Ever wondered why a rabbit's foot is considered lucky? Here's the surprising history behind it! 🐇✨

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The origins of lucky symbols are often shrouded in mystery. For instance, the rabbit's foot has been linked to various cultures and folklore, but the truth is, we don’t really know why it’s deemed lucky!

Some theories trace back to ancient Celtic tribes, who believed rabbits were connected to the underworld due to their burrowing habits. Others point to Pliny the Elder's writings, suggesting that carrying a rabbit's foot could cure ailments like gout.

From mojo bags in African American culture to the various interpretations worldwide, the rabbit's foot symbolizes luck in many forms!

And what about other lucky symbols? We dive into lucky days and numbers next!

💫 So, what's your lucky charm? Let’s discuss in the comments!

#LuckySymbols #RabbitFoot #PodcastTalks #CulturalMyths #GoodLuck

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Horseshoes. Hamsa hands. Lucky bamboo. What do they all have in common? Humans have been reaching for them for thousands of years, hoping to tip the cosmic scales. This week we take a world tour of good luck — the charms, the plants, and a few wild facts you won't see coming. Spoiler: the scarab beetle is a dung roller and chimney sweeps are still getting hired to kiss brides. Buckle up. Arts, culture, and food for thought — this is RenFare.

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1. Wikipedia — List of Lucky Symbols: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lucky_symbols

2. National Geographic — How Good Luck Charms Reflect World Cultures: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/evil-eyes-and-other-good-luck-charms-around-the-world

3. HISTORY — 8 Unusual Good Luck Charms: https://www.history.com/articles/eight-unusual-good-luck-charms

4. Invaluable — 24 Good Luck Charms from Around the World: https://www.invaluable.com/blog/good-luck-charms/

5. Reader’s Digest — 15 Good-Luck Charms from Around the World: https://www.rd.com/list/good-luck-charms/

6. Fortune & Frame — 17 Good Luck Symbols from Around the World: https://fortuneandframe.com/blogs/news/good-luck-symbols

7. Plantisima — 17 Lucky Plants Throughout History: https://plantisima.com/lucky-plants-throughout-history-and-how-to-grow-them-today/

8. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — The Auspicious Arrival of the Jade Plant: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/auspicious-arrival-jade-herald-good-fortune

9. Good Luck Symbols — Lucky Bamboo: https://goodlucksymbols.com/lucky-bamboo/

10. Jackpot.com — The History and Significance of Lucky Numbers: https://www.jackpot.com/blog/lottery-tips/the-world-of-lucky-numbers

11. HowStuffWorks — 13 Superstitions About Lucky and Unlucky Numbers: https://people.howstuffworks.com/13-superstitions-about-numbers.htm

12. NextShark — Lucky and Unlucky Numbers Around the World: https://nextshark.com/lucky-numbers-superstitions-and-phone-numbers

13. History Skills — The Surprising Viking Origins of the Days of the Week: https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-7/days-of-the-week/

14. Tasarla Romaney — Superstitions Around the Days of the Week: https://tasarlaromaney.wordpress.com/2025/03/07/superstitions-around-the-days-of-the-week-what-each-day-holds-in-folklore-and-myth/

15. Britannica — Week (Origins): https://www.britannica.com/science/week

16. Inner Sanctum — Unraveling the History of Luck: https://shopinnersanctum.com/blogs/news/a-journey-through-time-unraveling-the-history-of-luck

17. Ancient Origins — 10 Ancient Superstitions and Their Origins: https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/ancient-superstitions-0019832

18. Wikipedia — Luck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luck

19. Kaneland Krier — The History of Common Superstitions: https://kanelandkrier.com/columnist-corner/the-history-of-common-superstitions/

At five years old, Françoise Gilot decided she would become a painter. She spent the next 96 years proving it. This week on RenFare, we're diving into the remarkable life and legacy of one of the 20th century's most fascinating artists — a woman whose colorful, mythology-rich canvases spanned eight decades, whose work earned France's highest honor for the arts, and who, even in her final years, never stopped creating. You may know her name for other reasons. By the end of this episode, you'll know it for the right ones.

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Gods, giants, and the ghost of a civilization. Part 2 of our Ancient Egypt series covers the pharaohs who defined a dynasty — including a queen erased from history, a boy king buried in gold, and the ruler who negotiated the world's first peace treaty. Then we get into the big question: how were the pyramids actually built? And we close by asking what 3,000 years of one of the world's greatest civilizations looks like today. Arts, culture, and food for thought — this is RenFare.

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Resources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptians-may-have-used-hydraulic-lift-to-build-pyramid-180984843/​

Ever wondered what daily life was like in ancient Egypt? 🌍 Let’s step back in time and explore the real stories!

Life in ancient Egypt was about more than just pyramids and pharaohs. It revolved around the Nile's life-giving waters, shaping agriculture, trade, and even social structures.

Next we'll dive into the history of hysteria. What does a wandering uterus and Freud have in common?

We'll go through the time to find the source of the patriarchy's creation of a "hysterical woman".

Whiny Woman Substack - https://drmaryclairehaver.substack.com/p/the-whiny-woman

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1. World History Encyclopedia — Daily Life in Ancient Egypt: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/933/daily-life-in-ancient-egypt/

2. World History Encyclopedia — Egyptian Religion: https://www.worldhistory.org/Egyptian_Religion/

3. World History Encyclopedia — Women in Ancient Egypt: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/623/women-in-ancient-egypt/

4. World History Encyclopedia — Ancient Egyptian Government: https://www.worldhistory.org/Egyptian_Government/

5. Wikipedia — Ancient Egypt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt

6. Wikipedia — Ancient Egyptian Religion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion

7. Smarthistory — Egyptian Social Organization: https://smarthistory.org/egyptian-social-organization-from-pharaoh-to-farmer/

8. Egypt Tours Portal — Daily Life in Ancient Egypt: https://www.egypttoursportal.com/en-us/daily-life-in-ancient-egypt/

9. Egypt Tours Portal — Ancient Egyptian Women: https://www.egypttoursportal.com/en-us/blog/ancient-egyptian-civilization/ancient-egyptian-women/

10. Egypt Tours Portal — Ancient Egyptian Politics: https://www.egypttoursportal.com/en-us/blog/ancient-egyptian-civilization/ancient-egyptian-politics/

11. Lumen Learning — Ancient Egyptian Religion: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/ancient-egyptian-religion/

12. PMC / NIH — Women and Gender in Ancient Egypt (academic): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5215293/

13. The Fathom Archive (U. of Chicago) — Women's Legal Rights in Ancient Egypt: https://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/1/777777190170/

Explore the fascinating world of pirates, separating fact from fiction during the Golden Age of Piracy. Discover their democratic structures, myths, and realities. Then find out the origins of astrology as we travel around the world linking the different astrological and astronomical theories.

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References

Wikipedia – Golden Age of Piracyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Piracy

Wikipedia – Blackbeardhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard

Wikipedia – Anne Bonnyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Bonny

Wikipedia – Bartholomew Robertshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Roberts

Wikipedia – William Kiddhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kidd

Wikipedia – Piracyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy

Britannica – Piracyhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/piracy-international-law

Britannica – Blackbeardhttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Blackbeard

Britannica – Bartholomew Robertshttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Bartholomew-Roberts

UNODC – Maritime Piracy Reportshttps://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/piracy/

Did you know eugenics was a popular movement in the U.S.? 🤔 Let's dive into its dark history and implications!

The U.S. became a leader in implementing eugenics policies in the early 20th century, with major institutions promoting them. Notably, David Starr Jordan, a prominent biologist and Stanford's first president, was a key advocate.

Then we explore floriography, the coded language of flowers that once allowed people to send entire messages without saying a word. From the strict social rules of the Victorian Era to ancient traditions, flowers carried meanings tied to love, rejection, jealousy, and even insult.

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Britannica – Buck v. Bellhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Buck-v-Bell

Wikipedia – Eugenics in the United Stateshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_in_the_United_States

Wikipedia – Buck v. Bellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_v._Bell

Wikipedia – Virginia Sterilization Act of 1924https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Sterilization_Act_of_1924

Wikipedia – Nazi Eugenicshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_eugenics

Britannica – David Starr Jordanhttps://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Starr-Jordan

Stanford Daily – Stanford’s history with eugenicshttps://stanforddaily.com/2016/12/07/stanfords-history-with-eugenics/

Stanford Eugenics History Project – Jordan’s eugenic organizationshttps://www.stanfordeugenics.com/jordan-eugenic-organizations

Stanford Report – Renaming Jordan buildingshttps://news.stanford.edu/stories/2020/10/jordan-agassiz

This week we first talk about Louisa May Alcott - her life, history, and most famous work, Little Women! Then we explore the fascinating history and symbolism of Easter and Ostara, uncovering their roots in ancient mythology, linguistic connections, and modern celebrations. Discover how these holidays intertwine with themes of fertility, rebirth, and cultural traditions across the world.

Socials:

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Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louisa-May-Alcott

https://www.britannica.com/summary/Louisa-May-Alcott

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/louisa-may-alcott

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/12/little-gold-men-podcast-greta-gerwig-interview

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/greta-gerwig-discusses-little-women-udezn6/

https://parade.com/968449/walterscott/greta-gerwig-little-women-2019/

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/greta-gerwig-little-women-adaptation-interview

https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2020/04/06/metatextual-little-women-2019/

https://time.com/5743438/greta-gerwig-little-women-interview/

Other Resources:

The Wheel of the Year (Wikipedia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year

Easter: Origin and Meaning (History.com) - https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter

The Mythology of the Spring Equinox (Ancient Origins) - https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/mythology-spring-equinox-0012787

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (Amazon) - https://www.amazon.com/Little-Women-Louisa-May-Alcott/dp/1503280463

Greta Gerwig's Little Women (Official Site) - https://www.littlewomenfilm.com/

In Episode 18 of RenFare, Jaimie and Kelly pair two subjects that have more in common than you'd expect: the woman who invented science fiction, Mary Shelley, and the all-too-human impulse to believe that someone, somewhere, is pulling the strings, conspiracy theories.

Mary Shelley. Born in 1797 to two of the most radical thinkers of her era, she wrote Frankenstein at 18 during a stormy summer in Switzerland, in a ghost story competition with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori. Jaimie and Kelly explore her turbulent early life, the real scientific debates about galvanism and reanimation that inspired the novel, and how Guillermo del Toro's 2025 film adaptation diverges from the book.

Conspiracy theories. Where do they come from? Why do humans generate them so reliably, across every culture and era? Kelly and Jaimie unpack the psychology and the sociology, including why Americans are particularly prone to it and what happens when the wrong conspiracy gets believed.

In this episode:

Mary Shelley & Frankenstein

1. Mary Shelley's radical intellectual upbringing — daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin
2. Her elopement with Percy Bysshe Shelley and the social ostracism that followed
3. The Year Without a Summer (1816) and the ghost story challenge at Lake Geneva
4. The scientific debate about galvanism and reanimation that inspired the monster
5. How Shelley wrote Frankenstein at 18 — and published it anonymously at 20
6. The Prometheus myth and what it means for the novel's full title
7. Guillermo del Toro's 2025 film adaptation: key differences from the book
8. Why Mary Shelley is now recognised as the Mother of Science Fiction
9. Her later life, continued tragedies, and other major works including The Last Man (1826)

Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

1. What a conspiracy theory actually is
2. Jesse Walker's five types of conspiracy theories
3. The psychology of conspiracy theories: confirmation bias, proportionality bias, and illusory pattern perception
4. Richard Hofstadter's 'paranoid style in American politics' and why alienation breeds suspicion
5. Why Americans are especially prone: Watergate, MKUltra, the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment
6. Historical conspiracy theories: the Great Fire of Rome, JFK, McCarthyism, Princess Diana
7. Has belief in conspiracy theories actually increased — or does it just feel that way?
8. Real-world consequences: AIDS denialism, vaccine refusal, and the Zambia famine

Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 – Unpacking Mary Shelley's tumultuous early life
• 00:11:43 – How the Year Without a Summer inspired Frankenstein
• 00:18:21 – Book vs. film: Mary Shelley's lasting impact
• 00:32:16 – What are conspiracy theories and social media's role?
• 00:38:12 – Unpacking the mindset behind conspiracy beliefs
• 00:47:47 – Why Americansare prone to conspiracy theories
• 00:56:14 – Real-world impacts and avoiding conspiracy rabbit holes

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Recording Studio Booking:

https://aswescale.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Shelley

https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/bodwhatson/documents/media/frankenstein-timeline-resource.pdf

https://wcpltn.wordpress.com/2015/07/24/the-love-affair-of-percy-shelley-and-mary-shelley/

https://reactormag.com/mary-w-shelley-life-after-the-monster/

https://mariellahunt.substack.com/p/remembering-harriet-the-other-shelley

https://collider.com/frankenstein-guillermo-del-toro-changes-from-book/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley

https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/the-science-behind-mary-shelleys-frankenstein/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Polidori

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer

Wuthering Heights & the Chinese Zodiac: Emily Brontë's Dark Obsessions and the Year of the Fire Horse

In Episode 17 of RenFare, Jaimie and Kelly get dark and a little cosmic — pairing Emily Brontë's gothic masterpiece, Wuthering Heights, with the ancient symbolism of the Chinese Zodiac, timed to the Lunar New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Fire Horse.

Jaimie explores the short, extraordinary life of Emily Brontë. Brontë wrote her only novel from a world shaped by grief, isolation, and the imaginary kingdom she and her sister Anne built as children, a dark fictional world called Gondal. The episode covers the major themes of Wuthering Heights and digs into the controversy surrounding director Emerald Fennell's upcoming film adaptation.

In This Episode: Wuthering Heights & EmilyBrontë:

1. Emily Brontë's early life and uncommon educationGondal: the dark imaginary world Emily and Anne built together
2. Emily's radical refusal of social expectations   The key themes of Wuthering HeightsCatherine and Heathcliff'sbond
3. Death, haunting, and the novel's deliberate refusal to resolve
4. Emily's death in December 1848 at 30 — one year after Wuthering Heights was published
5. Emerald Fennell's upcoming adaptation

Then, Kelly breaks down the Chinese Zodiac — its ancient origins, the legend of the Jade Emperor's river race that determined the 12 animal signs, the traits and celebrity matches for all 12 animals, and the five elements that create a 60-year cycle. She explains what it means that this year is the Year of the Fire Horse.

In this episode: Chinese Zodiac & the Year of the Fire Horse

1. Chinese Zodiac Basics
2. How Chinese Zodiac differs from Astrology
3. Origins and the legend of the Jade Emperor's river race
4. 12 animals: their traits, careers, and celebrities
5. 5 elements: Wood, fire, earth, metal, water
6. Bang Ming Nian: The unlucky year
7. How Chinese Zodiac guides culture
8. Historic Years of the Fire Horse

Timestamps

• 00:00:00 – Commiserating onwinter and recording schedule changes
• 00:04:54 – Exploring Emily Brontë's life and the genesis of Wuthering Heights
• 00:15:51 – Unpacking the dark themes of Wuthering Heights
• 00:26:55 – Emily Brontë's enduring legacy and the new movie adaptation
• 00:39:29 – Shifting gears to the Chinese Zodiac and its ancient origins
• 00:49:13 – Discovering Chinese Zodiac animals, their traits, and influential elements
• 01:09:09 – The cultural significance and historical impact of the Fire Horse year
• 01:13:01 – Wrapping up and connecting with the podcast community

About the Hosts

Jaimie and Kelly are two friends and lifelong arts and culture obsessives who believe history is better when told with warmth, wit, and a refusal to leave women out of it. RenFare is their deep dive into the Renaissance and beyond — the art, the politics, the folklore, and the women the textbooks forgot.

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• YouTube: @renfarepod

Sources & Further Reading

Wuthering Heights & Emily Brontë:

• http://airshipdaily.com/blog/08132014-bronte-gondal
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights
• https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-bronte
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emily-Bronte
• https://reactormag.com/emerald-fennell-wuthering-heights-movie-book/
  

• 
  
• https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/
• https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/five-elements/
• 
  
• https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3335586/why-year-fire-horse-2026-could-bring-chaos-also-great-progress