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Pen and paper… Weekly Recap 8/11/2025
There are so many physical sensations that are associated with writing. There’s the smell of ink, the feel of paper against the side of your hand, and the scratching noise that the tip of the pen makes when it writes. All of those things are incredibly distinct… quite unlike anything else… and if you change…
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Alchemy: The Philosopher’s Stone (Lapis Philosophorum) – Part 1
The Philosopher’s Stone, or Lapis Philosophorum, is a legendary alchemical substance that can transmute lead into gold, heal illness, and grant immortality… but it’s almost as mysterious as it is powerful. Has anyone ever really created it? Let’s find out.
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That changes depending on the year… Weekly Recap 8/4/2025
My idea of a “daily carry” has changed over the years. Let’s leave out the obvious answers here like “cell phone” and “wallet” or anything related to money. For some years of my life, it was important to always have a lighter in my pocket. Even after I quit smoking, I still carried a lighter…
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Bindrunes and Runewords – Elder Futhark Magick
The creation of a bindrune is an incredibly personal and powerful process in which multiple letters of a runic alphabet are combined into one symbol in order to suit a specific intention. Doing magick with the Elder Futhark runes is easier than you might think!
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Do you remember the way to the Great Valley? Weekly Recap 7/28/2028
I don’t think I’d personally bring any dinosaurs back. Haven’t you guys seen Jurassic Park? And while I currently can’t even say that I have a favorite dinosaur, I was pretty obsessed with Littlefoot from The Land Before Time when I was a kid. I probably watched that movie a hundred times — the cumulative…
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Kamden Cornell, Invasive Plants, and The Tameless Path – Ep. 8
Kamden Cornell is an apothecarist, wortcunner, and the author of the book The Tameless Path, which gives special attention to plants we might call “weeds.” In this interview, we discuss invasive plants, including their often-unseen value to us and the surrounding environment.
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I need silence… Weekly Recap 7/21/2025
If I’m doing something mechanical or physical, like packing items from our Etsy shop, I’ll sometimes have a fun podcast or my Spotify daylist playing in the background. More often than not, though, it’s an audiobook — I’ve listened and re-listened to tons of my favorite books this way. As time goes on, however, I…
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Well, if I had to choose… Weekly Recap 7/14/2025
It’s not really fair to make someone choose between animals, but if I must… then I will always pick cats over dogs. I joke with Selene that we are becoming more catlike as time goes on. I’ll frequently send her terrible selfies of me with our cats throughout the day as they jump up on…
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Jason Mankey and High Priest: Raymond Buckland – Ep. 7
Jason Mankey is a high priest, author, and my very first returning guest. In this episode, Jason tells me all about his latest book — a biography on Raymond Buckland called High Priest.
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Small comforts… Weekly Recap 7/7/2025
Okay, picture this: you’re about to stay in a hotel for a week. You need to bring just enough things to stay comfortable, but not too many so that you’re bogged down with luggage. Most of us have probably been in this type of situation, right? Let’s assume that the hotel is reasonably nice. It…
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The Inner Light and Butterfly Dreams: Star Trek’s Ties to the Beatles and Chinese Philosophy
There is a fine thread that runs through the topics of Star Trek, The Beatles, and Chinese philosophy. Don’t believe me? Well, I’m going to tell you all about it.
Aerik Arkadian 