The Oracle of Luna with Bridget Engels- Conversations with Witches & Goddesses

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Join us in this episode, for a thought provoking conversation and with Rev. Angie Buchanan. Angie is a Founder and the Spiritual Director of Earth Traditions Church(since 2008), and of Gaia's Womb(for 26 years), an interfaith spirituality group that has been producing women's spiritual retreats since 1998. and a Certified Death Midwife; having developed a program that provides hands-on, intensive training for compassionate end-of-life care, and information about ecologically sensitive funerals.

She is a life-long Pagan animist with over 40 years of experience as a speaker, officiant, and ritualist. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Parliament of World Religions from 2002 – 2010. As a Certified Death Midwife; Angie developed a program that provides hands-on, intensive training for compassionate end-of-life care, and information about ecologically sensitive funerals.

Angie is a life-long Pagan animist and believes that the Earth is a living sentient being. Mother Nature is the force of always giving birth to itself with the Elements, the cycles and the seasons. Angie talks about her Influence with Nora Cedarwind Young and the Death Positive movement. Nora died in 2014 but expressed that Angie continue her work. Angie then became certified to teach.

Angie believes that Death is the Final rite of passage and a very much overlooked and neglected rite of passage deserving of as much dignity as any other significant rite of passage.  She discusses how we live in a Death Denying culture and most of us die alone without prior Death planning. She sees her work as a sacred calling. Death Midwifery also deals with Death from an emotional, spiritual and practical place. She believes that Death has been taken from us by industry (medical, funeral , academia). She encourages families and loved ones to spend time with the beloved dead that have recently passed on. Angie explains that we have over-medicalized and over-industrialized Death so that it has become an incredibly toxic and unsustainable industry.

Angie, as a Death Midwife, is reclaiming the caring for the Dead and their loved ones and family. Our culture doesn't give us the tools to grieve or mourn the 3 days of workplace bereavement leave doesn't cut it. Other cultures and countries continue to do forms of mourning. Angie’s Death Midwifery practices include a strong consideration for Eco-Friendly body disposition options.  She tells us about how embalming fluid (Formaldehyde)  is one of the most dangerous carcinogens known. It leaches into soil & ground water, etc. Angie says that there are many options and resources for Eco-Friendly natural burials, green cemeteries, green burials and water and earth cremation processes that are available and are carbon neutral. Burials and body disposition do not have to be toxic.

It's Angie's hope that she opens up new ideas and alternative traditions around Death and Dying to the public and to be open to talking about these for ourselves and our loved ones. More about Angie at: www.deathmidwife.org and www.earthtraditions.org. Tune in and be enlightened!

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Join us for some Witchy fun and compelling dialogue with 4 Witches! Madame Pamita, Monica Crosson, Mael Brigde and myself discuss our Animal Familiars. Witches have a long history of partnering with Familiars for spellwork and magic throughout the ages. Here, we chat about how we met our Familiars, what makes our relationship with our Familiars special to us, explore who they are and how we have formed trusted magical partnerships with our Familiars. So, let’s Introduce the magical 4 Women on this show:

Madame Pamita is a Ukrainian-American witch, teacher, author, candle maker, spellcaster, and tarot reader. She is the author of The Witch's Guide to Animal Familiars (January 2025), Baba Yaga’s Book of Witchcraft, The Book of Candle Magic, Magical Tarot and co-author of Cancer Witch. She is also the proprietress of the online spiritual apothecary, the Parlour of Wonders and lives in Santa Monica, California. You can find her online at the: www.parlourofwonders.com
Madame Pamita’s Familiar is the Cat: Glinda

Monica Crosson has been a practicing Witch, Master Gardener and Educator for over thirty years and is a member of Evergreen Coven. She is the author of A Year in the Enchanted Garden, The Magickal Family, and Wild Magical Soul and is a regular contributor to the Llewellyn annuals as well as Enchanted Living Magazine and she lives north of Seattle, WA in the forests. Her website is:www.authormonicacrosson.com  Monica’s Familiar is the Cat: Zelda

