This Podcast is a Ritual

From d20-powered fireballs to point-and-click quests, magic is an essential ingredient in many games, while games themselves offer some intriguing ideas about the practice of actual magic. Thankfully, Dr. Jeff Howard is a scholar of games and occulture—as well as the author of "Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives" and "Game Magic: A Designer’s Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice"—so he's well equipped to patiently explain the rules and help us find the wisdom within these magical systems.

Tune into Dr. Jeff Howard's vibrations at: https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/staff/dr-jeff-howard

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

From Q to the Great Gazoo, the Wizard calls upon a variety of extra-dimensional imps and tricky ideas to illustrate this meta-archetype, laying the groundwork for even more magic to come. Featuring Batman's biggest fan, hot-rodding teenagers from Dimension X, and even more delightful (and somewhat irritating) invoked entities.

So come along dum-dum and join the Patreon where you can hear this full bonus episode and plenty of other tricksterish, whimsical, wizardly bonus episodes.

Listen to How to Summon an Interdimensional Trickster:

https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/how-to-summon-172975539

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

If you've been feeling lately like life is an unfair game, you're not alone. And game designer, author, and anti-fascist scholar Max Haiven knows why. In his latest book, The Player and the Played: From Gamed Capitalism to Twenty-First Century Fascism, Haiven uses games to explain how financialized capitalism recruits us into our own exploitation, seeing ourselves as "players," rather than people, who would be winning and succeeding... if only someone wasn't cheating us!—and how fascist politics takes that justified anger and directs it away from precisely the people and institutions who are rigging the game and reaping the rewards.

Tune into Max Haiven's vibrations at: https://maxhaiven.com/

And get the book (available as a free download!) at: https://maxhaiven.com/player/

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Using chance to make choices has a long magical history, from complex divination systems to mythologies that imagine the gods gambling and throwing dice to determine human affairs. By taking a simple coin toss as our starting practice, we can learn to let go of the heavy burden of contemplation and let the fates take a more collaborative role in our decision making process.

So flip a coin and learn whether you should join the Patreon where you'll find the full bonus episode where I share the rules to Coin Night, a fun simple group game that implements these magical ideas in a rather charming way.

Listen to How to Flip a Coin:

https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/how-to-flip-coin-171675635

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

In the tiny fishing village of Rif, out on the coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland, you'll find an unlikely cultural hub: The Freezer. Built in a former fish freezer, this hostel / performing arts venue is the work of Kàri Viđarsson, a local Icelander who left his village and returned having changed... only to change the cultural landscape of his community in the process.

Tune into the Freezer's magic (or book a stay!) at: https://www.thefreezerhostel.com/

The Freezer also provided a home to the Wizard and 50 other artists this summer as part of the Portal residency. You can hear all about that in the This Portal is a Ritual miniseries: https://www.patreon.com/c/thispodcastisaritual/posts?filters%5Btag%5D=This+Portal+is+a+Ritual

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Sometimes things suck. Sometimes we feel bad, can't get what we want, or just plain don't know what to do. And that's hard. But there's a cultural narrative that often makes it way worse, the insidious idea that "it shouldn't be like this." That somehow, feeling this way is a personal failure. That's why the Wizard is here to remind you that sometimes things really do suck! And it's okay to feel bad! And you don't even gotta feel bad about feeling bad. And sometimes, remembering that can help us feel better...

...and if you'd like to really be reminded of that, you can do so with the full length bonus episode available exclusively on our Patreon! Or you can just listen to this preview version and get the gist of it.

Listen to How to Feel Bad:

https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/how-to-feel-bad-170369117

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Magic can be a lot of work. But does it have to be? What if there was a way to use magic, not to bend the world to one's will, but to transform reality into an open field of possibility? Thus, life's stage becomes a board on which we can enjoy a myriad of complex and fascinating games, all experienced through the strange and delightful mode of being known as "Play.

