The Moon in Carolina: Folklore + Strange History
by Shelby Bundy
The Moon in Carolina is a podcast about applied myth, folklore, history, and the paranormal — told the way you’d want it told by a friend who did all the reading for you. Each week, host Shelby Bundy follows a single thread as far as it goes: a piece of folklore you’ve half-heard but never quite understood, a strange event with a long history, a figure who got remembered wrong, a practice that has lived across cultures for centuries. Cryptids and saints, ghost ships and sailors’ superstitions, forgotten goddesses, haunted ground, and the old customs that still shape how we mark time, grief, and the turning of a year. Shelby is a published author and the creatrix behind the ritual lifestyle brand Tamed Wild. She holds a BA in Anthropology and a postgraduate certificate in Ancient Religions, and is pursuing a master’s in Creative Writing & Literature at Harvard Extension School. She records from a hundred-year-old manor in the A
Episodes
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Ep. 91: Haunted Art & Literature w/ Amanda Paulson
In this episode, Shelby and autumn co-host Amanda Paulson explore haunted art and literature, from paintings said to move at night to books that carry curses in their pages. From The Hands Resist Him and the Crying Boy prints to Poe’s “The Oval Portrait,” the Devil’s Bible, and a Harvard book…
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Ep. 90: Urban Legends with Amanda Paulson
In this episode, Shelby and autumn co-host Amanda Paulson explore the world of urban legends — the stories that travel through communities and generations, shapeshifting as they go, yet always carrying something that feels true. From the Hat Man and Slender Man to Bloody Mary and La Llorona, this...
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Ep. 89: Strange Phenomena with Amanda Paulson
In this episode, Shelby and Autumn co-host Amanda Paulson get into the strange and unsettling — the phenomena that don’t fit neatly into ghost stories but live in that same uncanny territory. Mimics, doppelgangers, fetches, and more: the experiences that make you question what you actually saw…
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Ep. 88: Haunted Houses with Amanda Paulson
In this episode, Shelby and her Autumn co-host Amanda Paulson dig into some of the most famous haunted houses and locations in the world — from the Lizzie Borden house and the Winchester Mystery House to the Conjuring house, the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, St. Ignatius Hospital, and the Biltmore...
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Ep. 87: Summer Hauntings with Amanda D. Paulson
In this episode, Shelby and her autumn co-host, Amanda Paulson, kick off Season Four with a catch-up — and before diving into all things harvest and haunted, they catch up on a summer full of ghost stories. In this opener, the two share their own warm-weather hauntings and strange experiences…
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Ep. 86: Psychopomps
Every culture that has ever left records has agreed on one thing about death: you don't make the crossing alone. In this episode, host Shelby Bundy explores the guides—Hermes on the banks of the Styx, Anubis with the feather and the scale, the Valkyries who rode with the fallen—and the…
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Eps. 85: The Folklore of Swans
The swan has carried more symbolic weight in European tradition than almost any other animal — beauty understood as divine since at least the Greeks, grace that the old stories treated as a kind of power in disguise. The Moon in Carolina host Shelby Bundy traces the folklore from Apollo's sacred...
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Eps.84: The Bog Bodies
The peat bogs of Northern Europe have been preserving human remains for thousands of years — but the people found in them weren't accident victims or the hastily buried. Tollund Man and the hundreds of others show evidence of deliberate, ritualized death: careful positioning, the triple death…
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Eps.83: Sacred Groves
The sacred grove — a patch of forest set apart by custom and belief — appears in nearly every culture that has ever lived beside trees. Join host Shelby Bundy as she discusses what made a grove holy in Celtic, Indian, and Greco-Roman traditions, how those spaces functioned as sites of ritual and...
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Eps. 82: Summer Storytime-The Fires
In this between-episodes offering of The Moon in Carolina, host (and occasional storyteller) Shelby Bundy shares a short story she wrote in the depths of a past winter. The Fires is inspired by the old manor she lives in and the ghosts she lives with — written as part of her Literature and…
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Eps. 81: The Folklore of Fireflies
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores what people across thousands of years and dozens of cultures have believed about fireflies — and finds the same belief arriving, independently, again and again: that small lights moving through the dark are the souls of the dead,...
