Podcasts about Pagan Federation

Joining us today is author and podcaster Sif Brookes!  Sif is a reconstructionist Nordic Heathen writer and artist who is the Marketing Officer for the Committee of Asatru UK, the National LGBTQIA+ manager for the Pagan Federation, co-wrote and illustrated The Wyrd Less Woven, an Alternative Heathen Prayer Book with Dan Coultas, was a founding host of the Heathen Wyrdos podcast, is currently creating content as Valsif on Youtube, and has a new book coming out called, Valkyrjur, Servant or Master: An Exploration of the Valkyries throughout the Medieval Period.   We talked all about her book, the history and myth of the Valkyries, how the Choosers of the Slain are relevant today, and more!Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

Snow, Cabra, and Sarenth interview Sif of Ásatru UK. We dig into the differences between the US and UK Heathen communities, explore their work with the Pagan Federation, and their newest release The Wyrd Less Woven: An Alternative Heathen Prayer Book. We also take time for listener questions on valkyries, the influence of Wagner on our ideas of them, and their roles in modern Heathenry. With before and after banter for levels Spark and above. -- Where to find Sif: The Wyrd Less Woven: An Alternative Heathen Prayer Book YouTube Instagram Twitter Twitch -- Copyright 2024 -- Tinder Nolan, Whispers of the Grove, Victoria S., Catherine, Cris, Tirruan, Voyager, Emi, Craig, Casper, Jane, Isaac, Josie, Heidi, Claire, Hanna Spark Jeramie, Douglas Pierce Books, Elanor Faithful, Boojumhaus, Beast, Indi, Zephyr, Dashifen, Annora, Maleck, Alissa, CrowCrow Kindling Justin, Don, Cammy, MCH, Cynnian, Streaking Fate, Brannadov, Nic Haney Elemental Amanda Blaze Kirk Thomas Fire Drake Grimm -- Opening voice work Kai Belcher Music “Ophelia” by Les Hayden, provided by the Free Music Archive and used under Creative Commons licenses: freemusicarchive.org/music/Les_Hayden/Proverbs/Les_Hayden_-_Proverbs_-_05_Ophelia_1785 -- Our discord community https://discord.gg/3fFdYPnrVk Find us on FaceBook http://wwwfacebook.com/Around Grandfather Fire -- Sarenth's Patreon https://sarenth.wordpress.com/patreon/ Wordpress https://sarenth.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @Sarenth Three Pagans On Tap -- Cabra https://steelcitywitch.com/ -- Snow https://linktr.ee/snowthegoth -- Emily / SteakingFate https://streakingfate.wordpress.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/around-grandfather-fire/message

This week Jenny and Hazel talk about  pagan parenting and our guest is Hannah Semple from  the Pagan Federation's Children and Families team.Celebrating Beltane With Kids - Patti Wigingtonhttps://www.learnreligions.com/celebrating-beltane-with-kids-2561677 Raising Kids in Pagan & Nature Traditions by tressabellehttps://tressabelle.wordpress.com/2013/12/08/raising-kids-druid/The Lost Wordshttps://www.thelostwords.org/spell-songs/Helpful hints for pagan parents by Eagle Owl, a Druid motherhttps://www.druidcircle.org/druid/index.php/en/option=com_content&view=article&id=89&Itemid=216the Woodcraft Folkhttps://woodcraft.org.ukCircle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions by Starhawk, Diane Baker and Anne Hillhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0553378058/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_W66CMCX84M7SC87BEHDNAll I See Is Part of Me by Chara M. Curtishttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0692339868/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_1DPXYK5MF5X831GVEMKDYou can connect with Hannah and find out more about the Pagan Federation Children & Families Team in the following places.https://www.pfcommunity.org.uk/aether-patches/ https://www.pfcommunity.org.uk/category/children-families/ https://www.pfcommunity.org.uk/aether-magazine/https://earthmothernaturelover.wordpress.com/ Instagram.com/earthmothernaturelover  

Matthew Sweet and his guests begin coverage of the After Dark Festival - an overnight extravaganza recorded at Sage Gateshead for the equinox weekend. What meanings and interpretations has humanity given to the equinox moment - when the length of day and night is equal and to other key points of the solar year? Cosmologist Carlos Frenk from Durham University, archaeologist Penny Bickle from the University of York, Kevin Lapping from the Pagan Federation and his wife Kirsten discuss the significance of the changing seasons, what we learn from the solar alignment of Neolithic monuments and the vaster galactic and cosmic cycles that are we are also a part of. Producer: Torquil MacLeod Part of Radio 3's After Dark Festival, a major new live music festival for 2022 in partnership with Sage Gateshead and TUSK Music, featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary, classical and experimental music. For all related content, search “After Dark Festival” in BBC Sounds.

