Medusa is more than a monster in a hero story. In this episode of The Feral Folklorist, we look at Medusa as a protective figure tied to the Evil Eye and the old idea that envy and bad intent can reach a person through attention. We cover the history of the gorgoneion (Medusa’s head) as an apotropaic charm—meaning a harm-turning image—used on shields, temples, coins, armor, and doorways to hold a boundary at the edge of the home and the body. We also break down how Medusa’s image changes over time, from the early feral mask meant to intimidate and repel, to later versions where she looks more human, without losing the reason people kept using her face for protection.

Then we get into what the myth is actually teaching about eyes, contact, and control. We talk about why Perseus survives by using reflection, and what that tells you about the old logic of the gaze as something that can touch, stick, and interfere. From there, we bring Medusa into practical magical work in a way that’s useful and grounded. We talk about how to use her stopping power to protect your home, freeze interference, shut down gossip, and keep harm and bad luck off your household.

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This time, I’m sharing “The Man Who Sold His Shadow,” a European-style folktale about a bargain that looks harmless at first and the quiet trouble that follows it home. When a man trades away his shadow for comfort and ease, the world slowly stops responding to him the way it should. People look past him. Doors hesitate. Even daylight feels uncertain. It’s a story about belonging, recognition, and the parts of yourself that can’t be exchanged without consequence.

Feral Folktales is where I step aside from the main show and tell a straight folktale—simple, spoken, and exactly as it’s meant to be heard. These bonus episodes are just a little something extra between the full installments of The Feral Folklorist, which is where you’ll find the deeper dives into history, folklore, magic, hauntings, and the stranger corners of human belief.

A new folktale often appears between the regular podcast releases—just a short story to keep the world of folklore moving.

Want more from The Feral Folklorist?

Dive deeper into each episode, explore merch, and get all the latest updates at:
https://feralfolklorist.com

Become a patron to unlock Feral Footnotes (our exclusive after-show), get early sneak peeks, weekly folk magic articles, and downloadable spells featured in each episode:
https://patreon.com/papagee

Stock up on your magical supplies from our metaphysical shop that’s been serving the public for over 25 years:
https://aromags.com

Papa Gee's personal website, Folkloreum, showcases his books, blog, podcast information, and more: https://folkloreum.com/

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Some moments aren’t for action—they’re for waiting. In this episode, we step into the folklore of time itself: the hours we were warned not to touch, the nights we were told to leave well enough alone, and the ways folk magic used clocks, moons, and calendars not for beauty, but for boundaries.

We trace the old timing rules—why certain work was only done by daylight, why the dark moon was considered too still for movement, and how even the ticking hands on a kitchen clock became signs in folk logic. We’ll look at the structure underneath the superstition: how timing in magical practice wasn’t about fear, but about preventing fallout.

Then we dig into what happens when you act in the wrong hour anyway. Why a spell done at midnight might not settle. Why conversations started after dark spiral. And how magical timing became a way to protect yourself—not from spirits, but from your own impulse.

If you’ve ever felt the itch to fix something at 1 a.m., to say too much too late, or to cast a working just because the house was finally quiet—this episode explains why timing matters. Because in folk magic, it’s not just what you do that counts.

It’s when you do it.

Want more from The Feral Folklorist?

Dive deeper into each episode, explore merch, and get all the latest updates at:
https://feralfolklorist.com

Become a patron to unlock Feral Footnotes (our exclusive after-show), get early sneak peeks, weekly folk magic articles, and downloadable spells featured in each episode:
https://patreon.com/papagee

Stock up on your magical supplies from our metaphysical shop that’s been serving the public for over 25 years:
https://aromags.com

Browse Papa Gee’s books, tarot readings, and more at:
https://folkloreum.com/

Support the show