This week, Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Discovery in Chapter 18 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Slughorn’s poisoned mead, Harry’s life saving bezoar, and Romilda Vane’s love potion! Throughout the episode we consider the question: are we always on some journey of discovery? Thank you to Auryn for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 19, Elf Tails, through the theme of Rebellion with Matt Potts. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only...

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Knowledge in Chapter 17 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Harry’s lesson with Dumbledore, early Slug Clubs, and Slughorn’s titular memory! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do raw facts turn into knowledge? Thank you to Simone for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 18, Birthday Surprises, through the theme of Discovery with Casper ter Kuile. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and...

This week, Vanessa and special guest Julia Argy explore the theme of Worthiness in Chapter 16 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss the value of peeling sprouts by hand, Percy’s Christmas, and Ron’s new necklace! Throughout the episode we consider the question: what are we weighing when we decide the worthiness of something? Thank you to Mo for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 17, A Sluggish Memory, through the theme of Knowledge with Matt...

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Symbiosis in Chapter 15 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Slughorn’s exclusive holiday party, the ripple effect of Hermione and Ron’s tiff, and Draco’s plan! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how can we create symbiotic relationships that aren't just transactional? Thank you to Laura for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 16, A Very Frosty Christmas, through the theme of worthiness with...

Every once in a while we like to take a step back from our current chapter, and appreciate some overarching themes and important characters from the series. This week, Vanessa and special guest Margaret H. Willison are talking about the idea of Drama and some of their favorite dramatic moments throughout the series! -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only five dollars to join our Patreon for conversations every week! Please consider helping us fill our Gringotts vault so we can...

This week, Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Innocence in Chapter 14 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, featuring a charming opening story from friend of the pod Rosy Hosking! They discuss Ron’s first kiss, Hermione’s army of little birds, and the big Quidditch match! Throughout the episode we consider the question: when is innocence a gift, and when does it feel a little bit embarrassing? Thank you to Hannah for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 15, The...

This week, Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Procrastination in Chapter 13 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Tom’s solo trip to Diagon Alley, Dumbledore’s choices, and Mrs. Cole’s orphanage! Throughout the episode we consider the question: when are we procrastinating and when are we prioritizing other values? Thank you to Ariel for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 14, Felix Felicis, through the theme of Innocence with Casper and special friend...

We hope you enjoy this sneak peak into our Patreon content, where each month patrons receive a curated selection of bloopers from the last 4 episodes! If you enjoy our work, please consider signing up on our Patreon so we can continue to make this show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Matt and Jackson Bird explore the theme of Access in Chapter 12 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Slughorn’s exclusive club, Katie Bell’s curse, and Mundungus’s thievery! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do we fight for access when we’ve been excluded? Thank you to Angela for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 13, The Secret Riddle, through the theme of Procrastination with Casper ter Kuile. -- It’s two sickles to join...

We hope you enjoy this sneak peak into our Patreon content, where each week patrons receive a bonus discussion inspired by the chapter! In this mini ep from Chapter 10, Matt and Vanessa discuss whose memory they'd like to take a peek into. If you enjoy our work, please consider signing up on our Patreon so we can continue to make this show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Normalcy in Chapter 11 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Hagrid’s grief, Ron’s tryout, and Slughorn’s continued pursuit of Harry! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how does despair manifest? Thank you to Alison for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 12, Silver and Opals, through the theme of Access with Jackson Bird. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only two dollars to join our...

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Ambition in Chapter 10 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss the Half Blood Prince’s gender, Snape’s ambition, and Merope’s blossoming romance! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do our ambitions shift over time? Thank you to Natalie for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 11, Hermione’s Helping Hand, through the theme of Despair with Matt Potts. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and...

This week, Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Empowerment in Chapter 9 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss McGonnagall’s excellent leadership, Harry’s snappy come-backs, and how to be a good quidditch captain! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do you redistribute power in broken systems? Thank you to our anonymous listener for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 10, The House of Gaunt, through the theme of Ambition with Matt...

This week, Vanessa and special guest Micaela Blei explore the theme of Ambition in Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss the role of jokes during wartime, Tonks’ protection, and Snape’s escort! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do chance and effort interact in our lives? Thank you to Ned for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 9, The Half-Blood Prince, through the theme of Empowerment with Casper ter Kuile. -- It’s two sickles...

Every once in a while we like to take a step back from our current chapter, and appreciate some overarching themes and important characters from the series. This week, Matt and special guest Jolie Doggett are celebrating everyone's favorite bff, Ron Weasley! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Adversity in Chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Luna’s friendships, Ginny’s bat-bogey hex, and the titular Slug Club! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how does adversity shape our perspective? Thank you to Kate for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 8, Snape Victorious, through the theme of Chance with Micaela Blei. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only two dollars to...

This week, Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Gratitude in Chapter 6 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss the twins’ joke shop, Harry’s wealth, and the changes in Diagon Alley! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do we maintain gratitude? Thank you to Sarah for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 7, The Slug Club, through the theme of Adversity with Matt Potts. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only two dollars to join our...

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Concern in Chapter 5 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Molly’s many concerns, the relativity of concern, and Fleur as future sister-in-law! Throughout the episode we consider the question: when is concern helpful? Thank you to Nancy for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 6, Draco’s Detour, through the theme of Gratitude with Casper ter Kuile. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only two dollars to...

This week, Vanessa and special guest Beth Silvers from Pantsuit Politics explore the theme of Identity in Chapter 4 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Slughorn’s obsession with fame, Molly as a source of comfort, and Dumbledore’s guidance! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do our identities shift, evolve and overlap? Thank you to Hope for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 5, An Excess of Phlegm, through the theme of concern with...

Our sister podcast, Hot & Bothered, has recently launched a brand new season with a brand new co-host! Joining Vanessa is media professor and podcaster Hannah McGregor. This season of Hot & Bothered is all about exploring the ideology of romance movies and we started the season off with the 1993 classic, Sleepless in Seattle. Episode release weekly on Tuesdays. Go subscribe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Corruption in Chapter 3 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Dumbledore’s errand, Kreacher’s fate, and new leadership at the Ministry! Throughout the episode we consider the question: how can power corrupt? Thank you to Travis for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 4, Horace Slughorn, through the theme of Identity with Beth Silvers from Pantsuit Politics. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only two...

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Honesty in Chapter 2 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Snape’s honesty, lack thereof, and Draco’s impossible task! Throughout the episode we consider the question: what constitutes a genuinely honest answer? Thank you to our anonymous listener for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 3, Will and Won’t, through the theme of Corruption with Matt Potts. -- It’s two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only two...

Welcome back as we take a look at Book 6 of Harry Potter!! This week, Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Honor in Chapter 1 of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! They discuss Scrimgeour as the new Minister of Magic, Fudge’s many mistakes, and the relationship between honor and shame! Throughout the episode we consider the question: what does it mean to act with honor? Thank you to Marni for this week’s voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 2, Spinner’s End, through the theme of...