Long before witches were Halloween costumes and aging was a curse, there was Baba Yaga: bone-legged, iron-toothed, and untameable. In this episode of The Fem Files, I trace the roots of this Slavic folklore legend, from her deep ties to nature and feminine power, to the ways she still creeps through our culture today.

🕯️ Keywords: Baba Yaga, Slavic folklore, feminist folklore podcast, mythology podcast, wild woman archetype, crone archetype, women and aging, feminist mythology, witch archetype, women in myth, Slavic mythology, pagan folklore, ancient goddesses, feminine rage, feminine power, women in history, dark feminine energy, the witch wound, witchcraft history, folklore analysis

Sources:

https://www.dubravkaugresic.com/writings/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Melissa_Katsoulis.pdf

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/baba-yaga-confounding-crone-slavic-folklore-002836

https://www.worldhistory.org/Baba_Yaga/

https://medium.com/@folklegends/baba-yaga-unraveling-the-mysteries-of-the-enigmatic-witch-42a3dadb1c

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221118-baba-yaga-the-greatest-wicked-witch-of-all

https://www.storymasterstales.com/post/who-is-baba-yaga#:~:text=This%20association%20reveals%20her%20as,Goddess%20in%20Russian%20fairy%20tales.

https://fairytale.fandom.com/wiki/Baba_Yaga#:~:text=Slavic%20folklore%2C%20Baba%20Yaga%20is,mother%2C%20or%20archetypal%20image%22.

https://ces.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/162/Baba-Yaga-informational-material.pdf

In this episode of The Fem Files, we dive into the stories of four powerful women in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) who challenged British colonial rule in Northern Ireland. From armed resistance to prison hunger strikes, these women played critical roles in the Irish struggle for freedom.

We explore the lives of Máire Drumm, Rosaleen Walsh, Martina Anderson, and Rosaleen McCorley— activists, writers, political leaders, and survivors. Learn how these women fought for Irish independence, civil rights, and national identity during The Troubles, all while facing state violence, internment, and media erasure.

Subscribe to The Fem Files for more radical women’s history you didn’t learn in school.

Sources:

https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/maire-drumm/

https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/mna-an-ira-6/

https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/mna-an-ira-5/

https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/mna-an-ira-4/

SEO:
Women in the IRA, IRA history, Irish Republican women, Northern Ireland conflict, The Troubles, Irish independence, Sinn Féin, Cumann na mBan, female revolutionaries, anti-colonial resistance, British occupation, Irish civil rights, feminist history, political prisoners Ireland

This episode of The Fem Files explores the story of Lilith: Adam’s first wife and the original rebel. Tracing Lilith's transformation from an ancient goddess to a demonized outcast, this episode explores how myths were rewritten to punish feminine strength, independence, and sexuality.

Sources:

Baskin, Judith. “Lilith.” The Cambridge Dictionary of Judaism and Jewish Culture, 2011.

“Lilith.” Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft, 2012.

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/seccll/2016/2016/10/

SEO Keywords:
Lilith, Adam’s first wife, Lilith myth, feminist icon Lilith, divine feminine, dark feminine, dark goddess, feminist podcast, mythology podcast, women in mythology, Lilith history, Lilith story, Lilith explained, Eve vs Lilith, Lilith archetype, ancient goddesses, goddess Lilith, spiritual feminism, feminine power, patriarchal religion, Lilith symbolism, Lilith feminist icon, dark feminine energy, sacred feminine, bad mother archetype, good mother archetype, divine feminine energy, suppressed feminine, religious patriarchy, Lilith truth, reclaiming Lilith, witch archetype, sexuality and power, biblical feminism, feminist spirituality, feminism and mythology, Abrahamic religions and women, gender and religion, history of Lilith, repressed goddesses, spiritual awakening, matriarchal history, Lilith origin story, feminist history, myth and power, womanhood in religion, the Fem Files podcast, feminist mythology podcast, women in history, women and power, feminine archetypes, reclaiming myth, feminine rage, divine rage, female divinity, mythology and gender, feminist

This episode uncovers the surprising origins of Monopoly, the board game that was never meant to celebrate capitalism but to critique it.

Discover how Lizzie Magie’s original vision was twisted into a tool for promoting greed and how her message matters now more than ever. Join me to explore the game’s cultural impact, the rise of privatization in America, and the forgotten solution of The Single Tax.

SEO terms: Monopoly history, Lizzie Magie, Henry George, single tax theory, capitalism critique, privatization in America, board game origins, economic justice, American culture, land value tax, progressive economics, wealth inequality, Monopoly capitalism, anticapitalist board games, Monopoly podcast episode, Parker Brothers, Charles Darrow, depression era, 1930s, 1900s, early 1900s, Monopoly, privatization

Sources:

Archibald, Sasha. “The Landlord’s Game: Lizzie Magie and Monopoly’s Anti-Capitalist Origins (1903).” The Public Domain Review, 21 Dec. 2023, publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-landlords-game/. Dasia Sade. “The Privatization of Everything | How America Sold Itself Out.” YouTube, 24 Apr. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEtEvnhziPM. Accessed 3 May 2025. Georgia. “The Newnan Herald. (Newnan, Ga.) 1915-1947, January 29, 1915, Image 4 «Georgia Historic Newspapers.” Usg.edu, 2025, gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053461/1915-01-29/ed-1/seq-4/ocr/. Accessed 8 May 2025. “Lizzie Magie Phillips.” The Glinda Factor, 2016, theglindafactor.com/lizzie-magie-phillips/. priority_high Webpage author Pilon, Mary. “Monopoly Was Designed to Teach the 99% about Income Inequality.” Smithsonian Magazine, Jan. 2015, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/monopoly-was-designed-teach-99-about-income-inequality-180953630/.

In this episode of The Fem Files, Grace Bowland dives into the brutal legacy of Frances Farmer. Labeled insane for refusing to comply, Farmer’s story is less about madness and more about misogyny in a white coat. From electroshock “cures” to lobotomy rumors, we trace how brilliance in women gets pathologized, then punished.

Sources:

https://newsroom.artandwriting.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Farmer%E2%80%94God-Dies.pdf

William Arnold, Shadowland (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978); Frances Farmer and Jean Ratcliffe, Will There Really Be a Morning? (New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1972); Frances Farmer, Clipping and Biography Files, Seattle Collection, Seattle Public Library; Lois Kibbee Papers, 1968-1981, Special Collections, University of Washington, Seattle; Kyle Crichton, "I Dress As I Like," Collier's, May 8, 1937, p. 21; "A Seattle Mother's Warning Against Red Teachers," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 29, 1935, p. 1; Frances Farmer, "Why I Am Going to Russia," The Seattle Times, March 29, 1935, p. 2; "Frances Farmer: A Seattle Girl Reaches Broadway via Hollywood," Life, January 17, 1938, pp. 26-27; "Distinguished Group Will Preview New Studio Play," The Seattle Times, January 23, 1938, p. 4; Edward Churchill, "The Future of Frances Farmer," Movie Mirror, January 1938, p. 53; James Robert Parish and William T. Leonard, Hollywood Players: The Thirties (New York: Arlington House Publishers, 1976); "Ex-Seattle Girl Cries She 'Drank Everything,'" The Seattle Times, January 14, 1943, p. 1; "May Be Publicity Stunt, Says Mother of Actress," Philadelphia Record, January 14, 1943; "Blames Roles for Breakdown," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 26, 1943; "Mental Test Ordered For Fran Farmer: Her Sanity Held in Doubt," New York Daily News, January 15, 1943; "Miss Farmer Put In Asylum," The Seattle Times, March 24, 1944, p. B-4; "Frances Farmer Will Leave Hospital; May Do War Work," Ibid., July 2, 1944, p. 1; "Frances Farmer Cured, Quits Hospital Today," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 2, 1944; Robert A. Barr, "Frances Farmer, Home Again, Plans Comeback in Pictures," The Seattle Times, July 3, 1944, p. B-4; "Frances Farmer," Ibid., July 29, 1944, p. 10; "Reds Had Hold Over Actress Since High School, Says Parent," Ibid., October 20, 1947; Lucille Cohen, "Drastic Overcrowding at State Hospital Bared," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 18, 1949, p. 1; Rita Rose, "True Frances Farmer Story Remains Elusive" and "Frances Farmer: She Couldn't Tell the White Hats from the Black," Indianapolis Star, January 23, 1983; Edith Farmer Elliot, Look Back in Love (Portland, OR: Gemaia Press, 1978); " 'Frances' Inaccurate, Say Former Nurses," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 26, 1983; Robert Heilman, "Miss Farmer Happy as She and Fiancée Talk of Coming Marriage," The Seattle Times, April 14, 1954, p. 16; Ed DeBlasio, "The Seven Christmases of Frances Farmer," Modern Screen, December 1957, p. 57; "Frances Farmer, 56, Former Actress, Dies, The Seattle Times, August 3, 1970, p. D-16; "Seattle-born Film Actress Frances Farmer Dies at 56," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 3, 1970, p. 5.

In this episode, we uncover the story of Henrietta Lacks: a woman whose cells changed the course of medical history. Taken without consent, her cells sparked breakthroughs in everything from vaccines to space research. We explore how her legacy was buried, how her family was left in the dark, and why her story still matters in the age of medical mistrust.

Sources:

https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshallfame/html/lacks.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/henrietta-lacks-immortal-impact-on-medical-research

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henrietta-lacks

SEO:

Henrietta Lacks, HeLa cells, Henrietta Lacks story, Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks, Henrietta Lacks podcast, Henrietta Lacks episode, Who was Henrietta Lacks?, Henrietta Lacks family, Henrietta Lacks consent, Henrietta Lacks legacy, Henrietta Lacks biography, Henrietta Lacks ethics, HeLa cell line, HeLa cell history, Medical ethics, Informed consent in medicine, Medical racism, Genetic research history, Vaccine history, Polio vaccine origin, Medical breakthroughs, Cancer research history, Human cell research, Racial injustice in healthcare, Black women in medicine, Black history and science, Medical exploitation, Ethics in medical research, Bodily autonomy, History of medical racism, Unethical medical practices, Racism in science, Black health history, Black history podcast, Feminist podcast episode, Women in science history, Forgotten women in history, Black women pioneers, Educational podcast episode, Science meets ethics, True story podcast, Untold history, Modern medical history, Real story behind HeLa cells, Hidden history of science, The woman science erased, She changed medicine forever, The truth about Henrietta Lacks, The cost of medical progress, What doctors don’t tell you, Black women and medical justice, The injustice behind the cure

Once labeled "the most dangerous woman in America," Goldman fought for workers’ rights, free speech, birth control, and sexual liberation while challenging capitalism and the state at every turn.

Sources:

https://libcom.org/article/mother-earth

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/goldman-1869-1940/

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1920s/disillusionment/index.htm

In this episode, I share the stories of the Mothers of Gynecology: Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy. These enslaved women were experimented on for years without anesthesia by Dr. J. Marion Sims, AKA the “father” of modern gynecology. Their suffering paved the way for advancements in women’s healthcare, yet their names and experiences were erased from history. Join me this Thursday to learn about their painful stories, and discuss the legacy of medical racism that continues to impact black women today.

Sources:

https://orwh.od.nih.gov/toolkit/recruitment/history

https://wams.nyhistory.org/a-nation-divided/antebellum/anarcha-betsy-lucy/

Yoo W, Kim S, Huh WK, Dilley S, Coughlin SS, Partridge EE,et al. Recent trends in racial and regional disparities in cervical cancerincidence and mortality in United States. PloS one. 2017;12(2):e0172548. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172548)

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1516047113

https://linktr.ee/ErikaCohen

FOR SEO:

women’s health, medical history, gynecology, reproductive rights, medical racism, Black maternal health, racial health disparities, pain bias in medicine, history of gynecology, ethical issues in medicine, women in medicine, Anarcha, Betsey, Lucy, enslaved women, J. Marion Sims, father of gynecology, mothers of gynecology, experimental surgery, medical exploitation, 19th-century medicine, healthcare inequality, Black women in medicine, medical bias against women, trust Black women, medical consent, patient advocacy, reproductive justice, women’s pain dismissed, birth justice, medical ethics, women’s health podcast, feminist podcast, medical history podcast, hidden history podcast, reproductive health awareness, know your medical rights, patient empowerment, medical advocacy, gender bias in healthcare, medical malpractice, surgical ethics, forced medical experimentation, gynecological violence, history of obstetrics, trauma-informed care, women’s rights in medicine, Black women’s health, systemic racism in healthcare, racial bias in pain management, patient rights, bodily autonomy, informed consent, sexism in medicine, feminist health movement, reproductive autonomy, medical accountability, healthcare discrimination, Black feminist history, healthcare reform, racism in medical research, historical medical injustice, Black women’s pain ignored, advocacy for women’s health, maternal mortality crisis, gynecological care, pelvic exams, speculum history, modern gynecology, women’s medical education, gender disparity in healthcare, Black midwives, obstetric violence, history of medical ethics, feminist medical history

This week I'm switching it up a little by reading my manifesta to the American people: Common Sense. It was insprired by Thomas Paine's revolutionary pamphelts that convinced the colonists to revolt in 1776. These are ideas I've been holding onto for quite some time, and am hoping to attract like minded individuals!

Thanks so much for listening.

GENERAL STRIKE:

https://generalstrikeus.com/

SOURCES:

 https://www.britannica.com/event/Smith-Act

https://www.c-win.org/the-monterey-amendments

https://www.epi.org/publication/ceo-pay-in-2023/

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax

https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/understanding-the-linkedin-sale-and-stock-based-compensation

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/technology/google-facebook-ad-deal-antitrust.html

https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/08/19/us-big-tech-monopolies-neo-feudalism/

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-blackrock-state-street-and-vanguard-illegally-conspiring-manipulate

https://blog.ucsusa.org/melissa-finucane/whats-wrong-with-billionaires-dictating-the-us-science-agenda/

https://palestinecampaign.org/

https://unitedwaynca.org/blog/vacant-homes-vs-homelessness-by-city/

https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/economic

https://hulr.org/spring-2024/yivzvgufmi4ybwl5hftdu81rnjt6q9

https://files.libcom.org/files/Peter Kropotkin- Mutual Aid; A Factor of Evolution.pdf

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/sub-media-what-is-mutual-aid

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/2/3/elon_musk_gov

Step into the extravagant world of Ada and Minna Everleigh, sisters who built America’s most luxurious brothel at the turn of the 20th century. In this episode of The Fem Files, we explore their rise as pioneering entrepreneurs in a male-dominated industry, their legacy of empowerment, and the societal tensions they navigated. We also draw a modern mirror to today’s conversations about sex work, gender, and autonomy. Join us as we uncover the bold, controversial, and inspiring

Sources:

“1900-1911—Everleigh Club.” Chicagology.com, 6 Jan. 2017, chicagology.com/notorious-chicago/everleigh/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Abbott, Karen. Sin in the Second City : Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America’s Soul. New York, Random House, 2008.

DCHSADMIN. The Everleigh Sisters’ Early Days in Omaha | Douglas County Historical Society. douglascohistory.org/the-everleigh-sisters-early-days-in-omaha/.

Keywords:

Everleigh Sisters, Ada Everleigh, Minna Everleigh,