Animal Magic

How did a donkey become the only animal prophet in the Bible?  And how did horses change the lives of Indigenous Americans of the Great Plains?

A bear visits our campsite at Allegany State Park.  Michael nearly learns a valuable lesson.  A Biblical prophet's baldness summons the ursine species into existence.  And we learn what happens when a bear refuses to dance like a chicken.

What's the Lifespan of your Average Magical Groundhog?  Why is his February message so important?  And how does Groundhog Day relate to Ancient Systems of Spring Predictions?

A Comical Glance at the Talking Serpent of Eden, Snake-Handling Churches, and some of the Silliest Snake-stories of the Bible.  Plus: Before the Garden of Eden story got so famous (and poisonous) - what did the locals of Israel actually like about Women, Snakes and Trees?

Watching the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings with my Kids I wonder - What's Humanity's great Fascination with Dragons?  Where does the word come from, and what kind of Dragon-lore (good, bad, and ugly) might we find in Greek, Mayan and Chinese Mythology?  And what might our long Multicultural Love-Hate Relationship with Scary Reptiles have to tell us about what it means to be Human?

How did the Human Species Survive in the Chaos of the Jungle?

How did a Native American Raven bring light to the world?  What happened to the Cratchit family goose in A Christmas Carol?  And why did two Turtledoves have to die when Jesus was born?

In this very special episode, the featured creature is James Taylor (or, more specifically, his eyebrows).  

What's the first thing Noah did when the Ark landed?  Can elephant sounds be translated into English?  And why do I have to live in an artificial primate habitat?

Why does James Bond look so silly under water?  Was Jonah swallowed by a fish or a whale?  And how big can a fish story get?  

If you and I buy milk from the same grocery story, and it comes from the same cow - does that make us siblings?  What's the difference between a Sacred Cow and a Golden Calf?  And how could a cow have resolved the cosmic conflicts in Viking Mythology?

Why is the Easter Bunny male?  And how does he lay eggs?  The ancient Aztecs and Chinese agree there's a rabbit on the moon.  How did it get there?  And how do all these rabbits survive on the streets of Buffalo?