Building Your Living Ancestral Practice with Ben Stimpson

In this episode of Gifts of the Wyrd, we hear from author Ben Stimpson about his book Ancestral Whispers, published by Llewellyn Books. We explore what it means to build a living ancestral veneration practice—from understaning who our ancestors are, to creating space, crafting offerings, communication, and redefining our releationships with them.

Ben shares insights from the book, personal experiences, and practical approaches for those who want to deepen their relationship with their ancestors. Whether you are new to ancestor work or have done it for a while, this book offers good information for developing or adapting meaningful ancestor work that is right for you - and them. 

Connect with Ben through his website: BenStimpson.com

Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices is available at your local bookstore (ask to order if not in stock), the Llewellyn website, or your preferred online retailer.

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Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmas Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle 

This product was sent to me by the publisher. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Music. Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro: JPOP.  

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

Some stories just never let go — they linger like whispers in the wind or shadows cast by campfires.

This episode, I’m joined by Jeff Belanger to talk about his newest book, Wicked Strange, (with photography by Frank Grace). Wicked Strange shares the ghostly lore and mysterious legends that are part of New England’s history — tales of haunted hotels, mysterious cemeteries, and the places where folklore and fact blur together.

Whether you love an eerie ghost story, a touch of folklore, or just want a beautifully photographed book to get lost in, Wicked Strange has it all.

Join us as we dig into why strange tales endure — and what they reveal about the people who tell them.

Jeff Belanger is an author, podcaster, storyteller, adventurer, and explorer of the unexplained.

You may remember chatting with Jeff back in episode 86 about Krampus and other Yuletide beings of Christmas time with his book The Fright Before Christmas. 

You can also watch the New England Legends PBS series on PBS rebroadcasts or Amazon Prime. The New England Legends podcast is available on podcast apps and Spotify. 

Have a look at Jeff's website for the Haunted New England Calendar, appearance schedule, and more at: Jeff Belanger.com

 Wicked Strange is published by Weiser Books and available from their website, local bookstores, and online book sellers. 

See my write up about the book on Substack and please subscribe for future notifications.

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Subscribe to Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmas Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle 

This product was sent to me by the publisher. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Music. Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Intro: Dancing Skeletons. Outro: Ghost Stories.  

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

Joey Morris, author of Celtic Hedge Witchery—A Modern Approach, offers insight and inspiration for anyone seeking to deepen their practice of Celtic spirituality in modern times.

We explore hedge witchcraft as a path of connection with the land, spirits, and Celtic deities, including the Morrigan, trees and plant allies, and the ancient wisdom of the Three Cauldrons.

There is so much more than we can discuss in such a short time, so be sure to pick up her book to expand on topics brought up, meditations, spells, rituals, and more. 

She has also designed the Celtic Goddess Calling Planner to introduce you to 12 Celtic Goddesses as well as rituals, invocations, and spells. The planner and more about Joey’s work, contact info, and socials, are available on her website, Starry Eyed Supplies.

Celtic Hedge Witchery—A Modern Approach is published by Weiser Books and available through their website, Joey’s website, local bookstores, and online booksellers.

See my write up about the book on Substack and please subscribe for future notifications.

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Subscribe to Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmas Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle 

This product was sent to me by the publisher. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Music. Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro: JPOP.  

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

A great topic this episode discussing milestones for Queer folks and how we can celebrate and recognize them in our pagan practices. 

Enfys Book takes time to speak about their book developed from their own personal journey and the experiences of others for creating ritual for important life experiences for those in the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Whether just starting on your journey or you have gone through many of these milestones already, this book will help to recognize and claim those important occasions in our lives in meaningful and powerful ways. 

Discover rituals for identity, names, pronouns, drag persona, experiencing transition, building relationships and chosen family, and so much more. 

The book is dedictated "to everyone who is trying to be their most authentic, fabulous self." 

Enfys Book (they/them) is an author, priestx, blogger, teacher, performer, singer, songwriter, and comedian. They have taught many classes on tarot, Hermetic Qabala, magickal rites of passage, and queering one’s magical practice at conferences and events around the world. Their other books include Queer Qabala, and co-author (with Ivo Dominguez, Jr.) of Sagittarius Witch.

Find them on their website Major Arqueerna, Mastadon, and YouTube.

Queer Rites is available from Llewllyn Books, at your local bookstore, or e-commerce site. 

