The New Year is here, but instead of reinventing ourselves, what if we chose to return to ourselves?

In this cozy, reflective episode of Unpacking the Closet, we talk about why “New Year, New Me” culture is unrealistic, capitalist, and often harmful, especially for queer folks, chronically ill folks, and anyone who’s exhausted from trying to overperform their worth.

Together, we explore:

• 🌱 Soft resets vs. hard resolutions

• ✨ Gentle, attainable intentions rooted in authenticity

• 🔥 How to set goals without burnout or shame

• 🌙 Why cycles of rest are sacred (and necessary)

• 🌈 How queer and disabled communities uniquely approach self-growth

• 💛 What practices help us reconnect with who we already are

Plus, we share grounding rituals, low-pressure practices, and things you can simply stop doing this year, because sometimes the most powerful resolution is to release the stuff that was never yours to carry.

If you're craving a calmer, kinder approach to the New Year, this episode is your warm hug, cup of tea, and soft reset all in one.

🔗 Listen now & follow us everywhere:

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www.unpackingthecloset.com

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#newyearsameyou #softreset #gentleresolutions #queerpodcast #lgbtqmentalhealth #chronicillnesspodcast #intuitivegoalsetting #sustainablehabits #newyearintentions #unpackingtheclosetpodcast

Across cultures, across centuries, across pantheons, queer stories have always existed.This week, we’re unpacking the myths history tried to sanitize, erase, or rewrite. From the shapeshifting chaos of Loki to the battle-worn destiny of Shikhandi… from Sappho’s tender lyric longing to the tragic beauty of Hyacinthus… we’re reclaiming the lineages that belong to us.

We also explore the seasonal figures of Santa & Krampus, and talk about myth as identity-making, how queer communities have always found themselves in stories of transformation, defiance, devotion, and becoming.

In this episode we cover:✨ Why mythology is full of genderfluid, queer, and trans-coded figures✨ How colonization & Christianity reshaped ancient stories✨ The queer-coded myths of Norse, Greek, Indian, and Japanese traditions✨ Deep-dive synopses of:

• Loki

• Shikhandi

• Achilles & Patroclus

• Apollo & Hyacinthus

• Sappho

• Dionysus

• Tiresias

• Hermaphroditus

• Orpheus & the Maenads

• The Crane Wife

• Santa & Krampus

Plus: Our Solstice reflections, queer storytelling traditions, and why myths matter—especially during the holiday season.

🔗 Listen now & follow us everywhere: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube → @UnpackingTheCloset

www.unpackingthecloset.com✨

Support bonus episodes & join community rituals on Patreon!

#QueerMythmaking #LGBTQHistory #QueerFolklore #MythologyPodcast #QueerEducation

In today’s Solstice Series episode, we’re diving into Yule, one of the oldest winter traditions celebrated around the world. From Norse fire festivals to Japanese yuzu baths, we explore the global history of the winter solstice and why this season resonates so deeply with queer and chronically-ill communities.

We break down:✨ Pagan origins and ancient Yule rituals✨ Cross-cultural winter celebrations✨ Why the darkest night of the year feels so queer-coded✨ How to build micro-rituals, tiny altars, and moments of joy✨ Simple ways to reconnect with hope, rest, and community!

🔔 Follow us everywhere:

Instagram/TikTok: @unpackingthecloset

YouTube: Unpacking the Closet Podcast

Website: www.unpackingthecloset.com

Join our Patreon community for bonus content, early episodes, and exclusive Solstice Series episodes!

#WinterSolstice #YuleTraditions #QueerJoy #PaganHistory #ChosenFamily

This week on Unpacking the Closet, we’re diving headfirst into the glittering, chaotic world of queer Christmas movies, and we brought our wives along for the ride! From Carol to Happiest Season to sapphic ranch romances and drag-filled holiday musicals, we’re unpacking what queer representation brings to the season: joy, softness, visibility, and chosen family warmth.

We explore why these films matter, which tropes make us scream (in good and bad ways), how queer holiday media has evolved, and why joyful representation is radical. If you love cozy queer vibes, movie recs, and holiday chaos, you’re in the right place.

✨ Follow us: @unpackingthecloset on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube✨ Join our Patreon community: bonus episodes + early access✨ Website: www.unpackingthecloset.com

#QueerChristmas #LGBTQPodcast #HolidayMovies #QueerRepresentation #ChosenFamily

queer christmas movies, lgbt holiday films, sapphic christmas movies, queer media podcast, chosen family holidays, lgbtq holiday traditions

This week, we slow down and write the letters we wish we had growing up. In this intimate episode, Geri and Caitlin reflect on the moments that shaped them, the messages they needed to hear, and what it means to offer yourself compassion across time.

