Podcasts about Germanic

On this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, I sit down with composer, songwriter, and sound designer Stephen Geering — whose music you've likely heard even if you haven't heard his name. Growing up in a deeply musical family (his mother, Jenny, was a concert pianist and teacher), Stephen began his musical education at age seven, learning piano and classical music in Chicago and Ravinia.In Geer MusicFrom there, he forged a path that spans studio albums, video game scoring, commercial work, and soundtrack composition. After postgraduate studies in scoring at UCLA under Don Ray, his original songs began to draw attention, which opened doors to composing for television, commercials, and ultimately the booming world of interactive gaming.In Geer Music+2IMDb+2We dive into his time creating music for major studios and game publishers, his creative process when shifting between musical genres and media formats, and how he maintains artistic identity in commercial work. Stephen also shares how he and his wife Dawn — an attorney — chose Ojai as home, and how they became involved in nurturing music education and youth programs such as the Ojai Music Festival's Bravo! Program with their daughter.We talk of ambition and adaptation, of composing as storytelling, and of the joys and challenges of being both a commercial and personal artist. We did not talk about new discoveries at Pompeii, Germanic diphthongs or Czech nymph fishing.He also also offers sound (sorry, couldn't resist) for young people seeking a career in music. If you've ever wondered how a musician builds a life out of sound, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. To learn more about Stephen and his fascinating career, point your browser to ...https://www.ingeermusic.com/about.html

What is the fascination that we have with seductive avatars of oblivion? Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams indoctrinated the adolescent me to the possibilities of the Succubus, and became my tween age, gothic sex symbol; the painting by Pre-Raphaeite John Millet:  Ophelia (who floats beautifully in the river) hung on my dorm wall for years.  Today, Double Trouble features a couple of ice queens who inspire detached sexual delirium, one contemporary, and one long gone, but still as magnetic as when she walked the earth: the enigmatic Lana Del Rey and Andy Warhol's muse - Nico (nee Christa Paffgen). LANA DEL REYWhen Lana Del Rey sings “We were born to die,” you know she's not fooling around. Her voice might be studiously without affect, but you can sense some psychic turmoil underneath. And when she purrs, “you like your girls insane,” she is obviously speaking from experience. Her Greta Garbo air of mystery smolders like an ember that could reignite and singe you at any moment. Of course, LDR is vastly more multi-dimensional as an artist than simply existing as a blank canvas on which to project our emo fantasies. Her later work, such as her fifth album, the widely acclaimed “Norman Fucking Rockwell” has generous reserves of humor, complexity, and intelligence to ponder and appreciate.  And, her recent marriage hints at even further explorations of domestic bliss. So maybe our gothic goddess will be embracing life going forward.NICOSpeaking of blank canvasses on which we can project our fantasies - Nico, the fashion model, turned Chanteuse, was the ultimate receptive surface.  She wasn't even a singer at first, veering off key as she often did, but her voice with its hypnotic, Germanic drone had its undeniable charms. And, Andy Warhol knew the socko glamor that he was wielding when he saddled the Velvet Underground with her, making her their front person. Who knows if the group, as brilliant as they were, would have garnered any attention initially if it wasn't for Warhol's 1960s answer to Marlene Dietrich. Nico struggled with heroin addiction and died tragically young in a senseless bicycle accident, but before she left us she created, (with the help of Velvet's veteran John Cale as producer) some unforgettable mantras. Frozen Warnings is one of the most compelling - It's harmonium and droning viola conjure the sense of tip-toeing across a frozen lake and feeling the ice cracking under your feet as you try to reach the glaciated siren.

In this episode I am joined by Dr Francisco José Luis, scholar of Indo-Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion trained at the Sorbonne, Paris and SOAS, London. Francisco recalls his upbringing and education in Luxembourg; details his rigorous academic training in classical languages such as Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit; and laments what he sees as the rise of idealogical indoctrination in modern education Francisco discusses his PhD in pre-reformist Sikhism, his years of field work living in the Punjab, and expresses his love of the German intellectual tradition. Francisco reveals the influence of Neoplatonism in Islamic theology and mysticism, describes his own turn to Shiʿi Islam, and explains why he believes that even today there is a living lineage of Neoplatonism that stretches directly back to Plotinus. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep327-neoplatonic-mystic-dr-francisco-jos-luis Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:01 - Upbringing in Luxembourg 02:56 - Classical education 04:28 - Learning Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit 08:03 - Germanic intellectual tradition and WW2 12:37 - Advantages of an anti-American education 15:06 - Critical thinking and intellectual independence 17:04 - Boomer educators and idealogical indoctrination 20:59 - German literature 22:56 - Post WW2 culture shock and the boomer revolution 27:20 - Vatican II and loss of trust 30:35 - Filling education gaps 32:06 - A deeply pagan Catholic 35:21 - Meditation practice and interest in Neo-Vedanta 37:52 - Studying two masters degrees simultaneously at the Sorbonne 39:57 - Rigorous training in Sanskrit 43:56 - MA theses in French literature and pre-reform Sikhism 45:20 - PhD at SOAS in pre-reformist Sikh monastic orders 46:48 - Living among the Sikh community and learning Punjabi 49:54 - Young Sikh's interest in pre-reformist religion 50:54 - Death threats from Sikhs 53:00 - Changes in Sikhism 55:20 - Tradition religious music of Sikhism and other pre-reformist features 01:00:18 - Neo-traditionalist Sikh movements in the UK and India 01:03:59 - Falling in love with Shiʿi Islam 01:10:16 - Conversion to Islam? 01:11:45 - Shi'ism as a personal practice 01:13:23 - Cultural barriers against European converts 01:16:12 - Neo-Platonic Vajrayanism 01:17:43 - Mysticism perceived as a threat 01:21:48 - Neoplatonic influence on Islam 01:27:28 - Surprising Neo-Platonic features of Islamic mysticism 01:33:30 - Metempsychosis in Islam 01:37:16 - Francisco is a Neoplatonist 01:43:08 - Vajrayana and Shiʿi inner alchemy and dream yoga 01:50:43 - Islamic tummo … To find our more about Dr Francisco José Luis, visit: - https://www.instagram.com/hludvig_tradicionalista For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for kingdom, rich and related things in Germanic, Romance and other languages. The Proto-Celtic word *rīgyom means kingdom, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (king). Related words in Proto-Celtic include *rīxs (king) and *rīganī (queen) [source] Related in the modern Celtic languages include: rí [ɾˠiː] = […]

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 24, 2025 is: brandish • BRAN-dish • verb To brandish something, such as a weapon, is to wave or swing it in a threatening or excited manner. // Squeals of laughter erupted as three children brandishing squirt guns rounded the corner of the house. See the entry > Examples: “The dancers are young men from the neighborhoods dressed in dark robes accented by bright yellow, red and blue accessories and tall, maroon hats called Tkoumbout adorned with silver jewelry. The men's dances and women's chants have been passed down through generations. Children participate in the festivities by mimicking the older performers. Boys brandish miniature swords and scarves in their small hands and girls stand with the female drummers.” — Audrey Thibert, The Associated Press, 1 July 2025 Did you know? The word brandish is often paired with a word for a weapon, such as knife or handgun. The link between brandish and weaponry is present in the word's etymology: brandish comes ultimately from a Germanic word meaning “sword.” Since the word's 14th century introduction to the English language (by way of Anglo-French) weapons have commonly been the things brandished, but also extensive is the use of brandish with things that are wielded to defeat in other ways, such as banners and placards used in the war of ideas. One can even brandish something that isn't physical, such as a law or one's intellect. In that case, you are figuratively waving the thing in someone's face so that it cannot be ignored.

In this episode of the Disorganized Productions podcast, it has been my pleasure to connect once more with the Holistic Car Nomad after recent tech hiccups and network chaos. We dive into the realities of indie content creation—gear, editing, music sourcing, thumbnails, YouTube monetization hurdles, and the grind behind podcasts and video.From drones and DIY filmmaking to workflows, sound design, and the hidden labour around scheduling and distribution, we share actionable insights on creating more with less and keeping momentum without burning out.Our conversation then journeys into ancestral roots, Germanic and Frisian history in the Netherlands, Rome's limits at the Rhine, pagan lifeways, solstices and holy days, runes and symbolism, and how ancient cycles map to modern rhythms.We explore the “as above, so below” lens, the 3-6-9 rest-and-work cadence, living with nature's tempo, and the present “lifting of the veil.”We also touch on Dutch geography, water management, floods, and why fire and water are equal-opposite forces. It has been my pleasure to be a guest on Disorganized Prodcutions again! Thanks to Rob for having me and the amazing chat we had!Find Rob on:https://disorganizedproductions.com/https://holisticcarnomad.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/greyhorn-pagans-podcast--6047518/support.Make sure to share this podcast and subscribe to our Patreon for bonus content and more

How is an "overseer" (1Ti 3:1) different from an elder or pastor? In Scripture, the terms overseer (KJV "bishop"), elder, and arguably also pastor, are used interchangeably. Hierarchy: There was no hierarchy of authority within the local church leadership team. No bishop was over the pastors, no senior pastor, no lead pastor, no pastor over the elders, no difference between pastor and elder. Paid vs Volunteer: In modern times, a "pastor" is a vocational leader, whereas elders are volunteer. This is not a biblical distinction. The tile "elder" brings out the fact that church leaders should embody maturity and wisdom ("elder" and "older" are from the same Germanic root). It is a state of being. The word "pastor" translates the Greek word for shepherd and brings out the leader's role in leading, feeding and protecting God's flock. The word "overseer" (3:1) highlights out the leader's job of managing, administrating, being sure things in the church are doing according to God's will. Plurality: The New Testament generally presents an ideal of a plurality of leaders in every congregation.

