Rune Soup

The one and only Phil Hine joins us this week for a wide-ranging discussion on tantra, magical experimentation, the history and proper understanding of chakras, the benefits of terrorising yourself and what he has learned over a metaphysical career spanning more than 35 years. Enjoy! Show Notes Phil's latest book, Hine's Varieties: Chaos and Beyond. Phil's website, Enfolding.org. Phil on Twitter. Phil's recommendations for Tantric poetry books: Singing to the Goddess: Poems to Kali and Uma from Bengal. A Poem at the Right Moment: Remembered Verses from Premodern South India. Divine Mother, Blessed Mother: Hindu Goddesses and the Virgin Mary.

Return of the Queen! The one and only Becca Tarnas joins us again as we dive deeper than ever before into Tolkien's notion of Faërie, Middle Earth's Creation story, and how the man himself understood creative acts. And, because we are almost at the end of the year, we take what we have learned from this journey into Middle Earth and transform it into some guidelines and inspiration for facing 2020 with our minds on hope and mutual flourishing. Show Notes Journey to the Imaginal Realm: A Reader's Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Dr Becca Tarnas's website. Dr Tarnas's presentation on Hildegard of Bingen and the Ainulindalë with Jacob Sherman.

This week, the one and only Christopher Knowles returns to the show for amazing mega-discussion around the macro subject of writing about magic, how writing is magic and generally 'magic and this thing we call fiction'. The principal texts we use to frame this chat are Grant Morrison's legendary series, The Invisibles, and Alan Moore's Providence. Both of these you can read in their entirety for free by following the links in the Show Notes. Super fun stuff. Show Notes Chris's website, The Secret Sun. Chris on Twitter. The Invisibles. Providence.

Season of the Mitch! This week, we are very excited to welcome back author, speaker and historian, Mitch Horowitz to the show. Being Halloween, we explore why this occult revival might be different, we look at the history of Spiritualism, we swap adolescent Ouija board stories and finish off with a little, light Satanism. Excellent stuff. Happy Halloween, all! Show Notes Mitch's website. Mitch on Twitter. Mitch's most recent book, The Miracle Club.

The reverend Danny Nemu returns to the show for a fiery and important chat about neocolonialism, plant spirits, modern medicine, ancient medicine, spirit logic and all that very good stuff. Be sure to check out the show notes for the presentation that inspired our discussion. Enjoy! Show Notes Danny's presentation, Prejudice and Neo-colonialism in the Academic study of Ayahuasca. Danny's website. Danny's book, Neuro-Apocalypse. Danny on Twitter.

Author and researcher, Peter Mark Adams, returns to the show this week to discuss his latest book, Mystai. Along the way we talk orphism, mystery traditions, visuality and the shortcomings of materialist archaeology. Show Notes Get Mystai: Dancing Out The Mysteries of Dionysus. Attend the launch of Mystai at Treadwell's in London on October 19th. Peter's website. Peter on Twitter.

This month's solo show returns to the notion of utopia and our imaginal-relational opportunities. Stay with that trouble, kids. Show Notes The Donna Haraway documentary, Story Telling For Earthly Survival. David Graeber's essay, Hope in Common.

Camelia Elias makes a very welcome return to the show this week, on the occasion of the launch of two new books, What is Not: Marseille Tarot à La Carte and Divination with Cards: A Short History. We also talk about meaning versus function, meaning in astrology and new ways to approach all the interpretive arts. An absolutely fantastic show. It's good to be back! Show Notes Get What is Not: Marseille Tarot à La Carte here. Get Divination with Cards: A Short History here. Join the Lenormand Foundation Class here. Camelia's blog, Taroflexions. (Specifically, a classic post describing her method.) Camelia's column on Patheos. Camelia on Twitter. Camelia on Instagram.

This week, novelist, non-ficition author and professor of art and film, Stephe Barber, joins us to talk about about Heliogabalus or The Crowned Anarchist. Fully translated into English for the first time, this remarkable little book was written by avant garde theatre visionary, Antonin Artaud, and is ostensibly based on the two year reign of a teenage emperor that history records as little more than an orgy of sex and violence. However it is also Artaud exploring power, and magic, and spectacle, and mythology, and how one tells history and why. Really good stuff. Really good, indeed. Show Notes Get Heliogabalus or The Crowned Anarchist. Video primer on Artaud's impact on theatre.

In the July solo show, we look at the possibly bright future of the novel and what thriving independent expression might look like in an era of endless reboots and comic book films. The only show notes this week is a short film from the featured musician at the end.