This episode builds on the metaphysics laid out in What's the Point? (theory), What is a Person? (theory), and What is Power? (theory) but it can absolutely be listened to on its own. And these ideas will all return in The Avengers: Doomsday... I'm sorry, I mean What is Play? (practice)

For more on the ideas explored in this episode, check out

What's the Point? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/whats-point-147660543

What is a Person? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/what-is-person-159310290

What is Power? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/what-is-power-161898774

The Invocation - https://www.patreon.com/posts/invocation-144989332

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

The Wizard has arrived in the Netherlands and is ready to embark on his quest to become "Amsterdam's #1 Wizard," but first, he has to figure out what the heck is going on in a strange land where everything feels odd and unfamiliar. Thankfully, these are the moments magic was made for so he's putting himself in places of possibility and letting divination lead the way to the "slightly better" reality that awaits just on the other side of that "oh no, what am I even doing here?!" overwhelm that greets every traveler when they step out of the familiar and into life's great adventure...

...and oh what an adventure it is! So if you want to hear the actual episode, you too will need to embark on the epic quest that is joining our Patreon!

Listen to Stranger in a Strange Land:

https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/168890113/

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Aidan Wachter, author of Six Ways, Weaving Fate, and Changeling, joins the ritual for a spirited discussion with the Wizard about the lively world we live in and how magic can help us better align ourselves with the many allies, ancestors, and more mysterious entities who seem to take in interest in our particular plane of being.

Tune into Aidan's magic at: https://www.aidanwachter.com/

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

As the moon slides in front of the sun while Icelandic clouds obscure them both, the land grows dark and the Wizard takes a moment to reflect on art, creativity, festival culture, and how to create truly radical structures in a world eager to commodify and capitalize on whatever novelty is left to discover. And with these final thoughts, the Portal closes, one ritual comes to an end, and a new adventure begins...

Learn more about The Portal at Iceland Eclipse: https://icelandeclipse.com/the-portal

For more THIS PORTAL IS A RITUAL, check out:

Opening the Portal - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/opening-portal-164554937

Rising Tension - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/rising-tension-165188858

Dawning Insight - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/dawning-insight-165848380

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Good things come to those who wait. As the Wizard wades deeper into the THIS PORTAL IS A RITUAL's many mysteries, he continues to encounter new understandings about himself, his fellow participants, the power of pranks, Iceland's unique magic, and what this experience is, was, or just might be.

Learn more about The Portal at Iceland Eclipse: https://icelandeclipse.com/the-portal

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

THIS PORTAL IS A RITUAL descends deeper into madness as the Wizard navigates eternal day, dive bombing birds, organizational challenges, and the unavoidable messiness of interpersonal dynamics, all while doing his best to delight in the discord and play in the imperfections and obstacles that, in their own weird way, open the door to even greater opportunities.

Learn more about The Portal at Iceland Eclipse: https://icelandeclipse.com/the-portal

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Why did the Wizard go through the Portal? To get to the other side! And all jokes aside, the Wizard is currently in a literal, metaphorical, and deeply magical portal which is a multi-week artist residency for the Iceland Eclipse festival that will usher him into a new reality in Amsterdam when he emerges on the other side. But the Wizard is far from the only traveler moving through this portal, so you're invited to follow along with this adventure and the many wonderful weirdos we'll be meeting along the way in this special mini-series: THIS PORTAL IS A RITUAL.

Learn more about The Portal at Iceland Eclipse: https://icelandeclipse.com/the-portal

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

America's #1 Wizard is taking the leap and embarking on a magical quest to relocate to the Netherlands and become Amsterdam's #1 Wizard. To honor this momentous occasion, we're looking back at the magic that got us here, revisiting the "What is a Quest?" episode that kicked off last year's This Podcast is a Quest mini-series. And then stay tuned for our new This Portal is a Ritual mini-series, beginning next week!

