Spirit Box

Join me as I sit down with visionary musician, record producer, author and rock star, Rodney Orpheus, and author, historian and Occult legend, the great Phil Hine, We are talking about Rodney and Phil's incredible new book, "Delinquent Elementals". This anthology is a treasure trove of the 'Pagan News' zines from the 1980s, offering a unique glimpse into a vibrant community. Rodney and Phil, were the creative pairing behind Pagan News, share how their publication emerged from the thriving Leeds occult scene in the north of England to fill a crucial gap, focusing on local events and unifying diverse pagan voices long before the internet existed. We have a candid discussion about the infamous Satanic Panic of the 80s and 90s. Rodney and Phil recount the very real dangers they faced, from death threats to arson, and how their magazine became a vital tool for documenting this dark period in history. In the Plus show we'll explore their innovative use of desktop publishing, their unique approach to occult satire(including the hilarious Barry Hairbrush!), and the legal and logistical challenges of running a monthly magazine that reached thousands. Whether you're curious about the intersection between summoning Laser printers and modern paganism, the impact of the Satanic Panic, or just love a good story about community and defiance, this episode is a must-listen! More importantly the book "Delinquent Elementals" preserves a vital piece of occult history for future generations. Show notes: Delinquent Elementals from Strange Attractor: https://strangeattractor.co.uk/shoppe/delinquent-elementals/ [https://strangeattractor.co.uk/shoppe/delinquent-elementals/] Phil's Blog https://enfolding.org/ [https://enfolding.org/] Phil's substack: https://philhine.substack.com/ [https://philhine.substack.com/] Phil's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/philh.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/philh.bsky.social] Rodney's site: http://rodneyorpheus.com [http://rodneyorpheus.com/] Rodney's insta: https://www.instagram.com/rodneyorpheus/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/rodneyorpheus/?hl=en] Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason [https://linktr.ee/darraghmason]Music by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka [https://soundcloud.com/obliqka]

In this episode, I'm joined by the prolific Tobias Churton—author, scholar, and one of the most insightful voices on Western esotericism and early Christianity. We open with his recent book The Books of Enoch Revealed, and from there, the conversation unfolds across a wide and fascinating terrain. Tobias breaks down the Enochic texts and their influence on Jewish mysticism, apocalyptic religion, and the foundations of early Christianity. We explore how the figure of Enoch shaped beliefs around sin, salvation, and the afterlife, and how Jesus' ministry can be reinterpreted through this powerful lens. In the Plus show, Tobias and I dive deeper into the metaphysical heart of the Enochian tradition, focusing on the figure of Metatron—God’s scribe, “Little Yahweh,” and the transformed identity of Enoch himself. We explore the radical implications of Metatron’s throne in heaven, his relationship to the “Son of Man” archetype, and how this connects to early perceptions of Jesus as a divine intermediary or even a returned Enoch. Tobias also expands on the cross-cultural evolution of heaven as both a theological concept and a political one. We touch on his forthcoming book, which maps the idea of heaven across history, geography, and belief systems—from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to mystical ascent in Kabbalah and Islamic cosmology. This episode is rich in historical insight, theological nuance, and unapologetic critique. Tobias brings the weight of scholarship, but also the fire of someone deeply passionate about preserving the sacred, the strange, and the profound. Show notes: https://www.tobiaschurton.com [https://www.tobiaschurton.com/] https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781644119259 [https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781644119259] https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-books-of-enoch-revealed-the-wicked-watchers-metatron-and-the-fruits-of-forbidden-knowledge-tobias-churton/21681258?ean=9781644119259 [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-books-of-enoch-revealed-the-wicked-watchers-metatron-and-the-fruits-of-forbidden-knowledge-tobias-churton/21681258?ean=9781644119259] Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason [https://linktr.ee/darraghmason]Music by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka [https://soundcloud.com/obliqka]

In this episode, I'm joined once again by the ever-brilliant Joshua Cutchin to discuss his latest book Fourth Wall Phantoms. This conversation is a deep dive into the fertile terrain between fiction and reality, where paranormal phenomena blur into imagination, archetype, and culture. He asks; What if stories were more than just stories? What if fictions came to life? What would that say about our greatest mysteries? What would that say about you? Joshua shares how this book was a cleansing act for him—an unapologetic exploration of how stories, symbols, and media shape and even generate anomalous experiences. We talk about everything from the dream-logic of high strangeness to the surrealist lens through which we might better understand UFOs, spirits, and cryptids. In the Plus show, Joshua notes a striking decline in classic alien abduction reports and explores how new kinds of contact experiences are emerging—ones that seem increasingly visionary, entangled with altered states of consciousness, and reflective of deeper shifts in cultural and psychic landscapes. We also touch on ideas that sit close to my own work: the transformative power of archetypes, the intoxicating grip of creative inspiration, and how folklore is not just a remnant of the past but an active force shaping our present. Joshua’s notion of spirits as stories—brought to life through belief, performance, and imagination—feels especially resonant here. The conversation ends with some potent reflections on the current state of storytelling in Western culture. Are we running out of myths? Is the imagination drying up—or are we standing at the threshold of something new? Show notes: Website & book https://www.joshuacutchin.com/fourth-wall-phantoms [https://www.joshuacutchin.com/fourth-wall-phantoms] Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason [https://linktr.ee/darraghmason]Music by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka [https://soundcloud.com/obliqka]

In this episode of Spirit Box, I had the pleasure of speaking with folklorist and writer Scott Richardson-Read the brilliant mind behind Cailleach’s Herbarium. The focus of today's chat is Scott’s new book 'Mill Dust And Dreaming Bread, exploring Scottish folk belief & folk magic'. Together, we explore the deep roots of Scottish folk beliefs, looking at how animistic worldviews were layered over time with Christian, Norse, and Anglo-Saxon influence. Scott introduced me to the Gaelic concept of Dùthchas—the inherited right to place and belonging—and we discussed its significance in shaping Highland identity and political history. We also touched on the shared rhythms of Irish and Scottish Gaelic, the legacy of Alexander Carmichael and the Carmina Gadelica, and the enduring power of charms and spoken magic. One story that really stood out was that of St. Columba lending out his sacred book, only to burn it upon its return—a tale that sparked a discussion about healing, miracle-working, and the threads of folk magic that persist beneath the surface of Christianity. Through it all, Scott painted a vivid picture of a world where people lived in deep, reciprocal relationship with land, weather, ancestors, and the unseen. In the Plus show we ventured deeper into the mythic and cosmological territory of his book. We talked about the Three Worlds, the Primordial Twin, and how these ancient ideas mirror spiritual systems across the globe. We explored the notion of a pact between realms, the sacred nature of hospitality, and what it means to live in a world where everything is animate and interconnected. One of the most fascinating parts of the Plus Show was our discussion on the origins of spoken healing charms—those poetic, potent utterances passed down through families to stop bleeding, mend bones, or ward off illness. Scott spoke beautifully about how these charms carry ancestral knowledge, and I shared stories of people I know who still use them today. We also talked about the Cailleach, the powerful old woman of Gaelic tradition—part ancestor, part deity—who shapes weather and land and who remains a potent figure in both lore and personal practice. Scott spoke about how the Cailleach features in his work and how she represents the deep animism and ecological awareness at the heart of Scottish folk cosmology. We closed our conversation reflecting on the deep-time resonance of folklore—from the Milky Way as the Path of the White Cow to the sacred symbolism of rivers, straw, and cows. This wasn’t just a discussion about stories; it was about remembering who we are, where we come from, and how we might live again in right relationship with the world around us. Show notes: Get the book: https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/sample-page/shop/book/mill-dust-and-dreaming-bread-limited-special-edition/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaftMzheNukHpulzhH64G-Mln_jBm74bDGZYS1g-bIZh1LuZP_COI6SzSnp1Sg_aem_UdtHrClZcQ2j4aUkPomT-Q [https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/sample-page/shop/book/mill-dust-and-dreaming-bread-limited-special-edition/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaftMzheNukHpulzhH64G-Mln_jBm74bDGZYS1g-bIZh1LuZP_COI6SzSnp1Sg_aem_UdtHrClZcQ2j4aUkPomT-Q] Scott's instagram https://www.instagram.com/cailleachsherbarium/ [https://www.instagram.com/cailleachsherbarium/] Tigh na Bodach https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/2018/01/the-cailleach-scotlands-midwife-tigh-na-bodach/ [https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/2018/01/the-cailleach-scotlands-midwife-tigh-na-bodach/] The Three Realms https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/2023/11/scottish-cosmology-of-the-three-realms/ [https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/2023/11/scottish-cosmology-of-the-three-realms/] St Columba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columba [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columba] Cailleach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cailleach [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cailleach] Bodach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodach [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodach] Donn Dubh

In this episode, I welcome back author and scholar Peter Mark Adams for a rich and far-reaching conversation centred on his upcoming book from Theion Publishing "Ritual & Epiphany in the Mysteries of Mithras – The Secret Cult of Saturn in Imperial Rome" an extraordinary and deeply thoughtful study of the cult of Mithras. Peter takes us through the ancient layers beneath Mithraic practice — its origins, iconography, cosmology, and initiatory structure — tracing a lineage from early Mesopotamian myths such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, through the cultic worship of Saturn, and into the esoteric heart of Imperial Rome. What emerges from his research is a profound view of Mithraism not simply as a Roman mystery cult, but as the survival of a much older, animistic, star-oriented cosmology. It is a vision of reality structured around spirit, fate, celestial forces, and the metamorphosis of the human soul. Peter takes us through the complex ideas behind his thesis weaving in insights from recent advances in anthropology, ethnography, and comparative religion. He draws particularly from the Orphic mysteries to illuminate the metaphysical architecture underpinning the Mithraic rites. We unpack how the mysteries functioned as both a lived, embodied practice and a carefully guarded initiatic system, intended to bring about deep spiritual transformations in their adherents. The conversation explores the mythic grammar encoded in the Tauroctony — the slaying of the bull — not as a static religious image but as a dynamic, performative act tied to the movement of the heavens and the soul's journey through the stars. In the Plus show, Peter also shares fascinating insights into the seven grades of Mithraic initiation, each representing different spiritual and cosmic stations, and the curious fact that while the cult is famous for these grades, only two formal initiation rituals are known. We delve into the frescoes at St. Capua Vetere, rare depictions that provide intimate glimpses into the ritual life of Mithraic initiates, and discuss how sacred art served not merely as decoration but as an active, living technology for transformation. Along the way, we touch on the challenges faced by modern researchers and practitioners in articulating and re-contextualising these ancient experiences in a world that has largely lost the language for mystery. We talk about the difficulty of bridging the gap between ancient participatory worldviews and the post-Enlightenment skepticism that dominates contemporary thought — and how, paradoxically, the sciences of anthropology and archaeology often come closest to glimpsing the ancient mysteries, even as they struggle to fully comprehend them. Show notes: Peter's site https://petermarkadams.com [https://petermarkadams.com/] Peter's instagram https://www.instagram.com/petermarkadams/ [https://www.instagram.com/petermarkadams/] Peter's Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/petermarkadams/posts [https://www.patreon.com/c/petermarkadams/posts] Theion Publishing https://theionpublishing.com/shop/pma-ritualepiphany/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJt5h9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHrcrTB0SZCnZKoBiV8ekJtAVHGQawQVzitb5lGAscZwhU94lYmX-PLrQDWW9_aem_NJX2uq5lcQtsID72NJrHJA [https://theionpublishing.com/shop/pma-ritualepiphany/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJt5h9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHrcrTB0SZCnZKoBiV8ekJtAVHGQawQVzitb5lGAscZwhU94lYmX-PLrQDWW9_aem_NJX2uq5lcQtsID72NJrHJA] Sola-Busca Workshop, Turin https://www.houseofzophiel.com/sola-busca.html [https://www.houseofzophiel.com/sola-busca.html] Cosmic or Orphic egg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_egg [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_egg] Phanes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanes [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanes] Tauroctony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauroctony [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauroctony] St. Capua Vetere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Capua_Vetere [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Capua_Vetere] Epic of Gilgamesh https://www.britannica.com/topic/Epic-of-Gilgamesh [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Epic-of-Gilgamesh] Orphism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphism] Mithras https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism] Henosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henosis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henosis] Leontocephaline https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/2/2/3 [https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/2/2/3] Chora https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khôra [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh%C3%B4ra] Apogenesis https://www.iasdurham.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Hannah_From-Here-to-the-Hereafter-Genesis-and-Apogenesis-in-Ancient-Philosophy-and-Architecture.pdf [https://www.iasdurham.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Hannah_From-Here-to-the-Hereafter-Genesis-and-Apogenesis-in-Ancient-Philosophy-and-Architecture.pdf] Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason [https://linktr.ee/darraghmason]Music by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka [https://soundcloud.com/obliqka]