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Follow me on Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmast Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle 

This product was sent to me by the publisher. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Music. Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro and Stinger: JPOP.  

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

Varla Ventura, author of Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore & Magic, joins me this episode to talk about .... yes, plants.  

Varla is the author of several books about the enchanted realms.  She is a long time lover of plants and their magical connection between the physical realm and that of the beyond.  

I can't write this any better, so borrowing it directly from Weiser's write up for her to interest you in her book: 

"From fairy tales to your garden, Enchanted Plants is an illustrated treasure trove of the lore and magic in the kingdom of plants. Take a walk through mystical, magical, and folkloric gardens and discover the plants and flowers that have captured our hearts and minds for centuries. From the baneful bog to the garden gate, plant lover and lover of the bizarre Varla Ventura brings together forgotten lore of plants for the ultimate romp through a botanical wonderland, including excerpts from fairy tales and a lively discussion of each plant’s legendary magical and medicinal properties."

And I agree. This is a stunning book with beautiful illustrations and wonderful descriptions of plants and folklore to accompany them that Varla has carefully researched and worked with specifically for this book. 

Have a listen to the episode and pick up the book to visit the enchanted gardens and find a plant for you.

Varla's website is here: https://www.varlaventura.net/

on Instagram at: @varlaventura

Order the book from your local book resource, Weiser Publications, an online bookseller, or borrow from your library.  

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Follow me on Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmast Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle 

This product was sent to me by Weiser Books. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Music. Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro and Stinger: JPOP.  

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

Have you felt the call of the Great Queen but thought She was unapproachable, dark, or focused on war/warrior?The Call of the Morigan Oracle Deck may be able to help you decipher those messages and find your place in working with the Morrigan.

Joining me to talk about the creative process of the deck are authors Stphanie Woodfield and Karen Storminger and artist Naomi Cornock. 

The Morrigan is more than the Celtic goddess of war, she inspires and impacts her followers to their power and fullness of life. 

Complete with folklore, spells, rituals, and prose, the deck and guidebook are more than a tool for divination, they are a magical tool of transformation and connection to the land on which you live, the inner being, and the spirit realms. 

Stephanie, Karen, and Naomi are all priestesses of the Morrigan who worked closely together with meditation and devotional work to bring this project into being. 

They share their work with the Morrigan, how they came together, and how the Morrigan spoke to each of them to keep them connected throughout the process. 

The deck is available from Llewellyn Publishing, local bookstores, and online sellers.

For review about the deck, see my post on Substack and follow.  

 Stephanie Woodfield (Orlando, FL) is a devotional polytheist, teacher, and Priestess of the Morrigan. She is also a founding member of Morrigu’s Daughters. StephanieWoodfield.com

Karen Storminger (Shelton, CT) has been a practicing polytheist Pagan who works with the Morrigan, Hecate, Brigid, and the Cailleach. She is also the coauthor of Prayers to the Morrigan. TheCrowAndTheDragonfly.wordpress.com

Naomi Cornock (West Country England) is a Pagan artist whose work is an extension of her animist beliefs, reflecting her connection to nature and her ancestors. NomeArt.com

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Follow me on Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmast Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle 

This product was sent to me by Llewellyn Publishing. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Music. Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro and Stinger: JPOP.  

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

Do you take things apart to see how they work? Do you wonder what the symbols on a tarot deck mean? The Tarot Disassembled deck and book by Jennifer Cooper Steidley, helps you do both!

And she joins me to talk about the deck and how the idea to deconstruct the images of tarot to go behind the scenes of what we usually see on a card for deeper meanings and inspiration. 

Whether starting your journey on tarot or a seasoned reader, this deck has something for everyone. "It's such a multi-layerd system, that there is so many different ways and depths you can get into to read. And this is one little offshoot."

The book and deck are sold separately and available from Weiser Books website, your local book shop, or online book seller. The indie version is still available on her website/ Etsy shop.

Jennifer Cooper Steidley is a graphic designer by day and a tarot deck collector, creator, and enthusiast at all other times. Also available from Jennifer are the Tarot Assembled and Symdala Tarot. See her website for more about her and to order. Instagram @jennifercoopersteidley

Jennifer will teaching about using symbols in tarot as part of the Tarot Summer School 2025 on July 21 presented by the Tarot Readers Academy. 

