lore
Sabel Samone-Loreca on Living as a Black, HIV-Positive Transgender American
"I know you wanna close all the windows and doors and just be in the dark, but if you just wait and hold on...the light comes through." Sabel Samone-Loreca offers wisdom from a life of resilience and recovery.
What Are Jinn: The Arab Spirits Who Can Eat, Sleep, Have Sex, and Die
From Disney's Aladdin to the subject of exorcisms, jinn spirits have influenced culture and religion for centuries in our realm and theirs.
How Female Vampires Sucked the Patriarchy Out of Pop Culture
From 19th century Irish literature to "Buffy," the vampiress has been redefining "acceptable womanhood" for centuries.
Are Cats Psychic? An Investigation
Since time immemorial, cats have been revered as spiritual creatures—so I asked a psychic to help me understand my tabby, Smidge.
Stop Stereotyping Arab Women With Your Halloween Costumes
Photographer Yumna Al-Arashi wants you to trash your sexy Jasmine costume and dress up as her heroes instead.
The Real Legend of Mongfind, the Witch-Queen Who Inspired Halloween
A direct descendent of Samhain is the spooky reason for the season.
Hexing Brett Kavanaugh Was the Healing I Needed
The Catland-organized hex on Brett Kavanaugh was an act of solidarity with survivors, a ritual to harness our rage and allow it to destroy something other than ourselves.
Queer Sex Magic: How to Do LGBTQ Witchcraft in Bed
According to professional witches, you can perform queer sex magic either with a partner or by yourself. I set a self-acceptance intention and tried it out.
An Exorcist Is Now Trying to Protect Kavanaugh from Brooklyn Witches' Hex
An exorcist in California is holding a Mass to protect Brett Kavanaugh from the "evil" of a ritual hex set to curse him this weekend.
Reshaping the Occult Narrative, One Witch Portrait at a Time
After learning her ancestral ties to witch persecution, photographer Frances F. Denny decided to shoot a series that reframes the narrative around the occult.
How to Be Calm, According to a Sublimely Chill Libra
Advice—some serious, and some less so—on finding balance and equanimity from a representative of the zodiac sign symbolized by scales.
Inside the Lavish Arranged Marriage of a Powerful Witch Clan
In Romania, one of the world's most powerful witches arranged for her son to marry his witch cousin. Broadly attended the extravagant wedding to capture the rituals and ceremonies that go into planning a traditional occult wedding.