Some Other Sphere

In this episode I’m joined by Corjan Mol to discuss a mystery centered around a small village in the mountains of southern France called Rennes-le-Chateau. In the late 1800s there was a notable change in the financial situation of the local priest, who went from a state of abject poverty to one where he was able to spend considerable amounts of money on various building projects around Rennes. Rumours soon spread that he had found a fantastic treasure somewhere in or near the church, but the location and exact nature of that find has never been confirmed. Many people have researched and investigated the activities of the enigmatic priest since however, with compelling theories on the source of his wealth proposed and numerous books being written on the subject, the most famous perhaps being Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Henry Lincoln, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, which really helped to popularise the mystery. Corjan has been investigating for over 25 years and has put together a comprehensive repository of information on his website about Rennes, including a podcast series, featuring interviews with some of the best known researchers of the mystery. He has also participated in a number of documentary series like Forbidden History and recently appeared in the current season of The Curse of Oak Island. The Rennes-le-Chateau mystery is something that has interested me for a long time and it was fantastic to be able to talk with someone as knowledgeable on the subject as Corjan. Enjoy!   The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music. ‘Hubbub’ by Chris Martyn/Geoff Harvey  

In this episode my guest is Dan Shaw, an author and researcher who specialises in Geomancy, an area of magic (or science depending on your viewpoint), that is concerned with understanding the unseen energies of the Earth. The main body of his work focuses on vortexes, specific areas on the globe where these energies are focused, and understanding what they are, how they can be detected, and their importance to humankind, going back many millennia. Indeed, Dan believes it is likely that many past civilisations had an intimate understanding of these vortexes and this can be seen in the many monumental structures that remain all across the globe, who construction and purpose remain as enigmatic as ever and provide a fascinating glimpse into a the deep past of human history, one alive with lost technologies. You can find our more about Dan's work at http://www.vortexmaps.com/ and http://www.danshaw.com/.   The Some Other Sphere theme is from https://www.purple-planet.com/. 'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey  

My guest for this episode is historian and paranormal researcher Amanda Woomer, who is the creator of Spook Eats, a blog detailing her travels, both in the United States and further afield, visiting a range of bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels, all with a unusual, spooky story to tell and very tasty food to eat.   Added this she has recently released her book A Haunted Atlas of Western New York, a fun, detailed resource of supernatural goings on in her part of the world, containing over 130 haunted locations in the region. I really like the concept of the Spook Eats blog and think combining a love a food with a fascination for the weird is a novel approach to paranormal investigation. We had a really interesting chat, which I hope you enjoy. The Spook Eats blog and more details on Amanda's book can be found at https://spookeats.com/.   The Some Other Sphere theme is from https://www.purple-planet.com/ 'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey  

In the early 1930’s, a very odd story emerged from the Isle of Man, a small island located in the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland. A man called James Irving had reported to his friends that an unusual animal similar to a weasel had taken up residence on his farm. Although the scratching sounds and other weird noises were relatively explainable, what was remarkable in this instance was that, according to Irving, this creature could talk, and perform a range of unusual feats.   It would eventually come to be known as Gef, who identified himself as a mongoose who had been born in 1852 in Delhi, India. His activities with the Irving family over the next few years after would baffle and intrigue a variety of interested parties, including Harry Price, perhaps the most famous investigator of the paranormal in Britain at the time. Despite this interest, a satisfying conclusion to the mystery was never reached, yet the case of the ‘Dalby Spook’ still fascinates people all these years later, including my guest for this episode, Christoper Josiffe, who in 2017 released his book Gef! The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose, a brilliantly researched and definitive account of this case. I’ve been fascinated by the story of Gef for many years and it was a real pleasure to get Christopher onto the podcast to talk all about him. For more information on Christopher's book and to purchase it, please visit https://gefmongoose.co.uk/book/.   The Some Other Sphere is from https://www.purple-planet.com/ 'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey    

My guest for this episode is witch and paranormal researcher, Sara Schick. Sara lives in the city of Vancouver in Washington State and recently started investigating the legacy of a mysterious figure from the towns past called Mother Joseph, a remarkable renaissance woman and visionary who played a huge part in bringing the city into existence. Integral to this were the Hidden family, who Mother Joseph transformed from farmers to expert brick-makers. Years later, the buildings made from those bricks which have survived into the present almost all have a reputation for being haunted and the ‘Hidden Bricks’, as they been named, are well known in local folklore. Sara’s research is fascinating,  and a great example of what can be uncovered when someone takes an interest in their local history. Lovely stuff…about bricks! For more information on Sara's research, visit her excellent blog https://weirdlifepdx.blogspot.com/.   The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music 'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey  

My guest for this episode is Dick Khan, author of the DMT & My Occult Mind book series. In those texts, Dick documents his personal research into the effects of using the drug Dimethyltryptamine, which is a powerful hallucinogen and a key component in Ayahuasca, a drink used by several indigenous tribal cultures in South America as part of their spiritual practises. It is often referred to as “The Spirit Molecule”. Dick’s books also detail the encounters he had while taking DMT with a variety of unusual entities, which inhabited the occult reality that his use of the drug enabled him to experience and ponder on their nature. They’re a fascinating insight into one persons occult studies and this subject matter made for a really great interview. Enjoy! Dick's books can be bought from Amazon here and he can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.   The Some Other Sphere theme is from Purple Planet Music 'Hubbub' by Chris Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey  

For the first time here at Sphere HQ, we have a returning guest, Matt Hopewell, who was on the show last year to talk about Discordianism.  This time around we’re discussing some of the unusual phenomena he’s experienced over the years and his thoughts on what might have been happening. This includes a discussion on Gorillas, which I’m not sure either of us anticipated, but was just as fascinating as the poltergeist Phenomena and possible Fae encounter he also describes in this episode. Fun stuff as ever, especially if you like Gorillas! Enjoy!   Matt's excellent blog can be found at https://www.apstrange.com/ and for more information on the Liminal Earth project, visit https://liminal.earth/. Some Other Sphere intro music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/ 'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey  

Hello! In this episode I discuss the life and work of the artist, writer and occultist, Ithell Colquhoun with Dr Amy Hale. Ithell Colquhoun is perhaps best known as a member of the surrealist art movement in the 1930’s and 40’s both in London and Paris but she was also deeply interested in a variety of esoteric subjects and her art was part of a larger, long term magical practise that encompassed an range of unusual projects, exploring the magical qualities of colour and shape as a means to engage with other worlds and dimensions. Amy is a scholar of occult, esoteric and marginal cultures, with a PhD in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA. She has written on a range of diverse topics, including modern Druidry, colour theory, the occult, and extremist politics in modern Paganism. 2020 will see the publication of her biography of Ithell Colquhoun, Genius of the Fern Loved Gully, a work twenty years in the making and something I think is both very much worth the wait, and timely (for more information on Amy and her work, you can find here excellent website here). We had a really lovely chat, I think this is a great episode to kick off 2020 with. Enjoy!   Some Other Sphere intro music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/  'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey  

My guest for this episode is Kiki Dombrowski. Kiki is a spiritual researcher and explorer, and has spent her life studying mythology, magic, witchcraft and the supernatural. She has been reading Tarot for over 25 years and is the author of two books, the latest of which, A Curious Future is a guidebook to some of the more unusual techniques people have used over thousands of years to try and predict the future. Currently living in Nashville TN, Kiki is also a really positive and generous presence on social media when it comes to all things weird and wonderful and it was a delight to get her on the podcast, to talk about her life and work. To find out more about Kiki I recommend you visit her excellent website which can be found here and you can find her on Twitter too. Her book, 'A Curious Future' can be purchased via Amazon online.   Some Other Sphere Intro Music is from  https://www.purple-planet.com/  'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey  

My guest for this episode is Steve Mills, a listener to the podcast who contacted me with details of ghostly phenomena he and some friends encountered in Birmingham, England back in the 1980’s that is intriguing to say the least.   I talked with him about those experiences and his thoughts on their nature, and what it might suggest on a broader scale when it comes to trying to understand the supernatural. It was a really fun chat. If you’ve had had a similar experience and would be interested in discussing it in an episode, you can email me at someothersphere@gmail.com. Enjoy!   Some Other Sphere theme music is from https://www.purple-planet.com/ 'Hubbub' by Chris Martin/Geoff Harvey