The Witches Table

Join me as I interview Annie, a Christian Witch and TikTok influencer, about what it means to be a Christian Witch. Annie uses her platform to educate others on the Bible, discuss deconstruction, and how Witchcraft and Christianity can be used together. There are so many parallels between the two paths that for many people it makes sense to do them together. For many others this is taboo and blasphemy. We discuss our own deconstruction, the similarities and differences in the two paths, and hopefully reduce the stigma around this beautiful and diverse practice.You can find Annie on TikTok at @empathannie or by going to her linktr.ee at https://linktr.ee/mtnmamaannie

Join us and our very first out of state guest Maritza Schäfer! Maritza runs Bruja School where she offers community support, tarot services, and a 13 week program called Liberation Magic. Maritza gives us an inside look at her community, program, and what it means to liberate yourself and help uplift your local community with your magic. We had a blast and learned a lot from her unique insight. Want to learn more about her methods and program? Go to https://brujaschool.com/the-witchs-table for free downloads available exclusively to listeners of this episode!

Join us as we delve into the complex history of witchcraft, exploring its evolution, the demonization of divination, and the intersection of race, gender, and religion. We discuss how the term 'witch' has changed over time, the role of women in witchcraft, and the impact of the Enlightenment on beliefs about witchcraft. We also examine the cultural perspectives on witchcraft, the misrepresentation in media, and the historical context of witch hunts, particularly focusing on the Salem Witch Trials and the accusations against marginalized communities.Book Referenced in Episode:The Witch by Ronald Hutton

This year, Rayne and Lewanna both got to attend the Sacred Space Conference in Maryland. You can find more information about the conference here: https://www.sacredspacefoundation.org/Since they both have widely different practices, the classes and rituals they attended were different too. This boasts about how large and varied the conference is and why we will keep going back for more.Rayne talks about a wild experience during a ritual and how that has come into play in the months since the conference.Lewanna talks about how thought provoking the classes they attended were and how they are now shaping their spiritual views and practice for the better.While we would love to link every single speaker and author that we heard, here are the ones we mentioned more frequently:Ash Glasse: https://glassewitchcottage.com/ Mortellus: https://www.mortellus.com/ BJ Swain: http://blog.ararita418.com/Lane Smith: https://mxlanesmith.com/ 

In this episode Lewanna interviews Rayne about two books that influenced their path. Rayne works with Loki, a commonly misunderstood Norse God. Rayne found these two books to be not only informative but also challenged their preconceived idea of Loki. Are they just a chaotic trickster God, or is there more to the story than what’s commonly discussed? Find out!Books talked about:Loki and Sigyn: Lessons on Chaos, Laughter & Loyalty from the Norse Gods by Lea Svendsen https://bookshop.org/p/books/loki-and-sigyn-lessons-on-chaos-laughter-loyalty-from-the-norse-gods-lea-svendsen/1c66d9b25d35cb1c?ean=9780738769318&next=t& Playing With Fire: An Exploration of Loki Laufeyjarson by Dagulf Loptson https://www.lulu.com/shop/dagulf-loptson/playing-with-fire-an-exploration-of-loki-laufeyjarson/paperback/product-1z4k88gj.html?page=1&pageSize=4 

In this episode we dive in to one of our new favorite books, Of Blood and Bones: Working With Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon by Kate FreulerYou can find the book here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/of-blood-and-bones-working-with-shadow-magick-the-dark-moon-kate-freuler/8c4700d1454d9efa?ean=9780738763637&next=t&  Lewanna and Rayne both agree that this is a great book to get you out of your comfort zone and away from the "love and light" books that have been prevalent in the community for years. Even if you don't use all of what the author talks about, it makes you think a little differently about what has been considered taboo for years.In the episode, Lewanna talks about doing book reviews on Bluesky. If you wish to follow their personal account to get book review updates on fiction and metaphysical books like this one, you can follow them here: https://bsky.app/profile/lewanna.bsky.social  You can also follow The Witches Altar on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/thewitchesaltar.bsky.social 

*This episode was recorded months before release* There are so many misconceptions about meditation. What is it? What is it not? In our western world of hustle and bustle productivity culture, how does one learn to meditate? Join us as we tackle these questions and more on this week's episode!

*This episode was recorded months before release* Do you have a physical or mental disability? Have you ever struggled with a severe illness or injury? If so, have you had struggles with performing spells or rituals in a group setting or exactly as written in books widely published today? Join Lewanna and Rayne as they both discuss issues that they have faced in their personal practices when faced with illness or injury and the importance of modifying, not only your personal practices, but the rites and rituals you write for others as well.

Can you believe we are already halfway through the year?! That means it’s time to go back through our Year Ahead tarot pulls that we did in January and see how they compare to how our lives and the state of the world turned out. In this episode we go over our pulls from January through June and see how they measure up. Did we miss something? Want to tell us how our reading matches up to your life? Let us know at (804)482-1002.

