BS-Free Witchcraft

Bullshit-Free Witchcraft is a monthly podcast on the Modern Witchcraft movement, minus any extraneous, well, bullshit. Look, aesthetics are great, and none of us would be here if we didn’t love the mystery — but there’s a lot of misinformation floating around, and this podcast aims to dispell it.

It’s a show designed to cater to all ranges of experience — from those who have been witches for decades to those just starting out. We hope there’s something here for everyone.

New episodes come out the last Saturday of the month.

BS-Free Witchcraft

November 30, 2019 Nerd & Tie Bree NicGarran, British Traditional Wicca, British Traditional Witchcraft, Doreen Valiente, Gatekeeping, Gerald Gardner, Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft

17. Older Doesn’t Mean Better

I got a question in my inbox from a listener asking if whether or not knowing a lot of Wicca was created less than a hundred years ago made it feel less legitimate. It’s an interesting question, and whether or not something being more “established” makes it more “real” is something I thought we should tackle.

Also, there’s a tiny bit more of that interview with author Bree NicGarran from last episode that serendipitously applied (that was cut), so I’ve included it here.

BS-Free Witchcraft

October 26, 2019 Nerd & Tie Bree NicGarran, Ghost, Ghosts, Halloween, Hauntings, Poltergeist, Samhain, Spooky, Witch, Witchcraft

16. Let’s Get Spooky (Again)! ft. Bree NicGarran

It’s that spooky time of year again. With Halloween and Samhain coming up in a few days, it’s time to talk about ghost stories again. This time around I’m joined by the author of Grovedaughter Witchery: Practical Spellcraft and The Sisters Grimmoire Bree NicGarran as we talk about our personal experiences with the paranormal. Like last year, this is an extended, hour long episode.

Oh, and I complain about deer for a minute in there. Because deer are annoying.

BS-Free Witchcraft

September 28, 2019 Nerd & Tie Neopaganism, Witchcraft

15. Witchcraft vs Paganism

On this episode of the podcast we’re digging into the differences between “Paganism” and “Witchcraft.” While there is clearly a lot of overlap between these two umbrella terms, there are some important differences.

So, yeah, let’s talk about them.

BS-Free Witchcraft

August 31, 2019 Nerd & Tie gender, gender identity, Neopagan, new age, nonbinary, Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft, yin yang

14. Gender and Witchcraft

There are a lot of regressive ideas built into some forms of witchcraft when it comes to gender, and it’s about time we sat down and talked about it. On this episode of the podcast we’re talking about gender and witchcraft, and how gender essentialism is massively bullshit.

So, y’know, we’re keeping it light.

BS-Free Witchcraft

July 27, 2019 Nerd & Tie Neopaganism, Paganism, pantheism, Wicca, Witchcraft

13. Feedback/Q&A Special

On this episode of the podcast I’m answering questions sent in from listeners like you! I’m also doing it from a cabin in the Wisconsin Northwoods though, so there is no music, no second takes, and it’s been recorded on my iPhone.

Hopefully this doesn’t turn out terribly.

BS-Free Witchcraft

June 29, 2019 Nerd & Tie sephora witch kit, Witch, witchblr, Witchcraft, witchcraft kit

12. Store Bought Is Fine

Last year one of the biggest hub bubs in the Witch community was Pinrose introducing a “Starter Witch Set” which was intended to be sold at Sephora stores. There was such an uproar from the Witchcraft community that Sephora ended up pulling the kits before they were ever able to reach consumers. But was this remotely a good thing? On this episode of the podcast Trae’s going to talk about the commercialization of Witchcraft… and how its pretty much okay.

For the most part.

BS-Free Witchcraft

May 25, 2019 Nerd & Tie Wicca, Witch, Witchcraft

11. A Witch Phase (Not the Moon Kind)

It’s generally accepted that witchcraft is “just a phase” for some people — that they’ll dabble a bit and then move on from it. I guess my question then is… is this actually a bad thing? Isn’t trying out stuff good?

I think it is.

BS-Free Witchcraft

April 27, 2019 Nerd & Tie Evangelical Christianity, Neopaganism, Paganism, pentacle, Pentagram, Satanic Panic, Wicca, Witchcraft

10. The Satanic Panic

The Satanic Panic of the 70s, 80s, and 90s shaped the Modern Witchcraft Movement in a lot of unexpected ways. Its effects still ripple through a lot of our sources, so in this installment of the podcast we’re digging into this extremely weird part of American history.

It’s a bit of a doozy, after all.

BS-Free Witchcraft

March 30, 2019 Nerd & Tie British Traditional Wicca, British Traditional Witchcraft, Gerald Gardner, Religious Witchcraft, Wicca, Wiccan Rede, Witch, witchblr, Witchcraft

9. The Wiccan Rede

The Wiccan Rede is the foundational moral principle of Wicca. As it’s one of the larger forms of Witchcraft practiced today, I thought we’d dig into it and understand where it came from, what it means, and why it’s important.

Also I spend a minute debunking the Law of Return/Threefold Law, so even if you don’t care about Wicca, you might find that bit entertaining. Like you can pull it out whenever some jackass on Tumblr tries to tell you that you’re “witching wrong” or some other bull. Just like blow their minds and stuff.