From corsets to grunge, fashion has always mirrored the times. We trace the past century of style and how culture shaped what we wear — then flip the deck to uncover the surprising history of tarot, from playing cards to a tool of self-discovery.

Find us on social media @renfarepod

If you want to read more on about this:

https://www.gq.com/story/how-recessions-drive-innovation-in-fashion

https://uspublisher.net/fashion-revolution-how-the-industrial-age-changed-style/

https://www.vogue.com/article/1940s-fashion-history-lesson

https://www.instyle.com/fashion/clothing/what-is-the-hemline-index-real

“All About History: History of Fashion”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_loom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_gin

https://fashion-era.com/fashion-history/fashion-eras

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_in_fashion

https://qz.com/quartzy/1597688/a-brief-history-of-women-in-pants

https://dustyoldthing.com/little-below-the-knee-club/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/hippie

https://medium.com/@peytoncarlin/the-rise-of-the-oversize-how-oversized-clothes-represent-unfortunate-realities-efd489a14826

https://www.eternalgoddess.co.uk/posts/20th-century-fashion-a-timeline

In this episode of RenFare, we’re bridging two very different legacies — one rooted in science and bioethics, the other in symbolism and spiritual seeking.

First, we share the powerful story of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cells were taken without her consent in 1951. Her HeLa cells became the backbone of modern medical research — but her name was nearly erased. We unpack the scientific breakthroughs her cells made possible, the ethical violations of her case, and the long-overdue recognition her family received in 2023.

Then we turn to the history of tarot — from its origins as a 15th-century card game in Europe to its rise as a tool of mysticism, self-reflection, and resistance. Who used it, how did it evolve, and why are we still drawn to its imagery centuries later?

Sources:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henrietta-lacks/upholding-the-highest-bioethical-standards

https://time.com/4746297/henrietta-lacks-movie-history-research-oprah/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa

https://apnews.com/article/henrietta-lacks-hela-cells-thermo-fisher-scientific-bfba4a6c10396efa34c9b79a544f0729

https://www.statnews.com/2023/08/01/henrietta-lacks-family-settlement-hela-cells/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Lacks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Syphilis_Study#:~:text=The%20Public%20Health%20Service%20started,care%20and%20promised%20funeral%20expenses.

In this episode of RenFare, we’re talking Olympian gods and reality TV — two worlds filled with drama, ego, and larger-than-life personalities. Coincidence? Maybe not.

First, we take you up to Mount Olympus to meet the 12 Olympian gods — the chaotic group that ruled Greek mythology. From Aphrodite’s love triangles to Zeus’s power plays, we unpack who’s who, what they ruled over, and how these deities reflected the values and messiness of ancient life.

Then we shift to another pantheon of modern-day icons: reality TV stars. Why do we love watching other people’s drama? What draws us to the highs, lows, and over-the-top personalities of reality shows? We dive into the psychology behind why reality TV feels so satisfying — and how it taps into something timeless.

This episode has ancient myths and modern fixations, gods, confessionals, and a whole lot of spectacle.

Socials:

IG - @renfarepod

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Olympians

https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/gods-and-goddesses-greek-and-roman-pantheon

https://www.thecollector.com/greek-gods-and-godesses/

https://www.historyhit.com/ancient-greek-gods-and-goddesses-of-mount-olympus/

https://www.history.com/articles/greek-mythology

https://www.livescience.com/all-about-history-issue-117

https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1027/1864-1105/a000186

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08838151003734995

https://studylib.net/doc/8023379/motivations-for-viewing-reality-television--a-uses-and-gr%E2%80%A6

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228745630_Why_people_watch_reality_TV

https://sites.comminfo.rutgers.edu/kgreene/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2024/05/JoBEM2010-1.pdf

https://scholar.nycu.edu.tw/en/publications/reality-tv-materialism-and-associated-consequences-an-exploration https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/inclusive-mental-health/the-power-of-diversity-in-reality-television-impact-on-culture-and-social-media/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324032504_From_Apprentice_to_President_The_Role_of_Parasocial_Connection_in_the_Election_of_Donald_Trump

