Episode 214: Your Urban Legends XLIV - Pets & Animals!
/Humans aren’t the only supernatural beings and spirits out there - it’s time to feature the pets and animals in our creepy lives! Featuring a cat’s unfinished business, how to create a plant ghost, a horse antichrist, and a ghostly game of fetch.
Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, mental health issues, anxiety, cultural appropriation, sexual innuendo, sacrilegious implications, and suicidal ideation.
Housekeeping
- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books
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Transcript
Amanda: Welcome to Spirits Podcast, a boozy dive into mythology, legends, and folklore. Every week, we pour a drink and learn about a new story from around the world. I'm Amanda.
Julia: And I'm Julia.
Amanda: And this is Episode 214: Your Urban Legends Month Long Extravaganza Pets and Animals Edition.
Julia: Pet and animals. We promise there are no sad stone dog stories in this one. There is a little bit of animal death. So, if that is not your jam, maybe skip it until you feel like you can listen to it. But it is very sweet and a lot of fun creepy cool stories.
Amanda: We had a blast recording it. We are loving this month and we're so glad you love it too. So, Julia, without, you know, getting – spending too, too long hanging out before the episode starts, I did just want to point out that, if I were to get a pet, which would be hard as I'm allergic to the world, I would definitely name it I think either Amanda, my own name, or Becca. Not after me, but after our newest patrons; Amanda and Becca. Thank you so much for joining.
Julia: It would be very weird if you named your pet Amanda though to be quite honest.
Amanda: It would be a little confusing, but I can also put a couple more choices in front of you. How about something like Uhleeseeuh, Allison, Debra, Hannah, Jane, Jen, Jessica Kinser, Jessica Stewart, Keegan, Kneazlekins, Liz, Megan Linger, Megan Moon, Phil Fresh, Polly, Sarah, Skyla, and SamneyTodd. Or, if I'm feeling kind of legendary; Audra, Drew, Frances, Jack Marie, Ki, Lada, Mark, Morgan, Necrofancy, Renegade, and Bea Me Up Scotty. Just for your consideration.
Julia: You know, I think one of those might work. We – we'd have to, like, really shop it out. You know, get some – get some audience testing in and see, see what works best.
Amanda: I think we're gonna have to work on it, for sure. But, in the meantime, as I'm considering, you know, this addition to my life, what should I be reading, watching, and listening to?
Julia: Ooh, I'm currently in the middle of a book called A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. And it's like space opera, but also murder mystery. And there's a whole – like, a lot of politics involved. So, if you like that kind of like politics of Game of Thrones style but taking place in space, it's extremely good and you should check it out.
Amanda: That sounds amazing. And, if you are looking for more stuff to listen to right now, particularly more stuff from Multitude, you should consider joining the MultiCrew. For just $5 a month, you can get another weekly podcast from Multitude. Head Heart Gut is our weekly friendly debate show where all of the Multitude hosts debate topics such as this month, which is best movie sequel. Not best movie. Best sequel, which I think is so fantastic. I'm judging it. And, as of this recording, I'm gonna judge it in a few days’ time and I cannot wait.
Julia: Yeah, if you want to hear me for 30 to 40 minutes talk about how great Sigourney Weaver is in Aliens 2, you should absolutely do that.
Amanda: It's such a fun show to make. And the reason we do it is because the MultiCrew helps us. It's like – it's like backbone of what we do at Multitude. It helps us invest in new shows, try weird new stuff, pay rent on our studio. Plus, you get this members-only weekly show. So, you can join now for just $5 at multicrew.club.
Julia: It's so much fun. We send out a newsletter as well. Amanda does a great job. And there's always an extremely cute dog picture in it. Just – it's living the dream.
Amanda: There's a friend's-only Instagram, a Finsta. You can get a glitter pen. You can get your name on our wall in our office. Lots of stuff there. And it's been a, a huge help to us over the last year and looking forward. It lets us, you know, plan on doing stuff we want to do and not just stuff that we think will, you know, be commercial success. So, thank you everybody who has joined. And please consider it. That's multicrew.club. All right, folks. Without further ado, we hope you enjoy two of four urban legend episodes this month. This one is the Pets and Animals Edition.
Julia: Pets and animal.
Intro Music
Julia: Pupdate.
Amanda: Pupdate.
Eric: We have the most adorable pup update that --
Julia: Pupdate!
Eric: -- I think we'll ever get on this show. So, recently, me and Kelsey were watching Season 4 of The Crown. And I've jumped in right at Season 4. This is unimportant and not regarding the pup update. But I was like, “Oh, no, Season 4. I mean this looks pretty good stuff.” So, I jumped in. I jumped in right at Season 4.
Julia: Fair enough.
Eric: She's been watching the whole show. And there is an opera scene in Episode 2. And we're watching it. And there’s this woman – this opera singer starts singing. And Henry just – his ears perked up and he immediately starts staring at the TV. And he's only ever looked at the TV one other time and it was when the, like, a dog was barking. And he immediately lost interest. He was so enthralled by this opera singing that, after the episode of The Crown ended, we just really fucked up my YouTube algorithm and just started watching a bunch of opera videos. And we've determined that he really likes female opera singers. And he, he loves it. So, he gets real scared during, during storms.
Amanda: Aww.
Eric: So, we're hoping that maybe we, like, find an old phone or something. Get Spotify on there. And, like, whenever he's scared next, we can just put it in a corner where he feels maybe a little bit more safe quietly. And then he'll be able to listen to some opera and we'll be able to get some goddamn sleep because he shakes so much during storms. So, we're – we’re hoping – I mean it's hilarious and it's great that he loves the opera because I mean he's a dog. But, if this is an actual or this could be used as some kind of therapy for him, I mean what a win. What a win.
Julia: Does he have a favorite does it seem like? Is he, like, super into La bohème?
Eric: We've only – I mean here's the thing. They have a lot of full operas on YouTube. So, we're just, like, jumping around to find the female singers.
Julia: Gotcha.
Eric: So, we have – he’d – we try – like, I mean, first thing up as soon as the episode of The Crown was over, it was a Pavarotti of song.
Julia: Of course.
Eric: Did, didn't do anything for him.
Julia: Uh-uh.
Eric: Not a fad. But, but we found a woman because there's a woman singing in the – in the show and that seemed to do it.
Amanda: Maybe there will be like a highlight reel or a playlist of songs by individual woman singers. That way --
Eric: We – we did – we did find a, a video called the Best Arias of all time.
Julia: There you go.
Eric: And that – that seemed to have a lot of bangers in it.
