Content Note: This episode shares stories of (loving, supported, not traumatic) end of life journeys for animals and humans. It also discusses entitlement abuse in romantic relationships & psychological/emotional abuse in queer mentorship relationships.

HEY GOOD LISTENERS! Welcome to episode six!

In this episode Shaunga shares the origin story of why she greets her audience as "good listeners" and what that has to do with the queer love ritual that has been running through her life since 2015.

What does it really mean to cast a love spell and do it ethically? How to be responsible with one's magic when your heart and other people's hearts are involved?

We study our beloved problematic Buffyverse character Xander Harris, and the love spell he cast in the season 2 episode "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" as a great example of what NOT to do! In the process we make some incredible discoveries about Xander and Cordelia's relationship, and Cordy's entire character arc up until the end of her time on the spin-off, Angel!

Weaved throughout the episode are Shaunga's stories, learnings and teachings on animal communication, psychic listening, queer mentorship relationships, asexuality, platonic pleasure, and grieving animal companion loss.

So tune in, good listeners: we'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll get nerdy!

VAMPIRES BEWARE: There are Buffy and Angel spoilers all over the place. We are mostly discussing Xander's love spell episode in season 2, but we also touch on Cordelia's entire character arc up until the end of Angel season 5.

PS: for those of you who REALLY REALLY want to get nerdy about Buffy, we recorded a special BONUS episode with even more mind blowing insight from Xander's love spell that we didn't have time to include in the main episode. This bonus episode includes an interpretation of the love spell that actually has a LOVE TRIANGLE between XANDER, CORDY & ANYA baked right into the spell! Just make sure to listen to the bonus ep after you listen to the main episode, since it's really just an extension of this conversation!

LISTEN TO THE BONUS EPISODE HERE

SHOW NOTES

Visit the Otherworldly Giants main website at www.shaungatagore.com

Follow us @otherworldlygiants on IG and Otherworldly Giants Storytelling School on Facebook.

To support this work: To pay it back: rate, review, give us five stars, or JOIN OUR PATREON. To pay it forward: share this episode, tell a friend (or 2 or 3 or more), post about it on social media, tell the world!

Amazing folks mentioned in this episode:

Natoya Hall of Mother of Starkeeping Mystery School

Maestro David / Daven Raven of Somos Animales

Julie Hirt, Animal Communicator

Zena Sharman, author of "The Care We Dream Of"

SOUND CREDITS:

Theme Song: "Electronica Punch" by JGAudio

Additional sound effects, water, and musical themes shared via Epidemic Music.

"Carbon" (Indie Pop Version) by Andreas Ericson

"Just Another Romance" by Cleo Wright

Audio clips of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mighty Ducks 2 shared under the protection of "Fair Use" Copyright Law.