Proper Curious

"The images are painted directly through me… with great force." This is the voice of Hilma Af Klint. Great force is certainly true: by the end of her life in 1944 she’d created more than 1000 works of art. For a woman born in Sweden in 1862, af Klint was radical in her lifestyle and through her mediumistic art sought to make visible the unseen forces shaping our human experience. Journey with us into af Klint’s life, spirituality and art. Truly a woman ahead of her time, and perhaps ours.

Have you ever wondered why we say the phrase "beyond the veil"? Or considered what’s beyond it? Join us as we get curious about near-death experiences, children who remember their past lives and the artistic outcomes of those who came close to death. Just your everyday casual gals considering quantum theories of consciousness and reading full, in depth, physics papers with no actual prior physics knowledge. As always, check the website: www.propercurious.com for other episodes and creativity.  Trigger warning: death, traumatic injuries.

Have you got a need for Bede? We have, apparently. Join us as we explore the question on everyone’s lips (or just ours!): what has Bede done for me? Join us on our impulsive pilgrimage to Jarrow & Durham as we find out exactly that. Mischievous monk Marginalia, the meaning of monk’s hairdos, giddy Gregorian chanting, Liana’s musical burst and Rachael’s make-you-cry poetry; this episode has IT ALL. Pics and sources on the website (hope you are impressed Bede). www.propercurious.com

Well what an episode we have for you! Join us as we explore the many and varied ways we have remembered the departed through time. We discover the tale of the taxidermied philosopher and the woman who carried her husband’s heart for twenty-two years. Liana hangs out in graveyards at dusk with her handmade checklist and Rachael ponders the magnificent aura of Mendelssohn via his death mask before dashing through surgeons hall to locate a book made from a murderer’s skin. Little content warning for this one folks as it includes discussion of death, murder and anatomy.

Segue into sacred spaces with us as we scrutinise stained glass. Journeying from our relationship with light to glass through time; we marvel at the arts and craft movement, learn of stained glass graffiti and discover a courageous woman burnt at the stake. Also, Liana puzzles over a pelican and Rachael questions whether she is in fact a medieval glazier. It turns out that stained glass windows tell us more tales than we might expect.

In recent years the term 'liminal' has had a resurgence. But what does it mean? Are there places which allow us to connect with something beyond ourselves? Join us as we get a bit deep and discover how accessing liminal states can enhance our creativity. Rach realises her deep love of mist and Liana has REVELATIONS. As always remember to check the website for all the creativity and images for this episode www.propercurious.com

Welcome to episode 3 of Proper Curious! After sharing what we’ve been up to creatively, we delve into our next topic. Come with us as we discover mystical secrets in relation to protective symbols, learn of some strange beliefs and go on a quest to find some marks of our own. Liana gets on her hands and knees in a cathedral, Rach stares into people’s windows, we read a belter of a poem from the 1600s and we can't stop saying the word 'interesting'. Enjoy!

In this episode we share some creative output from episode 1 before jumping into the mystical topic of Runes, complete with Rune reading! Join us as we explore the Bewcastle and Ruthwell Crosses which are (really bloody old) dual faith crosses that blend cultures, languages and world views of old. We also find a cake honesty box, badly pronounce a LOT of Anglo-Saxons names, discover a love of gift shop tea towels and marvel at the most psychedelic stained-glass Jesus.

In this episode we reflect on the power of human connection during our visit to Cairn Holy and wonder at the purpose and meaning of ancient sites on Askham Fell. We also have a proper belly laugh as Liana struggles to talk about her feelings and Rach quotes obscure online vids. As this is our first ever episode it's clear we're on a podcast learning curve BUT we love authenticity more than success, so in the spirit of not taking ourselves too seriously, why not join us and get curious?