Amanda: It’s so cute.
Julia: Yes, the bangers for your dog who loves opera.
Eric: Yeah.
Amanda: Only the best opera for him. Oh, damn, that's so cute.
Julia: That's very, very sweet. I love that so much.
Eric: So, we've got a bunch of pet stories for you today. And who, who would like – who would like to start?
Amanda: I've got a bunch of short stories, which I think is so fun.
Eric: Yeah.
Amanda: And we really get to sample a whole lot, you know, of, like, spooky pet situations from around the world. So, I will start. And maybe I can pepper in my short stories throughout the episode.
Eric: All right. Yeah.
Amanda: This one is from Charlie. And it's titled Haunted Old Well. And they write, “I know y'all love a university urban legend. So, I thought I'd write in. Two years ago, I spent a year attending a small university in rural Nova Scotia. I didn't have a lot of friends there. So, I spent a lot of time wandering through the woods. What a mood. There were lots of strange things in those woods. For one, an art class had put up their weird nature art along the trails. So, sometimes, you come across a giant eye made of twigs or pine cones on a string swaying in the breeze.” Very Blair Witch.
Julia: That's some Blair Witch shit right there.
Eric: Yeah.
Julia: Total Blair Witch shit. Also, a quick sidebar, Jake and I were doing a lot of hiking during the fall. And we were doing our favorite nature preserve but a different trail than we usually do. And we're walking on this trail and, all of a sudden, like, on a stump, I see like an Elmo. And I was like --
Eric: Uh-oh.
Julia: -- that's weird. Like, a stuff Elmo.
Amanda: Oh, no.
Julia: And I'm like, “Huh! Okay. Super weird.” And then we kept walking and then, like, half a mile later, there was another stuffed animal, like, tied to a log. And I was like, “Okay.”
Amanda: Uh-oh.
Julia: I don't like this. And, yeah, the – just every couple of half miles or miles or so, there would just be weird stuffed animal tied to a log. And I think what happened – I don't know this definitively. But it is like also a, like, horse riding trail. So, I think maybe they, like, were taking kids out on horses or something or doing lessons or something. And the way that they were doing trail markers to show how far they had gone was using these stuffed animals tied to logs.
Eric: Hmm.
Julia: Which didn't make it less creepy, but did kind of explain it, I guess.
Amanda: That's a really good guess. I feel like I would be traumatized as a kid if I saw that because it would be like, “Oh, no. Who tied Elmo to that log?”
Julia: Who did this to Elmo?
Amanda: That's very cute. It reminds me of – at least, here in New York City. I'm sure other places as well. Snowplows or garbage trucks will often, like, you know, put kind of personal mementos on the truck. In New York City, it’s really weird. Like, they're not owned by the city. They’re all, like, a lot of independent companies. So, you'll see sometimes, like, a garbage truck with, you know, a wreath on it during the holidays. Or, often, a garbage truck with, like, someone's kids stuffed animal tied to the front of it or the side of it. And, depending on what time of year it is, it can look extremely creepy.
Julia: It's usually, like, Taz, the Tasmanian Devil.
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: Weirdly enough, she's like tough, tough men’s stuffed animals. It’s the way I would describe it.
Amanda: All right. So, back to these woods. “My favorite part,” Charlie writes, “was the old well. The well looked more like a small pond with the circumference the size of a small car and a crackly old apple tree leaning above dropping apples into the water. The well looks shallow because of leaf detritus in it giving it the illusion of a false bottom. But we were warned never to fall in because “no one knows how deep it really is.”
Julia: Do you really have to warn people not to fall into a well?
Eric: Oh, yeah.
Amanda: If it's not, like, built up like a well and more like a kind of pond or really wide or the wall is low, I guess. But, yeah, I, I feel like Old Yeller. Like, we all know about wells. Don't. Don't do that.
Julia: We know what's up with wells. Don't worry.
Amanda: But, in this case, what made the well feel especially haunted and magical was the two big orange and white koi fish swimming around it all year long.
Eric: Hmm.
Julia: Hmm. Suspicious.
Amanda: I've no idea how they got there. Koi are definitely not native to the area. And I'm surprised that they survived the cold Canadian winters. I would like to think that the fish are ome sort of guardian spirits for the well. But the explanation is that somebody released their pet koi into this well in the middle of the woods. That's somehow much stranger and creepier than my head canon.
Julia: Fun fact, Koi can survive being frozen in ponds.
Amanda: I had no idea. And I just think that this presence of pets in the wild is so inherently creepy and a great start to the episode. So, thank you, Charlie.
Eric: Yeah.
Julia: It's very good. So, I have one titled, A Very Nice Haunted Cat,” from Sarah. And they write content warnings that Sarah was very kind to provide, which is mental health issues, anxiety, and animal death. But it is very sweet she promises.
Amanda: Yeah, a mentioned not like dwelling.
Julia: So, I grew up with a gray tabby cat named Josie, short for Josephina. She was a great cat that helped me through my various mental health issues. I am taking care of myself and getting professional help. Don't worry. We appreciate that, Sara. Thank you for letting us know. See, my cat was the kind that like to be around people, but not really touched by people. She was perfectly happy to sit on the couch next to you, but certainly not on your lap. But, whenever my mental health was giving me a bad time, she would come over to me and pat me, headbutt me and, otherwise, try to get my intention while purring. This was always one of the few times she would let anyone pet her. It always helped me a lot interrupting my spiraling thoughts. One time, I had my head down on the table laying on my arms and she, literally, scooted my head out of the way and placed herself in my arms instead. Truly, the perfect cat.
Amanda: Aww.
Julia: Well, as cats do, she got older a lot faster than I did. And, eventually, we had to say goodbye. I was distraught, of course. How would I be okay without my little protector? But I needn't have worried. About a week after she passed, I was having a panic attack in my car safely parked in a parking lot when I felt a warm, comforting cat-sized presence sitting in the passenger seat next to me. I knew it was my cat here to help me still. I began to calm down and the presence faded away. This continued happening. Whenever I was having an issue, she would appear. There was never more than a feeling of shape, warmth, and presence. And, for all I know, I could have been making it up. But one thing is for sure, whether it was in memory or in reality, she was still protecting me. Now, the story should end here, but there's one more thing. Half a year later, I met a kitten at a shelter that we would soon adopt. I asked Josie if she was okay with the new cat before we adopted her, but I got no answer. I took that as an okay since I figured she'd let me know if she wasn't happy as cats do. Josie stuck around for about a week after we adopted the new cat as if to make sure the new cat would help me in the same way that she used to. When she was satisfied that I was going to be taken care of, I never felt her again. I know ghosts usually stick around because they have unfinished business and I can't help but feel that she wouldn't be at rest until she knew I was protected again. Love you guys, Sarah.
