BS-Free Witchcraft
A monthly podcast that explores the modern witchcraft movement, aiming to cut through the usual misinformation and provide a clear, practical perspective. Hosted by Trae Dorn, it covers topics related to witchcraft, paganism, and spirituality without the typical fluff.
Episodes
99. Communication
So we covered some of this back in the "Respect" episode, but I really just wanted to take some time and explore how we talk to each other in witchcraft spaces. And, uh, I might be part of the problem here from time to time.
98. Practical Magic (1998) (With Bree NicGarran)
Bree NicGarran joins me this episode as we finally get around to talking about the 1998 film adaptation of Practical Magic. For some people the '90s movie that got them pulled into witchcraft was The Craft, while for others (like Bree) it was this one! We figured with the sequel coming out soon, we really needed to get around to talking about this one.
So we did! For two hours! You could have wat
97. Feedback/Q&A Special 2026
It’s July which means it’s time for the annual feedback/Q&A episode of the show! In this episode I sit down and answer questions that you, the audience, has been sending me over the last few months. It’s the same dance we do every summer, but maybe a surprise guest will show up and help me answer one of these.
96. A Fireside Chat
Look, there are two things I wanted to talk about this month, but didn't have enough time to fully prepare an episode on either. So, instead, I'm just going to talk about my current thoughts on both of these (unrelated) topics. First off we have the US Military no longer recognizing about 180 different religions, and then after that I'm talking about my thoughts on Chaos vs Eclecticism.
Like I s
95. An Honest Review of Thumper Forge’s “The Chaos Apple”
Well, it must be May, because I'm doing another book review! This time around I'm reviewing Thumper Forge's "The Chaos Apple" (ISBN 9780738775432) which came out last fall. It is, unsurprisingly, a book on Chaos Magic - a topic it turns out I knew more about than I realized. And while overall I liked this book a lot, it does have one glaring issue for me... but only because I'm a pedantic nerd.
94. Respect
One of the biggest challenges in building a real community in the modern witchcraft movement is, honestly, the lack of respect a lot of folks show each other. From asserting that unverified personal gnosis is fact to spreading misinformation, it's a huge issue. Well, we need to fix that.
93. Gatekeeping.
One of the topics I've wanted to cover on this show for the longest time is gatekeeping in witchcraft spaces. It was on my original list of topics when I started the show, and it just kept getting knocked down the list. My opinion has evolved a lot over the years though, and the take I have now is in many ways completely different than what it would have been if I'd made this episode when the show
92. Curse Your Enemies
A long time ago I made a joke post on Tumblr called "Beginner Witch Tips" where I included the advice to curse your enemies. But just like how the item "Fight a God" went from tongue in cheek to genuine advice, this one was always partially serious too. So this month, I'm going to explain why I think you should just start dishing out the curses to everyone who deserves it.
Remember, cursing is se
91. “Ancient” Practices
There's an annoying thing in the witchcraft community where every new idea or trend gets cast as an "ancient" practice even if it's just a few years old. Time and time again, we see people constructing false narratives about the supposed historicity of ideas, spells, and rituals in witchcraft spaces, and all of it is bad for us. Why do people feel the need to lie? Why does something being a new id
90. Nighttime.
I'm getting a bit contemplative at the end of the year, and this month we're talking about the importance of the mystery of the night. Everything feels just a little more magical in the dark, and why that just feels right as a witch. That's right, we're talking about an aesthetic this time around. Who would have guessed?
89. What Makes Wicca Wicca?
One of the biggest things I think a lot of older witches take for granted is that people understand what makes Wicca, well, Wicca. While we’ve discussed the history before, and last month talked about the weird anti-Wicca backlash, I think there are a lot of misconceptions about how this incredibly diverse religion is practiced. Frankly, just the fact that it is largely an orthopraxic religion and
88. Wicca Bad? Featuring Thumper Forge
If you spend any amount of time on social media these days, especially TikTok, you'll find a surprising amount of anti-Wiccan sentiment... and a lot of it's pretty weird. Thumper Forge, Gardnerian Wiccan and author of the forthcoming The Chaos Apple, joins me as we, frankly, debunk some of the worst of it and talk about why we think this has happened.
