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What if death isn’t an ending, but a return to rest—and a reason to feed ancestors with flowers, fruit, and favorite foods? We invite Reverend Laura González to guide us through the deeper roots of Día de Muertos, far beyond costumes and candy. Laura opens the door to a pre‑colonial worldview where time moves in cycles, not lines: the blooming of flowers, the falling of fruit, and the seeds we leave for those who come after us. We unpack Mictlan as a place of dreaming rather than dread, and why skulls symbolize transformation, not horror.

Together we trace how colonization compressed forty days of indigenous honoring into two Catholic feast days, and what survived that shift: offerings, story, and communal care. Laura walks us through building a meaningful ofrenda—marigolds, fruit, coffee, chips, toys, and the exact foods your people loved—explaining why taste is memory’s shortcut. We talk about what to leave off the altar, how to avoid appropriation, and where to buy papel picado, sugar skulls, and clay figures directly from artisans who keep the craft alive. If your grief feels unfinished, this practice can become a yearly way to tell the stories, say the names, and let love do its work.

We also share Laura’s ongoing work: decolonizing goddess teachings, on‑demand classes, and a forthcoming series on the Tonalpohualli day signs. Come for the history, stay for the healing, and leave with a clear, respectful way to honor your dead and nourish the living. If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so others can find the show.

Bio: Rev. Laura González is an Ixtlamatketl, Pagan Priestess, Spiritual and Community Healer, writer, podcaster, social justice and religious freedom activist, Priestess of the Goddess, and Minister of Circle Sanctuary. Learn more at bluewitch.org.

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Death isn't something to fear but rather a natural state of being. This profound insight from Jamie Waggoner, pagan priestess (PriestX) and author of "Hades: Myths and Magic and Modern Devotion," sets the tone for a conversation that transforms how we understand the autumn season and the mysteries beyond ordinary perception.

As leaves fall and darkness claims more of each day, many spiritual practitioners feel the boundaries between worlds growing more permeable. But what if the "veil" isn't actually thinning? What if our awareness is simply expanding? Jamie suggests the unseen realms exist parallel to ours all the time—it's our willingness to perceive them that changes during this potent season.

From her perspective as a hard polytheist who believes all gods are distinct entities with their own agendas, Jamie shares practical approaches to connecting with deities and ancestors. She describes her household tradition of setting a feast for Hades and Persephone at the autumnal equinox, complete with offerings buried in the earth and milk bones for Cerberus! We learn about the Wild Hunt led by Welsh deity Gwyn ap Nudd, who rides at Samhain gathering souls—and whose hounds create the curious phenomenon where the further away they sound, the closer they actually are.

Jamie dispels common misconceptions about Hades and the underworld, explaining that unlike the Christian concept of hell, the Greek underworld isn't primarily a place of punishment. Most souls go to the Asphodel Fields—neither good nor bad—where we wait until reincarnation. This perspective transforms our understanding of death from something frightening into simply another phase of existence.

Whether through elaborate rituals or simple practices like mindful breathing or lighting a candle, Jamie offers accessible ways for anyone to connect with the unseen—even those who must practice in secret. Her insights reveal what many discover in deep spiritual work: unexpected nourishment, acceptance, and grounding in the very depths we once feared.

Curious about developing your own relationship with deities or ancestors this season? Explore Jamie's books or join her teaching programs at Way of the Weaver, where magic is taught as "open source technology" you can adapt to your own practice and community.

Jamie Waggoner:

Jamie Waggoner is an author, Pagan priestess, and occult expert. She has been a practicing witch for 25+ years. Jamie is the author of Hades: Myth, Magic and Modern Devotion, and contributor to Witchology Magazine, Haunted Magazine, and The Feminine Macabre, among others. Jamie is also a cofounder and teacher for Way of the Weaver, an inclusive program of magical inquiry, social justice, and community building.

Website: www.jamiewaggoner.com

Social Media: @jmwaggoner (Insta, FB, and YouTube)

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What if our greatest fear could become our most profound teacher? Death – that inevitable transition we spend our lives avoiding – might actually be our most significant spiritual initiation.

Nikki Wardwell Sleath, occultist and author of Dream Sorcery, brings her unique perspective as both a magical practitioner and former hospice worker to this transformative conversation about our relationship with mortality. Drawing from her experiences witnessing end-of-life struggles, Nikki reveals how our cultural avoidance of death creates unnecessary suffering while robbing us of meaningful closure.

"I feel that we as a society largely have a very unhealthy relationship with death," Nikki explains. "The suffering, the denial, the taboo around death stands in direct contradiction to how I view death as a witch, as a shamanic dreamer, as an occultist."

As autumn leaves fall and nature prepares for winter's rest, we explore why so many cultures celebrate death and ancestor veneration during this season. The natural world offers perfect metaphors for understanding death not as an ending but as part of a continuous cycle – like night following day, with its own unique beauty and purpose. Through practices like lucid dreaming, shamanic journeying, and mediumship, we can develop personal evidence that consciousness extends beyond the physical body.

Nikki shares practical wisdom for connecting with ancestors, using "death as an advisor" to clarify life decisions, and preparing ourselves to become "good ancestors" for future generations. She invites us to reframe death as the ultimate adventure – "moving into the next dream" with all the wisdom we've gathered in this one.

Whether you're grieving a loss, contemplating your own mortality, or simply curious about what lies beyond, this conversation offers comfort, perspective, and tools for approaching death with greater peace and even anticipation. Listen now to transform your relationship with life's most certain transition.

Nikki Wardwell Sleath is a practicing occultist, author and teacher, and the founder of the Society of Witchcraft and Old Magick. She is a trained facilitator of Active Dreaming and is the author of Dream Sorcery, The Goddess Seals, and You Might Be A Witch. Nikki holds a masters in Integrative Health and Healing and provides readings as well as magic spiritual and energetic healing sessions for clients.
www.nikkiwardwellsleath.com

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