The Victorian Obsession With Egypt, Mediums & the Occult: Women Found Their Voice in the Dark

Why Do We Love a Scary Mummy? 🏺The Victorian Obsession With Egypt, Mediums & the Occult created much of the spiritual imagination we carry today—and most of it was performative. In this episode, Dr Eleanor Dobson sits down with Philipp Kobald to explore curses, ghosts, seances, and how the mummy became the West’s go-to supernatural villain.This shows how each era reshapes spirituality—sometimes adding insight, sometimes adding spectacle—and how knowing the history makes our modern practices clearer.You’ll leave this conversation with a better sense of where spiritual trends originate, why they shift over time, how Women Found Their Voice in the Dark, and how to enjoy the mystical without confusing fact with performance.Key Insights ✨ How Victorian narratives built modern ideas of ghosts, curses, and Egypt Why spiritual movements reflect social pressures rather than ancient truths How seances gave women a voice in a male-dominated society Why each generation layers new myths and stories onto old ones What the “mummy curse” reveals about fear, empire, and fascination How historical awareness sharpens contemporary spiritual practiceMemorable Quotes 💬“People have been rehearsing the mummy’s curse for decades before Tutankhamun.” —Dr Eleanor Dobson“We can finally separate what is real in spirituality and what is theatre.” —Philipp KobaldGuest Bio 👤Dr Eleanor Dobson BA, MA, PhD, FHEA is a 19th-century literature expert focusing on Egypt, Tutankhamun, and the spiritual imagination surrounding them.Link to our guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-dobson-16037420b/CHAPTERS 00:00 Empowerment Through Spiritualism 00:28 Introduction to the Holistic Circle Podcast 00:41 Meet Eleanor Dobson 02:03 The Fascination with Egypt 03:39 The Mummy's Curse 11:11 The Rise of Spiritualism 12:10 Victorian Seances and Mediums 23:14 Egyptology and Interpretation 25:36 Egyptian Beliefs in the Afterlife 26:23 Mythology and Mummification 27:12 The Egyptian Concept of the Soul 28:03 Victorian Spiritualism and Science 29:57 The Rise and Fall of Spiritualism 34:27 The Dark Side of Spiritualism 37:19 The Occult and Secret Societies 47:31 Modern Spirituality and Gender#spiritualism #mummycurse #spiritualhistory #egyptologist #spirituality #occulthistory #holisticcircle #philippkobald #tutankhamunP 80 25 (E0099) - Nov 26, 2025