I Might Believe in Faeries

A lot of ink has been spilled over the Catholic and religious underpinnings of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Pretty much everyone knows this by now, but very few have probed the depths of how the liturgy and the Catholic Mass influenced the very foundation of Middle Earth. In this episode, Professor Ben Reinhard joins the show to explore Tolkien’s deep liturgical roots in his book, The High Hallow: Tolkien’s Liturgical Imagination. We also discuss how to initiate a hobbit into true religion! You just need Elves and the oldest song-slinging being in Middle Earth (Tom). The High Hallow: https://stpaulcenter.com/store/the-high-hallow-tolkiens-liturgical-imagination *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea KisbyThis podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

*This episode contains content that may not be suitable for children.Essayist, poet, and playwright, Jane Scharl returns to the show to discuss her new play, The Death of Rabelais. This is the second in a loose trilogy featuring France’s infamous humanist and humorist, François Rabelais. In this play, Rabelais finds himself lost in a snow storm on the Eve of Epiphany only to find that Death awaits him. We discuss the play and the different approaches artists and critics take when discerning the different levels of meaning in a work of literature. Jane Scharl’s website: https://jcscharl.com/Substack: J.C. Scharl Wiseblood Books Link: https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p169/The_Death_of_Rabelais%3A_A_Play%2C_Jane_Clark_Scharl.html *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

It is spooky season when the veil between the material and spiritual worlds becomes thin. Halloween is right around the corner and monsters prowl about the edge of society often taking the forms of something either enticing or frightening. Church music plays backwards and carnivals arrive at 3:00 AM. In this episode of IMBIF, I discuss Ray Bradbury’s classic horror story, Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Brad Birzer and Thomas Salerno. A dark carnival arrives at a small midwestern town and two teenage boys are faced with it’s terrors and temptations. We talk about Bradbury’s beliefs, the nature of the carnival, of fatherhood, and of friendship. Is this a Christian book? What is Mr. Dark? Is he human or something else? What is it about Bradbury’s fiction that is so compelling even if we don’t share his worldview? All this and more in this exiting episode. Brad Birzer can be found on Twitter.com at @bradleybirzer and his website is: https://spiritofcecilia.com/Thomas Salerno can be found on Twitter.com at @Salerno_Thomas and his books can be found here: https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/riddle-of-the-tongue-stones*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

Last month, I was a guest on iSamwise’s YouTube channel and we discussed, you guessed it, Tim Powers! Check it out! iSamwise kindly shared his audio file with me so I could share it with all of you. Link to iSamwise’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@iSamwise *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I am joined by medieval scholar and author, Jason Baxter. Dr. Baxter is the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College and the author of many books, including a new translation of Dante and The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis. Dr. Baxter and I discussed The Medieval Mind, C. S. Lewis as medievalist, and why he had a medieval mind. We also talk about how Lewis’ thoughts could be applied to modern science. Everyone needs to go out and read Lewis and then read Dr. Baxter’s The Medieval Mind. For a list of his books, check out Jason Baxter’s website: https://www.jasonmbaxter.com/*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

Two wonderful guests return to the show, the editor of Plough and Mere Orthodoxy, Susannah (Black) Roberts, and poet and playwright, Jane Scharl. We discuss Rudolf Otto’s The Idea of the Holy and the “Numinous”, which is a term he coined in that book. The goal of this discussion is to talk about the concept of the Numinous and where it can be found in fantasy fiction. We specifically discuss the works of C. S. Lewis, Gene Wolfe, Tim Powers, Kenneth Grahame, Arthur Machen, and George MacDonald. We also discuss mysticism in Christianity, holy fear, and much more. If you want to know how an experience of the Numinous can unmake you, then check this episode out!Susannah can be found on Twitter.com at @suzania and her work can be found at https://www.plough.com/ https://mereorthodoxy.com/Susannah Black Roberts (substack)Jane can be found on Twitter.com at @JcScharl and she writes at J.C. Scharl (substack).Jane’s poetry and plays can be found on her website,https://jcscharl.com/*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

Cinderella is one of the oldest folktales in the world. Academic librarian, Rosie Liljenquist (Rosy Rambles), joins the show to discuss this story. We compare the different versions told by Charles Perrault, The Brothers Grimm, and Giambattista Basile. We explore the religious symbolism of the Grimm’s version and I even try to rehabilitate the wicked step-sisters. Enjoy!Rosie’s work, including the essays mentioned during the show, can be found here:*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

Author and cultural commentator, Leila Lawler, joins the show to discuss the book, St. Hildegard's Garden: Recipes and Remedies for Healing Body and Soul. We talk about St. Hildegard of Bingen, her views on medicine, healing and the cosmos, what she means by “hot, cold, moist, and dry,” and what modern people (New Agers, Feminists, etc.) get wrong about her. Leila Lawler’s website is here: https://likemotherlikedaughter.org/Follow Leila on Twitter.com @_Leila *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack for updates on the show, essays, and more!I Might Believe in Faeries is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aaronirber.substack.comThis video is about how ancient and medieval people viewed apes and monkeys. *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 Subscribe to my Substack for updates on the show, ess…

Science fiction author, Patrick Abbott, joins the show to discuss whether alien life forms are compatible with Christianity, the UFO phenomenon, cattle mutilations, and more! The truth is (maybe) out there!Follow Patrick Abbott on Twitter.com @PatrickKAbbottSubscribe to his Substack: *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aaronirber.substack.comThis is the first of my medieval bestiary videos to be behind a paywall. To get access to the full video, become a paid subscriber to my substack. In this video, I cover the antelope and the serra/sawfish. *****************************************************************************************************************************************************…

Lord of the World was written in 1907 and is considered one of the classics of dystopian literature. The author, Fr. Robert Hugh Benson, was a Catholic convert from Anglicanism who wanted to write a book about the Antichrist. Lord of the World is that book. Malrubius (Chris), from The Sun Eater discord, joins the show to discuss Lord of the World, why it was important to Pope Francis, and how it impacted other science fiction literature. *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

Today, we delve into how Medieval Christians depicted ants and their predator, the sometimes legendary antlion, in Medieval bestiaries. Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563I Might Believe in Faeries is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Resources: “The Aberdeen Bestiary | the University of Aberdeen.” Abdn.ac.uk, 2019, www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/. Aesop. “Library of Congress Aesop Fables.” Read.gov, read.gov/aesop/052.html. Badke, David. “Medieval Bestiary : Animals in the Middle Ages.” Bestiary.ca, 1 Oct. 2024, bestiary.ca/index.html. Accessed 10 May 2025. Druce, George C. “An Account of the Mυρμηκολέων or Ant-Lion.” The Antiquaries Journal, vol. 3, no. 4, Oct. 1923, pp. 347–364, bestiary.ca/etexts/druce-account-of-the-ant-lion.pdf, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003581500015031. Accessed 9 May 2025. The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville. Cambridge University Press, 8 June 2006. “Gregory the Great - Moralia in Job (Morals on the Book of Job) - Book v (Book 5) - Online.” Lectionarycentral.com, 2025, www.lectionarycentral.com/GregoryMoralia/Book05.html. Accessed 9 May 2025. Heck, Christian, and Rémy Cordonnier. The Grand Medieval Bestiary : Animals in Illuminated Manuscripts. New York, Ny, Abbeville Press, 2018. von Bingen, Hildegard, and Priscilla Throop. Hildegard von Bingen’s Physica : The Complete Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing. Rochester, Vt., Healing Arts Press, C, 1998. Hope, Louise, and Steve Schulze. “The Project Gutenberg EBook of Metamorphoses, by Ovid.” Gutenberg.org, 2021, www.gutenberg.org/files/21765/21765-h/21765-h.htm#bookVII_fableVI. Accessed 9 May 2025. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

