Jessi Huntenburg is a witch, content creator, and all-around fantastic human who has recently started refering to herself as a "Mind Witch." I was deeply intrigued by this term, so I asked her to come on to chat about it. What transpired was a deep, thoughtful conversation between two similar thinkers.

In addition to Jessi's mind witchery, we talk about divinity, cosmic consciousness, the witch business, and much more. This is an in-depth, exploratory, fun chat between two occultists who are both genuinely excited by ideas and conversation. 

0:00-2:02 Intro 2:03-3:33 What would Jessi tell her 16 year-old self?  3:34-4:52 Success and Focus 4:53-8:01 If elderly Jessi spoke with current Jessi, what would she say? 8:02-11:57 What's it like to start a business in the Witchcraft space? 11:57-14:27 How does Jessi overcome the stresses of running her own business? 14:28-20:29 How does Jessi navigate the ethical constraints of making content online? 20:30-23:42 Why Jessi (and I) are both interested in what's useful in the Esoteric. 23:43-25:23 Where is the line between a functional interest in the Esoteric and belief? 25:24-31:53 Jessi's and I's transition from Theoretician to Practitioner. 31:54-34:29 What is a Mind Witch? 34:30-40:51 How does Jessi view cosmology as a Mind Witch? 40:52-43:44 Does it matter if the Gods are materially real? 43:45-48:24 Jessi and me deep diving on divinity. 48:25-52:21 When you've gone too deep thinking about the Esoteric. 52:22-57:54 How to recognize when you've lost touch with material reality and what to do about it. 57:55-1:08:50 What Jessi's coven is like. 1:08:51-1:17:40 How can people tell the difference between exploitative and healthy esoteric spaces? 1:17:41-1:25:21 Are there elements in Esoteric thought or Witchcraft that could fix what is broken in the western world? 1:25:22-1:25:55 Where to find more about Jessi Huntenburg 1:25:56-1:26:25 Outro

Jessi's Mind Witch video: https://youtu.be/M7SDKBbQrxo

More about Jessi https://jessihuntenburg.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jessi_huntenburg/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZfyjjVFNqNBLRg6p964AWQ https://www.patreon.com/jessihuntenburg

If you're thinking about visiting Salem, you'll definitely want to check out this interview with Ron Martin. He's one of the most knowledgeable minds out there on the Salem tourism scene and he recently put his over 20 years' worth of Salem adventures into a travel book (link below) titled Discover Salem: A Tour Guide for the Witch City.

He's also obsessed with the Salem Witch Trials and hosts the definitive Trials history podcast, the Salem 1692 podcast.

This episode is really just two Salem nerds geeking out about a place we both adore. It also serves as a fantastic introduction to the city and its tourism market for anyone who hasn't been before. Our conversation ranges from the implications of hyper commercialization to the best places to check out in Salem and a whole lot more. Check out the timecodes to bounce to a particular section. And continue below that for links to Ron's work.

01:50 Skip Intro

02:10 Salem Massachusetts Halloween 2020 conversation

04:44 How Ron Martin got interested in Salem

06:40 Danvers and the still remaining Salem Witch Trials locations

09:12 Ron's first trip to Salem 

14:05 What long-distance travelers to Salem should know about the cost of visiting the city

15:29 What's our favorite place to stay in Salem?

17:48 Is The Merchant hotel haunted?

19:15 My Salem ghost story at the Hotel Salem

24:50 There are ghosts everywhere in Salem

25:16 Ron's ghost experiences in Salem

28:33 What about Salem keeps Ron coming back?

33:04 A conversation on the Salem 1692 Podcast

38:05 What is so fascinating about the Salem Witch Trials?

43:57 Our understanding of the Salem Witch Trials is still changing

45:10 Does Salem do a good job of adequetely representing the With Trials?

47:12 Are Salem Witch Trials attraction exploiting the victims of the 1692 hysteria?

56:50 Is there anything Ron would change about Salem's attractions scene?

59:19 Could and should the Peabody Essex Museum do a better job with the Witch Trials?

01:02:05 How could you stop bad Witch Trials attractions from springing up?

01:08:15 A covnersation on history versus entertainment and how Ron's book can help

01:12:38 Rapid fire Salem recommendations from Ron Martin

Ron's Work:

The Salem 1692 Podcast: http://www.ihatestuff.net/category/salem-1692-podcast/

Discover Salem: A Tour Guide for The Witch City: https://amzn.to/3nf23zp

Ron on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihatestuff/

Find way more about all things Salem at https://tosalem.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/tosalemsite

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tosalemsite

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tosalemsite

Like the Salem Witch Podcast? Then check out the clips channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHCWfQiK25xT8v9-55e3PIA

What's it like to be a tour guide and fiction author in Salem, Massachusetts? I had these questions on the mind when I asked Rory O'Brien on the show. He's a fiction lover, native New Englander, walking tour guide in Salem, and the author of the Lennox series, a fictional cop procedural/thriller saga set in the witch city.

