Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

Have you been dreaming about a new urban legend episode? Maybe your dreams are a little bit prophetic! We dig into some sweet and also terrifying prophetic dreams, creepy child ghosts, and why we trust night nurses over any other profession to combat the supernatural. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of illness, war, institutionalization, sex, death, dementia,...

Shuffle through your Tarot deck as we’re joined by author and artist Charlie Claire Burgess who talks about their work around tarot and the intersection of spirituality and queerness. We talk about witchy awakenings courtesy of the CW network, getting rid of the binary in tarot readings, and so much more! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of queerphobia, abusiv...

We’ve talked about so many American cryptids on the show, but have you heard about the Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia? Settle around the camp fire as we tell a tale of UFO crash landings, Men in Black, and government conspiracy in small town America. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of vomiting, child endangerment, atomic warfare, government/military inter...

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. You might have heard this phrase before (or at least seen the cute little monkey emojis on your phone), but do you know where it comes from? 🙉 🙈 🙊 We do a deep dive into the philosophical and religious origins of the Three Wise Monkeys!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual content and atomic warfare. Hou...

Some kids are gay. Some kids are obsessed with death. Some kids are gay AND obsessed with death. And we love that for them! Also featuring astral projecting to family functions and helping your family break the cycle of buying haunted houses. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of defecation, drug use, death, misogyny, and violence. Housekeeping - Books: Check ou...

We’re joined this week by author and artist, Brooke Palmieri, to discuss his new book - Bargain Witch: Essays of Self-Initiation. We chat about holding onto your weirdness, the importance of astral hygiene, and how we used the Neopets roleplay forums as a way of exploring our ideal selves.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of punishment, transphobia, bull...

Bloody Mary: A sleepover myth? Or something much deeper? We discuss the mirror rituals of the past, the women who might have inspired the myth, and how modern Bloody Mary might have been a way of fighting against the patriarchy! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of child endangerment/death, illness, death, torture, execution, racism, car accidents, religious pe...

There’s been a lot of buzz around bees, especially in folklore and mythology! From Ancient Egypt and Greece to Hinduism and Celtic folklore, the relationship between bees and humans has been considered divine - so we’re talking about the good friends, the bees!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of insects, injury, child endangerment, cannibalism, death, d...

We dive into three generations of hauntings, from blackbird death omens, the worst Ouija board experience we’ve ever encountered, and a haunted cabin where the ghosts should be paying the utilities. Also, Julia and Amanda plan a road trip.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of medical issues, gentrification, death, suicide, global politics, drowning, abusi...

Technology and capitalism? In your mythology podcast? It’s more likely than you’d think! We’re joined by Jathan Sadowski, professor and podcaster, to discuss the myth of inevitability, the modern Eleusinian Mysteries of Silicon Valley, and why technologists need to read better sci-fi.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of capitalism, US politics, AI, racis...

Julia really wanted to title this episode 2 Gnomes 2 Furious, but SEO! We dig into the Scandinavian Nisse and Tomte, the socialist leanings of these house spirits, and just why everyone got so into garden gnomes all of a sudden!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of poverty, death, theft, animal death, Nazis, nationalism, guns, sexual content, and climate...

Those little red-hatted fellas that hang out in your garden? There’s enough for a whole Spirits episode on that? The answer might surprise you as we dig into the mythological (and alchemical, shoutout Paracelsus!) origins of just where they came from, and why they’re hanging out with your hydrangeas! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of grief, racism, drug use,...

We’ve got a variety of haunted places this month for you - a haunted house (classic), a haunted college (love it), a haunted adult store (?????). Also, we explore the birthplace of Dark Academia. And yes, it’s as haunted as you’d think! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sex, porn, death, homophobia, true crime-related disappearances and deaths, child endange...

NYC has a long history, filled with (unsurprisingly) MANY ghosts. So we called in an expert to tell us about them: Greg from The Bowery Boys discusses his favorite ghost stories and urban legends from over 18 (!!!) years of podcasting about the history of NYC! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, murder, organized crime, child endangerment, kidnapping, a...

Spring has sprung, and you’re probably wondering: What should I be planting? How do I make sure my garden is a success? Well, we’ve got all the gardening superstitions and folk magic to make your garden sparkle this year.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of pregnancy, misogyny, menstruation, theft, insects, death, drowning, and poisoning.  Housekeep...

Riddles have captivated fiction and mythology alike for thousands of years! From sphinxes and gods to kings and princesses, we’ve been posing riddles to each other for longer than we can remember. But why? That’s the real riddle we’re looking to solve this episode! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of genitalia, religious persecution, death, animal attacks, sui...

Ooops! That’s a lot of haunted schools! Haunted school trips, haunted school theatres, haunted turrets that no child should be crawling up into! Be unruly, be ungovernable, give children nightmares! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of child endangerment, warfare, death, murder, suicide, hanging, and execution.  Housekeeping - Books: Check out our previous...

This week, we give you an episode from our friends at Queens Podcast about the life of Amina of Zaria, a legendary figure in African history. Enjoy this episode capturing the incredible story of a woman who defied the norms of her time! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of warfare, misogyny, slavery, sexual innuendo, and genitalia. Housekeeping - Books: Check o...

Women of a certain age can do anything - whether it’s being assassins, spinning the threads of fate, or doing witchy things in the woods! From the Fates of Greek mythology to Victorian scientists like Margaret Fountaine, author Deanna Raybourn shows us that older women are capable of doing anything and everything.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of fasc...

Every story has to start somewhere. Whether it’s with “once upon a time” or “when tigers used to smoke tobacco”, storytellers have been setting the scene for their audiences in beautiful and interesting ways. Join us as we dig into the origins of story beginnings AND endings! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of totalitarian rule, state kidnapping, drowning, en...

We’ve reached the end of the river. What an amazing journey. We discuss our final 3 gods of the Nile River: Khnum, Hapy, and Sobek. Fish? They’re agents of chaos.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of warfare, animal death, transphobia, infidelity, animal sacrifice, and animal attacks.  Housekeeping - See us LIVE! Buy a ticket to our March 23 live sho...

What if you got to dream of an urban legends episode that never actually existed? Well, it happened! Also featuring several food superstition follow-ups, two grannies blessing marriages, and an off-the-grid ghost! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of bodily functions, hanging, death, war, PTSD, fire, child death, car accidents, and misogyny.   Houseke...

What happens when the very real fear of wildfires meet folklore and urban legends? You get something like The Char Man of Ojai. We’re joined by Jess from WTF Is That Podcast to talk about this prescient urban legend, why cryptids love bridges, and why shouting for help in the woods is a bad idea! Places you can donate : Mutual Aid LA Network , Fire Aid , California Federation of Labor Unions &nbsp...

Perky little ears and a terrifying visage, we’re talking this week about the god of mummification, Anubis! Featuring a zoology corner where we learn about jackals that aren’t actually jackals, watch a guy REALLY go through it, and more as we discuss our little rotty prince.   Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, decay, murder, infidelity, animal attacks,...

Valentine’s Day has changed over the past millennia or so. From a martyred saint, to a feast day, to courtly love and gifting roses and chocolates, where did our current Valentine’s Day traditions come from? Hint: British postal reforms are more important than you’d think! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, religious persecution, torture, beheading, vi...