Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
Moses the Black was a violent bandit turned peaceful monk
After fleeing the law, Moses the Black hid in a desert monastery and became a monk. In one story, when robbers attacked, he gently tied them up and asked what…
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Decumbiture charts map the course of illness
Astrologers cast a decumbiture chart for the moment someone takes to bed, then use it to predict whether the illness will pass quickly or drag on.
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Bulls cannot actually see color red
A bull charges at a cape's movement, not its red color; bulls are red-green colorblind.
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Mixed nuts perfectly represent frantic Gemini energy
The joke is that a bowl's jumble of flavors, textures, and shapes mirrors the stereotype of Gemini as scattered and easily distracted.
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People born under the sign of Scorpio are statistically more likely to become serial killers
Some studies of famous serial killers report a slight overrepresentation of Scorpios, Pisces, and Cancers, but the finding is highly debated.
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Cathars believed the physical human body was a demonic trap designed to capture souls
Cathars saw the material world as evil and believed that sex trapped angelic souls in bodies. Their beliefs brought them into conflict with the Catholic…
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Pisces is the astrological sponge for collective guilt
In astrology, Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, so it's sometimes cast as carrying the emotional baggage of the 11 signs before it—and apologizing for…
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Ruby crystals intensely amplify your base desires
Some astrological traditions warn that rubies amplify desire and impulsiveness, supposedly turning small irritations into outsized reactions.
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Mixing catholic saints with literal farm animal sacrifice
This syncretic faith combines Catholic imagery with West African traditions, including animal sacrifice; familiar saint figures can sit alongside indigenous…
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Listening to rustling leaves provides answers
Practitioners of phyllomancy interpret the sound of leaves rustling in the wind as personal guidance.
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Palmistry was condemned by the Catholic Church but aggressively funded by Renaissance kings
Some aristocrats paid palm readers who believed a wrinkle on the thumb could foretell victory in a war against France.
Discover moreByron Katie woke up on the floor with zero memory of herself
After severe depression and rage, she reportedly woke in a halfway house feeling her former identity had vanished. She said she could no longer take her…
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French mystic Madame Guyon was imprisoned for years simply because she told people they could pray in total silence
Guyon taught that spiritual connection came through silent surrender and an emptied mind, rather than spoken prayer. Church authorities considered Quietism…
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Gave a local cow a highly official public funeral
When Lakshmi died, Maharshi arranged a formal burial and had a memorial tomb built for her.
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North nodes act as the homework assignment you keep avoiding
In astrology, the north node represents a direction of personal growth that people may resist rather than pursue.
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White outfits attract immediate Moon coffee spills
In this astrological joke, the Moon's association with changeable emotions makes a white outfit seem like a spill waiting to happen.
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Dexter aspects aggressively force the issue
In this astrological system, a dexter aspect is cast against the wheel's direction and is considered especially forceful, pressing its influence on the point…
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Arcturus promises riches through finding new paths
In this astrological interpretation, Arcturus is associated with success for people who take an unconventional path in their field.
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Wearing jade accessories actively pulls luck toward you
Some practitioners believe jade attracts good fortune, though the claim is a matter of belief, not a guarantee.
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Lalon Fakir wrote thousands of songs but hid his religion
When asked about caste or creed, he answered with songs questioning why those labels mattered.
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Potatoes are completely ruled by Saturn
Their growth in dark soil and labor-intensive harvest link them, in astrological symbolism, to Saturn's themes of survival and grounded reality.
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Alice Bailey's school completely abolished all tuition
The international correspondence school relied on voluntary donations and did not invoice students for course materials.
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Spiritualists wrapped themselves in glowing fabrics painted with radium to convince people they were ghosts
Some fake mediums painted their robes, and sometimes their skin, with radium paint to glow in dark séance rooms. The radioactive paint created the ghostly…
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Fire signs loudly announce whatever crosses their mind
In astrology, fire signs are stereotyped as blurting out their thoughts rather than keeping observations to themselves.
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