Down at the Crossroads

Latest Episodes:

DatC Film Club 2 - The VVitch (2015) Mar 31, 2019

Show notes

Hello and thank you once again for joining us down at the crossroads for some music, magick, and Paganism. Where witches gather for the sabbath, offerings are made, pacts are signed for musical fame and we usually cross paths with today's most influential Pagans, occultists, and deep thinkers, but tonight that's not happening because it's film club time. I am your bewitching, bald headed, host Chris Orapello and tonight Tara and I sit down with our good friend Nissa to turn our eyes and minds to Robert Eggers' 2015 film The VVitch. That's right, make some popcorn, secure your copy, sit down, get comfortable, lower the lights, and join us as we watch and discuss tonight's movie. (Just an FYI, there were several audio issues with the recording and I tried to correct them as best as I could.) Please be aware that this episode does contain spoilers and we will be having a pre-movie discussion and then a post-movie discussion, however we won't be watching the film during the recording of the episode, but we will be hearing music by Wardruna, Horse Cult, and Damh the Bard. If you're a fan of the show Daria from back in the day on MTV then you're in for a special treat, because Nissa is a Morgendork, but before we elaborate on just what that is and get into the talking about The VVitch, here's Gibu by Wardruna.

In 1630 New England, panic and despair envelops a farmer, his wife and their children when youngest son Samuel suddenly vanishes. The family blames Thomasin, the oldest daughter who was watching the boy at the time of his disappearance. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, twin siblings Mercy and Jonas suspect Thomasin of witchcraft, testing the clan's faith, loyalty and love to one another.

Featured Songs:

"Gibu" by Wardruna
"Day Dreams and Night Mares" by Horse Cult
"Sabbat" by Damh the Bard

Links:

——————————————————

Call and leave us a message at (856) 481-2984

Find the show on:

iTunes . Stitcher . Google Play . Spotify . iHeartRadio . TuneIn

Player FM . Podbean . Libsyn . RSS . Facebook

And on other podcast services!

——————————————————

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

——————————————————-

DatC #092 - Folk Catholicism with Mallorie Vaudoise Mar 17, 2019

Show notes

Featured Music:

"All Things Change" by Kan'Nal
"Verd Min" by Eivør
"Citrus Mistress" by POM
"The Magician" by The Hills and the Rivers
"Sea Song" by The Owl Service
"Sway" by POM

Links:

Italian Folk Magic (website)
Italian Folk Magic (Facebook)
Naples is for Necromancers (Video Lecture)

Call and leave us a message at (856) 481-2984

Find the show on:

iTunes . Stitcher . Google Play . Spotify . iHeartRadio

Player FM . Podbean . Libsyn . RSS . Facebook

And on other podcast services!

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

DatC #091 - Botanical Magic with Amy Blackthorn Jan 17, 2019

Show notes

Hello and thank you once again for joining us down at the crossroads for some music, magick, and Paganism. Where witches gather for the sabbath, offerings are made, pacts are signed for musical fame and we cross paths with today's most influential Pagans, occultists, and deep thinkers. I am your bewitching, bald headed, host Chris Orapello and tonight Tara and I speak with witch, tea blender extraordinaire, and author Amy Blackthorn to discuss her book Blackthorn's Botanical Magic: The Green Witch's Guide to Essential Oils for Spellcraft, Ritual & Healing. During our discussion we learn about her journey into witchcraft and her early experiences as a witch and how a blizzard helped her to start her business Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends, but we start things off with touching upon her successful Facebook page Witchcraft-Down & Dirty. It was great to finally have Amy on the show and we're glad to finally get this conversation out to you.

"Here is the first contemporary guide to the transformative powers of essential oils for use in spellcraft and the cultivation of ritual power. From rose-scented rosaries to the lingering aroma of frankincense, and the cleansing energy of white sage, Amy Blackthorn— the woman behind Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends —will take you on a journey beyond the soothing, healing power of scents into their hidden realms and their use in prayer, meditation, and shamanic journeying. One of the very first of its kind..."

Anger Into Action Oil Blend (Place a couple drops of this blend into your oil diffuser or mop bucket. Recipe amounts equal enough for a 2ml bottle.)

5 drops of Cardamom
30 drops Sandalwood (Australian)
25 drops Neroli
10 drops Petitgrain
5 drops Ginger

Featured Songs:

"
"Witchka" by S.J. Tucker
"Brotin" by Eivør
"Melusina" by Sharon Knight
"A Faery Song" by Melanie Gruben
"Stones" by Tara Rice
"Battle of Evermore" by Finvarra
"Maker of My Sorrow" by Eliza Rickman
"Little Bird" by S.J. Tucker

Links:

------------------------------------------------------

Call and leave us a message at (856) 481-2984

Find the show on:

iTunes . Stitcher . Google Play . Spotify . iHeartRadio

Player FM . Podbean . Libsyn . RSS . Facebook

And on other podcast services!