87. A Season of Change
This episode marks seven years of this podcast, and as we start the eighth, I decided that it was time we looked back on how much things have changed in the modern witchcraft space since then, along with how different things are since I first became a witch over twenty-five years ago. Because what is witchcraft if it's not change?
Also, I'm standing in a park most of the episode, which is why it
86. Shadow Work (And Maybe Why We Shouldn’t Tell Other Witches to Do It)
If you're in witchcraft spaces, over the last six years or so, you've likely heard someone talking about "shadow work" (or more obnoxiously telling someone "they need to do some shadow work"). And while some folks seem to consider it an essential element of witchcraft, for those of us who have been in the community a long time it's just a little bit puzzling. Likewise, a lot of the people pushing
85. Feedback/Q&A Special 2025
It's July which means it's time for the annual feedback/Q&A episode of the show! In this episode I sit down and answer questions that you, the audience, has been sending me over the last few months. It's the same dance we do every summer, and this year you guys sent me some great questions. It's a fun one.
84. We Clicked on Every Facebook Witchcraft Ad (with Bree NicGarran)
Last month we talked about a good source new witches might want to add to their libraries, because I know how hard it is to separate the signal from the noise. But this month I thought we'd go look at some of the noise instead! I clicked on every terrible ad for witchcraft stuff I could find on Facebook for a week, and decided to inflict what I found on Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran.
It's so, so
83. An Honest Review of Thorn Mooney’s “Witches Among Us”
One year ago I put out this podcast’s first book review. It was for Annwyn Avalon’s Celtic Goddess Grimoire, and I absolutely hated it. It was everything I despise in modern witchcraft publishing, and it just left a bad taste in my mouth.
I felt like I needed to fix that.
82. The Pagan Invasion and Propaganda
The 1991 Christian propaganda series the Pagan Invasion by Jeremiah Films was oddly formative for me. It's a masterclass in propaganda, and a perfect example of the kind of misinformation that was spreading during the heights of the Satanic Panic. So in this episode we're going to break down how "documentaries" like these work to push an agenda, and how to recognize these patterns in other places.
81. Reflections
This month on the show we're talking about the importance of taking stock and realizing that the person you used to be isn't the person that you are -- and how important it is to document who you are now so that you might know yourself better later.
Or something.
It makes sense if you listen, I swear.
80. A Couple of Things…
This month I wanted to talk about a couple of things that wouldn't necessarily fill out a whole episode on their own. First off, after last month's episode I wanted to clarify some of my thoughts on psychics. Secondly, I wanted to talk about bias and what we do with evidence that runs contrary to our beliefs.
It should be a fun one though.
79. The Telepathy Tapes and the Dangers of ‘Magical Autism’
One of the biggest podcasts out there right now is The Telepathy Tapes. It's topping the podcast charts on both Apple and Spotify's American listings, but it perpetrates an incredibly dangerous idea about people with autism. But none of this is new, and we've seen this kind of trend before.
So it's about time we talked about it.
78. The State of the Trae
This month we're going to do something a little different -- I'm going to just talk to you about how I'm doing right now. Stuff's not necessarily the best, so I kind of had a few things I needed to get out of my system.
But I'm still here, still fighting, and still sticking by you.
77. Agatha All Along Review (with Bree NicGarran)
It’s been about a year since Hex Positive‘s Bree NicGarran showed up to review a piece of witchcraft media with Trae, and with how terrible the world is, why not take a break and listen to two witches reviewing the latest piece of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Agatha All Along! Because we all need a distraction… and it’s an amazing show.
76. A Spooky-ish Episode (with Lozzie Stardust)
It's October, so even though we took the year off last year, we're going back to the show's roots with yet another spooky episode! This time around, Lozzie Stardust takes the guest spot and we talk about ghosts, cryptids, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Look, we got really off track on this one.
But I think you'll like it.
75. Plans.
You do your best in this life to try and figure out what you're doing. You write everything down, you make a schedule, and you plan. And sometimes those plans work out and sometimes they don't. That's what this episode is about.
Sort of. Kind of. In a way. I think.
74. Homeopathy is Bulls***.
Homeopathy is harmful and complete and total bull. I can't emphasize that enough. In this episode we're diving into the history of Homeopathy, what it is, and why it's bad. And I think, by the end of it, you'll agree with me.
73. Feedback/Q&A Special 2024!
It's July, so that means we're doing the annual feedback and Q&A special! You guys spent the last few months sending in witchcraft questions, and they got shuffled around, picked at random, and now you're getting some answers! We've played this dance before, you know what's up.
72. Arrogance.
The entire #ReturnTheStone debacle over the last couple of weeks on WitchTok is honestly just a symptom of a a larger problem. One of the core, underlying issues that is the cause of a lot of these issues in the Modern Witchcraft Movement is arrogance, and it's about time we talk about it.
71. I Hate This Book.
When the publicist for Weiser Books reached out to the show asking if I wanted a review copy of Annwyn Avalon's new book "Celtic Goddess Grimoire," I don't really think they knew what they were getting into.
Because I said yes.
And this is my review.
And this is not a good book.
70. It’s Not About Us
Sometimes in this community folks have a habit of making things about them that… aren’t. So that’s what we’re addressing this time around. Because there are times where we need to step back and get some perspective.
69. Cultural Appropriation
One of the most frustrating conversations we keep having to have in the modern witchcraft movement is about cultural appropriation. And while we've repeatedly touched on this before, I've never focused an episode purely on the topic. So let's do that. Let's talk about exactly what it is and why it's such a problem.
68. What is Witchcraft?
A question that is significantly harder to answer than most people think is "What is Witchcraft?" This month I'm going to try to answer that, and if I fail you'll be at least as confused as I am by the end. And hey, isn't nice to do something together from time to time?
67. The Headache of Misinformation
Combating misinformation has always been one of the primary missions of this show, and honestly? It just gets exhausting sometimes. Why are people in this community so willing to uncritically pass on bad information? Why can't people be bothered to do the minimum to verify what they're saying's correct?
It's incredibly frustrating.
66. Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Last month Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran joined Trae to take a look at the classic witch-centric movie Hocus Pocus (1993). This month, Bree's back to help review the 2022 sequel to that movie -- Hocus Pocus 2.
65. Hocus Pocus (1993)
It's time to dig back into the VHS tapes that you've shoved in a box in your basement (or just open Disney Plus), and talk about the classic witch-centric movie Hocus Pocus (1993). Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran joins Trae this month for an indepth look at this Halloween movie... in November.
But c'mon, we all know it's Halloween year round in these parts.
64. Ask the Question.
For the first time in five years, we're breaking the "Trae talks to someone about ghosts for an hour in October" pattern. Instead we're using this month and the witchcraft movement's obsession with Halloween to ask "why are we doing any of this stuff?"
It should make sense in the end.
I hope.
63. Nature and Witchcraft
One of the most common descriptions of "witchcraft" you'll find out there will say that it's a "nature based" practice. That's also reinforced in so many witchcraft books over the last century, as well as in the current social media witchcraft circles. This episode is here to ask the question so many folks seem to be ignoring.
Is it really?
62. Wrong Way to Witch?
Variations of the phrase "There's No Wrong Way to Witch" get tossed around our community, and I think it's about time we discuss why we say actually say that. But beyond that, there are folks who try to twist the phrase to make it mean things it doesn't -- and we need to talk about how being valid as a witch doesn't mean you're not being a complete jerk at the same time.
I use stronger language t
61. Feedback/Q&A Special 2023!
It’s July! You know what that means — it’s time for our annual Q&A special! Where you the audience send in your questions for the show, so we don’t have to research anything for a month… or something. In this supersized episode, we talk about what you wanted to talk about, instead of this month’s random whim.
I did so little work this month, I even copied that description from last year!
60. Doubt is Good.
This month we're talking about a very important concept: doubt. There are times when we question our beliefs and our witchcraft, and why that's a good thing. Blind faith never helped anyone, and can actively harm you.
59. Should There Be Wiccan Clergy?
The Aquarian Tabernacle Church has announced a new accreditation program to "professionalize" Wiccan Clergy. They're not the first people to try and set something up like this, and they likely won't be the last. Is this a good thing? Is this a bad thing?
Mostly I just think this is just a complicated thing.
58. Liminal Spaces and the Crossroads
This month we're talking about liminality and the spaces in between. The places that don't really seem to belong where they are, where that sense of unreality kicks in. Where we go to the edge of the firelight to the transition to the night.
