Magic in the United States Magic in the United States

From #manifesting, to #lawofattraction, to #luckygirlsyndrome – these hashtags are all over social media. But what do they mean and where do they come from? The idea that our thoughts can change our wealth, bodies, and fortunes is so pervasive, that we don’t realize how old – and distinctly American – these ideas really are. In this episode, we’ll travel backward in time from TikTok to the dawn of Christian Science and unpack the origins of manifesting our desires with our minds – and see how these very popular beliefs pit science against mysticism.  Featuring Susannah Crockford, Sean McCloud, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte students Andrew, Amani, Chris, Eva, Journei, Sam, and Taylor.

In 1987, the City of Hialeah, Florida passed local ordinances that prohibited animal sacrifice for religious purposes. The laws targeted one group in particular – the Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye. The City was taken to court, and the case eventually made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices ruled against the city and called the ordinances "religious gerrymandering.” Almost 40 years later, African Diaspora Religions like Lucumí still face legal discrimination over core practices. These challenges reveal a long history of bias against African Diaspora practices, beliefs, and worldviews. Featuring Dr. Danielle Boaz, Frank Burgos, Silver Daniels, and Mindy Marqués.

It’s the 1970s and New York City’s queer scene is vibrant and organizing itself after the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Meanwhile, Wicca — a form of contemporary witchcraft — is gaining traction as the new religious movement of the hour. Edmund Buczynski is a Seeker of initiatory witchcraft but is denied time and again, often due to homophobia and heterosexism. But Eddie is charismatic and inspired by magic and mythology. He won’t be stopped – even if he has to create his own witchcraft tradition. Featuring Thumper Forge, Michael Lloyd, and Matthew Sawicki.

Flowers. The first ripe berries. Love songs.

They're all symbols of springtime, and they're found on shrines and altars across the U.S. to gods, goddesses, spirits, and ancestors. But is this magic, religion, spirituality — or something else entirely?

Join host Heather Freeman for magic, religion, and spiritual remixing in Season 2 of Magic in the United States, wherever you get your podcasts. Season 2, Episode 1 airs May 7th, 2024.

Now in its third season, *A Little Juju *is dedicated to “Black Ass spirituality, community, and witchy womanist insights into healing and culture.” In this episode excerpt, host Juju Bae — now Osunfunmilola - shares the story of her amazing trip to Nigeria for her initiation into Ifa as a priestess of Osun. And head over to Jujubae.com to listen to the rest of Episode 103 where she talks about her return to New York City and so, so much more.

Reverend Erik L. Arneson’s podcast Arnemancy covers all things occult and esoteric. This includes a nine-part series on Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and his influential 1531 text Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Almost 500 years later, it’s still an influential text for many witches, wizards, and occultists.

As Rev. Erik says, “If we want to understand Occult Philosophy, we first need to take a look at the world in which Agrippa lived. This episode will begin by looking at the Holy Roman Empire, where Agrippa was born and spent most of his life, and then examine a few key historical topics that are relevant to Agrippa and Occult Philosophy, including the Renaissance, the Reformation, [and] Science and Philosophy. Finally, this episode will give a general overview of Three Books of Occult Philosophy and outline a general plan for this series….”

Listen to Rev. Erik’s series on Agrippa here: https://arnemancy.com/agrippa

And check out his other podcast episodes here: https://arnemancy.com/episodes/