#165 - Melissa Auf der Maur, Bewitching Bassist (Hole / The Smashing Pumpkins)

The Witch Wave

Pam Grossman

Arts, Religion & Spirituality, Other, Spirituality, Visual Arts

4.9 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2026

⏱️ 90 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Melissa Auf der Maur is an acclaimed musician, photographer, curator, and producer, best known as the former bassist of rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins. Her new memoir Even the Good Girls Will Cry covers those heady rockstar times of the 1990s, and is out now. She has also released two solo albums, Auf der Maur (2004) and Out of Our Minds (2010), the latter of which is part of a larger project that also includes a comic book and a short film. Melissa’s photographs have been exhibited internationally, including at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and have appeared in such publications as Spin, Elle, Nylon, and American Photo. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, in 2010 she co-founded Basilica Hudson, a multidisciplinary art center in Hudson, NY, where she now lives.

On this episode, Melissa discusses how she became a rockstar by literally following her dreams, her lifelong relationship to magic, and the “soul constellation” that links her with Courtney Love, Billy Corgan, Dave Grohl, and Kurt Cobain.

Pam also talks about Dionysus and her ritual for the Rocky Horror Show on Broadway, and answers a listener question about cultivating a magical library.

Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)

Our sponsors for this episode are Snowy Owl Arts + Tea House, Wheel of Fate, Weiser Books, The Moonbeaming podcast, BetterHelp, Blessed Be Magick, and Mithras Candle

We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.

And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of The Witch Wave is brought to you by Snowy Owl Arts and Tea House.
0:06.1	Snowy Owl Arts and Tea House nestled in Buffalo's historic Niagara Food Terminal is a haven of creativity and warmth,
0:15.9	serving as the creative and production hub for Snowy Owl Tea, known for its hand-crafted blends infused with
0:23.9	real fruit, fresh ground whole spices, and full leaf teas and blossoms.
0:30.1	Snowy Owl Arts and Tea House is also home to the creative endeavors of resident artist and
0:36.7	owner Tara Beistrin Pruski.
0:40.2	Now, I adore Snowy Owl Tea, which is why I've partnered with them on the WitchWave
0:46.1	Tea Blend available from our site, but you can get their other tea blends directly from
0:52.9	them, and I highly recommend you do. I'm addicted to their
0:57.5	midnight moon blend with lavender, vanilla, and Earl Grey, as well as their second breakfast
1:04.4	blend with lemon, oat, and poppy seed. I'm telling you, it is so good. Visit Snowy Owl in person or order their delicious teas online at snowy owltie.com and use code
1:20.3	witch for 10% off.
1:23.0	That's snowy owl tea.com with code witch.
1:30.6	This episode of The Witchwave is brought to you by Wheel of Fate in Edinburgh, Scotland. At Wheel of Fate Witch Shop, you can learn to make your own
1:39.6	besom broom, bind a spellbook, or spin wool into yarn. There you can find local art inspired by
1:49.3	heritage crafts, the natural world, and regional myths and folklore. At Wheel of Fate, they believe
1:57.6	that there is magic in the creative arts, and they want to share that magic with you.
2:04.4	Visit wheeloffate.co.uk to book a workshop or to learn more about their new location.
2:13.7	The Witch Wave is brought to you by Wiser Books.
2:18.2	Wiser Books has been publishing esoteric and occult teachings from around the world since 1957.
2:27.3	Wiser specializes in a wide range of topics, including astrology, taro, witchcraft, magic, Eastern thought, and Western mystery
2:37.8	traditions. Wiser books authors include Teresa Reed, Amy Blackthorne, Rachel Pollock, Mary Kay Greer,
	...

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