Ho, ho, holy shit that's another year gone and Christmas is here again! To mark the ever-increasing speed at which the years fly past in a blur of spiralling anxiety and gathering doom, Hine and Buckley invite two of the nicest, wisest and funniest people in Weirdosphere, Stephanie Quick and AP Strange, to help them celebrate away the winter blues.

Drawing on the British tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas, Hine, Buckley, Strange and Quick (also the title of the upcoming Vayse autobiography) work their way around the cardinal points, each telling a ghost story from the place in which they were born: the North and South of England and the East Coast and West Coast of the US. There are tales of a murderous jester who stalks the corridors of a Cumbrian castle to this day; a red haired woman who haunting a pirate-built cottage in New England; a missing bride at a Christmas wedding in a very haunted stately home in Hampshire; and a revolutionary Californian abolitionist who still throws nuts from trees over 120 years after her death... and they discuss three lesser known British winter traditions: Raymond Briggs' Snowman, ignoring Thanksgiving and moaning about the weather... (recorded 8 December 2024)

Thanks to AP and Steph for preparing the stories and thanks to Keith for another year of show notes - follow the man on Blue Sky: @peakflow.bsky.social.

Merry Christmas everyone, thanks for listening!

Steph Quick online

Ghost Dog is a Mystery Box (Steph’s blog)
Steph on YouTube
Steph on Instagram
Steph on Facebook
Steph on Bluesky

AP Strange online

AP Strange's Weird Writings
The AP Strange Show podcast
AP on YouTube
AP on Instagram
AP on Bluesky

Hine’s intro

A Visit from St. Nicholas - All Poetry
VYS0013 | A Vayse-man Came Travelling - Yule 2022
VYS0028 | Psychic Jizz - Vayse to Face with Stephanie Quick
VYS0037 | Elvis with a Flaming Sword - Vayse to Face with AP Strange

A short history of the Christmas ghost story

Yule - Wikipedia
A Christmas Carol - Wikipedia
The Pickwick Papers
The Story Of The Goblins Who Stole A Sexton (BBC Radio Drama) - Archive.org
A Ghost Story for Christmas (BBC anthology series) - Wikipedia
M.R. James - Wikipedia
Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad - Wikipedia
Whistle And I'll Come To You - Dream Sequence (BBC Omnibus 1968) - YouTube

Buckley’s ghost story: The Murderous Jester of Muncaster Castle

Muncaster Castle - Wikipedia
Cumbria - Wikipedia
VYSXXXX | The Real Vayse: Halloween 2024
Thomas Skelton: The Murderous Jester of Muncaster Castle - Haunted Palace
The Remains of John Briggs, containing Letters From the Lakes, Letter XI: Muncaster Hall - Archive.org
Fool of Muncaster - Muncaster.co.uk
Thomas Ligotti - Wikipedia
Morecambe Bay cockling disaster - Wikipedia
Jester - Wikipedia

AP’s ghost story: Ocean Born Mary

New England - Wikipedia
In search of Stephen King in New England, US - Roadbook
H.P. Lovecraft - Wikipedia
Barney and Betty Hill incident - Wikipedia
Bridgewater Triangle - Wikipedia
Dover Demon - Wikipedia
Salem witch trials - Wikipedia
The Great New England Vampire Panic - Smithsonian
Bigfoot in New England: Sixty-Seven Credible Sightings? - New England Folklore
The Great New England Sea Serpents - New England Historical Society
New Hampshire Legend: Ocean Born Mary
Hans Holzer - Wikipedia
Sybil Leek - Wikipedia
Princess Bride (1987) clip, The Story of Dread Pirate Roberts - YouTube
The dark fandom behind healthcare CEO murder suspect - BBC News
American Gods - Wikipedia
Jack Parsons - Wikipedia
VYS0029 | If There's Something Strange In Your Neighbourhood - Vayse to Face to Face with Field Lines Cartographer and Bob Freeman: Halloween 2023
The Retributory Haunting of Bannister Doll - Beyond the Black Pool
La Llorona - Wikipedia
Jenny Greenteeth - Wikipedia
Unthanksgiving Day, The Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony Occupation of Alcatraz - Wikipedia
Unthanksgiving Day: A celebration of Indigenous resistance to colonialism - The Conversation
The Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Thanksgiving Service on Alcatraz Island - YouTube

