On this episode of Common Mystics*, Jen and Jill head back to the glittering days of Old Hollywood—when movie studios didn’t just control the films their stars made. They controlled their schedules, their appearances, their weight…and sometimes, even when they slept.

No one embodies the devastating consequences of the studio system quite like Judy Garland. She entered MGM as a 13-year-old girl with an extraordinary voice and emerged as one of the biggest stars in America—but the price of keeping Judy Garland camera-ready would follow her long after the studio lights went dark.

So today, we’re pulling back the curtain on Hollywood’s studio drug machine—and telling the heartbreaking story of the girl who followed the Yellow Brick Road straight into the machinery of MGM.

For the full experience, head over to the Common Mystics YouTube channel, where historical photographs and other visuals help bring this incredible story—and the real people and places at its heart—to life.

Can’t get enough Common Mystics? Come join us on Patreon! Get extra Mystics content, exclusive deep dives, and monthly live Zooms with Jen and Jill, where we explore all things spiritual, learn together, swap ideas, and connect with an amazing community of fellow seekers.

Plus, your support helps keep the Mystics on the road—traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories waiting to be told.

Join the Mystics community: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics

*This episode discusses prescription drug misuse and addiction, restrictive dieting and body shaming, the exploitation of young performers, mental health struggles, and death by accidental overdose. Please listen with care.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill head back to the lawless days of 1851 Southern California, where a stolen herd of horses, two murdered teamsters, and the arrest of two teenage members of the powerful Lugo family set off a deadly chain of events. What followed was a sensational trial, a revenge-hungry gang, and a bloody massacre in the mountains where nearly everyone involved would end up dead. 

For the full video experience, head over to the Common Mystics YouTube channel, where we’ve included historical photographs, maps, and other visuals to help bring this incredible story—and the people and places behind it—to life.

If you can’t get enough Common Mystics, come hang out with us on Patreon! You’ll get extra Mystics content, exclusive deep dives, and monthly live Zooms with Jen and Jill, where we explore all things spiritual, learn together, ask questions, and connect with a wonderful community of fellow seekers. Your support also helps keep us on the road—traveling, researching, and uncovering the forgotten stories that are waiting to be told. Join the Mystics community at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics—we’d love to see you there!

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill sit down with paranormal investigator, psychic medium, and author Rebekah Carmichael to chat about her book, The Not-So-Scary Guide to Ghosts. Rebekah challenges some of the biggest assumptions about ghosts, explaining her fascinating ideas about different types of spirits, psychic development, and why connecting with the unseen doesn't have to be frightening. We also compare investigation styles, swap ghost stories, and discover we have more in common than we expected—including an encounter with one very famous pirate!

We also tackle some of the questions everyone wants answered: Are Ouija boards really dangerous? Can anyone develop psychic abilities? What separates a truly gifted psychic from a convincing fake? Plus, Rebekah shares practical advice for anyone just beginning their spiritual journey and reminds us that the spirit world may be a lot more welcoming—and a lot less scary—than we've been taught to believe.

If you love uncovering hidden history and discovering the powerful stories woven into the places we explore, please consider supporting Common Mystics on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics. Your support helps us continue traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and JIll step outside their usual historical time frame to explore a heartbreaking case from the High Desert of Southern California in 2001. While we typically focus on stories from the more distant past, recent developments surrounding this investigation made us feel that the voiceless was reaching out, asking to be heard.

To honor the privacy of those who continue to live with this tragedy, we have chosen not to use the victim's name throughout the episode. Instead, we focus on her story, the circumstances surrounding her abduction and murder, the investigation that unfolded over the years, and the remarkable events that recently brought new attention to the case.

Join us as we explore a case that reminds us that, sometimes, justice may take years—but a voice seeking to be heard is never truly silenced.

For the video of this episode, be sure to visit the Common Mystics YouTube channel.

If you love uncovering hidden history and discovering the powerful stories woven into the places we explore, please consider supporting Common Mystics on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics. Your support helps us continue traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jennifer and Jill journey to California's coast to uncover the remarkable story of Juana Maria, the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island, whose eighteen years of isolation inspired the classic novel Island of the Blue Dolphins and became one of the most enduring legends in American history.

But the legend isn't the whole story. We trace the history of the Channel Islands and the Nicoleño people, explore the devastating impact of colonization, the fur trade, and the California mission system, and reveal how one woman came to embody the final chapter of an entire culture. Along the way, we separate myth from history, uncover surprising discoveries made by modern historians, and examine the facts that challenge the version of Juana Maria's story that many grew up believing.

