After 7 years and hundreds of episodes, the Wizard finally gets to the point and lays out his "metaphysics of magic," a theory of everything that not only explains all of existence (at last!), but creates an intellectual foundation for the practice of magic and wizardry, which will be revealed next episode in our imminently practical follow up, What's the Point? (practice). For more on the ideas explored in this episode, check out The Invocation and What is an LLM? Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

The secret power of any holiday tradition is repetition. Endless re-runs of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas or A Charlie Brown Christmas are what engraved them into the cultural consciousness as "classics." So, in a similar spirit, we're re-releasing this very special seasonal ceremony to make your holy days a little more meta and a bit more magical. Is Santa Claus a wizard? What is the true meaning of Christmas? Did you get me any presents? All of these classic Christmas questions are at long last answered in this very special Meta Modern Xmas Special! Originally released December 25, 2023 Give the Wizard some holiday cheer at: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual Follow the Wizard on Instagram @personisawake

In this special bonus follow up to The Invocation, the wizard pulls back the curtain and reveals his sources, discussing all of the books, movies, artists, and ideas that inspired this most recent piece of magic. But this is just a preview of that episode, so for the real thing you'll need to check out the Patreon! Listen to The Annotated Invocation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145559960 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

This Podcast is a Ritual began 7 years ago with an Opening Ceremony. Now the true purpose of this ritual is revealed in... The Invocation! Tune in to this episode's magical frequency to better understand the struggles of this Age of Anxiety and how wizardry just might help us find our way to a "slightly better" future. Recorded live at MaybeItsFate (Louisville, KY) on November 30, 2025. Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Magic is one of the most confusing, confounding, and captivating words in our culture. Every human society works with magic in some way, but what it is exactly is still up for considerable debate. In this preview, the Wizard offers a glimpse into the unique conception of magic that animates this podcast and points the way towards the deeper definitions explored in the full bonus episode on Patreon. Listen to What is Magic?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/144467404 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Large Language Models, or LLMs, are infiltrating every facet of our society, but do we even understand what they are? In this fascinating deep dive into the intersection of technology, language, and consciousness, the Wizard offers a few new ways of perceiving these revolutionary—and worrying—systems. Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

The Invocation pulls from the past to foresee a "slightly better" future. As November 30th, 2025 draws nearer, we take one more look back to see This Prophecy is a Ritual, an episode exploring where AI might really be leading us... Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. As A.I. infiltrates our reality at an alarming pace, one wizard attempts to give voice to his concerns and conceptions about where this all might be leading in this playful experiment in extemporaneous prophecy... Originally released June 19, 2023 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Meta-tation is a new practice of imaginative expansion, using one's own natural curiosity to see the present moment from a wider perspective and open up new pathways to a "slightly better" reality. While traditional meditation often takes us "in" to the present moment, trying to experience it without mental chatter, meta-tation leads us "out" of the present moment, far beyond mental chatter and daily frustrations to contemplate a bigger, weirder view of reality. Listen to the meta-tation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/142890502 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Artist, occultist, and psychoanalyst Dr. Vanessa Sinclair joins the ritual for another probing exploration of the strange and symbolic realms of psychoanalysis itself as we move beyond Freud and discuss the other thinkers who mapped our collective unconscious. Learn more about the RU Center for Psychoanalysis at: https://rucenterforpsychoanalysis.substack.com/ Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

As we move ever closer to our "Invocation of the Listener" ceremony on November 30th, 2025, we're returning to the episodes that first set the stage for the expanding mythos of This Podcast is a Ritual... A Slightly Better Episode celebrates the holy wizard holiday, April Fools Day, with a very special ritual wherein your wizard, Devin Person, bares his soul and reveals the true aims of This Podcast is a Ritual. Originally released April 1, 2021 Ritual audio graciously provided by Logan Dennison, Heather Elle, and Kevin Pelrine. Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Beyond magic lies myth, a series of stories and symbols a culture uses to understand itself and orient to a wider metaphysical reality. While early anthropologists tended to discard other cultures' myths as mere superstition and nonsense, thanks to pioneering comparative mythologists like Joseph Campbell, Mircea Eliade, and Georges Dumézil (among others), we can now explore a far more magical answer to the question... what is myth? Listen to the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/141320341 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

The Wizard sat down at his desk to write a description for his new podcast episode, What is Metafiction?, exploring the literary genre of metafiction and its implications for magical practice. Pausing as he finished the first line, the Wizard figured he should probably mention he'd written a whole book on the subject, So Let It Be Written: A Wizards' Guide to Metafiction w/ Eric J. Millar), and include a link for listeners to purchase it. Get a copy of So Let It Be Written: A Wizards' Guide to Metafiction: https://www.personisawake.com/so-let-it-be-written Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

As the ritual prepares to ascend to a higher plane with our "Invocation of the Listener" ceremony on November 30th, 2025, we're revisiting the magical moments that led us here with a series of special re-releases, beginning with the Opening Ceremony that started it all.... In this opening ceremony, you will be initiated into the ritual by the wizard Devin Person and discover the life-changing magic that can make your reality... slightly better. Recorded live at Magick City (Brooklyn, NY) on November 30, 2018. Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Magic can be attractive to people struggling with anxiety, as it seems to offer the promise of greater control over one's reality. However, the Wizard has an interesting theory about how letting go of control and "trusting the magic" can produce far better results. This short preview goes over the essence of magic's interaction with anxiety, and invites you to tune into the full bonus episode on Patreon to soothe your troubled spirit and learn to let go. Listen to the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/139664083 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Meditation teacher George Haas, founder of the Metta Group and host of the I Love You, Keep Going podcast, joins the ritual for a deep dive into the unconscious conditioning known as "attachment styles" that affect how we not only form relationships, but perceive reality itself. George's work explores how Buddhist meditation techniques can help release these shackles to create a greater sense of freedom, security, and meaning in one's life. Tune into George's vibrations: https://www.mettagroup.org/ Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

The end of a relationship can bring with it feelings of loss, grief, and chaos, but these crises also contain the seeds of significant personal growth. In this episode, the Wizard shares what he learned over the last year of navigating heartbreak and offers a guiding light for anyone else going through something similar. Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

The Wizard digs deeper into the occult forces shaping our reality, pivoting from the coveted prize of "coolness" to the booby trap everyone is eager to avoid: Shame! In this short preview, you'll learn how shame relates to cool, why trying to avoid shame has the opposite effect, and some counterintuitive strategies for working with uncomfortable feelings. Listen to the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/137486865 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Most of us spend more time than we'd like to admit trying to "be cool," but do we know what "cool" even is? Thankfully, the world's coolest wizard is on the case in this in-depth investigation of this elusive cultural concept and how we can reclaim it as a revolutionary force in this distinctly uncool era. Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

Fresh off his Quest, the Wizard kicks off a new series of alternating bonus episodes exploring the intersection of psychology and magic. In this exciting preview, you'll learn more about the power of psychological "images" and how to work through difficult feelings by magically connecting with your "inner child." Listen to the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/135879917 Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual

This Podcast is a Quest lands safely back at home in this restful and reflective conclusion as the Wizard shares what he learned on his journey as well as what lies ahead for wizardry, reality, and the ongoing magic of This Podcast is a Ritual. Got a question for the the Wizard? Call the Wizard Hotline at 860-415-6009‬ and have it answered in a future episode! Join the ritual: www.patreon.com/thispodcastisaritual