Welcome to...
Magus
In this Bonus Series, we explore the legendary lives of the most famous witches and wizards in history, and their legacies in the magic of the modern day...
Episode 1: King Solomon
In this first episode we are exploring the mythical life and magical accomplishments of King Solomon, including some of the iconic objects associated with him, such as the Seal of Solomon and the Lesser Key of Solomon, while also digging into the history of how the legends about him have come to be.
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Via early Jewish mystic writings to Arabian folktales and Medieval European grimoires, we're sifting through sand, rifling through parchment scrolls, and seeking the truth behind forged texts, disputing revisionist accounts of the past and discussing archaeological evidence to separate fact from fiction.
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For example, what was Solomon's Temple said to be like, and why can nobody find it? Did he really have a flying throne to whizz about on jolly adventures? What was his relationship like with the Queen of Sheba, and why is it said the Kingdom of Israel fell to pieces after he died?
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From super-destructive magical worms to demons forced into manual handling work, a litany of pagan deities being worshiped in buildings right alongside armies of busy sex workers, we're weaving a wild tangle of stories, spells, mysteries and enchantments that we hope will enlighten and entertain.
Episode 2: Mother Shipton
We delve into the deep dark cave of history to the unravel the mysterious life of Mother Shipton, a Tudor era prophetess with links to folkloric sites all over England, from Knaresborough to the Rollright Stones to Somerset and beyond.
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Our journey starts in the English Renaissance, where we explore how the concept of a witch had been presented and appeared in legal cases and famous stories, up until the reign of Henry VIII - during which it's said Mother Shipton lived and died, seemingly attracting the ire of the crown!
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Yet, considering the lack of historical detail relating to the woman also known as Ursula Southeil, getting to the bottom of who she may have been soon becomes a moot point, as, despite the work of generations of historians, from the Jacobean era onwards, following the period of 'Witch Hunt fever' in England Mother Shipton quickly became a political tool and means of making money.
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Prepare yourself for an episode full of surprises, from flying goats and fifteen minute bouts of flatulence to mass hysteria and bucket-loads of bare faced lies.
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But sitting behind it all is a serious point: if history is written by the victors, what have the English ruling classes had to say about Mother Shipton across the last five centuries? And with this in mind, do all the things people believe about Mother Shipton have anything to do with her actual life and legacy, or everything to do with our own historic fears and prejudice?
Episode 3: Giordano Bruno
We travel all about Renaissance Europe and up through the layers of the heavens to undertake divine revelations into the life, times, and accomplishments of Giordano Bruno!
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From Bruno's early life as a Dominican priest, forced to flee one of six popes he thoroughly annoyed, right up to his horrid execution in the Campo de' Fiori, we're running through a wild highlights reel of his accomplishments - both in the development of his pioneering mnemonic memory systems through to creation of his occult philosophy, rooted in 'Egyptian Magic.'
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It's a wild journey, ranging from forbidden texts, hidden in the walls of a latrine, back through time to the birth of Renaissance Magic care of the likes of Pico and Ficino, into the heart of the French and English courts, to all the Universities where Bruno made himself so unpopular, wizardry aside this would still be a fascinating story.
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Yet, Giordano Bruno also preached a unique gospel, informed by the mythology of Hermes Trismegistus, which involved using hieroglyphics to talk to angels, flirting with Queen Elisabeth I, writing pretty ripe poetry, and trying to debate the failings of Christianity with the Pope himself...
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With examples of Bruno's wilder mystic beliefs as well as examples of how he shaped Renaissance science and culture, and even inspired aspects of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, if you know nothing about Bruno then this one is going to be a face-melter.
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And if you do, we bet the wealth of a mid-rank Medici that there will be things in this episode that will still surprise you!