*This episode was recorded months before release* *The Witches Altar and The Witches Table were not paid to promote nor endorse the conference, authors, and artists*  Rayne interviews Lewanna! Lewanna recently attended the Sacred Space Conference in Towson, MD. The Sacred Space Conference is the premiere conference for intermediate and advanced practitioners on the East Coast. Lewanna discusses the ins and outs of the conference, personal experiences, and her opinions on who should attend. Join us and find out if this conference is right for you! Panels attended: Broken and Reborn Aflame: Exploring the Acquisition of Witchcraft by BJ Swain Thoughts on Dark, Primal, and Unpredictable Spirits and Deities by Ivo Dominguez Jr. The Neglected Paths by Michael G. Smith Four Magicians: Exploring Divergence in Tarot by BJ Swain Seasons of Endarkenment: Deepening the Harvest Cycle by H. Byron Ballard Create Your Own Rite of Passage Ritual by Enfys J. Book Ritual Leadership Skills by Ivo Dominguez Jr. Advanced Sigil Witchery by Laura Tempest Zakroff You Don’t Really Believe in Astrology, Do You? By Diotima Mantineia Egregore & The Internet: To “Keep Silent”,  or Grow Your Spells byAmy Blackthorn Mathematic Magic by Velahtar Magic in America 1820-1952 by Jason Mankey To find out more about the conference and the organization behind it visit their website: https://www.sacredspacefoundation.org/

*This episode was recorded months before release* Join us as we discuss omens! Are omens good or bad? How can you identify them? We answer these questions and more! Want to be a voice on our Podcast? Text us at (804)482-1002

On this very special episode, Rayne took off their co-host hat and donned their guest hat to talk about their new poetry book release, "Bone Dust". We talk the ins and outs of their creative process for this project as well as the differences between this one and the prequel, "In Her Bones". Bone Dust Description: "Life is fragile. Regimes can crumble in an instant. And it is in the darkest places that one finds the strength to rebuild. Echoing the strength and valor of the heathen path, these poems journey to mountaintop halls where the Old Gods reign, to the rolling hills of the land spirits, and down to where the ancestors dwell in Helheim. Bone Dust hails the fortitude of the human spirit through titles like: Blood Brother Winter Winds Ode to Helheim The Seer's Prophecy Old Bones Winter has arrived in the soul. Here lie the fires of magick." M.R. Badillo: https://dot.cards/badillo?fbclid=IwAR0I6tZMo8enjtiFchEH0mQlexdCzYqN3zgD1_yfOh56PhbKtDq8o_RcRlo You can purchase In Her Bones and Bone Dust through the publishing company, The Witches Altar (us hehe), or just Bone Dust through Ingram Spark, which can be found on M.R. Badillo's dot link listed above. Publishing Company: The Witches Altar https://www.thewitchesaltar.com/

Bree NicGarren is a local witch who is a member of our Witches Table group. She owns her own online store, vends around the city, has a podcast of her own and writes books on witchcraft. In this episode we sit down to discuss her definition of secular witchcraft and how Deity worship plays part in it (or not play a part in it really). We get sidetracked and go on beautiful tangents throughout this episode. So, come and join us! Find Bree around the web: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bree.NicGarran Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breenicgarran/ Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/breelandwalker Find Bree's books and other magical items: Willow Wings Witch Shop: https://hexpositive.myshopify.com/?fbclid=IwAR2nyubrgHRa1eMuKUTL6k0grs_0QbxbMd976kLD8MrhLseUJzTAwC9A4_k The Witches Altar: https://www.thewitchesaltar.com (for her books only) Listen to her on other podcasts: Hex Positive: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NxhDsyYTnh1fEgT8WyFBp BS-Free Witchcraft: https://open.spotify.com/show/7KkH2NJ1WM9vUGINoZLzpr Nerd & Tie Podcast Network: https://www.nerdandtie.com/

We've done a Tarot Forecast episode before, just not to this magnitude. In this two part series, we will pull tarot cards and runes to see what the future holds in 2024. Part 2 covers July-December Decks Used: Tarot Volatile- https://www.anathemapublishing.com/books-prints/p/terra-volatile-tarot-core-deck Crow Tarot- https://www.usgamesinc.com/crow-tarot.html Want to follow along and see the imagery yourself? We took photos of the cards and added them to a folder you can view! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xHFF7MqcCsY-FZIWMSmtIvHtPAXcQLk6/view?usp=sharing

We've done a Tarot Forecast episode before, just not to this magnitude. In this two part series, we will pull tarot cards and runes to see what the future holds in 2024. Part 1 covers January-June as well as an oracle card and rune pull for the overall theme of 2024. Decks Used: Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle- https://www.thewitchesaltar.com/offerings/p/seasons-of-the-witch-yule-oracle Tarot Volatile- https://www.anathemapublishing.com/books-prints/p/terra-volatile-tarot-core-deck Crow Tarot- https://www.usgamesinc.com/crow-tarot.html Want to follow along and see the imagery yourself? We took photos of the cards and added them to a folder you can view! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xHFF7MqcCsY-FZIWMSmtIvHtPAXcQLk6/view?usp=sharing

