Needle and thread don’t just mend. In this episode, we step into the older folklore of sewing—where stitches could bind a person’s luck, knots could lock a fate in place, and finishing the wrong piece at the wrong time was believed to invite trouble into a house. We trace the warnings that followed the needle: why sewing after dark was avoided, why certain garments were never completed during illness or mourning, and how cloth became a quiet place to hold fear, hope, and restraint.

Then we get into the mechanics beneath the superstition. Why unfinished work mattered. Why knots weren’t tied casually. And how sewing crossed from household labor into folk magic without ever being named as such. This is the side of sewing that didn’t belong to craft fairs or heirloom stories—it belonged to spooky stories by the campfire.

If you’ve ever been told not to finish a stitch at night, not to cut fabric after dark, or not to rush the last knot, this episode explains why. Because in folklore, thread doesn’t just follow the needle—and not every seam was meant to be closed.

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Feral Folktales is where I step aside from the main show and tell a straight folktale—simple, spoken, and exactly as it’s meant to be heard. These bonus episodes are just a little something extra between the full installments of The Feral Folklorist, which is where you’ll find the deeper dives into history, folklore, magic, hauntings, and the stranger corners of human belief.

This time, I’m sharing “The Cat That Swallowed the Stars,” a folktale about a village that wakes up one morning to find the night sky noticeably emptier—and a cat that’s looking a little too pleased with itself. It’s a story about curiosity, appetite, and what happens when something small decides it wants more than its share. After that, people start keeping an eye on the cat, the sky, and anything else that seems just a little too satisfied.

A new folktale often appears between the regular podcast releases—just a short story to keep the world of folklore moving.

Want more from The Feral Folklorist?

Dive deeper into each episode, explore merch, and get all the latest updates at:
https://feralfolklorist.com

Become a patron to unlock Feral Footnotes (our exclusive after-show), get early sneak peeks, weekly folk magic articles, and downloadable spells featured in each episode:
https://patreon.com/papagee

Stock up on your magical supplies from our metaphysical shop that’s been serving the public for over 25 years:
https://aromags.com

Papa Gee's personal website, Folkloreum, showcases his books, blog, podcast information, and more: https://folkloreum.com/

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Season 2 opens with spirit communication. In this episode, we’re stripping the velvet off the Victorian séance to look at the grit underneath. We trace the path from the first mechanical "raps" in a drafty New York house to the high-stakes, locked-door sessions that governed the lives of the living. You’ll learn how the Fox sisters turned grief into a telegraph system, why an invitation to a sitting was a social summons you didn't dare turn down, and how a room full of powerful men ended up taking orders from a sound in the dark.

Then we’ll get into the magical mechanics—the reality of "opening a channel" in your own home and why a séance is really just an invitation for a spiritual squatter. We’ll talk about the silence that settles into a house when the static takes over, and why traditional workers knew that an invitation without a closure is a dangerous way to live. You’ll learn how to use iron to shut the door on a conversation that’s gone on too long, and how to reclaim a room that’s gone thin from too much waiting.

If you’ve ever sat in the silence expecting a sign to tell you how to move, this one’s for you. Because the dead don’t always bring comfort—and a table doesn’t need a ghost to start making demands.

Want more from The Feral Folklorist?

Dive deeper into each episode, explore merch, and get all the latest updates at:
https://feralfolklorist.com

Become a patron to unlock Feral Footnotes (our exclusive after-show), get early sneak peeks, weekly folk magic articles, and downloadable spells featured in each episode:
https://patreon.com/papagee

Stock up on your magical supplies from our metaphysical shop that’s been serving the public for over 25 years:
https://aromags.com

Browse Papa Gee’s books, tarot readings, and more at:
https://folkloreum.com/

Support the show