The Witch Wave is a podcast for bewitching conversation about magic, creativity, and culture. On each episode, host Pam Grossman speaks with a leading visionary about art and Craft.
Reading the feed…
Our Season Finale guest is Rachel Dratch, a comedy LEGEND who was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1999-2006, during which she developed and performed such iconic characters as Debbie Downer, “The Love-ahs” with Will Ferrell, and the Boston teen Denise "Zazu" McDenna. (And she still pops up there from time to time to play Senator Amy Klobuchar.) She’s appeared in countless TV shows including The King of Queens, Frasier, 30 Rock, and Broad City, and in films including Down with Love, Wine Country, and A Clüsterfünke Christmas which she co-wrote with her co-star and fellow SNL alum Ana
Lindsay Mack is an intuitive tarot teacher, writer, and founder of Tarot for the Wild Soul, as well as the host of the popular podcast of the same name, which has been downloaded over ten million times. Lindsay’s new book Tarot for the Wild Soul: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Growth, Healing, and Grounding in the Present Moment is out now, as is their new tarot deck Soul Tarot, illustrated by Chelsea Granger. Through Lindsay’s beloved workshops, retreats, and online Tarot courses, they have taught Soul Tarot to many tens of thousands of students from all around the world. And as a queer, neur
Sam Pinkleton is the Tony Award-winning director of Oh, Mary! and the 9-time Tony Award-nominated revival of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway at Studio 54. His work as a director also includes Josh Sharp's TA-DA!, Morgan Bassichis’ Can I Be Frank?, Noah Diaz’ You Will Get Sick, The Wizard of Oz, Elizabeth Swados’ Runaways, Head Over Heels (with Jenny Koons), La Cage Aux Folles, and UNTITLED DANCESHOWPARTYTHING (with Ani Taj). Highlights of his work as a choreographer include Stephen Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are, Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang’s Soft Power, and
Aidan Wachter is an animist magician who has been actively involved in magical practice since the 1980s. His work reflects a wide ranging, eclectic, and non-dogmatic approach, with influences from many paths. His books include Six Ways: Approaches and Entries for Practical Magic; Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, and Telling True Lies; and Changeling: A Book of Qualities. Aidan’s writings and extensive Patreon teachings focus on the practice of the craft as a learnable set of skills that can be developed rather than innate talents that must be inherited or granted to the seeker. Hi
Fiona Cook is the author of The Dream Atlas: An Interactive Guide to Dreamwork (illustrated by Kathleen Neeley) which is a year-long workbook to help you deepen your relationship to your dreams. Her debut book, The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature's Rhythms, illustrated by Jessica Roux, was a New York Times bestseller and a Kirkus Best Books of 2023 for middle grade. Fiona is also a mother and union home health care worker based in Chicago. She is inspired by the magic, mystery, and mischief of our planet Earth and draws from that relationship with her work. On this episode, F
Jinkx Monsoon returns to the pod for the third time! Jinkx is an award-winning actress, comedian, recording artist, and the first and only drag queen to win RuPaul’s Drag Race twice. She has become a Broadway breakout star with critically acclaimed performances in Chicago (where she broke box office records during an extended 10-week run), Little Shop of Horrors, the Tony-nominated revival, Pirates! The Penzance Musical - which landed Jinkx her first Drama League Award nomination, and two stints as the star of the Tony-award winning phenomenon Oh, Mary!. And she’s about to take her titanic tal
Maria Minnis is an unapologetically Black and queer tarot reader of 20+ years who teaches people about blending their spirituality with magic, liberation work, and eroticism in their everyday lives. She believes that the end result of all magic should be to cultivate a more equitable and empathetic planet. Maria is the author of Tarot for the Hard Work: An Archetypal Journey to Confront Racism and Inspire Collective Healing and the host of the Kinky Tarot podcast. On this episode, Maria discusses the sacredness of the Fool tarot card, holographic witchcraft, and the ways in which tarot can hel
Melissa Auf der Maur is an acclaimed musician, photographer, curator, and producer, best known as the former bassist of rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins. Her new memoir Even the Good Girls Will Cry covers those heady rockstar times of the 1990s, and is out now. She has also released two solo albums, Auf der Maur (2004) and Out of Our Minds (2010), the latter of which is part of a larger project that also includes a comic book and a short film. Melissa’s photographs have been exhibited internationally, including at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and have appeared in such publication
Fiona Horne is widely recognized as one of the original pioneers of modern witchcraft — and one of the few to remain relevant, respected, and bestselling across three decades. As a trailblazing public witch she’s been a popular radio and TV personality on shows including Entertainment Tonight, Good News Week, Party in Australia, and Mad Mad House. She was also the frontwoman for the hit electro-rock band Def FX, and she is a licensed commercial pilot with a focus on humanitarian aid and animal rescue missions. She now leads beloved travel experiences at sacred sites throughout the world throug