Hine’s ghost story: The Mistletoe Bride

Bramshill House: Legends - Wikipedia
The Bramshill House Bride, or the Legend of the Mistletoe Bough - Burials and Beyond
Burials & Beyond website
The Mistletoe Bough (1904) - BFI National Archive restoration - YouTube
Rope (1948) clip - Reference to Mistletoe Bough - YouTube
The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales, by Kate Mosse - Goodreads
Bellowhead: The Mistletoe Bough (From BBC Four Sessions - The Christmas Session) - YouTube
‘The Incorruptibles’: Who Are These Mysterious Saints? - EWTN
Egregore - Wikipedia
VYS0044 | For Fear of Little Men - Vayse to Face with Jo Hickey-Hall

Steph’s ghost story: Mary Ellen Pleasant

Steph's Notes on Mary Ellen Pleasant
Mary Ellen Pleasant - Wikipedia
Napa County, California - Wikipedia
John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry - Wikipedia
Haitian Vodou - Wikipedia
Underground Railroad - Wikipedia
Marie Laveau - Wikipedia
Shusheel Bibbs’ MEP website
Heritage of Power: Marie LaVeaux to Mary Ellen Pleasant, by Susheel Bibbs - Goodreads
Mary Ellen Pleasant Memorial Park - Atlas Obscura
Lwa (Loa) - Wikipedia

Christmas weather

Radiation Fog - Weather.gov
The history of British winters - Net Weather
Little Ice Age - Wikipedia
River Thames frost fairs - Wikipedia

Christmas recommendations

Beltane Ranch and Vineyard website
The Christmas Toy (1986) Restored (video) - Archive.org
The Snowman: Bowie intro - YouTube
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Trailer #1 - YouTube
Scrooged Trailer - YouTube
Tom Waits - Wikipedia
New York Dolls - Wikipedia
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus trailer - YouTube
David Johansen & Larry Saltzman: Last Kind Words (audio) - YouTube
Geeshie Wiley - Wikipedia
Buddy Hackett - Wikipedia
Hot Frosty Official Trailer - Netflix - YouTube
This American Life: The Super (audio)

Buckley’s closing question

Hands: A true case study of a phenomenal hypnotic subject, by Margaret Williams - Goodreads

Vayse online

Vayse Website
Vayse on Twitter
Vayse on Bluesky
Vayse on Instagram
Bandcamp (Music From Vayse)
Vayse on Ko-Fi
Email: vayseinfo@gmail.com

Special Guests: AP Strange and Stephanie Quick.

Support Vayse

In this episode the Vayse boys launch an investigation into where these weird communications might be coming from and who might be behind them with a little help and a lot of expertise from some familiar and very welcome faces: Douglas Batchelor, Darragh Mason, Sequoyah Kennedy, Joseph Matheny, Stephanie Quick and AP Strange. The deeper they dig, the more they find themselves falling down rabbit holes within rabbit holes within rabbit holes... (Recorded October 2024)

VYSXXXX | The Real Vayse: Halloween 2024 - Show Notes

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Special Guests: AP Strange, Darragh Mason, Douglas Batchelor, Joseph Matheny, Sequoyah Kennedy, and Stephanie Quick.

Support Vayse

Handing on a plate to Hine and Buckley the most potently inspired episode title in Vayse history is teacher, researcher, blogger and "the Julia Child of Sex Magic", Stephanie Quick. In an intense and varied conversation Stephanie takes Vayse through her near death experience, complete with a fall through the starlit sky, disembodied consciousnesses and sky-scraper sized entities, she talks about how to start off your own run of synchronicities and the conversation weaves itself around Carlos Castaneda, Gurdjieff, how to not lose yourself in your spiritual practice or join a cult... and, speaking of cults, enter the glowing orange 16-bit pineapple... Recorded 10 August 2023

Stephanie Quick Links

Steph’s blog, Ghost Dog is a Mystery Box

Steph on Bluesky

Steph on Instagram

Steph on Twitter

Steph on Facebook

Steph’s YouTube channel

Introduction Links

Lovecraftian horror - Wikipedia page

Julia Child - Wikipedia page

Sex magic - Wikipedia page

Cheese Board Collective - Wikipedia page

Chez Panisse, Wikipedia page

Alice Waters - Wikipedia page

An Introduction to Western Sexual Mysticism, New Dawn Magazine article

Refuge in Buddhism - Wikipedia page

Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) - Wikipedia page

Coven - Wikipedia page

Steph, the West Coast, and the ‘Spiritual Marketplace’ Links

Fresno, California - Wikipedia page

Bigfoot, Chupacabra, and…Fresno Nightcrawler? Walking pants bring Fresno freaky fame - Fresno Bee article

The Fresno Nightcrawlers - sceptical, humorous

North Fork, California - Wikipedia page

The Chukchansi People - Coarsegold Historical Society article

Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians - Wikipedia page

East Bay - Wikipedia page

Oakland, California - Wikipedia page

Berkeley, California - Wikipedia page

University of California, Santa Cruz - Wikipedia page

Napa, California - Wikipedia page

Tibetan Buddhism - Wikipedia page

Zen (Buddhism) - Wikipedia page

Understanding the Spiritual Marketplace - From Monopoly to Open Access - Patheos article

Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion by Wade Clark Roof

Lupus Psychosis and Brain Inflammation - Lupus Corner article

Aphasia - Wikipedia page

Yoga - Wikipedia page

Archangel Michael (channelled messages) - Sanada website

Pick‘n’mix: the 21st Century approach to religious affiliation, Walls Come Tumbling Down blog article

How did Steph find her way into weird stuff? Links

Strangely Enough by C.B. Colby - Goodreads page

C.B. Colby - Wikipedia page

Jersey Devil - Wikipedia page

Near death experience - Wikipedia page

Lidocaine - Wikipedia page

Bardo (liminal state between death and rebirth) - Wikipedia page

Keith's Excellent Detective Work (gods bless you, Keith) - Based on SQ’s mentions of her age now (61) and at later events, I reckon the exhibition she must have gone to was ‘Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet’, held at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, in 1991. There is an exhibition catalogue available. Not sure if it’s worth including, but there’s a link to it here on Abe Books

I couldn’t find anything else specific to that exhibition that wasn’t behind a pay-wall or on a subscription site, but here’s a short video trailer for that museum’s similar exhibitions:

San Francisco Asian Art Museum, Tibetan Buddhist exhibitions

Tanka - Wikipedia Page

Sand mandala - Wikipedia page

Tibetan Sand Mandala (construction and destruction)

Synchronicity - Wikipedia page

Steph’s Near Death Experience Links

Coma - Wikipedia page

Meningitis - Wikipedia page

Meningitis Research Foundation - Excellent charity

Near death, seeing dead people may be neither rare nor eerie - AP News article

PMH Atwater website

Psychopomp - Wikipedia page

Last rites - Wikipedia page

Anointing of the Sick in the Catholic Church (Extreme Unction) - Wikipedia page

Auto-immune disease - wikipedia page

Bronchoscopy - Wikipedia page

Robert Monroe - Wikipedia page

Mindfulness - Wikipedia page

Whitley Strieber - Wikipedia page

A Wild and Wonderful Dialogue between Whitley and UFO Master Greg Bishop...and Gru!

George Gurdjieff - Wikipedia page

Fourth Way (Gurdjieff) - Wikipedia page

Gurdjieff sensing exercises

Alien abduction - Wikipedia page

Biocentrism Posits That Death Is Merely Transport into Another Universe - Big Think article

Heaven - Wikipedia page

Jung, Flying Saucers, and the Anxieties of Our Time (UFOs as mandala symbols) - Psychology Today article

VYS0024: Between Being Real and Not Real - Vayse to Face with Nathan Paul Isaac

Is Consciousness a Fundamental Quality of the Universe? - Sci News article and video

Are we really made of 'star stuff' and what does that even mean? - Space article and video

Steph’s encounter with skyscraper-sized entities and its impact on her spiritual practice - Links

Rinpoche - Wikipedia page

Kensington, California - Wikipedia page

Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Centre, Kensington website

24 years on retreat (Judith Skinner) - The New Fillmore article and ‘On Retreat’ documentary trailer