------------------------------------------------------

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

-------------------------------------------------------

DatC #090 - Traditional Wicca with Thorn Mooney Nov 18, 2018

Show notes

Hello and thank you once again for joining us down at the crossroads for some music, magick, and Paganism. Where witches gather for the sabbath, offerings are made, pacts are signed for musical fame and we cross paths with today's most influential Pagans, occultists, and deep thinkers. I am your bewitching, bald headed, host Chris Orapello and tonight Tara and I speak with witch, YouTuber, blogger, and now author Thorn Mooney about her book Traditional Wicca: A Seeker's Guide. During the discussion we touch upon her background as a witch, her thoughts on witchcraft, Traditional Wicca and being a practicing Gardnerian and High Priestess of her coven, Foxfire. We discuss the difference and alleged conflict between Traditional Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft. As well as the gate keeping that occurs online, how social media has shaped people's perception and other issues such as classicism, outdated information, the pursuit of knowledge, and personal growth. This is a very frank discussion about modern practice and we hope that you enjoy it. Thorn was a great guest and we hope to speak with her again in the future.

While there are many powerful variations of contemporary Witchcraft, traditional Wicca offers unique experiences for those who seek it out. This book explores structured, coven-based styles of Wicca, in which the practitioners typically trace initiatory lineages back to Wicca's early founders. Discussing covens, initiations, lineages, practices, ethics, and more, Traditional Wicca shares tips and ideas on how to get the most from this profound approach to Witchcraft. Discover how to recognize healthy, reputable covens. Learn how to navigate the process of asking for training and succeeding in an outer court. Explore the spiritual strength of lineages, hierarchies, and initiation. This book also includes contributions from several practitioners, providing valuable first-person perspectives on what it's like to be on the traditional Wiccan path. - Traditional Wicca (back cover)

Featured Songs:

"Witchka" by S.J. Tucker
"Brotin" by Eivør
"Melusina" by Sharon Knight
"A Faery Song" by Melanie Gruben
"Stones" by Tara Rice
"Battle of Evermore" by Finvarra
"Maker of My Sorrow" by Eliza Rickman
"Little Bird" by S.J. Tucker

Links:

------------------------------------------------------

Call and leave us a message at (856) 481-2984

Find the show on:

iTunes . Stitcher . Google Play . Spotify . iHeartRadio

Player FM . Podbean . Libsyn . RSS . Facebook

And on other podcast services!

------------------------------------------------------

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

-------------------------------------------------------

DatC #089 - Textile Artist, Polly Lind Sep 30, 2018

Show notes

Hello and thank you once again for joining us down at the crossroads for some music, magick, and Paganism. Where witches gather for the sabbath, offerings are made, pacts are signed for musical fame and we cross paths with today's most influential Pagans, occultists, and deep thinkers. I am your bewitching, bald headed, host Chris Orapello and tonight Tara and I speak with witch, animist, and textile artist Polly Lind to discuss her background in witchcraft and her wonderful art. Polly is a witch in New Zealand and is a Fabric Artist who makes modern tapestries, banners, and wall hangings that have been inspired by magic, mythology and ancient cultures from around the world. It was great to finally speak with Polly as she is not only an artist and a fun guest, but she also has background in religious studies. It was interesting to hear how the availability of books in New Zealand shaped the witchcraft and pagan communities there. Also, if you're a Flat Earther, you're probably not going to like our discussion about how witchcraft in the southern hemisphere differs from the northern hemisphere. All in all, Polly was a fun guest and we hope you think so too!

Featured Songs:

"Sinking Sands" by Dogwood
"Battle of Evermore" by Finvarra
"IngwaR" by Wardruna
"Green and Grey" by Damh the Bard
"Stolen Season" by S.J. Tucker
"Home in your Heart" by Elephant Revival

Links:

------------------------------------------------------

Call and leave us a message at (856) 481-2984

Find the show on:

iTunes . Stitcher . Google Play . Spotify . iHeartRadio

Player FM . Podbean . Libsyn . RSS . Facebook

And on other podcast services!

------------------------------------------------------

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

-------------------------------------------------------

DatC #088 - Six Ways with Aidan Wachter Aug 31, 2018

Show notes

Hello and thank you once again for joining us down at the crossroads for some music, magick, and Paganism. Where witches gather for the sabbath, offerings are made, pacts are signed for musical fame and we cross paths with today's most influential Pagans, occultists, and deep thinkers. I am your bewitching, bald headed, host Chris Orapello and tonight Tara and I speak with talismanic jeweler, musician, and author Aidan Wachter about his work, music, and new book Six Ways: Approaches and Entries for Practical Magic. We learn about Aidan's origins, his beginnings with magick and jewelry making. Plus his relationship to groups and their nature and his music which not many people seem to know about. As we talk about his book -Six Ways- we learn about some of the stories behind the work and how it came to be. As well as explore his definition of magick, his approach to working with spirits, and what his current practice looks like. This was a friendly and fun discussion and we were extremely thankful to finally meet with Aidan on the show.

