Sunday, June 16, 2013

#032 - A Deed Without A Name


032_leemorgan 
In the latest episode of The Infinite and the Beyond, we speak with Australian author and teacher, Lee Morgan about her new book A Deed Without A Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft. Lee identifies as a pagan animist – witch and runs a blog titled My Craft and Sullen Art where she identifies herself as a Traditional Witch, non traditional dichotomy-smasher, line-blurrer, bone-singer, folk-healer, head-bender, and sometimes poet.
"The field of witchcraft studies is continually over-turning new information and research about traditional witchcraft practices and their meanings. A Deed Without a Name seeks to weave together some of this cutting-edge research with insider information and practical know-how. Utilising her own decades of experience in witchcraft and core-shamanism Lee Morgan pulls together information from trial records, folklore and modern testimonials to deepen our understanding of the ecstatic and visionary substrata of Traditional Witchcraft. Those who identify themselves as 'Traditional' tend to read a lot of scholarly texts on the subject and yet still there remains a vast gulf between this information and knowledgeably applying it in practice; this book aims to close that gap." - A Deed Without A Name (back cover)

coverWe hear some awesome music by Swallows from their latest album, “Witching and Divining.” Swallows is an Americana/rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota who has recently released their second full-length album, the roots-oriented Witching & Divining. Since its release, Witching & Divining has received strong media support in the Twin Cities and was in rotation on over 160 college and public radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada, including several weeks of charting in the CMJ and Earshot! top 30 on 15 stations. 

In A Corner in the Occult, we learn about Scottish witch Isobel Gowdie who was tried for witchcraft back in the 17th century. One of most of the witchcraft confessions obtained in trials from the past centuries, Isobel Gowdie's, a flaming red-haired woman from Auldearn, Scotland, is said to be the most elaborate and compelling and offers a unique look at what Scottish Witchcraft may have been like.

And in the Essence of Magick, we consider the values and issues surrounding authenticity. The desire for truth and the concern for authenticity in one's spiritual and religious practice, has a tendency to even filter into one's personal magickal practice. Which begs the question, what does it mean for one's magick to be considered as authentic? Does this issue refer to history and the accuracy of a practice or does it refer to the level of sincerity behind the act? All this and more in this episode of The Infinite and the Beyond. Enjoy!