Tracing Owls

I guested on Horror Makes You Brave to discuss one of the most 90s nineties things that's ever 90s: R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series!

For this special collaborative episode, I suggested Goosebumps as a topic and Landen chose his favorite of the series -- and one of the more obscure

Spoilers: there are no ghosts in this haunted school. Also spoilers: this is one of THE BEST Goosebumps books ever written!

...also, why not check out my 2 prior appearances on Horror Makes You Brave:

⁠The X-Files ("Home" & "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'"), with Darwin⁠

⁠DOUBLE BILL: Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein, with Darwin⁠

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Landen from Horror Makes You Brave for letting me feature my guest appearance from his show! I am proud to showcase the Goosebumps series on my own feed as well, and have been revisiting my childhood with it for the past year.

Check out his podcast Horror Makes You Brave ⁠HERE⁠

Follow Landen on Instagram ⁠@autopsypodcast⁠ or Twitter ⁠@autopsy_podcast⁠

Mothboy Mike shares his spiritual pilgrimage through West Virginia, paying homage to a cast of colorful Fortean icons!

Co-hosting the Mothboys Podcast, and authoring a new children's book about the Vegetable Man, Mikey has been nurturing a recent interest in the writings and colorful life of Gray Barker.

Driven by an otherworldly compulsion, Mike has been making multiple pilgrimages to the Gray Barker archives in Clarksburg, WV, familiarizing himself with Gray's often overlooked case materials and personal correspondences... but the journey did not end there!

Along the way he has been making stops to the grave site of Jennings Frederick, paying his respects to the Vegetable Man witness.

The recent sad passing of Robert Cockrell, the Grafton Monster witness, compelled Mikey to assume the role of the monster's avatar, serving as a beacon of inspiration and curiosity to all who remember this wonderful story.

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Michael Strayer for opening up and sharing his inspirational and very touching journey of paying homage to some of West Virginia's most incredible Fortean icons! ❤️

Check out his podcast Mothboys Podcast HERE

Follow them on Instagram @mothboyspodcast Twitter @MothboysPodcast or Facebook @Mothboys

Grab a copy of Mike's weird-ass book "Curious Creatures: The Vegetable Man" which you can find HERE

...or check out his earlier, more wholesome book "Mothman Learns the ABCs" which you can find HERE

Check out Ballyraven at their Etsy page and ConjureDustDesigns at their Etsy page

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Episode artwork by ConjureDustDesigns

Send us suggestions and comments to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @tracingowls or Twitter @TracingOwls

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Intro sampled from "Something strange lurks in the shadows" by Francisco Sánchez (@fanchisanchez)

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Jason shares his vast knowledge of West Virginian history, helping me divinate their cryptids via tarot!

As a teacher, outdoorsman, West Virginian and host of The Esoteric Book Club, Jason is very knowledgeable on the history of his home state, and all the cultural eccentricities which make it a hotspot for high strangeness!

Today we spend almost 2 hours analyzing the symbology of the most popular West Virginian cryptids, breaking down their societal roles and cultural impact through the archetypes of the Major Arcana, even though neither of us are experts in tarot and we probably messed up every interpretation!

But no worries, as we often lose our train of thought and delve into discussion about ultraterrestrials, dinosaur poop, bootleg moonshine, and just why the Appalachians are rich in cultural identity and otherworldly phenomena!

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Jason from Esoteric Book Club for sharing his delightful insight into the culture and history of his home state of West Virginia! ❤️

Check out his podcast The Esoteric Book Club ⁠HERE⁠ or visit their website at ⁠esotericbookclub.org⁠

Follow them on Instagram ⁠@esotericbookclub⁠ or Facebook ⁠@esotericbookclub⁠

Support them on Patreon ⁠HERE⁠

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Episode artwork by Jason ⁠@esotericbookclub⁠

Send us suggestions and comments to ⁠[email protected]⁠

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@tracingowls⁠ or Twitter ⁠@TracingOwls⁠

Check our Linktree: ⁠linktr.ee/tracingowls⁠

Intro sampled from "⁠Something strange lurks in the shadows⁠" by Francisco Sánchez (⁠@fanchisanchez⁠)

Sound effects obtained from ⁠https://www.zapsplat.com

Christina shares her childhood initiation into high strangeness, leading her down a path of UFO research and a Man in Black encounter!