Six Ways is a collection of approaches and entries for practical magic. It is not a system, grimoire, or belief system. The focus is on the development of healthy spirit ecologies with a decidedly animist bent. - Aidanwachter.com

Featured Songs:

"A Will of Its Own" by Wendy Rule
"Salt" by Eivør
"Two Hands" by Drova
"4DC" by Aidan Wachter
"Peace Tonight" by Elephant Revival
"Hekate" by Faun
"The Wicker Man" by Damh the Bard
"Odal" by Wardruna

Links:

------------------------------------------------------

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

-------------------------------------------------------

DatC Film Club 1 - Suspiria (1977) Jul 22, 2018

Show notes

Featured Music

"Devil's Courtship" by Horse Cult
"Silent Impulse" by Ill Wicker

Links

**If you like what you've heard, please consider supporting us through our Patreon page and check out the show archive for other great content!**

DatC #087 - The Elements of Spellcrafting with Jason Miller Jun 17, 2018

Show notes

Hello and thank you once again for joining us down at the crossroads for some music, magick, and Paganism. Where witches gather for the sabbath, offerings are made, pacts are signed for musical fame and we cross paths with today's most influential Pagans, occultists, and deep thinkers. I am your bewitching, bald headed, host Chris Orapello and tonight Tara and I speak with author, sorcerer, and teacher Jason Miller to discuss his recent book The Elements of Spellcrafting: 21 Keys to Successful Sorcery. However, we start the conversation with learning about his background (because oddly enough we never actually talked about it before) as well as ponder what his super villain name might be. While in our discussion of his book we explore his thoughts regarding enchantment and making your life more enchantable, the idea of harm none and magickal caveats in spellcrafting, substitutions in magick and in one's practice, the pitfalls of striving for absolute authenticity, his beliefs about magick and how he thinks magick works, and more. All in all it was a really good to talk and we hope you enjoy what Jason had to say.

There is no shortage of spells out there. Some books highlight thousands of spells, but do any of them actually work? And how well do they work? I don't mean just getting a result—I mean getting a result that matters, a result that will impact your life or the lives of those you work for. The Elements of Spellcrafting provides the most effective and efficient ways to get things done with magic. The Elements of Spellcrafting identifies and explains 21 keys to successful sorcery—a best practices of sorcery—in three sections:

Principals and strategies for how best to apply magic before you begin.
Methods and tactics that will ensure a positive outcome.
How to take spells to the next level—building a life of spiritual accomplishment and material success beyond the basics.

If you have ever cast a spell that didn't work, The Elements of Spellcrafting will help you figure out why. If you regularly cast spells that seem to work but you still wind up in the same circumstances, this book will definitely help you chart a new course for victorious spellcrafting. - The Elements of Spellcrafting, back cover

[caption id="attachment_6628" align="alignright" width="177"] Blood red torma offering described by Jason. Photo by Jason Miller.[/caption] Featured Songs:

"The Magician" by The Hills and the Rivers
"Movements in the Sky" by Church of the Cosmic Skull
"Freedom Song" by Omnia
"Fallon City Messiah" by Hey Satan
"No harm" by Tara Rice
"Hekate" by Faun

Links:

------------------------------------------------------

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

-------------------------------------------------------

DatC Minisode 4 - Catbutts & Checklists Apr 23, 2018

Show notes

Minisode Topic: Spell-work

How do you define/explain what a spell is?
What are your favorite go-to "back pocket" spells?
What was your first spell?
Spell backfires or mistakes?

Featured Songs:

"The Wolf Sky" by Wendy Rule
"A Will of Its Own" by Wendy Rule
"Neptune" by S. J. Tucker
"Mother" by Witchwood

Links:

***Support the show on Patreon!***

Receive special benefits, show swag, extra content, and more!

DatC #086 - Sigil Witchery with Laura Tempest Zakroff Mar 31, 2018

Show notes

Sigils are magical symbols that are designed to influence ourselves and the world around us. Tracing through history, art, and culture, this illustrated book offers an innovative and fresh approach to sigil magick that is accessible and intuitive. You don't need a degree in art or magick to make effective sigils! Learn how to manifest your will through your very own designs. Explore traditional and modern meanings of shapes, symbols, numbers, letters, and colors, while receiving guid- ance on how to add personal meaning to your marks. Sigil Witchery includes methods of application, tips for choosing materials, and important considerations for both temporary and permanent sigils. This book helps you improve your drawing techniques, use sample exercises to challenge yourself, and gain deeper metaphysical insight and inspiration—all to guide you to develop your own powerful sigil magick. - Sigil Witchery, back cover

Featured Songs: