History's Mysteries: St. Bartholomew's Day massacre

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a 17th-century Mexican nun, poet, playwright, composer, and all-around intellectual menace to the patriarchy. In this episode of Queens Podcast, we trace Sor Juana’s rise from hacienda library goblin to celebrated court intellectual and how she used wit, logic, and theology to argue that women deserved education because women are people. Radical stuff. Paired with a twist on the Paloma cocktail, we explore her poems like You Foolish Men and essays such as Respuesta a Sor Filotea, works that helped shape modern feminist thought centuries before feminism had a name. Sor Juana did not just challenge misogyny. She out-argued it, and history is still taking notes. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction and Content Warning 00:36 Meet the Hosts: Katy & Nathan 01:36 Introducing Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 02:56 Patreon Shoutouts and Mocktail Recipe 05:31 Sor Juana's Early Life and Education 14:43 Juana's Move to Mexico City 16:45 Life with the viceroy's court 18:28 Juana's Intellectual Challenge 20:55 Becoming a nun 24:59 Juana's Writing Career Begins 26:08 A Close Relationship with Maria Louisa 30:23 You Foolish Men: A Poem of Hypocrisy 37:57 Juana's Feminist Manifesto 43:59 Juana's Downfall and Final Years 47:00 Legacy of a Feminist Icon Sources: Dr. Peyton Cristina Del Toro's YouTube Stuff You Missed in History Class Biography.com Poets.org Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re diving into the wildly dramatic life of Mary Shelley, the mother of science fiction and the ultimate OG Goth Girl. From radical feminist and revolutionary parents, to graveyard hookups, to the stormy summer that gave us Frankenstein, Mary’s life was just as haunting as her work. In this episode, we unpack how Mary Shelley’s grief, genius, and chaotic social circle shaped one of the most influential novels of all time and how she remained quietly radical long after the world tried to tame her. In this episode, we cover: Mary Shelley’s radical upbringing and goth childhood Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and the messiest friend group imaginable The true origins of Frankenstein Grief, motherhood, and loss Mary Shelley’s underrated radical legacy Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction and New Year Greetings 03:26 Mary Shelley's Early Life and Family 04:37 Mary Wollstonecraft & William Godwin: Radical Parents 16:53 Teenage Years in Scotland (Emotional Glow-Up) 19:43 Percy Shelley has entered the chat 24:09 The Graveyard Scene & Running Away 31:53 Return to England and Family Rejection 36:58 The Birth of Frankenstein 47:26 Loss, Grief & Moving to Italy 54:14 Mary Shelley's Later Life and Legacy Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of History’s Mysteries, we’re diving into one of the bloodiest and most debated events in early modern Europe: the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Thousands of French Protestants were brutally murdered in August 1572, after what was supposed to be a royal wedding that symbolized peace. Historians have argued for centuries about who was responsible — and today, we’re asking the big question: Did Catherine de Medici order it? This episode blends historical analysis, feminist storytelling, and intuitive tarot reading to look at Catherine de Medici not as a caricature, but as a complex political operator navigating power, survival, and legacy in a brutal era. If you'd like to find more Tandy you can find her on instagramIf you want to try Unicorn Wellness for 30 days head here: https://www.unicornwellnessstudio.com/30-day-guest-access Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement 00:47 History's Mysteries Series Overview 01:36 Meet Tandy: The Wellness Witch 03:38 The Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre 10:40 Catherine de' Medici's Role in the Massacre 11:44 Tarot Reading: Did Catherine Call for the Murder? 15:35 Card 1: The Seven of Cups 17:33 Strategic Planning and Power Dynamics 23:38 Card 2: Four of Wands 24:47 The Gloves Are Off: A Violent Message 26:21 Catherine de Medici's Disconnect and Strategy 38:03 Card 3: The Hierophant Card Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another Queens Kiki for December 20, 2025. This week we’re talking tragic losses, Vanity Fair doing what it does best, horror films finally getting their flowers at the Golden Globes, and the pop culture chaos keeping us afloat. We break down Rob Reiner’s legacy, dissect the now-infamous Vanity Fair Trump cabinet photo spread, argue (passionately) about whether Michael B. Jordan deserved two nominations, and spiral joyfully through what we’re watching, reading, and loving right now. Pop culture, chaos, and coping — just another Kiki. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Kiki Queens Podcast! 00:24 Reflecting on 2025: A Year to Forget 00:45 Tarot Reading: Setting the Tone 02:48 Heartbreaking News: The Reiner Family Tragedy 04:28 Celebrating Rob Reiner's Legacy 09:00 Vanity Fair's Trump Cabinet Spread 11:19 Analyzing the Photography: Intentional or Rushed? 21:22 What we're watching/reading 27:54 Golden Globes Horror Nominations 33:12 Bowen Yang please be my friend 34:24 Byeeee Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with Part 2 of our deep dive into Helena Blavatsky—the controversial, chaotic, and endlessly woo woo founder of modern occultism. In this episode, we follow Madame Blavatsky’s journey to America, where she teams up with Henry Steele Olcott and steps fully into her era as a spiritualism celebrity. From the founding of Theosophy to her many scandals, disputed “miracles,” and the wild amount of cultural appropriation baked into her work, we’re unpacking the messy, fascinating legacy that shaped New Age spirituality, occult history, and the modern mystic movement. If you’ve ever wondered how one woman became the blueprint for so much 19th-century spiritualism—for better and worse—this episode has you covered. Time stamps 00:00 Intro 01:26 Helena's Lost Decade and Move to America 02:37 The Rise of Spiritualism 06:23 Helena's Struggles and New Beginnings 10:14 Meeting the Eddie Brothers 14:02 Partnership with Henry Steele Olcott 17:26 Founding the Theosophical Society 22:47 The Success of 'Isis Unveiled' 26:03 Helena's Celebrity Era 26:27 Move to India and Cultural Appropriation 29:51 Blavatsky's Popularity and Controversy in India 32:51 Health Issues and Betrayal 40:50 The Secret Doctrine and Blavatsky's Theories 45:40 Final Years and Legacy Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise, y'all! It's a kiki on the main feed! Katy and Nathan are stuck at home for the holidays, so obviously we’re talking shit into microphones. In this series you can expect tarot pulls, feminist history side quests, pop culture rants, internet drama (looking at you, rage bait), and whatever else is living rent-free in our brains this week. Grab a drink, grab your headphones, and come kiki with us while we gossip about the past, present, and extremely cursed timeline we’re living in. 00:00 Introduction and Holiday Plans 02:35 Thanksgiving Recap and Family Stories 03:47 One Card Tarot pull 06:14 Word of the year Rage Bait 12:11 Spotify Wrapped and Listener Stats 17:44 Wicked Fatigue and Movie Reviews 25:58 The Running Man and why are movies so long 28:39 Diddy Documentary Review 30:49 Sabrina Carpenter vs The White House 35:55 Stranger Things and Aging Cast 40:10 Frankenstein and Woke Criticism 43:18 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we dive into the chaotic, controversial, and extremely entertaining life of Helena Blavatsky — the 19th-century mystic, world traveler, occult celebrity, and eventual co-founder of the Theosophical Society. But before she became the founder (grifter?) of a major spiritual movement, she was just a kooky little girl born into the Russian aristocracy with a flair for folklore, drama, and telling everyone she could talk to ghosts. Whether you know her as a spiritual icon, a fraud, or the original chaos witch of the Victorian era, this episode explores the myths, scandals, astral projections, and truly unhinged adventures that shaped the occult revival, Victorian spiritualism, esoteric philosophy, and the early New Age movement. If you’re into messy historical women, occult weirdness, or “Ma’am, what are you doing?” energy… welcome home. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction & chat 02:51 Introducing Helena Blavatsky 03:52 Mocktail Recipe: Black Magic Mocktail 05:55 Helena's Early Life and Family Background 28:34 Formative Years in Tiflis 30:36 Discovering Esoteric Knowledge 35:10 Helena's Paranormal Experiences 38:24 The Runaway Bride 49:14 Helena's Lost Decade 55:42 Introduction to Spiritualism Sources: Jules Evans, “Madame Blavatsky and the Perils of Mass Occultism” ⁠https://julesevans.medium.com/madame-blavatsky-and-the-perils-of-mass-occultism-333fcd765c43⁠ JSTOR Daily — “Spiritualism, Science, and the Mysterious Madame Blavatsky” ⁠https://daily.jstor.org/spiritualism-science-and-the-mysterious-madame-blavatsky/⁠ CBC Radio: Ideas — Madame Blavatsky episode ⁠https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/madame-blavatsky-a-seeker-of-truth-and-a-fraud-1.6478885⁠ Pro Theosophy Documentary ⁠https://youtu.be/WWEpVd2AaBo?si=7wPZ6MmmYE9ooSee⁠ Blavatsky & Theosophy Video Explainer ⁠https://youtu.be/WAVimQTTlgs?si=G1puAIJQwpDyApAu⁠ Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back, Queens. Today, we're heading to Brazil to get into the life of the iconic fashion designer turned political activist, Zuzu Angel. In the middle of Brazil’s 1960s–70s military dictatorship, Zuzu turned her runway into a rebellion. Her bright, tropical designs celebrated the culture her government was trying to silence, and when her son was “disappeared” for opposing the regime, she used fashion itself as protest. If you love your fashion with a side of badass activism, then this story is for you. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction and Content Warning 00:59 Katy's Trip to Rio and Brazilian Women in History 02:29 Introducing Suzu Angel: From Fashion to Activism 03:33 Brazilian Cocktails and Listener shoutouts 06:58 Early Life of Zuzu Angel 12:26 Zuzu's Family and Early Career 16:07 Rise to Fame: Zuzu's Fashion Journey 24:36 Political Climate in Brazil 30:54 The Rise of Student Dissidence 37:47 Zuzu's Artistic Resistance 45:57 The Tragic Fate of Stuart 55:16 Zuzu's Legacy and Final Thoughts Sources: Traditional Bahian dress: https://www.alamy.com/bahiana-woman-in-traditional-dress-salvador-bahia-brazil-image1929717.html Carea Embroidery: https://vettycreations.com.au/white-threads/2013/05/22/south-american-whitework/ Letter from Alex https://americasouthandnorth.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/get-to-know-a-brazilian-zuzu-angel/ https://thestylestorian.com/2016/08/16/zuzu-angel-the-rebel-of-brazilian-fashion/ Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here it is, the finale to the wild life of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury and last great Plantagenet. What a rollercoaster it's been. We jump back into Henry VIII’s chaos: Catherine of Aragon cast aside, Anne Boleyn crowned (and gone), Thomas Cromwell on the rise, and our fiercely Catholic Margaret trying to keep her head We follow Reginald Pole’s “turbo treason” across Europe and watch as the Exeter Conspiracy brings down Margaret and her family. From skipped coronations and pointed petitions to house arrest and the Tower, we unpack how a 60-something noblewoman became the poster child for Tudor paranoia, and why her 1541 execution by bill of attainder stunned Europe. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:39 Recap of Margaret Pole's Life 02:48 Margaret Pole's Political Struggles 11:10 Reginald Pole's Defiance 22:28 Margaret Pole's Family Dynamics 26:03 Reginald Pole and the Exeter Conspiracy 28:18 Jeff's Arrest and Interrogation 30:22 Margaret's Incriminating Evidence 33:05 Speculations and Interrogations 40:28 Margaret's Imprisonment and Execution 46:18 Margaret's Legacy Sources: https://rebeccastarrbrown.com/2018/01/13/the-last-plantagenet-margaret-pole-countess-of-salisbury/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi7lMHlQty0  https://tudortimes.co.uk/people/margaret-plantagenet-life-story/the-wrath-of-a-prince-1538-1541  https://open.spotify.com/episode/5LUAzFiDpEbj0QiP92Ac33 Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spooky season is upon us witches and in this Patreon fave we are taking y'all to one of England's oldest (and most haunted?) castles: Warwick Castle. There we'll meet some of their most famous ghosts, talk Victorian era seances and maybe even meet a shapeshifter or two. Tune into this one for: Wars of the Roses ghosts, Aleister Crowley séances, the ghost of Sir Fulke Greville, gray ladies, real life dungeons and so much more. Pair it with our haunted Hampton Court palace episode if you're really in the mood for a fright. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction to Queen's Podcast 00:45 Warwick Castle: A Haunted History 02:02 Warwick Castle Through the Ages 05:22 Modern-Day Warwick Castle 08:43 The Ghost of Sir Fulke Greville 17:04 The Legend of the Black Dog 20:29 The Gray Lady of Warwick Castle 23:16 Countess of Warwick and the Supernatural 29:50 Daisy and Alistair Crowley's Seance 34:13 Hauntings in the Dungeon Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices