Rituals

You’re probably at least casually acquainted with The Bell Jar, but did you also know its brilliant author had a mystical side? We’re talking tarot, Ouija, crystal balls, and what her husband called the “magnificent fun” of the occult. Christine walks Em through the work and otherworldly influences of... Sylvia Plath ✍🏻

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Maybe it’s an instrument of the devil. Maybe it’s just a fun way to talk with the dead! This week Christine and Em are finding out... by going deep into the history, headlines, and wild family grudges surrounding the 19th- and 20th-century phenomenon known as... Ouija Boards 👻 

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This week Christine and Em crack into the life and legacy of a local New Orleans legend! She was a pillar of her community, called “Her Majesty” by the press, and now allegedly haunts the city. Plus, how did voodoo reach North America? Why do some people associate it with dark magic? Christine takes Em through the beliefs, impact and gris-gris of... Marie Laveau ⚜️

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They’ve got souls, they’re soldiers, and while they technically haven’t existed for centuries, some say they’re now a secret society. Christine and Em meet at the intersection of religion and the occult to shake down the origins (and legacy! and curses!) of... The Knights Templar ⚔️

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If you want to make it in this world, there’s one rule you’ve got to remember: Always Be Closing (Your Portals). This week we’re visiting the First Lady whose spiritual hobby was preempted by lots of loss, and lots of grief. Em takes Christine through the surprising history of seances in the White House, courtesy of... Mary Todd Lincoln 🎩

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Let’s start from the top: It’s the beginning of time, and Adam’s already being a jerk. Today, Christine and Em are kicking back with the first man’s first wife, a lady demon-turned-feminist icon who left Eden to strike out on her own. It’s a creation story that turns into a revenge story that turns into... a vampire story? Christine takes a skeptical Em through the origins, evolution, and wrath of... Lilith 💁‍♀️

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Just when you thought witches were your biggest problem… This week, Christine and Em are biting into lycan lore! From human transformations in mythology, to the panic over cannibalistic man-beasts in Europe, to real stories of the accused. It’s a real cattle and corn party, and everyone’s invited. Christine takes Em through the all-out wildness of… Werewolves 🐺

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Pick a deck, pull some cards, and tip your hat to Jean-Baptiste Alliette! Christine and Em are trying their hand at a supernatural card game… which, as luck would have it, is NOT just for ancient polo players. They’re bouncing from Italy to France to the moon as they trace the evolution (and their mind-bendy personal connections) to the ancient, modern, practical, whimsical, art of… Tarot 🔮

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Did someone say pool party? No? We’re trudging through a swamp in 16th-century Florida? Hey, whatever it takes… This week, Christine and Em are diving into the mystical stories around healing waters. From swamps and springs to wells and waterways, what’s the real deal with magically restorative H2O? Drink it in… Soak it up… ‘cause Christine is taking Em through the *ageless* lore behind… the Fountain of Youth ⛲

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Wait, it’s time to grab our trench coats and magnifying glasses already?? Christine and Em pay a visit to the mind behind Sherlock Holmes to see what *else* he was cooking up in the late 1800s. Turns out, this British author was very into spiritualism. We’re talking mediums, spirit photography, and seances, along with a little Harry Houdini, Jude Law, and the Georgetown psychic that foretold Christine’s future… It’s a real “science and whimsy” episode. Em takes Christine through the paranormal principles of A.C.D., better known as.… Arthur Conan Doyle 🕵️‍♂️

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