Janaka Stucky is a mystic poet, performer, and publisher who incorporates occult practice and imagery into his work. Led Zeppelin’s legendary guitarist Jimmy Page has said, “Janaka Stucky is extraordinary, and his work riveting,” and when Jack White launched a new publishing imprint in 2015 called Third Man Books, they chose Janaka’s full-length poetry collection, The Truth Is We Are Perfect, as their inaugural title. This month, Janaka has a new book coming out with Third Man called Ascend Ascend, which is a full-length ecstatic poem about interfacing with the divine. Janaka is also the founding editor of Black Ocean and the annual poetry journal, Handsome. 

On this episode, Janaka discusses the links between language and magic, his mystical methods of writing and reciting poetry, and ways to translate transcendent experiences into words.

Pam also celebrates National Poetry Month by talking about poetry as spellcraft, and answers a listener question about how to stay away from spiritual toxicity and keep on a positive witchy path.

Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle and Hag Swag.

#31 - Janaka Stucky, Occult Poet

The Witch Wave is a podcast for bewitching conversation about magic, creativity, and culture. On each episode, host Pam Grossman speaks with a leading visionary about art and Craft.

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Jodi Wille is a director and producer of the critically acclaimed documentary The Source Family and her brand new feature documentary Welcome Space Brothers which is about The Unarius Academy of Science. Her work explores people whose extraordinary true stories and creations leave us with new ways of seeing, and she has a special interest in so-called outside artists, alternative spiritual seekers, and radical intentional communities.
Jodi has a background in commercial, editorial, and rock band photography, as well as music video direction, working with artists like REM, Sparks, and Vincent Gallo. She also cofounded the book publishing companies Dilettante Press (1998), Process Media (2004), and Otherworld (2022), to explore otherworldly and countercultural realms, and she has editing several award-winning books, most recently co-authoring the illustrated book Family: The Source Family Scrapbook (2022, Otherworld with Sacred Bones). 
Jodi has curated art exhibitions for The American Visionary Art Museum, Deitch Projects and others, and she’s curated numerous film festivals and cultural programs at institutions across the globe.
On this episode, Jodi discusses the radical visionaries behind the Unarius Academy of Science, the development of new religions, and how filmmaking has helped her explore mind-expanding ideas and experiences.
Pam also talks about the difference between cults and positive alternative spiritual groups, and answers a listener question about a group ritual happening during the solar eclipse.
Our sponsors for this episode are Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, Snowy Owl Tea, and Sphere + Sundry
We also have brand new print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here.
And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

#127 - Jodi Wille, Director of "Welcome Space Brothers" and "The Source Family"

Penny Slinger is a Los Angeles–based artist whose work investigates the feminine, the magical and the erotic. In the late 1960s, her encounters with the work of Max Ernst initiated an enduring involvement with both the Surrealist movement and the medium of collage. Her groundbreaking publications such as 50% The Visible Woman (1971) and An Exorcism: A Photo Romance (1977) explore the image of woman through a series of often provocative photomontage self-portraits, and a new expanded edition of An Exorcism will be published by Fulgur Press later this year. Her studies of various divine feminine practices including Tantra led her to co-create The Secret Dakini Oracle deck in the 1970s, and the deck is still in print now under the name The Tantric Dakini Oracle Deck, and she has continued to work with dakini imagery over decades. 

Penny’s work is in many international museum collections, including Tate Britain, and was included in the Tate’s recent exhibition “Women in Revolt!” Other notable exhibitions showcasing Penny’s work include “The Dark Monarch” at Tate Gallery St Ives, “Angels of Anarchy” at Manchester Art Museum, and countless solo shows around the world. She also recently collaborated with House of Dior, and, as you’ll hear, has many more projects in the works.

On this episode, Penny Slinger discusses her self-celebrating surrealist art practice, her lifelong devotion to the divine feminine, and how she’s celebrating aging in her work and in her life.

Pam also talks about older witch archetypes, and answers a listener question about embracing the magic of middle age.

Our sponsors for this episode are Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Sphere + Sundry, BetterHelp, and Woodland Magic

We also have brand new print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here.