💌 From navigating shame and uncertainty to celebrating the beauty of queer becoming, this episode is a love letter to our past selves, and maybe yours too.

✨ Plus: Why inner child work hits different as queer people, how to rewrite your personal narrative, and the healing power of saying “You were never too much.”

🎧 Tune in for vulnerability, softness, and a few tears (the good kind).

🌐⁠ www.unpackingthecloset.com⁠

#QueerHealing #LettersToMyYoungerSelf #UnpackingTheCloset #LGBTQPodcast #InnerChildHealing #QueerGrowth #LGBTQHealing #QueerPodcast #ComingOutStories #QueerJoy #PrideAllYear #SelfCompassion #InnerChildWork

This week, Caitlin and Geri gather ‘round the queer table to talk about chosen family, the people who make us feel at home, even when “home” doesn’t look traditional. From Friendsgiving potlucks to candlelit rituals, we explore the beauty of building new traditions, redefining family, and celebrating belonging.

✨ Plus: How to create cozy, inclusive rituals for small spaces, how queer communities have historically formed families of care, and how joy becomes its own kind of feast.

💛 Because chosen family isn’t a backup, it’s a revolution of love.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and join the conversation at
🌐 www.unpackingthecloset.com
📺 YouTube:Unpacking the Closet
💬 Patreon:patreon.com/unpackingthecloset
📱 Follow us on socials: @unpackingthecloset

#ChosenFamily #QueerJoy #UnpackingTheCloset #LGBTQPodcast #FoundFamily #QueerCommunity #HolidayWellness #QueerPodcast #PrideAllYear #QueerRituals #QueerCulture #LGBTQHistory #QueerHolidays #ChronicallyQueer

What if sacred space didn’t require a temple, incense, or even a lot of room? In this episode of Unpacking the Closet, Caitlin and Geri explore how queer folks build meaningful rituals and altars, whether it’s a crystal on your desk, a playlist in your car, or a photo tray in a small apartment. They unpack how reclaiming ritual becomes an act of identity, joy, and resistance.You’ll learn:

• How to redefine what “altar” means and reclaim the sacred in everyday life

• Creative, space-friendly altar ideas: desk, car, tiny apartment, phone-based, and more

• How joy, care, and community transform personal objects into ritual tools

• Why queer lineage, shared altars, and community memory matter

• Practical prompts and micro-rituals to build your sacred space right now

✨ Because your space, your story, your joy, they’re sacred.

🔔 Subscribe for more queer joy, history, and healing, new episodes every Tuesday!

Because in a world that told us we didn’t belong in sacred spaces…we made our own. 🕯️💖

#TinyAltars #QueerSacredSpace #QueerJoyEditions #UnpackingTheCloset #SacredRituals #AltarsEverywhere #EverydayMagic #QueerSpirituality #JoyAsResistance #ChosenFamilyRituals #DeskAltar #CarRitual #SmallSpaceLiving

Before many of us had language for queerness, we had television. We had movies. We had music videos at 2 a.m. that made us feel… something. In this week’s episode of Unpacking the Closet: The Queer Joy Editions, Caitlin and Geri dive into the wonderfully chaotic, deeply formative world of queer-coded media and the characters that cracked our closet doors open.

From Faith strutting into Buffy the Vampire Slayer in leather pants, to the undeniable bisexual energy of The Mummy, to Xena and Gabrielle’s sapphic partnership (we all knew), to Missy Elliott bending gender rules in every music video, this episode is a joyful, nostalgic love letter to the media that helped us feel seen long before we had the words.

We unpack the coded longing in early 2000s cinema, the Disney characters that awakened things (hi, Mulan and ALL of Batman’s villains), the camp and chaos of movies like Cadet Kelly, and the quiet power of shows like Degrassi, Grey’s Anatomy, Steven Universe, Pose, and Sex Education.

Because for so many queer people, representation didn’t begin with out characters, it began with vibes, glances, innuendos, and the characters who made our hearts race for reasons we’d figure out later.

✨ In this episode, we explore:

• Queer-coded TV and films that shaped us before we had the language

• Why visibility (even imperfect, messy visibility) matters

• How nostalgia can be a form of healing

• The power of seeing people move through the world in ways that felt familiar

• Becoming mirrors for the next generation of queer viewers

Because representation doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful, it just has to be true. And sometimes, it starts with a girl in combat boots, a boy in eyeliner, a pop star in a tracksuit, or a librarian in a white silk blouse saving the world.