Back at it again in podcast land, and this week we're invoking the Goddess Babalon with the wonderful Peter Grey and Alkistis Dimech, the co-conspirators behind the excellent occult publishing house Scarlet Imprint. This week we delve deep into the topic of Babalon with the pair, and examine: Who was Babalon, How did the Babalon working influence Pete and Alkistis' day to day life, What are Babalon's roots, and much much more.   Reclaiming his chair from the usurper Marck, Ulysses Black returns to co-hosting duties. Main theme by Simon Smerdon (Mothboy) Music bed by chriszabriskie.com Peter Grey Biography: Peter Grey is a writer, and the co-founder of Scarlet Imprint. He is the author of The Red Goddess (2007), which has inspired the resurgence of interest in Babalon, the goddess of Revelation. His Apocalyptic Witchcraft (2013) has been called the most important modern book on witchcraft, placing it in the mythopoetic context of the sabbat and in a landscape suffering climate and ecological collapse. His Lucifer: Princeps (2015), is a study of the origins of the figure of Lucifer; he is currently writing the second part, Lucifer: Praxis. His collected writings, from 2008–2018, are published in The Brazen Vessel (2019) with those of Alkistis Dimech. His most recent work is The Two Antichrists (2021), a return to the Babalon and Antichrist workings of Jack Parsons and his eclipsed sodality The Witchcraft. He has spoken at private public events and conferences worldwide to both practitioners and academics. These have included Occulture, the Occult Conferences in Glastonbury and London, Treadwell's Bookshop, the Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle, Flambeau Noir in Portland, the Psychology, Art and the Occult conference in London, Here to Go II in Norway, the Trans-States conference in Northampton University, the Magic and Ecology conference for CRASSH at Cambridge University and Pagan Federation events. He can be heard on podcasts including Runesoup, Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast, Right Where you are Sitting Now, Thelema Now, Spirit Box, Quarantine Sessions with Jake Kobrin, Against Everyone with Conner Habib, Grimerica, Witches and Wine, Thoth-Hermes, and Rendering Unconscious. Peter lives with his lover Alkistis in the far south west of Cornwall on the edge of the Lizard peninsula, where he surfs in the cold Atlantic, walks the ancient land and pursues his magical practice. Alkistis Dimech Biography: With Peter Grey, I am the co-founder of Scarlet Imprint. I am a writer and artist – working principally with dance and the body. My practice is grounded in butô (dark dance). My work explores the occulted dimensions of the body, its subtle anatomy and sexuality as an archaeology of the flesh – drawing from the esoteric and phenomenological traditions – and seeks to unfold a process and techne of bodily spiritual transformation. I have performed in the UK, Europe and the United States, solo and in collaboration with musicians and artists, notably Z'EV, Gast Bouschet & Nadine Hilbert, and Anji Cheung – and spoken on my practice, and given workshops, at conferences and events in the UK, Europe and the United States. Selected works from 2008 to 2018 are documented in The Brazen Vessel and at alkistisdimech.com. I am currently creating Antimony, a work of texts and images on the angelic, alchemical transfiguration of the body.

  ...and the lord spoketh, and more episodes of SittingNow Radio were bestowed upon the people. The people were annoyed though, because they'd asked for Playstation 5's all-round, but hey, they get what they're given amirite This week Ken and Ulysses Black sit down with the amazing Peter Grey Occultist and co-founder of the excellent Scarlet Imprint. We talk to Peter about his new book 'The Two Antichrists', Scientology, The Future of the Occult, Why Magicians should be looking to space, and not to the past, and a whole host of other weird goodness. For more Peter Grey, check out our SittingNow TV episodes Main theme by Simon Smerdon (Mothboy) Music bed by chriszabriskie.com   Peter Grey Bio: Peter Grey has spoken at public events and conferences in England, Scotland, Norway and the United States as well as closed gatherings. These have included Occulture, the Occult Conferences in Glastonbury and London, Treadwell's Bookshop, the Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle, the Psychology, Art and the Occult conference in London, Here to Go II in Norway, the Trans-States conference in Northampton University and many Pagan Federation events. A long term supporter of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in his native Cornwall, his work on the witches' sabbat was first given at the annual Friends of the Museum gathering.  His work has also appeared in numerous small journals and collections, such as The Fenris Wolf, as well as online. His collected writings, from 2008–2018, are published in The Brazen Vessel (2019) with those of Alkistis Dimech. His Lucifer: Princeps (2015), is a study of the origins of the figure of Lucifer; he is currently writing the second part, Lucifer: Praxis, which addresses working with the fallen angels of the Enochic tradition and their transvection into the grimoires and modern practice.

Pagan Dawn is a journal by the Pagan Federation and it is now launching its own podcast! Aurora and Lusete will be speaking to promising pagan, witchcraft and magic authors discussing their latest books, ideas and views on different Pagan paths and the Craft. If you are an author and would you like to be featured on the podcast, please do email us: pagandawn@paganfederation.co.uk Don't miss the new episodes launching this summer and follow us on your favourite podcast directory!

A new cycle network is being launched this morning linking all 42 English Cathedrals across a 2000 mile route. A group of cyclists are setting off from Newcastle Cathedral this morning. Clare MacLaren is the Canon for Music and Liturgy at Newcastle Cathedral and Sean Cutler from Northumbria University pulled the route together. Gordon Brown leads a group of religious leaders asking for G7 leaders to prioritise vaccines for developing countries ahead of the G7 summit. The Dalai Lama and Rowan Williams are among the other signatories to a letter asking the UK to use its chairing of G7 to make the difference on the global vaccine campaign. The ancient marriage ceremony known as handfasting can be traced back to Celtic and Druid ceremonies. It may even be where the phrases ‘tying the knot’ and ‘bound for life’ originate. The Pagan Federation is campaigning for couples to be legally married by the Pagan ceremony. Sarah Kerr is President of the Pagan Federation. Producers: Carmel Lonergan Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Editor: Tim Pemberton

This week we talk about the Pagan Federation's 50th birthday, our involvement and what the PF does for Pagans. Our specialist guest is Mariëlle Holman who is the District Manager for the Pagan Federation South East.Pagan Federation What We do https://www.paganfed.org/what-we-do/Pagan Federation Disabilities Teamhttps://www.pfcommunity.org.uk/disabilities-team/Pagan Federation Community Teamshttps://www.pfcommunity.org.uk/about-us/Pagan Federation 50th Anniversary Celebrations https://www.paganfed.org/50th-anniversary-celebrations/Pagan Federation Internationalhttps://www.paganfederation.orgPagan Federation Social Media LinksWebsitehttps://www.paganfed.orgFacebook https://www.facebook.com/paganfederationTwitter https://twitter.com/PaganFederationInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/paganfederation/Marielle's Book Recommendations Witches by Erica Jong Https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0734G8TXQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i7Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America by Margot Adlerhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Drawing-Down-Moon-Witches-Goddess-Worshippers/dp/0143038192/

What does it mean to be a good person according to a Pagan? We ask Jenny Uzzell, Education & Youth Manager for The Pagan Federation, to share her opinions on being "good" according to Pagan teachings. Jenny has been involved in Druidry for 12 years, and is carrying out her PhD research into death rites among contemporary Druids in the UK. She is also co-owner and Director of a funeral home, which is where she was for this interview. In this conversation, Jenny covers many of the misconceptions that people have about paganism, and shares the history and background of this area of spirituality.If you'd like to learn more about Druidry, you can visit OBOD (Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids) and BDO (British Druid Order).

