Was it a plant, animal, mineral? Maybe a coven or a nunnery? In this special episode, we explore the Greek Myth of Heracles and the Hydra, and some fascinating theories on how this story came about. But first, a few thoughts on how mythical creatures develop through storytelling.

To celebrate Shakespeare's Birthday, I'm joined by Mason Winfield, Western New York's Premier Paranormalist, to discuss Shakespearean faerie-lore, Falstaff's downfall in the Merry Wives of Windsor, and how it relates to the Classical Myth of Actaeon and Diana, and Sir James Frazer's book The Golden Bough.

How might the ancient myth of Persephone's abduction have originated? And what lessons could we learn from it today? (Note: This episode didn't turn out to be very funny, so if you're unfamiliar with "Animal Magic" I recommend starting with something else. But for regular listeners I hope this will be an interesting addition to the series.)

Are Elephants made of Milk? Or Eggs? Or both? And why don't they have wings anymore? How did Ganesha get his Distinctive Look? In this Episode, we'll search the Scriptures of India for Answers you can't find in a Biology Textbook.

Even after centuries of zoology, the Elephant remains defiantly mythical. In this episode, we'll explore some Classical Roman and Christian beliefs about this gentle giant.

My car and my phone get along so well that I feel like a third wheel, and I often feel like they'd be happier without me. Am I an obstacle that the tools have to work around? I recently found this live recording of "Hardware" from 2021. Some things I said about hardware and software in 2021 now sound outdated, but the main message still comes through, and this is one of my favorites of all of these I've written. Special thanks to the one person who kept laughing while I was saying this.

In this Very Special Holiday Episode, we'll Share Something Happily Forgotten, a Christmas Mystery long buried in the snow of the past. We'll also wonder why Pigs are the baddest animals in the Bible.

On December 3rd, 1976, a 30-foot pig flew over England, disrupting air traffic and scaring the manure out of a rancher's cattle. In this special anniversary episode, we'll share the timeless tale of the photo-shoot for the Pink Floyd Animals album cover. And we'll consider what it may have to do with Orwell's novel Animal Farm, and whether that book still has anything to teach us in America today.