Stirring the Cauldron

Gaia Consort was a seminal Pagan band started in 1997 by Christopher Bingham and Sue Tinney. They recorded 4 cds and were critically acclaimed as the Pagan band of the century, if not the millennium. Over time, they evolved into Bone Poets Orchestra and they’re still going strong. Come and listen to some great conversation with Christopher and a lot of good music, including an impromptu live performance.

While he’s most famous for being Cousin Itt on the original Addams Family tv show, you’ve seen Felix in many roles, He was Twiki in the TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, an Ewok in Return of the Jedi and Emperor Penguin in Batman Returns. He's also appeared on shows like The Monkees, Matt Houston, Bonanza, Dukes of Hazzard, and Sonny and Cher and in movies like Planet of the Apes, Poltergeist, Planet of the Apes and E.T. He's even worked with Moses! So come and listen to the stories about working with many of the top names in Hollywood, what it was like to work on The Addams Family, Buck Rogers and why Steven Spielberg insisted that Felix stay out of the water after a near tragedy while filming a scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

We tried something different this week for Barry and Connie's channeling session. We let the audience choose who they wanted Barry and Connie to try and channel. It’s something we haven’t really done before because normally we have a topic or particular spirit in mind, but this time we tried to bring in spirits that the listeners wanted to hear from. Some of their choices included James Dean, Joan of Arc, Freddy Mercury, Padre Pio, Robin Williams, Bruce Lee, JFK, Groucho Marx, Padre Pio. and several others. Tune in and see who came through and what they had to say on this special 2-Hour edition of Stirring The Cauldron.

Exploring the history and creation of a witch’s familiar, also known as a spirit double or guardian spirit, Maja D’Aoust shows how there is much more to these supernatural servant spirits and guardians than meets the eye. She reveals how witches are not the only ones to lay claim to this magician’s “assistant” and examines how the many forms of witch’s familiars are well known in folklore throughout Europe and America as well as in shamanic and magical traditions around the world, including Africa, India, and China. Maja explains how familiars are connected with shapeshifting and how the classic familiars of medieval witchcraft tradition are related to the power animals and allies of shamanic practices worldwide, including animal guardian spirits of Native American traditions and the daimons of the ancient Greeks and Romans. If you think you know everything there is about familiars, think again!

This week we go back all the way back to 2013 to talk to Ghost Hunter and Parascientist, Steve Parsons to talk about Ghosts and, what else? Parascience. We covered lots of various topics from the first written documentation of a ghost investigation in first century in Athens, to the first ever investigation ever recorded and broadcasted live on BBC radio in 1936 by Harry Price all the way up to current times, but it seems nothing much has changed, except for the high tech tools and equipment that are currently used today. Other than that, we still have a strong curiosity about the what goes on on "the other side" Steve say, It's innate human curiosity that we need to understand our world and we need to understand the human experience. Ghosts apparitions and haunting all fall under that category of the human experience and we have a desire to explore it and understand it." We cover lots of ground in this short hour that quickly flew by.

Each of us has a shadow that darkens our inner and outer lives. In Tarot for Troubled Times, Shaheen Miro and Theresa Reed show us how working with the shadow—facing it directly, leaning into it rather than away—releases power that can free ourselves from negative mental habits and destructive emotions to find healing ourselves and others. Tarot, as the authors show, offers a rich and subtle path for this profound transformation. This is not just another book on how to read the tarot. The authors provide specialty readings and suggested practices for issues such as grief, addiction, depression, fear, anger, divorce, illness, abuse, and oppression, and provide practical suggestions for stepping up as an ally or leader so that you can shape social policies. With a selection of mindful, introspective tarot spreads, you’ll learn how the Tarot can help you rewrite your healing story, change your life, and help transform the world.

If you ever wondered how shows like The Biography Channel's My Ghost Story get on the air, where they get their stories, how they find the people who tell their stories, want to know about the process of putting it all together, you're going to like listening to Mark Phillips' inside information and behind-the-scenes look into the making of one of the most successful paranormal shows on TV. The show began in the summer of 2010 and produced 75 episodes over 6 seasons. If you yourself didn't appear on the show, you probably know someone who was. As of 2019, My Ghost Story is currently airing reruns on FYI and on Travel Channel. Each show began with a disclaimer and parental advisory which said, "What you are about to see are haunted events encountered by real people. Some may find it disturbing."

People seem to believe people that only mediums can talk to spirit, but Intuitive Medium Lisa J. Smith says that we all talk to spirits every day whether we realize it or not and she believes that talking to those on the other side is meant for everyone, not just mediums. Lisa has put together an online course that covers all bases in working with spirit. Connecting with spirit is not to prove anything--it's to give us the ability to understand that we're so much more than we know. It also helps and comforts us to realize that nothing ever dies--and everything and everyone is connected. Learning to communicate with spirit requires us to learn to communicate in a different way, which not only helps us connect with the other side, but it also helps us connect with people who are living. We talked about how people feel spirits, what spirits are, and also talked about belief, trust, and finding a deeper understanding for not just your life, but for all of life. That's just the tip of the iceberg. A truly interesting and enlightening show.

We all hear about government cover-ups of all different kinds, but Nick has written a book on the most unusual cover-ups you can imagine. Monster Files gives readers a look Inside Government Secrets and Classified Documents on Bizarre Creatures and Extraordinary Animals. For decades there have been persistent rumors, tales, and legends that government agencies all around the world have been secretly collecting and studying data on bizarre beasts, amazing animals, and strange creatures. Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, sea serpents, psychic pets, the chupacabras, and the abominable snowman have all attracted official, classified interest. You'll discover all the amazing cryptozoological truths, conspiracies, and cover-ups behind the secret studies by the Pentagon, the Kremlin, and the British military, among many others. Lots of good stuff here, so tune in!

This week, we're exploring the world of the Wizard with Master Wizard Professor Nicholas Kingsley, Dean of Students at The Grey School of Wizardry -- a true Wizard in both word and deed. His days are filled with teaching at the Grey School as a Professor in the department of Wizardry, serving faithfully as Assistant to the Headmaster Oberon Zell, founding magickal orders and undertaking other such projects as need be or as whim demands. So what exactly is a Wizard? Are witches and wizards all the same? What role does the wizard fill, and what are The Three Rules of Wizardry? Listen in and find the answers. You might be very surprised!