Short Stuff: Curse of Broken Mirrors
The hosts explore the superstition that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck and trace its roots through ancient Greek and Roman beliefs about reflections and souls. They discuss how mirrors evolved from reflective water and polished metal to glass, why mirrors came to be associated with the soul, and where the "seven years" idea may have originated. The episode also covers various folk remedies for broken-mirror bad luck, and other mirror- and glass-related superstitions surrounding death, demons, and marriage rituals, tying it all to the Halloween season.
Selects: How Mail Order Marriages Work
The hosts examine the history, mechanics, and ethical debates surrounding so‑called mail-order marriages, from colonial America and frontier settlements through 19th‑century matrimonial ads to the modern international marriage brokerage industry. They discuss how these arrangements have at times expanded women's agency and legal rights, while also creating serious power imbalances, immigration-related vulnerabilities, and potential overlaps with human trafficking. The episode also covers contemporary legal safeguards, data limitations, and evolving forms such as LGBTQ mail-order marriages, before closing with a listener email about losing a parent to COVID-19 and the importance of vaccination.