The Witch Wave

Bill Crisafi is an artist and illustrator and now author whose drawings of witches, ghouls, and magical toad ladies have amassed an enormous legion of fans. Campy, sexy, whimsical, and always full of flair, Bill’s supernatural creative world strikes a balance between the spooky and the joyfully absurd, appealing to everyone from magic practitioners to drag queens to horror buffs to taste-making art aficionados. His characters can be found populating his line of prints, clothing, stuffed animals, and housewares. Bill’s illustration and costume work has been commissioned by musicians, filmmakers, and institutions alike, including Chappell Roan, Chelsea Wolfe, the Peabody Essex Museum, Heretic Parfum, Boston Seaport, and Blumhouse Productions among others. His new book, The Glam Reaper’s Guide to Slaying: Life Lessons for Rebellious Souls, is available everywhere now.On this episode, Bill discusses his occult-camp illustrations, how he confronts creative burn-out, and how his new book helped him slay his inner demons with style. Pam also talks about why she loves spookiness mixed with silliness, and answers a listener question about Salem witchcraft tourism. Pam’s upcoming events:Oct 26: The Witch Wave with Pam Grossman LIVE! at Littlefield in Brooklyn!! Get tickets nowDonate to Pam’s fundraiser for the Palestine Children’s Relief FundCheck out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Wheel of Fate, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, Snowy Owl Tea, Blessed Be Magick,  and Feral Eye We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

Mandy Aftel is a pioneering American artisan natural perfumer who has been called one of the fragrance industry’s “most prolific talents” by Vogue and an “angel of alchemy” by Vanity Fair. She is an author, educator, and founder of Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents located in Berkeley, CA. Mandy is renowned for her deep focus on plant-derived essences, historical fragrance, and innovative perfume creation that connects scent to memory and emotion, establishing new standards in natural perfumery through her many books like Essence & Alchemy and Fragrant. Her new book, Symbolorum: The Secret Wisdom of Emblems explores the esoteric insights and enchanting imagery of the Baroque emblem book, a long-lost cousin of the tarot.On this episode, Mandy discusses the alchemical magic of perfume, favorite sacred scents, and her latest fascination with the esoteric emblem book.Pam also talks about scented solar spells for Solstice, and answers a listener message from the snowy bottom of the globe.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle, Zouz Incense, and Sister Temperance TarotWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

Erika Kubick is an author, artist, recipe developer, and practitioner living in Chicago. In 2015, she founded Cheese Sex Death as a blog devoted to educating, exciting, and empowering cheese lovers everywhere. Since then, she has amassed an international following and published two books: Cheese Sex Death: A Bible for the Cheese Obsessed in 2021 and, her most recent, Cheese Magic: Seasonal Recipes, Plates, and Pairings out now. Her mission is to inspire others to connect with the natural world through food, ritual, and other earthly pleasures.On this episode, Erika discusses the connections between cheese and witchcraft, divine dairy deities, and magical feasting for the holiday season.Pam also talks about “fromage mystique,” and answers a listener question about simple rituals for burnt-out witches.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Woodland Magic,  Spells for Success, BetterHelp, and the 2026 Many Moons Lunar Planner, and Mithras Candle.We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

The Death Witch, Loretta Ledesma, also known as Loo, is the founder of The Mile High Conjure Gala, a Santa Muerte Devotee, and a co-owner of The Cauldron Black. She has a deep relationship with the spirit world, ancestors, and is a lover of plants and a seeker of justice. She approaches the work from the Conjure tradition and has a close open relationship with the dead. Loretta walks her spiritual path comfortably with less freely talked about workings. She is also a maker of traditional oils, powders, waters, and other fine provisions.Loretta is a legacy student of Conjure Man Professor Charles Porterfield. She has learned from and sits at the table with some of the most sought-after teachers and elders in Conjure. Her goals in the work are community building and participation, and reclamation of the magic that runs through all our veins. On this episode, Loretta discusses her relationship to death, her approach to justice magic, and how she’s thinking about Samhain during this transitional and historical time.Pam also talks about honoring her creative ancestors, and answers a listener question about cohabitating with a non-witch neatnik. Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Witch Baby Soap, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, and Immaculate Design.We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

Kate Belew is an author, poet, and Witch. Her work exists at the crossroads of creativity and magic. She has taught and facilitated circles and workshops worldwide since 2017. She is dedicated to the spirit of poetry, the sacred wild of the planet, and seeks enchantment in all she does. She is a forever student of the plants and the stars. She has an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College and is an initiated Green Witch. Her new book, Word Witch: How to Call Upon and Cultivate the Creative Magic Within You is out now.On this episode, Kate discusses the magic of wordcraft, how she works with creative ancestors, and why poetry is perhaps the most spellbinding form of writing. Pam also talks about the connection between language and spells, and answers a listener question about sacred and mundane ways to help with writing. Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Witch Baby Soap, The Meta Muse Tarot, BetterHelp, Robin Rose Bennett, and Mithras CandleWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

It’s the Witch Wave Season 8 Finale! Tourmaline is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist whose work is dedicated to Black trans joy and freedom. She’s the author of the new book Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, which is the first comprehensive – and utterly beautiful! - biography of the visionary trans activist. Her prior book, One Day in June, is a picture book about Marsha and the Stonewall Uprising. Tourmaline is a TIME 100 Most Influential Person in the World awardee and a Guggenheim Fellow. She has frequently appeared on ABC News, as well as in the New York Times and Vogue. Her art is in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate, and the Getty Museum. She created the critically acclaimed film Happy Birthday, Marsha!, and she has directed Pride campaigns for Dove, Marc Jacobs, and Reebok. She previously worked with Queers for Economic Justice and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project.Tourmaline lives in Miami, Florida, but she was able to join Pam in person in the podcast studio here in Brooklyn!On this episode, Tourmaline discusses the magical activism of Marsha P. Johnson, the importance of freedom dreaming and liberatory manifestation, and how we can conjure future flourishing for all. Pam also talks about the deep kinship between witches and the queer community, and answers a listener question about a bewitching gift for a new mom.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Ritual + Shelter, Mixed Color, Wheel of Fate, The Witch Summit, LOGOS Candles,  BetterHelp, PaganPagesOrg, and Black Phoenix Alchemy LabWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

Cara Claymore is a strength athlete and strength & fitness coach as well as a filmmaker, artist, writer, speaker, and Tarotist. They are a polytheistic witch and syncretic magickal operator, who subscribes to a fully enspirited worldview, and strives to play and provoke on the frontier of the human imagination. Their animist lens centers relationality at the heart of their artistic, magickal and fitness work. They have competed and placed at the national level in the sport of strong(wo)man, and is the creator of the landmark fitness class Mythic Strength, hosted by CrossFit South Brooklyn. They offer personal mentorship & coaching on a limited basis. Cara has written for BarBend and Refinery29, as well as developing their own film projects for their independent production company, Sunstrike Pictures.You can follow Cara on Instagram and Threads @caraclaymore, and on their Substack, StrengthMagick.Substack.com.On this episode, Cara discusses how to develop a magical fitness practice, the power of working with avatars and alter-egos, and why taking care of one’s vessel can increase enchantment in all aspects of life.Pam also talks about infusing her workouts with witchcraft, and answers a listener question about how to cultivate a magical relationship with her body in middle-age.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Mineralogy Project, BetterHelp, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, and TU·ET·AL soapWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave