Sometimes in this community folks have a habit of making things about them that… aren’t. So that’s what we’re addressing this time around. Because there are times where we need to step back and get some perspective.

Links:

• Bennett Braun, Psychiatrist Who Fueled Satanic Panic, Dies at 83 (NYT)
• Pastor Greg Locke Threatens to Dox ‘Witches’ (Independent.co.uk)
• Purchase ‘The Witch and the Rose’ in eBook or Paperback (Amazon)
• Pre-Order ‘Bloody Damn Rite’ in eBook (Amazon)

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord or our forums!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

One of the most frustrating conversations we keep having to have in the modern witchcraft movement is about cultural appropriation. And while we’ve repeatedly touched on this before, I’ve never focused an episode purely on the topic. So let’s do that. Let’s talk about exactly what it is and why it’s such a problem.

Trae’s new novel, “The Witch and the Rose,” is available to purchase right now on Amazon, or you can order it through your favorite bookseller with the ISBN 9798869132666.

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord or our forums!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

A question that is significantly harder to answer than most people think is “What is Witchcraft?” This month I’m going to try to answer that, and if I fail you’ll be at least as confused as I am by the end. And hey, isn’t nice to do something together from time to time?

Trae’s new novel, “The Witch and the Rose,” is available to purchase right now on Amazon, or you can order it through your favorite bookseller with the ISBN 9798869132666.

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord or our forums!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

Combating misinformation has always been one of the primary missions of this show, and honestly? It just gets exhausting sometimes. Why are people in this community so willing to uncritically pass on bad information? Why can’t people be bothered to do the minimum to verify what they’re saying’s correct?

It’s incredibly frustrating.

Trae’s new novel, “The Witch and the Rose,” is available to purchase right now on Amazon

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord or our forums!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

Last month Hex Positive‘s Bree NicGarran joined Trae to take a look at the classic witch-centric movie Hocus Pocus (1993). This month, Bree’s back to help review the 2022 sequel to that movie — Hocus Pocus 2.

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord or our Forums!)

Music: “The Man With One Eye” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

It’s time to dig back into the VHS tapes that you’ve shoved in a box in your basement (or just open Disney Plus), and talk about the classic witch-centric movie Hocus Pocus (1993). Hex Positive‘s Bree NicGarran joins Trae this month for an indepth look at this Halloween movie… in November.

But c’mon, we all know it’s Halloween year round in these parts.

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord or our Forums!)

Music: “The Man With One Eye” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

For the first time in five years, we’re breaking the “Trae talks to someone about ghosts for an hour in October” pattern. Instead we’re using this month and the witchcraft movement’s obsession with Halloween to ask “why are we doing any of this stuff?”

It should make sense in the end.

I hope.

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

One of the most common descriptions of “witchcraft” you’ll find out there will say that it’s a “nature based” practice. That’s also reinforced in so many witchcraft books over the last century, as well as in the current social media witchcraft circles. This episode is here to ask the question so many folks seem to be ignoring.

Is it really?

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

Variations of the phrase “There’s No Wrong Way to Witch” get tossed around our community, and I think it’s about time we discuss why we say actually say that. But beyond that, there are folks who try to twist the phrase to make it mean things it doesn’t — and we need to talk about how being valid as a witch doesn’t mean you’re not being a complete jerk at the same time.

I use stronger language than “jerk” in the episode.

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitle Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)

It’s July! You know what that means — it’s time for our annual Q&A special! Where you the audience send in your questions for the show, so we don’t have to research anything for a month… or something. In this supersized episode, we talk about what you wanted to talk about, instead of this month’s random whim.

I did so little work this month, I even copied that description from last year!

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord!)

Music: “The Man With One Eye” (Trae Dorn)

This month we’re talking about a very important concept: doubt. There are times when we question our beliefs and our witchcraft, and why that’s a good thing. Blind faith never helped anyone, and can actively harm you.

Remember! Our Annual Q&A Episode is coming up in July! Make sure you submit your questions and comments here before July 10, 2023 to make sure we get them in time!

(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord!)

Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitle Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library) / “Spinning Monkeys” (Kevin MacLeod / incompetech.com – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)