And how that all links into one of the most important, almost universal pieces of folklore: The Crossroads.
57. Change the Wheel
This month on the show we're answering a question I get a lot, and that's how do you celebrate the Wheel of the Year if you live somewhere that the natural cycles don't line up with a bunch of holidays put together in Ireland and Great Britain? How do you adjust and adapt your celebrations to fit in with the natural world around you?
I mean, assuming you celebrate the Wheel of the Year to begin w
56. “Finger Waggling”
This month on the show we're going down a bit more of an unhinged rant than we've done lately, as we discuss "finger waggling," "sit at the foot of the great teacher" energy, and how maybe we shouldn't be letting certain dicks run stuff in the Witchcraft Community. Y'know, basic stuff that maybe we could all agree on if anyone thought about it for two seconds.
Just, uh, something to think about.
55. Lucky Girl Syndrome and the Law of Attraction
This month we're taking a look at one of New Age spirituality's most toxic philosophies: The Law of Attraction. We talk about the history of it, where it came from, and how it's come back in a major way to a whole new generation as "Lucky Girl Syndrome." What sometimes looks like a harmless TikTok trend can actually be incredibly dangerous.
54. A Conversation With Aidan Kelly
Back in September of 2021, we put out an episode all about Mabon and the person who named it, Aidan Kelly. This last October, just over after that podcast episode was released, Aidan Kelly reached out to me having listened to it and wanted to set the record straight. Thankfully he let me record the call for the show, and this is that conversation.
Consider this episode a part two to that earlier
53. Modern Witchcraft History (at CritWitchCon 2022)
This episode of BS-Free Witchcraft is actually a panel from CritWitchCon 2022 this last October. Spend an hour with Alex Wrekk, Bree NicGarran, Lozzie Stardust and myself as we talk about the history of modern witchcraft. Also you get to listen to me speed run like 130 years of history in under five minutes.
It's a lot of fun, and I think you'll like it.
52. Another Spooky Episode
It's October, and that means we're in the spookiest of seasons! With that in mind we continue the podcast's long standing tradition of doing a ghost stories episode! This year Trae is joined by Jodie Haas, co-host and co-creator of Nerd & Tie Podcast Network Shows Cool & Unusual Punishment and Pour Man's History, as they take a moment to talk about the nature of "ghosts," the folklore th
51. Consumerism and Witchcraft
Consumerism has been a driving force in the witchcraft movement since the beginning, but in the age of social media it's only gotten more visible. Is this a good thing? I mean... no. No it's not. But we probably wouldn't be talking about it if it was, would we. Also, it's entirely possible that WitchTok hates poor people.
50. Witchcraft and Social Media
On this episode we're talking about the general tone of witchcraft discourse on social media, including Tumblr and TikTok. Is Witchtok the actual problem in our community, or is it just that the short form video format eliminates any possibility of nuance?
49. Feedback/Q&A Special 2022!
It's July! You know what that means -- it's time for our annual Q&A special! Where you the audience send in your questions for the show, so we don't have to research anything for a month... or something. In this supersized episode, we talk about what you wanted to talk about, instead of this month's random whim.
48. What Is a Witch?
Can you believe we made it this long without doing an episode answering a question this basic? I mean, yeah, sure, I cover it a little in episode one -- but after running across something online, I realized I really wanted to do something more complete on the matter. So that's the question we're answering this month.
Mostly.
Sort of.
You'll find out.
47. Political Witchcraft
On this month's episode of BS-Free Witchcraft we're talking about political witchcraft. Should your witchcraft be political? What's the history of the modern witchcraft movement and political action? Should your political action end with your witchcraft?
For that last one... the answer is no. It's a definite and clear no.
46. Don’t Be Racist
We've talked before about the white supremacy issues in the modern witchcraft, neopagan, and norse heathen communities, but today we're dealing with something a little more insidious: the racism that might be coming from inside the house. Because what happens when someone who doesn't think they're racist does something racist is important, and there are lots of little things so many of us do in th
45. Burnout.
Burnout is something that every witch will likely experience in their lives, and it's just something we sort of have to deal with. So, in this episode, that's what we're talking about. And it's mostly because, uh, a certain someone is currently burned out beyond all belief.
44. That Crystals Episode
On this episode of BS-Free Witchcraft it's finally come time for an episode on crystals. Yep, almost three and a half years into this witchcraft podcast, and we're finally going to talk about the shiny rocks we all like to hoard. But here's the thing -- this might not be the episode you expect, because there's a dark side to crystals. A dark side we all need to deal with and be aware of.
The enti
43. “Lilith”
As long as I can remember, people have been debating whether or not it's okay for non-Jewish witches to incorporate Lilith into their practices. Is Lilith closed? Is it cultural appropriation? There's so much misinformation in new age and poorly written witchcraft books on Lilith, it's hard for some witches to get a clear picture. Like I've run into folks on social media talking about Lilith as a
42. The Myth Who Stole Christmas
On this (very last minute) episode of the podcast, we're looking at the myths surrounding paganism and Christmas... and how some of the claims that circulate this time of year don't really have a lot of historical grounding. Or, in some cases, any at all.
Frankly I just needed to do something that isn't depressing to talk about after last month.
41. Predators, Abusers, and Cults
On this episode of BS-Free Witchcraft we're talking about manipulators, predators, abusers, and cult-ish behavior in the modern witchcraft movement. From online spaces to real world ones, we need to know how to recognize and identify these behaviors. This episode focuses on trying to identify the issues to look out for, and Lee Bradford (creator of The Sweeney Tarot) appears to talk about their ex
40. Let’s Get Spooky-ish!
Well, we've reached that special time of year where it's time to talk about ghost stories on the podcast! Sort of! This year, Trae is joined by Lee Bradford (creator of The Sweeney Tarot), who returns to the podcast after three years. We talk about ghosts, cryptids, and legends that don't quite pan out. This year it's a much more general episode with a lot more fun debunking of weird cryptids and
39. Mabon and Aidan Kelly
In the last few years there has been some minor push back against using the name "Mabon" for the Autumnal Equinox. In this episode we're going to talk about how Mabon got its name, who came up with the name, and why exactly a small group of British Traditional Wiccans are so mad about it.
Spoiler: it's because a bunch of Gardnerian Wiccans are mad at Aidan Kelly.
38. Biases, Research, and Doing Better
This month we're talking about how we, as a community, need to actually verify that something is real before we start sharing it. Time and time again, something gets passed back and forth within the witchcraft community before someone actually bothers to ask the question "is this something that's really happening?"
Because sometimes it isn't.
37. Feedback/Q&A Special 2021!
It's July, so that means it's time for the annual BS-Free Witchcraft Q&A episode! Listeners like you sent in questions, and I'm going to do my best to answer them. Could it be a complete disaster? Maybe! Only one way to find out though.
36. Fight a God.
So a few weeks ago I made a joke post on my Tumblr where I said beginner witches should "Fight a God." This led me through a series of events which made me want to discuss how we relate to gods in witchcraft, the difference between worship and belief, and frankly whether or not we should fight a god.
That, and, we've all agreed that Apollo has an OnlyFans.
35. Social Pressure and Performative Behavior in Witchcraft
In any movement or group there's always a pull to do certain things to fit in. There's an unspoken (or I guess sometimes spoken) peer pressure to do certain performative actions to conform. The modern witchcraft movement isn't immune to this phenomenon either, and so that's what we're going to talk about this month.
But, like, in a fun way.
34. Paganing in Public
On this episode, I sit down with Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran to talk about openly being a Witch in the modern world. How accepted are witches really these days? What challenges do we face being open about our craft? What are the odds that an old lady with a murder-van is going to harass you in a gas station parking lot?
...they're surprisingly good apparently.
33. The Wheel of the Year
After two fairly depressing episodes, it's time to move on to something a little less bleak. This time around we're talking about The Wheel of the Year! Well, at least the basic idea. Where did it come from, who slapped these eight holidays together, and are they really something every witch needs to give a crap about?
Minor spoiler, the answer to that last question is a firm "no."
32. A New Satanic Panic?
A couple of years ago we did an episode on the history of the Satanic Panic of the latter half of the twentieth century, but recent events have led us to ask -- could it be happening again? It's very possible that we at the start of a new wave of satanic panic, and QAnon is just the latest symptom of a larger problem.