Mael Brigde is a devotee of Brigit and founder of Daughters of the Flame (Imbolc 1993). She is the author of Sun Among Stars: A Brigit of Ireland Devotional and was a featured performer at the 2024 Brigid of Faughart Festival in Dundalk, Ireland. Mael lives in Vancouver, Canada. Her reviews, blogs, classes, etc. can be found on Linktree at https://linktr.ee/maelbrigde#  Mael’s Familiars are the wild Birds (Starlings) in her backyard

Bridget Engels is the Host/Creator/Producer of The Oracle of Luna Podcast, Author of The Oracle of Luna: Meditations with the Moon Goddess Volumes 1, 2, & 3 , Narrator/Producer of the Audiobook versions her 3 books, Ritualist and Founder of the Circle of Luna. As a Priestess, Bridget has led many public rituals, events and ceremonies that provide spiritual connection with the Divine Feminine, Goddess archetypes and the Moon. Her websites are: https://circleofluna.wixsite.com/bridget-engels AND
https://circleofluna.wixsite.com/the-oracle-of-luna-p
Bridget’s Familiar is the cat: Romeo

Tune in and be enlightened!

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NEW! Join us in this episode, for a spellbinding conversation with Alice Markham-Cantor! Alice is the Author of: “The Once and Future Witch Hunt-A Descendant’s Reckoning from Salem to the Present”  and the Film Co-Producer of ​​”A Witch Story”, an award-winning documentary film about Salem and her research. Alice is a descendant of Martha Carrier, one of the Women accused and hanged at Salem. Her work has been published in New York Magazine, Scientific American, The Nation, and elsewhere. She serves on the working committee of the International Network Against Accusations of Witch Hunting and Associated Harmful Practices, and spoke at the first and second Feminist Conferences on the Witch Hunts hosted by the Campaña por la Memoria de las Brujas in Spain. She is from Brooklyn, New York.

We begin by delving into why the Salem Witch Hunts took place and the build up of the socio/economic/political circumstances and unrest leading to the Salem Witch trials. There is unease and lack of leadership in Massachusetts Colony at that time.  The Puritans were also at war with Algonquin native American Indian tribes which was a stressful issue too. Puritans had the viewpoint that the Native Americans were allied with the devil. There was no governor or local Magistrates at that time either.  There was also friction between Salem Town and  Salem Village. Samuel Paris became the new Salem Village minister in 1689. Like a wildfire all  the circumstances have been escalating and then the flame is lit. In this case; the flame is Samuel Paris’ 2 girls living in his household that started having “fits”. Tituba was a slave in that house and she was one of the first accused of being a Witch also. 

This unrest and suspicion made Salem Villagers feel like the devil was out to get them. They needed a scapegoat and at that time period Women were thought of as spiritually weaker and more likely seduced by the devil and thus likely to be Witches. Especially the women who diverge from Puritan behavioral norms and therefore are more vulnerable to attack.  All these factors contributed to the Salem Witch Hunts.

Alice tells us that Witch Hunts are not a thing of the past. Currently, we see this with the Republicans party in the USA attacking illegal and undocumented immigrants. Alice believes it's exactly mirroring what happened with the Puritans using fear and hysteria to create the Salem Witch Hunts.  Alice explains that over 20,000 people have been killed in Witch Hunts over the last decade worldwide. It is common to happen in places that are experiencing economic upheaval.  

Alice leaves us with her discovery that one of the reasons why Martha Carrier (her ancestor) was killed in Salem was that the 19 people who were hanged in Salem were those that refused to confess to Witchcraft because they did not identify as Witches. Alice thinks that ultimately the Salem Witch Trials are a lesson in fear. And the lesson of Salem Village is how fear works and how accusation works. Martha Carrier was extremely clear to her accusers in the Salem Witch Trials that she was not a Witch. Alice believes this is an important thing to remember as we participate in the season of Halloween and Samhain. Tune in and be enlightened!

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Join us in this episode, for a captivating conversation with Photographer, Artist, Author of “Goddess on Earth: Portraits of the Divine Feminine” and Oracle Deck creator: Lisa Levart! Lisa’s lifelong personal assignment is to celebrate contemporary Women while drawing upon ancient stories to elevate their life journeys. She photographs archetypal imagery that is made to inspire Women to be their most powerful selves. Levart’s iconic photographs have appeared in numerous publications, including: New York magazine, The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, Time magazine, and The Washington Post. She lives in the Hudson Valley, New York area.

Lisa tells us that she was called by the Goddess to photograph Women as Goddesses after attending sacred circles led by Gina Martin (my previous podcast guest on The Oracle of Luna). She weaves her love for the sacred feminine in with her visual art and photography. And from her growth in the Goddess spiritual world Lisa developed her Goddess portraits. Her portraits combine different techniques such as collage, textures  and mixed media which create depth to her photographs. She collaborated with all the Women that she photographed and asked them to choose which Goddess they wanted to portray and what elements water, air, earth, fire or spirit that they felt deeply connected to. The Women wanted Lisa to see them in this unique way. Her award winning book: “Goddess on Earth - Portraits of the Divine Feminine” reflects her passion for Goddess spirituality and her visual art.

Lisa photographed and collaborated with indigenous women and this work evolved into her epic immersive large scale photography installation project called: “Still Here: Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation”.  The Ramapough Lenape are the indigenous peoples who lived in what is present day New York, Hudson Valley, New York city areas. This magical larger than life art/photography outdoor installation interplays with the cycles and seasons of nature and also honors the indigenous Women expressing their sacred stories on ancestral land.

Lisa also photographed and published the: “Goddess on Earth Oracle Deck and Guidebook”. She loved the idea of creating an interactive divination deck with Women embodying Goddess archetypes combined with the elements. Each of the Women photographed in Lisa’s Oracle Deck also offered a message from their own perspective of the Goddess on the card that they portrayed. The images were used from her Mythica series. The subtitle of the companion book is: “A Divination Guidebook with Spirited Wisdom from your Sisters”.  Tune in and be enlightened!

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In this episode of the Oracle of Luna; we will go on an October New Moon meditation journey with the Slavic Goddess Baba Yaga. I will be your guide, as we align with the current cosmic energies with the New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Libra and take a mystical journey to the deep woods and mountains of Eastern Europe to connect with Baba Yaga.  I recommend that you listen to this episode with your eyes closed, being totally present, so you allow yourself to go on this inner journey.

Baba Yaga is the Slavic Wild Witch of the Woods and so much more! Baba Yaga lives in a remote hut that walks through the forest on chicken legs with a fence of human bones and skulls, and she flies in the air in a giant magical mortar and pestle. She usually appears as a hag or crone with a bony leg, and she is known as a shamanic trickster to challenge those who are in need of lessons and transformation.

Baba Yaga appears in Slavic and Russian folk and fairy tales over hundreds of years. In these stories, she represents a powerful shape shifting feminist crone archetype that is both heroine and villain, protective grandmother and horribly fierce, and acts as a Shaman or gatekeeper between the living world and the world of spirit and and a guardian of heroes/heroines. Baba Yaga is omniscient - she knows all things. She resides in the domain of the supernatural and holds secret knowledge, which she sometimes reveals to those whom she deems to be deserving of it.

Baba Yaga is associated with the deep woods and forests, and the wildness of nature. A force of nature herself, she symbolizes the unpredictable and untameable nature of the female spirit, of Mother Earth, and the relationship of Women to the wild. There are indications that Baba Yaga was once an ancient Pagan Earth Goddess in Slavic mythology that morphed into many complex interpretations throughout the years. 

Baba Yaga reminds us that we are also ferocious, untameable, wise and capable of our own powerful potential and honoring both the dark and the light within us. Tune in and be enlightened!

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Join us in this episode, for an enchanting conversation with Author, Priestess, and community circle leader: Gina Martin! Gina, is the Author of the “When She Wakes” book series (Womancraft Publishing) starting with “Sisters of the Solstice Moon” book taking place in a pre-patriarchal world where priestesses come together and bring Goddess wisdom forward. She has also written a series called “Daughters of the Goddess” and she continues to write more books to this series. The characters in Gina's books have a common thread of amplifying and serving the Goddess so She can be seen, heard, respected and honored again and be invited into our lives.
 
