Do you love reality TV, or do you love to hate it? This week, Rachel is joined by two friends, Grace and Fiona, to gossip about the relationship between reality TV, ritual and religion. Using examples from The Bachelor, Love Island, and Drag Race, the trio discusses the various rituals and ceremonies that are so […]
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This week we dive head-first into different types of religious experience when it comes to consciousness. We chat ASCs, Trance, and Mysticism, while trying to understand the difference between the three types of experience. We also talk a lot about how religious experience is often branded as “crazy”, and is therefore used as an excuse […]
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We’re back with another monthly installment of our “In The News” episode. This week, we chat about a wide range of topics including; the psychology of religion and how religion is studied in the brain, the ethics of AI, and Islamophobia in Canada. Want to read the articles we talk about? “Religion on the […]
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Join Rachel and Jacqueline for a special interview with Faezeh Izadi about Muslims in Canada. Faezeh is an International Ph.D. student of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, originally from Iran. She got her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, but after two years of engineering works, Faezeh changed her path to humanities and joined […]
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Welcome to the 2nd episode in our series on CW’s hit show, The 100! If you haven’t listened to the first episode yet, check it out here! And if you haven’t seen Season 1 of The 100, then we recommend watching it before you dive into this episode (otherwise you’ll get a lot of spoilers). […]
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Join your hosts, Steph and Rachel, for an interview with yoga teacher and practitioner Laura Chaignon. We get deep into gender binary language in yoga (and elsewhere) and chat about the effect of the western lens on yoga, gendered language, and the importance of making yoga a safe and comfortable space for everyone. Resources […]
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Welcome to the first of a special 2-part episode on the hit CW show “The 100”. The show originally premiered in 2014 and ran for seven seasons – but today, we’re only getting into the first season. Of course, there are some spoilers, so feel free to go watch the entire first season and come […]
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This week, jump in with Rachel and Steph while they talk about different religious symbols being taken from their original meaning and used in either dangerous ways or just taken out of context. We also get pretty deep into the COEXIST bumper sticker’s history. As always, don’t forget to check out nearlynuminous.ca for previous episodes, […]
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After weeks of recording snags (long distance podcasting is hard!) we’re back! This week it’s the June edition of “In The News”. Join ALL THREE of your hosts (for the first time in months) while we try to stay on topic about the blood flower super moon and pride but end up in side chats […]
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Where do women fit in the world of modern spiritualities and religions? What exactly does it mean for a religion to be matriarchal? In honour of Mother’s Day, Steph and Rachel chat about matriarchal religions, the Goddess movement, and a whole lot of feminism! For more previous episodes, information, and transcripts go to nearlynuminous.ca. […]
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We’re back (well…Steph and Rachel are! Jacqueline will be soon!). Join us while we catch up on what’s been happening in the news. We give some background about Quebec’s Bill 21 and the most recent ruling. We also chat about Peloton’s religiously infused classes and how that plays into the wellness and exercise brand. Want […]
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Join your three hosts this week to talk all about the latest trend – manifestation and the Law of Attraction. We go into the history of the practice, all the way back to the dawn of the New Thought and New Age movements. Then we chat about how people actually partake in it, if it […]
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Happy St. Patricks’ Day everyone! Celebrate with us by learning all about the history and mythology behind the St. Patrick we know (and drink to) today. Also, make sure you take Jacqueline’s leprechaun quiz along with us!
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This week join your hosts while they talk about different ways Orientalism has creeped into pop-culture for the past few centuries. They chat Mulan, Freaky Friday, and Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone. Find the episode anywhere you get your podcasts! Just search Nearly Numinous. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram! We’re […]
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Ever wonder what it is about cult leaders that draw people to them? This week, join your hosts Rachel, Steph, and Jacqueline as they dive deep into the charismatic leader and what makes people so willing to follow them, even when their ideas might seem radical or outlandish to outsiders. We discuss the specific terminology […]
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This week, join all three of your hosts while they have some pancakes and catch up! We talk a bit about the history of pancake Tuesday – and then get into what we’ve been up to lately, some awesome episodes to look forward to for the spring season, and a lot of updates on our […]
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This week, join Rachel and Steph as they discuss all things eating and not-eating and how it relates to religion. They give some historical examples of fasting and other ascetic practices, but also get into the religious language we use surrounding the modern food and dieting industry. Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your […]
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Join Steph and Jacqueline while they give you a ton of history on the beginning of Celtic Christianity and the history and contemporary relevance of St Brigid! And for an added surprise (like when St Brigid turns water into Ale, or when Jesus turns water into wine, or when Jacqueline turns water into Hot Chocolate) […]
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We’re baaaack! After an extended break from lockdowns and holidays and all things, we’re here with an all-new Enneagram themed episode! Before the holidays, we interviewed Enneagram coach Steve Van Kleeck about his practice called The Mindful Enneagram. We discuss the spiritual approach to the enneagram, as well as the various spiritual and personal development […]
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This week, the hosts gather around eggnog lattes and hallmark movies (and some other classics) and chat about all things festive, Christmas, and holiday-esque. After getting nostalgic about their own traditions, they question; is Christmas a religion of its own? Is it only a Christian holiday? Or is it completely areligious? Listen in to find […]
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This week on Nearly Numinous, Steph interviews Reverend Wendy Luella Perkins, a chaplain at Queen’s University. They chat about her Soulful Singing meditation practice, and the importance of singing together in community with others. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @NearlyNuminous. You can also find transcripts for all our past episodes on […]
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This week, the hosts talk all about the enneagram personality test. They chat about what each type is, the history of the test, and get into how it’s used in spiritual growth and development circles. They also have short clips from listeners about how they interact with their enneagram type and how it has influenced […]
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This week we chat with fellow MA graduate, Sam Maclennan, all about his research – and some other semi-related topics. We chat stigmata, the canonization of saints, and the idea of “healthy” religious practices and if those labels are detrimental. We also chat a bit about COVID and its impact on religions and various religious […]
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This week, join Rachel, Jacqueline, and Steph as they talk about Harry Potter as it’s own religious movement, Harry Potter as religious, and if the religion of fictional characters matters or not. They talk about some Durkheim (nerdy theory stuff), what house they all belong to, and what to do when the creator of your […]
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This week on Nearly Numinous, Jacqueline, Steph and Rachel are talking all about the historic roots of Protestantism, capitalism, and the American Dream. We dive deep into the theologies of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Puritanism, and discuss the impact these theologies have had on the American political identity — as well as the negative […]
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Happy Halloween! It’s spooky season, and with spooky season comes all our favourite movies about witches (anyone else a Twitches fan?). This week’s episode is for all of you that want to know why witches aren’t just all spooky pointy hats and old ugly villains trying to steal your youth. Come listen to Jacqueline and […]
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Join Jacqueline, Rachel, and Steph while they get into the spooky season mood and chat all about the history and mythologies surrounding Vampires before diving into contemporary depictions of vampires (a.k.a. swooning over them) and talking about the New Religious Movements surrounding Vampirism. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @NearlyNuminous. Don’t […]
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Happy Thanksgiving! Come listen to the 3rd episode of Nearly Numinous where we are joined by Dr. Richard Ascough from the School of Religion at Queen’s University. We focus specifically on ritual and communal meals, but also discuss ancient methods for snubbing your frenemies, Harry Potter, the diet industry, and more! Find us across all […]
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In this episode of Nearly Numinous, join Steph, Jacqueline, and Rachel as they have a roundtable discussion with Dr. M Shobhana Xavier all about Zac Efron’s new travelogue – Down to Earth. We chat about the idea of sacred spaces, religious healing, and ecospirituality – all sprinkled with a little bit of swooning over Zac Efron […]
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Curious about what “numinous” means? Want to know more about your hosts? Interested in what we mean when we say “religion”? Check out our first episode featuring Steph, Jacqueline, and Rachel!
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