Witnessing an image of the Flatwoods Monster in a tabloid at an early age initiated Christina into a world of the weird, where otherness is the norm and rules are non-existent. A later teenage psychedelic experience in the forest left a permanent impression that there is much more to nature, and reality itself, than what we can see with our naked eyes.

We discuss the effects of childhood trauma in predisposing us to the world of high strangeness, the role media and books play in nurturing and empowering our sense of otherness, the influence of psychedelics in shattering our sense of reality, and the abandonment of our childhood beliefs which paves the way to a more holistic understanding of The Other.

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to The Crescent Hare, a.k.a. Christina (actually a barn owl in "human" disguise) for bravely sharing her traumatic experiences, and putting up with my elaborate interrogation! ❤️

Show your support by following her on Instagram @thecrescenthare

If you wish to proudly display the Seal with a Wheel, or the very... "handsome" face of Indrid Cold, or even a newly fae-rified Braxxie, all of Christina's art can be found at www.thecrescenthare.com

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Send us suggestions and comments to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @tracingowls or Twitter @TracingOwls

Check our Linktree: linktr.ee/tracingowls

Intro sampled from "Something strange lurks in the shadows" by Francisco Sánchez (@fanchisanchez)

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Today we celebrate Erin reaching 100 episodes of Myth Monsters Podcast, by re-releasing this amazing discussion we had talking about the role of female monsters in Greek mythology! 

Medusa, Harpies, even the The Chimera for centuries have been used as slaying fodder of manly heroes hellbent on displaying their masculinity, to the detriment of the much subtler feminine natural forces. Just look at the story of Hades and Persephone (also discussed). 

Are the feminine monsters of myth a cultural reflection of an overarching social issue we still face nowadays, and how do we rectify this? 

We discuss contemporary society's reclaiming of the monstrous feminine, why monsters are much more intricate than heroes, and we even delve a bit into the portrayal of classic mythology in the gaming world! Yes, girls play games too, and oftentimes much more creatively ❤️

FACTUAL CORRECTION: I kinda used the term Harpy to refer to Sirens and probably confused poor Erin. It seems Sirens were officially the ladies punished by Demeter. Greek mythology is more convoluted than X-Men comics! To be fair, both Harpies and Sirens are bird-women, and equally badass 🤣

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Erin from Myth Monsters Podcast for sharing her vast mythological knowledge, personal belief system and swaying the episode into a very intricate cultural and sociological discussion which reminds how mythology is still important even in today's world ❤️

Check out her podcast Myth Monsters ⁠HERE⁠ , remember, it's spelled Myth, not Mythical 🤣

Follow them on Twitter ⁠@mythmonsterspod⁠ or Instagram ⁠@mythmonsterspodcast⁠

Check out their website as well at ⁠mythmonsters.co.uk⁠ 

Support them on Patreon at ⁠www.patreon.com/mythmonsters⁠

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Send us suggestions and comments to ⁠[email protected]⁠

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@tracingowls⁠ or Twitter ⁠@TracingOwls⁠

Check our Linktree: ⁠linktr.ee/tracingowls⁠

Intro sampled from "⁠Something strange lurks in the shadows⁠" by Francisco Sánchez (⁠@fanchisanchez⁠)

Sound effects obtained from ⁠https://www.zapsplat.com⁠

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This is a republish of my original episode ⁠⁠Gorgonized at Birth - with Erin from Myth Monsters⁠⁠, published on October 22nd 2022.

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FURTHER READING:

⁠How a Medusa Sculpture From a Decade Ago Became #MeToo Art | New York Times⁠

⁠Problems in Greek Mythology and the Me Too Movement⁠

⁠Harpies: Terrifying Bird-Women of Greek Mythology⁠

⁠The Ancient Greek Goddess Chimera Embodied Fear of Females⁠

⁠Bellerophon - The Works of Chivalry⁠

⁠Kidnapped! The Shocking Story Of Persephone And Hades

Theshira helps us navigate the world of South African river deities, serpentine cryptids and black magick!

As the host of Legendary Africa Podcast, and resident South African, Theshira researches folklore and legends from all across the African continent, stories which throughout the centuries have most often been lost to history or irreparably warped by colonial influence.

Today we present our collaborative research into the Mamlambo, a figure which has assumed many forms throughout the years: serpent goddess, witch's familiar, brain-sucking river monster, even wealthy and seductive white foreigners!

But with the advent of Western capitalism in South Africa, we are also bearing witness to a bizarre cultural transformation, where figures of traditional belief are molded and repurposed into embodiments of modern globalization and capitalistic greed!

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Theshira from Legendary Africa for sharing so many important insights, allowing us to frame our conversation within its proper cultural and social context! ❤️

Check out her podcasts:

Legendary Africa ⁠HERE⁠

The Asian Tapestry HERE

Once Upon a Daydream HERE

Follow Theshira on Instagram ⁠@legendarypod⁠ and Twitter @Legendarypod1⁠

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Send us suggestions and comments to ⁠[email protected]⁠

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@tracingowls⁠ or Twitter ⁠@TracingOwls⁠

Check our Linktree: ⁠linktr.ee/tracingowls⁠

Intro sampled from "⁠Something strange lurks in the shadows⁠" by Francisco Sánchez (⁠@fanchisanchez⁠)

Sound effects obtained from ⁠https://www.zapsplat.com

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SOURCES:

Mamlambo | Cryptid Wiki

Woman opens up about Mamlambo snake that loves S.e.x

MAMLAMBO: ‘RATHER SIGN FOR A COCKROACH!’

Niehaus, Mohlala & Shokaneo (2001), Witchcraft, Power and Politics: Exploring the Occult in the South African Lowveld. Pluto Press

Karl Bell (2019), Supernatural Cities: Enchantment, Anxiety and Spectrality. Boydell Press

Isak Niehaus (2012), Witchcraft and a Life in the New South Africa. Cambridge University Press

Bähre, Erik. (2002). Witchcraft and the Exchange of Sex, Blood, and Money among Africans in Cape Town, South Africa. Journal of Religion in Africa. 32. 300-334. 10.1163/157006602760599935.

Wood, F. (2015). "Wealth-Giving Mermaid Women and the Malign Magic of the Market: Contemporary Oral Accounts of the South African mamlambo". In Vernacular Worlds, Cosmopolitan Imagination. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.

For more wacky (and politically incorrect) conversations with myself and Shibble check out his podcast Uncle Monster's Spooky Time Fright Hour! I guested on their newest episode yesterday where Shibble, Ethan and I discussed the Scottish horse monster known as the Nuckelavee... as well as a lot of horse penises! 

Listen to it on: Episode 408: Nucklavees and Horse Dongs Featuring Special Guest, Vuk!

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Shibble from Uncle Monster's Spooky Time Fright Hour for spraining his ankles tap-dancing around the questionable issues I threw at him! Thankfully, he is not the editor of this podcast, so everything remained as is in all its hilarity! 🤣

Follow Shibble on Twitter ⁠@christhefriend⁠

Check out his podcast Uncle Monster's Spooky Time Fright Hour ⁠HERE⁠ Such a long name, even the Popobawa is emasculated by it!

Follow the podcast on Instagram ⁠@unclemonster6⁠ or Twitter ⁠@UncleMonsterpod⁠

Check out their Patreon for cool horror movie discussions at ⁠www.patreon.com/unclemonster6⁠

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And finally, check the amazingly questionable episodes I helped them produce:

⁠Episode 210: The Popobawa or "Didn't Dumb Johnny Used To Have Two Eyes?"⁠

⁠Episode 212: Chewing the Fat With the Pishtaco⁠

⁠Episode 215: Check Out Our One Eyed Monster, The Mapinguari!⁠

⁠Episode 217: Hey Mambo! It's The Mamlambo (feat. Jackie Tohn)⁠

⁠Episode 304: The Cursed Vibes of the Kasai Rex⁠

⁠Episode 306: When I Say I Love You, You Say You Preta!⁠

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Send us suggestions and comments to ⁠[email protected]⁠

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@tracingowls⁠ or Twitter ⁠@TracingOwls⁠

Check our Linktree: ⁠linktr.ee/tracingowls⁠

Intro sampled from "⁠Something strange lurks in the shadows⁠" by Francisco Sánchez (⁠@fanchisanchez⁠)

Sound effects obtained from ⁠https://www.zapsplat.com⁠

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FURTHER READING:

A researcher we are so proud of briefly communicating with, who provided us kind words and affirmation we are on the right track: 

Thompson, Katrina Daly (2017). Popobawa: Tanzanian Talk, Global Misreadings.

British folklorist Amy Boucher shares tales of ghosts, witches, mermaids and devils from her home county of Shropshire, England!

Through her blog Nearly Knowledgeable History, Amy explores oftentimes overlooked folk tales of Shropshire, which highlight the county's unique cultural and historic identity, but also an immense amount of high strangeness.

Among the many tales discussed are stories of ghost barges carrying victims of the Black plague, encounters with a tricksterish devil known as Owd Scratch, the life and turmoils of the last known Shropshire sin eater, ending the episode off with wacky stories of a horseback-riding spectral ape man!

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Amy Boucher, a.k.a. NearlyKnowledgeable, for documenting and sharing so many awesomely whimsical tales which blend traditional folklore with high strangeness!❤️

Check out her blog Nearly Knowledgeable History at nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com

Follow Amy on Twitter @g0blinegg and check out Haunted Magazine @hauntedmagazine

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Send us suggestions and comments to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @tracingowls or Twitter @TracingOwls

Check our Linktree: linktr.ee/tracingowls

Intro sampled from "Something strange lurks in the shadows" by Francisco Sánchez (@fanchisanchez)

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Brigid mercilessly devours the show with a vast knowledge of Chthonic deities and the Dark Feminine!

As a mythology lecturer, author of "Death and the Maiden", and creator of Chthonia Podcast, Brigid Burke possesses an extraordinary knowledge of deities and creatures of the underworld, with a strong focus on dark feminine figures from a diverse pool of worldwide pantheons.

Today she joins to share insights into female monsters and muses of Greek myth, embodiments of Hindu goddesses, the ties between fear of death and the dark feminine, Jungian archetypes of the shadow, trickster, devouring mother and even the anima, as well as the convoluted story of Big Mama herself: Gaia!

Grab a copy of Brigid's book Death and the Maiden HERE

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Brigid Burke of Chthonia Podcast for her patience and openness to share these marvelous and oftentimes convoluted mythological intricacies! ❤️

Check out her podcast Chthonia Podcast HERE or visit their website at chthonia.net

Follow them on Instagram @chthoniapodcast Twitter @Chthoniapodcast or Facebook @chthoniapodcast

Check out their YouTube channel HERE

Grab a copy of Brigid's book Death and the Maiden: The Curious Relationship Between the Fear of the Feminine and the Fear of Death HERE

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Send us suggestions and comments to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @tracingowls or Twitter @TracingOwls

Check our Linktree: linktr.ee/tracingowls

Intro sampled from "Something strange lurks in the shadows" by Francisco Sánchez (@fanchisanchez)

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Author and folklorist Morgan Daimler returns to discuss the role of A.I. in reshaping folklore, leading to a potential future where cultural nuance is lost in favor of a bland tasteless gray goo!

With the rise in popularity of A.I.-driven writing tools, nowadays we are witnessing never-before-seen transformations of cultural tropes into incoherent, conflicting and homogeneous gobbledygook. But is this truly a new phenomenon, or have we been diluting and mixing up folklore for centuries?

Morgan and I also discuss the turmoils of researching the history of fairy belief, the influence of Christians and Victorians in reshaping fairy lore, and how modern nontraditional tropes make their way into not just our pop culture, but also bleed into the real world through anecdotal encounters with the Good Folk!

Grab a fresh-off-the-press copy of Pagan Portals - 21st Century Fairy: The Good Folk in the new millennium HERE

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Huge THANK YOU!!! to Morgan Daimler for engaging in yet another fascinating conversation! ❤️ Be it from our cool selves or some divine force, we felt so inspired that we actually recorded 3 episodes before this one even got released! 😁

Follow Morgan on Instagram @morgandaimler Twitter @MorganDaimler or on Facebook @Morgandaimler

Check out Morgan's academic writing at Adacemia.edu or grab one of their many amazing books on Amazon

Be on the lookout for Morgan's new novel "Into Shadow: The Tallan Chronicles" which you can find HERE

...and another upcoming title: "Pagan Portals - Freya: Meeting the Norse Goddess of Magic" HERE

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Send us suggestions and comments to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @tracingowls or Twitter @TracingOwls

Check our Linktree: linktr.ee/tracingowls

Intro sampled from "Something strange lurks in the shadows" by Francisco Sánchez (@fanchisanchez)

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com