Episode 016: Henry’s Ghosts

The Mortician’s Daughter brings you a monthly meditation on the macabre to help you face your existential crisis head on. From rigor mortis to dark goddesses of the graveyard, The Mortician’s Daughter will be covering an array of grim and occasionally gruesome topics. All things death are open to exploration…

Henrys Ghosts 700

Episode 016: Henry’s Ghosts

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 016: Henry's Ghosts
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In this episode, I’m honoring a special birthday request for more ghost stories, but rather than just running through an assortment of haunted places, I thought it would be fun to focus on the ghosts that surround one historical figure: King Henry VIII of England. Henry the VIII’s romantic life, and his six wives, has held our fascination for centuries so we’ll be discussing the lives (ahem, I mean, afterlives) of his many brides… King Henry’s ghosts.

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TMD All Hallows Eve 700

Episode 015: All Hallows Eve

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 015: All Hallows Eve
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There are so many different festivals and holidays around the end of October that merged together to form what we in the USA call Halloween and today I’d like us to untangle some of those threads together. We’ll walk through some of the history of the holiday from the ancient festival of Samhain to the present-day consumer megabeast we know and love…

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Episode 014: Odds and Endings

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 014: Odds and Endings
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For this episode, I discuss some odds & ends I’ve discovered on this podcasting journey. Sometimes my research turns up interesting tidbits that I don’t get to talk about during our brief monthly meditation. So I’ve gathered some favorites here including the paradoxical frog, toxic people, spontaneous combustion, and more…

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lucky number thirteen 13

Episode 013: Lucky Number Thirteen

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 013: Lucky Number Thirteen
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This episode just so happens to be Lucky Number 13 so I thought this would be the perfect time to explore my lucky number and the superstitions surrounding it. We’ll get into some of the history of its unlucky status, its present day impact, Friday the 13th, and more. You can also hear Carly say “paraskevidekatriaphobia” several times…

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shared despair

Episode 012: Shared Despair

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 012: Shared Despair
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Let’s hit pause on this era of shared despair to try and find some humor amid the misery. A twisted humor, perhaps, but good for a laugh all the same. Even if it’s just a modest chuckle. Join us as we consider the famous last words, the occasionally mixed feelings about human calamities, and the dangers of everyday objects and events, like molasses and atomic wedgies…

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hauntings II

Episode 011: Hauntings Pt. II

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 011: Hauntings Pt. II
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Back in Episode Seven we first touched upon the subject of hauntings in the United States and we thought it would be fun to circle back, especially this time of year. For this installment, we aurally explore Shadow Folk, a Death Tree, haunted roads, haunted churches, and more. We even touch upon the mythology that surrounds The Stanley Hotel in Colorado which was the inspiration for The Shining by Stephen King. Let’s get spooky on this month’s episode…

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before you die

Episode 010: What To Do Before You Die

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 010: What To Do Before You Die
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Today we’re here to talk about preparing for the inevitable. Don’t panic. We’re going to try to keep things fun while we talk about some of the decisions that need to be made prior to death. And this just isn’t about what happens after you die. These decisions can impact you while you’re alive. Really, we have a lot to discuss from Powers of Attorney and Wills to Legacies and, of course, what to do with the body. Let’s dive into some real talk with maybe just a smidge of healthy irreverence…

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Episode 009: Reincarnation

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 009: Reincarnation
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In this afterlife installment of The Mortician’s Daughter, we explore the concept of reincarnation or transmigration historically, philosophically, and cross-culturally. And, of course, we dive into some real life examples made for the argument that we are all part of an ongoing cycle of death and rebirth we call reincarnation…

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Episode 008: The Golden Gate Bridge

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 008: The Golden Gate Bridge
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In this episode, we discuss the architectural marvel known as the Golden Gate Bridge to explore the more mysterious and macabre points of its history. From the Halfway to Hell Club that formed during its construction to its contemporary status as the second most popular suicide bridge in the world, The Golden Gate has more than its fair share of tales to chill you to your core… if you dare to listen…

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hauntings

Episode 007: Hauntings

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 007: Hauntings
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On this episode, we discuss hauntings in the United States as part one of a special two part series. We touch upon 112 Ocean Avenue where The Amityville Horror took place, the Crescent Hotel, The Whaley House, The Winchester Mystery House, and a few spots in my home state of Arizona, including the Birdcage Theatre in Tombstone and Casey Moore’s in Tempe…

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Episode 006: The Lives and Deaths of Saints

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 006: The Lives and Deaths of Saints
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In this latest installment of The Mortician’s Daughter, we talk about avoiding the summer heat (and resultant depression) here in the Sonoran Desert and about the paths to Sainthood, obviously. You might not see the initial correlation between these two ideas, but in fifteen minutes, I can draw the line. Yes, as any art historian can tell you, the road to sainthood is quite violent for those martyred for their faith.

In this episode, we discuss the lives (and deaths) of some Catholic Saints and consider some alternative options…

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Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence

Episode 005: Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence

The Mortician's Daughter
The Mortician's Daughter
Episode 005: Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence
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This time around, I’m here to briefly touch upon Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence. Now, Friedrich Nietzsche presents such a large and looming figure — philosophically, culturally, and personally — that I feel we will be revisiting him and his work again in the months and years to come so, instead of getting too carried away right off the bat, I thought it might be best to narrow our focus and touch upon one of his more popular notions: Eternal Recurrence. We can save the Übermensch and Nazis and horse-whipping crazy-house for another day…

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