Faith and Fear

I’m back to bring you a lost interview, just in time for Halloween. I talk to Mike Tritle, the author of Mister Secrets, The Collins House, and host of The Warning Woods podcast, about the good…the bad…and the ugly of the horror genre. I wanted to discuss Horror in general, and Miles was a great person to help me address such a topic. So I hope you'll enjoy. As always, your feedback is appreciated...

When it comes to storytelling, one of the most prominent and continuously rising formats of the last 30+ years has been video games, and even now there seems to be no end to how much more they will grow. They run the gambit of any and all genres, from historical fiction to fantasy and sci-fi, to sports, and even slice of life. Video games are inspired by all manner of cultures and lifestyles, and...

Dreams are a huge part of the human experience, in both the literal definition- experienced via our unconsciousness during rest, as much as our aspirational, ambitious desires. But dreams can and do mean so much more, having such a powerful impact on our lives; in various cultures, these influences take on many forms and move in a number of ways… So dream a little dream with me, and let us drift o...

The Faith and Fear Podcast will return on Sunday, September 3, 2023.

Today I will be bringing you an adventure of sibling rivalry, revenge, hatred, fear, and hope. It is a one-off winter tale inspired by my yet-to-be-published novel, Genko Shin. One no one else has yet to read or hear, so consider it my special holiday gift to you. I hope you like it. Without further ado, in celebration of the season and winter Solstice, and of course, in honor of Anansi, the Afric...

The holidays are upon us, and more importantly, so are the winter months. A stressful time of year...and traditionally one of danger, hunger...even death. It’s a time when the struggle for survival was its most severe. So the very nature of the holiday season is no stranger to horror or fear. If you missed my Christmas Monsters episode last year, please do check it out. You’ll quickly become aware...

This week I’m happy to bring you another explorative episode, with another incredible guest. Author Kirsten Weiss joins me to talk about her experiences working abroad, namely the folklore and superstitions she’s encountered while living among other cultures, in various parts of the world. Kirsten's Links https://www.kirstenweiss.com/ https://cf40ff92-f864-4d9a-a720-d3cd8a755e96.filesusr.com/ugd/1...

I’m pretty excited about this week’s episode, which was originally scheduled for Halloween weekend, but sometimes life has its own plans, and things come up. Still, I’m glad to finally bring you our discussion on true crime narratives, and why we are so infatuated with them, especially when it comes to serial killers. To do that, I’ve brought you a very special guest- Kate Wallinga of ‘Ignorance W...

This week I get to bring you a very special guest, Laura Giles, the founder of Pan Society, a church of modern animism, to discuss among other things, what animism is. We also discuss religious trauma syndrome, ancestor veneration, connecting with nature, and finding one’s own connection with spirituality. Pan Society links: https://pansociety.net   https://facebook.com/PanSocietyUniverse1 ht...

Death is a part of life, giving it meaning, and the things we do while we're alive, weight. But for those who believe it is not the end, it is only one part of the journey. The journey, not the destination, is, and always will be the most important. That said, sometimes we need a bit of help, to overcome whatever obstacles come our way, whatever trials befall us, and to guide us wherever it is we’...

So much about life is beyond our authority, and we often fear those things we are unable to control. We fear the unknown. We fear change. Sometimes we’re afraid of fear itself. So today, since we’re entering the month of Fear, what better time to discuss its nature, as well as its significance. What is Fear Psychology of Fear Emotional Triggers Phobias Fear: Entertainment Why do people enjoy being...

Welcome to the second episode of ‘Weave Me a Story', bonus episodes of the Faith and Fear podcast where I read you original stories I myself have written. In this episode, I will be telling you a story of djinn and one particularly powerful ring. Sometimes being who we are and accepting ourselves as is, can lead to unexpected, and rather surprising outcomes. So, let me Weave You a Story. This Epis...

Seasons change, they come and go... It represents the cycle of life for all things. Seasons Change The Science Mythology Persephone and Demeter (Greek) Why the Trees Lose Their Leaves (Cherokee Story) The Blue Corn Maide (Hopi Story) Amaterasu (Japanese Shinto) The Oak and Holly Kings (Pagan/Celtic) Baldur (Norse)

Welcome to the first episode of ‘Weave Me a Story', bonus episodes of the Faith and Fear podcast where I read you original stories I myself have written.  Today is World Storytelling Day, a global celebration of the world’s many oral traditions and an opportunity to pass on stories to others, especially through word of mouth.  This year's theme is New Beginnings and I’ve written a few fa...

In this episode, I focus on the topics of gender identity, the spectrum of sexuality, as well as the existence of those same themes throughout mythology and some of the world’s many preChristian cultures. References, including https://www.genderbread.org/, at the bottom of show notes. Gender Gender Identity Gender Expression Gender Fluid Cisgender Intersex Non-binary Transgende r Sexuality Asexual...

In the next couple of episodes we’re going to be talking all about that four-letter word; love. But not love exclusively. I want to discuss everything tangentially related; love languages, deities, gender, and yes, sexuality. 5 Love Languages Words of Affirmation Acts of Services Receiving Gifts Quality Time Physical Touch Love Deities Aphrodite Eros Hera Frigga Freya Inanna Ishtar Astarte Hathor...

Who we are and what we are capable of becoming… is it determined by our actions and choices, or by forces beyond our control. Can we change things if we make the right moves, or is it all set in stone, predetermined before we were ever born? Are we victims, mere pawns; chess pieces on a universal board...or do we actually have agency, some semblance of power, or sway over who we were and will beco...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome back. I hope you and yours have remained safe and are doing well. 2020 was a long one for many of us. Hopefully, 2021 will at the very least, be an improvement; I’m rooting for each and every one of you. I know some of you have doubts, even concerns about what lies ahead. The thing is no one knows what the future will hold because it hasn’t happened yet. For better or worse...

The winter season typically brings to mind the cold, hibernating animals, snow-covered...everything, and of course family gatherings. We prepare for frozen storms and historically, potential food shortages; even power outages, and being stuck at home inside. But it’s also a time of being thankful, grateful for the things we do have, and more importantly the people we have in our lives. When many o...

Unlike last week, this episode is perfectly kid-friendly. So feel free to cuddle up with your little ones and listen together to the several depictions of Santa from around the world. With a little bit of magic, the long-lived saint continues to spread joy and cheer everywhere he goes, taking on many faces. St. Nicholas Sinterklaas Christkind Ded Moroz Father Christmas Pere Noel Tomte/Jultomten Lo...

It’s that time of year again, where sleigh bells ring and colorful lights can be seen all around. A time of joy and cheer, laughter, and family; the time of year we expect to see the best in humanity. It’s a time of love and hope.  Starting this week, I will be attempting to stick to a monthly theme, each episode building on the last, kicking things off with a winter/holiday motif.  Be f...

This week is going to be a first for Faith and Fear, we have a small party going on and you folks are invited. Joining me today are Nicole O’hara and Matt Ip Shaw of “Myth Illogical”. Together we discuss ritual and ceremony in everyday life, the semantics of religion, and the debate over the differences between religion and myth. This is easily one of my favorite episodes so far. I hope you enjoy....

Today I will be bringing you episode 1 of Pop Incarnations, a sporadic series of bonus episodes, whose sole purpose will be to focus on incarnations of mythological and folkloric figures in popular culture. Each episode will concentrate on one particular show, movie, or literary property. Currently, it's Thanksgiving week, a time for friends...and family. Friends and family are important. Sometime...

We are all human; beings of flesh and blood and bone. Beneath the surface, we’re essentially composed of the same organic materials, and it’s the exterior, the cosmetic, superficial differences that tend to drive us apart. I’m talking about skin color, pigmentation, or lack thereof. Among all the reasons to divide ourselves, we arbitrarily designate the production of melanin as one of them. Albini...

Spirituality, magic, ritual, they go back pretty much as far as humans have been self-aware. Whether you agree with the need for such beliefs or belief in a higher power at all, they remain significant aspects of community and culture. They shape not only our worldview but our sense of self and personal identity as well. Ethnic Traditions and Cultural Practices Old European Magick Cunning Folk Str...