Ladies of Lore – Details, episodes & analysis

Kali is one of the most complex and powerful figures in global mythology. In this we follow the evolution of Kali, all the way from her  origins in ancient Sanskrit texts to her role as a liberating force in Tantric cosmology, colonial resistance, feminist iconography, and modern pop culture.

We explore her mythology, the duality of being both terrifying and maternal and her radical transformation across centuries. And through her, we examine what it means to destroy in order to start anew. 

Cool Stuff Used For This Episode: 

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kali

https://thegoddessgarden.com/the-hindu-goddess-kali/

https://kashgar.com.au/blogs/gods-goddesses/kali-a-most-misunderstood-goddess?srsltid=AfmBOormCHKWlUxn589YIu5MwQoE8efihmpgnC927hu_6yCCIxynyQ4U

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/ma-kali

https://www.kalighatkalitemple.com/article/id/230/history

https://artuk.org/discover/stories/kali-in-art-capturing-the-raging-goddess-of-change-and-destruction

https://dagworld.com/the-goddess-kali-in-bengal-modern-art.html

https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/posts/5-representations-of-maa-kali-that-will-leave-you-speechless?srsltid=AfmBOop2Ss5mPnQ4qhcM4Bs7rWXxCT11ALAdSb_rlPRSIURStXsWIGPv

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Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely festive break and are feeling ready to take on 2026! I entered the new year with a bad cold which is not what you want to hear on the podcast. 

My loss is your gain though, and I am gifting you an episode of the Patreon Exclusive series 'Heroines of History', this one is all about Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. 

Here's a list of my sources that you can access, the rest were found via my university library: 

https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/katherine-of-aragon/#gs.nrhdca

https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/catherine-aragon-facts-henry-viii-first-wife-mother-death-mary-buried/

https://tudortimes.co.uk/people/katharine-of-aragon-life-story

https://www.thoughtco.com/catherine-of-aragon-marriage-to-henry-viii-3528151

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In this episode, we're tracing Cinderella from her ancient, ash-covered origins in global oral folklore to her bejeweled transformation through centuries of retellings. We'll explore how her story evolved across cultures, how Disney’s 1950 film rescued the studio from financial ruin, and how the Cinderella archetype continues to reinvent itself in modern media and pop culture.

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Cool Stuff Mentioned In This Episode: 

https://kidworldcitizen.org/the-golden-sandal-a-middle-eastern-cinderella-story/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://literatepassion.wordpress.com/2016/11/16/the-golden-sandal-a-middle-eastern-cinderella-story-rebecca-hickox/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/13508/1/PhD_thesis_Gessica-Martini.pdf

https://sussexfolktalecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/Persecuted-History-of-Cinderella.pdf

https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/57c3839884c3a2d16b61dc10bff662c7/download_pub

https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/57c3839884c3a2d16b61dc10bff662c7/download_pub

https://www.skarstedt.com/exhibitions/cindy-sherman

https://www.routledge.com/Fairy-Tales-and-the-Art-of-Subversion/Zipes/p/book/9780415976701?srsltid=AfmBOoqWP1Opj8zXulXKrTczRDWYLBUamvU3k03-5xxpHi-oZwv-s0kD

Support the show

Join the Patreon! - patreon.com/LadiesofLore

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From goddesses who loved women to warrior queens who defied gender norms, this episode celebrates the queer women of mythology. This week we're unearthing sapphic stories and discussing the divine queerness that’s always been part of our history and mythology. 

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Help in LA: 

https://lapublicpress.org/2025/06/la-protest-resources-ice/

https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2025immigrantbondfund/

https://www.esperanza-la.org/

Cool Stuff Mentioned In This Episode: 

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/zanele-muholi

https://archive.org/details/mythsmysteriesof00down/page/n5/mode/2up

https://pshares.org/blog/queer-desire-and-the-myth-of-iphis/

https://medium.com/counterarts/queer-love-stories-in-ovid-iphis-and-ianthe-85a00cc60468

https://medium.com/prismnpen/the-real-spectacular-amazons-lesbians-connection-9aac08fb77e4

https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/amorous-soldiers-and-amazons/

https://www.shoutoutloud.org.uk/blog/old-gods-new-meanings/

https://artemisexpert.substack.com/p/gay-gods-of-greece-artemis-167

https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/items/262b9887-482f-4f95-a1a3-3dc336e1b44b

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sappho-Greek-poet

https://poets.org/poet/sappho

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Atabey, the Taino Mother of creation, once shaped land, sea, and sky. In this episode, we explore her as life-giver and cosmic force—and trace how her image shifted through colonisation, erasure, and survival. From sacred caves to modern memory, we follow the story of a goddess who endures.

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Cool Stuff Mentioned In This Episode: 

Taíno: Indigenous Caribbeans - Black History Month 2025

Columbus and the Taíno - Exploring the Early Americas | Exhibitions - Library of Congress

Who Were the Taíno, the Original Inhabitants of Columbus’ Island Colonies?

https://docs.craft.do/editor/d/a3c7a96b-7d37-88b6-1cc7-ecb9ecfa10a0/7BE1A6F9-7835-4C3B-BEE0-B0EFD8B3E892?s=RrLBdrL5Dr8wPDSCueYcvuV5KY8ZXvj9XVX7FGyWSRqP

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-71318-2

https://www.proquest.com/openview/0c9d55c13fe7146e6a1325db7682eeb5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar

https://www.proquest.com/openview/9c8ed0a77171cbcbc1137e8039f60b57/1?pq-origsite=gscholar

Support the show

Join the Patreon! - patreon.com/LadiesofLore

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In the very first episode of Ladies of Lore on Tour, we'll step into the mists of East Anglia as we trace the footsteps of Boudicca, commune with the witches of Suffolk, explore fairy folklore, and unravel the mystery of the green children of Woolpit.

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Cool Stuff Mentioned In This Episode: 

https://www.nationalparks.uk/2024/09/30/discover-folklore-of-the-broads/

https://www.thesuffolkcoast.co.uk/articles/myths-legends-of-the-suffolk-coast

https://www.edp24.co.uk/lifestyle/20656200.sunken-villages-sea-serpents---folklore-east-anglias-waterways/

https://walpoleoldchapel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Notes-on-the-Walpole-Chapel-Baptism-Records-1706-1837.pdf

https://visit-burystedmunds.co.uk/blog/the-bury-st-edmunds-witch-trial-that-influenced-the-salem-witch-trials

https://lowestoftoldandnow.org/lon/inspirational-women/amy-denny-and-rose-cullender

https://www.visitsuffolk.com/post/ghost-stories-and-witch-trials-in-bury-st-edmunds#:~:text=The%20first%20recorded%20account%20of,tried%20at%20Lancaster%20in%201612.

https://folklorethursday.com/legends/celtic-warrior-women-queen-boudica-of-the-iceni/

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Super short update this week to give you the low down on the latest at Ladies of Lore. 

Biggest news is that the Patreon & Discord Server are both now live and you can access them here: 

www.patreon.com/LadiesOfLore 

Hope to see and chat to some of you there!

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Support the show

Join the Patreon! - patreon.com/LadiesofLore

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In this episode, we journey through myth, memory, and modern magic to explore the powerful Norse goddess Freyja. From her ancient origins as a Vanir deity of love, fertility, death, and seiðr, to her medieval demonisation and Enlightenment dismissal, Freyja’s identity has evolved across centuries of cultural transformation. We trace how she was reimagined during the Romantic and nationalist 19th century and how today she rises again—this time as a feminist icon, digital warrior, and muse for video games, music, and literature. Join us as we uncover how Freyja’s story has been told, twisted, and reborn—again and again.

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Cool Stuff Mentioned In This Episode: 

http://germanicmythology.com/original/Freyja%20and%20Odr%202008%20CULT%20OF%20FREYR%20AND%20FREYJA.pdf

https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/27622/1/A%20New%20Kind%20of%20Feminine.pdf

https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/10852/57994/1/Lan-Wang-thesis.pdf

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203456385-9/freyja%E2%80%94a-goddess-many-names-britt-mari-n%C3%A4sstr%C3%B6m

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315832951-13/viking-religion-old-norse-mythology-terry-gunnell

https://www.proquest.com/openview/e198dc4fef9e6a4e40d0465d3538b2a7

Support the show

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This week we will be taking a look at the transformation of one of mythology’s most misunderstood women: Circe. From Homer’s dangerous enchantress to a symbol of female power and self-authorship, we'll trace Circe’s evolution through ancient texts, centuries of retellings, and her feminist reclamation in today’s literature and culture. 

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Cool Stuff Mentioned In This Episode: 

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/spellbinding-story-circe-goddess-magic-006787

https://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Circe/circe.html

https://uw.manifoldapp.org/read/odysseus-and-circe/section/00bcf35b-0057-450a-a122-781c91a8a73a

https://devonte.blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/alfred-tennyson-e28093-ulysses.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Circe-Greek-mythology

Support the show

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Join me for a very special episode of Ladies of Lore, featuring the incredibly talented cast of RPG Major, the improvised musical actual play podcast. 

Today we explore the Sirens, find out where they come from, hear their stories and learn about how they have changed through time to arrive in today's modern world. All while hearing some amazing improvised songs from RPG Major. 

For enquiries please email ladiesoflorepodcast@gmail.com

Follow RPG Major:

https://www.rpgmajor.com/

https://bsky.app/profile/rpgmajor.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/rpgmajor/

Cool Stuff Mentioned In This Episode: 

https://www.theoi.com/Text/HesiodCatalogues.html

https://www.frieze.com/article/siren-some-poetics-2022-review

https://www.frieze.com/article/siren-some-poetics-2022-review

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248205

https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Odysseus-and-the-Sirens

https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/myths/odysseus-and-the-sirens/

https://mnet.mwpai.org/sites/default/files/2021-08/Ulysses_and_the_Sirens.pdf

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/foundations/ulysses-and-sirens

https://www.cusd80.com/cms/lib/AZ01001175/Centricity/Domain/4937/6%20-%20The%20Sirens.pdf

Support the show

Join the Patreon! - patreon.com/LadiesofLore

Follow me on Bluesky - @ladiesoflore.bsky.social

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