Gina tells us that we can learn so much with Divine Feminine wisdom by being receptive and developing a reciprocal relationship by having a sense of being eager to know Her and She being eager to know us. Similar to indigenous spiritualities who live in concert with the alive forces of the planet. We are one of all species - not the dominant species. This takes time, patience, sensitivity, practice and the ability to be quiet and not distracted which is a hard learning curve for most people given our non-stop consumerist, patriarchal society and our mindset of instant gratification. 

We chatted about Gina’s role as founding mother and High Priestess of Triple Spiral of Dún na Sidhe, a pagan spiritual congregation in the Hudson Valley, NY area that she created over 25 years ago. They have met every Moon & the Sabbats for 25 years and are now a 501(c)(3) registered congregation. Gina also wanted to have a place where girls through womanhood could learn, be involved and know about the Goddess within this Triple Spiral of Dún na Sidhe circle’s tradition. This Pagan spiritual community has a big 25th anniversary circle celebration planned this Samhain/Halloween.

Gina has also composed songs/chants and wrote “WomEnchanting” and with other members of Triple Spiral circle with links to downloadable recordings of sacred songs and chants. Tune in and be enlightened!

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Join us in this episode, for an enchanting conversation with Poet, Priestess, and Goddess Statues Creatrix: Molly Remer! Molly, is a Priestess, Mystic, Author and Poet in central Missouri USA. Molly and her husband Mark co-create Story Goddesses at Brigid’s Grove. Molly is the Author of many books, including "Walking with Persephone", "Whole and Holy", "Womanrunes", the "Goddess Devotional", and "365 Days of Goddess". She is the creatrix of the devotional experience #30DaysofGoddess and she loves savoring small magic, honoring the sacred and everyday enchantment.

Molly has been gathering community circles online and in-person since 2008. She plans and facilitates women’s circles, multi-gender rituals and celebrations, seasonal retreats and rituals, mother-daughter circles, family ceremonies, and red tent circles in central Missouri.

We chat about her early years in rural Missouri and being influenced in a non-traditional way in the middle of the bible belt. In grad school Molly was exposed to Women’s Studies and important books such as “When God was a Woman” by Merlin Stone. Later Molly joined a Unitarian Universalist church training program in Feminists in Thealogy called “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” and began creating circles and retreats for Women that are earth-based feminist theology practices that she still continues to do.

Molly tells us about the mini Goddess statues that she and her husband create and how they embody the sacred Goddess in everyday life. They are a tangible connection to divinity.  Molly tells us that her books have a common thread of intentional, creative, everyday enchantment, spiritual living and Goddess devotion that we can all access and help us to participate in the sacred rhythms of life and our own unfolding magic as it is, where it is.

Molly writes poetry that she defines as Theapoetics (see link for more details): https://feminismandreligion.com/2012/08/27/theapoetics-by-molly-meade/

Poems found Molly in the woods and she believes that everything is a poem if you know where to look and you can see it as it unfolds within and around you. Her writing is inspired by what's here right now. It’s the language of the Goddess that's alive in our own landscapes-wherever we are that we can be nourished and sustained by.  Tune in and be enlightened!

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Join us in this episode, for an illuminating chat with Author, Word Historian, Workshop Leader Kris Spisak! Kris is an author of: “Becoming Baba Yaga; Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods”, “The Baba Yaga Mask” and “Get a Grip On Your Grammar” among other books. She has been spotlighted in Writer's Digest and The Huffington Post for her work helping other writers. Kris shares her Ukrainian upbringing and stories that she heard from family and how this influenced her passion for writing, Baba Yaga and the importance of words and storytelling.

We talk about Baba Yaga’s mythos, magic and history through Slavic folklore. Kris explains she might be tied to ancient roots of a divine feminine presence from the Cucuteni–Trypillian culture in ancient eastern Europe primarily Moldova, Romania and Ukraine areas. 

