>Thump< >Thump<   Is that the sound of reindeer hooves on the rooftop?  A knock at the door for a surprise appearance from Santa Clause to bring gifts?  Maaaayyybe.  Or maybe it's Père Fouettard, Belsnickel, or Sinterklaas with his chimney Piets arriving to punish the naughty.  Perhaps Krampus, Gryla, the Yule Cat or Yule Lads, or the Mari Lwyd to take you away or kill you for venturing out in the cold, harsh, dark winter.   Step in to the dark roots of Christmas with The Fright Before Christmas author Jeff Belanger. From shapeshifters to mou ..read more

Joining the podcast this episode are the incredible and talented creators of the Norse Goddess Rune Oracle - Rebecca Joy "Raven" Stark and Sharon McCleod.  Raven is a rune practitioner, a volva, and a teacher of runes and Norse spirituality.  Sharon is an artist/illustrator inspired by nature, myth, magic, and all thing otherworldly.  Together they created the amazing Norse Goddess Rune Oracle which connects the power of Norse goddesses and beings with the power of the runes for use in divination, magic, and relationship with divine powers.   The deck focuses on the 24 ..read more

With the upcoming Winter Solstice and Yule season in the Northern Hemisphere, Imelda Almqvist joins me to talk about her upcoming webinars about Vrouw Holle (Frau Holle) and St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas in the Netherlands).  We talk a little about who Vrouw Holle and Sinterklaas are and the interesting connections they have as soul conductors (psycho pomps) especially for children.  In this discussion, get a nice introduction to them both and our experiences growing up with Vrouw Holle and Sinterklaas as part of our Dutch heritage.  It's an intersting discussion with more to come i ..read more

Siri Vincent Plouff joins the podcast to talk about a favorite subject, runes. Their book, Queering the Runes, was just released in November 2024 and we talk about the book, dispel notions that runes are not for everyone (they are!), how they can relate from a queer perspective, and just about runes in general.  The book is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the runes with a fresh look at how they interact with people today.  Or if you are used to working with runes, have a look at them with a new lens and see how they might teach something new or different. &nb ..read more

As October inches towards Samhain, Rick de Yampert joins me to talk about the magic of Crows and Ravens from his book: Crows and Ravens: Mystery, Myth, and Magic of Sacred Corvids.  Rick has been working with Crows and Ravens for a number of years along his path and has dedicated a lot of study to how corvids behave and how we can commune with them to enrich and enhance our connection to nature, magic, and the Web of Wyrd.    Do you have crows or ravens appearing in your path or daily routine? Do they visit your yard or bring gifts? Do you speak with them? Does their p ..read more

"Welcome to the Nine Worlds, home of Gods, Valkyries, Dwarves, and more!" promises MacMillan Publishsers about the latest series by my guest; author and artist George O'Connor. George created the 12 volume series The Olympians and just released Thor in October 2024, the second book of his series The Asgardians. The first volume of The Asgardians series, Odin, was released in March 2024. We talk about his process for bringing the myths of these two popular pantheons as illustrated storytelling.  It was a fun and interesting discussion to hear about George's interest with the Norse sto ..read more

Irisanya Moon joins me this episode to talk about her latest book in the Pagan Portals series from Moon Books - The Norns: Weavers of Fate and Magick.  We talk about the most well known of the Norns - Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, and talk about how we can work with them to connect with the threads of our web of Wyrd.  There isn't much material out about working with the Norns, and this book is a great starting point for a beginner and also a great resource for those who are familiar with the Norns to help invigorate or take a fresh approach to working with them.  Get the book throu ..read more

Author Gunivortus Goos joins me to talk about the long awaited (by me especially) English translation of his book on Nehalennia.  The book is avaialable in German, Dutch, and now English.  The English title is: Nehalennia: Divine Lady of Prosperity, Trade and Safe Crossings.  It is now available via Amazon throughout the world and in Europe on BoD Buchshop.  Nehalennia is a Dutch Goddess who was revered and honored in the area controlled by the Romans of the first - second centuries in what is now the southern west coast of the Netherlands.  After that time, Nehalennia ..read more

It is great to have Amy Blackthorn on to talk about things botanical - brews, magic, and sacred plant magic. Amy us author of several books on botanical magic, including Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic, Blackthorn’s Botanical Brews, and Blackthorn’s Botanical Wellness. She is the founder of Blackthorn’s Botanicals.  Her upcoming book Blackthorn's Book of Sacred Plant Magic is from Red Wheel/Weiser Books and scheduled for release in August 2024. Pre-order now with your local bookstore (if possible), Weiser's website, or online seller.    Amy Blackthorn shows readers how to ..read more

Conversations With.... In this episode I invited a good friend to join me whom I've wanted to chat with for a while.  Hilary has been in the Heathen community in the San Francisco Bay Area for several decades. She is a seidhkona, rune worker, and Freya's woman.  This is a casual conversation about her journey in Heathenry and her work in those areas.  Pull join us in our virtual seating area for this delightful time.  * * * Use my special link to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. Follow my channel on Instagram: @wyrdgifts1 Facebook: @GiftsoftheWyrd Em ..read more