Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
John of Ruusbroec wrote mystical masterpieces in the woods
The 14th-century Flemish mystic John of Ruusbroec often wrote in the woods, sitting beneath trees with a wax tablet to compose complex works about the soul.
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Starets are spiritual directors who mostly just listen
A starets is a revered spiritual elder people seek for guidance; the role often centers on listening and counsel rather than giving elaborate instructions.
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Kidnapped by incredibly petty coworkers
After John of the Cross proposed reforms to his religious order in the 16th century, fellow members kidnapped him, blindfolded him, and locked him in a tiny…
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Christian Science reading rooms occupy prime real estate
The organization maintains quiet, rarely visited reading rooms in valuable street-level properties in major cities.
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Julian of Norwich invented extreme medieval toxic positivity
Her line turns a grim reality into a declaration of hope.
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Astrological software calculates your personality based on math that astronomers abandoned centuries ago
Astrology apps use your birth time to calculate a chart with complex orbital algorithms, even though their Earth-centered system is not used by modern…
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Staples on documents are frequently completely asymmetric
Staples often have prongs that bend unevenly because small mechanical variations in a stapler can leave them asymmetrical.
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Tears of compunction involve weeping for absolute joy
Practitioners shed these tears when they feel overwhelmed by divine mercy, crying from intense joy rather than sadness.
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Part of fortune indicates arbitrary luck
In astrology, the Part of Fortune is calculated geometrically and interpreted as a point associated with luck or prosperity.
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Highly toxic liquid silver was the spirit of metals
Some historical theorists saw mercury as a fluid, transcendent spirit connecting earthly materials. They sometimes handled the poisonous metal with their bare…
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Green auras supposedly mean energy healing
In energy-healing beliefs, a green aura is associated with compassion and the ability to help others heal.
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Grapes strongly encourage wildly excessive behavior
Some astrological traditions associate grapes with hedonism, claiming the fruit lowers inhibitions even before fermentation.
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Famed prophet Nostradamus allegedly wrote his apocalyptic predictions while incredibly high on nutmeg
Some accounts claim Nostradamus used large amounts of nutmeg to induce visions. In large doses, the spice's myristicin can have psychoactive effects.
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Draconic astrology uses the soul's underlying blueprint
This branch of astrology interprets a chart as a map of the soul's deeper intentions, distinct from a person's standard profile.
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Esoteric Islamic philosophers viewed intellect as a barrier
Some mystical Islamic traditions held that analytical reason could obstruct direct experience of spiritual truth.
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Pallas Athena reveals your battle strategy
In astrology, Pallas is said to describe strategic thinking, including how someone spots weaknesses and plans a response.
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Teleporting yourself requires vaporizing the original you
Quantum teleportation transfers a quantum state, not a person or their matter. The idea that it could destroy you and print an identical clone elsewhere is a…
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Astrologer Linda Goodman received the highest advance ever paid for a book in the 1970s
In 1978, Linda Goodman received a $2.25 million advance for Love Signs, then the largest book advance ever paid.
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Zoroastrian priests wear special mouth covers during rituals to prevent their spit from polluting the sacred fire
Zoroastrian priests cover their mouths with a white cloth called a padam while tending sacred fires, to keep breath and saliva from polluting the fire, a…
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Thomas Merton became immensely famous for completely hiding
Though he sought solitude, Merton became famous through best-selling books about his monastic life and desire to be left alone.
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Druids sacrificed humans by stuffing them into giant wicker men specifically to ensure a good harvest of vegetables
Julius Caesar claimed Celtic druids burned giant wicker figures filled with living people to appease the gods and secure crops.
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Mystical enlightenment rarely lasts longer than an hour
These intense states can fade within minutes or hours, leaving people to rely on imperfect memories of the experience.
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Bitter flavors are intense Saturn tastebud torture
Without sugar, black tea's bitterness stays front and center—a small reminder that not everything has to be sweet.
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Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for claiming the universe was infinite and filled with magic
His case involved more than cosmology: Bruno also embraced Hermetic magic and other beliefs the Inquisition condemned.
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