Do you have something that goes bump in the night? Do your friends who visit complain about strange noises—and strange people—in your house? Have you ever wondered why your furniture moves on its own, and why the chandelier in your bathroom…cackles?

Well then you might need the services of Justin, a Wiccan priest who professionally rids homes of bad spirit and bad energy. And you better believe he has some strange stories from the houses he’s cleansed. Let’s hear about his most bizarre encounters, today, on Homespun Haints.

Episode Summary

Our episode begins with an update from Diana about her basement ghost. And then, somehow, we learn her parents have a secret passageway in their home near where the ghost appears, and also that her mother taught her how to read using a Ouija Board. In an already haunted house. Because that’s not weird at all.

Next, we launch into our interview with Justin Firemoon, a Wiccan priest and professional medium who smudges homes and people and reads Tarot.

Justin has some interesting stories to tell, as you can imagine. For starters, he’s battled some pretty interesting evil. I (Becky) began to draw one of the monsters he encountered while smudging a home, but I kept getting sicker and sicker as I sketched it out. I kind of took that as a sign that I shouldn’t finish my sketch. So, here it is in unfinished glory.

Pagan Religions
A sketch of the manifestation Justin encountered that I couldn’t finish because it made me physically ill to draw it.

Here’s hoping it doesn’t affect you like it did me. There’s more to Justin’s stories; listen to the episode above and get all the juicy details.

Episode Show Notes

This episode is only our second episode that discusses spiritual beliefs outside of Christianity. You can also check out our previous episode where we interview a Shinto priest‘s assistant.

What is Santería?

Justin encountered a creature conjured by what he believes was a Santería practitioner during one of his smudgings. However, what exactly is Santería? There are many misconceptions among the general population regarding this and other Latin/Caribbean/Afro-American religions. And unfortunately, the information available on the internet regarding these practices is somewhat limited.

We do not claim to have any real knowledge of this particular faith, other than our fascination and respect for a religion that has so seamlessly melded multiple ideas and cultures together, and which has managed to survive for centuries despite government censure.

In our attempts to learn more about Santería from a more personal perspective, we found this lovely essay written by a woman explaining her family’s relationship to this and other faiths growing up in Puerto Rico. And, at a recent podcasting conference, someone advised us to also look into Botanica. These stores can be spotted throughout the U.S and the Caribbean. They carry herbs, spiritual items, and other ritualistic objects pertaining to Santería and similar religions. True Botanica, apparently, are also run by priests who can provide readings and guidance. And they can be found just about anywhere, even in Brooklyn.

Would you like to provide more information about Santería that we can include on this page? We’d love to hear from you on our submissions page.

What is Wicca?

Justin does a nice job describing the basis of Wicca in this episode’s interview. Again, we are not really qualified to fully explain a religion that we do not practice, but we hope this site can provide you with some resources if you’re interested in learning more about Wicca.

If you’re interested in learning more about Wicca, magick, and other nature-based Pagan religions, you might check out Circle Sanctuary, a Nature Spirituality church in Wisconsin with an international reach.

Until next time, have a spooky day!