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Eps. 80: Sacred Animals of the Divine Feminine
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores the sacred animals of the divine feminine — the serpent, the bear, and the cow — and what it means that the same three animals kept appearing alongside goddesses across cultures that had no contact with one another. From the…
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Eps.79: The Devils Tramping Ground
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores the American tradition of devil-named places — over a thousand of them — and what it means that humans have always marked the land where the land pushes back. The episode centers on the Devil's Tramping Ground in Chatham County,...
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Eps.78: Shapeshifters: Circe, Proteus & the Selkie
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores three of mythology's great shapeshifters — Circe, Proteus, and the selkie — and the thread they share: the one who changes is the one who sees most clearly. Circe's transformations reveal what was already running beneath the...
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Eps.77: The Night Hag
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores the night hag — the figure who sits on your chest while you sleep, pins you to the bed, and leaves you certain something was in the room. The experience is one of the most universally reported in human history, and the traditions...
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Eps.76: Solar Deities
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores the mythology of the sun — the deities across world traditions who were understood to carry the light, fight for it, and in some cases withdraw it entirely. We look at Ra, the Egyptian sun god who sailed his barque through the...
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Eps. 75: Women Blamed Pt. 2- Medusa, Lamia & Scylla
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores the origin stories of three of Greek mythology's most feared women — and what those origins reveal about how monsters get made. Circe, the sorceress who transforms men into pigs. Lamia, the child-devouring queen. Scylla, the...
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Eps. 74: The Women in the Walls
In episode 74 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy explores the world of anchoresses — medieval women who chose to be walled into a small stone cell attached to a church and spend the rest of their lives there. It was voluntary, sanctioned by the church, and for many of them,...
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Eps.73: The Bones of the Earth
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, we explore the folklore of stones and soil—the materials beneath our feet that humans have worked with for thousands of years. Across myth and tradition, stones have marked sacred places, protected homes, chosen kings, and stood witness to the passage of...
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Eps. 72: Weather Witches
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy explores the long history of people who believed they could speak to and influence the weather — from the Sámi noaidi who sold knotted wind-cords to sailors, to village rainmakers, to the cunning folk who turned storms away from...
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Eps. 71: Women Blamed Pt. 1: Pandora, Eve & Lilith
Across cultures, myths often explain the hardships of human life through the actions of a single woman. In this first episode of a new series, we explore three of the earliest examples: Pandora, Eve, and Lilith. Each story describes a moment when a woman crossed a boundary, sought knowledge, or...
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Eps.70: Ancestral Seeds & Stories We Inherit
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, we explore the stories that move through families across generations. From inherited traditions to emotional patterns shaped by the past, this conversation looks at how the experiences of our ancestors continue to influence the present, and how awareness…
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Eps.69: Egg Magic in Folklore & Spellcraft
With Ostara approaching and the season shifting toward spring, eggs take center stage as symbols of renewal and new life. In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, we explore egg magick through myth, folklore, and seasonal tradition—from cosmic creation stories to folk practices involving healing,...
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Eps. 68: Mythic Brothers- Sleep & Death
In Greek mythology, Sleep and Death were brothers. Hypnos, the god of sleep, visited each night through dreams, while Thanatos, the god of death, arrived only once to guide the soul beyond life. In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy explores the myth of these twin figures and...
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Eps. 67: The Missing Queen of Heaven
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy takes a deep dive into ancient religions, seeking the missing queen of Heaven. Historical record tells us of a time when God had a wife and the divine was a lived experience, close to home, and embodied. Listen in as we find her,...
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Eps. 66: Q&A with Kate Belew
In episode 66 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy is joined one last time by her winter season co-host, Kate Belew. In this final episode of the winter series, Shelby and Kate answer listener-submitted questions, including past lives, favorite pop culture witches and movies, moon...
