Content warning: Please be advised that this epsiode discusses ritual abuse and child abuse.

The Satanic Panic gripped the United States in the 1980s as 12,000 people were accused of being involved with child abuse as part of the Church of Satan. Although widely discredited today, this was still a significant cultural phenomena and one that we will dive into in this week's episode.

Megan Goodwin is a researcher, podcaster author and teacher of religious studies, focusing on gender, race and sexuality. We discuss new religious movements, religious othering and more!

For Megan's work: https://www.megan-goodwin.com/

Megan's Podcast: https://keepingit101.com/

The freemasons, although not a cult, are often described as exhibiting "cult-like behaviour" with the rituals, ceremonies and symbols. This week we discuss what we know about the group and their imprint on the making of modern western society, as well as the mysterious case of William Morgan who disappeared after threatening to publish some of the freemasons' secrets.

From the Da Vinci Code to National Treasure, the Knight's Templars are a key part of the public imaginary. But what was the group really about? We take you through understandings of the Templars from their origins right through to the modern day.

Ryan Sprague is a ufologist (UFO researcher) and came on the podcast to tell us about his personal experiences with UFOs, Area 51, and meeting Bob Lazar. You can find Ryan on Twitter (@RyanSprague51) and on his podcast, @somewhereskies. 

This week's episode is about the top secret American military installation,  "Area 51". What is in there? And why does former employee, Bob Lazar, claim that it was extraterrestrials... Join us to find out!

Although there is a lot of secrecy and mystery around the appropriately named mystery cults, we do our best to share with you what we know about these groups dedicated to Roman and Greek gods. Myths, visions and ceremonies - the mystery cults have captured imaginations since their foundation thousands of years ago.

We were joined for our first expert interview of the season by John Waller, historian at the Michigan State University. We discuss the causes of the plague, why other possession epidemics were most prevelant amongst women, and what happened at the shrine of Saint Vitus. If you want to learn more about this topic, we recommend John's book "The Dancing Plague: The Strange, True Story of an Extraordinary Illness".