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370729772_Surviving_Racism_and_Sexism_What_Votes_in_the_Television_Program_Survivor_Reveal_About_Discrimination

In this episode of RenFare, we’re getting a little dreamy and a little witchy. First, we trace the ancient origins of the soulmate — from Plato’s theory of humans being split in half by Zeus to ideas of twin flames, bashert, and karmic love. Is there really “one” person out there for you? Or is that just a story we keep rewriting through time?

Then we step into the smoky, herb-scented world of ancient apothecaries — where healing, magic, and medicine blurred. From love potions to shamans, we unpack how early pharmacists (many of them women) blended science and spirit.

Come explore the rituals, remedies, and romances that shaped our inner worlds.

Socials:

IG - @renfarepod

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulmate#:~:text=A%20soulmate%20is%20a%20person,and%20modern%20New%20Age%20philosophy.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth

https://theconversation.com/valentines-day-a-brief-history-of-the-soulmate-and-why-its-a-limited-concept-198841

https://dailyemerald.com/92664/archives/exploring-the-origin-of-soul-mates/#:~:text=of%20soul%20mates-,Daily%20Emerald,their%20perfect%20fit%2C%20Wilson%20said.

https://www.thenationalherald.com/the-greek-philosophy-behind-soulmates/

https://www.dictionary.com/e/soul-mate/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Soulnexus/comments/xeh3ox/can_anyone_tell_me_about_soulmates_in_indigenous/

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.190.4217.880

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/neanderthals-teeth-diet-medicine-microbiome-humans-science

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4103721/

https://web.archive.org/web/20081010045900/http://medind.nic.in/iae/t07/i4/iaet07i4p243.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20131201231218/http://www.medicine.mcgill.ca/MJM/issues/v08n01/crossroads/hong.pdf

https://archive.org/details/naturalhistory03plinuoft

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-4362.1999.00617.x

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/instance/1694293/pdf/amjph00539-0138.pdf

The Love Potion from: The Spell Book for New Witches

Women of the Renaissance – Fede Galizia & Veronica Franco

In our very first episode of RenFare, we’re diving into the lives of two bold and brilliant women who carved out space for themselves in the male-dominated world of Renaissance Italy.

Fede Galizia was a pioneering painter who mastered still life and religious portraiture with a quiet confidence — making fruit and feminine precision impossible to ignore.

Veronica Franco was a Venetian poet, courtesan, and intellectual who used her voice — and her pen — to challenge society’s expectations of women, love, and power.

Join us as we unpack how these two women pushed back against their cultural constraints, made lasting contributions to art and literature, and still resonate centuries later.

It’s history with heart, feminism with flair — and the renaissance, reimagined.

Socials:

IG - @renfarepod

Fede Galizia

• https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/fede-galizia/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fede_Galizia

• https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/fede-galizia-life-and-work/

• https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/dutch-still-life-6-famous-painters/

Veronica Franco Sources:

• https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/efts/IWW/BIOS/A0017.html

• https://awomensthing.org/blog/veronica-franco

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Franco

• • Streaming now on Amazon: Dangerous Beauty https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118892/
  • https://dornsife.usc.edu/veronica-franco/portraits-of-franco/
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RenFare is your modern-day renaissance — a movement (and a podcast) of vigorous artistic and intellectual activity.

Hosted by Jaimie and Kelly, RenFare is where curiosity meets culture. From forgotten women in art history to astrology deep-dives, personality tests, fashion, fun facts, and pop culture moments you actually want to talk about — we’re here to make learning feel like a vibe, not a lecture.

If you're a woman with a free-spirited mind and a never-ending thirst to know more — welcome. You're one of us.

Subscribe and join the renaissance.