Unpacking The Eerie

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CULTS: Jim Jones/Jonestown Massacre

cw: anti-black racism, extreme violence, assault, murder, suicide, child abuse, slavery 

In 1978, over 900 people died at a remote settlement in Guyana after ingesting a poison-laced drink. Their leader, Jim Jones, declared this a “revolutionary suicide.” In our first episode about a cult, we dig into the Jonestown massacre – the event that had the largest number of American civilian casualties due to a non-natural cause, until 9/11. In our third collaborative episode, Olivia Morgan*, a co-host of the podcast Inchunwa, joins Akshi as they explore the events that led up to this heartbreaking tragedy, uncovering how Jim Jones drew a group of idealistic, marginalized folks in with promises of utopia, and violently led them to their deaths. Why did this happen? Who did this happen to? How did it get to this point?  Tune in to find out how white supremacy, colonization, narcissism and abuse dynamics all tie into this devastating story. And as always, take care of yourselves, coz’ this one’s a doozy.

*Olivia Morgan (she/they) is a social worker and citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and descendent of Chickasaw Nation. Olivia is a co-host of Inchunwa,  a podcast that shares the story of the ongoing Southeastern traditional tattoo revitalization movement. On their podcast they talk with influential artists, southeastern scholars, as well as folks directly involved in the movement: those looking forward to being tattooed and those tattooing southeastern folks. To learn more about Inchunwa, you can find them anywhere you get your podcasts and follow them on Instagram @inchunwa.

Sources

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Here are some resources that you can reach out to for support, we also encourage you to reach out to your community & find local crisis lines in your city, state or country. 

You can find a list of suicide hotlines all over the world here. The crisis lines listed below are for those located in the United States. You can find more crisis lines at this link, and search for longer-term help with a therapist on Psychology Today. 

24/7 Crisis Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 

24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741-741 

Veterans Crisis Line: Send a text to 83825

The Trevor Project (Support for the LGBTQIA2S+ community ): 1-866-488-7386

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

TOPIC: Witch Hunts in India & Okinawa, Origins of Brujeria 

cw: violence against women, graphic violence, sexual violence, torture

When people hear “witch hunts” and “witch trials”, what often comes to mind are the Salem Witch Trials that occurred in Massachusetts in the 17th century. What people don’t know is that what we know as “witch hunts” have occurred in many other parts of the world, and in some countries, are still happening today. In our second collaborative episode, Bex Carlos*, host of the podcast Tu Tía Bruja, joins the hosts of Unpacking The Eerie as we explore lesser known stories about witches & witch hunts. Learn about the impact of colonialism in Mexico and it’s creation of brujería due to the Spanish Inquisition, the colonial persecution of yuta  in the Ryukyu Kingdom (now known as Okinawa), as well as the horrors that women in rural parts of India are still experiencing as a result of witch hunts driven by greed and patriarchal violence. Join us as we explore how the insidious nature of capitalism, colonialism and patriarchy all play a key role in these three stories and the power of ancient spiritual traditions and community in resisting colonial and patriarchal oppression.

*Bex Carlos, Audio witch has worked in the digital media field for over 10 years now. She’s worked at 105.7 The Point, 106.5 The Arch and has also helped edit many different podcasts (Balanced Black Girl Podcast, Dear Franny, Little Women, That’s What She Did, Sex With Emily). Bex has a strong interest in metaphysics as well as social justice and out of these interests, she created Tu Tía Bruja. Tu Tía Bruja is a podcast that focuses on conversations about witchcraft, ghosts, the occult, true crime, and the abnormal. Since launching in June 2020, the show has charted within the Top 200 Spirituality Podcasts in Canada, Finland, Germany, the U.K., Costa Rica, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Belgium, South Africa, and the U.S. Building community with witches and brujis is very important to Bex, and is what led her to reach out to Shaena and Akshi to make this collaborative, witchy episode. To learn more about Bex and her work, check out her website at www.bexbecasting.com. You can find Tu Tía Bruja anywhere you listen to podcasts and give her podcast a follow on Instagram and Twitter @tutiabruja. 

Sources (find references to other episodes here)

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available through subscription and on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

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P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

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CW: mutilation of animals 

Since the 17th century, there have been thousands of reported cases of unexplained livestock mutilations across the world. This weird and disturbing phenomena has never been solved and continues to happen on a fairly regular basis in desert climates globally. In this minisode, Akshi gives us a look into this deeply unsettling phenomena and shares potential theories… some that are terrestrial & others that are more extra.

SOURCES

Creepy Inn by Devil Music is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

Send us a text

Since 2007, at least 21 disembodied human feet have been found along the Strait of Georgia and on the coasts of the Salish Sea. This strange and haunting phenomena continues to shock unsuspecting beach goers in and around Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA. In this minisode, Shaena shares about these discoveries and unpacks why the heck there are so many severed feet washing up on the shores of the Pacific Northwest.

SOURCES

Creepy Inn by Devil Music is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

URBAN LEGEND/HAUNTING/DARK HISTORY: Lake Lanier

CW: anti-black racism, genocide, hate crimes, murder, sexual assault

Lake Sidney Lanier is a one of the largest manmade lakes in the US that was built in 1956 for flood control, drinking water and hydroelectric power.  Although this lake has 11 million visitors a year, it also has a dark side. Over 500 people have died or gone missing at this lake since the 1950s, so we wondered, why? Join us as we dig deep into the very dark, racist history of this lake & its bizarre and terrifying present as well.

References, additional information & organizations mentioned can be found here: Sources 

Reach out to us with thoughts, comments, questions or collab requests!

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

We’ll also be moving minisodes and parts of our series episodes so that they are only available through subscription and on Patreon. If you’re interested and able, the lowest tier is $2/month. This helps us maintain hosting fees and the bare basics of keeping our podcast active. Appreciate your support! 

Theme Song Title: Creepy Mood | Artist Name: Oleg Fedak

Support the show

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that! 

Send us a text

DARK HISTORY/HAUNTINGS: The Fremont Troll/Aurora Bridge

On Thursday, October 21st at 6:00pm PST we did a live recording with the University of Washington School of Social Work, our recent Alma Mater heyooo. Here, we unpack the Fremont Troll in Seattle, WA - its ghost stories,  history, and role in gentrification.⁠ Much gratitude to the folks at the SSW for making this happen & for the generous donation of $500 to the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance in honor of this episode. 

CW: suicide, death, drug use/overdose

You can view the live show for a limited time on YouTube or any time by becoming a Patreon patron  (plus you'll get access to our live show drinking game ;)

Mental Health & Suicide Support Resources: https://projectlets.org/resources

Sources

NEW MERCH COMING SOON. HELP US NARROW IN ON DESIGN HERE.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

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If you take a visit to Ed & Lorraine Warren's  Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, you'll find a seemingly ordinary Raggedy Anne doll encased in a wooden box with a sign that reads "POSITIVELY DO NOT OPEN" on the door. This doll is rumored to be severely haunted, and has even inspired The Conjuring movie franchise. This Halloween, we're talking about the infamous Annabelle doll. Join us for an eerie minisode as Akshi shares about Annabelle's origin story and why people think she is possessed by a straight up demon.

NEW MERCH COMING SOON. HELP US NARROW IN ON DESIGN HERE.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

Send us a text

This minisode, Shaena unpacks the bizarre death of Gloria Ramirez, a 31 year old mother of two from Riverside, California. In a strange sequence of events, following Gloria’s arrival at Riverside General Hospital, several hospital workers started to become ill after being exposed to her body and blood. Join us as we explore the theories that have been put forth as explanations to this mystifying unsolved medical mystery. 

Sources:

1. https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/analysis-of-a-toxic-death
2. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-21-mn-48511-story.html
3. https://morbidology.com/the-toxic-lady/
4. Buzzfeed Unsolved - The Toxic Lady 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

Send us a text

CW: domestic, sexual, physical violence, bodily harm, racism, xenophobia

On June 23, 1993, Lorena Gallo (then, Bobbit) would come to be known as the woman from Manassas, Virginia who, in a rage, severed her husband’s penis and threw it out the window of her car. What was missing from this story, in all of the sensational media coverage, is the extreme abuse she had endured from him the years leading up to this. In our first collaborative episode ever, Shaena and Jill Zawisza*, Co-director at  WOMAN Inc., cover this incident, and most importantly, Lorena’s story.  

Join in as we uncover the details and political context of this case, break down dynamics of domestic violence, and the role we all can play in supporting survivors. 

*Jill Zawisza (she/her/hers) currently serves as Co–Director at WOMAN Inc. She has been in the anti-DV movement since 1996, and has been with W.O.M.A.N., Inc. for 13 years. In addition, Jill has served as an anti-Sexual Assault advocate and counselor. She represents W.O.M.A.N., Inc. in the community, aids in program development, provides mentorship to staff, and participates in active community outreach. Her current focus is offering counseling and advocacy to survivors, and delving into how to share power & dismantle white supremacy culture within the leadership structure at W.O.M.A.N., Inc., and beyond.

WOMAN, Inc. is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that has been serving the city and larger Bay Area since 1978. They support survivors of domestic violence and their loved ones on their healing journeys, building value-rich networks designed to address intersections of violence. Learn more about WOMAN,Inc. at womaninc.org (@woman.inc)

Support the Lorena Gallo Foundation here: https://lorenagallofoundation.org/our-programs/

Learn more about Survived & Punished here: https://survivedandpunished.org

Find a local domestic violence program near you at https://www.domesticshelters.org or call the 24/7 National DV Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) TTY 1.800.787.3224

Sources

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!

Send us a text

cw: residential schools, bodily harm 

On May 19th 1967, Stefan Michalak was prospecting for rocks when he came across a couple of strange flying objects.  In our first episode featuring a UFO sighting, your hosts dig into the incident, aftermath and investigation of a sighting near Falcon Lake, Manitoba in Canada. Join us as we unpeel the layers of one of the most famous documented UFO sightings in North America while examining the field of UFOlogy, and unpacking what has been going on with UFO sightings this past year.

Sources  

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or through Buzzsprout.

- your grateful hosts

P.S. We're in the process of updating our intro and making edits to our episodes. You may notice inconsistencies as we do that!