This episode is brought to you by Cults, a Spotify Original from Parcast. For more episodes like this one, subscribe to Cults, free on Spotify!

Masonic ideals helped shape one of the most powerful nations in the world. The Declaration of Independence was signed by at least nine Freemasons. Yet, the secret society has long been associated with political controversy, witchcraft, and even murder.
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S14: Unknown America: Freemasons Pt. 2

Welcome to Parcast Presents, your new home for special mini-series running across the Parcast Network! This is where you'll find holiday specials, retrospectives on pivotal historical moments, deep-dives into cultural phenomena, and other can't-miss episodes curated from over 40 Parcast shows! Parcast Presents is a Spotify Original from Parcast.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

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True crime

She's perhaps the most famous femme fatale of the 20th century. And yet, Mata Hari's supposed crimes are shrouded in mystery. Who was this woman who captivated all of Europe? How did she become embroiled in the espionage of WWI? And who masterminded her ultimate fate? From Female Criminals, a Spotify Original from Parcast. 
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Femme Fatales Pt. 5

A cunning puppetmaster, Catherine de Medici is most vividly remembered as a one-time queen of France who dispatched beautiful women in her court to manipulate the men of France. Except… that’s not really the case. But hidden in the spectacular legends lie kernels of truth about Catherine and her Flying Squadron. From Female Criminals, a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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Femme Fatales Pt. 2

The group’s belief system had never been infallible. There had been adjustments along the way; revisions meant to keep the wheels turning whenever prophecies didn’t manifest. But then, in 1985, Bonnie Lu Nettles died. And her passing threw Heaven’s Gate’s whole world askew. From Cults, a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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Heaven’s Gate Pt. 3

When Bonnie Lu Nettles and Marshall Applewhite meet in Houston in 1972, it’s not for the first time — at least, not according to their birth charts. They’ve known each other in a past life. And in this lifetime, they have a joint mission. They set out, amid a wave of social and political upheaval, to find it. From Cults, a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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Heaven’s Gate Pt. 1

In November 2018, equipment from the largest utility company in America sparked a fire that killed 86 people and destroyed thousands of homes. The devastation was unprecedented, but the Camp Fire is far from the only disaster caused by Pacific Gas & Electric — and yet they remain California’s largest energy provider. From Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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S14: Unknown America: Freemasons Pt. 2

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