Hello Seekers!

We are still going strong with our Wiccan Wars theme this month - Today it's Gerald Gardner V/S Robert Cochrane!

Gardner? He is all ceremony, degrees of intitiation and formality.

Cochrane? Witchcraft is part of nature. It's wild. It's in your blood...you either have it or you don't.

Both men were incredibly formative within modern day witchcraft/Wicca, both were also SUPER gate-keepy in their own particular ways and both argued different sides of the same coin (IMO).

Also, as an added bonus - we have our first ever Listener Story! If you want to check out the references photos while listening along, you can find them over at our Patreon site (Patreon.com/OccultureShockPodcast ) - The referece photos are accessible to Patreon members only (however, there is an option to register for free - you do not have to be a part of the Tier membership program).

Enjoy todays podcast episode and as always....

Thanks for getting weird with me!

Jessica

Hello Seekers!

The week on Occulture Shock - Wizard Wars I'm digging into the fracture between Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente: the founder who went public to protect witchcraft and the woman who helped to write it....

....only to then walk away when Gardner's mythology making started outweighing honesty and power plays were rife within the coven.

This is not an episode of blind hero worship. This is a sharp (but hopefully, fair) look at how modern witchcraft was shaped by real human beings with real human egos and why questions of validity still haunt the practice today.

I hope you enjoy todays episode and thanks for getting weird with me!

Jessica C.

Hello Seekers!

Welcome to a new year, a new podcast "season" and out new theme to start of uss: WIZARD WARS!

This month I'm focusing on the hurt egos, sullied reputation and downright bitch-fests between the big names within the occult scene - both past, present & future.

Consider today's episode a bit of an hors d'ouver. little teaser of sorts - A quick overview of some of the most famous fights amongst the self-proclaimed spiritually enlightened such as: Helena Blavatsky, The Fox Sisters, Aliester Crowley (naturally), and many, many more.

Nothin' like a healthy reminder that - while we should glean what we can from the occult knowledge and work that these folks did - you should never take anyone at full face value.

I hope you enjoy and thanks for getting weird with me!

Jessica

Hello Seekers!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and a Happy New Year's celebration and...speaking of that.....

Huzzah! Here is the latest episode of the OccultureShock Podcast for 2005! And what better way to close out the year than to talk about a prophet and his accurate predictions for an upcoming disaster in the new year (that "new year" being 1666...so, no worries for us).

As always, thank you for getting weird with me!

-Jessica

BE WARNED - This episode is VERY true crime heavy and thus, involves a lot of dark and distrubing material - CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Seekers!

We are in the "between times" right now - the Rauhnächt - where the veil is thinnest between the world and the dead & The Wild Hunt walk the Earth.

Which makes this the PERFECT time to discuss some infamous true crimes that occured on, and around, Christmas Day. Let's keep the tradition of telling scary stories during Christmas alive with this week's podcast episode!

Hello Seekers!

You've heard the Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but have you ever asked yourself...

Why? Why twelve days? And what was it about those days that make them such a big deal in the first place?

On today's podcast episode, we look into that VERY thing (and it's both super weird and kinda' MEH (all at the same time).

I break down what is:

• Historicaly documented
• Folklore
• Theory
• Why the number twelve keeps cropping up throughout the holidays even though no one can agree on why it does.

It's a fun one! Especially if you love chaotic folklore (and keeping your calander organized) ;)

Thanks for getting weird with me!

-Jessica

Hello Seekers!

It's a new month, so a new mini-season of topics!

Since it's December and the holidays are right around the corner, I'\m going to stick with "weird holiday histories and traditions."

First on our list comes straight out of the Alpine regions of Northern Europe - Krampus and Grýla.

In the mountains of Austria and the lava fields of Iceland, the gifts the winter spirits came with were horns, claws and a very clear message: behave....or else!

Hello Seekers!

Today we are pulling the curtain back on one of the holiday's most traditional and beloved drinks, Eggnog and its filthu cousin, the Tom & Jerry.

Rife with bacteria, potentially poisoned by disgruntled family members and the cause of one of the largest (and most hilarious) riots in U.S. military history, I present to you, the final installment of our mini-series, Nightcap Noire: The Hidden Crimes Behind Holiday Cocktails.

Be careful this holiday season (especially when it comes to imbibing) and thanks for getting weird with me,

-Jess