251: Advice from Folklore V (with Dr. Moiya McTier)

Hold on a second, we’re channeling the gods to answer your questions about creativity, religion, bachelorette parties, body image and more. Don’t worry, your cool wine Aunt Inanna is here to help.   Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of human sacrifice, war, abusive relationships, death, dismemberment, murder, grief, religious experiences, body image issues, ableism, anxiety, and white supremacy.    Guest Dr. Moiya McTier is a New York-based astrophysicist who studies planets outside of our solar system. She’s also a folklorist who specializes in using science and logic to build fictional worlds. You can hear all about the worlds she’s built on her podcast, Exolore, where she imagines, discusses, and reviews fictional worlds, often with expert guests. You can learn more about Moiya and her work on her website, moiyamctier.com.   Housekeeping - Live Show: Join us October 27th at 8:00 EST for a LIVE virtual show! Get your tickets at spiritspodcast.com/live!  - Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.  - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books - Call to Action: Check out Exolore: Helping you imagine other worlds, but with facts and science! Every other week, astrophysicist/folklorist Moiya McTier explores fictional worlds by building them with a panel of expert guests, interviewing professional worldbuilders, or reviewing the merits of worlds that have already been built.   Sponsors - Girlfriend Collective makes sustainable, ethically made activewear for everyone. Get $25 off your purchase of $100 or more when you go to girlfriend.com/spirits.  - She’s Birdie is a personal safety alarm. Get 15% off your first purchase at shesbirdie.com/spirits - With HelloFresh, you get fresh, pre-measured ingredients and mouthwatering seasonal recipes delivered right to your door. Go to HelloFresh.com/spirits14 and use code spirits14 for up to 14 free meals, including free shipping!   Find Us Online If you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books. Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.   About Us Spirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.