For more on the magic that emerged from this episode, check out:

The Invocation - https://www.patreon.com/posts/invocation-144989332

The Leap - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/leap-155721154

Join the ritual: https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Magic has long trafficked in fantasies of power and control. This is the tantalizing idea that there are certain secrets one can master that will raise a person above their peers and allow them to command angels, devils, and assorted deities. Of course, we have also seen this cautionary tale play out across fairy tales and other works of fiction, and it rarely ends well, so here the Wizard offers a novel approach to Power: One based in relation, rather than domination. This episode provides explicit instructions for invoking Power politely and includes a full step-by-step ritual you can use to improve your own relationship with the particularly tricky Power... Discipline!

Visit the Patreon for the full Prayer to Disciplina: https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/what-is-power-163294699

For more on the ideas explored in this episode, check out

What is Power? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/what-is-power-161898774

What is a Person? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-is-person-159310290

What is a Person? (practice) - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/what-is-person-160733752

What's the Point? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/whats-point-147660543

What's the Point? (practice) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/whats-point-148217750

The Invocation - https://www.patreon.com/posts/invocation-144989332

Join the ritual: https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Before the Wizard reveals his magical praxis for working with the various Powers-that-be, he felt it important to take a moment to address the elephant in the occultural room: Fantasies of control. These seductive messages touch on deeply rooted—often unconscious—anxieties and try to sell a fantasy of power, perfection, and control that promises to resolve all issues. But rather than seek a magic of domination and will, the Wizard suggests we might find greater rewards in a magic of relationship and chill...

...and what better way to relate than subscribing to the Patreon so you can hear the full episode! Or don't! The Wizard is not trying to control you!

Listen to How to Let Go of Control:

https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/how-to-let-go-of-162617205

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Something brought you to this moment. A long sequence of personal choices and cosmic chance collaborated to bring you to this exact moment. But why? That's a question the Wizard explores at length in this new installment of Wizardry in Theory and Practice, digging into the what's and why's of the life shaping forces we call "Power."

This episode builds on the metaphysics laid out in depth in What's the Point? (theory) and What is a Person (theory), but it can absolutely be listened to on its own. And these ideas will be expanded on as an actionable magical practice in the forthcoming episode, What is Power? (practice).

For more on the ideas explored in this episode, check out

What's the Point? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/whats-point-147660543

What is a Person? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/what-is-person-159310290

The Invocation - https://www.patreon.com/posts/invocation-144989332

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

The Wizard is on the move, somewhere between Here and I-Don't-Know-Where, so it felt like the right time to take a little walkabout within the concept of "wandering," and it's conceptual sibling, "wondering," and see where we might arrive...

...which, while wizardry is concerned with far more than mere destinations, if you wish to arrive at the actual episode, you'll need to wander over to our Patreon to hear it in full!

Listen to How to Wander Like a Wizard: https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual/posts/how-to-wander-161359969

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

How do we practice becoming a Person? Doing his best to evade the usual traps of self-optimization, the Wizard offers a humble contemplative practice designed to help us see ourselves—not as perpetual projects—but as vast and complex patterns which emerge across space-and-time out of an intricate web of relationships. Thus, to aid us in our quest to discern our own Person, the Wizards lays out a magical ritual known as the Seven Point Program to Become a Person.

For more on the ideas explored in this episode, check out

What is a Person? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-is-person-159310290

What's the Point? (theory) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/whats-point-147660543

What's the Point? (practice) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/whats-point-148217750

The Invocation - https://www.patreon.com/posts/invocation-144989332

Join the ritual: https://www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Before we get into the practical magical follow up to What is a Person? (theory), the Wizard wanted to acknowledge the paradoxical problem of trying to be a better person and how the Cult of Optimization seeks to prey on our collective anxieties with an endless barrage of advice, tips, and self improvement schemes, when perhaps we might have a slightly better time letting all that go to bask in our own imperfection instead.

If you're imperfect and tired of trying to deny it, join our imperfect Patreon and listen to the episode in its entirety!

Listen to How to Alchemize Anxiety: https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-to-be-person-160041488

Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual