Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

Julia reminds you to warn your partners about your childhood hauntings, Amanda discovers something creepier than smells, and Eric makes it harder for us to sleep. It’s an urban legends episode, y’all!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of illness, arson, fire, child labor, misogyny, sexual harassment, gore, guns, and home invasion.  Housekeeping - Rec...

We’re back on our theatre grind, this time with a play about debauchery, tragedy, and our boy Dionysus: The Bacchae! It’s a play about plays! What’s not to love? Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, dismemberment, immolation, pregnancy, injury, concussion, violence, imprisonment, and animal death.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Julia rec...

She’s the Queen of the Asgard, highest ranking goddess of the Aesir, and overall badass lady, it’s Frigga! Learn about her squad of goddesses, her magic box, and her confusing glimpses of the future on our newest It’s Norse, Of Course.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of misogyny, death, war, conquering, torture, impaling, and bugs/infestation.  Hou...

Listen, kids love to join clubs. Even if it means potentially selling their souls to the ghosts haunting their homes. Also an abandoned gym, a mean ghost teacher, and Amanda becomes a Victorian ghost! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of pregnancy, child endangerment, and death.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends journaling at a b...

So Hallmark made a Golem RomCom: Made for Each Other. But is it actually a golem?? We brought back golem correspondent, Eric Silver, to remind us what defines a golem, as we explore other “made of clay” stories, and whether or not your favorite comic book characters ARE golems. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of antisemitism, misogyny, and violence against wo...

Buckle up, theater kids, we made a deal with the devil to cover the incredible store of Dr. Faustus. Faustus loves a monologue, Mephistopheles is a beleaguered middle manager, and Marlowe deserves a better legacy than just being compared to Shakespeare. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of religious persecution, death, blasphemy/heresy, blood, misogyny, attempt...

We’re back with It’s Norse, Of Course! We’re telling the story of Baldur, who is really defined by, of all things, how he died. Hear the story. Throw things at your friends. Enjoy Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, violence, murder, and misogyny.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends body modifications! You do you! - Books:...

We’re joined by audio sorcerer, Mischa Stanton, who swears they are not that spooky. Amanda tells us you’re not getting a horse in a basement, we debate whether a ghost makes a hotel sexier or less sexy, and we learn how Mischa managed to get their friends all worked up over a ghost they might have seen.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of unsanitary con...

We’re joined by author Helene Greer, who is here to tell us about Clytemnestra, or as she puts it, “The Murder Queen of All of Our Dreams”. We also discuss blood curses, sapphic battle axes, and making better Hallmark holiday movies. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of cannibalism, torture, child death, murder, abuse, rape, misogyny, kidnapping, human sacrific...

We know the “Oedipal complex,” but how well do we actually know the Oedipal Plays? This set of three plays is a real Star Wars situation, with prequels and sequels and also lots of feuding. Come for the high school theater stories, stay for the political commentary. This one is a wild ride. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, suicide, incest, self-harm,...

Dr. McTier is back, and we’re once again channeling the gods. We are learning how to fail safely, talk about stealing plants from your hometown, and discourage you from throwing rocks at your future wife. Y’know, the usual advice.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, infidelity, anxiety, injury, grief, breakups, and sex.  Guest Dr. Moiya McTie...

We’re kicking off It’s Norse of Course with a look at the All-Father himself. Come for the history of Norse mythology’s father figure, and stay for inevitable contemplations on death and meaning! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of White supremacy, antisemitism, murder, hanging, maiming, and climate change. Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Amanda reco...

From a Jewish Pope to a woman Pope, we are hearing all about the legendary popes from author Daniel Lavery. We talk about “The Rule of Harlots”, Dan Brown novels, and we pitch a production of a Young Pope Sheldon TV show.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of religious persecution, antisemitism, homophobia, kidnapping, death, childbirth, misogyny, hanging,...

Did you know, a ghost bird? Just a dinosaur. We’re joined by writer and comedian Corinne Caputo to explore your creepiest stories, get her opinion on Team Ignorant, and Zombie Jurassic Park. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of suicide, fire, death, arranged marriage, dueling, and animal death.  Guest Corinne Caputo is a writer and comedian in New York Cit...

Throw out everything you know about Pinocchio. The story of this little puppet boy is wilder than you could possibly imagine. From the wild amount of fairy tale twists and turns to the surprising politics behind the tale, you’ll never look at Pinocchio the same again.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of body horror, child endangerment/abuse, violence, mu...

You’ve probably heard about the evil eye; there are so many traditions on what it does and how to protect yourself from it! We dive into evil eye traditions around the world, and talk death rays, airplanes, and mummy tattoos.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of migraines, colonization, bodily harm, death, violence, pseudoscience, illness, misogyny, sexua...

The Orangey Guy is back, aren’t you excited?? Plus we discuss the best ways to give back to a haunted historic site, secrets revealed at funerals, and exes that live in haunted lighthouses.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of family member death, illness, amputation, burns, and drug use.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Eric recommends 189...

As midwinter fast approaches, we explore The Wild Hunt; the spectral parade of spirits and souls that hunt across the European skies. We discover the surprising origins, the multiplicity of tales, and much more! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, religious persecution, hunting, animal death, animal attacks, torture, fascism, and infidelity.  House...

What you know about alchemy might only be a scratch on the surface. Metal to gold? It’s so much more than that! We’re joined by Sara Norja, who is teaching us the history of alchemy. Also featuring PhD swords, philology, and the alchemy of ISAAC NEWTON?? Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of pseudoscience, stillbirth, death, and medical issues.  Guest Sara...

Con artists and harmful horror tropes and production scandals, oh my! We’re talking about the Spielberg classic, Poltergeist, the origins of these spirits, and how we can do better with our horror tropes.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of genocide, racism, violence, kidnapping, child endangerment, body horror, death, mourning, and misogyny.  House...

What was that noise? Just the pipes, right? WRONG! We talk about cleaning up paranormal messes, clearing up a haunting by flushing a toilet, and of course, the supernatural explanation: Cheetos. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of colonization, body image, home invasion, divorce, and pregnancy. Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends buying...

You checked under your pillow, and what’s that? A new Spirits episode? And it’s all about the Tooth Fairy?! We dig into the origins of this tradition, animals who collect teeth, and the ways we celebrate children’s milestones.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of teeth, body horror, surgery, and animal/pet death.    Housekeeping - Recommendation...

We’re joined by author Van Hoang, who teaches us the story of the Monkey King, how Journey to the West MIGHT have been a romance novel, and how going through puberty turns every kid into a trickster spirit.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of trauma, puberty, crude jokes, misogyny, and arranged marriage.   Guest Van Hoang ’s first name is prono...

Halloween might be over but we’re STILL thinking about our favorite horror movies and the best villains from those movies. Join Julia and Eric as they determine via this wild bracket who the best horror movie villain is! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of body horror, violence, torture, murder, death, cancer, illness, cannibalism, cultural appropriation, and...

It’s what you’ve been waiting for. We’re finally going to solve ghosts. Answers like coffee ghosts, teenage shenanigans, and devious child lies. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of misogyny, missing persons, abduction, and death.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends watching your favorite horror movie! - Books: Check out our previou...