Rogue Magic Wands Cause Sex Chaos.by jane700bond. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Meanwhile in the college infirmary office, Madame Priscilla-Cane and Henry now rapidly getting past foreplay and looked as though they needed to indulge in some urgent sex. The nurse left the magic wand in her cunt to its own devices and took more and more of Henry's enormous dick into her generous mouth, smearing the end with her bright scarlet lipstick as she sucked and licked and chewed. With her hands, she ripped open the poppers of her uniform, leaving herself naked except for the enormous bra that was pulled down exposing her great full melons to Henry's greedy eyes.Henry deposited his kilt on the floor and climbed on to the nurse, his rod, now covered with her saliva, he aimed between the nurse's cleavage. He fondled the monsters and pushed them together so he could tit-fuck her with hard and urgent thrusts. Then with them both breathing hard, Henry moved down the nurse's body until he could aim his spear into her dripping cunt. Gently, at first, he thrust forward, his dick perfectly aimed to slide smoothly and deeply into her vagina. Henry suddenly realized his dick was not alone in Madam's hot cunt, the magic wand slid in deeply alongside him and exploded with magic. The chair shook as the pair fucked, Henry's arse sticking in the air and then ploughing back-into the hot deep cavern.Back in their bedroom, Doctor Snake pointed his wand at Sabrina and Priti and told them both to strip naked. Slowly, and with more reluctance on Sabrina's part, the two gals obeyed as Snake ogled their hairless cunt's and goggled their emerging breasts.Now, as Ariella's sex glamour built towards a climax across the way, Sabrina and Priti could not resist getting turned on. Priti who had been fucked by Henry's massive monster the day before found her breathing getting shorter in anticipation of another dick pounding her cunt. Sabrina was both fearing what was about to happen, but still becoming more and more turned on.Both gals had noticeable damp patches on their panties as they pulled them down in front of the teacher and Snake could smell their young sex. He in turn was feeling evermore randy and his skin was radiating heat."Undress me!" he commanded and Priti came forward and started to loosen his belt whilst Sabrina started on his shirt cuffs and then the rest of his shirt buttons. Her hands caressed his chest as she pulled the shirt back and off and then stood there as Priti, grappled to release the rock-hard cock from his pants. Eventually it bounced out free into the cool air of the bedroom and pushed hard against her flat breast. Priti being only five foot tall and Snake being six foot six, Priti found her mouth close to the pulsing dick that was now rubbing one of her guyish nipples and could not resist first licking its tip and then taking it into her mouth eagerly.Sabrina pulled Snake's trousers right down and, whilst keeping his rocket man in Priti's soft moist mouth, he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his trousers to stand completely naked in a students' bedroom for the second time that morning.He made a sudden grab for Sabrina's cunt and rubbed his fingers along the line of her damp cunt. In shock, Sabrina moved back instinctively and nearly hit him, but then the man's thumb found the hard bump of her clit which sent an electric shock through her inexperience body and the blow never fell. All the time, the tiny Priti was getting more enthusiastic with blowing Snake's cock, bubbles of saliva escaping from her mouth and running down her chest.Snake indicated to Sabrina that she should lie back across her bed and open her legs, exposing her vulva which now showed a deep slash of red as it began to open. Then, now overexcited, Snake grabbed the pigtails on either side of Priti's head and thrust hard and deep into her mouth several times, as though in revenge for her humiliating him earlier. She choked and pulled her away, more saliva dripping down her chin. He circled the babe's mouth and nose with his cock, spreading the wetness, before pushing Priti towards Sabrina. He made her bend her head so it was in contact with Sabrina's opening slit and pushed Priti's mouth onto the other gal's cunt. Sabrina gasped as her friend's tongue plunge into her love tunnel and Priti's nose made contact with her hardened clit.Snake stepped over the back of the tiny Priti and used his hands to move her head so as to rub her nose up and down Sabrina's slit. Then, as Sabrina gasped and groaned, he stepped back behind Priti, and lifted her legs up, her face remaining glued to Sabrina's cunt. When her ass was at the height of his mouth, he licked the moistening slit and pushed his tongue in as deep as it would go. Sabrina leant forward and started massaging Priti's tiny breast as Snake greedily licked her cunt and made it red hot in anticipation for the fuck that was inevitably going to follow.After Priti's eagerness became obvious by the widening of her vagina, Snake lowered her legs until he could maneuver his broomstick hard cock into the eighteen-year-old's slippery cunt. On the very first stroke he plunged roughly into the hot love tunnel right up to the hilt. Priti screamed as Snake's thrust pushed her back into Sabrina's cunt. Sabrina pulled roughly at Priti's tiny tits as she was pushed backward, making the nipples red and prominent.With each hard plunge deep into her cunt Snake was making Priti ever more excited, she was loving the roughness and urgency of each fuck. She took a one hand and brought it back to her own clit and then lifting her head slightly to Sabrina's clit, thrust her other small hand deep into Sabrina and started to fuck her in rhythm with Snake, her teeth nipping the clit and pulling at the lips of the other gal's vulva. If the screams had been loud before, they were meteoric now as the babes advanced on the path to orgasm.Back in the infirmary things were not very quiet either. Madame Priscilla-Cane had previously experimented with her magic wand as a sex-toy, but usually in the privacy of her own room and at night. She would fantasize about a great blond muscled Elfin warrior, hung like a horse, fucking her with deep strokes until her whole body exploded in an orgasm that could last ten minutes or more. Now, here in her office, she was being fucked by an 18-year-old senior pupil, who actually was hung like a horse. Not that she cared at that particular moment.This lapse in her usual standards of behavior was actually down to Lucille, the French new dame who deep into black magic had drunk poor George dry of sperm, like some sperm vampire and then, dribbled a coating back onto his face, whilst enchanting it with her own wild sex charm. Madam Priscilla-Cane had no idea of the danger she was in when she carefully removed the dried spunk from the poor guy's face with a flannel, breathing deeply the smell of revitalized sex. Inevitably, as she cleaned away, the enchantment had its effect and this is why we find the illustrious big-boobed and sexy nurse in her office screaming in delight as Henry fucked her with the abandon of a stallion.The combination of enormous plonker and magic wand was having an effect on both of them. Sparks of magic from the wand flew out of the nurse's cunt as Henry withdrew before thrusting in again and with each spark there was a mind-blowing orgasm that filled both of them with a rising need for the final event. As he went in and out, Henry buried his head into Madame's boobs, licking, caressing, tweaking continually, wanting to drink their milk, as the sex madness overwhelmed their consciousnesses.Eventually, the reservoir of spunk in Henry's ball-sack reached capacity and with a final detonation of magic, he, the nurse and the magic wand all came together.Henry's cum shot deep into the nurse and then as the vagina was filled to capacity, slowly came bubbling out around his embedded cock to dribble and drip between her legs. Madame closed her eyes, sighed and fell into an erotic dream-filled sleep. Henry, with his boner still firm inside her, fell asleep too, head on her breasts and suckling an enormous teat. The magic wand slowly slipped down the cum covered love tunnel and escaped by following the flow of sperm into a sticky mess on the floor.It was at this point that a somewhat revived George entered the office and then immediately fled back to his bed and pulled the covers up over his head and began to shiver and shake again. George never wanted anything to do with sex again!At about the same time in the Briarwood womens dorm tower, Ariella was discovering that having a magic wand on the loose deep inside her vagina was an experience she might on future occasions forgo for simpler pleasures. Peggy was discovering for the first time, just how deep her hand needed to explore inside a cunt in order to free it of said pesky magic wand. It kept getting away and Peggy and the wand fucked Ariella ever deeper into her love tunnel while Peggy tried to grab the rebellious stick. Of course, she needed to keep everything lubricated and so was using a lot of saliva to lick around Ariella's delicious cunt lips and clit to add to Ariella's natural oils which, the magic wand luckily kept activating and which tasted irresistible.Peggy, was now nearly as turned on as it was possible to be and it was lucky, she had a spare hand to pleasure herself at the same time as magic wand chasing in Ariella's magic tunnel. Ariella's earlier enormous ejaculation had covered her face and breasts with silky-smooth goo and she used this now to stimulate herself.Suddenly Peggy had the wand in her hand and she held on despite it being so slippery and treacherous. She could feel the magic coursing down her arm, but she held on tight. She called out to the wand "Let go!" and it did. It let go an enormous flash of magic that lifted both gals off the bed. Ariella, screamed with delight and sex juices coursed down Peggy's arm as she pulled the sparkling stick out of Ariella's cunt and, without thinking, plunged it into her own. Wanting to experience an orgasm like her friend's, again, she shouted "Let go!"Peggie firmly held on to the wand as the magic orgasm fully hit her. Finally, she pulled the wand out and leapt onto Ariella, grinding her body into the other babe's, breasts, sliding over each other with the magic lubrication. Peggy kissed Ariella fully and deeply each tongue fighting each other for dominance as the shudders of orgasm gradually subsided and sleep overcame them.It was at this point that the house-elf, Gertrude, teleported into the room and stood staring at the two beautiful teen human gals as they slept peacefully with limbs entwined, skin still glistening with their cunt juices.Also about this time, Snake stopped fucking Priti and lifted the coed onto the bed besides Sabrina. Both gals sat side by side, with legs spread and glistening wet pussies. Like a man possessed he climbed onto the bed, his legs on either side of Sabrina's hips and presented his engorged snakehead first to the young lesbian breasts, smearing the nipples with Priti's juices and then to Sabrina's mouth. Despite the attractive aroma of Priti on Snake's dick, Sabrina kept her lips closed. She was not attracted to men, and was not a fan of hard boners.Snake rubbed her closed lips with his penis, his breath heavy and his heart pounding. Sabrina was the more attractive of the two and is his current state, enchanted by Ariella's sex charm, he really wanted to fuck her silly. He lowered his dick to her breasts and caressed them again gently with the bulbous head, making Sabrina gasp.Then Priti moved from her position and put one hand between Sabrina's legs and took a nipple in her mouth to suck. Sabrina gasped again and the ministrations from Priti started to work. Snake again presented his cock to Sabrina's mouth which involuntarily opened as she moaned as Priti rubbed her clit. Snake rubbed the cock across her now moist lips and they opened further to reveal firmly closed pearly white teeth. He now rubbed the teeth as Priti worked her magic and with a final gasp Sabrina opened her mouth and licked the tip of Snakes penis which was again oozing precum. Then as her own excitement mounted, she opened her mouth fully and took in a good few inches of the monstrous boner and started working on it roughly, making Snake wince.In moments Priti was beside her and they worked on the teacher's cock together, sliding their mouths along its length and then kissing each other deeply as they came to the tip. Snake was finding this too exciting and he still wanted his cock inside the lesbian Sabrina. Moving backwards, he stood on the floor between Sabrina's legs and lay forward and covered her naked body, his hands and tongue fondling and suckling her delicious breasts. As he did this, he knelt and move his cock towards his final goal, the wet and sopping