In this episode of Spirit Box, I catch up with Aidan Wachter for a long overdue catch up on writing, magic, and what it means to stay human while the world feels like it’s cracking open.

Aidan shares where he’s at with his latest book on animism — moving away from the old idea of manifesting stuff and into something deeper. He even talks about receiving guidance from on his walks, which, if you know Aidan, makes perfect sense.

We dig into the weird pressure to have a book in print as some kind of spiritual badge of honour, and an indicator of having maxed out your practice which is rarely the case!

We also talk about the messy association of magic and money — how people still expect quick wealth as proof that the magic works, when the reality is far more complex.

From there, we drift into the state of things — how so many systems are failing and might shift radically in the next decade, and how we try to keep our heads and hearts intact through it all.

In the Plus show, we share how we’re both finding community and mental balance these days. How changes that we've made have given benefits in kind. We discuss how the systems of Empire that are damaging people, and the quiet importance of self-reliance and local knowledge. It’s all part of the same question: how do we stay human, stay connected, and keep the spirit alive against the backdrop of a changing and volatile world?

Show notes:
https://www.aidanwachter.com
https://www.patreon.com/c/aidanwachter/posts

Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason

In this episode, I sit down with Sheer Zed for a deep and winding exploration of a life spent navigating the liminal spaces of Eastern philosophy, occult practice, and the hidden world of Thai tattoo magic.

Sheer Zed shares how a childhood sparked by Zen stories, beat poets, and old Kung Fu shows led him into a lifelong fascination with Buddhism and the occult. From psychedelic journeys in London’s squat culture to Tibetan teachings in Los Angeles, his path has been anything but ordinary.

We dive into Sheer Zed’s extraordinary experiences receiving Sak Yant — sacred tattoos given by Thai Ajarns (masters) — and the intense rituals that bind ink, mantra, and spirit into living magic. In the Plus show we go deeper still and he recounts vivid encounters with powerful teachers and possession by tiger spirits during ceremonies in Thailand, moments that transformed him forever.

We also explore the rich, sometimes shadowy world of Thai amulets — from skull bones and protective spirits to the ethics of sourcing sacred objects that carry hidden histories.

This conversation wanders through spiritual folklore, animism, Buddhism, and the occult, connecting them all through Sheer Zed’s firsthand stories.
Enjoy
Show notes:
https://linktr.ee/SheerZed

Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

Today we chat with wonderful Celeste Mott who has been chronicling her experiences with an online Anne Rice "vampire cult." to great acclaim. A talented writer, witch and storyteller Celeste takes us on a weird and wonderful ride into the strange world of stories bending our reality and 'inviting us' to participate and become characters in tales that envelope our lives. All of which is based on her real life account of being in an online vampire cult in the 2000s.

We spent time dissecting the idea of narrative magic and how the stories we tell ourselves, and the ones we absorb or indeed are captured by, can lead to real-world changes and transformations. Celeste shared some really thought-provoking insights into how childhood experiences and archetypes stick with us, influencing our perceptions in profound ways.

It was clear that her past, particularly those early online encounters, has given her a unique lens through which to view the world, blurring the lines between what's considered real and what might just be a powerful shared imagination. We also touched on her successful video content and how it ties into a broader cultural yearning for mysticism. It's not about proving anything, but rather understanding the human need for these kinds of narratives.

In Plus section, we really go deeper into some of Celeste's thoughts on the dangers of Narrative magic and how these strange phenomena make you question the very nature of reality. Are we in some weird matrix where stories are the very building blocks of our reality and are storytellers the sometimes unwitting creators of our world. We get into the work of Anne Rice in more detail and other storytellers that bring 'currents' into the world like Grant Morrison, Clive Barker and H.P. Lovecraft and how the 'Meta' element seems to be play significant factor in the stories bleeding into our reality.

Show notes:
Start here for The Vampire cult videos https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIUGqpUOmpE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Celeste's website https://www.celestemott.com
Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@celestemoth
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/celestemott
Anne Rice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Rice
Interview with the Vampire 1994 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCmYN6TLd8A
Interview with the Vampire 2022 AMC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8Oysn9I9K8

Keep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmason