The WitchHunt Podcast

At a time when institutions are being exposed, when power structures are cracking and many are asking “where do we go from here?”, this conversation offers a profound lens.In this episode, Alexandra sits down with Annie Matan — a Kohenate, or Hebrew priestess — to explore the reclamation of feminine spiritual leadership within Judaism.Together they discuss:The historical existence of priestesses in ancient Israelite and Sumerian culturesHow patriarchy narrowed spiritual authority to men during the Temple eraThe intentional revival of the Kohenate lineage after 2,500 yearsThe difference between inherited religion and lived, embodied spiritualityHow deconstructing patriarchy within faith traditions opens space for something more wholeWhy looking back to ancient models may be essential if we are to imagine a new futureThis conversation situates the current unraveling of systems within a longer arc of history. What we are witnessing now is not the collapse of natural law — but the exposure of a constructed hierarchy that served the consolidation of power.If we are to build something new, we must remember what existed before domination defined the sacred.Annie’s work reminds us that the priestess was never a fantasy. She was real, and is now needed more than ever.More about Annie.Kohenet Annie Matan (she/her) was born and raised in Toronto and is known for using songful prayer to weave ancestral Jewish traditions with contemporary, feminist values. As a Jewish, Queer, Polyam single Mama, Annie is passionate about supporting people of all genders and faiths to feel fully seen, heard, and held in every aspect of their lives.Annie was among the first cohort of Hebrew Priestesses ordained in 2500 years through the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute in 2009. She holds a BA in Humanities from York University’s Centre for Jewish Studies, a Certificate in Experiential Education from the Pardes Center for Jewish Studies, and studied in the ALEPH Rabbinic Ordination Program.As the Founder and Spiritual Leader of Matanot Lev | Gifts of the Heart, a feminist, queer-of-centre, and witchy spiritual community in Toronto, Annie creates inclusive spaces that welcome all—Jewish, Jew-ish, interfaith, LGBTQ+, and those curious about Jewish spirituality. Her community-based offerings include innovative Holy Day and Shabbat Unservices, monthly Red Tents for women, and rituals for key life cycle transitions such as weddings, baby welcomings, and funerals.Annie provides mentorship and Spiritual Guidance using Human Design, Astrology, and Divination, helping individuals and couples of all genders navigate personal transitions and deepen their intuitive gifts and relationships.  Annie’s work is rooted in fostering a deep sense of belonging, inclusivity, and spiritual connection. You can follow her writing on Substack at  The Priestess is IN, find her creative updates on Instagram, and explore more about her offerings at linktr.ee/anniematan. Learn more about Alexandra's work at conectada.ca

In this episode of the WitchHunt Podcast, Alex sits down with Lesley Turner, emotional archeologist, medium, and creator of the SEER Method, to dive into the world of spirit communication, energy healing, and intuitive awakening. From sensing ghosts on nature trails to channeling messages from ancestors during healing sessions, Lesley shares how she learned to trust her gifts and embrace the unseen realms that most people fear—or deny entirely.Lesley’s story is as haunting as it is inspiring. Once confined to the structured world of naturopathic medicine, she broke free to create a soul-led healing practice centered on intuition, energy, and emotional release. Together, Alex and Lesley explore the controversial truths behind mediumship, ancestral trauma, and what happens when you stop following the rules and start trusting your magic.If you’ve ever felt goosebumps at the thought of encountering spirits or questioned your connection to something greater, this conversation will shake up your perspective and invite you to lean into your own gifts.Key Topics Covered: 1. Speaking with Spirits: Lesley recounts her chilling encounter with a spirit named James during a solo forest walk and how she navigates communication with “the other side” in her everyday life. 2. From Naturopathic Doctor to Medium: Lesley shares her controversial decision to leave the regulated world of medicine and embrace her intuitive calling—despite fears of judgment from her peers. 3. Past Life Shadows: The past life vision that revealed Lesley as a medieval healer punished for her craft—and how it influenced her tendency to dim her light until she fully stepped into her power. 4. Emotional Programming and Ancestral Healing: How fear, trauma, and familial patterns can block intuitive gifts—and how healing your “inner channel” can change everything. 5. Radical Self-Worth and Soul-Led Success: Lesley’s journey to redefine success by prioritizing intuition, authenticity, and freedom, rejecting the pressure to conform to patriarchal business norms. 6. The Magic of Light Weaving: Lesley’s unique practice of manipulating energy to clear blocks and realign clients’ fields—proof that magic doesn’t always make sense to the logical mind.Connect with Lesley Turner: • Website: lesleyturner.ca • Instagram: @the.emotional.archeologistLesley’s Offerings: • 1:1 SEER Sessions: Holistic healing sessions blending bodywork, energy medicine, and intuitive guidance. • Mini SEER Readings: Concise email readings with intuitive insights and a card pull. • 1111 Club Membership: Monthly channeled messages, intuitive exercises, and guided rituals. • The Intuitive Mama Journal: Available on Amazon for those who want to strengthen their intuitive practice.Lesley’s journey into mediumship, ghosts, and energetic healing reminds us that embracing the unseen can lead to profound healing and liberation. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or seeking connection, this episode invites you to step into your power and let the magic unfold.Tune in now—and don’t forget to leave a review and share with someone who’s ready to embrace their inner mystic!

