BS-Free Witchcraft

So we covered some of this back in the “Respect” episode, but I really just wanted to take some time and explore how we talk to each other in witchcraft spaces. And, uh, I might be part of the problem here from time to time.

Read Trae’s new Novel The Perfect Host – out August 10th!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

Bree NicGarran joins me this episode as we finally get around to talking about the 1998 film adaptation of Practical Magic. For some people the ’90s movie that got them pulled into witchcraft was The Craft, while for others (like Bree) it was this one! We figured with the sequel coming out soon, we really needed to get around to talking about this one.

So we did! For two hours! You could have watched the whole movie on your own in that time!

Read Trae’s new Novel The Perfect Host – out August 10th!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

It’s July which means it’s time for the annual feedback/Q&A episode of the show! In this episode I sit down and answer questions that you, the audience, has been sending me over the last few months. It’s the same dance we do every summer, but maybe a surprise guest will show up and help me answer one of these.

Trae is going to be at Big Minneapolis Anime Aug 8-9 2026 in Minneapolis, MN.

Pre-order Trae’s new Novel The Perfect Host – out August 10th!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

Look, there are two things I wanted to talk about this month, but didn’t have enough time to fully prepare an episode on either. So, instead, I’m just going to talk about my current thoughts on both of these (unrelated) topics. First off we have the US Military no longer recognizing about 180 different religions, and then after that I’m talking about my thoughts on Chaos vs Eclecticism.

Like I said, unrelated topics.

The annual Q&A/Feedback episode is coming up! I need your questions — send them via my contact form by July 10th 2026 if you want me to read your question on the show!

Pre-order Trae’s new Novel The Perfect Host – out August 10th!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

Well, it must be May, because I’m doing another book review! This time around I’m reviewing Thumper Forge’s “The Chaos Apple” (ISBN 9780738775432) which came out last fall. It is, unsurprisingly, a book on Chaos Magic – a topic it turns out I knew more about than I realized. And while overall I liked this book a lot, it does have one glaring issue for me… but only because I’m a pedantic nerd.

The annual Q&A/Feedback episode is coming up! I need your questions — send them via my contact form by July 10th 2026 if you want me to read your question on the show!

Find “The Chaos Apple” Online:

Pre-order Trae’s new Novel The Perfect Host – out August 10th!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

One of the biggest challenges in building a real community in the modern witchcraft movement is, honestly, the lack of respect a lot of folks show each other. From asserting that unverified personal gnosis is fact to spreading misinformation, it’s a huge issue. Well, we need to fix that.

Pre-Order Welcome to Peregrine Lake: Peregrine Lake Chapter One

Read Trae’s new Novel Buried Memories!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

One of the topics I’ve wanted to cover on this show for the longest time is gatekeeping in witchcraft spaces. It was on my original list of topics when I started the show, and it just kept getting knocked down the list. My opinion has evolved a lot over the years though, and the take I have now is in many ways completely different than what it would have been if I’d made this episode when the show first started.

And hopefully it’s a journey you’re willing to take with me.

Pre-Order Welcome to Peregrine Lake: Peregrine Lake Chapter One

Read Trae’s new Novel Buried Memories!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

A long time ago I made a joke post on Tumblr called “Beginner Witch Tips” where I included the advice to curse your enemies. I later recreated that list on TikTok too. But just like how the item “Fight a God” went from tongue in cheek to genuine advice, this one was always partially serious too. So this month, I’m going to explain why I think you should just start dishing out the curses to everyone who deserves it.

Remember, cursing is self care.

Pre-Order Welcome to Peregrine Lake: Peregrine Lake Chapter One

Read Trae’s new Novel Buried Memories!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

There’s an annoying thing in the witchcraft community where every new idea or trend gets cast as an “ancient” practice even if it’s just a few years old. Time and time again, we see people constructing false narratives about the supposed historicity of ideas, spells, and rituals in witchcraft spaces, and all of it is bad for us. Why do people feel the need to lie? Why does something being a new idea make it less credible in people’s eyes? Why have we been doing this as a community from the start?

So I thought about calling this “Older Doesn’t Mean Better Part 2” or “Older Doesn’t Mean Better Redux” since this is some of the same territory we covered back in episode 17, but I think I’ve gotten more surly on the topic over the last six years, and wanted to talk about it again. Also, I kind of forgot I’d recorded an episode on this when I was prepping the episode, but I like this version better.

Read Trae’s new Novel Buried Memories!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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

I’m getting a bit contemplative at the end of the year, and this month we’re talking about the importance of the mystery of the night. Everything feels just a little more magical in the dark, and why that just feels right as a witch. That’s right, we’re talking about an aesthetic this time around. Who would have guessed?

Read Trae’s new Novel Buried Memories!

Also check out the rest of Trae’s Books and visit Trae’s website.

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

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