Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

Dr. Moiya is back to help Julia channel the gods and give advice to our Conspiriters about science, relationships, and what wild animals to feed. Also, if a crow started talking to you, would you listen?Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of anxiety, toxic relationships, strained parental relationships, divorce, transphobia, birth and pregnancy, ableism, death, hanging, and wild animals fighting. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out our previous virtual live shows, and information about our future virtual live events at multitude.productions/live. Sponsors- Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that finds and delivers clothes, shoes, and accessories to fit your body, budget, and lifestyle. Get started at stitchfix.com/spirits for 25% off when you keep your whole box!- ThirdLove is on a mission to find a perfect bra for everyone. Get 20% off your first order at thirdlove.com/spirits.- Function of Beauty is hair care formulated specifically for you. Save 20% off your first order at functionofbeauty.com/spiritsFind Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One trip and one story can change your life, as author Ciannon Smart showed us in this episode. Listen to how her trip to Rose Hall in Jamaica stuck with her for a decade, how she embraced her weird kid energy to learn about vampires and witches, and how it evolved into her debut novel! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of slavery, murder, religious persecution, military/war, racism, and panic attacks. GuestOf Jamaican heritage, Ciannon Smart grew up in a small town in the south-east of England. As the only daughter in a house full of boisterous sons, she developed a voracious appetite for reading from an early age, preferring anarchy in stories rather than real life. In YA she loves her heroines exactly as she loves her villains: wilful, wily, and unpredictable. When not writing, Ciannon can be found reading, painting, or taking the long way home to listen to a good song more than once. Her debut novel, Witches Steeped in Gold, is now available. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out our previous virtual live shows, and information about our future virtual live events at multitude.productions/live. Sponsors- Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.- Skillshare is an online learning community where you can learn—and teach—just about anything. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/spirits and get a two week free trial of Premium Membership. This week Julia recommends “Watercolor in the Woods: A Beginner's Guide to Painting the Natural World” with Rosalie Haizlett. - ShipStation is the fastest, easiest way to get products to your customers. Visit shipstation.com and use promo code Spirits for a 60-day free trial. Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They’re mysterious, they’re everywhere, and they’re not quite tall enough to stand up in. This week we explore erdstalls, the completely mystifying thousand-year-old tunnels scattered through Europe. We ask important questions like who made them, what were they used for, and most importantly—would we go into one?!Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of claustrophobia, tunnel collapses, suffocation, burials, and death/mourning.Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Rose Eveleth’s new book Flash Forward.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out our merch at spiritspodcast.com/merch, including the expansion for our coloring book!   Sponsors- Brooklinen delivers luxury bed sheets, pillows, comforters, & blankets straight to your door. Go to Brooklinen.com right now and use promo code “spirits” to get $25 off when you spend $100 or more, PLUS free shipping.- Doordash is a fast, convenient food delivery app. Get 25% off and zero delivery fees on your first order of $15 or more when you download the DoorDash app and enter code creepycool. - Rothy’s makes stylish and sustainable shoes, bags, and masks.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We chat with author Rena Rossner about her new book, inserting ourselves into historical fiction, the fairy tales of her youth, and looking beyond the golem in Jewish folktales. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of antisemitism, leprosy/illness, pandemic, conflict/war, bigotry, cultural erasure, and misogyny. GuestRena Rossner hails from Miami Beach, Florida. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University's Writing Seminars program, Trinity College, Dublin, and she holds a MA in history from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her debut novel, The Sisters of the Winter Wood, was listed as "One of the 100 Best Books" of the year by Publisher's Weekly. She currently lives in Israel, where she works as a Literary Agent at The Deborah Harris Agency. Her grandparents and great grandparents immigrated to the USA from Hungary, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova - their stories, together with her love of Jewish mythology and fantasy, inspire her work. Her most recent book is The Light of the Midnight Stars, which is now available. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Gods & Lies from Realm.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out our merch at spiritspodcast.com/merch, including the expansion for our coloring book!   Sponsors- Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that finds and delivers clothes, shoes, and accessories to fit your body, budget, and lifestyle. Get started at stitchfix.com/spirits for 25% off when you keep your whole box!- Skillshare is an online learning community where you can learn—and teach—just about anything. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/spirits and get a two week free trial of Premium Membership. This week Amanda recommends “Writing for Expression: How to Make Your Words More Artful & Lyrical” by Hanif Abdurraqib.- Function of Beauty is hair care formulated specifically for you. Save 20% off your first order at functionofbeauty.com/spiritsFind Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What kind of video games do ghost gamers prefer? What does the hierarchy of sleep paralysis demons look like? Is a ghost with snow pants really THAT scary? Sometimes we’re left with more questions than answers after an urban legends episode! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, descriptions of violence, murder, police violence, blood, death by exposure, animal death, demons/the Devil, drowning, child death, and pandemic. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian and Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out our merch at spiritspodcast.com/merch, including the expansion for our coloring book!   