Amanda: Oh, Sarah.
Julia: It's very sweet. I love the idea of the cat having finished her business and could move on. That's extremely cute.
Amanda: So cute.
Eric: That’s nice. I've got a – I've got a ghost kitty as well --
Julia: Ooh.
Eric: -- from, from Edinburgh.
Amanda: Let's hear it.
Eric: This comes to us from Rory and she writes, “I was just listening to Episode 66. Happy birthday, Amanda.”
Amanda: Hey.
Julia: Hey.
Eric: So, that, that presumably came out in February of 2017-ish, I guess. Maybe 2018.
Julia: Like, every couple of weeks or months, we get a weird tweet and it’s just like, “Happy Birthday, Amanda.” I'm like, “It's July.” And they're like, “No. No.”
Amanda: It’s not weird. I, I set it up that way, Julia. It's the most selfish thing I've ever done on our podcast and it makes me so happy.
Julia: It's very good.
Eric: It's perfect. Also, this email came in May. So, like, just like straight up, just following the prop that was given.
Amanda: Yes, thank you.
Eric: And one of the stories was about a ghost cat from this Episode 66. Another was about Edinburgh being haunted. I've lived there and can confirmed. And it got me thinking. I've been practicing Wiccan Paganism for a while now. Mostly, herbalism and casting circles and, recently, experimented with summoning a familiar.
Julia: Ooh.
Eric: I wasn't really expecting anything to happen. And, at the time I thought nothing had. But, now, I'm feeling like I may have a spectral cat. I regularly feel something brushing against my legs. And I frequently hear objects in other rooms falling off surfaces. I should probably be more worried about this than I am. But it's been happening for a while and now I'm kind of used to it. Any ideas how I could communicate with potential phantom feline? It would be very much appreciated. So, how do we – I know this is not the advice urban legends.
Julia: Hmm.
Eric: But how do we help Rory with her spectral cat? How do you – we know how we – I feel like we have – we've thrown out ideas on how to communicate with a human ghost. But what do we do with a spectral cat ghost or just a spectral cat?
Julia: I think we can actually take advice from our Second Chances episode --
Eric: Yeah.
Julia: -- where we had the, the cat offering.
Eric: Yes.
Julia: The cat shrine. So, you know, just, just leave out things that maybe the cat would like. Maybe some kibble, or some catnip, or a toy and see what happens.
Amanda: Well, Eric, did you see the update from Rory?
Eric: I did not see the update from Rory.
Julia: Ooh.
Eric: No.
Amanda: Search, search for her name in the inbox. There was an update in May of 2019.
Eric: Ooh.
Julia: Oh, hell yeah.
Amanda: Because I searched for the word update and I saw this, but as – doing research for our Second Chances Episode. So, however we suggest – something Rory did worked.
Eric: Well, I'll – I’ll just jump right in. And you’re right. We're not on the Second Chances episode anymore. But you – but you guys read some episodes about – some episodes about pets in the first one.
Julia: Yeah.
Eric: So, we got a little – we got a little crossover.
Julia: A little crossover.
Eric: So, here, here's an update. The first email – let's just – let's just do some, some dating of all of this. First email is from May of 2019 and this one is just a week later.
Amanda: Nice.
Eric: So, here we go. It's your Wicca girl, again.
Julia: Oh, hell yeah.
Eric: So, I was rereading my research on familiars and I don't know how I missed this the first time around. But, apparently, lots of Wiccans have encountered their familiar in dreams.
Julia: Ooh.
Eric: I have been having a reoccurring dream in which I'm sitting cross legged on the floor of my bedroom with a black cat in my lap. And its paws are on my shoulders. Nothing happens in the dream. I just sit there stroking the cat. He's very silky and soft. And, a few times, I've woken up feeling incredibly emotional. I don't own a cat, but I've always wanted one. I felt so genuinely happy in the dream the first time I had it that, when I woke up, I actually felt I could cry. And I felt like I had a physical loss.
Amanda: Aww.
Eric: It felt super weird. Won't lie. Not 100 percent sure what this means, but that's a little update in case y'all were wondering.
Amanda: So, it sounds like writing to Spirits summons you're familiar in a dream. That's all I’m saying people.
Eric: There you go.
Julia: Can confirm.
Eric: If you want cat dreams, we might be able to help.
Amanda: There you go.
Julia: I don’t – I just don't want us to make promises we can't keep. I don't want people writing in being like, “I listen to your show, but no familiar has come to me.”
Amanda: Can't hurt.
Julia: Can't hurt. You’re right.
Eric: I mean – hey, it's – well, I'm just promising nothing. I'm just suggesting it could – it could happen. It could. I do like the idea of – Julia mentioned catnip, which was something I think was worthy of mentioning. What – do we think that a, a spectral cat can get just blitzed out of its mind? And is that good for the spectral cat?
Amanda: Okay. We have tackled the brave question of whether or not ghosts can orgasm.
Eric: Yes.
Amanda: Now, we need to know if ghosts can get high.
Eric: Yeah.
Amanda: And I think, similar to the last thing, my answer is, if they want it bad enough, yeah.
Eric: Yeah.
Julia: Now, this, this provides an interesting concept --
Eric: Yeah.
Julia: -- because, the moment you asked me that, I was like, “Yes, but the catnip has to die first.”
Amanda: Oh, Julia.
Eric: Ho-ho.
Julia: Because --
Amanda: That’s a great idea.
Julia: Schneider, as you said in a previous episode --
Eric: Right.
Julia: -- plants are also – plants can also be ghosts.
Amanda: Yeah.
Eric: Plants can be ghost.
Julia: Plants can be ghosts.
Eric: We don’t talk about it nearly enough, but it’s true.
Amanda: No, we don’t.
Julia: Plants can be ghost. So, I'm saying you have to grow some catnip and then, unfortunately, let it die and then offer it up as a sacrifice to your, your spectral cat.
Eric: Now, counterpoint --
Julia: Hmm.
Eric: All catnip that you would give a cat is dead already. So, I think we've solved the problem because it's just dried leaves, which presumably are no longer alive.
Julia: People grow fresh catnip though.
Eric: Well, yeah. But, like, you don't give it to the – but, once you've picked it off the plant and dried it, isn't it – isn't it – isn't it dead at that point?
Julia: I mean yes.
Eric: When does a plant die?