And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

#126 - Penny Slinger, Surrealist Sorceress

Robin Ha is an award-winning author and illustrator of several graphic novels including the best-selling comic recipe book Cook Korean!: A Comic Book With Recipes and the illustrated memoir Almost American Girl which is about her move from South Korea to America when she was 14. Robin’s new graphic novel, The Fox Maidens is her first foray into fiction, and is based on the Korean folklore of her ancestors. 

Robin’s comics and illustrations have appeared in various publications, such as the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, as well as in anthologies highlighting Asian American culture, including Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now, New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei, and Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology. She is also a highly gifted fine artist, and she has a Seven Ladies of Tarot coloring book that you can download from her site.

On this episode Robin discusses fox maiden mythology, Korean folk magic, and the intergenerational shapeshifting power of women. 

Pam also talks about fox magic, and answers a listener question about a Witch Wave book club.

Our sponsors for this episode are Unquiet Arcadian, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, The Love Witch, BetterHelp, Woodland Magic, and Sphere + Sundry

We also have brand new print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here.

And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

#125 - Robin Ha, "The Fox Maidens" Graphic Novelist

Soull & Dynasty Ogun are identical twins who together are the forces behind their design and thought incubator, L’Enchanteur, which they founded in 2017. L'Enchanteur is a multifaceted design house, creating unique and ethereal fine jewelry, accessories, and garments which draw from esoterica and alchemical symbolism, the mystical practices of their Nigerian and Dominican ancestors, and their own inventive style and magical intentions. 

Both Soull and Dynasty are autodidactic artisans in their respective fields with Soull focusing within the metal work, jewelry realm, and Dynasty focusing within the realm of textiles, fibers, accessories, and garments. Together, they create adornment with seeks bring empowerment, inspiration, and healing to the world via their shared vision of spiritual transformation through craft. Their pieces have been worn by such powerhouses as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Michelle Obama, and many, many others at events, in editorial spreads, and in music videos including Beyoncé’s film Black is King. 

The Ogun twins also been embraced by the fine art world with their work being shown in galleries and other art spaces beyond the fashion industry. They’ve gone on to win countless fans, critical acclaim, and awards, including The Fashion Trust US Jewelry Design Award of 2023.

On this episode, Dynasty and Soull discuss the alchemical power of adornment, the magic of twins, and the ancestral influences on their enchanting line.

Pam also talks about spellbinding jewelry, and answers a listener question about ambidextrous divination.

Our sponsors for this episode are The Ritual Tarot, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, The Love Witch and Sphere + Sundry

We also have brand new print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here.

And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

#124 - L'Enchanteur's Dynasty and Soull Ogun, Adornment Transformers

Dr. Amy Hale is an Atlanta-based writer, curator, critic, ethnographer, and folklorist, who focuses on esoteric history, magic, art, culture, women, and Cornwall. 
She has written widely on the surrealist and occultist Ithell Colquhoun, and in 2009 she received a grant from the Paul Mellon Foundation for her research. Her biography of Colquhoun, Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of the Fern Loved Gully (2020) is widely praised, and is just one of many ways that Amy has helped amplify Ithell’s impact on art and magic. Her newest book, Sex Magic: Diagrams of Love, Ithell Colquhoun is out this week from Tate Publishing, and A Walking Flame: Selected Magical Essays of Ithell Colquhoun is coming out from Strange Attractor later this year.
Amy is also the editor of numerous other collections including the groundbreaking Essays on Women in Western Esotericism: Beyond Seeresses and Sea Priestesses. And she has contributed essays for Tate, Burlington Contemporary, The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, and many more. 
And if that wasn’t enough, Amy is currently a curator and host for the internationally beloved London-based Viktor Wynd’s Last Tuesday Society lecture series. She has been featured on BBC Radio Cornwall and the BBC World Service, and is a regular guest on a variety of podcasts, lecture series, and conferences including the Occult Humanities Conference at NYU. 
On this episode, Amy discusses the visionary art and sex magic of Ithell Colquhoun, the power of alternative depictions of divine union, and the energetic connections between color, body, and the land.
Pam also talks about radical reimaginings of the lovers archetype, and answers a listener question about keeping a long-term love flame lit.
Our sponsors for this episode are Ritual+Shelter, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, The Love Witch, BetterHelp, Woodland Magic, and Sphere + Sundry
We also have brand new print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here.
And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

#31 - Janaka Stucky, Occult Poet

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