Conjuring Curiosities

Trigger warning for discussions of infant death: 38:10 - 38:55

The monster, the myth, the legend: Frankenstein. You know him, you love him, and you love to tell people that ACTUALLY, Dr. Frankenstein was the 

REAL monster, and the monster's name isn’t Frankenstein. But who do we have to thank for this cultural phenomenon? The ground breaking novel was the radical, brilliant creation of a teenage girl with a sharp mind and a very complicated life. This week, we’re talking about Mary Shelley, the writer who accidentally invented modern science fiction, horror, and the mad scientist archetype all at once.

From The Year Without a Summer to grief, motherhood, and intellectual rebellion, we explore how Mary’s life shaped the monster we can’t stop retelling. There is so much to her, including the constant drama she was surrounded by, and the legacy some may say she far surpassed. This isn’t just the story of a book, it’s the story of how one woman’s imagination rewired pop culture forever. So grab a quill and stay away from sailboats, because this episode, we’re learning about the Mother of science fiction!

CORRECTIONS: Regarding the Greek Mythology of Prometheus, he was the god that created humans, which is the parallel alluded to in Frankenstein. He did also bring fire to humans against the wishes of Zeus! Also, Nosferatu was never a book, it was originally created as a movie. 

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SOURCES

National Review - Mary Shelley among the Radicals

Literary Hub - Did Mary Shelley actually lose her virginity to Percy on top of her mother's grave?

Snopes - Did Mary Shelley Lose Her Virginity on Her Mother's Grave?

History Extra - Mary Wollstonecraft: the firebrand feminist thinker with a rule-breaking life

Wikipedia - Mary Shelley

Wikipedia - Mary Wollstonecraft

Wikipedia - William Godwin

Wikipedia - Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Wikipedia - Free love

Jane Lark - This week my scandalous woman is Mary Shelley the author of Frankenstein

Wikipedia - Percy Bysshe Shelley

Wikipedia - Claire Clairmont 

Wikipedia - Lord Byron

Wikipedia - Ada Lovelace

History Extra - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: the birth of a gothic monster

History Extra - "Mary never shook off the consequences of eloping with Shelley": Fiona Sampson on the life of Mary Shelley

Amusing Planet - What is Galvanism, And How Did it Inspire Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?

Synapsis - Galvanism in 19th Century French Theater: Bringing Dead Words Back to Life 

The Ex-Classics Website - GEORGE FOSTER

Anna Mazzola - Did Mary Shelley Keep Percy’s Heart?

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Ever feel like you’re being gently nudged in a direction you didn’t consciously choose? This episode, Sabrina breaks down the world of spirit guides: Who they are, what they do, and how to recognize their presence. For anyone who has been interested but hesitant, we break down how to tell the difference between guidance that feels steady, supportive, and positive, compared to trickster energy that thrives on confusion, fear, and chaos. This episode is an open invitation to explore the unseen support system that might already be with you!

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Angels, pointing hands, weeping willows, and urns. We’ve all seen them when walking through a cemetery, but what do they mean? This week, Clara takes Sabrina on a guided tour through the graveyard to decode the symbols carved into tombstones, and what they were meant to say about death, grief, and the afterlife. From religious iconography to Victorian symbolism and Secret Societies, Clara explains how headstones functioned as messages from the living to the dead (and to anyone who wandered by centuries later). It turns out that cemeteries are never as silent as they seem. Grab a flashlight and watch your footing, we’re wandering through the graves to see what the headstones have to tell us!

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SOURCES

Gravestone studies.org - Symbolism of Gravestones

Wolfe Memorial - GRAVESTONE SYMBOLS and THEIR MEANINGS

Catholic-cemeteries.org - Gravestone Symbols and Their Meanings

ThoughtCo. - Photo Gallery of Cemetery Symbols and Icons

Forest Home Cemetery Overview - Gravestone Symbols

Flickr - Unusual Headstones or Grave Markers

Burials and Beyond - The Grave of Clasped Hands: Love Conquering Death 

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Doorways, crossroads, and hotel hallways at midnight. The places where nothing really happens…but somehow, everything feels like it could. This week, Sabrina gives us a spiritual perspective on liminal spaces, and encourages us to embrace the in-between. After all, transformations can’t happen without transitions. Leap into the unknown with us this week as we explore the power of liminal spaces!

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What happens when a wealthy widow tries to outbuild her ghosts? In this case, a confusing labyrinth of staircases to nowhere, doors that open into walls, and windows that overlook nothing. Back from hiatus, Clara and Sabrina wander the endless halls of the Winchester Mystery House, uncovering how Sarah Winchester turned her fortune (and maybe her fears) into one of the strangest architectural enigmas in history. Was she haunted by the spirits of those killed by her family’s rifles, or simply a passionate architect? Grab a map and stay close as we take you through the winding maze of madness, mourning, and meticulous design!

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SOURCES

Winchester Mystery House - Timeline

Winchester Mystery House - History

US Ghost Adventures - Why the Winchester House Is Haunted

SFGATE - Everything you think you know about the Winchester Mystery House probably isn't true

Paulette Kennedy - THE ONE ABOUT SARAH WINCHESTER

Beck Technology - Rebels of Construction—Sarah Winchester and Her Mysterious House

Winchester Mystery House - The Untold Story of Isabel Merriman: Sarah Winchester's Spirited Sister

Wikipedia - Sarah Winchester

Wikipedia - Winchester Mystery House

CPI Inflation Calculator

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What would happen if a giant tank of molasses exploded in the middle of Boston? Unfortunately, that is not a hypothetical question, because over 100 years ago, one did. In January 1919, a massive storage tank burst, unleashing an unfathomable wave of deadly syrup that tore through the streets faster than anyone could run. But even after the molasses settled, the chaos was far from over. Grab your favourite molasses catching mug and some waders and join us to hear about the stickiest year Beantown ever had!

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SOURCES

History.com - Why the Great Molasses Flood Was So Deadly

City of Boston - 100 years ago today: Molasses crashes through Boston's North End

Scientific American - The Science of the Great Molasses Flood

USN History - A Sticky Situation: The Navy and the Great Molasses Flood

Wikipedia - Great Molasses Flood

The Guardian - The Great Boston Molasses Flood: why the strange disaster matters today

Boston Public Library - Molasses Disaster, Boston, Mass., 1919

Britannica - How Fast Is the World’s Fastest Human?

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In this episode of Brief Bewitchments, we’re lighting a candle for the original lesbian icon and lyrical enchantress herself, Sappho of Lesbos! As one of the most prolific poets of Ancient Greece, her words are still widely known today, and Sabrina will dive into the sacred and spell-worthy power of her poetry. Her passionate words can be used in modern witchcraft, and have become a part of queer magic for many who practice. So whether you’re manifesting desires, setting intentions, or trying to increase your sapphic longing, Sabrina will explain how Sappho has got you covered!

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Long before Freaky Friday made body swaps an onscreen trope, a small-town teen in the 1870s started the trend. This episode, we’re covering the Watseka Wonder, a very odd case that has us asking: did this 13 year old girl actually get possessed…or was she just really committed to the bit? In 1870s Illinois, Lurancy Vennum started having seizures, slipping into trances, and claiming she was Mary Roff, a girl who had died 12 years earlier. Mary’s family were all too happy to take her in and treat her as their daughter, but was it too good to be true? Or had a spirit really slipped through the veil and traded places with Lurancy? Hop on our wagon to Watseka, and travel with us to this unique occurrence that gives Victorian Spiritualism a new perspective!

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SOURCES: 

THE CASE OF LURANCY VENNUM - A PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY, AND AUTHENTICATED INSTANCE OF SPIRIT MANIFESTATION. BY E. W. STEVENS

Ancestry.com - Mary Lurancy Vennum

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Ever feel like speaking your truth, setting boundaries, or showing your magic might get you metaphorically (or emotionally) burned at the stake? You might be feeling the effects of the Witch Wound, but don’t worry, Sabrina’s here to explain. In this episode, we dive into the ancestral, cultural, and collective trauma passed down from centuries of witch hunts, silencing, and spiritual repression. From the fear of being “too much” to the hesitation to take up space, this wound runs deep, but it doesn’t have to define you. Sabrina walks us through the roots of this wound, how it still shows up today, and how we can start to heal it through reclaiming our power, reconnecting with magic, and refusing to stay small. It’s time to stir the cauldron, break the spell, and put on your high-beams!

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Double, double toil and… total disaster? In this drama-packed episode, we’re diving into the legendary curse of Macbeth…I mean, The Scottish Play. We’ll explore some of the most infamous examples of the curse in action, from alleged fatalities to production disasters. And while we’re talking theatre history, we’ll pull back the curtain on other thespian superstitions. Like why whistling backstage might seriously injure you, and why an actor definitely will not thank you for wishing them “good luck”. Grab your ruffs and join us on stage for a behind-the-scenes look at the haunted, hexed, and hilariously dramatic world of theatre lore.

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***CORRECTION: Daemonologie is a series of 3 books and a news pamphlet in one volume, and was published by King James VI of Scotland, who later became King James I of England and Ireland. Wikipedia - Daemonologie

DEEPDIVE:

CBR - How Superman Secretly Wrote Shakespeare’s Macbeth

SOURCES:

The Austin Chronicle - Macbeth's Myriad of Misfortunes

Penguin Random House - The curse of Macbeth: is it more than superstition?

Wikipedia - The Scottish Play

PA Shakespeare - The Curse of Macbeth: “The Scottish Play”

Broadway Direct - 13 Theater Superstitions

Litcharts - Macbeth Translation - Act 4, Scene 1

Ernestthesiger.org - “Macbeth”

Stratford Festival - THE MACBETH CURSE

Royal Shakespeare Company - The Curse of the Scottish Play

Independent - Did Chris Rock suffer the curse of the Scottish Play? ‘Macbeth’ theory gains traction on Twitter

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