Don't Look Now

This week, for Christmas, the podcast looks at the history of Krampus, Santa's much less friendly BFF that punishes children for being bad.  From his origins in the myths of the Alps, to Krampus Spinoffs like Frau Perchta, to modern Krampus celebrations in Austria, we have all your Krampus needs covered.  Listen up and be good boys and girls or Krampus might have to birch you... or drag you off to hell depending on your take of the legend.

Ever wonder where some of your favorite Christmas traditions came from?  This week's podcast takes a look at the origins of Christmas Trees in the United States, Gingerbread Houses, and the origin of the ugly Christmas Sweater.  Kick back, drink some egg nog, and enjoy.

This week's podcast gets back to our roots in weird cults.  The cult du jour is The Family, an Australian group also known as the Santiniketan Park Association and the Great White Brotherhood (yes, they are that racist).  The cult started as a new age group led by founder Anne Hamilton-Byrne, that taught a strange amalgamation of Christianity and Eastern Religion with Hamilton-Byrne claiming to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Sadly, the group eventually led down the path of Hamilton-Byrne skimming money from everyone involved and a large number of children being illegally adopted and abused.  While the cult is nominally still around, it faded after the 90s when the abuses were brought to light and charges were filed.  Hamilton-Byrne lived to be 98 years old, passing away in 2019.  

Time for a bit of classical music lore.  We discuss the life and times of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, from his days as a child prodigy to his early death and burial in a common grave.  What are the most common theories about the cause of his untimely death?  Did F. Murray Abraham do him in? Come take a listen.

Nikola Tesla has gained renown over the years for being a far sighted inventor and engineer that seemed to sense the future potential of electromagnetic waves and induction, helping create the present AC powered world we live in and sensing the usefulness of communication through electromagnetic waves.  While we could go into the details of his inventions, this isn't that kind of podcast ;)  We offer a glimpse into his life, from dodging the Hungarian Army to falling in love with a Pigeon.  Take a listen and learn all about the man whose name has been used to sell electric cars and describe magnetic flux density.

Edgar Cayce was a claimed clairvoyant who though connecting with his "higher self" in a trance like state, spoke of all sorts of subjects both controversial and mundane.  These sessions were often recorded and in them he discussed medical practices, the nature of the afterlife, and interestingly enough... a lot about the Lost City of Atlantis.  Cayce founded the Association for Research and Enlightenment to record the results of his sessions and attempt to put the advice to use, which still exists today.  Much of the modern New Age movement owes its ideas to Cayce's sessions.

Mother Shipton, born Ursula Southeil, was born in Yorkshire, England in the late 1400s.  According to legend she was born in Shipton's cave, a site famous for waters that quickly petrify objects left in it.  She is purported to have written a great deal of prophesy that predicted such things as the death of Cardinal Wolsey and the eventual use of plumbing to bring water across the Ouse Bridge.  While it is hard to determine what, if any, of the writing that are attributed to her are indeed her works, her name remains synonymous with prophesy and witchcraft across all of England. 

Audrey Munson became America's first supermodel shortly after the turn of the 20th century.  She became the most desired model for sculptures all over New York and beyond, earning the nickname Miss Manhattan.  While her fame initially translated into wealth and a movie career, tragedy soon befell her.  She ended up spending the last 65 years of her life committed to a mental institution, eventually dying at age 104 in 1996. 

Ed and Lorraine Warren founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in 1952, making it the oldest ghost hunting group in New England.  Over they years many of their cases have inspired the horror movies that have captivated audiences for decades, from  the Amityville Horror to Annabelle and the Conjuring series.  Take a listen and learn the story behind their relationship and how they became involved with the Annabelle doll that still resides in their museum even after their deaths.

This week we continue the discussion of Jack the Ripper, focusing on the investigation and suspects.  While most of the physical evidence from the case was destroyed during the Blitz in WWII, this has not stopped modern sleuths from coming up with their own theories about who the ripper was.  We discuss a few, some plausible, so not so much.