Our conversation covered a whole wide range of topics, which you can check out via the questions below. Generally, we talk about writing Salem fiction, what it's like on the ground in Salem these days, and the many tensions that are at play in the Salem tourism industry. It's a fascinating conversation with an equally fascinating guest.

Skip Intro: 00:04:40

How did Rory end up in Salem? 00:04:51

When did Rory start doing tours in Salem? 00:05:50

What is it like to be a walking tour guide in Salem? 00:06:10

What is Rory's tour like in Salem? 00:08:02

What is it like being in the Salem tourism industry? 00:09:58

What era of Salem's history is the most appealing to you? 00:12:20

What are some of the most common misconceptions about the Salem Witch Trials? 00:013:53

As a skeptical person and author, what enchants you about Salem? 00:15:38

What about Salem's history is so fascinating? 00:18:38

What's surprises you about Salem's history? 00:19:33

How are Salem's tour guides dealing with the Coronavirus? 00:21:06

What long-term changes are Salem's tourism industry seeing as a result of COVID-19? 00:22:32

How could tours operate safely in the age of the Coronavirus? 00:23:12

What's it like to do video tours of Salem? 00:24:05

Will there be more books in the Lennox series? 00:24:58

Was "Gallow's Hill" Rory's first novel? 00:28:16

What is it like being a fiction writer in 2020? 00:31:22

How does Rory approach writing the Lennox series? 00:34:35

Does Rory use real Salem crimes to influence his writing? 00:35:13

Which other authors are influencing the Lennox series? 00:36:45

Where do you love to take people in Salem? 00:39:49

Is there a tension between "authentic" Salem attractions and the more alluring, dramatic ones? If so, how does it manifest? 00:41:57

Why isn't there a great Salem history museum? 00:45:52

Where to find out more about Rory 00:48:53

For more about Rory, his blog, books, or to book a tour, check out https://www.roryobrienbooks.com/

Rory O'Brien's Books:

Gallow's Hill: https://amzn.to/3oEIthm

The Afflicted Girl (Sequel to Gallow's Hill): https://amzn.to/3oCetmt

Check out a sample from Rory's upcoming short story collection here: http://www.merryblacksmith.com/?p=1085

Find way more about all things Salem at

https://tosalem.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/tosalemsite/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tosalemsite/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tosalemsite/

Salem’s Ghosts - A Salem Witch Trials Paranormal Audio Drama is a feature-length, full-cast audio drama. This immersive audio experience begins at the height of the Salem Witch Trials, but this take on 1692 is unlike any you’ve ever heard. It casts an unflinching eye on Salem that erases the divide between the past and present with an intensity that does not relent until it reaches its unexpected conclusion. Raw, humanizing, and character-driven, you will not want to miss this take on Salem’s history brought to life by an ensemble cast of professional vocal performers.

Salem’s Ghosts tells the haunting tale of one of the era’s most notorious villains: High Sheriff George Corwin. We follow Corwin as the pressure to be an effective arm of the court intensifies and he becomes ever more desperate to please Salem’s magisterial authorities.

Early reviewers from the Salem tourism and Witchcraft communities call the production, “Sinister, intriguing, entertaining, and ruthless" and "The perfect mix between truth and terror.”

Salem’s Ghosts is intended for mature audiences. 

A note about historical accuracy and representation. Salem's Ghosts is very much based on real events. For narrative purposes, the details of some historical events have been altered as well as where certain events occurred within the overall timeline of the trials. Such alterations were not done to mislead or repaint history, but were instead purely intended to heighten or clarify the narrative. 

Learn more at: https://tosalem.com/salems-ghosts/

Learn more about the cast at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13162564/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Find way more about all things Salem at https://tosalem.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/tosalemsite

Instagram: instagram.com/tosalemsite

Twitter: twitter.com/tosalemsite

If you would like to follow along with a full transcript, you can find the script at: https://tosalem.com/salems-ghosts/

Salem's Ghosts - A Salem Witch Trials Paranormal Audio Drama is an hour-long narrative experience set against the backdrop of the Salem Witch Trials. It features a cast of truly stunning voice actors, each of whom play real people who experienced and/or helped to cause the horrors of the trials. But the hangings aren't the only ghastly narrative at play in this story.

Salem's Ghosts also explores the most famous haunting in all of Salem which is, unsurprisingly, very much connected to the Salem Witch Trials. And, terrifyingly, everything you'll hear in the audio drama, both from the trials and the associated haunting(s), is drawn from very well-documented events. In other words, the echoes of everything the audio drama examines are very much still with us to this very day. You can even still visit some of the story's locations in Salem.

In the lead-up to the main story's release on October 24th, 2020, ToSalem is dropping two connected ghost stories. Like the audio drama itself, both tales are drawn from real events and/or ghost stories. The first is called, "Child of God," and it centers on a character we will see return in the full-length audio drama: Abigail Hobbs.

To make sure you don't miss any of the releases connected to Salem's Ghosts - A Salem Witch Trials Paranormal Audio Drama, be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel. If you'd rather just listen, you can subscribe to the podcast where the show will be released via the links below. Stay weird, witches!