cunt that had never had a cock inside.As if hiding what Snake was trying to do, Priti turned and presented her cunt to Sabrina's eager mouth which engaged willingly with her cunt and clit.Snake raised himself from Sabrina's now wet and aroused breasts and started to kiss Priti deeply as his cock moved resolutely towards Sabrina's sacred place. He gently rubbed the chick's engorged clit with the tip and Sabrina wriggled with mounting excitement. Then just as carefully, he moved his dick up and down the length of Sabrina's slit, massaging it as Priti started on her clit.After some minutes of patient work, Snake found the widening hole and pushed gently, the vagina expanding gradually to let him in and then he was there thrusting into the 18-year-old's cunt with long slow thrusts. He felt Sabrina's muscles tighten around him and they got into rhythm, all the time Sabrina working her tongue on Priti and Priti played with her clit and cunt lips and Snake's snake moved slowly in and out.Sabrina who by this time was enjoying the thrusting cock as she made love to Priti, began to whimper and moan and the thrusts became more urgent until with a scream and a cackle Sabrina came in a double orgasm, she finger-fucked Priti as the orgasm spread through her and Priti also screamed as an orgasm hit her.Snake withdrew before he came inside Sabrina and Priti slid down next to her friend, her arm around the shoulder of the other gal. Their lips met and mouths opened as a shower of cum was released by Snake straight into their faces and dripping down onto their tits. The gals kissed deeply then eagerly licked the sperm from each other's faces before kissing again. Then they started on each other's breasts, sucking sperm of each other's nipples and then sharing it again in wet spermy kisses.Snake was becoming aroused again at this too erotic sight and grabbing and lifting the petite Priti as if she were a sack of apples, he plunged into her doggy style, while she lay on top of Sabrina. Sabrina squirmed revealing to him her still open cunt and pulling out of Priti, he dived into Sabrina once more and then went from one gal's cunt to the other until finally he spasmed sperm into Priti's love hole all and all three collapsed in a heap.After a few minutes as they slowly disentangled their sweaty bodies the door of the bedroom swung open and a voice said in shock "Dr. Snake!"Sue was a typical 18-year-old Briarwood gal. Not too good and not that evil. Her full name was Suzanna De Silva Von Großer Zauberer, but everyone called her "Sue".The Großer Zauberer were on the wrong side in the Dark Lord Wars and Sue's parents had died attacking the very college Suzanna De Silva Von Großer Zauberer was now studying at. This might explain why she was known simply as "Sue"!She carried herself with a certain Germanic aristocratic poise, but she was not of blonde Prussian stock. She came from darker more southern German roots. This showed in her fine chestnut hair and olive touch to her skin, the dimple when she smiled and her sense of humor. Her eyes were a pale-grey, an unusual color that tended to look white and haunting in the dark.Sue and other senior pupils had arrived at their advanced potions class and were waiting patiently the arrival of Doctor Snake to take the class. Most unusually, Doctor Snake was late, so Sue daydreamed idly of using her magical powers to seduce the rather attractive Falcon House guy, Eustace, sitting next to her.She doodled on her pad. Unlike most of the Slither-In gals Sue had not used her magic-wand to create a perfectly smooth hairless pubis, but instead had created an exquisite lightning bolt of short chestnut pubes that pointed directly to her clit. "Give him a clue!" she had thought. She drew the design on her pad and added the detail of her vagina and where to find the clit before it emerged in excitement. Eustace looked at her drawing with interest, and edged a little closer on the bench, so that their legs were touching.Lucille l'Astique, had been getting increasingly impatient in Snake's absence and decided that her French aristocratic patience had run its course. The beautiful strawberry-blonde, with honey-gold skin and a body to die for, rose from her seat and asked "Anyone want to make the best love potion in the world? We need not wait for the late Snake, I know the recipe."There was a general consent from the class that this would be a good idea, at least until Snake appeared.Lucille began to exuded her sex glamour and then explained that the potion they were making was a bit daring and would require for a little female nudity. The two senior guys obviously did not object as a knowing smirk reached their lips. However, there was some little reticence from the two Falcon and one Honeybun gals - although a buzz of excitement was growing inside each of them.With a shiver of anticipation, Suzanna De Silva Von Großer Zauberer stood up to her full 5'6" and announced, that being from a family of do-darers and experimenters, and, even if she was only now known as "Sue", she would volunteer to be naked for the experiment. Of course there was to be no hanky-panky!Because of the sex glamour the students began to forget about the possibility of Snake appearing, the teacher's table was cleared and with encouragement from Lucille and an excited Eustace, Sue carefully stripped and laid herself with aristocratic languor the length of it, her lightning-bolt pointing directly to the top of her slit.It might be said that at this point that Eustace's tongue was hanging out hoping to find itself at the tip of the lightning bolt, but there you go, when you have a naked Sue to drool over, nature takes its course."Now!" said Lucille, "The first part of the potion is freshly made cunt oil and we all know where that comes from!"Eustace and his fellow Falconer, Redford, looked at little confused - there were no cats in the lab as far as they knew. Sue pointed to the lightning bolt and Eustace's eyes widened. The Honeybun gal, Stella, was shocked. "You are not going to masturbate her are you?" she asked, outraged."Non, ma petite! We will make it produce itself by magic - no touching allowed!"Lucille got the three other gals and the four guys to form a semi-circle around the desk and she herself, closed the circle at the bottom, where she could look up between the beautiful thighs to the tight thin line of Sue's tightly closed vagina.Eustace and Redford stood by Sue's hips, Janette and Jill from Falcon stood by her naked breasts, while Stella stood nervously at Sue's head.Lucille took her magic wand and, mumbling an incantation under her breath, lowered the wand within an cat's paw of Sue's clit. Sue started to writhe and Lucille instructed the other pupils to hold Sue's arms and legs so she could not move.Sue closed her eyes as ecstasy overwhelmed her, a fiery androgynous figure appeared to float above her and a long fiery tongue extended from the phantom to her clit, teasing it and making it spring forth from the folds of her vulva. She shuddered in a frenzy of excitement and gasped aloud.As Sue's excitement rose, Eustace, holding gently onto Sue's smooth naked thigh, felt an unstoppable erection push up the front of his kilt, he found he was overcome with a desire to fuck someone and someone now, but managed to hold his place. He looked into Redford's eyes on the other side of Sue and knew he was experiencing the same desire.Sue's vagina suddenly flooded with juices along the length of her slit, a clear fluid appeared as in her dreamlike state she neared orgasm from the phantom's probing tongue. She stopped writhing and lay still with a great smirk on her beautiful face.Using her wand, Lucille collected the liquid which clung in the air for a moment in a shining translucent ball and transferred it to a beaker. The aroma of Sue's sex juices filled the room and everyone was filled with sexual longing. "Now", she said, "for the second part. You two guys and gals, swap places."Eustace, his penis rock hard, let go of Sue's thigh and moved very slowly around Janette, his engorged boner pressing into her ass as he inched around. Janette, who's own pants were beginning to stain with her love juices did not object and moved a hand around to lift both the guy's kilt and her own skirt so she could feel the hard oak on her skin as he very slowly moved about her.On the other side of the desk, a similar occurrence was happening, except Jill had grabbed Redford's boner and in a few moments of deft maneuvering had got him to enter her from behind. Seemingly without any embarrassment, she squealed loudly as his cock plunged deep into her and they started to fuck with abandon, Jill bending over Sue's naked body as he thrust in and out. Lucille was not expecting such a rapid reaction to her whiles, but was very pleased - more support for her Sex Goddess campaign.Stella, all alone at Sue's head, also got caught up in the increasing sexual frenzy, started to massage Sue's naked breasts with one hand and thrust the other into her panties to relieve the increasing urge for sex."Stop!" shouted Lucille just as Eustace was about to start fucking Janette. "We are only half way there! We still need the other half of the potion. guys remove those ridiculous kilts and place your beautiful dicks, one on each of Sue's nipples."The guy's, excitement running through them like an eel in water, gave up on the disappointed Falcon gals and came to the table. Ceremoniously, they plonked their erect and hard snakes one on each of Sue's erect nipples. Janette, Jill and Stella watched and slowly began to masturbate unconsciously as they watched on in fascination, licking their lips in anticipation of what those cocks could do inside their now soaking cunts.Sue, in her dream state, dreamt was being massaged by a dozen gentle hands, her nipples now rising engorged and hard as invisible angels drove her to further ecstasy.Lucille instructed Redford and Eustace to circle the crowns of their dicks around the nipples and soon precum appeared from the top of each boner, lubricating Sue's nipples with a shiny gleam. She then took her wand and started to transfer Eustace's sex oil into the test tube with Sue's. However, before she could come to Redford, he gave a great gasp and sperm spurted out over the teen gal's erect tits as, with no control left, he came.Eustace nearly followed and there were gasps from the gals as they rubbed ever harder at their overexcited clits. "Idiot!" screamed "Lucille, luckily I got the oil from Eustace before you lost control. Stella, please lick clean this cum so we can continue."The previously innocent Honeybun gal, Stella, was finding the current situation rather overwhelming, a virgin with little knowledge of sex, she found herself filled with almost uncontrollable desires. Without being asked, she slowly and deliberately, she removed her blouse and bra and with ample tits pressing into Sue's face leant forward to start the job of licking clean the spunk covered tits. She paused at the first taste of cum and considered its salty, almost fishy taste. Finding is agreeable, she set forth with gusto, the spunk covering her lips as she sucked and licked.Janette and Eustace began to kiss deeply and Eustace deftly removed the gal's blouse and bra to reveal a beautiful pair of breasts which he went on to suckle with enthusiasm as the gal grabbed and started to tug at his cock.Redford was rather embarrassed at his premature ejaculation and went and sat on one of the chairs, cock shrinking and floppy. Jill now was even more desperate for a fuck and kneeling between his legs took the soft member into her mouth, tasting the last of his cum and started to work the guy back to excitement.Lucille told a reluctant Stella to remove herself from Sue and ordered the others back to their places around the desk. By this time Lucille was the only one who was in anyway dressed and she smiled wickedly to herself as the desperate 18 year olds fought the desire simply to fuck each other stupid.She held up the beaker and in a stage whisper said "Nearly ready!" Parting Sue's legs, she bent down to the gal's dripping vagina and sucked the love juices into her mouth, mixed it with her saliva and spat the mix into the beaker. It glowed a brilliant green. Touching it with her magic wand, the mixture bubbled and increased in volume until the beaker was filled. "Now!", she said "to taste. Each of you take a sip."But, as she approached Eustace, the door was suddenly flung open and Doctor Snake appeared in the doorway. Lucille raised her wand and thrust the potion into Eustace's hand.Snake, quickly taking in the scene and knowing the cause of it hit Lucille's wand with an "Expelliarmus!" As the wand flew through the air Lucille charged forward to try and grab it before it reached the teacher, but Snake was too fast and had her trapped in a magic net, which tripped her and she fell to the floor bound tightly.

In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for hostage in Germanic languages, and words related to engagement in Finnic languages. The Proto-Celtic word *geistlos means hostage or bail, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeydʰ- (to yearn for, to desire) [source] Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: giall [ɟiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, pledge in […]

Thursday, 11 September 2025   Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. Matthew 13:5   “And others, it fell upon the rock-like, where it had not much earth, and immediately it out-rose through not having soil depth” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus continued His parable concerning the sower and his seed, noting that some seed fell on the road, explaining that the birds came and devoured them. He next tells of what happens to some of the other seed, saying, “And others, it fell upon the rock-like, where it had not much earth.”   A new adjective, petródés, is introduced. It is derived from petra, a rock or mass of rocks, and eidos, a view as in a form, appearance, shape, etc. As such, it is a place appearing rocky. In this case, it would be a rocky area, but not everything rock-like is actually rocky, such as a wall painted like rocks.   In this case, it may be an area where stones that have been tilled up are tossed, heaping up in a pile. It also might be an outcropping of rocks that abuts the tillable land. Whatever the situation, the sower, while tossing out his seed, inadvertently has some land on this rocky area. When he does, Jesus next says, “and immediately it out-rose.”   A second new word, exanatelló, is used. It is derived from ek, out or from, and anatelló, to rise or spring up. The seed feels the warmth of the sun, and the rock may have had dew settle on it, spurring the seed to germinate and begin to rise. There is a problem with this, though. Jesus notes what it is, saying, “through not having soil depth.”   A third new word, bathos, deep or a depth, is introduced. Some etymologists place this word as the origin of our modern word bath. Others say that it is derived from a Germanic word. Either way, the seed has no soil to cover it. Jesus will explain the result of those seeds' germination in the coming verse.   Life application: The parable of the sower is given based on something almost every person there would fully understand. The society was mostly agrarian. There are those who had other professions, but even those people would be at least familiar with what happened when a seed landed on a rocky spot.   In other words, Jesus is dealing with the people in a manner they would be able to comprehend if they thought the matter through. They may not understand the spiritual application He intended, but at least they would know what was being conveyed concerning seeds.   His speech was plain and directed to them without a lot of nonessential extras. This is just how we should speak to people about the gospel. God has made it extremely simple to understand. So much so is this the case that little children can hear it and be saved. People who are mentally challenged can comprehend it and call on Christ.   And more, it is universal in its ability to convert. It is not limited to some cultures, a “western” mindset, skin color, age, education level, or any other dividing factor. God is perfect and holy, and man is fallen and separate from God because of sin. In this state, he is condemned.   However, God sent Jesus to live the perfect life that we cannot. He was crucified for our sins according to Scripture. He was buried. He rose again on the third day according to Scripture. This is the gospel, the good news, that saves a person when he believes. Nothing else is needed, and its effects are eternal.   Tell this message to a little child who just got caught stealing a cookie, and he will get it. Tell it to a prostitute who wants to be freed from the life she is living, and she will get it. Tell it to a doctor or a scientist, and he will understand the meaning.   The message will be understood. The issue isn't whether a person will hear and understand. It is whether a person will hear and believe. All God wants for His gospel to effect salvation is for the hearer to accept the premise, admit that they have sinned, and believe that God has accomplished what is necessary to bring about restoration.   How simple the message is, and yet how difficult it is for some to believe. And more, people may hear the message and reject it today, but hear it again tomorrow and believe. So keep on giving the simple message of salvation to those who need to hear it.   Glorious God Almighty, with all the wisdom You possess and with all the knowledge in the universe held by You, when it comes to saving humanity, You made the message so simple. There is no need to search high or low, or north or south. Rather, it is right with us when it is spoken in our ears. May we be responsible enough to share it with those who so desperately need You. Amen.  

"The Church History Podcast" explores the pivotal moments, influential figures, and theological developments that have shaped Christianity throughout history. Hosted by Rachel Chen, each episode features Church Historian, Bishop Andy C. Lewter, who brings scholarly insight and engaging storytelling to illuminate how the church has navigated challenges, adapted to change, and influenced civilization across two millennia.Episode SummaryToday's episode explores one of history's most transformative periods—the birth of the Middle Ages. This episode examines how the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of Germanic tribes fundamentally reshaped both European civilization and Christianity itself.What You'll Discover:The true story behind the so-called "barbarian invasions"—really a complex process of migration, settlement, and cultural integrationHow Germanic tribes like the Goths, Visigoths, and Vandals established new kingdoms across former Roman territoriesThe Church's brilliant adaptive strategies for converting Arian Christian tribes to orthodox faithDramatic papal diplomacy, including Pope Leo I's legendary encounters with Attila the Hun and Genseric the VandalThe remarkable partnership between Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and his influential wife TheodoraHow the magnificent Hagia Sophia became a theological statement in stone and goldThe contrasting development of papal authority in the West versus imperial control of the Church in the EastWhy this period established patterns that would define medieval Christianity for centuriesPerfect for:History enthusiasts curious about the transition from ancient to medieval worldsChristians interested in how their faith adapted during times of massive changeAnyone fascinated by the intersection of politics, culture, and religionListeners who enjoy expert analysis delivered through engaging conversationExpert Guest: Harvard graduate and Church Historian, Bishop Andy C. Lewter, brings decades of scholarship as Adjunct Professor of Church History at the Beulah Heights Bible University and Historian of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship in addition to his pastorate of two local Baptist Churches in New York City and Long Island, New York.  His expertise illuminates how church leaders navigated unprecedented challenges with remarkable creativity and strategic thinking.

Amy is joined by author and organizer Hilary Giovale to discuss her book, Becoming A Good Relative, and have a transparent conversation about whiteness, white guilt, and finding the difference between appreciation and appropriation on our journeys toward healing and decolonization.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyHilary Giovale is a mother, writer, and community organizer who holds a Master's Degree in Good and Sustainable Communities. She has taught improvisational dance and has served on the boards of philanthropic, human rights, and environmental organizations. Descended from the Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, and Indigenous peoples of Ancient Europe, she is a ninth-generation American settler. For most of her life these origins were obscured by whiteness.After learning more about her ancestors' history, Hilary began emerging from a fog of amnesia, denial, and fragmentation. For the first time, she could see a painful reality: her family's occupation of this land has harmed Indigenous and African peoples, cultures, lands, and lifeways. With this realization, her life changed. Divesting from settler colonialism and whiteness, she seeks to follow Indigenous and Black leadership in support of healing, mutual liberation, and equitable futures. She is the author of Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair (Green Writers Press, October 2024).

In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast, Murray tackles a question from Jörn: How different are an ancient Greek city-state's hoplite phalanx and a Germanic shield wall? While separated by centuries and culture, both formations relied on close-order infantry and cohesion. Murray explores their tactical similarities and differences, the contexts in which they developed, and what each reveals about the societies that used them.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Episode 97 features a conversation with Stijn Fawkes, a Dutch-born Germanic pagan, leader of the Tribe of the Greyhorn Pagans, and host of the Greyhorn Pagans Podcast. Stijn brings his passion for European pagan traditions, alternative history, and the power of story in shaping our collective consciousness.At the heart of our conversation is the great question of Tartaria. Was there truly a lost civilization whose memory has been buried through mudfloods, timeline deceptions, and the rewriting of history? Together we examine how the World's Fairs, ancient myths, and suppressed knowledge may point toward a deeper mystery about humanity's past.From Arthurian legends and tribal traditions to crop circles, cymatics, and the wisdom of the old gods, this dialogue is a journey into both the seen and unseen forces that shape our world. Stijn shares insights on community resilience, pagan revival, and the role of story in reclaiming our connection to the sacred.Connect with Stijn and the Greyhorn Pagans: greyhornpagans.comhttps://t.me/greyhornpagans https://www.instagram.com/greyhornpaganshttps://x.com/GreyhornPodcastGreyhorn Pagans podcast:https://open.spreaker.com/KBNzA3KFnoiHMFaQ7 https://youtube.com/@stijnfawkes 

On this episode of The Wandering Road, we follow the trail of the mysterious Dogman — a creature caught between folklore and nightmare. From chilling sightings across the Americas to Native American stories of wolf spirits, we unravel how humanity's fascination with half-man, half-wolf beings stretches back through time. We'll travel through European legend, from the Germanic tales of wolf-warriors to the infamous Beast of Gévaudan in 18th-century France, exploring how cultures across the world have shaped the myth. Is Dogman a cryptid, a spirit, or a reflection of something deeper in the human psyche? Join us as we journey through history, legend, and fear to uncover the roots of this enduring creature of the shadows.Support the showSOCIAL MEDIATwitter: @TWRoadpodcastIG: twroadpodcastWant to be a guest or share your paranormal experiences? Email us!twroadpodcast@gmail.com

Our Trauma Culture has spread across the globe with terrifying speed and ghastly efficiency.  But the tide is turning and people of good heart in many nations are beginning to understand that what we need now is a move towards a 21st Century Initiation Culture. The language is often different, but at heart, this is where we need to go. Our guest this week, Hilary Giovale, is a mother, writer, facilitator and community organiser who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.  As an active reparationist, she seeks to follow Indigenous and Black leadership in support of human rights, environmental justice, and equitable futures.  She is the author of the award-winning book Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair.Descended from the Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, and Indigenous peoples of Ancient Europe, she is a ninth-generation American settler.  For most of her life these origins were obscured by whiteness.  After learning more about her ancestors' history, Hilary began emerging from a fog of amnesia, denial, and fragmentation.  For the first time, she could see a painful reality: her family's occupation of this land has harmed Indigenous and African peoples, cultures, lands, and lifeways.  This realisation changed her life and part of this change was writing this moving, deeply important book.  Supported by local First Peoples, she undertook four years of fasting ceremonies, and began to engage differently, more deeply and with a new, raw authenticity with those whose ancestors had been most damaged by the Trauma Culture's colonisation of the land. Her book is essential reading for anyone in white culture, wherever we live in the world. It's a raw, unflinching step into discomfort, but it's also a deeply moving memoir of Hilary's journey inward, to dreams, to genuine visionary connection with the land, to the power of heartfelt apology to heal at least some of the generational horror of the Trauma Culture.  So, you'll definitely want to read this. If you're in North America, you can get hard copies easily. If you're elsewhere, you may only be able to get an e-book, but either way, Hilary returns all income she receives from book sales to Decolonizing Wealth Project and Jubilee Justice.  Hilary's website: https://www.goodrelative.comBecoming a Good Relative https://www.goodrelative.com/bookE-book here: on Barnes and Noble  and on KoboGuide to Making a Personal Reparations Plan https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G-ufl_8ixdquMGrDziiBUBAANYKXrN7eHtjiE5aKTfw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1kvofvfw6wnsWhat we offer: Accidental Gods, Dreaming Awake and the Thrutopia Writing Masterclass If you'd like to join our next Open Gathering offered by our Accidental Gods Programme it's  'Dreaming Your Death Awake' (you don't have to be a member) it's on 2nd November - details are here.If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership where we endeavour to help you to connect fully with the living web of life. If you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work at Dreaming Awake, you'll find us here. If you'd like to explore the recordings from our last Thrutopia Writing Masterclass, the details are here

