Common Mystics

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.

On this episode of Common Mystics*, Jen and Jill travel back to the summer of 1869, where the mighty Mississippi River carried more than lumber and passengers; it carried tension, resentment, and a tragedy that would leave six men dead.

What began as a routine journey aboard the steamboat Dubuque quickly unraveled into one of the most chilling and overlooked racial violence events in Midwestern history. A confrontation between a black deckhand and a white raftsman ignited something much larger—something rooted in the uneasy aftermath of the Civil War, economic fear, and deep racial division. Chaos took hold. Men were hunted. Lives were lost in acts described at the time as “unprovoked” and “wanton.”

But this story isn’t just about what happened. It’s about why it happened— and what it reveals about a country struggling to redefine itself.

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 keep traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

*This episode contains discussion of racial violence. Listener discretion is advised.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill journey into the breathtaking Driftless Region of the Midwest — a landscape untouched by glaciers and steeped in history. Their travels lead them to the quiet river town of Decorah, Iowa, where beauty and tragedy intertwine. 

Here, a haunting mystery unfolds. In 1929, fourteen-year-old Romelda Casten died suddenly and mysteriously inside her family farmhouse while her parents were away. Was it a tragic accident… or something far more sinister? As the investigation deepens, shocking revelations emerge — and suspicion turns toward those closest to her. Tune in for a chilling and unforgettable story that still echoes through the ancient hills of northeast Iowa.

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 keep traveling, researching, and giving voice to the forgotten stories that still linger in the shadows.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill explore the history of the Dakota people of the Upper Mississippi River Valley, specifically the Mdewakanton band and the leadership of Chief Wabasha III. They trace how early treaties and increasing American expansion reshaped Dakota homelands and set the stage for growing tension. Hunger, land loss, and broken promises contributed to the outbreak of the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862. The episode examines the war’s devastating aftermath, including exile and lasting cultural impact. Through the story of Wabasha III, listeners are invited to reflect on leadership, survival, and the memory carried in the land. Join us as we give voice to a powerful chapter of Midwestern history.

If you enjoy exploring hidden history and the stories behind the places we travel, please consider supporting the show through Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics. Your support helps us continue giving voice to stories that might otherwise be forgotten. 

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill travel back to the earliest days of settlement along the northern Mississippi River, exploring how river towns took shape in the 17th and 18th centuries. Built alongside booming industry and filled with young men looking for fortune—and fun—these towns quickly developed a rough-and-tumble reputation.

Fast forward to 1879, when Winona, Minnesota boasts a thriving red-light district overflowing with liquor, gambling, and every variety of vice. One night, outside a notorious downtown saloon, a drunken argument erupts into gunfire. When the smoke clears, one man lies dead and another is sent to prison.

But the story doesn’t end there. Nearly 150 years later, the questions still linger—and the spirits connected to that fateful night may still be waiting for someone to tell their story.

Thanks for listening. Support us 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 have an absolute blast as they sit down with renowned psychic relationship expert and matchmaker Deborah Graham to dish on the unseen forces that pull hearts together, and the energetic speed bumps that can send love spinning the other way.

Gifted since childhood, Deborah had her very first premonitions at just six years old. What started as little intuitive flashes soon blossomed into full-blown visions, nudging her toward a lifelong mission of helping others decode their energy, step into their purpose, and find the kind of love that actually lasts.

With more than 30 years of experience under her belt, Deborah has made it her soul’s work to match people with their true soulmates through deep energetic insight and spiritual alignment.

You can dive deeper into Deborah’s world through her podcast Psychic Connection and her book Psychic Deborah Graham’s Guide to Attracting and Keeping Your True Love, where she shares even more wisdom on love, energy, and the magic of meaningful connection.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill investigate a ghost story from the town of Stoughton, WI… but what they uncover is far more unsettling than the legend itself. In November of 1925, Saxe Hoverson, a respected local official, died after falling from the third floor of the Grand Hotel. At the time, the incident was quickly labeled a suicide. Case closed. Or so it seemed. But when you place that official explanation alongside the reality of the era—Prohibition, bootlegging, and the quiet reach of organized crime into small Midwestern towns—the story begins to feel less simple. Was Saxe Hoverson’s death a personal tragedy—or did it intersect with forces far larger than one man? And if the truth was never fully spoken, could that explain why the story still carries energy nearly a century later?

Thanks for listening. Support us on Patreon and get exclusive bonus content and monthly video calls with Jen & Jill. https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics

*This episode includes discussion of suicide and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill stumble into a surprising connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. What begins as an investigation in Imlay City, Michigan quickly turns into something much bigger when the sisters uncover a local story tied to an ancestor from Salem, Massachusetts. From there, one curious rabbit hole leads to another, across the Atlantic and deep into history, as they unpack how and why witch trials ever became a thing in the first place. The journey ultimately lands on the original trial transcript of Susannah Martin. But it’s one accuser in particular, Jarvis Ring, who really grabs their attention. What unfolds next is unexpected, fascinating, and nothing short of astounding.

Thanks for listening! Support us 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 journey to Imlay City, a quiet Midwestern town just 50 miles north of Detroit, to explore a tragic story from 1947: the senseless murders of the Smith children.*

This is not a story told for shock or spectacle. It’s a careful remembering. We’ll place the events within their historical moment, honor the lives that were lost, and examine how a community, and a justice system, responded when the unthinkable happened.

Our intention is to acknowledge the weight of what was taken, and create space for reflection, compassion, and truth. If you’re listening with us tonight, we invite you to do so gently—because even the hardest stories deserve to be told with care, and remembered with purpose.

Thanks for listening. Support us on Patreon and get exclusive bonus content and monthly video calls with Jen & Jill. https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics

*This episode includes discussion of infanticide. Listener discretion is advised.