Amanda: Well, that brings us back to our fresh ghost-old ghost comparison. Is the ghost freshest when the death is near? Or is ghost --
Eric: When is the ghost --
Amanda: -- freshest --
Eric: -- freshest?
Amanda: When it’s – it’s strongest when it's not fresh. So, if you have just clipped the catnip, maybe it's still too tied to this mortal plane.
Eric: Mhmm. Yes.
Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: And it's not that strong. But, if you dry it like dried flowers or lavender or whatever and you have it there, maybe that's like a little calling card for all those cats nearby to be like, “Hey, this is a safe place for you.”
Eric: Mhmm.
Julia: Okay. Okay. I like this. Yeah, sprinkle a little dried catnip, like, around your house or something like that like you would, like, salt barriers, I guess.
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: Maybe burn catnip like you would sage, except don't burn sage because it's cultural appropriation.
Amanda: Yes.
Julia: But, yeah, do it.
Amanda: I love that.
Eric: We've solved a lot of, of questions in that – in that thing that I did not – I did not expect to get to because I missed that there was a follow up email to the email. Good, good --
Julia: There we go.
Eric: Good catch, Amanda.
Amanda: No, it, it just happened.
Eric: It’s a good thing we've spent a bunch of time in the inbox over the last day or so.
Amanda: Yeah. No, it – listen, it just so happened. And I definitely want to have more updates in – you know, in regular episodes as well. So, thank you so, so much Rory for providing that.
Julia: Amanda, do you have another cute short one for us?
Amanda: I do. I do. You know, I saw the, the subject line that Haley wrote to us in December of 2019. And I just knew I couldn't say no because it's titled, Haunted Barns and Spooky Ponies.
Julia: Oh, Amanda, let the horse girl loose.
Amanda: Yep, that's me. So, Haley writes, “Hey, everybody, my name is Haley. I'm a big fan of your podcast. I find it really calm and interesting.” That's what we go for, Haley. Thank you.
Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: I live out on the eastern plains of Colorado which face Pikes Peak. I work on a ranch that helps disabled people through horses. I work in the barn feeding and doing basic care like that. Today, before I brought the horses in for dinner, I stopped by the little office on the property to say hi to my manager and ask her about her day. Somehow, we got onto the subject of ghost stories and spooky things at the barn. More talking with your managers about hauntings at your workplace, please.
Julia: Yes, obviously.
Amanda: You see, the property is very old and has been there for a very long time. And, with that, comes many stories. And let me tell y’all these barns get scary and creaky when you're there by yourself at night.
Eric: Mhmm.
Amanda: I do want to point out that there are spirits of horses who have passed on the property wandering around. They tend to like to scare the crap out of unsuspecting barn cats and, occasionally, to creep out the living horses. But it's all in good fun. Other than that, they just roam around minding their own business. And, on the property, there are two separate barns; the big one where the horses are actually kept and the small one where we keep spare grain bags and three spare stalls. The small one, definitely, haunted. My manager claims that she has heard children playing in the back of the barn where the hay is just messing around and playing with a ball or another similar toy. Another thing she commented on and I've also heard is the spirit of a grumpy stud horse that kicks at one of the stall doors wanting to be fed or let out so much so that you almost expect an actual horse to be the culprit. That's how loud and strong it is.
Julia: Wow.
Amanda: That one is pretty ominous. The small barn also doesn't have very good lighting, FYI. So, it makes the spooky meter go up to 11.
Julia: Now, for people who don't know what a stud horse is that is a male horse.
Eric: People know.
Julia: Okay. What – whatever.
Amanda: Like a --
Julia: Some people don't.
Amanda: Like a rooster.
Eric: Oh, this audience knows.
Julia: Okay.
Amanda: They know. They know.
Julia: Well, I like the idea – again, calling back to can a ghost orgasm – that this ghost horse is so horny that he's just corporeal.
Amanda: He real – he, he got – he’s got to get out there.
Julia: Yeah.
Amanda: He’s got to get out there.
Julia: Schneider is giving me such a look right now.
Eric: There's a question I'm terrified to, to even suggest.
Julia: Ask it.
Eric: And I’m not going to.
Julia: Ask it.
Amanda: Ask it.
Julia: You have to ask it now.
Amanda: You have to ask it.
Eric: If – okay.
Amanda: Are you gonna ask if, if a ghost dead horse can impregnate a living mare?
Eric: That's exactly it. Yep.
Amanda: I think, once more, if it tries enough, if it really wants it.
Eric: Okay.
Julia: Oh, no.
Eric: I'm leaving the show. Good bye.
Julia: Never again.
Eric: Forever.
Julia: Oh, no.
Amanda: If so – okay. But we talked about this before about the, the corporeal to incorporeal. Like, would the horse that gets born – would the foal have some spectral notes to it like a good wine?
Julia: I think we're suggesting that this, this incident would give birth to the, the horse antichrist.
Eric: Hmm.
Julia: And I don't know how I feel about that.
Eric: The anti-horse.
Julia: The anti-horse. The neigh Christ.
Amanda: This is – this is so – what was that? I didn't hear it.
Julia: The neigh Christ.
Amanda: Hmm. Hmm. Folds, Julia.
Eric: Hmm.
Amanda: Some – there's a manger joke in here somewhere and I'm just gonna stay quiet until I find it.
Julia: You know, neigh’s a – neigh’s a double entendre.
Amanda: It is.
Julia: Because neigh – like, a horse neighs, but, also, nay, like no.
Amanda: Eric is crying.
Julia: Eric's crying. I think I’ve broken him.
Eric: Hmm.
Julia: I think – I think all of those years of potentially going to seminary school might have – might have killed him.
Eric: Okay. Do we want a refill? Are we done? Is that --
Amanda: Here’s what [Inaudible 23:49] --
Julia: Here’s the story of [Inaudible 23:49] --
Eric: Is there more to the story?
Amanda: There’s one, one more final part to Haley's email. And then I think all of us are going to get a second drink.
Julia: Yeah.
Amanda: So, to wrap up, the other story about the small barn is that some people can hear a spectral poker game happening at night.
Julia: Ooh.
Amanda: Just the voices of a few gambling cowboys and poker chips being used in the back area. Like I said, it's super old and I have no idea how long it's been haunted or how these people died. I've never heard the poker players myself. Maybe they're more partial to Saturday nights when I don't work.
Julia: Maybe. Maybe the, the ghosts keep a very tight schedule. Very rowdy ghosts on the weekends.
Amanda: Haley, thank you and I'm sorry. And, guys, let's please go get a refill.
Julia: Yeah. Okay.
Midroll Music
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Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: So, you can go to betterhelp.com/spirits to get 10 percent off your first month. We are again sponsored by BetterHelp and Spirits listeners can get 10 percent off their first month at betterhelp.com/spirits.
Julia: Amanda, there's nothing worse than going to the store and then realizing you forgot something super important that was part of the recipe that you need to get.
Amanda: Bread crumbs or stock, the things you need.
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Amanda: I do.
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Amanda: Subject to change, y’all. Terms apply, y'all. And, finally, we are sponsored by Calm. One of the most powerful ways to improve your health and happiness and mental health is to get a good night's sleep. But, if your routine has changed, if there is – I don't know – a lot to think about, it can be harder to both fall and stay asleep. That's why we are very excited that Calm has returned as a sponsor. This is an app designed to help you ease stress and get the best sleep of your life. When you relieve anxiety and improve your sleep, you feel better in every part of your life, more alert, more ready for the day, less scared to go to sleep. It's definitely a feeling that I have had. And Calm has a whole library of programs designed for healthy sleep. There are soundscapes, guided meditations, and, of course, those famous sleep stories narrated by soothing voices like Laura Dern Kelly Rowland, Lucy Liu. Incredible. Over 85 million people around the world use Calm to take care of their minds and get better sleep. And, if you go to calm.com/spirits, you'll get a limited time offer of 40 percent off a Calm premium subscription, which includes hundreds of hours of programming. So, do yourself a favor, get the Calm app, and experience a transformation in the way you sleep. Again, for listeners of the show, Calm is offering a special limited time promotion of 40 percent off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/spirits. 40 percent off, unlimited access to coms entire library with new content added every week. Get started today at calm.com/spirits, C-A-L-M.C-O-M/spirits. And, now, let's get back to the show.
Julia: Hurry guys. What are we drinking?
Eric: For Christmas, I got some Cleveland Whiskey. And I also got one of those ice cube balls that molds --
Julia: Mhmm.
Eric: That makes an ice cube into an ice ball. And I've been – I've been using that. And it's – it's quite nice. Oh. And, also, I got I've been I got some bitters and stuff. So, I've been making myself some Old Fashion.
Julia: Ooh.
Eric: They're great.
Julia: Sounds great.
Amanda: You got yourself some tinctures. Love it.
Julia: I, I really appreciate Brandon Grugle’s, like, a real affinity for bitters and tinctures. And I want to get more into that --
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: -- you know,
Amanda: I am drinking one of my favorite cideries, Citizens Cider in Burlington, Vermont. They have something called The Lake Hopper, which is a hot cider --
Julia: Ooh.
Amanda: -- that I did not think I would like. But it really just gives a cider quite, like, a floral note. I think you'd enjoy it, Julia, because it very much has that, like, floral gin kind of vibe --
Julia: Ooh.
Amanda: -- where it's just like a airy, delicate kind of floral note to the cider that makes it not so sweet. And I think it's delish.
Julia: That sounds nice. I will have to give it a go. I, myself, am drinking the Flying Dog, Numero Uno Mexican lager. It's very good. It's a good sipping one. It's got a – it's got agave cerveza, which I think is kind of nice. It gives a nice like – kind of like bold, bright lemon zest flavor to it. And it's – it's delicious.
Amanda: I know we, we really ended before the break on, on a pretty buck wild note.
Eric: Mhmm.
Amanda: Who would like to lead us into the second half?
Julia: I'll go. I've got one sent in by Shell and she titled it, “My First Home, Dog, Cat and Ghost.”
Amanda: Yeah.
Eric: Get all of them. Get all of them all at once. Why not?
Julia: So, she writes, “Hey, Spirits team. First off, thank you so much for keeping my spirits high through 2020. What a life. I was born and raised in a very small town – we're talking under 200 people – in Saskatchewan, Canada. When I graduated high school, I moved to the slightly larger smaller town about 25 kilometers north. It was my first time living on my own and I was so excited. My boyfriend, at the time, and I rented this cute little house and pretty much immediately adopted a kitten named Dexter and a puppy named Mara. The day we brought Mara home, she spent most of her time snuggling with me and barking at walls. She was eight weeks old and two pounds. So, her bark was pretty endearing.
Amanda: Aww.
Julia: And we thought she was just getting settled. As the pets grew, Mara continued to bark at the walls and Dex could often be found lying on the chair looking as if someone was rubbing his chin when he was the only visible thing in the room.
Amanda: Ohhh.
Julia: Uh-oh. One night, my boyfriend and I were watching TV and a spatula went flying across the room in the kitchen. My boyfriend immediately stood up and said, “Dexter, you little shit” and moved to go into the kitchen to get the cat off of the counter. The cat who was sitting in my lap when I watched the spatula fly across the room.
Amanda: Oh, my god.
Julia: Not good. I can vividly remember my boyfriend getting to the doorway of the living room where he could see the counter and then turning to look at me while saying, “Do, do, do you think we have a ghost?” I didn't answer it because I had not told him that, earlier that week, I was getting ready for work in our room when our bedroom door slowly closed out of nowhere and the clothes I had been hanging on the closet door slowly fell off their hanger. I had seen my shirt sleeve bunch up where someone or something had tugged on it to pull it off the hanger. I knew we had a ghost. You waited a week? Come on. Come on, Shell. It's something I couldn't explain and still really can't. But I knew the ghost wouldn't hurt us. And, when my boyfriend and I split, I couldn't bring myself to give up that house. I went through three roommates. All of whom moved out after a couple of months after moving in due to the “weird feelings” that the house gave them.
Amanda: Oh, no.
Julia: When I finally moved back to my parents’ home the, first night I slept in my childhood bedroom was the first time in three years that I actually felt alone. It has been 10 years since we all lived in that house. But, every time Mara looks past me to stare at something on the wall, I think about my ghost and my husband thinks I'm a little crazy. That house is still there. And it's still a rental. One of my cousins lived there a few years ago when her oldest child was just a newborn. And they ended up moving out because, every time the baby would start crying while in her room, by the time my cousin's got to the room to comfort her, the mobile above the crib was inexplicably turned on. Thanks again for everything, Yellow Badasses.
Amanda: Wow. That's very unusual. I think, stuff turning off unexpectedly, I completely understand. Lots of reasons why that would happen. But, stuff turning on unexpectedly, extremely creepy.
Julia: I just – I super appreciate the, the idea that the boyfriend thought, “Dammit, it's the cat when something flew across the room” and she didn't say anything --
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: -- while the cat was in her lap.
Eric: Yeah.
Julia: She's just like, “Oh, okay. Yeah, we have a ghost.”
Eric: That's this now.
Julia: That's this now.
Eric: They’re stealing – we’re just stealing a flying stuff.
Julia: Just stealing flying stuff and a ghost that likes to pet our cat.
Amanda: Well, I would like to pause at that. I think cats are the most haunted kind of pet.
Eric: Oh.
Amanda: Because we have had the most cat stories of any other kind of animal on this episode. Certainly, in the inbox, that is true. And I think cats just seem to know, know a little more – know a little too much. And that makes it easy, I believe, to sort of link that to something extraterrestrial? No, supernatural.
Julia: Extra – oh, hold on. Yeah, what's the word?
Eric: Extra planar.
Julia: Extraordinary?
Amanda: There you go. Paranormal.
Eric: You might have some stories about cats, but I have to stay true to form and bring a story about a ghost dog.
Amanda: Yes.
Julia: Bring it.
Amanda: Let’s do it.
Julia: Is it sad?
Eric: It's not.
Julia: Eric.
Eric: It's not. The, the dog does pass at an old age early on in the story.
Julia: Okay.
Eric: And then it is not about the dog the rest of the time.
Julia: Acceptable.
Eric: Well, it's not about – it's not sad after that. So, this comes to us from Vivi and she writes, “When I was growing up, my grandpa had an Australian Shepherd named Trooper that I loved to pieces. He was a super gentle and happy dog who would always ask us for belly rubs. He also loves to play keep away and fetch. The summer after I graduated from college, he passed away. He was about 16 or 17. So, it was his time. That summer, I happen to be working as a traveling Summer Reading teacher and would drive up and down the coast teaching littles how to read at different schools. A few weeks after he passed, this, the wooden doorsteps at all three of my classrooms in completely different cities hours apart were all missing on the same day. On my way home, which was almost a four-hour drive, I misplaced my credit card somewhere. I get home, unpack the car, looked everywhere and can't find it. TWO DAYS LATER” --
Julia: Two days later.
Eric: It’s in an all caps like a title. My mom comes into the house with my credit card and hands it to me. I asked where she found it. And she said it was sitting on the driver's seat in the car in plain sight. We had all gone through the car looking for it. And it definitely hadn't been there. I tell her I might be getting haunted by a ghost dog, but she didn't believe it. A few weeks later, I lose my driver's license. Yes, I know I'm a mess. And I think to myself that I should probably test my theory. So, out loud, I call the dog and ask him where the license is and tell him to bring it to me. Sometime the next day, I find the license sitting in the middle of the couch. For three years now, whenever I lose something or someone close to me loses something, I ask the dog to find it. Within two days, it magically appears in plain sight. Recently, we also discovered a new ghost dog power. My girlfriend has severe nightmares and she asked me if I could send the ghost dog to keep her company. I close my eyes picture her face and her room and asked Troop to keep her safe. The next morning, she tells me she saw him in her dreams and thanked me for sending him over. I asked her what he looked like and she described him relatively accurate. I had never shown her a picture of him or described him other than vaguely mentioning that he was a herding dog. Now, we send him back and forth whenever one of us has a bad day.
Julia: That is extremely cute. And I love the idea of playing fetch with a ghost dog in order to find lost things.
Amanda: Yes.
Julia: Unless he's the one hiding them in the first place and then no, no, no.
Amanda: Oh, that's extremely cute.
Eric: I like the idea of sending the ghost dog on little feel good mission.
Julia: Little errands for the dog.
Eric: Yeah.
Amanda: And we did not end with a, a stone dog style story, which I think is great because I --
Eric: There’s a – by the way, a lot of stone dog stories in the inbox.
Julia: Mhmm.
Eric: Like, just a lot of them.
Amanda: Yeah, we, we may have to – we have to circle back to those at some point.
Eric: We could do a whole episode on stone dog, I think.
Amanda: Why? I wouldn't listen to it.
Eric: I don't want to. I'm just saying there's a lot of them. Some of them do have, like, personal tales and more personal versions of it. But I mean there's just a bunch in there. That's all I was saying. I'm not – I'm not suggesting we do do that. I was just saying we have a lot of them.
Amanda: Well, Eric, I'm so glad that I brought up, but then you expounded, on a previous episode because I have a semi update semi animal story. And I thought it was a really fun kind of segue between the last episode and this one.
Julia: Do it.
Eric: Nice.
Amanda: This is from Natalie and it is titled Bringing Back an Old Favorite Or Least Favorite, but you get me. And it's from December 2017.
Julia: Oh, boy.
Amanda: Incredible. I have a Cassadaga, Florida story for you.
Julia: Hmm.
Amanda: Yep, I'm bringing this back because Cassadaga has been one of the weirdest places I have ever been. And, for folks who have joined the show later or have forgotten, one of our very first episodes – I think our first guest episode was about a personal experience of the creepy nature in Cassadaga, Florida. So, even with being warned about what this place was and having years of paranormal/spiritual experience, Cassadaga was literally the creepiest, cringiest, most hackle raising place I have ever been. I have a friend who lives in Orlando, which isn't too far from there, and she is the one I go with. This is the story of the first time I ever went to Cassadaga and it is a doozy. The creepy factor began even before we got there. So, me, my friend, and someone who was with us went to go pick up another person to come with us to Cassadaga. Mind you, I never met them before. When we got there, she was still working on her makeup. So, we were standing around in her living room while she finished up. From the hallway, I kept hearing the sound of somebody plucking the G string of a bass at a really regular tempo to the point that I thought it was a song I knew coming from a room upstairs. After that one note have been playing for a few minutes, I turned to the person whose house it was and said, “Oh, who's playing the bass?” She suddenly stopped applying her makeup and looked at me nervously. I like to picture this with like one eye totally done and one eye not done at all.
Julia: Of course.
Amanda: It’s not how people do their makeup, but, you know, go with me here.
Julia: Unless you're doing like a, a makeup video where you're only doing one side of your face to show the difference.
Amanda: Yeah. Or like two different styles.
Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: Oh, makeup is so cool. All right. So, she asked me, “Wait. You can hear that?”
Eric: Oh, no.
Amanda: At that point, I was really confused.
Julia: No, no, no.
Amanda: So, they told me the house was super haunted. And the spirit in the house wasn't necessarily nice.
Julia: Oh, good. Good.
Eric: Great.
Amanda: So, I'm going to switch the order that the sentence came in originally and tell you that, one, there wasn't a bass or any other instruments in the house. And, two, there wasn't a second floor.
Julia: Oh, no. Oh, no.
Amanda: Thank you for permitting me my little poetic start there. So, Nat – Natalie continues, “Being a little shit I am, I said out loud, “Well, whoever's playing bass, you fucking suck.” I know it's stupid. But the first reaction to fear is to be snarky because I read too many Spider Man comics as a kid.
Julia: Hey, you know what's good? Someone telling you, “Hey, we have a ghost and they're not nice,” and then you insulting that ghost.
Amanda: Yeah, it's – it's not the tact I would take personally. Immediately after I said that, the sound of the bass started to play right above my head really fast and really loud. And everyone in the room could hear it.
Eric: Uh-uh.
Julia: Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
Amanda: So, I gracefully excused myself and went to wait in the car. Great start. No. So, we drive out to Cassadaga and turn onto that creepy one-lane street in the middle of the forest. When we get to the actual town, I immediately felt hella bad vibes from literally everywhere. We decided to walk through the forest and stuff before going to the actual town itself because we love being those people who die at the beginning of the horror movie.
Julia: Of course.
Eric: Why not? Why not?
Julia: Why not? Oh, it was 2017 then. Like, there's a – we say why not in 2020. But then --
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: -- there was stuff to live for back then. No, I’m kidding.
Amanda: It was higher stakes. While we were walking through the forest, I was immediately on edge. It felt like someone was staring at us from the trees the entire time we were there. As we kept walking, I kept hearing sounds of people walking and following us in the underbrush, not on the trail, but I couldn't see anyone
Eric: Probably just some cows.
Amanda: Mind you, it's a cypress forest, which has spread out thin trees and a lot of underbrush, which gives a lot of visibility around you.
Julia: Yeah, you’ll be able to see the things following you.
Eric: Mhmm. Mhmm.
Amanda: The people I was with kept saying, “Oh, it's just a squirrel or some other bullshit.” But I have a lot of experience in the woods because my dad and I rehabilitate reptiles --
Julia: Aww.
Amanda: -- and regularly go to the Everglades. I know the difference between a squirrel running around and snapping twigs and people crunching in the underbrush. We follow the trail out of the forest and follow a road for a little while until we ended up between the cemetery and a horse ranch. My friend and the other people with us went to go pet the horses, but I stayed back a bit because horses and I don't mix well.
Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: There were two regular brown horses that went up to them to be pet and fed, but there was one horse that stayed back a bit from the fence. It was a smaller pale pony and I swear to whatever higher power there that it was evil. Julia, maybe this was the Neigh Christ.
Julia: This is the Neigh Christ.
Amanda: It stared at us with an unnatural look as if it was studying us and made me feel like my skin was crawling. So, I stayed back with the cemetery. We went through the cemetery and then back out to the town. We went to a few of the stores, most of which were the touristy shops, before we came to a really tiny one that was away from the rest of the town. As we were walking up to the store, a beautiful woman in a green dress came out of the store and burned a few sweet smelling herbs in a pewter pot right outside. We kind of followed her in and this is where it gets weird.
Julia: Uh-oh.
Amanda: This is weird, guys.
Julia: This is where it gets weird.
Amanda: This is where it gets weird.
Julia: It’s not the creepy horse or the invisible things following you in the forest.
Amanda: Me and my friend and one of the other people with us were all standing near the front counter looking at necklaces and such. The woman in the green dress turned to the person we had brought along and we were with and complimented their backpack. She notably sounded like a super bubbly, fresh out of LA Valley kind of girl. She and the other person had a short conversation as my friend and I looked at rings. The woman then turned to my friend next to me and sounded like an entirely different person. She suddenly had a sultry soft voice with a slight British accent as if she had learned to speak English, but it wasn't her first language.
Julia: What?
Amanda: Her cadence, voice, and speech patterns were entirely different from the moment before. I was kind of confused but wrote it off as me having an overactive imagination. So, I turned and went to look at other stuff. I picture them, like, slowly turning and being like, “Oh, I'm gonna just --
Eric: I’ll just – I’m gonna just --
Amanda: -- go over here.
Julia: Okay. No, no.
Eric: -- disappear for a second.
Amanda: Some other people entered the store. Whew. And someone who obviously works there called out to them in a no nonsense, confident, loud sales woman voice welcoming them into the store. When I turned back to see who'd spoken, I realized that, again, the only person working there was the same woman who had already changed her voice.
Julia: What the fuck?
Amanda: Yep. At this point, I was really scared. So, I went outside. I wasn't even the only one to notice. The person she had first spoken to also noticed the changing speech. Fast forward to the second time I went to Cassadaga – I love that there was a second time.
Julia: I wouldn't go a second time. Fuck that.
Amanda: We went into this exact store and it was completely different. The layout, the stuff they sold, the people working there all were different. I went to one of the people who worked there and asked if a beautiful Southeast Asian woman with long dark hair and green eyes was still working there. And the people there told me they were the only ones who had ever worked there since the store opened. But the third time I went back, the woman was back and doing the weird voice.
Julia: What the fuck? What the fuck?
Eric: Ahhhh. Wooh.
Amanda: I have no explanation for this. And we're not even – so, the reason that I consider this in the pets and animals episode is because, because of this.
Eric: Yeah, it’s a really good point.
Amanda: I think the part of the trip that really freaked me out though --
Julia: What?
Amanda: -- was the lack of lizards.
Eric: Hmm.
Julia: Hmm?
Amanda: Again, I look for reptiles everywhere I go because I moved to Chicago and I missed my reptile babies. Cassadaga is in the middle of the woods in Florida with a huge natural water source right there. It should be clogged with animals, skunks, and all other manner of other lizards. But, between three or four different trips to Cassadaga, I've only seen one lizard. My friend and I had taken my girlfriend and her sister to Cassadaga. And I was mentioning to them that my friend and I had never seen a lizard there. Suddenly, my girlfriend's sister says, “Well, there's one.” As I was saying that there were no lizards, suddenly, there one was. I followed it for a bit and I swear to you this lizard looked wrong. It looked kind of sick. And the markings on its back were wrong for the type of species that the rest of its body appeared to be. I tried to catch it because – what the actual fuck? But it disappeared behind a tall piece of grass before I could get it and really look at it. So, either Cassadaga is either if I can ferry portal to Underhill or it's run by ghouls/vampires. No matter what it is, I hate it.
Julia: Probably the first one, to be honest. Probably the first one.