This week we are speaking with Appalachian conjure doctor, Jake Richards. Jake is the author of the recently released Backwoods Witchcraft. We talk family lineages, magical landscapes, tending family graveyards, witchcraft initiations and all things Appalachian folklore. Great stuff. Show Notes Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure and Folk Magic from Appalachia. Jake's blog. Jake on Twitter. Jake on Instagram. Jake on Facebook.

This week, we welcome to the show, producer singer songwriter, Nika Danilova, aka Zola Jesus. Nika has released five albums over the last decade or so and in 2017 moved back onto family land in Wisconsin and built a cabin in the woods. She also played Dark Mofo down here in Tasmania last year so we have some overlaps or similarities that led to a really fruitful discussion about creativity and place in a post-materialist context. We also talk cities as habitats, structured and unstructured creation, and the role of visual presentation. Excellent stuff! Show Notes Nika's website, zolajesus.com. Zola Jesus on Twitter. Zola Jesus on Patreon. Zola Jesus on Instagram.

The amazing Alkistis Dimech and Peter Grey return to the show on the occasion of their latest Scarlet Imprint release, Brazen Vessel. This new book is a collection of both of their writings on witchcraft, Lucifer, the grimoires, embodiment and Babalon. And those are the subjects of our discussion. Enjoy! Show Notes Buy Brazen Vessel. Scarlet Imprint. Scarlet Imprint on Twitter. Scarlet Imprint on Instagram. Alkistis on Twitter. Alkistis on Instagram. Alkistis's website. Video from the book launch at Treadwell's in London.

This week we welcome back to the show the only and only Langston Kahn. Langston is a shamanic practitioner based out of New York. He joins us to explore the overlapping subjects of desire, embodiment and the shadow. An excellent chat! Show Notes The Metaphysics of Desire - Langston and my 3-day workshop in New York in September. Langston's website and newsletter.

Is it the end of H1 already? Why, yes. Yes it is. And that can only mean one thing! Astrologer in residence, Austin Coppock, returns to talk us through what the sky has in store for us for the second half of 2019. Essential listening. Show Notes Austin's website. Austin's Patreon. Austin on Twitter.

Slight delay to this week's episode, for reasons that are explained in it. But this week, we explore the potentially contentious statement that spirit contact is, in fact, easy. These solo shows are in danger of becoming an accidental series. Note: I'm travelling for the next month so new episodes and blog posts may be less reliable. Check me out on Twitter or check out the Rune Soup Facebook page for more details or last minute updates.

This week, we are speaking with my good friend, Kaitlin Coppock. Kaitlin is the owner of Sphere and Sundry, an online-store-meets-ritual-art-project dedicated to expertly elected talismanic materia. So of course, we talk talismans, as well as how or why they might work, in addition to astrology in general, while sharing a few thoughts on its current moment of cultural prominence. Great stuff! Show Notes Sphere and Sundry. Kaitlin on Twitter. Sphere and Sundry on Instagram. Sphere and Sundry on Facebook.

This week, we welcome to the show Brian Lord. Brian is a graduate student in psychology, a special collections archivist and Masters student at the University of West Georgia. He joins us today to talk about the legendary Ingo Swann, as well as the complete, unpublished Ingo Swann manuscript he discovered in the archive and went on to publish. Great stuff! Show Notes Psychic Literacy and the Coming Psychic Renaissance - Ingo Swann. Ingo Swann Collection at the University of West Georgia.

This week, in what is probably one of my favourite ever episodes, we welcome to the show Elizabeth Krohn. Elizabeth, along with Dr Jeff Kripal, is the author of Changed in a Flash, which is the story of her being struck by lightning, dying and returning from the afterlife very much changed. A truly fascinating discussion. Enjoy. Show Notes Elizabeth's book, Changed in a Flash. Elizabeth on Facebook.

This week we speak to anthropologist, writer, teacher and Maya shaman-priestess, Gabriela Jurosz-Landa. Gabriela is the author of Transcendent Wisdom of the Maya and she joins us today to talk about Maya cosmology, ceremony and understanding of time. Show Notes Gabriela's website. Transcendent Wisdom of the Maya. Gabriela's Facebook group.

This week, we welcome back to the show one of my favourite guests from last year, Dr Diana Walsh Pasulka. Diana is chair of the Philosophy and Religion Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and joins us today to discuss her recent book, American Cosmic. We explore interacting with off-planet intelligences and what such practices might actually do to you; as well as meaning and synchronicity; and how contact events become religious over time. Fascinating stuff! Show Notes American Cosmic website. Buy American Cosmic. Diana's previous appearance on the show.

This week, we welcome back to the show Dr Jeffrey Kripal to talk about his latest book, The Flip. Dr Kripal holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University and is the associate director of the Center for Theory and Research at Esalen. The Flip is a fascinating exploration of what happens when hard scientists or medical professionals encounter something anomalous or out of place within their materialist framework and then... flip. Along the way we talk models of mind, science's impact on mysticism, what the Humanities can do better, and feeling our way toward a much better understanding of the imagination. Show Notes The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge.

This week, we are joined by author, traditional witch and fellow southern Tasmanian, Lee Morgan. In this free-ranging, in-person discussion, we explore the elusive challenge of definitions, restoring the imaginal to prominence, responding to and with place, self-censorship and UPG, and a whole lot more. Good times. Show Notes Lee's author page. Lee's website. Lee on Facebook.

This month's solo show is fairly self-explanatory, to be honest.

This week we welcome to the show Dr Monica Gagliano. Dr Gagliano is an evolutionary ecologist and the author of the fantastic book, Thus Spoke The Plant. We chat about her experiences running experiments on plant communication and cognition, as well as her experiences learning from and with both indigenous plant teachers and plant spirits themselves around the world. Very much my jam. Show Notes Thus Spoke The Plant. Monica's Website. Monica on Twitter. Monica giving the keynote at Bioneers 2018.

This week we welcome to the show fellow podcaster, Laura London. Laura has a background in neuroscience, astrology, kundalini yoga and Transcendental Meditation. She is the host of one of my favourite podcasts, Speaking of Jung and joins us today to have a wide-ranging chat about -what else?- but Carl Jung himself. Enjoy. Show Notes Laura's website and podcast, Speaking of Jung. Laura on Twitter. Laura on YouTube. Laura on Facebook. NYT Piece: The Holy Grail of the Unconscious.

Joining us this week for a chat about both one of my very favourite things and very favourite people is filmmaker Lance Mungia. Lance is the director of the recently released feature documentary, Third Eye Spies. So in this extended discussion, we explore remote viewing, the amazing Russell Targ, the experience of actually making the film and also speculate on the cosmic implications of the efficacy of remote viewing in general. Splendid stuff. Show Notes Third Eye Spies -both the film and the mailing list. Third Eye Spies on Amazon. Third Eye Spies on Google Play. Third Eye Spies on Vimeo. Lance's YouTube Channel, Waking Universe TV. Waking Universe Films Facebook Page.

This week we welcome to the show author, teacher and animist, Daniel Foor. In addition to being an initiate in several global traditions, Daniel is also a doctor of psychology and licensed psychotherapist. He joins us to talk about ancestral healing, the positive and negative impact the dead can have in our lives, the difference between an ancestor and a dead person and what the ongoing opportunities and responsibilities we among the living have to those in the spirit world. Excellent stuff. Show Notes Daniel's book, Ancestral Medicine. Daniel's website and course calendar. The upcoming lineage healing workshop in Mullumbimby, NSW. Daniel on Facebook. Daniel on Twitter.

A little later than usual, and timed to coincide with the Glastonbury Occult Conference launch of Paul Weston's latest book, The Occult Battle of Britain, I am pleased to present another patented episode of Storytime with Paul! Listen in as we discuss the book, its backstory and how it wove its way into Paul's life, what even was the Occult Battle of Britain, its antecedents, and what significance it might hold for us at this particular point in the timeline. Show Notes The Occult Battle of Britain. (US) The Occult Battle of Britain. (UK) Paul's Website. Paul on Twitter.

In which we unpack the aftermath of the fire, the completely successful group enchantment that ended it, and ponder some ways of talking about and thinking with dragons.

I know I promised a solo show on my experiences so far with this 53,000 hectare fire encircling the farm but, a few hours ago, it occurred to me there might be a way of framing the tale so that it is more useful or at least magically interesting to you. So with very little notice and coming off another podcast recording, Austin agreed to pull a chart together for Tasmania and we use an analysis of that as a frame for discussing my experiences. It's not technical -how could it be, if I'm involved?- but for you astro nerds out there, the Aries and Libra ingress charts for Hobart, as well as the base chart we drew up for Tasmania, are all in the show notes, with Austin's commentary. Show Notes I See Your Blood Moon and Raise You a Sky Filled with Fire The Motor Lodge at the End of the World Some Say in Ice

This week, we welcome to the show the legendary Robyn Francis. Robyn is one of permaculture's leading teachers and proponents. We talk about the movement's early days, some reasons for optimism today, interconnectivity and building stone circles in the subtropics. Note: This episode was recorded on location. You can view the video version on YouTube. Show Notes Permaculture College Australia (Djanbung Gardens) Permaculture College Australia on Facebook. Robyn's Personal and Artist Site.

This week, we are joined by Dean of Religion at Vassar, Dr Christopher White. Christopher joins us to discuss his recent book, Other Worlds: Spirituality and the Search for Invisible Dimensions. Along the way, we talk Flatland, Narnia, the role of dreams in one's life and the true merit of 'fantasy' fiction. Really good stuff. Show Notes Christopher's book, Other Worlds Christopher's faculty page Christopher on Twitter

Continuing our January series of guests here to get your head in the game for 2019, this week we speak to artist, author and art therapist, Angela Kirby. Angela takes us through her journey as an artist, what it's like living out in the Australian desert, and which techniques you can use at home to utilise artistic or creative capacities for either psychological growth or healing. Really good, useful stuff. Show Notes Angela's website. Angela's book, Creating Wisdom and Magic in Life and Love. Angela on Facebook. Angela on Twitter.

And we're back! Kicking off January's run of guests here to get you all setup for 2019, we welcome back to the show Conner Habib. Conner is a writer, teacher, sex worker, anthroposophist and activist. He joins us today to explore desire and whether we experience it in the most optimised way. We also chat about Wilhelm Reich, the Left's problem with witchcraft, anthropology and Christmas. Show Notes Conner's patreon and podcast. God Sex Death - Conner's January 20th online course with Caitlin Doughty and Peter Rollins. Conner on Twitter.

For the final episode of the year, please enjoy this bumper edition forecast for the first half of 2019 with Austin Coppock. After we debrief on 2018 and talk about what's coming up, Austin and I also spend some time exploring some of the topic areas we touched on at 'So Below'. And then we take some questions from people who watched the live recording (which you can find on YouTube). Mandatory listening! Show Notes Austin Coppock's website Austin on Twitter Austin on Patreon Austin on Facebook

What else would the November solo show be about but So Below -the astrological magic event Austin and I hosted in Melbourne last weekend? There's also a good deal of talk on the hows and the wheres of magic and astrology's general overlap, as well as why one might want to look at it from a specifically chaos magic perspective. Show Notes Images from So Below.

This week we speak with science writer and cultural anthropologist, Dr Eric Wargo. Eric is the man behind the nightshirt.com and the author of the recently released book, Time Loops. We talk retrocausation, precognition, and whether our capacity to 'feel the future' extends beyond the human world, what that might say about the structure of the universe and our role in it. Excellent stuff. Show Notes Time Loops: Precognition, Retrocausation, and the Unconscious. The Nightshirt. Eric on Twitter. The Nightshirt on Facebook.

This week we return to one of our most popular topics of conversation... Tarot! Joining us to do so is author, professional card reader, podcaster and tarot teacher, T. Susan Chang. We cover fortune telling, journeying with tarot, using playing cards, how to get to know new decks and bravely attempt to work out quite where it is 'meaning' comes from. Enjoy! Show Notes Tarot Correspondences: Ancient Secrets for Everyday Readers Susie's website Susie's etsy store Susie's tarot podcast: Fortune's Wheelhouse Fortune's Wheelhouse Facebook group Susie intoning the Orphic Hymn to Hermes Cthonios in Greek

This week, we welcome Mitch Horowitz back to the show to talk about his latest -and frankly fantastic- book, The Miracle Club. Mitch and I chat about the origins of New Thought, its shortcomings and areas of much-needed improvement, as well as some of the contemporary scientific data that suggests there really is something fundamentally true and important about your attitude and headspace and how it might impact reality. Really, really good stuff. Show Notes The Miracle Club Mitch's website Mitch on Twitter Mitch on Facebook

In October's solo show, we discuss the eruption of the witch into so-called 'popular culture', with a particular emphasis on the reboot of Charmed, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and American Horror Story: Apocalypse. And, for once, there aren't spoilers! Show Notes The Witchy Beauty Trend's Ancient, Sexist Roots.