Join us as we discuss some of the most common myths about tarot and delve lightly into the history and it's usage as a divinatory tool. Myths Mentioned: Your first deck must be gifted. Tarot is ONLY used for fortune telling or tarot is NEVER supposed to be used for fortune telling. Must be born a psychic or medium to do it. Can't read tarot for profit. Tarot is evil/of the devil or there are bad/evil cards in the deck. The history of tarot was mentioned throughout the episode, but if you want to explore further for yourself, here are some links to get you started: https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/in-season/2016/tarot https://druidry.org/resources/the-history-of-playing-cards-and-tarot

We have worked with Chakras and Colors in our craft before but got a chance to talk to Naomi, a local practitioner, who got her start into witchcraft through learning about Chakras. She works with Chakras, Auras, and Colors as a way to work on herself, similarly to shadow work, and is facinated by the diversity in how you can incorporate them into your craft. We haven't seen Chakra work talked about or done in this way so it was indeed a learning experience for us! Shop Mentioned: Handfuls of Dust: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandfulsofDust Flying Oil Mentioned: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1468530318/otherworldly-a-witchs-flying-oil-for?click_key=671009db554b3982e705319ddc7bb683b3c19f7b%3A1468530318&click_sum=0e4e3296&ref=shop_home_active_11&crt=1 Follow Naomi's rad art: https://www.instagram.com/ratsinthecradleart/

We suckered some other poor soul into being a guest?!  What?!  Join us with Richmond’s Cryptid, Murphy Lawless. They host one of the hottest podcasts in Richmond, Queerdo Babes from the Horror Pod-o-Rama! They took us on a deep dive into witches in horror films through the years and talked about how it coincides with Feminism. While they don’t consider themselves an expert, they blew us away with their film and history knowledge and even gave the History Channel a run for their money (pssst. History Channel. You should hire them). Movies Mentioned: Haxan (1922) Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) Wizard of Oz (1939) Fantasia (1940) I Married a Witch (1942) Night of the Demon (1957) Bell Book and Candle (1958) Horror Hotel (City of the Dead) (1960) Black Sunday (1960) Night of the Eagle (Burn, Witch, Burn in USA) (1962) WitchFinder General (1968) Hour of the Wolf (1968)* Night of the Living Dead (1968)** Witchhammer (1970) Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) The Wicker Man (1973 & 2006) Carrie (1976) Suspiria (1977 & 2018) Inferno (1980) Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982) Eyes of Fire (1983) Witches of Eastwick (1987) Elvira Mistress of the Dark (1988) Pumpkinhead (1988) Teen Witch (1989) The Witches (1990) Hocus Pocus (1993) The Craft (1996) The Crucible (1996) Matilda (1996) Holloweentown (1998) Practical Magic (1998) Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost (1999) Blair Witch Project (1999) Coraline (2009) Lords of Salem (2012) A Field in England (2014) The VVitch (2015) The Love Witch (2016) The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) Gretel and Hansel (2020) Fear Street (2021) Magazine Mentioned: Witches of Past and Present by History (2023 Reissue of a Special Edition) Book Mentioned:  Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen J. Sollee (2017) Waves of Feminism: First Wave: 1848 - 1920 Second Wave: 1963 - 1980s ​​Third Wave: 1990s Fourth Wave: Present Day *Murphy called this film “Shadow of the Wolf” during the interview by accident. **While we didn’t get to talk about this film during this episode, Murphy wanted us to point out that this film also was a turning point in horror cinema. That just means we will have to do a part 2 episode! Want to hear more from Murphy Lawless? Check out their podcast, Queerdo Babes from the Horror Pod-o-Rama, on the podcast Beautiful Disasters, or at Nightmare Weekend in Richmond from October 13th-15th Contact Murphy Lawless: Instagram: @queerdobabespodorama Email: wearethequeerdos@gmail.com

Where is the community? How do you find it? How do you know if a group is right for you? Join us as we discuss the ins, outs, struggles and joys with being part of a community big and small. Websites Mentioned: Witch Vox (Their web presence is only through Facebook now and their website directs you to their page there) Meetup

Life isn't all rainbows and glitter, but glitter helps! Join us as we talk about how toxic positivity could be effecting your craft and what you could do to make sure you don't gaslight yourself into unreachable standards. Book Mentioned: Elements of Spellcrafting by Jason Miller (but we recommend all of his books)- https://strategicsorcery.net/my-books/ Phone Number: (804)482-1002 Website: https://www.thewitchesaltar.com Email: thewitchesaltar.biz@gmail.com Best Glitter Glue: Elmers