Jewish Mysticism and Sapphic Slowburn with Maddie Martinez

Get mystical with one of the smartest dark fantasy authors working today - not to mention the author of one of my favorite sapphic slowburns. Maddie Martinez is the USA Today bestselling author of The Maiden and Her Monster and the forthcoming gothic novel The Haunting of Lady Death. She has a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in international peace and conflict resolution, and I am lucky enough to call her my friend.If you’re interested in Jewish mysticism and the myth of the Golem, the interplay between religion and nationalism, weaving fantasy worlds from historical sources, and mapping the razor-thin line between magic and mysticism, this episode is for you.IN THIS EPISODE- Hear the myth of the Golem, as recounted in the 19th century folktale The Golem of Prague- Explore ways Maddie drew from historical sources to build a fantasy world that is in conversation with our world.- Dive down rabbit holes about court astrology, British folk magic, and pre-kabbalistic mystic writings.-Unpack the ways religion has been used to justify state-sanctioned violence and nationalism – both historically and in the modern day.CONNECT WITH MADDIEmaddiemartinez.comIG: maddiesmartinezREAD THE MADIEN AND HER MONSTERAudio, ebook, hardcover, and paperbackGET METAPHYSICALJoin the community at saint.substack.com to get new episodes right in your inbox, and join the paid tier for twice monthly long form essays about art, sexuality, and spirituality, as well as Metaphysical Girl After Dark episodes, where we go darker and deeper with the subject matter.BOOK A TAROT READINGI’ve spent a dozen years reading tarot for the betterment of others, with a focus on helping artists, spiritual seekers, and those in transition uncover their inner wisdom. To schedule a private reading with me, follow the booking link at https://stgibson.com/metaphysical-girl/. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saint.substack.com/subscribe