Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

A boozy dive into mythology, legends, and folklore. Every week we pour a drink and dive into a new story from around the world. Hear fresh takes on classic myths and learn new stories from around the world. New episodes every Wednedsay!

Episodes

July 23, 2025 49 mins

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,...

Mark as Played

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...

Mark as Played
July 9, 2025 45 mins

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...

Mark as Played

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...

Mark as Played

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...

Mark as Played
June 18, 2025 51 mins

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...

Mark as Played
June 11, 2025 47 mins

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...

Mark as Played

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...

Mark as Played

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...

Mark as Played
May 21, 2025 50 mins

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...

Mark as Played
May 14, 2025 42 mins

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, ...

Mark as Played

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 endangerment, child death, chi...

Mark as Played

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, ableism, and animal deat...

Mark as Played
April 23, 2025 56 mins

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. 


Housekeeping

- Books: Check ou...

Mark as Played
April 16, 2025 46 mins

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, suicide, decapitation, ins...

Mark as Played

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 book recommendations...

Mark as Played

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 out our previous book ...

Mark as Played

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 fascism, misogyny, unrealis...

Mark as Played
March 19, 2025 51 mins

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, enslavement, and imperial...

Mark as Played

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 show in Portland at spir...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

    Betrayal: Season 4

    Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. Karoline Borega married a man of honor – a respected Colorado Springs Police officer. She knew there would be sacrifices to accommodate her husband’s career. But she had no idea that he was using his badge to fool everyone. This season, we expose a man who swore two sacred oaths—one to his badge, one to his bride—and broke them both. We follow Karoline as she questions everything she thought she knew about her partner of over 20 years. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-3 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.