Hello!
I am your speaker Kacey, and welcome to this monthly update email from The Cult Vault Podcast. Every Friday a new mini-series drops onto the public podcast feed. In these emails I will tell you all about what to expect.
What's coming this month: February 3rd - An interview with Natalie Grand - Author of Cult Girls The first episode of the month will be a talk with Natalie Grand, author of a the graphic novel "Cult Girls". Natalie discusses her life growing up in the Jehovah's Witnesses, some of the most damaging doctrine still being used within this Religion and what needs to change to protect the most vulnerable within this high demand religious group. Natalie's book will be this month's #monthlymemoir. A review of "Cult Girls" reads -
"This book might be about the negative effects of growing up a Jehovah’s Witness but it’s funny and accessible, written for the YA market, and I imagine acts as a great friend to those who are struggling with growing up in the shadow of this cult and others. It’s an important book and empowering book for young girls."
February 10th - An Interview with Daniel O'Brien - Teacher and former Jehovah's Witness In this episode, I chat with Daniel after watching his compelling talk at the 2022 International Cultic Studies Association Annual Conference. Daniel was disfellowshipped from the Jehovah's Witnesses after dedicating a significant portion of his life to the cause. Being subjected to the shunning policy of this destructive group, Daniel has had no relationship with his two sons post-JW. Since leaving, now as a history teacher, Daniel has attempted to educate himself and his students, on the warning signs and effects of coercive control. February 17th - Crossover with Brandon Chadwick of The Narcissist Apocalypse Podcast I sat down with Brandon to discuss all that we had learned on our podcasting journeys, what Brandon's show is all about and how it came to be. We also talk about the various emotions encountered when interviewing survivors of abuse. Taken from Brandon's website -
"In 2019, I began interviewing survivors of narcissistic and domestic abuse on my podcast, Narcissist Apocalypse. In that time, I've published over 120 survivor stories, interviewed countless experts in the field, from therapists, to lawyers, to domestic violence advocates and agencies.
My philosophy for the podcast was to be different, and to me, that meant to be real, not clinical. My goal was to help survivors tell/validate their own stories, but to also validate and teach other survivors through those stories. And a crazy thing happened, it worked.
Narcissist Apocalypse has grown beyond my wildest dreams. It now reaches upwards of 10,000 listeners an episode and it keeps growing every day. If you read the reviews on Apple Podcasts, you can see just how much of an impact the show has made in the lives of our community members. Yes, we are now a community."
February 23rd - An Interview with Rachel on Harold Camping and Family Radio In this interview I talk with Rachel about her experiences growing up in a strict household that adhered to the teachings of Harold Camping. Camping, an American Evangelist who spoke to the masses through his broadcast named Family Radio, made many predictions over the years, and some came with devastating consequences. Rachel would live through the supposed end times, waiting for the world to collapse. This segment can be found in an article on Religion Unplugged -
"“May 21st, there’s going to be a terrific earthquake,” he warned. “Way bigger than anything the earth has ever experienced, and that’ll be the beginning of Judgment Day.” The then 90-year-old preacher was so convinced of his message that he invested nearly $100 million into an advertising campaign to spread the news. While his predictions were denounced and declared heretical by millions of other believers, and Camping died in 2013 at age 92, his legacy as a prophet has not entirely dissipated today."
DID YOU KNOW? We have a subreddit for cult podcasts! If you listen to a show you like, or if you have a cult podcast that you are involved with, you can promote it on our friendly and active subreddit, r/cultpodcasts - and if you haven't yet, come and check it out. You might find your new favourite show! Each week I release a "Cult News" update, with the leading headlines of the "Cultiverse" in one short YouTube video. I also release other exclusive content. Head on over to the channel and hit the like and subscribe button for updates on new content, live streams and more!
Now that 2023 is here, planning is well underway to make this year's CRIMECON UK the BEST one yet. Last year was the most incredible experience. I got to meet fellow content creators, network with some of the best in the podcasting industry, conduct a live talk interviewing Elgen Strait of the Falling Out Podcast which was an at-capacity experience with people turned away! but mostly, I got to speak with attendees about cults, coercion and identifying/preventing such environments. After the day was done, patrons and creators, guest speakers and leading true crime figures would all get together for quiz nights, socialising and networking in the local restaurants and bars. I cannot wait for the weekend in June to do it all again. On the 10th and 11th in London, join us! Get 10% off your tickets today by using the code CULT at the checkout. International friends - there are services that Crimecon offers to arrange flights, transfers and organise your entire trip so that you don't have to! Patreon members can also ask me for a special 30% off code. This month's highlighted book is "Cult Girls" by Natalie Grand. The blurb for the book on Amazon reads -
"Cult Girls based on a true story, tells the story of Talia and her friends as they struggle with growing suspicions that their faith is a patriarchal religious cult. It's a story of tremendous courage and female empowerment as Talia as her friends successfully free themselves told through a feminist lens with cautionary humor. Talia discusses the adversity faced as a young female raised in a cult that values its men over its women, meanwhile trying to find herself in the middle of several peer pressures. Rosa talks about how she was forced into a loveless marriage and struggles to find the means to escape. Sandy and Rochelle hope to fade out of their elder’s attention while still trying to maintain a successful marriage. These four women were born, raised and married in the cult and they each have a different path consisting of their own individual passions, desires and goals.
Cult Girls has an educational backdrop of the harsh treatment that these peculiar individuals knocking on your door don’t want you to know. It lightly touches on their shunning policies, lack of acknowledgment of modern medicine, and training its members to be martyrs that sacrifice their families, as well as an aversion to education and political processes. The healing journey is the discovery that there is hope for a better world, by realizing with their feminine energy they can make a change for the better in each a unique way.
Cult Girls was awarded First Place at 2002 The BookFest Awards for Girls & Women YA Fiction and featured in Cult News 101."
Get a copy of the book here