In the Prologue to my Podcast, I talked about experiences; occurrences that happened to us all but were extraordinary in a way, something 'other' than normal. Aliens, Ghosts and Spirits are all somewhat common when these things happen. But what exactly is going on during these events? Is there some way that we can think about them that is useful to us? Perhaps there is a metaphor that could give us some kind of perspective? There is. For this, we will need to look through both sides of the Two-Way Mirror.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

Another soul lurking around the Fools Gallery. This time, we introduce The Witch of Kings Cross- Rosaleen Norton. Kicked out of school for having a 'Depraved Nature which could corrupt the others' Rosaleen always did things her own way. Influenced by Aleister Crowley and other occultists, Ms. Norton crafted some amazing art from her Magic. She was devoted to the Greek God Pan, the earth's true god- her residence completely adorned with altars to such deities. To many she was a kind, intellectual eccentric, to many others a corrupter of decency. On this Episode of WMiT, we take a peek at an often neglected Occult figure, and a wonderful artist as well.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

It became clear very early on in Colin Wilson's life that there was one thing that he had to do for the world. Write. An author of over a hundred books, he was incredibly prolific. But Colin considered himself a philosopher. What kind of Philosopher? He called it New Existentialism- a way for each of us to be responsible for our gift of consciousness. Colin saw that what was missing in a lot of people's lives is meaning, but that our idea of meaning in the world was incorrect. Colin sought to remedy this single-handedly. A worthy and welcome addition to the Fools Gallery.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

Ever met a Neoplatonist before the 19th Century? Me neither. The term was cast on a load of figures from the 3rd Century onwards. Using the philosophy of Plato, Neoplatonists came up with a sort of Unified Field Theory for how existence works. Without a doubt one of the most influential philosophies to the world of the esoteric and the occult. But how does it work? What view of the world does it propose? In this Episode, Doug and Dominique get their hands quite dirty going through a philosophy that needs to be looked at a little bit closer.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

After Astrology, the second most popular form of divination is Cartomancy. For over 500 years, we have turned to cards to show us how things were, are and what might be. Cards used include the Tarot, Oracle Cards, Lenormand Cards, and good ol' fashioned Playing Cards. But how did this come about? More importantly, how do you do it? In this episode of WMiT? Doug breaks it down with the assistance of a good friend, Brad. The cards tell stories to those willing to see them and one hopes by the end of this episode, that's everyone.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

Scattered across many museums, there are scrolls of Papyrus from the Early Common Era. Strange documents filled with spells of all kinds, formulae, prayers, hymns, rituals and rites. Their influences are all over the place- Egyptian, Greek, Jewish, Babylonian, Coptic even Gnostic and Christian. They are called the Greek Magical Papyri. Amazing documents that give us a glimpse into how magic was performed for a period of time, even though many of the spells date from much further back. Their existence is Miraculous. In this episode of WMiT, Doug is joined by Matthew to discuss a kind of magic that the host uses on a near weekly basis- Graeco-Egyptian Magic!

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

Continuing with our deep dive on Cornelius Agrippa, this time around the tables are turned and Doug is the Guest. The Arnemancy Podcast is Hosted by Reverend Erik, in which he discusses topics with many magically inclined folks. In this specific Episode, we toss around aspects of a book which may or may not have been written by Agrippa- The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy. Usually overshadowed by Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Erik and Doug attempt to make a strong case for this strange document, one that needs to be seen as a vital occult work, and in Doug’s opinion- More functionally important than the Three Books.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

Occultist. Theologian. Mercenary. Soldier. Physician. Spy. Scholar. Legal Expert. Peripatetic Polymath. Prisoner. Heretic. Certainly someone who lived a full life, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa looms large over the Occult, and is an obvious addition to the Fools Gallery. He is certainly one of the Titans of Magic, anyone seriously interested in the Occult must give Agrippa his due. In one book (or three) De Occulta Philosophia, it was Agrippa's contention that there could be a synthetic vision of magic whereby the natural world combined with the Celestial and the Divine. On this Episode, Douglas is joined by Reverend Erik from Arnemancy; another fantastic Podcast, where we try to unspool the influence of the Knight Wizard that is Agrippa.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.

The quest of turning lead into Gold, this was the aim of the Alchemist. But was this seen as being something practical, or was it a journey to become enlightened? Broadly speaking, Alchemy was actually comprised of many different pursuits to many different people at many different junctures of history. For a time, it captured the imagination of many throughout Europe, and it still does to this day. Practically, it was an antecedent to chemistry and science. Philosophically, it promised the practician enlightenment. Is it still a worthy pursuit today; still worthy of study?   

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two. 

This episode is coming in swift as a greyhound, quick as light. Ancient Egypt has kept us enthralled for centuries. From the childlike curiosity of their culture, Gods and architectural marvels to the miraculous perspective of everyday life. One force weaved everything together from the beginning of their civilization to the end- Magic. The rites uttered to a freshly wrapped Mummy, to the ceremonies carried out to ensoul a God's statue, an understanding of the Sanctity of all things was paramount. What can we learn from the Ancient Egyptians? Much, it seems. On this episode of WMiT? Doug gets to talk at Karen about one of his greatest (and longest-held) obsessions.

Support my Flourishing on Patreon or if you Enjoyed the Episode, Toss Me a Coin or Two.