Dr. Al Cummins on Spirits, Ancestors, Discernment and Magical Practice

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In this episode, I’m joined once again by Dr. Alexander Cummins — historian of magic, diviner, and teacher of early modern cunning craft—for a deep and grounded conversation on working with spirits as allies in magical and divinatory practice.

Together, we explore what it really means to work with ancestral practitioners—the spirits of the magical dead—and how these relationships were understood historically, as well as how they can be approached with clarity and integrity today.

In This Episode, We Discuss:
- What “ancestral practitioners” are, and how they differ from general ancestor work
- Historical examples of working with the magical dead
- Reciprocity, obligation, and relationship in spirit work
- What it actually means to test spirits in practice
- Geomancy and the role of appropriate questions in spirit contact

Links and More:
TempleFest (New England, September 2026) – where both Dr. Al and I will be presenting this year. https://templefest.templeofwitchcraft.org/
Dr. Al's Website: https://www.alexandercummins.com/
Classes and Courses with Dr. Al: https://www.alexandercummins.com/classbundles

About the Show, and JoAnna:
The Diviner’s Path: A Nature-Led Approach to Divination with Tarot, Runes & Pendulums, by JoAnna, is now available for pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738782432/
Pre-orders make a huge difference in helping a book reach more readers, so if you’ve been planning to pick up a copy, this is a wonderful way to support the work.

You can find all details on my website or on Instagram: @coffeeanddivination
Website: http://www.coffeeanddivination.com

Thank you for listening — and as always, see you between the worlds.