The Dragonstone Astrology Show

In this episode I sit down with my teacher, Christopher Warnock—traditional astrologer, Renaissance astrological magician, co-translator (with John Michael Greer) of the Latin Picatrix, and author of the new book Telismanica: Advanced Theory and Practice of Astrological Magic. What resulted was a wide-ranging conversation on the foundations and practice of traditional astrological magic. Warnock, widely (and rightly) regarded as the father of the modern traditional astrological magic revival, talks about the deliberate emphasis he places on worldview in both his teaching and in Telismanica. We contrast the systematic, internally coherent approach of medieval and Renaissance astrology and magic with the more free-form “bricolage” that dominates much contemporary practice, and he explains why he treats the traditional sources (including Agrippa and Picatrix) as material to be understood and applied rather than as inflexible rulebooks. The discussion covers the practical logic behind intensified celestial elections, the difference between house-based and celestial-factor talismans, and the problems that arise when techniques are taken out of context. We also examine models of how talismans and ritual might work—devotional engagement with spiritual beings, Alkindian theories of rays, and the limits of materialist explanations—and why he insists on testable, functional models rather than appeals to pure ineffability. Warnock reflects on his dual career as an attorney and magician (including the professional constraints that shaped his public biography), the realities of working professionally in the field, and the value of a craft-based, common-law style of reasoning applied to both law and astrology. The conversation closes with his recent intensive work with AI: how he conceptualizes large language models (including an analogy to a “famulus” of meaning fields), why he sees an esoteric or traditional worldview as better suited to working with them than a purely engineering one, and what responsible, high-level use looks like in practice. Throughout, the exchange stays focused on rigor, context, and the conditions under which traditional methods can actually be used and tested. Telismanica and Warnock’s other work, including his very highly recommended courses and talismans, are available via renaissanceastrology.com

Today on the podcast I sat down with the awesome Isaac Hill, plant man, Vedic and Western astrologer, co-host (with A.C. Hill) of the phenomenal Plant Cunning Podcast, and, importantly for the purposes of this episode, author of the amazing The Zodiac Garden Guide: A Handbook of Astrological Gardening. We talked plants, astrology, gardening, and gardening with plants using astrology. It was a lot of fun to record, and I hope you explore more of Isaac's work and services!

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A fantastic chat with my good friend Lance Baker and the awesome Greg Carlwood, on his phenomenal podcast The Higherside Chats! Check it out!

"In this episode, Greg Carlwood hosts Lance Baker and Matt Dragonstone to explore the mystical world of divination, pendulums, and the spiritual insights that can be magically unlocked. They share personal stories, historical context, and practical advice on engaging with spirits and the cosmos. They explore the mysteries of spirit contact, divination, and the power of energy healing.

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I sat down again with my good friend Reverend Erik Arneson of Arnemancy for what was meant to be a casual catch-up and somehow became a tour through Renaissance magic. We talked herons and hummingbirds, then his Agrippa series and the Arbatel—the short, virtue-centred Protestant grimoire he’s been working through with Evan. Olympic spirits, the required tutelary guide, personal names and sigils, elections, whether time is even real, and a riff we started calling antenna consciousness. After that it was conferences, why tarot communities feel more open than astrology ones, memory palaces for the cards, and a plan to swap courses. Always a pleasure having Erik on.

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This week, we turn to the Bhagavad Gita for hope and resilience amid two defining crises: the 2026 Iran War’s escalations (U.S.-Israeli strikes, retaliatory barrages, energy shocks, global realignment) and AI-driven disruption to white-collar jobs (mass layoffs at firms like Salesforce and KPMG, identity loss for professionals). Arjuna’s battlefield despondency mirrors our moral paralysis, geopolitical fear, and career upheaval. Krishna’s counsel—equanimity in crisis, detached duty (karma yoga), the eternal Atman beyond transient actions, and paths of jnana, bhakti, and integral yoga—offers a framework to transform suffering into clarity, purpose, and inner steadiness.

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Sources:

Sankaracharya’s Bhagavad-Gita with the Commentary of Sri Sankaracharya: https://estudantedavedanta.net/Bhagavad-Gita.with.the.Commentary.of.Sri.ShankaracharyaN.pdf‍ ‍

Swami Chidbhavananda’s The Bhagavad Gita: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.407373

The Bhagavad Gita based on HH Sri Raghavendra Teertha’s Gita Vivruti: https://ebooks.tirumala.org/downloads/The%20Bhagavad%20Gita.pdf

Sri Aurobindo’s Essays on the Gita: https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.3035

Today we start an exploration of the role of suffering and faith, and how these formerly ubiquitous categories of the human experience can be reframed to help us in the West ease into the shitstorms ahead! (✿◠‿◠)

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Here’s the links to the texts discussed today:

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations: maximusveritas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Marcus-Aurelius-Meditations.pdf

George Ripley - Compound of Alchemy: https://www.labirintoermetico.com/01Alchimia/Ripley_G_Compound_of_Alchemy_et_al.pdf

Viktor Frankl - Man’s Search for Meaning: https://www.stgregoriosudaipur.ac.in/pdf/fiction/632ecf70b27a5-man-s-search-for-meaning.pdf

St John of the Cross - Dark Night of the Soul: https://basilica.ca/documents/2016/10/St.%20John%20of%20the%20Cross-Dark%20night%20of%20the%20soul.pdf

The Bhagavad Gita: https://ebooks.tirumala.org/downloads/The%20Bhagavad%20Gita.pdf

Epictetus - Enchiridion: https://www.colorado.edu/herbst/sites/default/files/attached-files/the_enchiridion_epictetus.pdf

Shantideva - The Way of the Bodhisattva: https://wisdomcompassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Way-of-the-Bodhisattva-Bodhicaryavatara.pdf

Thomas a Kempis - The Imitation of Christ: https://www.basilica.ca/documents/2016/10/Thomas%20A%20Kempis-The%20Imitation%20of%20Christ.pdf

Today I’m talking dreams and the end of the world.

Here’s the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9gKyRmic20

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