More information on Salem's Ghosts - A Salem Witch Trials Paranormal Audio Drama: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13162564/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

ToSalem Podcast:

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-salem-witch-podcast/id1535188140

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1xPXebDKBViMxTdUFCyRyn

Google: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVzYWxlbXdpdGNocG9kY2FzdC50b3NhbGVtLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Podbean: https://thesalemwitchpodcast.tosalem.com/

Alexa/TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/The-Salem-Witch-Podcast-p1374419/

Child of God was written by Veronica Toone with story assistance by Joel Austin. It was performed by Veronica Toone.

Learn more about Veronica's media work here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10077877/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Learn more about Joel's media work here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1792430/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3

Find way more about all things Salem at https://tosalem.com/ 

Facebook: https://facebook.com/tosalemsite/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tosalemsite/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tosalemsite/

Thorn Mooney is among the most fascinating, intelligent Wiccans I’ve come across on the internet. I discovered her via her YouTube channel, where she explores what it’s like to actually live in both the ritualistic world of a practicing Wiccan and the very modern world of a content creator with a day job. While many shy away from exploring this strange space, Thorn instead dives headlong into the weirdness offering videos with titles like, “I’m Not a Professional Witch and That’s Fine with Me,” “Don’t Put Other Witches on Pedestals,” and “Experiences Being a Pagan Content Creator,” among many others.

We spoke a few months back and, after a lot of technical drama that’s not thankfully resolved, by the way, be very careful which podcast hosting provider you choose, I’m thrilled to release our conversation as it ranks, not just among the best on this show, but also as one of the more grounded esoteric conversations I’ve ever had. We explore a wide variety of topics, all circling around the convergence between what we might call modern life and Wicca or Witchcraft broadly.

She wrote Traditional Wicca, A Seeker’s Guide for Llewellyn, with whom she has another upcoming book tentatively titled Next Level Witchcraft. Links to that and all her social profiles below.

00:02:11 Skip to Interview

00:02:30 How did Thorn Mooney get interested in Witchcraft?

00:03:58 If Witchcraft becomes mainstream, does it lose its value?

00:07:19 How does Thorn feel when she comes across blatant commercialization in Witchcraft?

00:14:38 Is the Witch Aesthetic Necessary?

00:17:57 Has Wicca Overshadowed Other Forms of Witchcraft?

00:20:42 How Did the Formalized Study of Religion Impact Thorn’s Wiccan Faith?

00:27:01 How Does Living in the South Impact a Wiccan Practice?

00:37:29 How Does Skepticism Impact Practicing Wicca?

00:41:16 Does Having a Cosmological Framework Matter As Much As Personal Experience?

00:45:15 What Has Being a Pagan, Wiccan Content Creator on YouTube Been Like Over the Past Decade?

00:51:39 Is It Difficult to Navigate the Ethical Constraints Imposed By Social Media as a Wiccan Creator?

01:02:01 Thorn Mooney Explores Her Path Toward Writing Her First Book

01:08:39 How Do You Tell Which Wiccan Books Are Worth Reading?

01:16:58 What Is Thorn Reading?

01:22:51 A Subtle Form of Sexism in Pagan Publishing

01:26:56 Where to Find Thorn Mooney’s Work 

Traditional Wicca: A Seeker's Guide - https://amzn.to/3iVqnDP

Thorn on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorn.mooney/

Her Blog: https://thornthewitch.wordpress.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPX1hub6z9z_nMsWGoZk1Bw

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarotskeptic?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thornthewitch/?hl=en

Find way more about all things Salem at https://tosalem.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/tosalemsite

Instagram: instagram.com/tosalemsite

Twitter: twitter.com/tosalemsite

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ0np_8AxxWpjlyBTwYdbFw

The creatures of folklore and myth absolutely captivate me. But it wasn’t until I got into exploring the world of the esoteric that I came upon perhaps the most startling realization about such beings: some of them are actually real. The term “fairy” appears in European folklore as a sort of catch-all term to describe a range of types of spirits. Some other familiar creatures from folklore that have, at times, been lumped in with fairies include goblins and gnomes. But generally these spirits are small in stature, humanoid, and wield magical powers such as enchantment and protection.

My guest today is Morgan Daimler. Morgan has been thinking about fairies and their place in folklore, myth, and spirituality for a long time. She teaches classes and writes about Irish myth, magical practices, fairies, and much more. Her work includes Gods and Goddesses of Ireland, Fairycraft, Irish Paganism, and many more.

I asked Morgan to come on the show because I was fascinated to learn how she views fairies as both mythological figures and ones incorporated in her own spiritual practice as a Wiccan. The conversation was absolutely enchanting and I very much hope you agree.

Check out all of Morgan's Books Here

Support ToSalem Here

Head to ToSalem.com

ToSalem on YouTube

ToSalem on Twitter

ToSalem on Instagram

ToSalem on Facebook