In this powerful episode of the Witchhunt podcast, we dive into a conversation around how to trust the whispers of your intuition, weave sacred practices into your daily life, and redefine success on your own terms. Nadine Moffat, a modern-day witch, priestess, and healer, shares her profound insights on embracing life transitions, honouring your unique path, and reconnecting with your inner magic.Through her personal story of rediscovery after losing herself in an unfulfilling marriage, Nadine offers wisdom on how to listen to your inner guidance, integrate ritual into your routine, and navigate life with intention and reverence. Alex and Nadine discuss the power of nature as a partner (of reverence)  in magic, the importance of building supportive communities, and how to break free from patriarchal systems that keep women disconnected from their true selves.Whether you’re navigating a life shift, seeking spiritual alignment, or simply craving more magic in your life, this episode will leave you feeling inspired to reconnect with your innate power.Key Topics Covered: 1. Trusting Intuition: How listening to the quiet whispers of your inner voice can transform your life. 2. Sacred Daily Practices: The importance of integrating rituals, such as meditation, working with plant medicine, and connecting with crystals and cards. 3. The Witch vs. The Priestess: Nadine’s definition of the witch as a self-connected being rooted in the earth versus the priestess as a facilitator devoted to holding space for others. 4. Cultural and Systemic Conditioning: Reflections on how societal expectations, like the nuclear family model, contribute to women’s disconnection from their authentic selves. 5. Redefining Success: Creating your own definition of success that honors slow living, nervous system regulation, and community-centered prosperity.Connect with Nadine Moffat: • Website: becomingstill.ca • Instagram: @becoming_stillAdditional Resources: • Mentioned books: Braiding Sweetgrass and Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer • Mentioned episode: Emily Paulson’s What’s the Women’s Wealth Transfer? | Curious Life of a Child-Free Woman podcast

She’s a tantric practitioner. A breathwork priestess. A guide into the wild terrain of intimacy, eros, and sacred remembering.And she’s not here to play nice.In this spellbinding episode, Alexandra sits down with the radiant and raw Rachael Lioness — to talk about the real work of reclaiming your body, your voice, and your pleasure as holy.They dive deep into:What it actually means to walk the path of the modern priestess (it’s not all crystals and cauldrons)Why so many women are emotionally numb — and how to wake back up through breath, truth, and desireThe liberating power of kundalini, tantra, and embodied feminine leadershipHer psychedelic initiation (yes, the mushrooms talked back)The moment she realized she was lying to everyone in her life… and had to leave it all behindThis isn’t your typical tantra talk.It’s unfiltered. Alive. And filled with raw medicine for any woman who’s ever been told she’s too much — or not enough.If you’ve been craving a deeper truth… one that lives in your bones and pulses through your hips… this one’s for you.Learn more about Rachael and her work here: https://www.rachaellioness.comAnd visit Alexandra over on her new website: conectada.ca

In this episode, we explore universal truths and the cyclical rhythms of nature, touching upon how these rhythms influence our lives and the way we interact with the world. The discussion delves into ancient practices that honoured the natural cycles and how Ceremony can help us reconnect with these sacred traditions. Emphasis is placed on the feminine energies of creation and how Ceremony can empower women to unlock their potential and align with their soul’s purpose. Consider joining my upcoming June Solstice Ceremony, SHINE 👉 https://www.alexandrahughes.com/solstice     Key Topics Discussed: Universal Truths and Natural Cycles:  The consistent patterns in nature, such as seasons, the waxing and waning of the moon, and the cycle of life and death.  The importance of recognizing and engaging with these natural laws to support ourselves and our surroundings. Personal Rituals and Seasonal Transitions:  Personal examples of seasonal rituals like changing wardrobes, preparing garden furniture, and embracing seasonal activities.  The impact of these rituals on personal well-being and connection to the natural world. Ancient Practices and Sacred Feminine:  Historical reverence for the cyclical rhythms of nature before the rise of monotheism.  The role of goddess archetypes and the sacred feminine in ancient cultures.  The alignment of modern religious holy days with ancient sacred moments. The Role of Ceremony:  Definition and importance of ceremony as a way to connect with nature and inner knowing.  Examples of ceremonies marking the solstices and their significance.  How ceremonies can provide a sense of spiritual home, connection, and empowerment. Imagining a New Spiritual Space:  Envisioning a non-hierarchical, women-led spiritual community.  The potential for such a community to support women's healing, empowerment, and potential. Personal and Collective Transformation Through Ceremony:  The transformative power of ceremony in women's lives.  Examples of personal growth and deepened relationships with nature and self after participating in ceremonies.  The concept of alchemical transformation facilitated by connecting to nature’s energies. Sacred Feminine Ceremony:  The structure and purpose of sacred feminine ceremonies.  How these ceremonies use feminine technologies to honor the sacred feminine.  The typical sequence of rituals, including the release of what no longer serves and accessing divine wisdom through the body and intuition.

