Magic in the United States

Today, tech-savvy magical practitioners are creating, remixing, and merging ideas, tools, and practices that are decidedly digital. LEDs instead of candles, Tarot apps instead of paper cards, VR rooms instead of temples – some practitioners are using digital tools to replace or supplement physical ones. And when practitioners interact with an AI as a spirit, they challenge conventional understandings of both the spiritual and the material — and reveal how we think about both. Featuring Alya Lux and Dr. Damien P. Williams.

Sabrina, Willow, Thomasin, Queenie – many of us have a favorite teen witch from film or television. The teenage witch archetype has changed over the decades, from a silly materialist bobby soxer, to a raging force of rebellious autonomy. But until very recently, the teen witch has almost always been presented as middle-class, female, and white. And while media depictions of witches have inspired Seekers of the magical and sorcerous – the world of actual teen witches is still very much shrouded in mystery. Featuring Miranda Corcoran, Addy Ebrahimy, Heather Greene, and Susan Ridgely.

Open almost any newspaper and you’ll find your horoscope. But this form of Western astrology has a long and complex history. It began thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia before European settlers brought it to North America, where they used it in farming and for answering questions. In this episode, we learn how astrology has survived and evolved in the United States and ask: is astrology a science or pseudoscience? Magic or art? Psychological tool or a divination method? The answer might just be like the stars: all of the above. Featuring Nicholas Campion, Tres Henry, Michael York, and Jake Zukowski.

St. Cyprian of Antioch was a lesser-known Catholic saint with a fascinating folk history in the Iberian peninsula, Scandinavia, and Brazil. But around 2010, this folk saint of sorcery and magic immigrated to the United States and went pop in some communities of magical practitioners and found a new home in America. Featuring Jesse Hathaway Diaz, José Leitão, and Katarina Pejovic.

Curanderismo originated in Central and South America and is a form of folk healing that merges Catholic and indigenous ideas into its own unique practice. Today, curanderismo is practiced in many Mexican American communities throughout the United States. A curandera or curandero not only treats physical ailments, but also supernatural ones, and often serves as an important community leader. The curandera Teresa Urrea was a prominent figure in the Mexican-U.S. border uprisings of the 1880s and her story bridges the physical and metaphysical border between these two young nations.  Featuring Brett Hendrickson, Jennifer Koshatka Seman, and Grace Sesma.

The seemingly sorcerous origins of The Book of Mormon

Witches and black cats continue to decorate neighborhood lawns. The flowers on community ofrendas remain fresh --  as golden as an autumn sunset. Halloween was just a few days ago, but it still feels like spooky season -- so get ready for Season 3 of Magic in the United States! Join host Heather Freeman for more magic, religion, and spiritual remixing on November 12th, 2024, wherever you get your podcasts.

Angelica Ross, the actress and advocate, joins Second Sunday's Esther and Darren to explore the unexpected path that led her from the Church of God in Christ to practicing Buddhism for the last thirteen years. Raised in a religious household, Angelica felt a calling to explore spirituality outside the confines of tradition. She opens up about the relationship with her mother and the profound forgiveness and freedom she discovered through her Buddhist practice.Second Sunday is a podcast about Black queer people finding, keeping, and sometimes losing faith in the Black church. Join hosts Darren and Esther as they take turns exploring the journey of each guest as they navigate religion, spirituality, culture, and identity. You’ll love this show if you have questions about religion, grew up around the Black church, and want to hear perspectives and a tiny bit of advice from people who have survived challenging moments and complicated feelings. Most of all, you’ll love this show if you enjoy listening to hosts who crack jokes first and ask questions later. Tune in to Second Sunday on The Qube or wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about this episode and series, visit:https://www.secondsundaypod.com/finding-freedom-in-buddhism-with-angelica-ross/ https://www.secondsundaypod.com/https://www.instagram.com/secondsundaypod/

Silver Daniels was raised Wiccan by his mom. But as a young adult, he eventually found his way to Lucumí. We met Silver in Season 2, Episode 2: The Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, and learned about Wicca in both Season 1, Episode 1: Magical Remixing and Season 2, Episode 1: The Starry Minos.  Listen to these episodes first to catch all the nuance, and enjoy Silver's fun storytelling!

Thorn Mooney is a religious studies PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill, an author, magical practitioner, and a witch. She also has a new book about witches and witchcraft, but this one is for non-practitioners. In her new book, Witches Among Us, Thorn “dispels common misconceptions while delving into what it means to be a witch, including beliefs and practices.” Heather Freeman did a YouTube live-streamed interview of Thorn on August 15th, 2024, where they talked about her book, being a magical practitioner in academic spaces, and how the language we use about magic, religion, and witchcraft has meaning and nuance. You can watch the whole interview at https://www.youtube.com/@HeatherFreeman/streams and find links to Thorn's social media accounts and books here: https://thornthewitch.wordpress.com/ /