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episode 27 starts with meg saying one thing slightly wrong and somehow spirals into a deep, hour-long conversation about individualism in australia and how it quietly shapes (and strains) friendships.

we unpack how australian culture approaches friendship, flakiness, planning, and emotional distance, and contrast that with growing up in more collectivist cultures, particularly hungary. we talk about unspoken social rules, why being “low maintenance” is often praised, and how that can leave people feeling isolated, unsupported, or disposable.

the conversation also touches on capitalism, neglect of community, neurodivergence, and why being different can feel especially hard in australia. erica shares personal friendship breakdowns, what she’s changed for other people in the past, and where she’s no longer willing to bend.

it’s a raw, thoughtful episode about belonging, cultural mismatch, and what real friendship actually requires.

📩 email us your thoughts or dating experiments: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com

Follow us:

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@fakewitcherica

@megstierney

chapters:

00:00 intro

01:39 friendship in australia

17:16 how individualism started

18:49 growing up in a collectivist culture

20:46 unspoken social rules in collectivism

28:09 flaky vs planning chart

32:01 country being neglected

35:20 mild rant on capitalism

38:17 being different in australia

39:11 the rat study

45:03 neurodivergence and individualism

51:37 comparison between australia and hungary

55:05 erica’s friendship breakdown

01:00:38 another traumatic friendship breakdown

01:09:56 changing for other people

01:18:44 final thoughts

01:24:49 outro

episode 26 is our first episode back for the year, and we’re easing in by unpacking the highlights and lowlights of our holiday trips.

meg talks about travelling to coffs harbour with her mum, while erica reflects on a brisbane trip with her dad. we cover the good parts: beautiful towns, road trips, spending time together, and the not-so-good parts including bugs in tropical regions, bed bugs in hotels, awkward family dynamics and the strange things people say when you least expect it.

we also talk about how grounding it can be to see each other after time apart, the joy (and stress) of long drives, and the confronting reality of roadkill on australian roads.

it’s a gentle, honest catch-up episode about travel, family, and returning to yourself after time away.

📩 email us your thoughts or dating experiments: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com

Follow us:

@fingerscrossedthepodcast

@fakewitcherica

@megstierney

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chapters:

00:00 intro

02:57 we went away

04:07 meg no. 5 highlight

07:18 erica no. 5 highlight

10:11 meg no. 4 highlight

11:39 erica no. 4 highlight

12:49 meg no. 3 highlight

13:50 erica no. 3 highlight

18:53 meg no. 2 highlight

20:23 erica no. 2 highlight

22:52 meg no. 1 highlight

25:02 erica no. 1 highlight

31:37 meg no. 5 lowlight

33:00 erica no. 5 lowlight

40:45 meg no. 4 lowlight

42:49 erica no. 4 lowlight

44:30 meg no. 3 lowlight

48:55 erica no. 3 lowlight

50:55 meg no. 2 lowlight

54:07 erica bonus lowlight

58:47 meg bonus lowlight

01:01:19 erica no. 2 lowlight

01:05:02 meg no. 1 lowlight

01:08:03 erica no. 1 lowlight

01:24:49 outro

episode 25 is our first episode of 2026, and it’s a reflective, grounding way to start the year.

the bulk of this episode centres on erica’s recent reading with author, astrologer and intuitive kate forster, and the themes that came up around values-based living, identity, and long-term growth. from there, we unpack how astrology can be used as a reflective tool rather than a rulebook, and what it means to consciously move through the world with intention.

we also talk about the four pillars of re-parenting, how past versions of ourselves would feel about our current selves and what happens when you find readers and practitioners you genuinely mesh with.

it’s an episode about integration - taking insight and turning it into something lived, not just understood.

📩 email us your thoughts or dating experiments:
fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com

Follow us:

@fingerscrossedthepodcast

@fakewitcherica

@megstierney

OUR MERCH IS LIVE: https://www.midnightprincesscollection.com/shop/fingers-crossed-merch
FC20 for 20% off

chapters:

00:00 intro

01:25 erica’s reading with kate forster

24:32 values based living

29:58 reflecting on parents

32:29 astrology chat

45:32 four pillars of re-parenting

55:07 meshing with readers

01:00:30 reflecting on past selves

01:04:17 outro