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Eps. 65: Brownies, Hobgoblins & Other House Spirits
In episode 65 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy dives into the various folklore surrounding the spirits that share our homes. From tricksters to Brownies, ship spirits, and keepers of the barns, we are never alone in the spaces we occupy. Listen in as we learn who is who and what...
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Eps. 64: Birthdays from a Magickal Perspective
In this episode, Shelby Bundy is joined by her winter seasonal co-host, Kate Belew, to discuss the magick of birthdays. From Artemis and candles to the threshold of the personal new year, in this conversation, solar returns are considered as potent magic for new beginnings. You can find Kate…
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Eps. 63: Winter Hauntings with Kate Belew
In episode sixty-three of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy is joined again by her winter season co-host Kate Belew to discuss the hauntings of winter. Listen in as they ponder the possibility of winter ghosts, hermiting, and leaning into the month that is closest to death. You can find…
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Eps. 62: Sleep Magic with Kate Belew
In episode 62 of the Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy is joined by her winter season co-host, Kate Belew, in a conversation about the magic of sleep. Listen in as they ponder the power of dreams, the possibility of parallel lives, and all the magic that happens while we are in between...
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Eps. 61: Horned Gods of the Winter Woods
In this episode of The Moon in Carolina, host Shelby Bundy steps into winter folklore and the stories tied to forested landscapes in the cold months. From Cernunnos and Herne the Hunter to the Reindeer Mother, this episode explores antlered gods, animal symbolism, and the ways winter myths…
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Eps. 60: New Years, Intentions & Simple Rituals
In episode 60 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy is joined again by her winter seasonal co-host, Kate Belew. Listen in as they share their plans for 2026, their thoughts on the Gregorian new year, and simple ways to embrace the energy of the season. You can find Kate Belew at...
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Eps. 59: Winter Solstice & Capricorn Season
In episode 59 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, Shelby Bundy is joined by her Winter Season co-host, Word Witch Author Kate Belew. In this conversation between friends, they discuss the magic of New Year's, rituals for beginnings, and the energy of Capricorn season. You can find Kate at...
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Eps. 58: Winter Divination with Kate Belew
In episode 58 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy is joined by her good friend and winter season co-host, Kate Belew. Listen in as they discuss mythic oracles, winter divination, and share how they intend to lean into the coming dark months. You can find Kate Belew at...
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Eps. 57: Q & A with Amanda Paulson
In episode 57, host Shelby Bundy is joined one last time for the season by her autumn cohost, Amanda Paulson. Together they answer listener submitted questions including things they just don’t believe in, a day in the life, favorite ritual tools and more. Find Amanda at @prettyfnspooky on all...
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Eps. 56: Odd Emotions with Amanda Paulson
Join host Shelby Bundy and her autumn seasonal co-host, Amanda D. Paulson, as they discuss Amanda's theory on "Odd Emotions." Comprised of four main emotions-liminality, nostalgia, Déjà Vu, and synchronicities- Amanda shares how their presence can heighten spirit connection and serve as an...
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Eps. 55: The Folklore of Time
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy is joined again by her autumn seasonal co-host, Amanda D. Paulson, to discuss the folklore of time. Why is midnight considered the "witching hour," and why is 3 am the most active time for paranormal activity? Listen in as various hours of the day are pondered...
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Eps. 54: Home Protection Magic
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy delves into the history and folklore of home protection magic—from witch bottles buried under hearthstones to the use of salt lines, brooms, bells, and candles. Listen in as we take a deeper look at the ways we’ve always tended our homes and the unseen…
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Eps. 53: Samhain & Finding Community w/ Amanda Paulson
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy is joined by her autumn seasonal co-host, Amanda Paulson, to discuss the sabbat Samhain and the importance of finding your people. Listen in as they share the history of the Witches' New Year and their own little rituals for embracing the season. 🔥Come to our...