This Day in Legal History: Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation ActOn August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law, reshaping the American welfare system in ways that continue to spark debate. Billed as a way to "end welfare as we know it," the law imposed strict work requirements on recipients and introduced a five-year lifetime limit on federal benefits, regardless of economic conditions. The legislation replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), transforming a federal entitlement into a state-administered block grant system.Supporters of the reform hailed it as a bipartisan success, encouraging employment and reducing long-term dependency. But critics argue that the law eroded the social safety net and punished the poor, particularly single mothers and children, by prioritizing ideological goals over economic realities. States were given broad discretion in how to allocate funds, leading to uneven access and accountability. Many used their new flexibility not to expand support systems but to restrict eligibility and reduce caseloads, often with little evidence of improved outcomes.The law also failed to account for structural barriers to employment—such as childcare shortages, low wages, and racial discrimination—leaving many without support when they failed to meet work requirements. Moreover, the block grant's fixed funding has not kept pace with inflation or need, effectively shrinking welfare over time. While welfare rolls dropped sharply in the years following the reform, poverty did not—suggesting that many were simply pushed out of the system rather than lifted out of hardship. The 1996 law codified a narrative of moral failing over structural inequality, framing poverty as a matter of personal irresponsibility rather than systemic dysfunction.A federal judge ordered an immediate halt to new construction at the controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention center in Florida's Everglades. The facility, championed by Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, was barred from accepting new detainees and required to dismantle supporting infrastructure—including generators, waste systems, fencing, and lighting—within 60 days. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, sided with environmental groups who argued the project violated federal, state, and local environmental laws.The detention center, estimated to cost $450 million annually and house up to 5,000 detainees, had drawn backlash for its location in a fragile wetland ecosystem populated by endangered species. Environmental advocates and some local leaders had long criticized the plan, noting it conflicted with decades of political pledges to protect and restore the Everglades. The Department of Homeland Security had tapped FEMA funds to support the project, raising additional controversy over funding priorities.In her ruling, Judge Williams emphasized that the project ran counter to longstanding legislative commitments to environmental protection. Florida has already filed an appeal, but environmental groups hailed the decision as a critical victory. Despite mounting opposition, Trump dismissed ecological concerns and reaffirmed his intent to replicate the model nationally as part of his broader immigration crackdown.Judge orders halt to new construction at 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center | ReutersAlligator Alcatraz Expansion Blocked for Harm to Environment (1)California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a pair of redistricting bills designed to redraw congressional districts in favor of Democrats—part of an aggressive political response to a newly passed gerrymandered map in Texas. Both states are now embroiled in legal and constitutional battles, as Republicans and Democrats seek to lock in partisan advantages ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Newsom also set a special statewide election for November 4, asking voters to approve the new map. If passed, it could flip up to five Republican-held House seats and secure four Democratic-leaning swing districts.California's strategy sidesteps its voter-created independent redistricting commission, which has been enshrined in the state constitution since 2010 to prevent political interference. Because of that, lawmakers are now required to get voter approval to implement their plan—creating a high-stakes ballot measure, Proposition 50. Republicans and good-government advocates, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charles Munger Jr., have vowed to fight the plan in court and on the ballot. A pending GOP lawsuit argues the legislature violated the state's 30-day waiting period for new bills, pushing through the redistricting effort without proper transparency.In Texas, the Republican-controlled legislature approved a new congressional map at the urging of President Trump, hoping to maintain a narrow House majority. Voting rights groups immediately challenged the plan, claiming it violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by racially diluting Black and Latino voting power. The case will be heard by a federal three-judge panel in El Paso, with a likely fast track to the U.S. Supreme Court. Texas Republicans, including Governor Greg Abbott, deny any racial bias and argue the map reflects demographic shifts and Republican gains among minority voters.This escalating redistricting clash highlights the legal vulnerability of U.S. voting systems when partisan manipulation goes unchecked. Though the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that federal courts cannot weigh in on partisan gerrymandering, racial gerrymandering remains justiciable under the Voting Rights Act. Meanwhile, California Democrats are relying on voter sentiment—and Trump's unpopularity in the state—to justify a temporary abandonment of anti-gerrymandering principles.Explainer: The legal battles over redistricting in Texas and California | ReutersNewsom Signs California Redistricting Plan to Counter Texas Republicans - The New York TimesA federal judge ruled that Alina Habba, President Trump's controversial appointee as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, had no legal authority to hold the office after her temporary term expired. U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann found that the Trump administration violated federal law by firing Habba's court-selected successor, Desiree Grace, and then using a series of procedural maneuvers to reinstall Habba. These included appointing her as “special attorney,” then naming her first assistant U.S. attorney to invoke the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.Brann concluded that Habba was unlawfully performing the duties of U.S. Attorney as of July 1 and that her actions from that point forward “may be declared void.” The ruling blocks her from overseeing or participating in criminal cases, and it extends to prosecutors operating under her supervision. The judge criticized the administration's strategy as an attempt to bypass Senate confirmation entirely by exploiting loopholes in temporary appointment rules, warning that this interpretation could let the executive branch install preferred prosecutors indefinitely.The Trump-appointed Attorney General, Pam Bondi, vowed to appeal, and Brann stayed his ruling pending the outcome. Still, the decision casts a shadow over prosecutions under Habba's leadership, and some courts in New Jersey have already paused proceedings. Brann also rejected the idea that firing interim appointees before their terms expire could justify continual reappointments without oversight.Defense attorneys in the case that triggered the ruling argued that the executive branch cannot sidestep a process designed to check prosecutorial power through judicial or Senate involvement. Though the judge refused to throw out defendant Cesar Pina's indictment—since the investigation began before Habba's unlawful tenure—the ruling reinforces that prosecutorial authority must be rooted in lawful appointment.Alina Habba Blocked From Handling Cases in Rebuke to Trump (3)This week's closing theme is by Claude Debussy.This week's closing theme comes from Debussy, born on August 22, 1862—an apt choice as we mark the anniversary of his birth. Debussy was a revolutionary figure in Western music, often associated with Impressionism, though he rejected the label. He sought to break from the rigid structures of the Germanic tradition, instead favoring color, atmosphere, and suggestion over clear-cut form and resolution. His music evokes shifting light, fluid motion, and emotional ambiguity—more akin to poetry or painting than to classical architecture.One of his early works, Rêverie, composed in the 1890s, offers a glimpse into the world he would come to define. The title means “daydream,” and the piece unfolds with a gentle, unhurried lyricism that floats outside of time. Though simple in construction, it is harmonically rich and emotionally resonant—hinting at the innovations to come in Clair de Lune, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, and Pelléas et Mélisande.Rêverie was one of Debussy's first pieces to gain public attention, though he later dismissed it as “a piece for salon use.” Listeners have disagreed ever since. Its introspective tone and delicate touch make it a lasting favorite among pianists and audiences alike. It feels like a whisper—never urgent, never insistent, always inviting. In that sense, it's a fitting farewell for the week: contemplative, unresolved, and open to interpretation.Without further ado, Claude Debussy's Rêverie enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Just because Bock focuses on Germanic style beers, doesn't mean they don't carry a full suite of some of the finest new world beers out there. Proof in point, we open up a Russian River Pliny The Elder and talk about the beer release from SanDiegoBeer.News and McIlhenny Brewing Higher 5 IPA you can try this weekend for the SanDiegoBeer.News 5th Anniversay party at Bock!

Its nice to have a break from the San Diego Common (aka DIPA) and focus on some more traditional Germanic beers. Today AJ from Bock brings one of the more celebrated Pilsners from The Black Forest, Rothaus Pils.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! Long after the smoke from the battlefields died down, long after the ravens had eaten their fill, the Migration Era lived on in Germanic heroic legend, well into the Middle Ages. For centuries after the battles and events of that era, people throughout Europe were crafting legends and sagas that repurposed and mythologized those events, sometimes recasting major figures from that time into villains and heroes of a later saga. Goths and Huns figured prominently.  And that is our subject today: who got mythologized, and how. Sponsors and Advertising This episode is sponsored by Taskrabbit. Get 15% off your first task at Taskrabbit.com or the Taskrabbit app using promo code HISTORY. This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It took little more than a single generation for the centuries-old Roman Empire to fall. In those critical decades, while Christians and pagans, legions and barbarians, generals and politicians squabbled over dwindling scraps of power, two men – former comrades on the battlefield – rose to prominence on opposite sides of the great game of empire. Roman general Flavius Stilicho, the man behind the Roman throne, dedicated himself to restoring imperial glory, only to find himself struggling for his life against political foes. Alaric, King of the Goths, desired to be a friend of Rome, was betrayed by it, and given no choice but to become its enemy. Battling each other to a standstill, these two warriors ultimately overcame their differences in order to save the empire from enemies on all sides. And when Stilicho fell, Alaric took vengeance on Rome, sacking it in 410, triggering the ultimate downfall of the Western Empire. To discuss this critical decade in Western history is Don Hollway, author of “At the Gates of Rome: The Fall of the Eternal City, AD 410.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast, host Joe Adams sits down with Jesse Stillwagon to explore the raw, misunderstood, and powerful journey of Germanic Heathenry, ancestral wisdom, and deep emotional healing.From discovering Norse Paganism and wrestling with childhood trauma, to embracing nature, plant medicine, and spiritual truth—Jesse's path is both vulnerable and inspiring.Tune in for a deep conversation on: • Spiritual awakening through darkness • What it truly means to be Heathen in today's world • The fire of tradition, not the worship of ashes • Healing trauma through ancient wisdom, not doctrine

Hey Gang! Welcome to Weird Web Radio! This episode features Bat Collazo! Bat is one of my favorite humans in life, and I'm honored to call Bat my friend! SUPER IMPORTANT - CONTENT WARNING - Discussion including the topics of child sexual abuse, and association with known predators happens around the one hour mark. There is also an audio content warning before it begins so you can be informed for your own safety. This is all part of the discussion concerning the Troth's removal of Diana Paxson. At no point in this conversation is Diana Paxson accused of any crimes. At the time of this episode release there is also no public response from Diana Paxson concerning Bat's allegations or The Troth's removal.  Bat and I first dig into ghosts and hauntings! Then we have to chat about Loki and family! We get into magic, ritual, and all kinds of fun rabbit holes. The discussion does include a section concerning Bat's role and experiences concering xer enormous integrity and courage as the whistleblower in The Troth's removal of Diana Paxson in 2024. See the content warning above.  BAT'S BIO: Bat Collazo is a queer, multiracial Heathen, Pagan, and witch, with lifelong enthusiasm and close to 15 years of active practice. As an animist, the core of Bat's practice is relationality with others and Others as complex, real people with agency. Bat strives to resist authoritarianism, abuse, and oppression, and to help build freer, healthier ways of being. Bat's magical focus includes but is not limited to Germanic spirituality, traditional fairies, the dead, and the land, with formal, oathed commitments to the Norse god Loki, Robin Goodfellow, and the folkloric Jack. Bat is a published author and poet, the editor of Blood Unbound: A Loki Devotional, and a work-in-progress classical singer, which is, in part, a devotional act for Odin, giver of breath. For more publications, info, and events, check out batcollazo.com. BAT on The Web: Personal / Professional Site - https://batcollazo.com  Relevant Links: Troth Response After Bat's Allegations: https://thetroth.org/official-announcements/public-statement-regarding-allegations-against-troth-elder/ Troth Announcement of Diana Paxson's Removal: https://thetroth.org/official-announcements/diana-paxson-removed-from-the-troth/ The Wild Hunt Coverage of Diana's Removal From The Troth: https://wildhunt.org/2024/05/the-troth-removes-diana-paxson-from-all-positions-in-unanimous-decision.html Enjoy the show! Stay Weird! Want to know what Bat and I Talk about in the bonus portion?! All that and more in the members only bonus audio extended interview! Join here! It's time to sport a new look? Hell yes! Check out the Official Weird Web Radio Store for Shirts, Hoodies, Hats, and more! Real quick! Do you want a Tarot Reading from an international award winning professional? Look no more! I'm here! Go to my site http://tarotheathen.com to reserve your reading today! You can also come join the Facebook discussion group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weirdwebradio/ New Instagram for Weird Web Radio! Follow for unique content and videos! https://www.instagram.com/weirdwebradio/ You can make a One-Time Donation to help support the show and show some love! Is this show worth a dollar to you? How about five dollars? Help support this podcast! That gets you into the Weird Web Radio membership where the extra goodies appear! Join the membership at patreon.com/weirdwebradio or at weirdwebradio.com and click Join the Membership! SHOW NOTES: SUBSCRIBE ON Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and Spotify! Also streaming on mobile apps for podcasts! Intro voice over by Lothar Tuppan. Outro voice over by Lonnie Scott Intro & Outro Music by Nine Inch Nails on the album ‘7', song title ‘Ghost', under Creative Commons License.

By the year AD 719, the Arab/Berber army had conquered Iberia and was invading Gaul or what is modern France. They seemed unstoppable. Would western Europe fall to Islam? And would the Qu'ran be taught in the schools of Oxford, as Edward Gibbon rather mischievously speculated. Of course, Gibbon knew the outcome. The Arab advance into France came to a shuddering halt at the battle of Poitiers, or Tours as it's sometimes called, in 732 when Charles Martel, or Charles the Hammer, would inflict the first major defeat on the Arabs in western Europe just as the emperor Leo III did in the east in 717/718 at the siege of Constantinople. Thereafter, the Arabs' hopes of adding Europe to their vast empire would be checked in the west by the Franks, and in the east by the Byzantines.In episodes 111 to 113, we looked at the Byzantines, and in the next few episodes I want to look at their western counterpart: the Franks. It comes as no surprise to say the Franks were important in history. Indeed, crucial. For they not just halted the Arab invasion of western Europe but under their greatest king, Charlemagne, they created a vast empire encompassing modern France, and much of Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Low Countries – in other words most of western Europe. Some historians believe Charlemagne's empire – the Carolingian empire - was the starting point for modern Europe although it broke up fairly rapidly after his death. It would of course take the best part of a thousand years for that to happen but when Charlemagne was crowned as the new Roman emperor in AD 800 in Rome, in my opinion, the Franks rose above all the other Germanic invaders of the Roman Empire to become the true inheritors in western Europe of the once mighty Roman Empire. In this episode, we'll look at the beginning of their rise to power with the reign of the Frankish king Clovis (482-511), who forged the first strong Frankish kingdom in what is now France. For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.

Today Razib talks to David  Gress, a Danish historian. The son of an American literary scholar and a Danish writer, he grew up in Denmark, read Classics at Cambridge, and then earned a Ph.D. in medieval history from Bryn Mawr College in the US in 1981. During a fellowship form 1982-1992 at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, he published on Cold‑War strategy, German political culture, and Nordic security. He has been a visiting fellow and lecturer at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, fellow at the Danish Institute of International Affairs, an assistant professor of Classics at Aarhus University, and professor of the history of civilization at Boston University. He co‑directed the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia and remains a senior fellow of the Danish free‑market think tank CEPOS while writing a regular column for Jyllands‑Posten. His breakthrough book, From Plato to NATO: The Idea of the West and Its Opponents (1998), argues that Western success sprang from a hard‑edged fusion of Roman order, Germanic liberty, Christian morality, and Smithian economics, rather than being a single disgraceful arc from Greco‑Roman‐paganism to secular Enlightenment that bypassed the Middle Ages. Razib asks Gress how he would have written Plato to NATO today, more than 25 years later, and he says he would have emphasized Christianity's role in creating a unified Western culture out of Greco-Roman and Germanic diversity more. Gress also reiterates that he does not deny the Greek foundation of Western Civilization, but rather, his work was a corrective to a very thin and excessively motivated and partisan narrative that stripped out vast periods of European history. They also discuss Gress' own own peculiar identity, the son of an American, born to a Danish mother, raised in Denmark who converted to Catholicism as an adult, and how that all fits into a broader European identity. They also discuss the impact of mass immigration on the national identities of Europe in the last generation, and Gress' opinions as to the European future. Razib also asks Gress about the role that evolutionary ideas may have in shaping human history, and how his own views may have changed since From Plato to NATO. They also discuss when it is plausible to say that the West was a coherent idea, and whether the Protestant Reformation was the beginning of the end for the unitary civilization that was Latin Christendom.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! When Alaric of the Visigoths sacked Rome, it shocked the world—not least because Rome hadn't been sacked in a thousand years. But also, while Rome was a Christian city by now—it had been for decades—the Visigoths were Christian too.  And they weren't recent converts, either. They had all been Christian for over 160 years. Theirs was the earliest conversion of a Germanic people in recorded history. And their Christianity was different than the state religion of Rome. How did that happen, and why? Join us as we try to answer those questions. Sponsors and Advertising This episode is sponsored by Taskrabbit. Get 15% off your first task at Taskrabbit.com or the Taskrabbit app using promo code HISTORY. This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The power of opposition is intense. History has proved again and again how empires have fallen when facing internal weakness and external pressure. From the Persians seeing Alexander the Great sweep across the known world, to the Inca and Aztec’s falling to Spanish conquistadors, and the Western Roman Empire collapsing under the attacks of small Germanic tribes, it is amazing how opposition exploits weaknesses. Nehemiah and the people were making great progress on the walls, but Sanballat, Tobiah the Ammonite, the Arabs, and men of Ashdod were not ok with Jerusalem coming back to power. They began use weapons of mass disruption by taunting the workers and ridiculing their efforts. Sadly, this would likely be enough to deter many today from the Lord’s work. The people held strong through prayer, but then faced the threat of physical attack. This was no longer a group of bullies, but a real life threatening situation with enemies on all sides growing impatient, and putting their destruction. This brought on the natural discouragement of doing hard work under pressure, and the constant fear of attack and failure. For each of us today these same things plague our lives. From ridicule and threat, to discouragement and fear we all constantly see opposition from outside and within. There is a reality of an enemy who hates us. There is the sinful flesh that distracts us. Both of these desire to destroy us. How do we battle them and keep walking in obedience to God’s call? By doing what Ephesians 6 tells us, and armoring up! Join us for one of our worship services this weekend and MBC as we continue in the book of Nehemiah! - Pastor Ben Key Verse - Nehemiah 4:9 - "But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." For Scripture, notes, upcoming events, & more: http://bible.com/events/49450999

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore the Völkerwanderung—the massive Germanic, Slavic, and Arabic migrations (200 BC-600 AD) that transformed Europe from Mediterranean-centered classical civilization into the foundations of medieval Christendom. --

At the begining of the week Mo from Deft Brewing said they focused on three regions of beer styles: British, Germanic and Belgian. Up to this point we've yet to see a Belgian, so Mo is making up for lost time with a 10% ABV monster Belgian Quad called DeftCon 4.

The Fates of Classical Antiquity not only survived in the form of related fairy-tale figures but also as the object of superstitions and rituals associated with newborns. In South Slavic and Balkan regions particularly, these customs represent a surprisingly long-lived and genuine case of pagan survival. We begin our episode examining the fairy godmothers of "Sleeping Beauty" as embodiments of the Fates.  Mrs. Karswell reads a few key passages from the definitive version of the story included in Charles Perrault's 1697 collection, Histoires ou contes du temps passé ("stories of times gone by.") We learn how the fairies fulfill the historical role of godparents at the newborn's christening. We also note the peculiar emphasis on the quality of what's set before the fairies at the christening banquet, observing how a failure there leads the wicked fairy to curse the Sleeping Beauty. 1874 illustration by František Doucha for a Czech edition of Sleeping Beauty We then explore antecedents to Perrault's tale, beginning with the 14th-century French chivalric romance, Perceforest.  A peripheral story in this 8-volume work is that of Troylus and Zeelandine, in which the role of Sleeping Beauty's fairy godmothers are played by Greek and Roman deities, with Venus as supporter of Princess Zeelandine (and her suitor Troylus) and Themis cursing Zeelandine to sleep in a manner similar to Perrault's princess.  A failure to correctly lay out Themis' required items at the christening banquet is again again responsible for the curse, though the awakening of Zeelandine by Troylus awakens is surprisingly different and a notorious example of medieval bawdiness. Preceding Perceforest, there was the late 13th-century French historical romance Huon of Bordeaux, in which we hear of the newborn fairy king Oberon being both cursed and blessed by fairies attending his birth.  From around the same time, French poet and composer Adam de la Halle's Play of the Bower describes a banquet at which fairy guests pronounce a curses and blessings on those in attendance prompted again by their pleasure or displeasure at what's set before them at a banquet. We also  hear of the Danish King King Fridlevus (Fridlef II) bringing his newborn son to a temple of "three maidens" to ascertain the  destiny pf the child in Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes").written around 1200 by Saxo Grammaticus. And lest listeners think such appeals to the Fates were strictly a literary motif, we hear Burchard of Worms, in his early-11th-century Decretum, condemning the not uncommon among the Germans of his region of setting up offering tables for the Fates.  By this point, the connection between how fairy godmother types are served at a banquet and offerings made to the Fates to ensure a cild's fortune should be clear. We then turn back to the Greek Fates, the Moirai (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) and the Roman Parcae (Nona, Decuma, and Morta). Particularly in the case of the Parcae, we hear examples of their connection to the newborn's destiny in the celebration nine or ten days after the birth of the dies lustricus, during which offerings were made to the Fates. The Three Fates by Bernardo Strozzi, late 17th c We make a brief side-trip to discuss the Norns (Urðr, Verðandi and Skuld), the Germanic equivalent of the Fates.  These are more distant cousins, not strongly associated with the newborn and his destiny, though we do hear a passage from the Poetic Edda, in which the Norns are  present birth of the hero Helgi. We also hear a gruesome passage from the 13th-century Njáls Saga, in which the Valkyries weave out the fate of those who will die in the Battle of Clontarf. The Anglo-Saxon equivalent of the Fates, the Wyrds, are also discussed, and we hear how the  witches in Macbeth partook in this identity as the "Weird Sisters," an association Shakespeare inherited from his source material, the 1587 history of Great Britain, known as Holinshed's Chronicles.

In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for doctor in some Germanic languages. The Proto-Celtic word *leigis means healer and either comes from Proto-Germaic *lēkiz (healing, medicine, healer), or directly from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- (to care for) [source]. Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include: lia [l̠ʲiə] = healer, physician in […]

⁠⁠Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! In our last episode about Amalasuintha and the end of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, we said we were next going to turn to the Visigothic Kingdom. But the story of the Visigothic Kingdom can't be told without knowing a little more about the history of Gothic religion.  Both Visigoths and Ostrogoths were Christian by the time they appear in ancient sources. They were the earliest Germanic group to convert to Christianity. But what was their religion like before that? We know almost nothing about it. But not nothing entirely. Join us as we draw back the curtain on a mysterious world lost to time—the world of Gothic paganism. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up everybody?! Today Mark from My Family Thinks I'm Crazy talks to us about the origins of germanic occultism, the skull and bones and so much more! I definitely learned a lot in this episode. Enjoy!

Support Midgard Musings By Clicking Here: https://linktr.ee/MidgardMusingsClick here to visit Fjallvaettir Workshop: https://fjallvaettir.com/Donate to my mother's-in-law GoFundMe for medical equipment upgrades: https://gofund.me/43c134d0Sources cited:Tacitus, Germania, H.R Ellis DavidsonLindauer (1975), Germania: Bericht über Germanien p. 81. Grimm proposed nearly the same as early as 1875; see Grimm, Stallybrass (2004a), p. 344.

In this soft spoken sleepy bedtime story, I invite you around a campfire in the Black Forest and tell you the story of the Ring of the Nibelung. We will follow a cycle of 4 operas by Richard Wagner (the Rhinegold, the Valkyrie, Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods) as a starting point to explore Germanic and Norse mythology, the origins and importance of Germanic Peoples, the creation of national narratives in the 19th Century, the legacy of Wagner, and more. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style bedtime stories read in a calming ASMR voice. Learn something new while you enjoy a restful night of sleep. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LightsOutLibraryov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ¿Quieres escuchar en Español? Echa un vistazo a La Biblioteca de los Sueños! En Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1t522alsv5RxFsAf9AmYfg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ En Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-biblioteca-de-los-sue%C3%B1os-documentarios-para-dormir/id1715193755⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ En Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LaBibliotecadelosSuenosov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the end of everything! Welcome back to Part 2 of our season finale featuring Dr. Charles Liu, co-host Allen Liu, and our guest archaeology expert and author, Hannah Liu, MEd. (If you haven't caught up to Part 1, we highly recommend you do before embarking on the next leg of this journey! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts!) We pick right up where we left off, with the next question from our audience. Daniela asks, “If a black hole hits the Sun, will Earth be destroyed?” Chuck explains a few ways a black hole can mess with our day, including the fact that long before any actual collision took place, the Sun would start shedding material that would destroy us. He compares that unlikely event to the actual example of cosmic destruction we're watching in NGC 4676 – aka “The Mice” – which are two galaxies swirling together in a death spiral playing out over hundreds of millions of years. Naturally, this leads Chuck to ponder what happens when civilizations fall apart here on Earth, and Hannah brings up the collapse of the Roman Empire. As she explains, “the fall of Rome happened a lot of times, and also, no time.” From 44 BCE and the assassination of Julius Caesar, to the 476 invasion and conquest of Rome by the Germanic tribes denoted by Edward Gibbon in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, to the fact ever since nations have claimed to be the descendants or inheritors of Rome. Chuck points out the influence of Gibbon's book on Isaac Asimov's “Foundation” series, followed by a very quick romp through “Decline and Fall of America” literature including The Handmaid's Tale, A Canticle for Liebowitz, Man in the High Castle, and the zombie apocalypse tour de force, World War Z. Then it's time for another question from the audience: Michael says, “I heard that scientists brought back a dire wolf. Could they bring back dinosaurs or animals that could destroy us all?” It turns out, these resurrected animals are just gray wolves that have been engineered to have some characteristics of the extinct predator. It's still a pretty impressive feat, though, and you'll hear how they collected bits and pieces of dire wolf DNA to “resurrect them.” Allen also brings up similar modification experiments they're doing on chickens to make them more dinosaur-like. Allen points out that bioengineered germs are far more likely to cause our destruction than resurrected dinosaurs, regardless of the world envisioned in the Jurassic Park franchise. And speaking of Michael Crichton, Chuck gives us a breakdown of his sci-fi classic, The Andromeda Strain, about bacteria from space that cause a biological outbreak here on Earth. Hannah points out that historically, some of the biggest killers of human beings have been plagues. She gives us a guided tour of the bubonic plagues, from the Black Death, which may have wiped out as much as 60% of the population of Europe, to the Plague of Justinian a thousand years earlier that killed as many as 100 million people, while also name dropping the Antonine Plague and the Spanish Flu!) And that's it Season 4 of The LIUniverse. Stay tuned for Season 5 after the summer. If you want to find out more about what Hannah's impending book, check out the Mixed Identity Project  We hope you enjoy this episode, and this season, of The LIUniverse. If you did, please support us on Patreon Credits for Images Used in this Episode: NGC 4676, aka “the Mice” are two galaxies swirling together.  – Credit: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA; The ACS Science Team: H. Ford, G. Illingworth, M. Clampin, G. Hartig, T. Allen, K. Anderson, F. Bartko, N. Benitez, J. Blakeslee, R. Bouwens, T. Broadhurst, R. Brown, C. Burrows, D. Campbell, E. Cheng, N. Cross, P. Feldman, M. Franx, D. Golimowski, C. Gronwall, R. Kimble, J. Krist, M. Lesser, D. Magee, A. Martel, W. J. McCann, G. Meurer, G. Miley, M. Postman, P. Rosati, M. Sirianni, W. Sparks, P. Sullivan, H. Tran, Z. Tsvetanov, R. White, and R. Woodruff. Plaster replica of Statue of George Washington by Antonio Canova at the North Carolina Museum of History.– Credit: Creative Commons / RadioFan (talk) Dire Wolf Cover of TIME magazine, May 12, 2025. – Credit: TIME magazine Page Museum Display of 404 dire wolf skulls found in the La Brea Tar Pits. – Credit: Creative Commons / Pyry Matikainen The spread of the Black Death in Europe, 1346-1353. – Credit: Creative Commons / Flappiefh - Own work from: Natural Earth ; Cesana, D.; Benedictow O.J., Bianucci R. (2017). Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the Plague. Direct Fluorescent Antibody Stain (DFA), 200x. – Credit: CDC 2057 - US Government public domain image, Courtesy of Larry Stauffer, Oregon State Public Health Laboratory Little Ice Age Temperature Chart. – Credit: Creative Commons / RCraig09 - Own work #liuniverse #charlesliu #allenliu #hannahliu #sciencepodcast #astronomypodcast #hannahliu #apocalypse #armageddon #doomsday #ngc4676 #themice #blackhole #romanempire #direwolf #bubonicplague #blackdeath #yersiniapestis #theandromedastrain #michaelcrichton #jurassicpark #littleiceage

⁠Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! In our last episode, we told you all about the rise of Theodoric the Great and the founding of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy. Now, we're going to tell you all about the women in his family—and the effect they had on his kingdom. Theodoric had a wife, a sister, and three daughters—all of whom played an important role in his empire-building. His wife was the daughter of another powerful Germanic tribe—the Franks—and he married off his sister and two eldest daughters to form strategic alliances. But three times he married off his kin, and three times it blew up in his face. Amalasuintha was Theodoric's youngest daughter—and when he died, she was the last woman standing. For a few years, the Ostrogothic Kingdom had a Queen—but these were turbulent times. Join us as we explore the rule of Amalasuintha and the lives of Theodoric's other tough-as-nails female kin. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Dr.Jenkins looks at how the politics of the Germanic peoples and their posture towards the Byzantine empire play into not only the question of the filioque, but the Schism itself. https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot2025 https://tinyurl.com/OrthEd2025 Byzantine course: https://tinyurl.com/LuxchristiByzantium Still Points: https://tinyurl.com/StillPoints

Our feature monster this week is one whose stories are spun out of urban legends, making him a more recent addition to the monster roster. It's time to talk about the mysterious Mothman. And while we're at it, we'll meet some other mythological figures of fate, destiny, and bad luck from Greek, Celtic, and Germanic mythologies. Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board! All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales. Transcript for Episode 8 If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!). ----more---- Stuff to Read:  Mothman:  Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: An Ode to a Hometown Creature: Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia  Paranormal West Virginia: The Legend of Mothman The Mothman Festival Banshee:  Irish Myths: What Is a Banshee? The Mythic Origins of Ireland's Most Infamous Shrieking Spirit  The Irish Post: Exploring Irish Mythology: The Banshee History Cooperative: The Banshee  Spectral Dogs: 6 Folktales about Black Dogs Britain's Black Dog Legends – 7 Spooky Canines & Hellhounds ‘They called them the demon dogs'- the Cwn Annwn, Welsh Hounds of Hell Wild Hunt:  Norse Mythology: The Wild Hunt  History Today: The Wild Hunt of Odin  Monster of the Week: The Wild Hunt Moros:  At THEOI and Olympoi Stuff to Watch: Our curated YouTube Playlist for this episode!

In the first ever episode of Chronicles, Luca discusses the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. He explores its pagan and Christian duality, its veneration of the Germanic heroic ideal, and J.R.R. Tolkien's scholarship, which transformed it from a historical document into beloved literature.

