Satan, demons, conjurings: these are all the hallmarks of the sinister subculture many know of as "the occult". It's a shadowy world of secret societies, subliminal messaging and the taboo and anathema.

It's also a world that Jamie Lehn inhabited for many years of his life. Growing up in the church, he had a traumatic experience at a young age. Seeking a way to heal his pain, he turned to drugs, occult practices and later, flirted with the possibility of being inducted into a secret society. How did it happen, what was it like and where did this journey take him? Join us on this episode to find out.

Read the article and more | Get more Signs

Many of us are lonelier than ever before. According to the data, in the Western world, men are among the loneliest. When men leave the workforce and retire, many of them lose their social networks, as well as a primary driver for meaning, purpose and fulfilment. All too often, they waste away or go through messy breakups with their spouse, unable to cope with the transition. In this episode, Zanita takes a trip to her local mens' shed. It's a place where men (and women) of all ages are welcome to practice their hobby, connect and find community.

Read her article | Get more Signs

SOURCES

• Expert reveals impact of loneliness | 60 Minutes Australia

• Male inequality, explained by an expert | Big Think

• Loneliness: The silent epidemic | ABC News

• Are We in a Loneliness Epidemic? (ft. @Katimorton) | PBS

Welcome to the brand-new version of the podcast. We're excited and we hope you enjoy it!

SHOW NOTES
Today we're talking about the so-called "fertility cliff"—the belief that after the age of 35, a woman's chance of having a child drops precipitously. We had the opportunity to interview Sisi Toro, an educator and self-confessed medical nerd. Through her research she's discovered that fertility isn't just about your age—there's much more to the story.

Disclaimer: though the data presented in this article is scientifically backed, every person’s experience is different. Science on fertility is emerging and many factors may affect your situation. For the best advice, consult your doctor.

Read her article | Get more Signs

CHAPTERS

• (00:01) - Intro
• (03:42) - Sisi's background
• (05:47) - The conventional view on age 35
• (07:47) - More women are having children later in life than ever before
• (08:36) - Harvard Medical School study
• (10:56) - Stress as a factor
• (15:10) - Modern hospitals don't "bat an eye" at older pregnancy
• (18:59) - Environment as a factor
• (21:48) - Raw milk and bone broth
• (23:37) - Stress is "the new smoking"
• (31:07) - Focus on health habits that are sustainable
• (33:02) - Pressure on relationships
• (35:51) - God's timing
• (37:23) - Outro

• Australian women having fewer children and later in life
• Births: provisional data for 2022 (USA)
• Having Kids Later in Life: Healthy Pregnancies as You Age
• Extended Maternal Age at Birth of Last Child and Women’s Longevity in the Long Life Family Study
• Is the Fertility Cliff a Myth?
• Why 'Geriatric Pregnancy' Is a Thing of the Past
• SBS, The 35-year-old fertility cliff: Fact or fiction?
• FRANCE24, Getting pregnant after 35: US research says reproductive years now extend to 37
• CityTV, At what age does your fertility begin to decline?

Watch the full interview on YouTube

It's been a few years in the making, but Signs Radio officially just turned 200... well, 200 episodes! Join us as we reminisce about the past, discuss some highlights from the past 200 episodes and look to the future of the podcast!

In this episode of Signs Radio, we speak to Mark Hadley about Christmas movies. They're cheesy, saccharine-sweet and are usually unrealistic to the point of being ridiculous. But buried in these movies are themes that transcend time and space—themes that are universal to all of us. So, despite my distaste, are Christmas movies actually great????

More Signs of the Times content

Justin's done it all. First breaking his back selling books door-to-door, then as a Youtuber, podcaster, as well as now an Instagram and TikTok creator, he knows the ups and downs of social media all too well. In this fascinating interview, we talk to him about his journey, what he's learned and if he were to start on social media today, what he'd do. We also tackle the more existential question: should you aspire to be a social media influence anyway?

We wrote an article about this topic. We think it's pretty good. | Buy Justin's book | Digital Missionary Academy | More Signs of the Times content

In this episode, I (Jesse) take you on a journey back to a time when I had my own experience with gambling. No, it wasn't scratchies, pokies or any other traditional forms of gambling. I was addicted to a slot machine in a videogame. As it turns out, it's far more common than you'd think. Come with me on a journey through card games, videogames and Japanese slot machines known as "gacha games".

Read the article | Connect with Jesse | More Podcasts

This episode, Zanita and Jesse are live in-studio with Maryellen Hacko! Maryellen wrote an article recently about her trip to Singapore with her two sisters and what it revealed to her about her always-hurrying nature. We talk about that, as well as equating your work with your worth, hustle culture and how to enjoy life even when it's busy.

Read her article in full | Follow Maryellen on Instagram | More Podcasts