Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

We told you the stories of Merlin but where did he come from anyway? From Myrddin, to Lailoken, to the warrior poet Ambrosius Aurelianus, we discuss all of the different versions of Merlin before he was Merlin! And as a bonus, we chat about WHO Merlin was after his origins!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, warfare, mental illness, religious persecution, impalement, drownin...

What does the film industry, Louisa May Alcott, and King Tut have in common? Mummy’s curses! We dig into the history of the Curse of the Pharaohs, how they are viewed in the west, and how Tutmania changed Egyptology and the world. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, illness, racism, desecration of bodies, slavery, forced labor, grave-robbing, sexual assault, and animal ...

Julia’s out on vacation, but to get you prepped for spooky season, please enjoy these ghost stories from all across NYC from our friends over at The Bowery Boys! Fun fact! Every single one of these ghost stories was sourced from actual newspaper and magazine reporting from their respective eras! 

Housekeeping

- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books

- C...

Is a year of random ghostly screaming too much? We think it is! We also discuss trying to revisit the fae portals of our youth, owl mother-in-laws, and the bartender’s mouthwash. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, home invasion, police activity, child endangerment, cancer, medical procedures, and carbon monoxide leaks. 

Housekeeping

- Books: Check out our previo...

Sometimes we have a guest who just does not want to be scared! That’s why we’re breaking out some incredible yet wholesome hometown urban legends to share with friend of the pod, Ronald Young Jr. Featuring kindergarten paleontologists, bottomless lakes of fire, and how to make pirates even scarier!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, war, and teeth. 

Guest

Ronal...

You’ve heard his name before: Merlin. Not the first wizard, but the most important wizard! We’re taking a crack at Arthurian legend, digging into how the prototypical wizard shaped the stories, including his demonic birth, his terrible romances, and his role as Arthur’s Wizard Daddy.

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of colonialism, warfare, child endangerment/sacrifice, bestiality, ...

House spirits have been living in our heads (and our hearths) rent free lately! From Central America to Korea and across Europe, spirits like domovoi, brownies, duende, and more have been playing a role in home folklore. So pull up a chair by the hearth and we’ll tell you their tales!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, blood, strangulation, transphobia, colonization, ...

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, and child endangerment...

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, abusive relationships, theft,...

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 intervention, and bridge col...

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.

Housekeeping

- Books: Ch...

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 out our previous book r...

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, bullying, religious persecu...

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 persecution, pregnancy, w...

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, dismemberment, animal at...

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, abusive relationships, cance...

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, racism, slave labor, and ani...

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 change. 

Housek...

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, drowning, immolation, ...