Pam Grossman

Pam Grossman
Born (1981-02-14) February 14, 1981 (age 45)
EducationB.A., New York University (2003)
Occupationsauthor, curator, podcaster, teacher
SpouseMatthew Freeman
Websitehttps://www.pamgrossman.com

Pam Grossman (born February 14, 1981) is a Brooklyn-based American author, curator, and teacher of magical practice and history. She is the creator and host of The Witch Wave podcast. She is also the author and editor of several publications relating to the occult and witches. She is also the co-founder and co-organizer of the biennial Occult Humanities Conference at New York University.

Early life and education

Grossman was raised in New Jersey to a Jewish family. She became interested in witchcraft at an early age. She cites as an influence the book Wise Child by Monica Furlong which has a witch named Juniper in it, whom she still likes.

Grossman graduated from New York University (NYU) in 2003 with a degree in cultural anthropology.

Career

Grossman began working at Getty Images as a sales consultant in 2003 and was appointed Director of Visual Trends in 2013. As Director of Visual Trends, she led a team that analyzed and predicted trends within media, then worked with art directors and photo editors to curate Getty Images’ collection of images and video.

In October 2005, Grossman founded the blog Phantasmaphile, a blog dedicated to esoteric art and culture. The blog officially closed in September 2025.[clarification needed].In 2009, Grossman co-founded Observatory, an arts and event space in Brooklyn. Grossman's programming highlighted mysticism and the occult. The space closed in 2014. Grossman is the co-organizer of the biennial Occult Humanities Conference at NYU. The conference was founded in 2013.

The Witch Wave with Pam Grossman

In 2017, Grossman launchedThe Witch Wave podcast. The podcast centers on magic, creativity, and culture, with Grossman interviewing a range of guests, including the drag queen Jinkx Monsoon; scholar Ronald Hutton; musicians Neko Case, Bat For Lashes, and Chelsea Wolfe; authors Madeline Miller and Augusten Burroughs; actors Rachel True and Suranne Jones; comedian Chris Fleming; and prominent witches and occultists Starhawk, Mitch Horowitz, and Bri Luna of The Hoodwitch.[independent source needed] As of September 24, 2025, it is in its ninth season.

The Witch Wave is featured in Sean Malin's 2025 book The Podcast Pantheon: 101 Podcasts That Changed How We Listen.

Writing

Grossman contributed the text to Tin Can Forest's illustrated book What Is A Witch, first published in 2016 and reprinted in 2024.

She has also written the books What Is A Witch and Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power. The latter is part memoir, chronicling Grossman's path to becoming a practicing witch.

In 2021, Grossman was co-editor and co-author with Jessica Hundley for Witchcraft, the third book in Taschen’s Library of Esoterica series. The volume explores the history of witchcraft through over 400 artworks and features essays and interviews with prominent figures in modern witchcraft.

Her latest book, Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity, was released in 2025.

Critical reception

Of Grossman's book What Is A Witch, The Beat's Philippe Leblanc said “Her master of the topic and the pen allows this story to feel refreshing and unique.”

The Times Literary Supplement called Grossman's second book, Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, a “beguiling exploration of witches across history, myth, art and pop culture.”

Of the book Witchcraft, which Grossman co-edited with Jessica Hundley, The New York Times called it “a decadent feast for the eyes, laced with belladonna,” and CNN considered it “a visually vibrant volume that isn’t so much a book as it is a spellbinding tribute to a figure and a practice that are as old as time.”

Awards and honors

Grossman was also selected as one of LinkedIn’s Next Wave "Top Professionals 35 & Under", and named one of Adweek’s Creative 100.

In 2014, Grossman was named one of Marie Claire’s “20 Women Who Are Changing the Ratio” for her work on Getty Images’ Lean In Collection in collaboration with Sheryl Sandberg's LeanIn.org. The collection also received the International Center of Photography's Infinity Award.

Personal life

Grossman is married to playwright Matthew Freeman.

Bibliography

Author

Contributor

References

  1. ↑ "The Witch Wave". The Witch Wave. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  2. ↑ "Occult Humanities Conference 2025". Occult Humanities Conference 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  3. 1 2 Burack, Emily (2019-06-24). "You Can Totally be a Jewish Witch. Just Ask Pam Grossman". Hey Alma. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  4. ↑ "Interview with Pam Grossman". Red Door. 2013-06-12. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  5. ↑ "Pam Grossman". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  6. ↑ Laughlin, Shepherd. "There's going to be a lot more audacity and boldness to our aesthetics". VML (Interview). Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "Typepad - Closed for Business". www.typepad.com. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  8. ↑ "Occult Humanities Conference 2025". Occult Humanities Conference 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  9. ↑ Grossman, Pam (2025-10-14). "The Witch Wave". The Witch Wave. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  10. ↑ "Podcast Pantheon". Chronicle Books. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  11. ↑ "What is a Witch – Tin Can Forest". Archived from the original on 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  12. ↑ Leblanc, Philippe (2016-10-27). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  13. ↑ "Mystics, Monsters and the Macabre: Visual Books Honor the Occult (Published 2021)". 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  14. ↑ Cerini, Marianna (2021-10-31). "The witch isn't dead: New book explores witchcraft's rebellious history – and modern transformation". CNN. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  15. ↑ Only, Subscription (2017-06-12). "Adweek's Creative 100: The Names You Need to Know Right Now in Marketing, Media and Tech". Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  16. ↑ "20 Women Who Are Changing the Ratio". Marie Claire. 2014-08-21. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  17. ↑ "9,076 Leanin Stock Photos, High-Res Pictures, and Images - Getty Images". www.gettyimages.com. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  18. ↑ "2015 Infinity Award: Trustee | 1International Center of Photography". www.icp.org. 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2025-10-16.