Could the truth be even more extraordinary than the legend? Join us as we explore one of California's most haunting and unforgettable stories.

For photos and other historical images that bring this story to life, be sure to visit the Common Mystics YouTube channel and follow along as we discuss the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island, CA.

If you love uncovering hidden history and discovering the powerful stories woven into the places we explore, please consider supporting Common Mystics on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics. Your support helps us continue traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

On this episode of Common Mystics*, Jen and Jill investigate the unsolved 1944 murder of Hollywood heiress Georgette Bauerdorf, whose brutal death behind the glamour of wartime Los Angeles remains one of the city's most haunting and enduring mysteries. Found deceased in her own bathtub under suspicious circumstances, Georgette’s case shocked a city already steeped in secrecy and shadow during World War II. As we peel back the layers of her life, we uncover connections to elite social circles and a trail of unanswered questions that have lingered for decades. Join us as we explore the eerie details, possible suspects, and enduring theories surrounding a case that still refuses to be laid to rest.

For photos and other historical images that bring this story to life, be sure to visit the Common Mystics YouTube channel and follow along as we discuss the unsolved murder of Georgette Bauerdorf.

If you love uncovering hidden history and discovering the powerful stories woven into the places we explore, please consider supporting Common Mystics on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics. Your support helps us continue traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

* This episode includes discussion of violence, sexual assault and murder. Sensitive listeners, please use discretion.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill follow the incredible rise and dramatic fall of Bugsy Siegel, the gangster who helped transform Las Vegas from a dusty desert town into a glittering entertainment destination. Born into poverty in the crowded streets of New York City, Bugsy clawed his way to the top of the criminal underworld and became one of the most powerful mobsters of his time. Along the way, he rubbed elbows with Hollywood stars, built the Flamingo Hotel, and helped create the blueprint for the modern Las Vegas Strip. But in 1947, his story came to a violent end when a gunman opened fire through the window of a posh Beverly Hills residence. As Jen and Jill set out to uncover Bugsy's story, they quickly realize he may be the one coming through—but he's not alone. Another unexpected voice emerges from the shadows, offering a side of the story the sisters never anticipated.

For photos, maps, and historical images that bring this story to life, be sure to visit the Common Mystics YouTube channel and follow along as we uncover the fascinating life and mysterious death of Bugsy Siegel.

If you love uncovering hidden history and discovering the powerful stories woven into the places we explore, please consider supporting Common Mystics on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics. Your support helps us continue traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

* This episode includes discussion of violence and murder. Sensitive listeners, please use discretion.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill pull back the curtain and get a little more personal than usual. They dive into a chapter of their lives that was equal parts heartbreaking and life-shaping, sharing the story of their father: a man who brought laughter, chaos, love, and pain in ways that still echo today. It’s a story with sharp edges and soft spots, and while there’s a space in their hearts that never quite filled back in, it’s also the very thing that helped forge their strength, their resilience, and the women they are now.

Support Common Mystics on Patreon and get exclusive bonus content and monthly video calls with Jen & Jill!!! https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics

Check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@commonmystics5053

Please enjoy this repost of a fan favorite! On this classic episode of Common Mystics, Jennifer and Jill discuss their late mother Stella, who modeled for her daughters a discerning, yet eclectic approach to religion, spirituality, and the divination arts. Laugh with them as they relate stories that exemplify Stella's humor and strength, and learn how their mother continues to be present in their every day lives. Do YOU ever wonder if your late loved ones are communicating with YOU? Jennifer and Jill explain how they know that they are.

Support Common Mystics on Patreon and get exclusive bonus content and monthly video calls with Jen & Jill!!! https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill travel to a town that feels suspended in time on the Upper Mississippi: Galena, Illinois.* Beneath its brick streets and blufftop beauty lies a harder story. In the 1830s and 1840s, northern Illinois was still raw country. As settlers poured into Galena to mine lead and find fortune, the roads filled with opportunity… and the Mississippi River towns filled with danger.

Travelers whispered of the Banditti of the Prairie—bands of thieves, killers, and fugitives said to move through the shadows of the frontier. And some believed those same shadows reached all the way to the brutal murder of George Davenport, a frontier legend who survived war, wilderness, and the dangers of the early republic… only to meet violence in old age when three men entered his home searching for hidden wealth.

Because where fortunes gather, outlaws follow. And where history leaves wounds… sometimes the past still speaks.

If you love uncovering hidden history and discovering the powerful stories woven into the places we explore, please consider supporting Common Mystics on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics. Your support helps us continue traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

* This episode includes discussion of violence and murder. Sensitive listeners, please use discretion.