Sponsors- ThirdLove is on a mission to find a perfect bra for everyone. Get 20% off your first order at thirdlove.com/spirits.- Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.- Bright Cellars is a wine subscription service that lets you skip the store, and brings amazing wines matched to your tastes right to your door. Get 50% off your first 6-bottle box at brightcellars.com/spirits. Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We talk a lot about the ghost type of spirits on the show, but what about the liquor kind of spirits? We’re joined by Dr. Hyunhee Park to talk about the global history of the distinctive Korean drink: Soju. Hint: It all comes back to the Mongols. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of colonialism, conquest and war, disease/illness, and wealth disparity. GuestHyunhee Park is an Associate Professor of History at the City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice and CUNY Graduate Center and author of Soju: A Global History. A native of South Korea, she received her BA in Asian and Western history at Seoul National University in 1997, her MA in East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2003, and her Ph.D. in history at Yale University in 2008. She specializes in the history of cross-cultural contacts in East Asia, Islamic World, the Mongol Empire, and global intellectual history focusing on information/knowledge transfers including geographical knowledge, foodways, and distillation. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out our merch at spiritspodcast.com/merch, including the expansion for our coloring book!   Sponsors- Doordash is a fast, convenient food delivery app. Get 25% off and zero delivery fees on your first order of $15 or more when you download the DoorDash app and enter code creepycool. - Skillshare is an online learning community where you can learn—and teach—just about anything. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/spirits and get a two week free trial of Premium Membership. This week Julia recommends - Brooklinen delivers luxury bed sheets, pillows, comforters, & blankets straight to your door. Go to Brooklinen.com right now and use promo code “spirits” to get $25 off when you spend $100 or more, PLUS free shipping.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Obviously looks aren’t everything, and with Tatterhood that is absolutely true. This fairy tale is full of twists, turns, and incredible aesthetics. Julia plays folklore sommelier and we ask about The Goat Situation.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of child abuse, infertility, pregnancy, childbirth, genitals, violence, body horror, decapitation, animal attacks, age differences in relationships, misogyny, parent death, disappearances, illness, theft, animal death, and ableism.   Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Schedule a free consultation at multitude.productions/free-consulting! And helpSponsors- Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that finds and delivers clothes, shoes, and accessories to fit your body, budget, and lifestyle. Get started at stitchfix.com/spirits for 25% off when you keep your whole box!- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Function of Beauty is hair care formulated specifically for you. Save 20% off your first order at functionofbeauty.com/spiritsFind Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re mixing up statistics and graphs with our creepy children. Typical episode of the show. Also featuring how funeral homes shouldn’t be real homes, our hometown’s Guiness World Record, and the return of the man in the trenchcoat. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of pets running away, existential crises, trances, destruction of historic sites, death, murder, death by falling, violence against women, implied child abuse, sleepwalking, blackmail, death of a grandparent, and funeral homes.   Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends You Need a Budget.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out all of Multitude’s merch at multitude.productions/merch!Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- ThirdLove is on a mission to find a perfect bra for everyone. Get 20% off your first order at thirdlove.com/spirits.- Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When you put on a Studio Ghibli film, you don’t expect to be talking about aliens and proto-science fiction in 9th century Japan. But that didn’t stop us! We gush over this retelling of a classic Japanese folktale, and lay out the details of a buck wild Third Act twist. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, infertility, suicide, natural disasters, infidelity, misogyny, strict gender roles, arranged marriage, child birth/pregnancy, deadly falls, unwanted sexual advances, alien abduction, and beheading.   Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends Blaseball.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out all of Multitude’s merch at multitude.productions/merch!Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Doordash is a fast, convenient food delivery app. Get 25% off and zero delivery fees on your first order of $15 or more when you download the DoorDash app and enter code creepycool. - Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re joined by author Jess Zimmerman, making her Spirits return, to talk about women and monsters from Greek mythology. We chat Aerosmith music videos, mansplaining, and rant about the lack of allyship from Athena. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of misgendering, transphobia, sexualization, misogyny, body horror, death, drowning, violence against women, animal death, body horror, death by suicide, menustration, pregnancy, xenophobia, murder, matricide, and rape.GuestJess Zimmerman is the editor-in-chief of Electric Literature and the author of Women and Other Monsters, from Beacon Press. She is also the author, with Jaya Saxena, of Basic Witches (Quirk, 2017). Her nonfiction writing has appeared in The Guardian, Slate, The New Republic, Hazlitt, Catapult, and others. Follow her on Twitter at @j_zimms and subscribe to her newsletter. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers and The Disordered Cosmos by Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out all of Multitude’s merch at multitude.productions/merch!Sponsors- Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that finds and delivers clothes, shoes, and accessories to fit your body, budget, and lifestyle. Get started at stitchfix.com/spirits for 25% off when you keep your whole box!- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Function of Beauty is hair care formulated specifically for you. Save 20% off your first order at functionofbeauty.com/spiritsFind Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.About UsSpirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.