In the first half, author and monetary expert Craig Smith talked about personal bank accounts, and what the future has in store for banking institutions, and money. What many people don't realize is that when they put their money in a bank, it no longer belongs to them-- they become an unsecured creditor of that bank, he revealed. When another economic crash comes (and Smith believes we are due for one) people may lose their funds-- "the FDIC currently has at most $500 billion to cover over $7 trillion worth of deposits," he reported. Banks also make it difficult for customers to withdraw $10,000 or more in cash, and treat such events as suspicious activity, he added.
There have been dozens and dozens of bank crises throughout American history, and the country has always recovered, but we have not done so since the 2008 crash because the Federal Reserve extended artificially low interest rates, he lamented. Smith also warned of the cyber-threats to modern banking, which show that accounts are vulnerable. He cited the recent hacking of JP Morgan-- "JP Morgan still can't tell you how [the hackers] got in, and what they took out." Further, if the electronic grid gets knocked out, records of people's funds, and access to them could disappear.
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In the latter half, world-class spell collector and independent scholar, writer, and teacher, Judika Illes discussed everything related to witchcraft, and shared magic spells, rituals, and traditions. The term 'witch' can be defined in many different ways, and going back in history it was often associated with independent women who were not obedient, she pointed out. In Salem, a number of the witch cases had more to do with property disputes-- "when people were convicted of witchcraft they lost their property," she noted. "I think that witches are vestiges of the oldest spiritual traditions on Earth;" she said, "there are witches all over the Earth...a person of power, this person who knows how to manipulate the secrets of the Earth, the plants, and the crystals, and the minerals."
While some witches don't cast spells, for Illes they have a practical usage in her life. Magical spells are intended to make your life better, and they work by harnessing the inherent energies of nature, she explained. One of the simplest spells makes use of a white candle which you hold in your left hand, while you think about what you want to accomplish. "The key is to see your spell accomplished. So let's just say you need money-- you see yourself with some money, you don't see your lack, you see what you are expecting to receive...It's almost like brainwashing the universe a little bit," she said, adding that when you visualize your success, you light the candle and let it burn down.
New segment guests: Christian Wilde , Howard Bloom