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Follow me on Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmast Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle 

This product was sent to me by Weiser Books. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Please leave feedback on Apple and other podcast providers. This helps the podcast to be found easier.

Music.  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro: Feeling the Best. and Stinger: Happy Feet.  Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

In this episode, I’m joined by Davezilla, graphic artist and author of Magical AI Grimoire, to talk about working with current technology for our sacred work. As technology rapidly advances, it opens up a lot of questions on how it can be legitimately implemented in our practice and daily lives, should we implement (or how much), and what are some of the results?

In this book, Davezilla presents ways to use AI technology for ritual work in similar ways of using other programs like search engines, social media platforms, computer assisted art and writing, etc.  He explains how to craft questions to prompt results (promptcrafting) to spark your own creativity and spiritual practice for today’s tech-witches/tech-pagans.

There are spells and rituals for a variety of topics crafted for different traditions that can be readily used, adapted, or used to inspire your own promptcrafting experience. 

The book is available from Red Wheel/Weiser directly, your local bookshop, or online bookseller.

Find more about Davezilla’s works and links at www.hexsupport.club and follow him on Social Media: Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads at @davezillamedia

Check out Davezilla’s tarot deck: Tarot of the Unexplained (also from Weiser Books)

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Follow my channels on Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmast Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle

This product was sent to me by Weiser Books. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Please leave feedback on Apple and other podcast providers. This helps the podcast to be found easier.

Music.  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro: Feeling the Best. and Stinger: 8-bit Surf.  Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Please do not add this audio content to the YouTube Content ID System. I have used background music which is owned by FesliyanStudios.

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

Christian Brunner joins me to talk about his book Alpine Witchery. Christian has researched the accounts of hundreds of witch trials which took place in his native Austrian Alps. 

The accounts record the spells men and women were accused of conducting which he has carefully categorized with their elements and ingredients. 

This is not a grimoire per se, but does allow for those intersted to see how these folk traditions might be adapted and used today. 

Christian shares his connection to the material as well as his process for translating these for this project. 

Alpine Witchery is available at Llewellyn, from your local bookshop (ask them to order if not in stock), or online seller.  

You can find Christian on Facebook, Instagram, and at his website Christianbrunner.com. 

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Follow my channels on Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/

Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmast Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle

This product was sent to me by Llewellyn Publishing. I have not been compensated for this interview or review, and my opinions are my own. 

Please leave feedback on Apple and other podcast providers. This helps the podcast to be found easier.

Music.  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro: Feeling the Best. and Stinger: The Way Things Used to Work.  Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Please do not add this audio content to the YouTube Content ID System. I have used background music which is owned by FesliyanStudios.

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.

Are you a fan of Mid-Century Modern, Atomic Style design, cats, and tarot?  Then this is the deck for you!

I discovered this deck last year and picked up an early copy as a Yule gift for my husband.  Now Atomic Cat Tarot creator Wendy Miller has launched it on Kickstarter to be able to publish more decks and have it available in the tarot world. 

Wendy joins me on this episode to talk about the deck, the process leading into it, the art, and more.  It is a fun conversation with someone who loves cats, tarot, and Atomic style. 

Get your Jetsons fix for your readings and fun art. What is your favorite card and cat?

The Atomic Cat Tarot is now live on Kickstarter through mid-June 2025.  It's fully backed and delivery is expected in early autumn (in time for Christmas/Yule - so get a copy for a friend). You can see all the cards on the Kickstarter page. 

Wendy will also be supporting a couple of cat charities with proceeds from the project. 

Find Wendy on Instagram and Facebook: @cardtobelieve and see more of her decks and projects on her website: Card to Believe. 

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Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Follow my channels on Substack: https://giftsofthewyrd.substack.com/ , Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 , Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd

Email: [email protected]

Order The Christmast Oracle Deck created by me and artist Vinnora at https://feniksshop.etsy.com follow FB/IG: @thechristmasoracle

Please leave feedback on Apple and other podcast providers. This helps the podcast to be found easier.

Music.  Intro: Land of 8 Bits. Outro and Stinger: Lounge Bossa.  Royalty free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com  Please do not add this audio content to the YouTube Content ID System. I have used background music which is owned by FesliyanStudios.

Gifts of the Wyrd Logo Created by Xan Folmer. 

Logo based on the Vanic boar created by Vanatru Priestess Ember of the Vanic Conspiracy.

Studio recordings using Zencastr and Audacity.