This week we talk about being visible as a pagan, we discuss the pros and cons. We are joined by Emma Hoole the Pagan Federation Advocacy Officer. Please note the Pagan Federation is changing it's website to pagan federation.co.uk but is currently still using the pagan fed.org.uk website.Emma's book recommendationsThe Druid Way Made Easy by Graeme Talboyshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Druid-Way-Made-Easy/dp/1846945453/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+druid+way+made+easy&qid=1604854045&sr=8-1The Crooked Path by Keldenhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Crooked-Path-Introduction-Traditional-Witchcraft/dp/0738762032/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+crooked+path&qid=1604854201&sr=8-1ResourcesWild Hunt International Pagan Coming Out Dayhttps://wildhunt.org/2011/05/international-pagan-coming-out-day.htmlInternational Pagan Coming Out Dayhttps://internationalpagancomingoutday.wordpress.com/ The Pagan Federation – Advocacy  https://www.paganfed.org/advocacy/

Jenny Uzzell is a Druid, being a member of OBOD at Ovate Grade, BDO at Bardic Grade, and TDN. She has been involved with Druidry for about 12 years, mostly in a solitary capacity (as the North East is a long way from all things Druid!) She is currently the Education and Youth Manager for the Pagan Federation. She is an educational consultant in the field of Religious Studies, having carried out a number of roles for the Religious Education Council of England and Wales over the last few years. She is a senior examiner in Religious Studies at both GCSE and A level with a Major awarding body and was Head of Religious Education at a number of schools for many years. Jenny is currently a Ph.D. student at Durham University working under the auspices of the Centre for Death and Life Studies and based in the Department of Theology and Religion. She is conducting research into death rites among contemporary Druids in the UK. In addition to her Ph.D. research, which she is conducting on a part-time basis, she is also co-owner and director of a funeral home that forms part of a growing movement in the UK towards greater openness, honesty and authenticity in the way funerals are arranged and conducted In this capacity she has helped to re-imagine and design funeral rituals that are relevant to those involved and has provided help and advice with ‘home funerals'. Sometimes she sleeps! To contact Jenny contact email: (ladybebba@hotmail.com) she can also be reached at her academic address (j.s.uzzell@durham.ac.uk) or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.uzzell We look forward to having you tune into our broadcasts every Friday @ 8 pm EST live on Facebook.

Hazel and Jenny introduce themselves and discussing how they began walking their paths and introduce the aims of the podcast.Hazel mentioned Pagan Dawn the magazine of the Pagan Federation: https://www.paganfed.org/pagan-dawn/Jenny mentioned Witchvox the original pagan networking site, message boards now defunct but still have a Facebook presence: https://www.facebook.com/TheWitchesVoiceInc/UKPagan the Valley: UK Pagan has been an online home and discussion place since being founded in 2001. https://thevalley.ukpagan.com/Kent Goddess Group:  Facilitated by Jenny, women's (Trans & Non Binary inclusive) ceremonial group: https://www.facebook.com/kentgoddess/Folkestone Red Tent; women's sharing and nurturing circle Pagan Federation; Founded in 1971 the PF seeks to support all Pagans to ensure they have the same rights as the followers of other beliefs and religions. It aims to promote a positive profile for Pagans and Paganism and to provide information on Pagan beliefs to the media, official bodies and the greater community: https://www.paganfed.org/Find us on Facebook: The Wheel

This episode gets into the “how” of magick and some principles that many groups use to govern their craft. What are your principles? We look at principles from Gabriela Herstik, The American Council of Witches, The Pagan Federation, and more!

From the space between stars comes the first transmission. Dr. DeAnn Bell joins us to discuss her path towards the occult, the pagan scene in Wales, and Yule. As is proper for a hedgewitch, her familiar makes its presence known throughout. A fun and informative conversation. You can find Dr. Bell at her website: http://www.deannbell.com/ Her Twitter is @DeAnnWrites. The information about her affiliations and places she contributes can be found below. Pagan Dawn: https://paganfed.org/index.php/about-pagan-dawn Sage Woman: https://www.sagewoman.com/ Pagan Square: https://witchesandpagans.com/ The Pagan Federation: https://paganfed.org/ Power Spellcraft for Life by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Cat Treadwell is a full time Druid Priestess, Volunteer for The Druid Network & The Pagan Federation. She is a professional Chaplain and author, blogging at druidcat.wordpress.com. She shares her powerful inspirational thoughts and feelings regarding how spirituality can help people cope with many of the very difficult patterns that hinder our inner peace and balance. She also shares how one can benefit from nature's natural cure as well as building a strong personal Divine connection. Cat comes from a place of finding strength each day when she she finds herself having mental and emotional lows, and offers practical suggestions on how simply turning to spirituality and nature can help turn things around for those finding it difficult to cope with life's many challenges. This is quite a unique and introspective episode that can be returned to as often as necessary as a reminder of "THE BIGGER PICTURE", and how we sometimes overly complicate life more than we should, and how there is much beauty to experience everyday if we stop to open our eyes and hearts in order to let it in. GUEST CONTACTS & INFO: Blog-druidcat.wordpress.com Twitter-@druid_cat FB Page- @Cat Treadwell YOUTUBE- Cat Treadwell SHOW CONTACTS: Website- www.TheParanormalPriestess.com FB Page- @TheParanormalPriestess Twitter-@priestedpod Email-parapriestesspodcast@gmail.com INTRO MUSIC Classic Horror 1 - Dark World by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100471 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Our latest Easter reflection comes from Jason Mankey and Mike Stygal. Jason was a Christian, but became increasingly disillusioned with right wing politics and intolerant attitudes, and so began to explore paganism. But despite this, he maintained his love of Easter. You'll remember Mike from our recent interview. He's the President of the Pagan Federation. Enjoy!    If you want more from Nomad, check out our website, and follow us on Facebook and twitter If you're looking for other people to share this journey with, then register on our Listener Map, and see if any other nomads are in your area.  Nomad can only keep going because a small group of faithful listeners help us pay the bills. If you want to join them, you can make regular donations at Patreon or a one-off or regular donation through PayPal, the links to which you can find on our support page. As a thank you, you'll have access to Nomad Book Club, our online community The Beloved Listener Lounge, and Nomad Devotionals, where we're attempting to reconstruct worship through a creative mix of songs, music, readings, prayers and guest reflections.

This week I had the privilege to interview Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, who I consider elders of my own witchcraft tradition. In this extended episode we talk about the evolution of witchcraft from its roots with Gerald Gardner to modern times. We also talk about why secrecy isn’t necessarily a good thing, the differences between witchcraft in the US and Europe, how to do syncretism responsibly, why lineage doesn’t matter, why gendered polarity isn’t necessary, and what it means to be a priest of any tradition.    Janet Farrar: Janet was initiated by Alex and Maxine Sanders in 1970. Janet Owen (later Farrar) became involved in the Craft after a friend started regularly visiting the Sander’s. Janet, being from a Christian background, went along to dissuade her friend from becoming involved, but was impressed by the moral structure that Wicca had and joined the Sander’s Coven.  It is here she met her husband to be and co-author, Stewart Farrar, who initially became involved around Alex Sanders as a reporter for the Reveille, and was then asked to write What Witches Do. With her late husband she has written over a dozen books on the Craft to date.  Titles which include Eight Sabbats For Witches’, The Witches’ Way (one of the first books to suggest the southern hemisphere turn for festivals in Australia), The Witches’ Goddess, The Witches God, Spells and How They Work.  Janet has also had one book published jointly with Virginia Russel, The Magical History of the Horse, and with her current partner Gavin Bone, three books; The Pagan Path, The Healing Craft, The Dictionary of European Gods and Goddesses, and their latest work The Inner Mysteries.   Their books have become some of the most influential in Witchcraft and have set the mould for modern Craft writers worldwide.     Since her initial introduction to the Alexandrian Craft with Stewart, she, with Gavin Bone has developed her own unique brand of Witchcraft and have been honorary initiations into several other traditions, including traditional Italian Strega. She prefers just to be called witch rather than be considered of any specific tradition. In 1999 she became ordained as third level Clergy with The Aquarian Tabernacle Church.    Gavin Bone: Born in Portsmouth, Gavin Bone was originally initiated into Seax-Wicca in 1986. He trained as a Registered Nurse, is a practising Spiritual (naturally empathic) Healer and a trained Reflexologist. He met Janet and Stewart Farrar in 1989 at the Pagan Link conference in Leicester and moved to Ireland in 1992 after accompanying them on a tour of the United States. He co-authored The Pagan Path, The Healing Craft and The Complete Dictionary of European Gods and Goddesses with Janet and Stewart.In the UK he was both a Pagan Link and Pagan Federation contact in early ‘90’s and this led him after his move to Ireland to set up the Pagan Information Network; a contact network for pagans in the Republic and the North of Ireland. Like Janet, he is an honorary member of the Strega tradition, and ordained third Level Clergy with the Aquarian Tabernacle Church.   Both Janet and Gavin tour regularly doing intensive workshops in the United States and Europe, as well as past tours in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They have study groups in the US and Italy. They believe strongly in the idea of Wicca being both progressive and dynamic in nature, while remaining a clergy of those dedicated to serving the Gods and Goddesses. Their book The Inner Mysteries is their most radical work to date emphasizing the non-dogmatic creativity of Wicca, and was re-released as a second edition in 2012.  This has now been eclipsed by their newest work, Lifting the Veil: A Witches' Guide to Trance-Prophesy, Drawing Down the Moon and Ecstatic Ritual which focuses on their 20 years of work in promoting, and teaching deity connection, Trance-Prophesy and possession. They are responsible for creating The Alliance of Progressive Covens (APeCs) a network of like-minded covens with groups in the US, Uk, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy.   Links:   Janet and Gavin’s Website   Janet and Gavin’s Facebook   Pagan Spirit Gathering Books: Fifty Years Of Wicca by Frederic Lamond Books by Doreen Valiente Lifting the Veil: A Witches' Guide to Trance-Prophesy, Drawing Down the Moon, and Ecstatic Ritual (May 2015) A Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches' Handbook The Healing Craft: Healing Practices for Witches and Pagans Progressive Witchcraft Other books by Janet and Gavin can be found here.

