The Ghoul Guides Association

May 17 2024 30 ep. 61 mins 21
The Ghoul Guides Association Podcast artwork

The Ghoul Guides Association, or GGA if you will, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all things Gothic (or more accurately, why all things are Gothic.) Join the Ghoul Guides as they explore the history of various topics across history and pop culture, and their intersections with the weird and wonderful world of the Gothic.

  Society & Culture
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Episode 23: Chivalry, Part 2

May 17 2024 65 mins  
We're back on our bullshit for more deconstruction of the medieval concept of chivalry went from men on horses with stick to an ideology that was at the heart of Britain's construction of national identity and masculinity in the 1700s: and why Mary Shelley was not a fan. Prefer video? Catch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC36rABipJ0c8ItQ6qDI6HgQ ---------

Episode 22 - Chivalry, Part 1

May 03 2024 48 mins  
Join us for the first episode of a two-parter all about chivalry and the Gothic. Here, Lauren discusses the 12th century origins of chivalry, King Arthur, and how it ends up being Gothic - and we may also touch on the 2001 film classic A Knight's Tale (trust us, it's relevant!) - The Ghoul Guides Association is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all t

Fourth Witching Hour: Post Modern Craft

Apr 05 2024 71 mins  
In the final, somewhat delayed episode of our series on the Gothic history of withcraft in the Western World, Mary looks at how witches and witchcraft have evolved in the post modern era and Lauren goes on a rant about mass produced etsy tshirts.

Third Witching Hour: American Witch Panics

Dec 08 2023 69 mins  
Beware what goes bump in the night - or what they want you to *think* does, anyway. This time, Lauren talks about the origins of Nocturnal Ritual Fantasy, the colonial import of fear, and American witch panics including, of course, the Salem Witch Trials. The Ghoul Guides Association, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all things Gothic (or more accurately

Second Witching Hour: Early Modern Hunts

Nov 17 2023 64 mins  
In the second episode of our miniseries on witches and witchcraft, we turn to early modern witch hunts as Mary takes us through the Christian foundations for persecuting witches and discusses some notable publications and witch trials. Who were the Pendle witches? What is the Malleus Maleficarum? And just what does King James VI and I have to do with witches. Join us to find out.

Lore Dump: The Gothic

Nov 10 2023 20 mins  
You love the Gothic, we love the Gothic but what do we actually mean when we call something Gothic? That it's dark and devilish? That it's camp and supernatural? That it's responsible for triggering the fall of the Roman Empire? In this first Lore Dump - our new minisode format - Lauren explains exactly how Gothic came to be as we know it today and the many meanings o

The First Witching Hour: GrecoRoman Origins

Oct 22 2023 66 mins  
In the first episode of our miniseries on witches and witchcraft, Lauren takes us back to the pre-Christian origins of witchcraft and explores some of the most interesting examples of witches (or goddesses?) in Ancient Greece and Rome. Prefer video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy6rwmtsFLU The Ghoul Guides Association, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss

Episode 21: The Ghouls Recommend

Oct 06 2023 65 mins  
As requested by one of our esteemed members of the association (aka, a listener) Mary and Lauren recommend their favourite early and contemporary Gothic novels to add to your TBR pile. Note - Lauren says Adolphus throughout this episode. She's wrong. She means Alphonsus.

Episode 20: Dybbuks (When a box is not a box)

Aug 25 2023 55 mins  
In this episode we'll be unboxing the Dibbuk box to explore the history of dybbuk possessions and to talk about where exactly the box fits in. Come for the popular tale of Jewish folkore, stay for the unboxing of a 21st century legend - its amazing what you can find on ebay! LINKS 2004 article “A Box Full of Bad Luck: Haunted Wine Cabinet Goes to Highest Bidder” - https://

Episode 19: The (Not So) Secret History of the Illuminati

Aug 11 2023 63 mins  
Do you know who started the world's best (or worst) secret society? Want to know the origin story of the mysterious group eventually known as the Illuminati? Join us as in this episode we deep dive into the OG Bavarian Illuminati founded in 1776. The Ghoul Guides Association, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all things Gothic (or more accurately, why a