Tathāgata (Buddhism) - Wikipedia page

The X Files - Wikipedia page

The X-Files

Allen Greenfield on Twitter

Secrets of the Real Black Lodge Revealed! by Allen Greenfield and Olav Phillips

Black and White Lodges, Twin Peaks - Wikipedia page section

Empire State Building - Wikipedia page

Grey alien - Wikipedia page

Marian apparition - Wikipedia page

Emergency medical technician (EMT) - Wikipedia page

Plaid Moon Rising - The Flannel Man - Birdy Magazine article

Ontological security - Wikipedia page

Meditation for awareness - Headspace article

Shavasana (Yoga) - Wikipedia page

Sacred Space: How to Make an Altar in Your Home - Chopra article

Leslie Temple Thurston - website

Native American religions - Britannica.com

Sweat lodge - Wikipedia page

Astrology - Wikipedia page

Acupuncture - Wikipedia page

Acupressure - Wikiepdia page

Wuxing (Chinese Philosophy, Five Element System) - Wikipedia Page

New Thought - Wikipedia page

Synchronicity, the Sandown Clown, and Psychic Jizz - Links

Anthony Nine on Twitter

Synchronicity - Wikipedia page

AP Strange - website

AP Strange on Twitter

The Sandown Clown: Exploring Sam, the Isle of Wight’s surreal 1973 encounter, On the Wight article and videos

Our Strange Skies podcast, 151: Clowning Around with Stephanie Quick & AP Strange (Sam, the Sandown Clown)

How To Induce Synchronicities, Stephanie Quick blog post

Radio Misterioso - Greg Bishop bio

Quick and Ray – A Psychic Influencing Experiment - Radio Mysterioso post

(Lama) Kunga Rinpoche - Wikipedia page

Buddhist Symbols - Faith Inspires article

Synchronicity and symbols as the base level of magic and entity encounters - Links

VYS0026 | It's a Wand-erful Life - Vayse to Face with Douglas Batchelor Pt. 1

VYS0027 | Batchelor of Dark Arts - Vayse to Face with Douglas Batchelor Pt. 2

Birdwatching - Wikipedia page

Bird symbolism - World Birds article

Bird vocalisation - Wikipedia page

Paramecium - Wikipedia page

Robert Monroe - Wikipedia page

Dodechahedron - Wikipedia page

Chakra - Wikipedia page

Spreading the weird word, sweeping statements, and the teacher-trickster - Links

Julia Child - Wikipedia page

What Magic is This? website

VYS0024 | Between Being Real and Not Real - Vayse to Face with Nathan Paul Isaac

VYS0025 | Truth with a Capital "T" - Vayse to Face with Sequoyah Kennedy

VYS0010 | Amazing Stories - Vayse to Face with Dr Allen H Greenfield Pt.1

VYS0011 | Weird Tales - Vayse to Face with Dr Allen H Greenfield Pt.2

AP Strange - website

George Gurdjieff - Wikipedia page

Teacher as trickster on the learner’s journey - Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning article

Whitley Strieber - Wikipedia page

Communion (book) - Wikipedia page

Project Archivist podcast

Sex Magic with Allen Greenfield - SQ blog post and link to podcast audio

Carlos Castaneda, Amy Wallace, and Steph’s Rules for Sex Magic with Others - Links

Carlos Castaneda - Wikipedia page

Trickster: The Many Lives of Carlos Castaneda, podcast

Destructive cults - Wikipedia page section

Amy Wallace - Wikipedia page

Sorcerer's Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda by Amy Wallace - Goodreads page

Sorcerer's Apprentice : My Life with Carlos Castaneda by Amy Wallace

Irving Wallace - Wikipedia page

Rodeo Drive - Wikipedia page

Florinda Donner - Wikipedia page

John Lennon - Wikipedia page

George Lucas - Wikipedia page

Aleister Crowley - Wikipedia page

My Rules for Sex Magic with Others - Stephanie Quick blog post

Steph’s recommendations - Links

Women of the Paranormal Vol I by Alex Matsuo

The Spooky Stuff podcast with Alex Matsuo

The Spooky Stuff with Alex Matsuo on YouTube

Personal Pans podcast with Vanessa Walilko

Pan Paracon/Personal Pans on YouTube

Vanessa Walilko’s Jewellery and Wearable Art

Necronomicast podcast

Some Other Sphere podcast

Church of Mabus Radio on YouTube

John E.L. Tenney’s website

Eric Wargo’s website

*Vayse *

Vayse website

Vayse on Twitter

Vayse on Instagram

Music From Vayse - Volume 1 by Polypores

Vayse on Ko-Fi

Special Guest: Stephanie Quick.

Support Vayse