🎙️ Episode 56: Cults & Esoteric D-bags
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of cults and cult behavior, murder and mass suicide (including the events of Jonestown), spiritual manipulation, and whatever the hell Aleister Crowley was doing (which includes sex magic, drug use, and ritual weirdness). Listener discretion is advised.
This week, we’re diving headfirst into the unhinged world of cults, charismatic weirdos, and the esoteric dirtbags who somehow convinced people to hand over their wallets and their critical thinking skills.
We start with the horrifyingly true saga of Jim Jones, a man who weaponized religion, racism, and a terrible sunglass collection to lead hundreds to their deaths in Jonestown. Spoiler: it didn’t involve Kool-Aid, and it was somehow worse than what you remember.
Then we sashay into the chaotic dumpster fire that was Aleister Crowley—occultist, poet, and the self-proclaimed "wickedest man in the world" (insert the eyeroll here). We’ll unpack how his edgy wizard LARP spiraled into a lifestyle brand for weird Victorian dudes with too much money and too few boundaries. Like no boundaries. At all. Ever.
AND—because no episode would be complete without a personal trauma bomb—Sarah shares her own real-life story of accidentally joining a cult (yep), how she figured it out (it wasn’t that hard, I knew it was sh*t), and what it took to claw her way back to reality. (No robes were burned in the making of this episode, but emotional bridges? Absolutely.)
👁️🗨️ Expect:
Red flags waving like they’re at a NASCAR race
A reminder that charisma ≠ credibility
Sassy side-eye for every “spiritual” man with a superiority complex and a god complex to match
🧃 Also: the truth about the Kool-Aid myth, why people fall for this sh*t, and how to keep your friends from accidentally joining a pyramid scheme with a spiritual rebrand.
🆘 If you or someone you love is currently in a high-control group or cult-like situation and needs help: There is support.
Reach out to the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) at icsahome.com
Visit cultrecovery101.com for resources, support groups, and exit counseling referrals
The Cult Education Institute at culteducation.com also offers a searchable database and tools for evaluating potentially harmful groups. You’re not alone—and it’s never too late to get out.
P.S. Got a weird story about cults, con artists, or creepy gurus who gave you the ick? We desperately want to hear it. Email us at [email protected] or slide into our DMs on Instagram @thegoblinsquadpodcast.
P.P.S. Stay weird. 👻
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