This is a solo episode where I discuss medieval bestiaries and announce a new project I have been working on. I discuss animal symbolism, how Medieval bestiaries depicted animals, and the stories behind them. There are supposed to be pictures with this episode so check out the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/h06opKxl444 *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563Subscribe to my Substack - https://aaronirber.substack.com/ for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

How the heck do I describe this book? In 1969, R. A. Lafferty wrote a novel. In it, he combined the spirituality of St. Theresa of Avila, conspiracy theories, immortal frog-men, psychic brain powers based on the ideas of the French paleontologist priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, badgers, modernist painters, and much, much more. Reading a Lafferty story is like listening to an excitable drunk tell you an impossible, rambling shaggy dog story. You don't believe it when you're drunk, but you do when you sober up. Gregorio Montejo, of Ktistec Press, returns to the show to discuss Lafferty's Fourth Mansions. Follow him on Twitter.com @KtistecP*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my Substack - https://aaronirber.substack.com/ for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

A myth retold.This book is C. S. Lewis at his most mature, and he considered it to be his favorite of his own works. Many readers find it to be a difficult book and hard to decipher. What is the story of Cupid and Psyche and how is Lewis retelling it? Teacher and Lewis scholar, Annie Crawford, joins the show to discuss all of this and more. Follow Annie Crawford on Twitter.com @annielcrawfordCheck out her classes at The Symbolic World:Till We Have Faces: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/till-we-have-faces-with-annie-crawford The Cosmic Trilogy:https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/c-s-lewis-ransom-trilogy*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my Substack - https://aaronirber.substack.com/ for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

How does magic work in The Lord of the Rings? Does Tolkien have a "magic system?" Richard Rohlin returns to the show to discuss how Tolkien uses magic in his Legendarium. This is a continuation to our previous episode on magic systems in fantasy. Follow Richard Rohlin on Twitter.com @richardrohlin*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my Substack - https://aaronirber.substack.com/ for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I get to discuss two of my favorite things: bees and mythology.Salvator R. Tarnmoor, or Ludovico Ambrosius when he is writing, joins the show to discuss his recent collection of poems on honeybees. This anthology collects poems from authors thousands of years apart and includes selections on bees from Virgil, Homer, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and many, many more.Get ready for a heavy dose of ambrosia and some deadly stingers.O Honeybees: An Illustrated Anthology of Bee PomesFollow Salvator R. Tarnmoor on Twitter.com @s_r_tarnmoorFind his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Honeybees-Illustrated-Anthology-Bee-Pomes/dp/B0CFCLWNM2*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my Substack -https://aaronirber.substack.com/ for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faerieshttps://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

Almost all books are stupid, or else they are too smart. If you think so too, then this guest's books may be just right for you! Poet and novelist, E. L. Brooks, joins the show to discuss his two books, Phineiad: A Brief History of the Future, and The Loser, the Robot, and the Antichrist. If you enjoy online peasant romance, the death worship of immortal moon men, monsters, robots and warlords, then this is right up your alley. E. L. Brooks can be found on Twitter.com at @PoetRegressiveBrooks' books can be found on Amazon. The link is embedded, but search for "E L Brooks" if you need to. *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my Substack - https://aaronirber.substack.com/ for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

This is the final episode of the The Year of Our Lord, 2024. We are concluding this year with a bookclub discussion of The Place of the Lion  by Charles Williams. Williams was a member of the literary group, The Inklings, and friends with both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Prior to meeting these literary giants, Williams published The Place of the Lion and a few other stories. In this episode, we discuss The Place of the Lion, the characters, and the “angelic/platonic” beings Williams uses. We also briefly mention the influence he had on both Lewis and Tolkien. Enjoy!*************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrberSubscribe to my Substack - https://aaronirber.substack.com/ for updates on the show, essays, and more!Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeriesLike my Facebook page - I Might Believe in FaeriesBattle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Logo Art by Linnea Kisby************************************************************************************************************* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe