The Oracle of Luna with Bridget Engels- Conversations with Goddesses

• The Oracle of Luna with Bridget Engels presents: Mawiyah Bowmani - Author, HoodDoo Practitioner, Spirit Woman, Yoruba Priestess, Playwright & Educator

  Get ready to dive into Hoodoo with the remarkable Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani! Mawiyah is a native of New Orleans, is a distinguished writer and spirit woman. She received the Southern Black Theatre Festival’s 2012-2013 Playwright of the Year award for her play, Spring Chickens. In 2008, Mawiyah earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. Beyond her writing, she is a respected educator, an 8th Generation Witch, and a Priestess of OYA in the Yoruba spiritual system. Mawiyah is also the host of the podcast: FishHeadsinRedGravy, which celebrates marginalized people in the esoteric and occult world. She is a recipient of the Critical Mass 8 Literary Award and the KAT Artist Residency. Mawiyah is the author of two books published by Llewellyn Worldwide, 2023’s: Conjuring the Calabash: Empowering Women with Hoodoo Spells and Magick and Hoodoo Saints and Root Warriors: Stories and Magick for Liberation releasing in November 2025.We begin by talking about Mawiyah’s early years growing up in New Orleans; the gumbo stew of African, Indigenous, Creole, French and Hispanic cultures. Mawiyah began seeing spirits at a young age. Her mother and grandmother understood Mawiya's magical gift. Her grandfather was a Santeria Priest and another grandfather on her mother’s side was a Geechee man which are descendants from West Africa that were enslaved and brought to the American Southeast. Mawiyah grew up being embraced with various family spiritual practices and folkways from her family later it was termed as: Hoodoo. Mawiyah said she kept a journal and wrote down these family Hoodoo practices that she was told at a very young age in a journal. Mawiyah was taught growing up that Hoodoo is Liberation Magick and she wanted to understand more and to also help others with using Hoodoo. One of the earliest saints she connected with was Marie Laveau. For Mawiyah this opened the idea of Sheroes/Heroes; people that inspired her within her culture. Mawiyah says that we can still call on these elevated spiritual people even after they die, especially in the socio-political climate that we live in today. This was the impetus of Mawiyah’s newest book: Hoodoo Saints and Root Warriors: Stories and Magick for Liberation.We chat about how enslavement of African peoples to the Americas and the Caribbean gave birth to Hoodoo which was used for healing, safety and spiritual protection from violence and oppression. Hoodoo, is a fusion of beliefs and cultural practices, blending elements from West African religions, Native First Nations traditions, and European herbal knowledge. Hoodoo also provides a connection to their lineage and Sheroes/Heroes, and it weaves magic, empowerment, protection for the people who had been subjugated in a relatable way. We discover one of Mawiyah’s favorite Hoodoo Saints that she works with called La Madama.By working with the 12 Hoodoo Saints in Mawiyah’s spiritual guidebook; we can communicate with and channel with powerful and beloved Sheroes/Heroes. Her book shares inspiring stories, shows how to incorporate Hoodoo saints into daily spell work, and expands any practitioner's repertoire through rituals, dice divination, altar work, and more.Mawiyah shares with us a Hoodoo spell for Scream Water to effect change in your life at the end of the episode. Tune in and be enlightened! Mawiyah ‘s website: www.mawiyahkaieljamahbomani.com Support the show*If you like what you hear; please sponsor my show. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/oracleoflunapodcastSubscription page for Premium content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1445572/subscribe

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• The Oracle of Luna with Bridget Engels presents: Lilith Dorsey - Priestess, Author, Tarot Card Diviner, Filmaker, Choreographer/Performer & Anthropologist

  Join us for a fascinating discussion with the incredible Lilith Dorsey! Lilith hails from many magickal traditions. Their traditional education focused on Plant Science, Anthropology, and Film at the URI, NYU, and University of London, and their training includes numerous initiations in Lucumi, Haitian Vodoun, and New Orleans Voodoo. Lilith Dorsey is also a Voodoo Priestess and has been doing magick since 1991 for patrons, filmmaker of the documentary Bodies of Water: Voodoo Identity and Tranceformation,’ and choreographer/performer for Dr. John’s “Night Tripper” Voodoo Show. They are proud to be a published Black author of Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism, Orishas, Goddesses and Voodoo Queens, Water Magic and the newly released Tarot Every Witch Way.We chat about Lilith’s early beginnings with family in NYC and how they started reading tarot with friends and as a teen in high school. Lilith then attended NYU for an undergraduate degree in Filmmaking. Lilith took a class in Antonin Artaud the Theater of Cruelty and was inspired by Artaud who was an Avante Garde artist and theater playwright/director that incorporated mysticism, Surrealism, raw emotions, esoteric spirituality, exaggerated movements/gestures, and Balinese rituals into his theater performances.  Lilith then wondered how to incorporate Artaud's influences within Tarot Cards and Tarot reading on a deeper almost cellular level- beyond the usual archetypes, symbols and images. Lilith talks about her Voodoo priestessing and their temple in New Orleans called: The House of Maman Brigitte where Lilith teaches students, and they have initiations, rituals, and feasts. While studying cinema/filmmaking at NYU, Lilith was always fascinated about how we see magic, witchcraft and voodoo on film. As dancer and performer, Lilith was interested in Voodoo dance. Dance is an important part of Voodoo rituals and for entering into trance states. Lilith brought their talent knowledge to perform on the Dr. John’s “Night Tripper” Voodoo show.Lilith’s newest book: “Tarot Every Witch Way” is a rich manual and guide that gives the reader a deeper and broader explanation of Tarot cards and offers corresponds, spells, herbs, crystals, recipes, music, altar suggestions, etc.  The reader can discover ways to combine tarot and magic with an extensive array of correspondences, including crystals, herbs, animals, astrology, and musical notes. Lilith also provides step-by-step instructions for making altars, shrines, and crystal grids to help empower your deck and your life. Drawing from decades of experience as a diviner, anthropologist, and Voodoo Priestess, Lilith provides a myriad of ways to weave card energies into your magic! We close with Lilith giving us an enchanting and mystical tarot card meditation using The Star card from theirTarot Every Witch Way book. Tune in and be enlightened!   More about Lilith at: www.lilithdorsey.comSupport the show*If you like what you hear; please sponsor my show. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/oracleoflunapodcastSubscription page for Premium content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1445572/subscribe

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• The Oracle of Luna with Bridget Engels presents: Karen Tate - Goddess Spirituality Leader, Speaker, Author, Activist & Podcast Host of: Voices of the Sacred Feminine

  Join me on this episode as I speak with Karen Tate. Karen is a thought leader, speaker, author and activist, who bridges spirituality, personal transformation, culture and social justice. She has been named one of the Thirteen Most Influential Women in Goddess Spirituality and a Wisdom Keeper of the Women's Spirituality Movement.  She is a popular public speaker many public events on the role of the Goddess in history and in modern culture. Karen started the first Goddess tours before they were mainstream and the original and longest running Goddess-oriented radio show /podcast: Voices of the Sacred Feminine. Her several books include Walking an Ancient Path and Goddess Calling.We begin by chatting about Karen’s early beginnings growing up in the South in New Orleans, Louisiana within a Catholic family. Later her family moved to California, and she discovered feminine faces of the Goddess in ISIS and Sekhmet. Karen became an independent scholar and studied with various Women's Goddess groups such as the Reformed Congregation of the Goddess before following her own interests.Karen chats about how in the 90’s her and her husband were introducing people to the Goddess through the back door of sacred travel sites. They led sacred tours of the Goddess to places such as Israel, Turkey, Greece, France and England. Karen started writing travel stories which then evolved into her first book called Sacred Places of Goddess. That book kicked off her further books about how to incorporate Goddess Spirituality, spiritual psychology and sacred feminine values into one’s life or community.Karen's mission is to educate and communicate the ideals and values of the Goddess. Partnership, collaboration, respect, equality and freedom from a dominator culture are part of sacred feminine theology that Karen learned from Riane Eisler’s iconic book: The Chalice and the Blade”. With its key message being that when we value power with rather than power over then that shifts everything. We talk about spiritual or sacred activism and what this means currently and how we can overcome rampant exploitation/abuse and oppression. Karen points out that women need archetypes and role models as many women have internal misogyny because of being damaged patriarchy. We must sit back and rethink what are our values and ethics are and what kind of world we want and then vote for people who support the issues that are important to us.We chat about Karen’s long running radio show - now podcast, Voices of the Sacred Feminine. A weekly platform for interviews with spiritual leaders and visionaries such as Noam Chomsky, Vandana Shiva, Riane Eisler, Matthew Fox, Starhawk, etc. which is part of Karen’s mission to teach people about the big umbrella of deities, archetypes and the Sacred Feminine. There are so many people with common goals all over the world who share Sacred Feminine values and ideals that they can become our teachers and allies. Tune in and be enlightened!    More about Karen at: www.karentate.net   Support the show*If you like what you hear; please sponsor my show. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/oracleoflunapodcastSubscription page for Premium content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1445572/subscribe

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• The Oracle of Luna with Bridget Engels presents: Rachel Roberts - Wolf Woman Rising Founder/Creatrix- Author - Priestess - Teacher

  On this episode, I am thrilled to speak with Rachel Roberts! Rachel is the author of LUPA, Wolf and Pantheon-The Romans, as well as an historian, sacred dance teacher, Priestess, empowerment and flower essence coach. She is the creatrix of Wolf Woman Rising, a wisdom school where she empowers you to embody your wisdom, reclaim your authentic, wild, courageous self and create a life lived on purpose. Through online community, courses and training, as well as in-person retreats and workshops she initiates all in embodied mythology, nature alchemy & divine connection.Rachel found Welsh Goddesses and deities after growing up Christian and not finding enough female representation of the divine; however, her first real experience with the Goddess was with the Roman Goddess Minerva. She was drawn to Roman mythology. She got a degree in History and Religious Studies in college and received her master’s degree in Heritage Management. There she learned how we interpret history and was very interested in how to bridge the gap between people knowing history and then interpreting it. We chat about what Wolves, or the Wolf symbol means to Rachel. She remembers Red Riding Hood the story when she was young and how she felt sorry for the Wolf rather than little Red Riding Hood. She was curious and a little scared of the Wolf. They represent the wild and undomesticated side of all of us she feels. That side of us that is free of limitations, conditions, judgements and shame which is our pure essence.The Goddess LUPA of Rome has been her primary Wolf guide which is about the paradox about the predator yet the protective, caring mother Wolf. Rachel said LUPA appeared to her at a time in her life when she was laid off from her dream job and she was searching for meaning and purpose in her life. This story of Lupa resonated with Rachel and eventually she wrote her first book about LUPA- the She -Wolf of Rome.Rachel speaks about her newest book Wolf: Untamed. Courageous. Empowered. An Inspirational Guide to Embodying Your Inner Wolf which is all about wolf wisdom, deities, mythology, ways to work with wolf spirit guides and how you can involve them on your spiritual path. Women especially when expectations, conditions are placed on us that we never get to access our powerful primal nature and reclaim it, embrace it and run with that wildness. It takes courage to do this for ourselves and we need the Wolf spirit to guide us.Rachel founded/created Wolf Woman Rising an online school where Rachel teaches online workshops and classes with her three pillars: courage, trust and authenticity. It weaves Wolf Wisdom from her books, nature magic and embodying Goddess energy.Finally,Rachel takes us on a short, guided meditation journey into the cave to meet with Wolf Spirit to alchemize and discover that anything is possible. Tune in and be enlightened!More about Rachel at: www.wolfwomanrising.comSupport the show*If you like what you hear; please sponsor my show. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/oracleoflunapodcastSubscription page for Premium content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1445572/subscribe

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• The Oracle of Luna with Bridget Engels presents: H. Byron Ballard : Appalachian Folklorist, Author, Priestess & Teacher

  H. Byron Ballard, is a Folklorist, Author, Priestess and Teacher. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at several festivals and conferences, including the Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Starwood, Hexfest and many others. She serves as senior Priestess and co-founder of Mother Grove Goddess Temple and the Coalition of Earth Religions/CERES, both in Asheville, NC. She podcasts about Appalachian folkways on "Wyrd Mountain Gals." Her essays are featured in several anthologies, and she writes a regular column for SageWoman Magazine. Her books include four on mountain folk magic. The first was Staubs and Ditchwater, and the most recent (2025) is A Feral Church: A Guided Journey to Find Magic, Kinship and the Goddess.Byron  grew up in the country in North Carolina; she only saw the Goddess within the soil, trees, water and wind around her in Appalachia running in the mountains and playing in her family’s small orchard playing with crawdads and salamanders. Outside in nature is where Byron felt the divine most strongly. She  sometimes saw the Goddess as anthropomorphic. Byron never saw the divine in male form. She calls herself an Animist at heart and also a polytheist.Her grandmother and several cousins had the sight or prophetic dreams and also the ability to interact with spirits- even though their religion was Methodist. These abilities were deeply ingrained in the culture that Byron grew up in. Appalachia’s energy is deeply magical and broad and often manifests in deep spirituality which permeates the culture. It also has some of the oldest mountains in North America and two of the oldest rivers flowing through it in the world. There many different kinds of religion there. The intersection of Indigenous, African Scottish/Irish, Welsh and German cultures contributes to a unique Appalachian spiritual culture.We chat about Byron’s newest book A Feral Church. She wrote it after the death of Carol Christ and her work was a great inspiration to Byron. She decided it was time to write another Goddess spirituality book. This book takes us Solstice to Solstice on inner and outer journeys to meet spiritual beings and connect with the Mother Goddess. It’s about stepping out of domesticity and accessing your wild essence in our own hearts. We encounter spiritual beings who teach us about aspects of our wild spirits in different parts of the world.We chat about her role as a Priestess at the Mother Goddess Temple In Asheville NC which is a 501c3 church. She does interfaith work and outreach as well as holding Sabbats celebrating the wheel of the year with her community there. Byron believes that the Goddess is the root and foundation of all of us and from that we do the work that we are called to do in these perilous times. The Goddess is much needed especially for Women. Byron ends our episode by giving  us a truly beautiful Goddess meditation for love and support. More about Byron at www.myvillagewitch.com Tune in and be enlightened!Support the show*If you like what you hear; please sponsor my show. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/oracleoflunapodcastSubscription page for Premium content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1445572/subscribe

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