What do Pagans believe?  We find out from Mike Stygal of the Pagan Federation in London. What approach should Christian take when it come to sharing faith and understanding the way pagans see the world?  Nick Stead and Steve Hollinghusrst regularly engage with Pagans at New Age Fairs. For Nick Stead and the London City Mission see www.lcm.org.uk For the Pagan Federation London see www.pflondon.org For the Church Army see www.churcharmy.org.uk   To hear more discussions between Christians and non-Christians go to www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable. Join the discussion on the Premier Community www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable.

Shownotes for DruidCast Episode 49  Dans Plin - Tristan le Govic - www.tristanlegovic.eu History of Dragons - Professor Ronald Hutton March Mellow - Daygan - www.daygan.co.uk A Day in the Life - Paul Newman - www.storyfolksinger.co.uk interviews Neil Pinnock - www.wildheartdance.co.uk Oh Gypsy - The Gypsy Nomads - www.thegypsynomads.com Interview with Chris Crowley, President of the Pagan Federation - www.paganfed.org DruidCast theme - Hills they are Hollow - Damh the Bard - www.paganmusic.co.uk For more information about the Druid tradition - www.druidry.org

In this episode we dissect and learn about the contemporary pagan religion known of as Wicca. We speculate about some of its primary roots and influences and go into more depth than most books on subject ever seem to go. Find out what makes Wicca what it is and what makes a Wiccan a Wiccan in this break down of the religion of Wicca. We learn about Doreen Valiente in this episode's edition of A Corner in the Occult. The famed Mother of Modern Witchcraft played a crucial role in the existence and development of Wicca throughout the entirety of the twentieth century. Doreen was one of Gerald Gardner's early High Priestesses and later authored of several well respected texts on witchcraft and became the Patron of the Center for Pagan Studies in 1995. In the Essence of Magick we look into the idea, practice, and significance of ritual initiation and the role it plays in groups and in religions such as Wicca. We even discuss the idea behind the popular modern Wiccan practice of self-initiation and looking into the reality and practicality of such a ceremony. I also read some listener messages and to close we discuss advanced Wicca and ways in which one can enrich their religious experience.   Links: Doreen Valiente, Pagan Federation, Pantheon Blog: Wicca Series, Title Goes Here:, Misanthrope Press, Proud Pagan Podcasters, Music: George Wood, Juliana Hatfield, Lindie Lila, Alexandre Falcao, Linda Holzer, Persian Paladin, Promos: New World Witchery, The Scotchcast, Media Astra Ac Terra, Pagan FM!, The Wigglian Way, Pagan Centered Podcast Credits: PodsafeAudio, Podsafe Music Network, Show Script (pdf)