Curious Cat
After my father's death, I had some strange stuff happen that nudged me to learn about the supernatural. What I've been finding out is life is way more complicated, strange, and wonderful than I'd ever dreamed. The best part? Science is starting to catch up. I focus on the place where science and supernatural collide. What does it mean to be a soul in a meat suit? All episodes are made and offered in love. *All Curious Cat content is owned and operated by Storm Mystery Press LLC
Curious Cat
The Dance Cult You Haven't Heard of...YET! And Curious Queue #4
I can almost hear you right now. WHAT? Another cult episode? This one came to me via my eldest's partner, Josh. Thanks for sending me the video that spurred on this episode. And I wanted to shout out a listener, Grace, who I got to catch up with in person last week. I hope you have a FANTASTIC junior year. You are wonderful, Grace.
Back to the episode, though. If you watched the Netflix series, Dancing for the Devil: the 7M Tik Tok Cult, then you'll be interested to learn they weren't the first dance cult. Not even close.
Let's get into it!
First, what is a cult?
First, what is a cult? From a book titled, The Cult Files, authors Leo Moynihan and Sam Pilger say, "The word, 'cult,' stems from the Latin cultus, meaning 'care, cultivation, worship.'"
And the authors remind us, "Cults don't have to mean danger, abuse, and death. Many have offered simpler, more innocent incentives." And they give an example, the Prince Philips movement in the South Pacific that worshipped the UK's Duke of Edinburgh, as an innocuous cult.
Falun Gong - The Dance Cult You HAVE NOT Heard of, til now
Today's conversation centers around a cult that began just a few years after the tragedy at Tienanmen Square. I watched an excellent two-part YouTube series on their roots and where they are now, and I'd highly recommend you do the same, and give SPECTACLES a subscribe, too.
In the first video he explains. It was early on the morning of April 25th, 1999 in China. A crowd had gathered in Beihai Park and then marched to a central government complex, Zhongnanhai. This group had no banners, no megaphones, still, though, the government saw it as a protest.
Sources and Materials
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/inside-falun-gong-master-li-hongzhi-the-mountain-dragon-springs/12442518
Netflix series, Dancing for the Devil: the 7M Tik Tok Cult
Shen Yun: Dance–with a cult message thrown in from Foundations with Janet dot org
Stepping into the Uncanny, Unsettling World of Shen Yun by Jia Tolentino from The New Yorker
Great video about Shen Yun by Adam on YouTube and my clip - Here's the full video
The Curious Queue Sources and Links for More Viewing/Reading
Brave enough to listen to Ghost Tap
Have you tried the GoodPods app yet? It's free and a fun way to share podcasts with friends and family! Curious Cat Podcast is there, and is sitting pretty in the Top 20 in Supernatural!
Curious Cat Crew on Socials:
Curious Cat on Twitter (X)
Curious Cat on Instagram
Curious Cat on TikTok
Art Director, Nora, has a handmade, ethically-sourced jewelry company!
