's Be Legendary), and unsurprisingly Bree NicGarran (from Hex Positive). This jam-packed episode is the longest one we've done, coming in at just over two and a half hours long. It's super sized, super spooky, and super fun.

Earlier this year, Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran and I sat down to talk about the 1996 movie The Craft. It was a hugely influential film for a whole generation of witches, and surprisingly holds up well. So, needless to say, when the long awaited sequel/remake The Craft: Legacy came out on Video On Demand last month, we knew we needed to sit down and talk about it. So we did. For two hours.

This month on the BS-Free Witchcraft podcast we're tackling ghosts -- which may sound like an October topic, but instead of spooky stories we're instead going for practical advice on how to deal with them. What do you do if you encounter a ghost in the wild? What do you do if you think there's a ghost in your home? It's the perfect thing to discuss during the longest nights of the year (at least in the Northern Hemisphere).

This month we're attempting to tackle a topic I've had on the list for a while: Norse Paganism's Nazi problem. It's not exactly the most fun thing in the world, but after a certain shirtless idiot was amongst the rioters that attempted to overthrow the United States government at the capitol on January 6th, I just couldn't put it off any longer. I don't know how helpful this episode is, but it definitely made me feel better to yell about it for twenty minutes. So I guess that's something.

A couple of years ago we did an episode on the history of the Satanic Panic of the latter half of the twentieth century, but recent events have led us to ask -- could it be happening again? It's very possible that we at the start of a new wave of satanic panic, and QAnon is just the latest symptom of a larger problem.

After two fairly depressing episodes, it's time to move on to something a little less bleak. This time around we're talking about The Wheel of the Year! Well, at least the basic idea. Where did it come from, who slapped these eight holidays together, and are they really something every witch needs to give a crap about? Minor spoiler, the answer to that last question is a firm "no."

On this episode, I sit down with Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran to talk about openly being a Witch in the modern world. How accepted are witches really these days? What challenges do we face being open about our craft? What are the odds that an old lady with a murder-van is going to harass you in a gas station parking lot? ...they're surprisingly good apparently.

In any movement or group there's always a pull to do certain things to fit in. There's an unspoken (or I guess sometimes spoken) peer pressure to do certain performative actions to conform. The modern witchcraft movement isn't immune to this phenomenon either, and so that's what we're going to talk about this month. But, like, in a fun way.

In this inaugural episode of BS-Free Witchcraft Trae decides to start at the very beginning. It's a very good place to start. Mainly this episode focuses on the basics of the modern witchcraft movement -- because how can we have a discussion if we don't actually define the terms we're working with? From defining "witchcraft" itself to poking at random corners, we're covering as much as we can cram into a half an hour. You know how like every witchcraft website has a FAQ page? This is the podcast equivalent of that.

So a few weeks ago I made a joke post on my Tumblr where I said beginner witches should "Fight a God." This led me through a series of events which made me want to discuss how we relate to gods in witchcraft, the difference between worship and belief, and frankly whether or not we should fight a god. That, and, we've all agreed that Apollo has an OnlyFans.

It's July, so that means it's time for the annual BS-Free Witchcraft Q&A episode! Listeners like you sent in questions, and I'm going to do my best to answer them. Could it be a complete disaster? Maybe! Only one way to find out though.

This month we're talking about how we, as a community, need to actually verify that something is real before we start sharing it. Time and time again, something gets passed back and forth within the witchcraft community before someone actually bothers to ask the question "is this something that's really happening?" Because sometimes it isn't.

In the last few years there has been some minor push back against using the name "Mabon" for the Autumnal Equinox. In this episode we're going to talk about how Mabon got its name, who came up with the name, and why exactly a small group of British Traditional Wiccans are so mad about it. Spoiler: it's because a bunch of Gardnerian Wiccans are mad at Aidan Kelly.

Well, we've reached that special time of year where it's time to talk about ghost stories on the podcast! Sort of! This year, Trae is joined by Lee Bradford (creator of The Sweeney Tarot), who returns to the podcast after three years. We talk about ghosts, cryptids, and legends that don't quite pan out. This year it's a much more general episode with a lot more fun debunking of weird cryptids and legends, and less ghosts... but there are still ghosts? There are still ghosts. I promise there are still ghosts.

In this episode Trae tackles the question "How do you become a witch?" The answer, of course, turns out to be amazingly easy -- do some witchcraft. Of course, there's more to the episode than that. Dragging fellow witch Lee Bradford onto the show, Trae and Lee tell their personal stories about how they came to their (different forms) of witchcraft. Afterwards they discuss things like gatekeeping and other obstacles new witches might find starting their practice.

On this episode of BS-Free Witchcraft we're talking about manipulators, predators, abusers, and cult-ish behavior in the modern witchcraft movement. From online spaces to real world ones, we need to know how to recognize and identify these behaviors. This episode focuses on trying to identify the issues to look out for, and Lee Bradford (creator of The Sweeney Tarot) appears to talk about their experience with a particular individual in real life as well. It's a darker episode, but a necessary one.

On this (very last minute) episode of the podcast, we're looking at the myths surrounding paganism and Christmas... and how some of the claims that circulate this time of year don't really have a lot of historical grounding. Or, in some cases, any at all. Frankly I just needed to do something that isn't depressing to talk about after last month.

As long as I can remember, people have been debating whether or not it's okay for non-Jewish witches to incorporate Lilith into their practices. Is Lilith closed? Is it cultural appropriation? There's so much misinformation in new age and poorly written witchcraft books on Lilith, it's hard for some witches to get a clear picture. Like I've run into folks on social media talking about Lilith as a "Goddess," which she very much isn't. Let's dive into the origins of the folklore surrounding this figure, and I'll let you decide whether or not it's okay to work with Lilith. But, uh, spoiler - I don't think you should.

On this episode of BS-Free Witchcraft it's finally come time for an episode on crystals. Yep, almost three and a half years into this witchcraft podcast, and we're finally going to talk about the shiny rocks we all like to hoard. But here's the thing -- this might not be the episode you expect, because there's a dark side to crystals. A dark side we all need to deal with and be aware of. The entire second half of this episode is a content warning.

Burnout is something that every witch will likely experience in their lives, and it's just something we sort of have to deal with. So, in this episode, that's what we're talking about. And it's mostly because, uh, a certain someone is currently burned out beyond all belief.

We've talked before about the white supremacy issues in the modern witchcraft, neopagan, and norse heathen communities, but today we're dealing with something a little more insidious: the racism that might be coming from inside the house. Because what happens when someone who doesn't think they're racist does something racist is important, and there are lots of little things so many of us do in the modern witchcraft movement that, frankly, too many people let slide. But, uh, I promise I'm at least a little funny in this one? Probably should have done a Beltane episode instead...

On this month's episode of BS-Free Witchcraft we're talking about political witchcraft. Should your witchcraft be political? What's the history of the modern witchcraft movement and political action? Should your political action end with your witchcraft? For that last one... the answer is no. It's a definite and clear no.

Can you believe we made it this long without doing an episode answering a question this basic? I mean, yeah, sure, I cover it a little in episode one -- but after running across something online, I realized I really wanted to do something more complete on the matter. So that's the question we're answering this month. Mostly. Sort of. You'll find out.

It's July! You know what that means -- it's time for our annual Q&A special! Where you the audience send in your questions for the show, so we don't have to research anything for a month... or something. In this supersized episode, we talk about what you wanted to talk about, instead of this month's random whim.

On this episode we're talking about the general tone of witchcraft discourse on social media, including Tumblr and TikTok. Is Witchtok the actual problem in our community, or is it just that the short form video format eliminates any possibility of nuance?

Consumerism has been a driving force in the witchcraft movement since the beginning, but in the age of social media it's only gotten more visible. Is this a good thing? I mean... no. No it's not. But we probably wouldn't be talking about it if it was, would we. Also, it's entirely possible that WitchTok hates poor people.

It's October, and that means we're in the spookiest of seasons! With that in mind we continue the podcast's long standing tradition of doing a ghost stories episode! This year Trae is joined by Jodie Haas, co-host and co-creator of Nerd & Tie Podcast Network Shows Cool & Unusual Punishment and Pour Man's History, as they take a moment to talk about the nature of "ghosts," the folklore that develops around them, bears as cryptids, and a particularly dark tale from Wisconsin's history. It's a fun ride.

This episode of BS-Free Witchcraft is actually a panel from CritWitchCon 2022 this last October. Spend an hour with Alex Wrekk, Bree NicGarran, Lozzie Stardust and myself as we talk about the history of modern witchcraft. Also you get to listen to me speed run like 130 years of history in under five minutes. It's a lot of fun, and I think you'll like it.

Back in September of 2021, we put out an episode all about Mabon and the person who named it, Aidan Kelly. This last October, just over after that podcast episode was released, Aidan Kelly reached out to me having listened to it and wanted to set the record straight. Thankfully he let me record the call for the show, and this is that conversation. Consider this episode a part two to that earlier episode, and if you haven't listened to it lately, you may want to do so again.

This month we're taking a look at one of New Age spirituality's most toxic philosophies: The Law of Attraction. We talk about the history of it, where it came from, and how it's come back in a major way to a whole new generation as "Lucky Girl Syndrome." What sometimes looks like a harmless TikTok trend can actually be incredibly dangerous.

This month on the show we're going down a bit more of an unhinged rant than we've done lately, as we discuss "finger waggling," "sit at the foot of the great teacher" energy, and how maybe we shouldn't be letting certain dicks run stuff in the Witchcraft Community. Y'know, basic stuff that maybe we could all agree on if anyone thought about it for two seconds. Just, uh, something to think about.

This month on the show we're answering a question I get a lot, and that's how do you celebrate the Wheel of the Year if you live somewhere that the natural cycles don't line up with a bunch of holidays put together in Ireland and Great Britain? How do you adjust and adapt your celebrations to fit in with the natural world around you? I mean, assuming you celebrate the Wheel of the Year to begin with.

This month we're talking about liminality and the spaces in between. The places that don't really seem to belong where they are, where that sense of unreality kicks in. Where we go to the edge of the firelight to the transition to the night. And how that all links into one of the most important, almost universal pieces of folklore: The Crossroads.

The Aquarian Tabernacle Church has announced a new accreditation program to "professionalize" Wiccan Clergy. They're not the first people to try and set something up like this, and they likely won't be the last. Is this a good thing? Is this a bad thing? Mostly I just think this is just a complicated thing.

This month we're talking about a very important concept: doubt. There are times when we question our beliefs and our witchcraft, and why that's a good thing. Blind faith never helped anyone, and can actively harm you.

It’s July! You know what that means — it’s time for our annual Q&A special! Where you the audience send in your questions for the show, so we don’t have to research anything for a month… or something. In this supersized episode, we talk about what you wanted to talk about, instead of this month’s random whim. I did so little work this month, I even copied that description from last year!

Variations of the phrase "There's No Wrong Way to Witch" get tossed around our community, and I think it's about time we discuss why we say actually say that. But beyond that, there are folks who try to twist the phrase to make it mean things it doesn't -- and we need to talk about how being valid as a witch doesn't mean you're not being a complete jerk at the same time. I use stronger language than "jerk" in the episode.

One of the most common descriptions of "witchcraft" you'll find out there will say that it's a "nature based" practice. That's also reinforced in so many witchcraft books over the last century, as well as in the current social media witchcraft circles. This episode is here to ask the question so many folks seem to be ignoring. Is it really?

For the first time in five years, we're breaking the "Trae talks to someone about ghosts for an hour in October" pattern. Instead we're using this month and the witchcraft movement's obsession with Halloween to ask "why are we doing any of this stuff?" It should make sense in the end. I hope.

It's time to dig back into the VHS tapes that you've shoved in a box in your basement (or just open Disney Plus), and talk about the classic witch-centric movie Hocus Pocus (1993). Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran joins Trae this month for an indepth look at this Halloween movie... in November. But c'mon, we all know it's Halloween year round in these parts.

Last month Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran joined Trae to take a look at the classic witch-centric movie Hocus Pocus (1993). This month, Bree's back to help review the 2022 sequel to that movie -- Hocus Pocus 2.