It is once again time for our annual catch up with Alkistis and Peter of Scarlet Imprint! I always look forward to these discussions as -for one- I learn so much and -for two- it gives me those warm, 'find the others' feels. This week's episode has all of that in spades. We talk angels, landscape, tarot, books and, inevitably, witchcraft and the wider culture. Enjoy! Show Notes Scarlet Imprint Alkistis Dimech Scarlet Imprint on Twitter Alkistis on Twitter Scarlet Imprint on Instagram Alkistis on Instagram

This week, we welcome to the show physicist, light therapist, researcher and author of Light Therapies: A Complete Guide to the Healing Power of Light, Anadi Martel. Now, if you've read Pieces of Eight, or if you've seen some of the premium member bonus material, you'll know I've long been fascinated by what we stupidly still call 'alternative medicine' rather than the more clunky if not much more accurate 'modes of living and healing that do not emerge from a dysfunctional belief system'. And I'm especially interested in the ones that, whilst they are used for treatment, are better thought of as unavoidable universals. You don't have to use acupuncture, right? But you can't avoid having a relationship with light, and sunlight in particular. It is nowhere more obvious that we have a complete failure in the descriptive powers of the official version of reality than when it comes to accounting for the effects of sunlight, mindfulness meditation, forest bathing, and so on. Show Notes Light Therapies: A Complete Guide to the Healing Power of Light Website for the book, Light Therapies Sensora Light Noise Detector International Light Association

This week we speak with artist, teacher and maker, Daniel Mack. Daniel is also the chairman of the Seligmann Center Committee in upstate New York and joins us to talk about the life and work of the surrealist painter, Kurt Seligmann -in particular his book, The Mirror of Magic, first published in the late forties. In this wide ranging discussion, we talk art, irrationality, the impact of the Unconscious on the flow of history, early experiments in creative homesteading and the remarkable Seligmann himself. Show Notes The Mirror of Magic Daniel's site, The Casual Alchemist The Seligmann Center Seligmann Center Giftstore (for the zines) Weinstein Gallery exhibition catalogue Martica Sawin discussing the life and work of Kurt Seligmann Daniel introducing the life of Seligmann

This week we welcome back to the show one of the most popular returning guests, Jenx. As you might expect, he's back in your ears talking us through Thai Occultism, to coincide with his recently released tour de force, The Thai Occult. Along the way, we cover land spirits, uses for specific ghosts, the universality of candle magic and the many nuances of love charms. Show Notes The Thai Occult. The Thai Occult Books on Facebook.

This week, we welcome back to the show author and researcher, Joshua Cutchin. Josh's last three books -including his most recent, Thieves in the Night, explore under-examined categories of evidence for the range of phenomena uneasily labelled 'paranormal'. Who better, then, to pick over Skinwalkers, abductions and the thorny issue of what constitutes evidence in the first place? Show Notes Josh's website. Josh's recent post on evidence and skepticism. Thieves In The Night: A Brief History of Supernatural Child Abductions Josh on Twitter.

This week, we welcome hereditary witch, tarot creator and new Huon Valley neighbour, Avalon Cameron, onto the actual farm for a face to face chat. Our wide-ranging discussion explores growing up both weird and Brazilian in regional Australia, the goods and the bads of living off-grid and what to do with over 3,000 tarot decks when downsizing into a tiny house. Very good times! Show Notes So Below: Melbourne astrological magic event Avalon's website and blog Avalon on Patreon Avalon on Instagram Avalon's YouTube Channel Avalon on Facebook Avalon on Twitter

This week, Dr Becca Tarnas returns to the show to discuss two of my very favourite things: Imaginal Journeying -including some really useful practical advice on Active Imagination- and The Lord of the Rings. Why it was written, how it was written, and what even am Middle Earth. Extremely good times. Enjoy! Show Notes Dr Tarnas's new course, Journey to the Imaginal Realm: Reading J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Website of Dr Becca Tarnas. Becca Tarnas on Twitter.

This week, in an ever so slightly delayed show, we have an ever so slightly brilliant guest, Dr Amba J Sepie. I first encountered Dr Sepie's work in Damned Facts, which is a Charles-Fort inspired collection of essays by academics who are exploring or confronting the broadly Fortean, edited by another previous guest, Dr Jack Hunter. We talk about navigating the academy's shortcomings, better ways of thinking with the broadly paranormal and participating in indigenous modes in a non-appropriative way. Show Notes Dr Sepie's article, More than Stories, More than Myths. (pdf download.) Amba on Facebook.

Two solo shows in a row? Why, yes. This is technically the September one if you don't look at a calendar. But it is also a wild ramble through the politics, poetics and metaphysics of walking in public and private spaces. Dedicated with big love to the premium members who are officially embarking on the Q3 Course: Magical Geography and Spirits of Place. Show Notes Skewing the Picture - China Miéville