Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

You know we live in a digital age when we’re VERY excited to be reading a handwritten urban legend. We discuss whether hot breath or cold breath on your ear is better (because…ghosts) and discuss whether or not ghosts can or even SHOULD breathe. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of spiders, death, dangerous working conditions, child death, drowning, dismemberme...

Was Drew Barrymore’s “Ever After” the best version of the Cinderella story? We’re joined by lexicographer Jane Solomon to determine if this 90s body glitter filled movie truly embodies this fairy tale!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual innuendo, heart attack, death, slavery, violence, gore, murder, abuse, and child abandonment.  Guest Jane...

We’re joined by author Isabel Cañas to talk about her debut novel, The Hacienda , and all things postcolonial gothic! And along the way we chat about Latinx Mirkwood elves, the haunted house book boom, and holding the door open for others.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of murder, storms, rejection, isolation, colorism, racism, and colonization. ...

Next time you’re buying pottery or some cool jewelry, remember that Hephaestus is to thank for that and SO much more. Learn how the Greeks did Hephaestus dirty, and how he’s even cooler than you even knew. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of ableism, eugenics, illness, abuse, the military/war, violence, sex, pregnancy/birth, and sexual assault/rape. Resources...

There’s a lot of teens getting into shenanigans in this episode. Driving on haunted roads that might not exist, accidentally turning themselves into urban legends, and singing karaoke with ghosts. Teen shenanigans! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, child endangerment/death, hanging, sexual innuendo, ableism, trauma, sexual assault, cancer, enslavement...

The gods are on the line, and we’re asking them for advice. We discuss “no, for now”, chaos gods give advice on finding order in life, and a living island tells you to live life at your own pace.  Thread about Perspective Memory Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of relationships, romantic rejection, pregnancy/birth, rejection/failure, queerbaiting, mental...

We’re joined by author Natasha Bowen, who spins us the tale of her love of mermaids, the darker fairy tales of her youth, and connecting to the West African mermaids of her family.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of drowning, slavery, death, grief, and racism.  Guest Natasha Bowen is a New York Times bestselling author, a teacher, and a mother of t...

Whatever you thought about Ares before now, we think we can change your mind a little bit. We’re talking about propaganda, roosters, and learning lessons from our mistakes.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of war, violence, death, sexual assault, human sacrifice, blood, murder, arrranged marriage, incest, propaganda, and gore.  Housekeeping - MERCH!...

From haunted colleges to towns full of creepy kids, we’re doling out advice on how best to survive your own hometown urban legends!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, government conspiracy, colonization, and college/finals.  Housekeeping - MERCH! Preorder the Tarot Tee Shirt and get your other merch at spiritspodcast.com/merch ! - Recommenda...

We’re joined by author Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev, an incredible storyteller and educator. We talk about how myths are purposeful, cautionary storytelling, and the differences between oral storytelling and literary traditions.   Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of parental death, grief, animal attacks, drowning, and kidnapping.   Guest Mayonn Paasew...

If you’ve ever debated over drinks who the best vampire is, this is the episode for you! We’re joined by the hosts of the Queer Movie Podcast, Rowan Ellis and Jazza John, to decided, once and for all, who the most vampirey vampire is! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, illness, sex, fascism, depression, The Civil War, and homophobia.  Guests Rowan...

We’re finally chatting about the goddess of Sex, Love, and Not Exactly Rock and Roll: Aphrodite! We talk about why our parents warned us about sea foam, and Amanda gives us a tour of the Poetry Corner!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sex, incest, castration, genitals, adultery, misogyny, ableism, mental illness, childbirth, death, murder, and war.&nb...

We’re opening the portal, but don’t worry, we’ll remember to close it. Ghosts help Eric with some home improvement, Amanda goes to WikiHow for some Ouija Board instructions, and Julia gives some supernatural house hunting advice.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of fire, murder, violence, illness, and death.  Housekeeping - MERCH! Preorder the Tarot...

We’re joined this week by Dr. Vivian Asimos, who explains that just about anything can be mythology. Yes, including Star Wars, The Legend of Zelda, and cosplay.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of drowning, child death, and sexual assault.    Guest Vivian Asimos is a freelance academic specializing in all things popular culture and mytholo...

The gods have a lot in store for us this week. Amanda talks about being dragged out of the “dank woods”, Moiya suggests finding a third beaker, and Julia gets marriage advice from Hades of all people.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of spiders, animal death, incest, death, depression, grief, family death, ableism, war, and animal violence.  Guest D...

King of Interns, patron of finance bros, we’re talking this week about our messenger god, Hermes! Amanda channels her past jobs, and Julia thinks about THE MOST HANDSOME BOY.   Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual assault/rape, death, homophobia, animal death, childbirth, bestiality, misogyny, theft, violence, genitalia, and execution.  Ho...

If you were wandering through the forest, what would be the creepiest floating body part to spot? We discuss. Amanda loves a dog with an opinion. Eric wants to slide down the chute. Julia hates the air.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of hunting, animal death, death, medical experimentation, illness, injury, and curses.  Housekeeping - MERCH! Get t...

Have you ever thought about how messed up the Pokemon world is? We have! We’re joined by Eric Silver to do a deep dive into the most terrifying entries in the Pokedex, and what it means for the folklore of the Pokemon universe.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of murder, child death, child endangerment, body horror, medical experimentation, racism, class...

Didn’t you want a magical animal companion as a kid? We know we did! Amanda revisits her childhood favorite example, the daemons from the His Dark Materials series, while Julia brings her fave myth pups, horses, and birds.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, decapitation, death, and war.  Housekeeping - MERCH! Get the Mothman Crewneck...

The goddess of compost has finally made an appearance on our podcast: Demeter. Strap in, and find out what we mean when we whisper: “An ear of grain, cut in silence”.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of insects, sex, death, strained familial relationships, abduction, cannibalism, animal death, violence, fire/burning, and drug use. Housekeeping - MERCH! G...

It seems only right to end the year with urban legends. Julia has an embarrassing revelation, Eric decides colors are the most haunted, and we discover a “thoroughly” haunted manor.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of illness, child endangerment, child death, car accidents, drug use, drowning, assault, strangulation, infidelity, infertility, and suicide....

We’re bombarded every year by various holiday romcoms, so Amanda has offered to take us by the hand and lead us through the tropes that make these movies both terrible and incredibly enjoyable.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of heteronormativity, infidelity, surgery, strained family relationships, dismemberment, and foreclosure.  Housekeeping - ME...

When you think of Santa Claus, what do you picture? The big guy in red is this malleable, larger than life figure that has origins that might surprise you. Luckily, we have Emily VanDerWerff to guide us through the labyrinth of who Santa is. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of illness, racism, religious persecution, violence, child death, cannibalism, family d...

This episode is as wild and stormy as the god we talk about; there’s talking horses, there’s hot wives who love sea monsters, and he’s got a lot of great titles. What more could you want out of a god? Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual assault/rape, drowning, natural disasters/earthquakes, incest, cults, child endagerment/abandonment, violence against...

We’re delivering your urban legends; hot, fresh, and straight from a creepy basement. Or perhaps you’d like a creepy attic door that refuses to close. It’s a real buffet of creepiness, served up for you.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of dead animals, medical horror, human remains, insects, swarms, drug use, earthquakes, and mental health struggles. Ho...