31. Norse Paganism’s Nazi Problem
This month we're attempting to tackle a topic I've had on the list for a while: Norse Paganism's Nazi problem. It's not exactly the most fun thing in the world, but after a certain shirtless idiot was amongst the rioters that attempted to overthrow the United States government at the capitol on January 6th, I just couldn't put it off any longer. I don't know how helpful this episode is, but it def
30. Friggin’ Ghosts.
This month on the BS-Free Witchcraft podcast we're tackling ghosts -- which may sound like an October topic, but instead of spooky stories we're instead going for practical advice on how to deal with them. What do you do if you encounter a ghost in the wild? What do you do if you think there's a ghost in your home? It's the perfect thing to discuss during the longest nights of the year (at least i
29. The Craft Legacy (2020)
Earlier this year, Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran and I sat down to talk about the 1996 movie The Craft. It was a hugely influential film for a whole generation of witches, and surprisingly holds up well. So, needless to say, when the long awaited sequel/remake The Craft: Legacy came out on Video On Demand last month, we knew we needed to sit down and talk about it.
So we did.
For two hours.
28. Let’s Get SPOOKIER!
It's Halloween. Like, literally. And like every other October episode on the BS-Free Witchcraft podcast, that means we're talking about personal ghost experiences. Joining me this episode (from all around the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network) are Gen Prock (from The Nerd & Tie Podcast and Stormwood & Associates), Cris Sass-Council (from Let's Be Legendary), and unsurprisingly Bree NicGarr
27. Pagan Pride Day
On this episode of the podcast we're going towards a more positive note, and talking about a pretty great thing in the larger Witchcraft and Pagan community. I'm joined by Amanda Tomasini, former organizer of Central Illinois Pagan Pride Day, to discuss... well... Pagan Pride Day.
Kind of spoiled that one there, didn't I.
26. Witchcraft in the Time of Coronavirus
So the world is a massive garbage fire at the moment, and we're all trying to cope. Witchcraft right now isn't the easiest thing to do, and we need to take the time and acknowledge that it's okay to not to feel jazzed about it sometimes. Like -- it's okay to not be okay.
Also, apparently we're all astral projecting and sleeping with people in their dreams? Why did no one tell me that was the plan
25. Feedback/Q&A Special 2020
It's July, and that means we're doing another Q&A special where I answer questions from listeners like you. And this year I remembered to record it before I hid in a cabin for a week! We talk about your questions about Witchcraft, the show in general, and just stuff I guess. Watch what happens when I get fact checked! It's neat!
24. The Craft (1996)
It's strange to think that a 90s teenage horror/urban fantasy film would be massively culturally important to the modern witchcraft movement, but for a generation of witches that's exactly what The Craft is. In this super long episode of the podcast (seriously -- it's almost an hour and a half), I sit down with Hex Positive's Bree NicGarran for a chat about the film. We tackle the themes, plot, an
23. The Burning Times
On this installment of the podcast we tackle probably one of the more controversial topics in the modern witchcraft movement: The Burning Times. What were the actual "Burning Times," where do we get that phrase from, and what really happened? Also, how has this phrase been used in modern witchcraft.
It's a heavy one, folks.
22. Witches 4 Hire
So on last month's episode we talked about would-be-gurus like Leah Steele. This month we're instead going to look at her low-budget cousins though: Spell Farms. What's a Spell Farm? They are websites where the average person can plunk down some money for a "witch" to cast a spell for them.
And they're just as reliable and honest as they sound.
21. A Spiral of BS
So we don't talk about a lot of new age gurus, life coaches, and other "spiritual leaders" on this show. But when so called "Wealth Witch" Leah Steele reached out to me literally out of nowhere this month... I ended up going down the weirdest rabbit hole that ended at an "Australian Sex Wizard." That is a sentence I just typed.
Last month we went solidly into the Witchcraft category, this month w
20. A Dabbler’s Week
We've talked before about how dabbling in witchcraft is not just perfectly acceptable, but should be encouraged. It leaves the question open though -- just how does one dabble? With that in mind, and at the suggestion of Tumblr user AskSecularWitch, I've gone through and created a "Dabbler's Week" -- a week of activities that someone could do to get a taste of what my form of witchcraft is like.
