Have you ever watched the Witcher and wondered if it was actually ever a real job? What if the answer was yes, but in addition to casting out demons and other foul creatures, you could also control the weather, summon dragons and all manners of spirits, speak every language, and cure disease? The job description you just read is for the position of solomonar-- and there are still people alive today who met these strange wizards in their lifetime. So pull up and listen to some lore and firsthand accounts about one of history's strangest jobs.

Music:

Intro music: Beeckmans: Hymne for Theremin, Oboe, String Quartet and Piano (2018) - The Alba Septet (Listen to the whole thing on youtube, you'll thank us later).

Outro music: Magic Hour by Three Chain Links

Social Media Accounts:

Instagram: crowandfernsguide

TikTok: crow_and_ferns_guide

X: @Crow_and_fern

Tumblr: CrowandFern

Email: crowandfernsguide@gmail.com

References:

Poveşti cu solomonari by Catalin Manole

http://arhiva.formula-as.ro/2016/1246/societate-37/povesti-cu-solomonari-21640

Samanism, Ayahuasca si alte...minuni

https://samanism-ayahuasca.blogspot.com/p/povesti-cu-solomon.html

Welcome back, children! Yes, it’s been 3 weeks, and yes it was Crow’s fault, but we’re back, and this week we bring you: Philosophy, neuroscience, and androids! No, not the phones. The humanoid robots that would have been the best human companions if they’d just stop gaining consciousness.

HAL 9000, David8, Ava, to name a few. If there’s one thing Sci Fi loves to do, it’s to freak us out. And it often does this by asking the question: what if man-made creatures gained sentience? But what exactly is ‘sentience’? What defines being human? Do we really understand what makes us us enough to pass judgment on creatures we deem unworthy of our respect? In the first of many episodes to come on Androids, Crow discusses the philosophical and neuroscientific aspects of consciousness and how it was examined in, arguably, one of the most popular modern day movies examining human androids: Ex Machina.

Intro music: Beeckmans: Hymne for Theremin, Oboe, String Quartet and Piano (2018) - The Alba Septet (Listen to the whole thing on youtube, you'll thank us later).

Outro music: Magic Hour by Three Chain Links

Social Media Accounts:

Instagram: crowandfernsguide

TikTok: crow_and_ferns_guide

Twitter: @Crow_and_fern

Tumblr: CrowandFern

Email: crowandfernsguide@gmail.com

References:

Consciousness explained or described? https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2022/1/niac001/6523097?searchresult=1#377634645

Scientific American: What Is Consciousness? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-consciousness/

EX MACHINA (2014) EXPLAINED: THE EMPATHY QUESTION https://www.thehaughtyculturist.com/films/ex-machina-2014-themes-analysis-explained

A New Explanation for Consciousness https://neurosciencenews.com/consciousness-theory-21571/

Twilight Sleep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_sleep#:~:text=Twilight%20sleep%20(English%20translation%20of,of%20pain%20management%20during%20childbirth.

I (Fern) am really excited to share an absolute favorite of mine, the tale of Kiviuq from Inuit mythology. This fascinating story shares the tale of a man lost at sea, trying to find his way home in the unforgivingly harsh Arctic climate. He faces strange and magical dangers as he passes through a dreamlike world, all the while doing his best not to starve or freeze to death.

Michael Kusugak's Version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIL2lD8Wbgc

Social Media Accounts:

Instagram: crowandfernsguide

TikTok: crow_and_ferns_guide

Twitter: @Crow_and_fern

Tumblr: CrowandFern

Email: crowandfernsguide@gmail.com

Intro music: Beeckmans: Hymne for Theremin, Oboe, String Quartet and Piano (2018) - The Alba Septet (Listen to the whole thing on youtube, you'll thank us later).

Outro music: Magic Hour by Three Chain Links