Do you see that floating light just off in the distance in the dark woods? It has many names - the jack-o-lantern, the Min Min lights, the Naga Fireballs, but it’s perhaps best known as the will-o-the-wisp: a mysterious, sometimes malevolent, sometimes benevolent spirit that can be found around the world!

Since it’s the week of Halloween, we’re breaking out a DOUBLE FEATURE URBAN LEGENDS EPISODE. There’s hauntings. There’s watery footprints. There’s a mysterious pit. Plus, it ends up being a haunted smells-centered episode, much to Amanda’s delight/fear.

We welcome back past and future guest Lauren Shippen to talk about her newest shows, her childhood experiences being haunted, and how both real and fictional demons have shaped her work. Then, Lauren turns the tables on US for a conversation about creativity, the supernatural, and finding hope in a creative world.

You know the story: A couple at makeout point hears some strange noises, drives home, discovers a bloody hook on their car door. But where did this story come from? And why do we keep telling it? This episode, we even dredge into true crime territory to reveal some of the potential origins of this infamous urban legend.

We’re starting off spooky season strong with an urban legends episode and a fantastic guest! Julia goes down the rabbit hole of geocaching. Amanda’s urban legend is people who want to kiss at parties. Mayanna has no theories, only questions.

Isabel Cañas is BACK and here to talk about her new book, The Possession of Alba Díaz. Join us as we talk about the intersection of demonic possession and bodily autonomy, writing capital-R Romance novels, and how Isabel used her historian background to create an immersive Gothic novel.

We told you the stories of Merlin but where did he come from anyway? From Myrddin, to Lailoken, to the warrior poet Ambrosius Aurelianus, we discuss all of the different versions of Merlin before he was Merlin! And as a bonus, we chat about WHO Merlin was after his origins!

What does the film industry, Louisa May Alcott, and King Tut have in common? Mummy’s curses! We dig into the history of the Curse of the Pharaohs, how they are viewed in the west, and how Tutmania changed Egyptology and the world.

Julia’s out on vacation, but to get you prepped for spooky season, please enjoy these ghost stories from all across NYC from our friends over at The Bowery Boys! Fun fact! Every single one of these ghost stories was sourced from actual newspaper and magazine reporting from their respective eras!

Is a year of random ghostly screaming too much? We think it is! We also discuss trying to revisit the fae portals of our youth, owl mother-in-laws, and the bartender’s mouthwash.

Sometimes we have a guest who just does not want to be scared! That’s why we’re breaking out some incredible yet wholesome hometown urban legends to share with friend of the pod, Ronald Young Jr. Featuring kindergarten paleontologists, bottomless lakes of fire, and how to make pirates even scarier!