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr Lectionary: 300The Saint of the day is Saint BonifaceSaint Boniface's Story Boniface, known as the apostle of the Germans, was an English Benedictine monk who gave up being elected abbot to devote his life to the conversion of the Germanic tribes. Two characteristics stand out: his Christian orthodoxy and his fidelity to the pope of Rome. How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions Boniface found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their very ordinations were questionable. These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful. In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops' elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control. During a final mission to the Frisians, Boniface and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for confirmation. In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, Boniface had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent, where he introduced the Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education. Reflection Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith. Saint Boniface is the Patron Saint of: Germany Enjoy these quotes from some of our favorite saints! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejects and The Spiritual Gangsters https://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsVanessa's Tie Dye stuffhttps://www.etsy.com/shop/TruthAndDyesInstagram @truthanddyestruthanddyes@gmail.comRobby Marxhttps://linktr.ee/rmarxHeadless Gianthttps://linktr.ee/headlessgiantpodcastEthan Indigohttps://linktr.ee/ethanindigoJinhttps://linktr.ee/thresholdsaintsRicardohttps://linktr.ee/inst_for_natural_philosophyhttps://x.com/RicardoCalvrio1https://independent.academia.edu/InstituteForNaturalPhilosophyJuliahttps://linktr.ee/xpeach?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaalWjATL9traGoo7dqa8DTBXFSDpxsLJPpEcbSiqjDikDOvvDUaxbDHvV8_aem_pVpLcwmOhlYxBjR22ACcuAMark MFTIChttps://linktr.ee/MFTIC

Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE), a Roman emperor and prominent Stoic philosopher, ruled from 161 to 180 CE. As the last of the Five Good Emperors, his reign marked the end of the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace in the Roman Empire. Known for his military campaigns against Parthians and Germanic tribes, he also endured the devastating Antonine Plague. His philosophical reflections, compiled in Meditations, offer insight into Stoic ethics and personal leadership. Marcus was succeeded by his son Commodus, whose rule marked a decline in Rome's stability. His legacy endures in both historical and philosophical contexts.

Welcome to episode 63 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Hilary Giovale, author of Becoming A Good Relative, Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing & Repair.As Maya Angelou famously said: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Now is our time to do better, to step forward courageously, with open hearts, humility & perseverance to do the work to say this stops now, to play our part in healing & repairing the past to ensure a shift of path for our future. In this deeply thought provoking conversation & through her book, Hilary gently encourages us to reflect on our society & our ancestry to understand the two sided coin of white privilege & white peril, alongside the far reaching impacts of colonisation that have imprinted trauma on Indigenous societies around the world for millennia. She shares the wisdom she has gained over her decade long journey, that started with a revelation that held such guilt & shame it literally brought her sobbing to her knees in the snow. Through cultivating a way of being that shows up with a generous heart, listens & is responsive to what is asked & not what you believe is wanted, she has been blessed by an incredible diversity of people who have generously guided her journey & allowed her to offer their wisdom to us. She goes on to demonstrate the routes for repair, partly through addressing the continued systemic divide that is stubbornly resilient in our societies & is evident in the fact that only 0.04% of Philanthropic dollars in the US benefit Indigenous communities. But also through powerful private ceremonies offering us space for reflection, apology & forgiveness.My hope is that this episode sparks conversation, that you listen with kindness and compassion as I do my best to hold space for these often confronting and challenging conversations that offer us all a place of beginning. I invite you to please share this conversation and join me as we take a first step together and then a second to play our part in raising awareness and then in taking action to unravel and repair the legacy we have inherited but also remember we have the power to redirect the future trajectory of our societies evolution as we come to understand and embody the reality that we are all connected. Learn more about HilaryHILARY GIOVALE is a mother, writer, and community organizer. A ninth-generation American settler, she is descended from Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, and Indigenous peoples of Ancient Europe. As an active reparationist, her work is guided by intuition, love, and relationships. Website: goodrelative.com Instagram: @hilarygiovaleauthorGuide to Making a Personal Reparations PlanLinks to Independent BooksellersSupport the showThank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world. More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography WebsiteConnect with us & join the conversation on social media:Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotographyFacebook @FionaMacKayPhotographyTwitter @FiMacKay

Chris speaks with researcher and author Ross Downing about his book Germanic and Slavic Paganism: Security Threats and Resiliency. Ross, who works with a network of scholars and specialists focused on minority religions and extremism, explores how modern pagan traditions, particularly those rooted in Germanic and Slavic identity, are increasingly weaponized by extremist movements on both sides of the Ukraine War. From the myth of the warrior ideal to the role of neo-paganism in Russian special forces and the Azov movement, Ross unpacks the ideological messiness, spiritual camouflage, and social vulnerabilities that make these belief systems ripe for radicalization. They also discuss the “folkish vs. inclusive” divide, the algorithm's role in spreading conspiratorial spirituality, and why mainstream institutions need to step up—not just to contain extremism, but to support resilient, non-violent expressions of cultural identity. Find Ross's book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/germanic-and-slavic-paganisms-9781350423916/ Watch on YouTube to see Ross talk about Pagan symbols used by Russian and Ukrainian forces: https://youtu.be/IMJ3OH3czMA Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs. Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996 Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com Connect with us on social media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD. Music by Andrew R. Bird Photo by Olga Maltseva/AFP Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.

Saxon mercenaries, collapsing Roman order, and a new chapter for Britain. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Peter Heather to explore the mysterious Saxon migrations, their Germanic roots, and how they shaped early medieval Britain. A gripping dive into post-Roman chaos and emerging kingdoms.MOREThe Fall of Roman Britainhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6vMwL1dueziXVNOwloY9xnThe Origins of Londonhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0vE8PGKJ858AY1bhwd4D0rPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Nick Thomson, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Theme music from Motion Array, all other music from Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here:https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

During the 15th-century, citizens of Nuremberg, Germany, experienced spectacular Carnival parades highlighted by the appearance of floats known as "hells."  Featuring immense figures, including dragons, ogres, and man-eating  giants, these hells were also peopled with costumed performers and enhanced with mechanized effects and pyrotechnics. In this episode, adapted from a chapter of Mr. Ridenour's new book, A Season of Madness: Fools, Monsters and Marvels of the Old-World Carnival, we examine the Nuremberg parade, the Schembartlauf, as it evolves from costumed dance performances staged by the local Butcher's Guild in the mid-1 4th-century into a procession of fantastic and elaborately costumed figures, and finally -- in 1475 - into a showcase for the rolling hells. We begin, however, with an examination of a historical anecdotes sometimes presented as forerunners of  the Carnival parades, and of the Schembartlauf in particular, including two sometimes put forward to support a "pagan survival" theory.  The first involves a ceremonial wagon housing a figure of the putative fertility goddess, Nerthus, hauled about by Germanic peoples in the first century and mentioned in Tacitus' Germania.  The second, also involving a wagon with fertility figure, is described by Gregory of Tours as being hauled through farmers' fields in the 6th-century. Period illustration of costumed figure from a Schembartbuch. Period illustration of costumed figure from a Schembartbuch. A third case involves the mysterious "land-ship," a full-scale wheeled ship hauled from Germany into Belgium, and the Netherlands in 1135. Mentioned exclusively by the Flemish abbot, composer, and chronicler Rudolf of St. Trond in his Gesta Abbatum Trudonensium (Deeds of the Abbots of Trond), it's characterized by the abbot as a sort of pagan temple on wheels and locus of orgiastic behavior, the precise purpose and nature of this peculiar incident remains largely a mystery. We then hear a comic incident imagined in the early 13th-century story of the knight Parzival as told by Wolfram von Eschenbach. By way of analogy to the character's ludicrous behavior, Carnival is mentioned for the first time, or more specifically von Eschenbach use the German word for Carnival, specifically the Carnival of Germany's southwest called "Fastnacht." Our story of the Schembartlauf concludes the show with a description of its ironic downfall through local intrigues fired by the Protestant Reformation. Worth mentioning also, in our Schembart segment, is the heated scholarly debate around objects depicted in period illustrations, which look for all the world like oversized pyrotechnic artichokes. New Patreon rewards related to Mr. Ridenour's Carnival book are also announced in this episode, along with related Carnival-themed merch in our Etsy shop, including our "Party Like it's 1598" shirts featuring Schembart figures.

In this episode, Kimberly and Tommaso share stories from their trip to the Dolomites, including a visit to Sterzing's Christmas market, a somewhat harrowing yet comical drive, and a hotel that doubled as a hair salon. Key Points:

 Road trip: The hosts recount driving to the village of Sterzing near the Austrian border. 
Architectural and Cultural Highlights: Sterzing's Charm: Noting the shift in architecture with a Germanic, Austrian feel.
 Christmas Market: Highlighting the non-commercial, authentic feel of the market. 
Culinary Experiences: 
Aromatic Market: The scents of onions and “worst” (German version of a hot dog) filled the air.
 Food Purchases: Buying honey, wine, cheese, and dried meat for friends. 
Scenic Route Gone Wrong: Back Roads: What seemed pretty on Google Maps turned into a nerve-wracking drive. Driving incident: The hosts recount a hit and run that turned into a very memorable exchange with the driver. 
Hotel Mishap in Treviso: Hair Salon Hotel: Kimberly booked a hotel that was also a hair salon but turned out to be a fine stay with very helpful staff.
 Final Thoughts:
 The hosts learned a lot and hope you did too! Teasing a future episode about Treviso.

The two saints were brothers, born in Thessalonica. St Methodius, the elder brother, served as a soldier for ten years before becoming a monk. Cyril was librarian at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; then he too became a monk.   Their first missionary work was not among the Slavs: When the king of the Khazars (a Mongol people who then inhabited much of what is now Russia) petitioned the Emperor Michael to sent teachers to instruct his people, the Emperor chose Cyril and Methodius as his emissaries. They converted the Khazar king to the Christian faith, along with many of his nobles and commoners.   When King Rostislav of Moravia likewise sought teachers of the Christian faith, Cyril and Methodius were again sent forth. This time they devised an alphabet for the Slavic language and used it to translate many of the Greek service books into the language of the people. (In theory, the Orthodox people have always been privileged to hear the Church's services in their own tongue, though often attachment to dead languages has prevented this ideal from becoming reality.) Both brothers were repeatedly attacked by Germanic priests of the region, who opposed the use of the common tongue in the liturgy. At different times, both brothers were forced to appeal for exoneration and protection to the Pope of Rome, who supported them warmly each time.   After the two Saints reposed, attacks on their work continued, and their disciples were eventually driven from Moravia. The disciples, fleeing southward, found a warmer welcome among the southern Slavic peoples, and their work bore much fruit in Bulgaria (including modern-day Serbia) and other countries. And, of course, the alphabet that they devised, called Cyrillic after St Cyril, remains the standard alphabet of both the Slavonic service books of the Church and the Slavic languages of today.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 10, 2025 is: chary • CHAIR-ee • adjective Chary is usually used with about or of to describe someone who is cautious about doing something. // The director is chary about spending money. // I've always been chary of travelling alone. See the entry > Examples: “Overall, Rendell is chary about divulging the selling price of various documents, but he does occasionally reveal some financial details.” — Michael Dirda, The Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2024 Did you know? How did chary, which began as the opposite of cheery, become a synonym of wary? Don't worry, there's no need to be chary—the answer is not dreary. Chary's Middle English predecessor, charri, meant “sorrowful,” a sense that harks back to the Old English word cearig, meaning “troubled, troublesome, taking care,” which ultimately comes from an assumed-but-unattested Germanic word, karō, meaning “sorrow” or “worry,” that is also an ancestor of the word care. It's perhaps unsurprising then, that chary was once used to mean “dear” or “cherished.” Both sorrow and affection have largely faded from chary, and today the word is most often used as a synonym of careful.