Thorn Mooney is among the most fascinating, intelligent Wiccans I’ve come across on the internet. I discovered her via her YouTube channel, where she explores what it’s like to actually live in both the ritualistic world of a practicing Wiccan and the very modern world of a content creator with a day job. While many shy away from exploring this strange space, Thorn instead dives headlong into the weirdness offering videos with titles like, “I’m Not a Professional Witch and That’s Fine with Me,” “Don’t Put Other Witches on Pedestals,” and “Experiences Being a Pagan Content Creator,” among many others.

We spoke a few months back and, after a lot of technical drama that’s not thankfully resolved, by the way, be very careful which podcast hosting provider you choose, I’m thrilled to release our conversation as it ranks, not just among the best on this show, but also as one of the more grounded esoteric conversations I’ve ever had. We explore a wide variety of topics, all circling around the convergence between what we might call modern life and Wicca or Witchcraft broadly.

She wrote Traditional Wicca, A Seeker’s Guide for Llewellyn, with whom she has another upcoming book tentatively titled Next Level Witchcraft. Links to that and all her social profiles below.

00:02:11 Skip to Interview

00:02:30 How did Thorn Mooney get interested in Witchcraft?

00:03:58 If Witchcraft becomes mainstream, does it lose its value?

00:07:19 How does Thorn feel when she comes across blatant commercialization in Witchcraft?

00:14:38 Is the Witch Aesthetic Necessary?

00:17:57 Has Wicca Overshadowed Other Forms of Witchcraft?

00:20:42 How Did the Formalized Study of Religion Impact Thorn’s Wiccan Faith?

00:27:01 How Does Living in the South Impact a Wiccan Practice?

00:37:29 How Does Skepticism Impact Practicing Wicca?

00:41:16 Does Having a Cosmological Framework Matter As Much As Personal Experience?

00:45:15 What Has Being a Pagan, Wiccan Content Creator on YouTube Been Like Over the Past Decade?

00:51:39 Is It Difficult to Navigate the Ethical Constraints Imposed By Social Media as a Wiccan Creator?

01:02:01 Thorn Mooney Explores Her Path Toward Writing Her First Book

01:08:39 How Do You Tell Which Wiccan Books Are Worth Reading?

01:16:58 What Is Thorn Reading?

01:22:51 A Subtle Form of Sexism in Pagan Publishing

01:26:56 Where to Find Thorn Mooney’s Work 

Traditional Wicca: A Seeker's Guide - https://amzn.to/3iVqnDP

Thorn on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorn.mooney/

Her Blog: https://thornthewitch.wordpress.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPX1hub6z9z_nMsWGoZk1Bw

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarotskeptic?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thornthewitch/?hl=en

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