Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
Saving the planet via voluntary human extinction
The group promoted voluntary human extinction as a way to restore planetary balance, spreading its message through dark humor and performance art.
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Spiders represent obsessive intention weaving
In this symbolism, a spider’s patient web-building represents calculated effort to catch opportunities.
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Catoblepas has a head so heavy it looks at the ground
Pliny described a buffalo-like beast whose head was too heavy to lift; its breath was said to kill anyone who inhaled it.
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Apocalyptic cults mixed obscure prophecies with deadly gas
One apocalyptic leader convinced followers that war was coming, then ordered them to release deadly neurotoxins on crowded public transit.
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Aquarius sits in chairs in deeply unconventional ways
Astrology stereotypes portray Aquarius as rejecting conventional posture, from draping their legs over armrests to crouching on a chair.
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Contradicting universally known facts is an Aquarius joy
Astrology stereotypes cast Aquarius as reflexively arguing the opposite side, whatever the topic.
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Mystical stigmata aligns with crucifixion art
Accounts of stigmata often resemble the styles of religious art popular in the mystic’s region.
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Oni proudly wear stylish tiger-skin loincloths
In Japanese folklore, these horned giants are often shown carrying iron clubs and wearing tiger-pelt loincloths.
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Zero degree placements exude pure unhinged toddler energy
In astrology, a placement at zero degrees is seen as a sign’s raw, untested energy: clumsy and unpredictable, like a toddler just learning to run.
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Prophets left sealed boxes that bishops refuse to open
Joanna Southcott claimed her sealed box held the key to saving humanity, but said dozens of bishops had to be present to open it. Their standoff lasted for…
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Ordo Templi Orientis members enthusiastically baked highly questionable bodily fluids into their mystic ritual cakes
The Ordo Templi Orientis used “Cakes of Light” in its ceremonies. Aleister Crowley’s recipe called for honey, oil, wine, and sometimes blood or semen,…
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Early Christian theologians heavily debated whether the star of Bethlehem was actually a massive Jupiter conjunction
One theory identifies the Star of Bethlehem with a rare triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 BC. The proposed astronomical event is one…
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Scheduled deliveries alter cosmic destiny
In astrology, a birth time shapes a person’s celestial chart, so scheduling a C-section can affect which placements appear.
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Floating suspended in midair ruins comfortable sleep
Hovering above a cot might sound restful, but drifting into the ceiling would turn sleep into a head-banging hazard.
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Constantly plagued by noisy urban neighbors
John Dee advised Queen Elizabeth I and owned one of Europe’s largest private libraries, yet his diaries also complain about noisy neighbors, property…
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Famous Tibetan Book of the Dead was hidden in a cave for centuries as a mystical treasure text waiting to be found
The *Bardo Thodol*, known in the West as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, belongs to a tradition of hidden texts called *terma*. According to that tradition, the…
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Antares emits an intensely fierce red light in the sky
Its deep red glow can look like a drop of blood against the night sky.
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Levitating into tall branches leaves ascetics stranded
Stories of spontaneous levitation describe practitioners getting stranded in high branches, leaving onlookers to fetch tall ladders.
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Distant burning body associated with complaining
In astrology, this star is associated with self-pity and pessimism, though that’s a symbolic interpretation, not an effect of the star.
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Washing your face in Tuesday rainwater
Some old folklore claims that washing your face with rainwater collected on a Tuesday will make you beautiful, overlooking the pollutants that can fall with…
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Hawthorn bushes smell exactly like rotting meat
The hawthorn’s white blossoms can smell like rotting meat, despite their delicate appearance.
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Hujwiri literally wrote the first Persian mystic manual
Ali Hujwiri wrote *Kashf al-Mahjub* (“The Revelation of the Veiled”), considered the earliest comprehensive guide to mysticism written in Persian.
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Celestial beings watch you while you sleep at night
A personal protective spirit is meant to watch over you—even while you sleep, when you’re at your most vulnerable.
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Ancient astrologers arbitrarily sliced the sky into twelve houses so they could specifically predict your tax problems
In Hellenistic astrology, the twelve houses assigned different areas of life, including inheritances, legal disputes, and agriculture, giving astrologers a…
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