Marie Laveau: The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans (and a Slavery Disclaimer)

Sara opens with a disclaimer apologizing for sarcastic remarks about slavery in the episode, clarifying she condemns slavery as violent, unethical, and immoral and wants the history taught. Sara and Gina share podcast updates (86 downloads as of Aug. 30, roughly top 25% of new podcasts), ask listeners for five-star reviews to boost visibility and attract advertisers, and thank several listeners by name. They then discuss Marie Laveau’s background through her maternal lineage from Senegal to New Orleans, the complexities of slavery and racial caste terms like “mulatto” and “quadroon,” and Laveau’s upbringing in a matriarchal, Catholic-yet-African-ritual tradition. Marie becomes a renowned hairdresser, counselor, midwife, nurse, and voodoo leader, blending Catholicism with voodoo, leading St. John’s Eve celebrations, aiding prisoners and the sick, and guarding secrets. They cover her relationships, children, death in 1881, tomb pilgrimage traditions, and legends of Marie II and modern sightings, then list sources and explain they are banking episodes due to a busy work season.

00:00 Content Warning Disclaimer

02:39 Podcast Milestones Update

04:25 Reviews and Listener Shoutouts

05:52 Meet Marie Laveau

07:11 Roots in Slavery Era

08:29 New Orleans Changing Laws

10:34 Rita and Marie Birth

11:56 Derogatory Terms Explained

14:11 Matriarchal Upbringing

16:51 Hairdresser to Power Broker

19:55 Marriage and Caste Labels

21:03 Widowhood and New Partner

22:37 Money Myths and Hard Times

23:12 Midwife to Voodoo Leader

24:28 St Johns Eve Rituals

25:10 Legacy Death and Tomb

27:08 Marie II and Immortality Rumors

29:07 Why Men Feared Her

30:34 Sources and Research Notes

32:07 Podcast Scheduling Update

33:08 Life Updates and Farm Event

36:09 Wrap Up and Contact Info

hystericalhysteria.com

hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

Sources

You tube, "Marie LaVeaux-The Real Life of New Orleans Legendary Voodoo Queen" by Darkest Lives, a Bing Video

You Tube, "Marie LaVeaux: The New Orleans Voodoo Queen" by Legends of History

cemeteryneworleans.com "The Real Marie LaVeaux: Truths Behind Her Tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1" 11/1/2025

64parished.org "Marie LaVeaux" by Carolyn Morrow Long, 10/12/2017, updated on 2/9/2021

Britannica

Dame Alice Kyteler: Ireland’s First Witch Trial and the Scapegoating of Petronella de Meath

The hosts of Hysterical Hysteria open with a trigger warning and discuss starting a Halloween “witchy” series, noting historical witch hunts targeted unconventional or wealthy women and drawing parallels to modern “witch hunt” rhetoric. They cover Alice Kyteler (born circa 1263), considered the first woman in Ireland accused of witchcraft and sentenced to burn. A wealthy businesswoman with four husbands—three dying under unclear circumstances—Alice was targeted after husband Richard DeVault’s adult children spread rumors when he left her money. Bishop Richard de la Dread brought sensational charges including demonic sex, secret rituals, and murdering husbands for wealth, despite church-state limits and creditors’ motives. Alice, her son William Jr., and servants were arrested; Alice escaped, but servant Petronella de Meath was tortured and burned in 1324, the only recorded Irish witch burning. William Jr. received penance and a costly roof repair punishment.

00:00 Content Warning

00:12 Catch Up Banter

00:48 Halloween Witch Series

02:29 Why Women Were Accused

04:00 Alice Kyteler Origins

06:25 Husbands One and Two

08:18 Husbands Three and Four

12:14 Money Motive and Bishop

16:56 Arrest and Escape

18:51 Petronella Tragedy

19:33 Willie Punishment Fallout

22:30 Sources and Wrap Up

24:10 Outro and Contact Info

hystericalhysteria.com

hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

historickilkenny.com "Dame Alice Kyteler" no author/date listed

historyireland.com "The Sorcery Trial of Alice Kyteler" by Bernadette Williams

"The Imfamous Medieval Witch Case of Alice Kyteler" Youtube video by Medieval Madness

"The Witchcraft Trial of Alice Kyteler" Youtube, by Footnoting History, hosted by Kristin

Coming Out of the Broom Closet: A Personal Witchcraft Story

The host opens with a content warning about violence against women and explains Gina is off for the day, then celebrates October and Halloween by introducing a month-long plan to cover four historical “witches.” She shares her personal story of identifying as a witch after becoming disillusioned with mainstream religions and reconnecting spiritually through gardening, describing Mother Earth as the feminine divine and paganism as rooted in nature’s life-death cycles. She discusses sensing energy in places, including a negative experience in a stagnant apartment and a visceral reaction at Sachsenhausen, and criticizes religious hypocrisy and harm done in religion’s name while urging nonjudgment and alignment between beliefs and actions. She outlines her rituals and tools (broom, wand, crystals, herbs, spells).

hystericalhysteria.com

hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

Beyond the Panini Press: New Alternatives to Mammograms

Two hosts discuss mammograms as breast-cancer screening, describing the painful “squeezing” process, especially for dense breast tissue, and how mammograms can be less useful for them, often requiring follow-up ultrasounds that may not be covered by insurance. They review emerging alternatives: photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) using laser light and sound to create 3D maps without radiation; VeraScan, a face-down 3D scan with less radiation and no compression; dedicated breast CT (IzoView) for fast 360-degree imaging, helpful with implants; an experimental fingerprint sweat test using mass spectrometry and AI; molecular breast imaging as a supplement after mammograms using radioactive tracer; AI-enhanced mammography to improve detection and reduce false positives; “Blue Box” at-home urine testing using AI modeled on dogs’ olfaction; and an MIT smart-bra wearable ultrasound. They argue more women in STEM and better funding could make screening more tolerable and increase participation.

00:00 Content Warning

00:17 Catching Up

02:03 Mammograms Today

02:16 Pain and Dense Tissue

04:06 First Mammogram Story

06:26 Why Mammograms Fail

08:47 New Tech Hope

10:07 PACT Explained

13:10 VeraScan 3D Scan

15:02 Dedicated Breast CT

15:59 Fingerprint Sweat Test

17:59 Molecular Breast Imaging

19:48 AI Enhanced Reads

21:45 Blue Box Urine AI Test

23:34 Smart Bra Ultrasound Patch

24:38 Why Mammograms Get Avoided

25:45 Funding AI and Women in STEM

27:04 Insurance and Hospital Pushback

29:21 Pap Smear Tech Gets Easier

31:12 Family Health Talk Bowel Habits

33:12 Plans Money and Sign Off

35:50 Where to Find the Show

hystericalhysteria.com

hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

Painful sex can come from an array of different reasons. What are they and what we can do about it. From trauma to genetics, the most important part of the equation is your partner and patience.

hystericalhysteria.com

hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

sources

Healthline.com "Busting the Myths Behind Vaginal Tightness" by Valinda Riggins Nwadike, MD, MPH, OB/GYN

intimaterose.com "Common Causes for a Tight Vagina and How to Loosen Things Up" by Dr. Amanda Olson, DPT, PRPC

Hingehealth.com, cancer.uthscsa.edu for yoga poses

Why Women Are Obsessed With True Crime (and What We Can Change)

The hosts discuss women’s fascination with true crime, noting the audience is about 80% female while around 90% of violent crimes are committed by men, and that when women are victims it is often by a partner or someone they know. They share favorite true crime shows and podcasts, then outline AI-suggested reasons for the interest: education and recognizing warning signs, empathy for victims, psychological “control” by consuming fear safely, satisfaction when cases are solved and accountability is delivered, and empowerment through learning protective strategies and “red flags.” They connect the genre’s rise to online dating and the need for women to vet matches, citing statistics on vetting and unmatching. They also address media bias toward missing/violated white, attractive, middle-class women, urging fans to demand coverage of underreported cases involving Black, brown, and especially Indigenous women and those labeled as living “riskier lifestyles,” and they list cited sources.

00:00 Content Warning

00:13 Llama Day Banter

01:28 Women and True Crime Setup

01:42 Favorite Crime Shows

03:27 Podcast Obsessions

05:25 Knowing Cases Too Well

07:03 Why Women Watch

08:20 Stats and Reality Check

09:07 AI Explains the Appeal

10:37 Empathy and Control

12:26 Accountability and Justice

14:40 Coping and Dark Humor

16:15 Heroes and Victim Clues

17:09 Crowdsourcing and Sleuthing

18:09 True Crime Meets Dating Apps

19:11 Vetting Matches Like FBI

21:20 Multitasking and Getting It Done

22:31 Puzzles and Problem Solvers

23:58 Missing White Woman Syndrome

25:37 Demand Better Coverage

28:31 Indigenous Cases and Jurisdiction

29:24 Sources and Wrap Up

30:14 Life Updates and Goodbyes

31:57 Dog Check and Paw Injury

34:05 Where to Find Us

hystericalhysteria.com

hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

Sources:

pschyologytoday.com "Why the True Crime Audience is Predominantly Female" by Dr. Scott A. Bonn, PhD, 11/7/2023

oprahdaily.com "The Real Reason So Women Are Obsessed with True Crime" by Kate Rope, 11/10/2025

guardian.com "Why Do Women Love True Crime So Much? I Have a Theory." by Nancy Joe Sales, 7/5/2023

derby.ac.uk "Why Are We So Obsessed With True Crime?" from pressoffice@derby.ac.uk, issue 11

Lilith, “Schnitzy,” and the Demonization of Women’s Autonomy

The hosts open with a content warning and chat about a midsummer celebration at the Swedish Embassy, pole dancing jokes, and filming a nursing training video on perineal cleaning, which leads to discussing nicknames for their vaginas (Sara’s “Lily,” now short for “Lilith,” and Gina’s “schnitzel,” later “Schnitzy”). They then recount Lilith traditions: as Adam’s first wife created from the same clay, refusing submission, leaving Eden by speaking the divine name, and later being portrayed in Jewish and later texts as a demon/succubus blamed for infant deaths, miscarriages, and nocturnal emissions, including amulet lore and other depictions (owl, vampire, serpent body). They argue the story was used to enforce women’s submission and highlight Lilith’s modern feminist symbolism (Lilith Fair, a Jewish women’s magazine). They close with sources, talk about an armored Lexus loaner versus a broken old car, gardening plans, DC disruptions, age hypocrisy in politics, FIFA as a global unifier, and a dog wanting a walk.

00:00 Content Warning

00:17 Midsummer Maypole Banter

00:52 Pole Dancing Tangent

02:23 Nurse Training Video Explained

04:23 Naming Lily and Schnitzel

08:37 Lilith Adam First Wife

11:49 Lilith Flees Eden

13:10 Angels Threaten Lilith

16:12 Amulet Deal and Demon Blame

19:17 Translation Kabbalah Succubus

21:47 Gender Beyond Binary

22:14 Lilith Demon Origins

22:52 Patriarchy Warning Tale

23:43 Monsters and Symbols

24:56 Lilith Reclaimed

25:49 Lilith Fair Backlash

26:18 Rewrite the Narrative

27:44 Sources and Credits

28:50 Loaner Car Love

33:55 DC Chaos and Politics

37:02 FIFA and Global Joy

40:31 Dog Walk Goodbye

43:18 Outro and Contact

hystericalhysteria.com

hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

Sources:

Biblicalarchaeology.com "Lilith" by Janet Howe Gaines, 3/23/2026

myjewishlearning.com "Lilith: Lady Flying in Darkness" by Rabbi Dr. Jill Hammer.

youtube video "The Most Famous Ancient Female Demon: The True Sumerian Story of Lilith

The Color Pink: How Pink and Blue Became Gendered
The hosts discuss favorite colors and focus on why pink is associated with girls and blue with boys, arguing it is largely learned and marketing-driven. They explain that before the 1940s children commonly wore white and colors were not gendered; in 1918 a trade publication even suggested pink for boys and blue for girls. They describe a post–World War II shift in the 1940s–50s as companies reinforced traditional gender roles through advertising and consumer goods, a dip during women’s liberation in the 1960s–70s, and a resurgence in the 1980s with prenatal sex identification and increased commercialization. They critique gender reveal parties (citing a wildfire and a fatal accident) and advocate respecting LGBTQ and non-binary identities. Studies are cited showing no infant color preference, rapid indoctrination, and different adult treatment based on baby clothing color.
00:00 Content Warning Intro
00:16 Sunny Day Catch Up
01:15 Meal Prep And Music Finds
04:39 Pink Theme And Men Warning
05:25 Favorite Colors Talk
07:04 When Colors Weren't Gendered
09:08 Pink For Boys Blue For Girls
10:13 WWII Marketing And Gender Roles
13:48 Liberation Era Color Shift
15:00 Ultrasounds And Gendered Baby Gear
17:08 Rise Of Gender Reveals
17:42 Gender Reveal Backlash
19:30 LGBTQ Rights Line
20:38 Why We Love Blue
21:27 Red Preference Myths
23:15 Kids Learn Color Bias
25:22 Colorful Homes Beige Hate
27:04 Pink Pride And Pushback
29:11 Pink Paper And Pink Men
31:39 Color Should Be Fluid
33:37 Sources And Sign Off