Banafsheh Sayyad is a master Iranian sacred dancer, choreographer, transformational teacher, and founder of Dance of Oneness®, a certification program that explores dance as a path of embodied spirituality. Performing and teaching internationally, she has initiated thousands into the profound wisdom of the body. She is one of the few bearers of Persian dance in the world and a pioneer in creating a liberated feminine expression in the Sufi dance tradition. Her new book, Dance of Oneness, is out on March 10th and available for preorder now. On this episode, Banafsheh discusses how dance connect
Justina and Dr. Ronnie Blakeney are the daughter and mother team behind GROW: Pathways to Passion, Purpose & Peace Guidebook and Oracle Deck. Justina Blakeney is a visionary artist, designer, and New York Times bestselling author. As the founder and creative force behind Jungalow®, she’s known for her bold use of color, pattern, and plants to inspire soulful, joy-filled living. Architectural Digest recently named her “one of the 20 most famous interior designers working today.” Her work—spanning art, design, and writing — celebrates the wild beauty of nature and the transformative power of cre
Aliza Kelly is a celebrity astrologer, author, and media personality known for bridging mysticism with the mainstream. Recognized for her grounded and relatable approach to astrology, Aliza's worked with dozens of stars, including Drew Barrymore, Bella Hadid, Keke Palmer, Yara Shahidi, Jonathan Van Ness, Lana Condor, Alix Earle, Paige DeSorbo, and Hannah Berner, among many others. Aliza has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan, The Today Show, and People Magazine. She is the author of 5 bestselling books, including This Is Your Destiny and It’s All Magic, which int
Mandy Aftel is a pioneering American artisan natural perfumer who has been called one of the fragrance industry’s “most prolific talents” by Vogue and an “angel of alchemy” by Vanity Fair. She is an author, educator, and founder of Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents located in Berkeley, CA. Mandy is renowned for her deep focus on plant-derived essences, historical fragrance, and innovative perfume creation that connects scent to memory and emotion, establishing new standards in natural perfumery through her many books like Essence & Alchemy and Fragrant. Her new book, Sy
Sarah Potter is a professional witch, intuitive tarot reader, and spiritual guide who combines ancient wisdom with modern mysticism. She is the author of Sober Magic: Using the Tarot and Ritual in Your Journey Away from Drinking. Sarah also writes Tarotscopes for Astrology.com and Bust Magazine, is the creator of the Cosmo Tarot deck for Cosmopolitan, and leads Full Moon ceremonies with the Asbury Hotel. Her work includes guiding rituals, offering personal guidance, and hosting events to help people connect with their intuition, manifest desires, and live intentionally. She is based in New Yor
Erika Kubick is an author, artist, recipe developer, and practitioner living in Chicago. In 2015, she founded Cheese Sex Death as a blog devoted to educating, exciting, and empowering cheese lovers everywhere. Since then, she has amassed an international following and published two books: Cheese Sex Death: A Bible for the Cheese Obsessed in 2021 and, her most recent, Cheese Magic: Seasonal Recipes, Plates, and Pairings out now. Her mission is to inspire others to connect with the natural world through food, ritual, and other earthly pleasures. On this episode, Erika discusses the connections b
CAConrad has been writing poems for over 50 years and working with (Soma)tic poetry rituals for over 20 years. Their latest book is Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return (Wave Books / UK Penguin 2024). They won the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a Creative Capital grant, a Pew Fellowship, a Lambda Poetry Award, and others. The Book of Frank is now available in 9 different languages, and they coedited SUPPLICATION: Selected Poems of John Wieners (Wave Books). They also exhibit poems as sculpture with recent solo shows in London’s CHAMP LACOMBE, MOCA-Tucson, Fluent in Santander, and Batalha Centro in
The Death Witch, Loretta Ledesma, also known as Loo, is the founder of The Mile High Conjure Gala, a Santa Muerte Devotee, and a co-owner of The Cauldron Black. She has a deep relationship with the spirit world, ancestors, and is a lover of plants and a seeker of justice. She approaches the work from the Conjure tradition and has a close open relationship with the dead. Loretta walks her spiritual path comfortably with less freely talked about workings. She is also a maker of traditional oils, powders, waters, and other fine provisions. Loretta is a legacy student of Conjure Man Professor Char
Happy Magic Maker pub day!! On this bonus episode, the tables are turned, and Pam is a guest on the Missing Witches podcast to discuss her magical new book. Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity is out everywhere now! Please order yours, and join Pam for some Magic Maker launch events in person and online.
Kate Belew is an author, poet, and Witch. Her work exists at the crossroads of creativity and magic. She has taught and facilitated circles and workshops worldwide since 2017. She is dedicated to the spirit of poetry, the sacred wild of the planet, and seeks enchantment in all she does. She is a forever student of the plants and the stars. She has an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College and is an initiated Green Witch. Her new book, Word Witch: How to Call Upon and Cultivate the Creative Magic Within You is out now. On this episode, Kate discusses the magic of wordcraft, how she works wit
Welcome to Season 9 of The Witch Wave! Steve Burns is an American actor and musician best known as the former host of the hit children’s television series Blue's Clues. He starred in the show from 1996 - 2002 and got a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2001. As a musician he’s released several albums of his original music, and he has opened for the Flaming Lips and collaborated with one of the band’s members on the kids album, Foreverywhere. Steve is an accomplished TV and stage actor, most recently starring in a developmental run of his one-man show Steve Burns: Alive. Steve is a much-requested publ
It’s the Witch Wave Season 8 Finale! Tourmaline is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist whose work is dedicated to Black trans joy and freedom. She’s the author of the new book Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, which is the first comprehensive – and utterly beautiful! - biography of the visionary trans activist. Her prior book, One Day in June, is a picture book about Marsha and the Stonewall Uprising. Tourmaline is a TIME 100 Most Influential Person in the World awardee and a Guggenheim Fellow. She has frequently appeared on ABC News, as well as in the New
Kelli Scarr is an American singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in New York's Hudson Valley. She is also the founder of Vera Jean Music, a pioneering record label dedicated to championing the talents of women artists over the age of 40. Raised in Northern California, Scarr’s musical journey began in church, eventually leading her to Berklee College of Music. Over the years, she has woven her way through an eclectic range of projects, from fronting the bands Moonraker and Salt & Samovar to a significant collaboration writing, recording, and touring with Moby. Her artistry extends i
Cara Claymore i is a strength athlete and strength & fitness coach as well as a filmmaker, artist, writer, speaker, and Tarotist. They are a polytheistic witch and syncretic magickal operator, who subscribes to a fully enspirited worldview, and strives to play and provoke on the frontier of the human imagination. Their animist lens centers relationality at the heart of their artistic, magickal and fitness work. They have competed and placed at the national level in the sport of strong(wo)man, and is the creator of the landmark fitness class Mythic Strength, hosted by CrossFit South Brooklyn. T
Hilma’s Ghost is a feminist artist collective co-founded by artists and educators Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray that fuses contemporary art with modern spirituality through forms of divination and ritual. Named after the Swedish artist and mystic, Hilma af Klint, the collective's work is a critique of gendered power structures, providing a critical and revolutionary platform for rethinking gender in the arts while recovering feminist histories as its ballast for critique. Their work ranges from the traditional to the esoteric, including paintings and drawings, surrealist games, The Abst
Olga Naiman has been a New York City-based magazine editor, freelance stylist, and interior designer for the past twenty-five years. Her work has been featured extensively in publications such as House Beautiful, Domino Magazine, The Washington Post, Real Simple, and many more. Her unique approach to design is called Spatial Alchemy, and unites the spirit, psyche, body and home for the purpose of self-realization and transformation. Her new book Spatial Alchemy: Design Your Home to Transform Your Life is out now. Olga currently lives in the Hudson Valley with her partner, two children, and pet
