Category: Magick
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Episode 278: Highgate Cemetery
Blurry Photober is late this year, but David is back with an episode all about Highgate Cemetery! An incredible feat of gothic greatness, Highgate Cemetery has an interesting history and hauntings to boot. David had the fortune to take a tour of the Grade I historic location, and also interviewed the tour guide, John Waite.…
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Ep 258: Nathan Isaac, The Penny Royal Podcast
Flora is joined by Nathan Isaac, host and writer of the Penny Royal Podcast for a fascinating discussion of oddities in Pulaski Co., Kentucky. Somerset, KY resident Nathan Isaac has been researching strange phenomena in and around Pulaski Co. on the Penny Royal Podcast for years. While some places might have some weird stories, Somerset…
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Ep 244: Unexpected Consequences of Hoodoo
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Dr. Jeffrey Anderson returns with a handful of stories on unexpected consequences of hoodoo! That old adage, “be careful what you wish for,” is in full effect in these real stories of unexpected consequences of hoodoo. Dr. Anderson tells several accounts of folk magic gone wrong. If you’re familiar with the W. W. Jacobs short…
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Ep 237: Time Life Mysteries of the Unknown
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Flora is joined by Ryan from Rumor Flies and Brent from Hysteria 51 to discuss the classic Time Life book series Mysteries of the Unknown. A 33-book set detailing all kinds of Forteana and weird topics, Time Life’s Mysteries of the Unknown introduced high strangeness to countless individuals around the world. The boys get together…
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Ep 234: Werewolves part 1
Blurry Photober continues as Flora cracks open the history book on werewolves! A classic horror monster, werewolves have been around different cultures for millennia, but maybe not quite the way you think. David explores the origins of this popular mythology, including tales from antiquity, global versions, and the beginning of their evolution to what we…
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Ep 231: John Dee part 2
The saga of John Dee continues in a massive second part of the episode. The second half of John Dee’s life was even wilder than his first, scrying with Edward Kelley and writing down the angelic language. Flora continues an incredibly deep dive into the polymath’s life, detailing his actions with Kelley, travels abroad, and…
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Ep 231: John Dee part 1
Flora is back with the beginning of a mega episode all about John Dee! Conjurer, magus, sorcerer, astrologer – these are but a few things the 16th century polymath John Dee was called. History knows him as a smart man who chose an occult path. He cast horoscopes. Talked with angels. Practiced alchemy. Continually searched…
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Ep 196: Haunted Dolls, Live
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Guest host Mark Soloff of Blastropodcast joins Flora to kick off Blurry Photober with a live show all about haunted dolls! Human figures that are said to be possessed or cursed, haunted dolls have a built-in creepiness that transcends the many stories about them. Flora and Soloff discuss what might make dolls haunted, the history…
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Ep 193: Jiangshi, Chinese Hopping Vampires
Grab your spare coins and red thread, Blurry Photos are jumping across the Pacific to look at Jiangshi, Chinese Hopping Vampires! A monster of Chinese folklore, Jiangshi, Chinese Hopping Vampires are curious, sometimes creepy sometimes whimsical undead creatures with interesting origins. Not much like their western counterparts, these vampires prefer to suck the qi, or…
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Ep 171: Runes
Untie the pouch of mysticism and new agery with Blurry Photos with an episode all about Runes! An ancient system of divination originating in Germania and Scandinavia, the casting of Runes is the practice of gaining insight through symbols of power. But where did it come from? Where does it derive its power? And how…
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Ep 163: Demonology
The sigils are etched and the circle is protecting as Dave and David summon an episode about demonology! The study of demons etc., demonology stretches as far back as recorded history, but how credible is it in practice and lore? The boys look at the etymology of demons, a few cultures and demons in their…
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Ep 160: Narco Saints
Dave and David grab the flowers and votives for a virtual trip to Mexico to look at Narco Saints. A relatively recent evolution of Catholicism in Mexico, Narco Saints are figures of the church and folklore venerated by the destitute and criminals. Figures such as Santa Muerte, Juan el Soldado, and San Ramon Nonato provide…
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Episode 138: The Salem Witch Trials
You stand accused of wanting to learn more about the Salem witch trials! A sad chapter of American history, the Salem witch trials were a time of paranoia, hysteria, requital, and religious fervor gone awry. Flora and Stecco discuss the cultural climate leading up to this period, including witch hunts and persecution in general. How…
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Episode 128: Ouija Boards with Expanded Perspectives
Break out those planchettes and gather ’round the table, the boys of Blurry Photos are joined by the boys of Expanded Perspectives Podcast to delve into the world of Ouija Boards! An infamous, easy-to-use oracle, Ouija Boards are supposed 2-way communication devices between the living and the dead, and the Davids welcome guests Cam and…
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Episode 124: Rainmaking
Grab your galoshes and pop the umbrella, Blurry Photos are opening the sky up in an episode all about rainmaking! A practice that spans millennia, cultures, and techniques, rainmaking has been an important part of cultural history throughout the ages. But what exactly is it? David and Dave shower you with facts, stories, music, and…
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Episode 70: Satanism
It’s time again to leave those preconceived notions behind, as Blurry Photos take a look at Satanism. Perhaps the most misunderstood religion of our time, Satanism actually has nothing to do with overwhelming evilness and the fight for your soul. It’s sometimes labeled more of a philosophy than a religion, and the concept of the…
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Episode 54: Wicca
Flora and Stecco seek the guidance of the goddess as they learn all about Wicca in this episode of the podcast. A relatively recent religion, Wicca has steadily gained in popularity for almost a hundred years and counting. Stereotyping, misinformation, ignorance, and fear has threatened the religion since its fractured founding, but Wiccans have prevailed…
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Episode 50: Tarot
What better way to celebrate the 50th episode of Blurry Photos than consulting one of the most well-known oracles around, the Tarot. Flora and Stecco tackle the history, mythology, and meaning of the infamous cards, and even do readings for each other (for science). Yet another piece of misunderstood and maligned mysticism, the Tarot has…
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Episode 19: Ley Lines
Ever taken a globe and traced straight lines from major city to major city? Some people have. And some people have concluded that it means something, and that something is Ley Lines. David and David take a hard line on just what exactly Ley Lines are, where they come from, and where they are. Blurry…
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Episode 17: Illuminati
Ever enjoyed anything from the entertainment/music industry? How about a $1 bill – ever held one? Do you watch/listen to any news source? Does your car use gas? Do you eat food? If yes, then you have been inundated by the symbolism and ideas of the Illuminati. A shadowy, conspiratorial group that is said to…
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Episode 8: Witches
It wouldn’t be ___tober without an episode about witches. David and David conjure up some interesting history and origins of the witch in this episode of Blurry Photos. How long have witches been around? Have they always been the disfigured old crone that stereotyping tells us they are? Is witchcraft still practiced today? Kick back,…
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Episode 1: Aleister Crowley
The Davids kick off the inaugural episode of Blurry Photos by talking about the life and times of The Beast himself, Aleister Crowley. Perhaps best known for his occultism and black magick practices, Crowley had many interests and was influential to many people and ideas today. At one point called “The Wickedest Man in the…