Oct 12, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min · 11 segments
In this episode, we welcome Tara Thieke on the show to talk about her two-part article on the rising popularity of witchcraft. The conversation touches on why witchcraft is growing, witchcraft as the…
C. R. WileyHost
Tom PriceHost
Glenn SunshineHost
Um, w- we don't wanna get into anything that you're uncomfortable talking about in terms of your personal fam- you know, pers- personal story or anything like that.
I, I, uh, I grew up in Scientology, and I don't have any interest in talking about it, frankly.
[laughs] You know, it's, it's just one of those things where you're like, "I'm glad that's over," and I'm, I'm-
... like in a different place, [laughs] you know? So, um, so there's no need to get into any of the personal stuff.
But at the same time, uh, because of this experience, uh, you have some insight that people like, you know, us, who don't have any, uh, you know, background with it and are just looking at it from the outside, could really, uh, learn from.
Furthermore, the, the connection you made to suffering was, I think, one of the high points in that piece that you...
I think it's the first essay in the sense that, th- you know, that we really do live in a world that's, um, unable to f- reconcile itself to the fact that we suffer and that suffering can be meaningful.
Uh, but the, the other thing was y- the parallel that you drew with transhumanism and some of the things that are going on in Silicon Valley with this, uh, with a, with a whole different group of people, of course, and a whole different approach.
And anyway, uh, those were some things that really jumped out at me in your piece.
So that, uh, I was really intrigued by that as well, where you talked about witchcraft being the, uh, almost the first technology.
I forgot exactly how you worded it, but, um, first technocratic worldview, something along those lines.
I hate to, [chuckles] to embrace the sort of, um, stereotype of male and female, but I think there is-
Um, w- we don't wanna get into anything that you're uncomfortable talking about in terms of your personal fam- you know, pers- personal story or anything like that.
I, I, uh, I grew up in Scientology, and I don't have any interest in talking about it, frankly.
[laughs] You know, it's, it's just one of those things where you're like, "I'm glad that's over," and I'm, I'm-
... like in a different place, [laughs] you know? So, um, so there's no need to get into any of the personal stuff.
But at the same time, uh, because of this experience, uh, you have some insight that people like, you know, us, who don't have any, uh, you know, background with it and are just looking at it from the outside, could really, uh, learn from.
Furthermore, the, the connection you made to suffering was, I think, one of the high points in that piece that you...
I think it's the first essay in the sense that, th- you know, that we really do live in a world that's, um, unable to f- reconcile itself to the fact that we suffer and that suffering can be meaningful.
Uh, but the, the other thing was y- the parallel that you drew with transhumanism and some of the things that are going on in Silicon Valley with this, uh, with a, with a whole different group of people, of course, and a whole different approach.
And anyway, uh, those were some things that really jumped out at me in your piece.
So that, uh, I was really intrigued by that as well, where you talked about witchcraft being the, uh, almost the first technology.
I forgot exactly how you worded it, but, um, first technocratic worldview, something along those lines.
I hate to, [chuckles] to embrace the sort of, um, stereotype of male and female, but I think there is-
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