Amanda: Every time I've been to Florida, like, you see animals moving around everywhere. Even in, like, suburban developments, there are lizards all over the place. And I just thought that was so – for whatever reason, the, the shopkeeper was incredible. But this is the thing that really makes my skin crawl. It feels like even nature is kind of rejecting a place.
Julia: Yeah. No, I hate that. Not a good one.
Amanda: Well, Nat from 2017, we really loved this story. Thank you so much.
Julia: That was a very good story. I got one more to close this out. And it's also about a, a pet but not quite a pet. Like, we're not going to call it a pet because it is a wild animal. But it is something that someone had an emotional connection to.
Eric: We’re getting looser towards the end with pet definitions.
Amanda: Good. I was worried that I was ending on too creepy of a note. So, thank you very much.
Julia: You're welcome. So, this is from Sam and she titled it Emotional Support Crow.
Amanda: Oh, my god!
Eric: Hmm.
Amanda: Crows are the coolest.
Julia: Sam also was the one who wrote in about the apocalypse cat story from Alaska. And, so, she has another animal story to share with us.
Amanda: Oh, thanks, Sam.
Julia: But this time it's about a very real crow. Not a folkloric apocalypse cat.
Amanda: Let's get it.
Julia: So, she writes, “When I was around 12 or 13, my family and I lived near a lot of farmland; mainly, corn. And, naturally, there were a lot of crows. One such bird had a nest on our roof and made a regular habit of scaring the shit out of me. Now, my bedroom was on the top floor of the house. So, I had one of those slanted walls that was part of the roof with a big window right above my bed. We could not put a curtain or anything on it. So, it was always uncovered. The first time it happened was about a week after we moved into the house. I was asleep in my bed when I woke up to a loud tap, tap, tap. Thinking maybe I had dreamt it, I turned to just ignore it and go back to sleep. But, just as I was closing my eyes, it came again louder and more insistent and coming from my window. Tap, tap, tap. This startled me and I looked up at my window and a crow was perched on the window looking right at me. It stared at me for a few seconds then pecked at the window again and would not stop. Freaked out --
Eric: I don’t like this.
Julia: No?
Eric: And here's why. A lot of birds can't tell what a window is. And I know crows are super smart. So, like, of course, it's a crow. But, like, I don't like that this, this crow is like, “I know what this is. It's a pane of glass I can't get through. But, if I've tapped at it, I can get your attention on the other side.” I hate that. I don't like that at all.
Julia: I love how smart crows and other corvids are. It's my favorite thing.
Amanda: I’d feel so blessed if a crow wanted to hang out with me, I'm just saying.
Julia: Yeah, honestly. Though, this does have big Raven by Edgar Allan Poe vibes, which is not great.
Amanda: I would also feel pretty blessed if I found myself in that poem, but only in a dreamscape, not in reality, I want to say.
Julia: Okay. Fair enough. Freaked out at this point, I ran from my room and climbed into my sister's bed. I didn't sleep that night. Well, thankfully, thankfully, one of our listeners is not like, “Oh, yeah, a creepy thing happened. I went right back to sleep and it was fine.” This would happen several times over the course of the next year or so; both during the day and at night. Usually, I could tell when this was about to happen by intense dread or even the feeling that I was being watched. Often, my heart would start racing just before the crow came. I only recently told my sister about this and she said she had experienced the same thing. It was only recently that I came to a series of revelations. One, at the time that I experienced this, I was deep in the throes of puberty, which was not kind to me. See, six-month long migraines --
Amanda: Aww.
Julia: -- and the extreme hormonal changes awakened my anxiety and depression from their slumber.
Amanda: What up?
Julia: What's up?
Amanda: Same.
Julia: Number two, crows are emotionally intelligent creatures with the ability to form bonds and have keen instincts. Number three, every time that crow rattled me, I would do something to take care of my mental state like drink water, seek comfort from someone else in the house, or work off nervous energy with a walk or a bike ride. What I now realize is that I was experiencing frequent panic attacks and that the crow came each time I was having one and interrupted it before it got more intense.
Amanda: Self care crow. Self care crow.
Julia: Self care crow. The response says that I had to her appearances; drinking water, seeking out another person, et cetera, became ingrained responses to whenever I started feeling the sensations that I had before seeing her. And, eventually, she stopped coming. I really hope crows become a recognized emotional support animal in the future if they aren't already. Thank you for hanging out with me through this story of my emotional support crow. And I hope that this October is the creepiest and the coolest because Sam sent this in October. Lots of love, Sam.
Amanda: Sam, I am delighted by this. And, if you are a tattoo person, I'm going to go ahead and tell you right now. You got to get a crow tattoo. [Inaudible 50:33].
Julia: You got to get a crow tattoo.
Eric: You got to.
Julia: You got to do it.
Amanda: Oh, so cute.
Julia: Well, I hope that everyone takes care of their own mental health with or without the reminder of a emotional support crow.
Amanda: That was adorable. I, I'm loving this month so far. I'm glad we're halfway through. And we'd love to hear from everybody in, in email, on Twitter, on Insta, whatever you like if you're enjoying this too. And what your sort of emotional support self-care wild animal, familiar would be yours of choice.
Julia: Absolutely. And remember to drink a glass of water. Go seek out the comfort of a person that you love. And stay creepy.
Amanda: Stay cool.
Theme Music
Amanda: Thanks again to our sponsors. At betterhelp.com/spirits, you can get 10 percent off your first month of counseling. If you download the Doordash app, you can get 25 percent off and zero delivery fees on your first order of $15 or more up to a $10 value. And, at calm.com/spirits, you can get 40 percent off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library with a Calm premium subscription.
Outro Music
Amanda: Spirits was created by Amanda McLoughlin, Julia Schifini, and Eric Schneider with music by Kevin MacLeod and visual design by Ally son Wakeman.
Julia: Keep up with all things creepy and cool by following us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr. We also have all of our episode transcripts, guest appearances, and merch on our website as well as a form to send us your urban legends at spiritspodcast.com.
Amanda: Join our member community on Patreon, patreon.com/spirits podcast, for all kinds of behind-the-scenes stuff. Just $1 gets you access to audio extras with so much more available too; recipe cards, director’s commentaries, exclusive merch, and real physical gifts.
Julia: We are a founding member of Multitude, a collective of independent audio professionals. If you like Spirits, you will love the other shows that live on our website at multitude.productions.
Amanda: And, above all else, if you liked what you heard today, please share us with your friends. That is the very best way to help us keep on growing.
Julia: Thank you so much for listening. Till next time.
Transcriptionist: Rachelle Rose Bacharo
Editor: Krizia Casil.