Combating misinformation has always been one of the primary missions of this show, and honestly? It just gets exhausting sometimes. Why are people in this community so willing to uncritically pass on bad information? Why can't people be bothered to do the minimum to verify what they're saying's correct? It's incredibly frustrating.

A question that is significantly harder to answer than most people think is "What is Witchcraft?" This month I'm going to try to answer that, and if I fail you'll be at least as confused as I am by the end. And hey, isn't nice to do something together from time to time?

On this episode Trae digs deep into the history of Wicca, and tries to give the most accurate history of the religion as they can. I mean, yeah, we know this is a general Witchcraft podcast, but Wicca is the most widely practiced form of Witchcraft in the US, UK, Canada and Australia... so how it got started is kind of important for the modern Witchcraft movement. And trust me, there aren't any pulled punches here.

One of the most frustrating conversations we keep having to have in the modern witchcraft movement is about cultural appropriation. And while we've repeatedly touched on this before, I've never focused an episode purely on the topic. So let's do that. Let's talk about exactly what it is and why it's such a problem.

Sometimes in this community folks have a habit of making things about them that… aren’t. So that’s what we’re addressing this time around. Because there are times where we need to step back and get some perspective.

When the publicist for Weiser Books reached out to the show asking if I wanted a review copy of Annwyn Avalon's new book "Celtic Goddess Grimoire," I don't really think they knew what they were getting into. Because I said yes. And this is my review. And this is not a good book.

The entire #ReturnTheStone debacle over the last couple of weeks on WitchTok is honestly just a symptom of a a larger problem. One of the core, underlying issues that is the cause of a lot of these issues in the Modern Witchcraft Movement is arrogance, and it's about time we talk about it.

With Samhain and Halloween just around the corner, the show is going full on spooky this episode. Joining me again is Lee Bradford, and we spend the whole show talking about ghost stories, personal experiences, liminal spaces, murder, and so much more. This episode is also over an hour long, so strap in for this deluxe, extra podcasty edition of the show!

It's July, so that means we're doing the annual feedback and Q&A special! You guys spent the last few months sending in witchcraft questions, and they got shuffled around, picked at random, and now you're getting some answers! We've played this dance before, you know what's up.

Homeopathy is harmful and complete and total bull. I can't emphasize that enough. In this episode we're diving into the history of Homeopathy, what it is, and why it's bad. And I think, by the end of it, you'll agree with me.

You do your best in this life to try and figure out what you're doing. You write everything down, you make a schedule, and you plan. And sometimes those plans work out and sometimes they don't. That's what this episode is about. Sort of. Kind of. In a way. I think.

It's October, so even though we took the year off last year, we're going back to the show's roots with yet another spooky episode! This time around, Lozzie Stardust takes the guest spot and we talk about ghosts, cryptids, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Look, we got really off track on this one. But I think you'll like it.

It’s been about a year since Hex Positive‘s Bree NicGarran showed up to review a piece of witchcraft media with Trae, and with how terrible the world is, why not take a break and listen to two witches reviewing the latest piece of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Agatha All Along! Because we all need a distraction… and it’s an amazing show.

This month we're going to do something a little different -- I'm going to just talk to you about how I'm doing right now. Stuff's not necessarily the best, so I kind of had a few things I needed to get out of my system. But I'm still here, still fighting, and still sticking by you.

One of the biggest podcasts out there right now is The Telepathy Tapes. It's topping the podcast charts on both Apple and Spotify's American listings, but it perpetrates an incredibly dangerous idea about people with autism. But none of this is new, and we've seen this kind of trend before. So it's about time we talked about it.

This month I wanted to talk about a couple of things that wouldn't necessarily fill out a whole episode on their own. First off, after last month's episode I wanted to clarify some of my thoughts on psychics. Secondly, I wanted to talk about bias and what we do with evidence that runs contrary to our beliefs. It should be a fun one though.

This month on the show we're talking about the importance of taking stock and realizing that the person you used to be isn't the person that you are -- and how important it is to document who you are now so that you might know yourself better later. Or something. It makes sense if you listen, I swear.