Baba Yaga is a Fierce Feminist, Initiator, Villain, Wise Woman, Healer, transformer, Witch of the woods with so many differing aspects, stories, misconceptions and layers associated with her. Kris also speaks about Baba Yaga’s symbols of the Chicken Legged Magical Hut in the woods(symbol of a womb), her fences of bones/skulls, her massive flying Mortar/Pestle (symbols of transformation) which are mundane yet magical and divine. Baba Yaga tests protagonists through folktales such as Prince Ivan, Visalisa the beautiful, who need to prove themselves to transform come to her chicken hut in the woods.

We chat about Baba Yaga’s connection to nature as an Earth goddess and as an herbalist. We also delve into her role as Gatekeeper between the natural living world and the spiritual realm, and Baba Yaga’s aspect as a trickster and shapeshifter. She is not merely a Witch of the Woods but also as an archetype and force empowering us at any age and walk of life (especially Women) and for finding our own true paths amidst the horror and the hope of present day life.

Tune in and be enlightened!

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Join us in this episode, for an fantabulous chat with Goddess Songstress & Performer Kellianna! Kellianna is a singer/songwriter, performer and eclectic Pagan whose music is based on stories of Goddesses, Myth & Magic, Paganism and  Women’s empowerment. *At the end of this episode Kelliana sings to us a short special Goddess chant/song called: ”The Mother Shares Her Love” 

Kellianna is an accomplished musician and performer worldwide. She has recorded several albums and her Albums/CD’s,” Lady Moon” and “I Walk with the Goddess” are being recognized around the globe as a must have for any lover of Goddess inspired folk music. Her song: “I Walk with the Goddess” written and recorded in 2007 is an anthem for Goddess Spirituality , conferences, retreats, spiritual communities, rituals, and Pagan events worldwide.

After her first album/CD Kellianna decided to merge her Goddess spirituality with her music. She has performed at many Goddess Conferences, Pagan Festivals and leading Women’s ritual chant circles internationally and in the USA. Kelliana talks with us about the power of chanting during ritual and how it brings us to the places between the places and is so deeply healing and transformative. It is a place where sacred magic happens. She uses song to move energy, to celebrate the ancient mysteries, and to strengthen intention.

We chat about Kellianna’s SpiritSong; a vocal healing tonal practice without words that she leads in workshops. It’s a reclamation of power for many Women. Kellianna says that our voices are our most singular form of expression and with SpritSong practice/workshops  it's an empowering conduit of energy & expression. She is passionate about helping people claim that spiritual/vocal expression power back.

Kallianna is also a co-author of the fantasy/historical fiction trilogy books with Kaalii Cargill: “The Warrior Queen”  book trilogy inspired by a song that Kellianna wrote about a Viking warrior Queen’s life. They have written/published 2 of the 3 books so far and epic journey. As women we have so much power and these books (and her chants/songs) are about learning to dance with that power, strength and magic. Kellianna has lead many Warrior Queen SpiritSong workshops as well. It's an honor talking with her as Kellianna and her music and songs are treasures for the Spirit! 

*At the end of this episode Kelliana sings us a short Goddess chant/song.”The Mother Shares Her Love” *

Tune in and be enlightened! 

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Welcome to this August Goddess Sekhmet/New Moon Guided Meditation! In this transformative meditation, I will be your guide as we align with the current cosmic energies of the New Moon in Leo and Lionsgate Portal to connect with the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet.

 Sekhmet, the Lion Headed is one of the oldest and most worshiped Goddesses in the Egyptian Pantheon. Her name derives from the word “Sekhem” which means power. Her magical power is both to heal and to destroy.  Sekhmet is a warrior Goddess, fierce and powerful, protectress of everything that is sacred.
In the past she reigned and was protector of the Egyptian borders and the Reign of Pharaohs. For these attributes she is worshiped as “The One before Whom All Evil Trembles”. 

Sekhmet as a Solar Goddess who has the power for both healing and destruction. Sun and Fire can cause both harm but let’s not forget the life-giving aspects of transformation and growth. Sekhmet with her fierce compassion encourages us to work our own inner fire to rise above all obstacles. As we embrace the fire and power of Goddess Sekhmet we can purge or burn away any old patterns and negativity to transform our reality and bridge what we want manifest and unmanifest in our own lives. Step into your light now.
Sa Sekhmem Sahu!

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