Send us a text Perfect love and perfect trust sound beautiful until you have to use them in a real circle with real people. We pull the veil back on what these ideals mean in practice - from the first nervous step into a new group to the split-second decision to ask for a door during ritual. We talk through the difference between coven and circle, why some spaces demand deep energetic interdependence while others prioritize reverence and observation, and how to decide which role fits your le...
Send us a text At this annual event just outside of Greenville, SC, Carolina Pagan Fest gives people from parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, and parts of Georgia a chance to come together in celebration. This year we tried something different. We went with the intention of talking to some of the vendors who also had a purpose other than selling their wares as well as one individual with a slightly different perspective on the Pagan community. Here are the folks we spoke to (please...
Send us a text The magical world of witches has captivated audiences for generations, but how accurately does Hollywood portray the reality of witchcraft? Remember the cackling hag from Snow White or the Wicked Witch of the West? These early portrayals established witches as figures to be feared and reviled. Fast forward to Bewitched's Samantha Stevens, who used her nose-twitching powers while living as a suburban housewife, marking a significant shift toward more sympathetic represen...
Send us a text What happens when we isolate the Goddess from the God? As we explore this thought-provoking discussion, it seems many modern witches have done exactly that with the divine masculine in their spiritual practices. This marginalization creates what we call a "lopsided craft"—spiritual practices missing essential balance and wholeness. The conversation dives deep into why this imbalance exists. For many, particularly women who've experienced trauma or disappointment with patriarch...
Send us a text The threefold law—the belief that whatever energy you put out returns to you three times over—has been a cornerstone teaching in modern witchcraft for decades. But does it actually make sense, or is it holding practitioners back? This candid conversation dissects the origin and purpose of the threefold law, tracing its development as an ethical framework during witchcraft's push for legitimacy in the 90s. We explore how it differs from karma and question whether either concept...
Send us a text A profound shift is occurring within modern witchcraft communities as second-generation practitioners—those raised in pagan households—begin to increase in number. This generational evolution brings unique challenges to pagan education that few elders anticipated. This generational divide complicates traditional teaching methods. We draw a compelling analogy: even an experienced driver needs to adjust when suddenly driving on the opposite side of the road—expertise in one conte...
Send us a text The sacred dance between masculine and feminine energies forms the backbone of many pagan traditions. From the physical realm of temple-building and organization that falls under priestly domain to the spiritual guidance and ritual expertise of the priestess, we explore how these roles mirror traditional family dynamics while creating something greater than the sum of their parts. "The priestess decides where the temple goes, but the priest builds it" – a simple yet powerful il...
Send us a text The world of witchcraft has always been full of dualities - light and dark, creation and destruction, life and death. But what happens when modern social perspectives meet older magical terminology? This thought-provoking episode dives deep into the controversial topic of "black magic" versus "white magic" terminology and explores how generational differences shape our understanding of these concepts. We unpack how younger witches, particularly those under 30, sometimes view t...
Send us a text The tenets of witchcraft provide more than spiritual guidance—they offer a powerful framework for navigating life's complexities. In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the six principles documented by Sybil Leek that have become foundational across many pagan traditions: balance, harmony, trust, humility, tolerance, and knowledge. What makes these tenets truly powerful is their interconnectedness. When facing challenges, examining which tenet feels weakest can identify...
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Send us a text Two pagan elders unpack the daunting inheritance of spiritual archives in this candid, thoughtful exploration of tradition management. The podcast hosts share their personal struggles with determining what deserves preservation versus what should be respectfully set aside. Unlike religious traditions that treat founders' words as infallible scripture, most pagan paths acknowledge their elders were human - not prophets or deities. This creates freedom but also responsibility: w...
Send us a text Have you ever wondered if there's something fundamentally wrong with our world today? In this thought-provoking episode of Pagan Coffee Talk, we tackle this question head-on, revealing that the issue isn't with Earth itself, but with humanity and our increasingly distorted perceptions. We dive deep into what some might call a "crisis of ego" sweeping across society. Through candid conversation, we explore how digital communication has created a dangerous disconnect between peo...
Send us a text Are there people walking among us without souls? This mind-bending episode dives deep into one of humanity's most profound mysteries: consciousness itself. When we discovered some people claim to have no internal monologue, it sparked a fascinating exploration about what defines human awareness and spiritual existence. Could people who appear emotionless or disconnected be souls in earlier stages of development, perhaps having previously inhabited simpler lifeforms and now lea...
Send us a text The age-old medical adage "don't look for zebras when you should be looking for horses" serves as the perfect metaphor for navigating the intersection of logical thinking and spiritual practice. When something goes bump in the night, is it really a ghost—or just those old pipes making noise again? Our natural human tendency to center ourselves leads us to seek out the special, the magical, and the extraordinary. Yet this impulse often leads us down rabbit holes of catastrophiz...
Send us a text Ever wondered why paganism gets mistakenly labeled as devil worship? The persistent myth that pagan traditions somehow exist in opposition to Christianity has deep historical roots that continue to cause misunderstanding today. What historians now recognize as economic persecution was disguised as religious righteousness. Meanwhile, actual pagan beliefs center around animism—the concept that everything contains spirit or energy—and achieving balance with nature. This nuanced p...
Send us a text The commercialization of magic raises profound questions about authenticity, responsibility, and the true nature of spell work. Neri, a first degree at Life Temple and Seminary, joins us for a candid exploration of the troubling ethics behind online spell markets. Without the crucial counseling component that traditionally accompanies magical assistance, online spell purchases often miss the root causes entirely; when someone requests money magic, they might actually nee...
Send us a text Would you design your perfect child if you could? Science stands at the precipice of allowing parents to select every attribute of their unborn children—from hair color to height, gender to genetic predispositions. But should we embrace this power, or are we treading into dangerous territory? Our hosts share deeply personal experiences with children of varying abilities, challenging listeners to consider whether what we perceive as "imperfections" might actually serve greater ...
Send us a text A casual Reddit post about a Viking necklace sparked a provocative question that reaches to the heart of modern pagan identity: Are group practices fundamentally at odds with pagan beliefs? We explore the delicate balance between personal autonomy and community practice, unpacking why we think some pagans view organized groups with suspicion while others find them essential to their spiritual journey. Drawing from years of experience running a temple, we share candid insi...
Send us a text What would experienced witches tell their younger selves if they could go back in time? This question launches us into a fascinating exploration of expectations versus reality in magical practice. The advice is refreshingly practical: take everything with "a truckload of salt," ask persistent questions, and don't be intimidated by more experienced practitioners. The conversation takes a provocative turn as we examine the unsettling emergence of AI worship, where people are pro...
Send us a text What truly happens during an exorcism? Does banishing negative energy require elaborate rituals, or could the power of human will be enough? These profound questions spark our exploration into spiritual possession, cleansing practices, and the psychology behind what makes us vulnerable to external influences. When Christ expelled demons with simple commands rather than complex ceremonies, was he demonstrating something we all possess but rarely acknowledge—supreme authority ov...
Ashley Marie Lavender
There are different levels of herbalists. Anyone can say they're an herbalist if they work with herbs as medicine. Some people choose to become Clinical Herbalists or "Clinicians" and work with the public as a sort of health coach with more steps... And more herbs! But clinical herbalists study for years to be able to help with more complicated health issues, understand herb drug interaction and get to the root cause. "Apothecary" is an uncontrolled term and they can sell anything.