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Eps. 52: American Monsters
In this episode, Shelby Bundy is joined by her autumn seasonal co-host, Amanda D. Paulson, in a conversation about American Monsters. Listen in as they discuss The Mothman, The Jersey Devil, The Fresno Nightcrawler, and other paranormal beings said to exist here on our own soil. You can find…
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Eps. 51: Three Kings & a Feather
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy discusses the contrasting visions of the afterlife in Greek and Egyptian mythology. While the Greeks imagined an underworld governed by three mortal kings—rulers even in death—the Egyptians envisioned a more symbolic journey, one where the soul was weighed…
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Eps.50: Ghosts, Spirits Ancestors & Demons
Join host Shelby Bundy and her autumn season co-host, Amanda D. Paulson, as they discuss various supernatural entities and the differences between them. In this conversation between friends, they ponder the different ways we classify the things we cannot see and how their energies vary, all while...
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Eps. 49: Famous Cursed Items
In this episode, Shelby and her autumn season co-host, Amanda Paulson, take a look at various known cursed and haunted objects, while pondering what it means when an object is "possessed" or attached to an entity. From the famous Annabelle Doll, The Conjured Chest, and personal items of our own,...
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Eps. 48: Ode to an Oak, Part 2
In this first episode of season 3 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, and the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, host Shelby Bundy reminisces on that fateful day and the loss of her beloved oak tree. In its honor, this episode explores tree lore from various cultures and the ways trees have...
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Eps. 47: Ghosts of the Harvest & Folklore of the Dying Season
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy explores the folklore of the dying season. From the ghostly superstitions tied to the last sheaf of grain to the spirits said to wander the fields after harvest, these stories reveal how closely death and abundance have always been linked. Listen in for myths…
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Eps.46: Hermes & Virgo Season
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy discusses the energy of Virgo season through the myths and stories surrounding its ruler, the god Hermes. (Mercury by Roman name) From his trickster personality to his ability to roam between worlds, Hermes and Virgo season are the archetype of the sacred…
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Eps. 45: Art Witchery with Caitlyn Barone
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy is joined by her friend and collaborator, Caitlyn Barone. Caitlyn is a self-proclaimed "art witch" and shares how creativity and the art we create can intersect with our spiritual practices. Here we dive into creating an "art grimoire, " scrapbooking, painting,...
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Eps. 44: The Marked Child- Birthmarks, Crows & Coming Back
In episode 44 of The Moon in Carolina podcast, host Shelby Bundy dives into the world of children who are "marked" as different and potentially otherworldly. Exploring various folklore and stories from around the world, here we consider the meaning of birthmarks, crows circling a newborn, and…
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Eps. 43: Lore of the Lakes & Seas
In this episode, host Shelby Bundy explores the various water spirits, entities, and deities said to inhabit the depths of our waters. From the Greek Sirens in the sea to the Lady of the Lake and Mami Wata; every culture has passed on stories of beings and energies that must be respected and...
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Eps.42: Word Witchery with Kate Belew
In this episode, published author and word witch Kate Belew joins host Shelby Bundy for a discussion on all things creativity. Listen in as they ponder the muses, and goblins, the process of writing a book, and the waxing and waning of creative energy. Kate gives listeners a sneak peek into her...
About this show
The Moon in Carolina is a podcast about applied myth, folklore, history, and the paranormal — told the way you’d want it told by a friend who did all the reading for you.
Each week, host Shelby Bundy follows a single thread as far as it goes: a piece of folklore you’ve half-heard but never quite understood, a strange event with a long history, a figure who got remembered wrong, a practice that has lived across cultures for centuries. Cryptids and saints, ghost ships and sailors’ superstitions, forgotten goddesses, haunted ground, and the old customs that still shape how we mark time, grief, and the turning of a year.
Shelby is a published author and the creatrix behind the ritual lifestyle brand Tamed Wild. She holds a BA in Anthropology and a postgraduate certificate in Ancient Religions, and is pursuing a master’s in Creative Writing & Literature at Harvard Extension School. She records from a hundred-year-old manor in the A
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Shelby Bundy
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