Welcome to episode 57 of the WitchHunt podcast: Empowerment, Play, and the Magic of Words: A Conversation with Spiritual Doula and Priestess Pamela French In this episode, Pamela, a priestess with a passion for words, empowerment, and play, shares her journey from rural Ontario farm life to working with for the Canadian Government with the United Nations in Afghanistan, and eventually to becoming a spiritual leader, empowerment and communications coach.  Pamela and I share our experiences with international development and how we each navigated this world as spiritual new world architects.  Throughout the conversation, Pamela emphasizes the power of self-compassion, consistent focus, and the creation of a new narrative to drive meaningful change both personally and in the broader community.   It’s an absolute delight to share this conversation with Pamela, with you.      SOLSTICE CEREMONY On June 20 I will be hosting an online Solstice Ceremony that’s open to all. Sacred feminine ceremony is an women-centred modality that supports personal transformation in a cost effective, efficient and super fun way.  This ancient technology revived is for you if you’re a woman committed to stepping into the fullest potential of who you were born to be in order to create a life you love while making the impact you’re here to make.  In ceremony you gather with sisters to root into and rise through the power that lies within. You can learn more at alexandrahughes.com/solstice.  More About Pamela Pamela French is the Chief Empowerment Officer of Empowerment is Everything Inc. and Authentic Relating Ottawa. She is also a faculty member of Witch School Canada, a personal and professional leadership coach, and a pibling (a parent’s sibling) to 8 niblings (the children of siblings) whom she adores. She’s travelled and worked in Afghanistan, Washington, Thailand, Greece, and Mexico - devoting her life to the study and discovery of human potential. In addition to working within the Canadian Federal Government advancing policy and legislation to effect change. At the root of all her learning and now teaching is Connection – human to human, self to self, human to nature, human to unseen – communication is at the heart of all of it! She is passionate about creating opportunities for participants to discover the tools of connection that leave us feeling enlivened and empowered to create our lives and the relationships in it, in previously unimagined ways. We are always in relationship, with ourselves and others. From birth to death. Pamela believes that learning how to navigate communicating in those relationships authentically is extremely empowering and will lead humanity into a new era of Love and Peace – together, more aligned than ever before. You can find her:www.seedsforpeace.world www.arottawa.ca   And: https://www.instagram.com/seedsforpeace.world https://www.instagram.com/authenticrelatingottawa https://www.instagram.com/empowermentiseverything  

Welcome to Episode 56 of the Witchhunt podcast. This is a story of real life magic and miracles. And of what it takes to live a life of magicianship. Meet Danielle Brooks, serial without-a-plan-meanderer, conscious creator, self-healing cancer survivor and conduit of a healing frequency through song and touch. You are going to be blown away by Danielle’s story and enchanted by her voice. Sidenote: My personal challenge recording this episode was simply not going into deep relaxation and trance just by hearing her voice. Danielle shares her jaw-dropping story of how she went from the epitome of success to losing everything — cancer diagnosis and homeless at ground zero after 9/11. She tells us how she opened herself to the Mystery, learning from traditional healers of ancient lineages in the Phillipines and Brazil. And how she not only healed herself, but came to be a healer to others. And how one Easter weekend, she found herself in the sacred Cave of the White Lady in the Philippines, went into a deep trance to be sung through by the Mother of Creation, amongst other light beings. This is an unbelievable (and I don’t use that word lightly) story of surrender, humility and integrity. Of being broken down and cracked open into becoming a conduit of higher frequency, so as to support and uplift the sacred remembering in people. Get ready to be enchanted by Danielle’s voice, and blown away by her story. Enjoy! More about Danielle: Danielle is a sacred singer, a globetrotting adventurer and torchbearer of the larger vision and higher realms. She carries the Creation codes that when sung, open Universal wisdom, initiate sacred expansion into Oneness and offer profound healing. She is a way shower to Divine Surrender, freedom and living in alignment with Soul Essence. For the past 22 years, Danielle has been assisting people all over the world to reconnect to their truth, inner power and highest joy. She has dedicated the past 6 years to working primarily with Gaia and our oceans in remote parts of the world.Her path has always been one of radical trust and transformation through the power of self love and acceptance. In 2001, diagnosed with cancer, she left an unhealthy marriage and moved across the world only to find herself alone, at ground zero, on 9/11. Pain was a patient teacher that ultimately led her into a joy filled way of living.In 2005 the Divine Mother began to sing through Danielle and a new form of vibrational medicine emerged. Combined with her background in Philippine and Brazilian psychic surgery, mysticism and shamanism, Danielle offers a unique and powerful way to transform yourself and create a heart centred way of living that is natural and true. An eternal student of the light, Danielle holds a PhD in Human Development and Religion.You may not realize it but your greatest gifts have come from the deepest challenges. Scars really do become marks of beauty. Danielle invites you to experience this transformation too. For more information please contact Danielle at:[email protected] 

Hello and welcome to episode 55 of the Witchhunt podcast.You ready to talk about what it means to take our work as Witches, to the frontlines of change? Meet Dawn Moore, an eclectic witch and social justice activist. Dawn defines witchcraft as bending reality to spark change and discusses how it provides a spiritual framework for addressing injustice. she shares how witchcraft provides her with tools for inner strength and resilience in activism work. She also discusses creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and bringing healing to those in profound human suffering. She discusses the interconnectedness of issues like inclusion, decolonization, and prison reform. And emphasizes that witches are healers, warriors, and catalysts for change, needed now more than ever. If you’re an advocate for a different world, you are not going to want to miss this courageous, inspiring, and fresh conversation that sits at the intersection of social justice, activism and witchcraft. Enjoy!   More about Dawn: Dawn is a shadow witch who bridges light and dark through social justice work. A long time activist and advocate Dawn uses magic in support of her actions for social change and also helps other witches and seekers on their own activist paths through her work on activism and allyship in troubled times. Dawn lives in the wilds of Quebec with her children and familiar.

Welcome to episode 54 of the WitchHunt podcast. This is a conversation that dances at the intersection of love, anger and the healing medicine of the sacred masculine. We talk about the importance of not only normalizing struggle in our day-to-day lives, but of learning how to navigate it — and the plethora of feelings it offers up — with neutrality, wisdom, perspective and a good sense of humour. We also talk about things nobody else talks about like how egoic growth accompanies our spiritual growth and why it’s important to stay conscious of this, of the importance of healing from empathy (especially for women) and of the magic that lives in your raging eye of the storm. Hold onto your broomstick witches, as you take in the power, wisdom and healing words of Osa Natalie Fraser.     More About Osa: Natalie Fraser, or as some know her, OSA, identifies as a Witch and has been working as a spiritual coach, minister and facilitator for over 25 years. She is a teacher, Crone and alumni with WitchSchool Canada and also runs a complementary program for women called Unedited Woman. Her philosophy is to always be the student as well as the teacher. She perpetually continues her studies in western modalities of counselling along with ancient and modern healing practices from around the world. Natalie takes this approach in order to be able to meet each client's needs rather than the client being limited to one treatment method or ceremony style. Her work has taken her into offices, schools, hospitals, community and retreat centres , seniors centres, spiritual spaces and family homes, making her work universal and adaptable to all. Her “soul” purpose is to give you the tools to help you heal yourself. Her calling is to serve love.How to find her:www.nataliefraser.cawww.moment-m.ca

On this potent Full Moon and Eclipse, that follows the energetic rebirth of the Spring Equinox, I have the privilege of introducing you to one of my teachers, now a dear friend on the Witchhunt podcast.   Meet Kiki Keskinen, creator of WitchSchool Canada, who's life is one magical story after another.    >> Click here to tune in: Rewilding the Witch Within: Kiki Keskinen on Nature, Magic & Building a School for Modern Witches     Kiki shares her incredible story as a child, her early professional years as a secret revolutionary witch agent behind the scenes of corporate Canada, and how Witchschool Canada came to be. We discuss the power of rewilding, eclectic witchcraft, black magic, the intersection of feminism, earth love and spirituality. And so much more!   It's with delight that I share the deep wisdom and playful spirit of Kiki!   Enjoy!   xx AlexP.S. LAST CHANCE TO JOIN Witchhunt Collective: 13 Moons Together I have 5 spaces left in my year-long Full Moon women’s circling experience that's dotted with 4 seasonal sacred feminine ceremonies (like RISE. You can pay for as little as $37/ month for 12 months. Or for $400 for the full year. There are 13 gatherings in total — 4 ceremonies (hybrid events) and 9 full moon circles (virtual only). Doors open until Thursday March 28. Hit reply if you'd like more details on the Collective.