Épisodes

  • Mind Beyond Matter- Part 2: The Memory Palace
    Sep 18 2025
    (00:00:00) Mind Beyond Matter- Part 2: The Memory Palace
    (00:01:54) HISTORY & ORIGINS OF THE MEMORY PALACE
    (00:04:05) How does memory work?
    (00:06:24) Curious Memory Cases
    (00:09:52) The Memory Palace – More Than a Metaphor
    (00:12:23) Other Mnemonic Devices Worth Knowing
    (00:13:20) The Memory Palace in Pop Culture
    (00:14:03) Why It Still Matters
    (00:17:20) Outro

    🧠 Episode 2: The Memory Palace (Mind Beyond Matter Series)
    What if your mind isn’t just a place where memories live, what if it is a place?

    In this episode, we open the doors to the ancient technique known as the Memory Palace. A powerful method for storing and retrieving information by turning your thoughts into architecture. But this isn’t just about memorizing facts. This is about the science, the symbols, and the strangeness of how we remember… and forget.

    We explore:
    • 🏛️ The history of the memory palace, from Greek orators to Sherlock Holmes

    • 🧬 The science of memory: how the brain stores, links, and loses information

    • 🧠 Curious cases like Jill Price’s endless memory, false memories, and brain-regrowing flatworms

    • 📱 How tech is reshaping the way we remember and what it means to truly experience a moment

    • 🎬 Pop culture’s love for mental maps, from Hannibal to Queen’s Gambit

    And at the heart of it all: the idea that memory isn’t just a record. It’s a place we return to, a story we keep rewriting, a room that shifts when we aren’t looking.

    🔍 Plus: A bonus guided audio experience called The Garden of Still-Growing Things is now available on my Ko-fi shop! Free or pay-what-you-want.💫

    Part 2 of the Mind Beyond Matter series.

    Catch up on Part 1: “Minds Without Brains” if you haven’t yet!🪄

    Stay curious. Keep your wonder close.
    🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your weird.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.

    Here’s how you can support and explore more:

    🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon
    🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app
    ✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us
    🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic
    🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →
    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverse
    Instagram: @lilweird_universe
    Substack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/
    Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    19 min
  • Mind Beyond Matter- Part 1: Minds Without Brains
    Sep 11 2025
    (00:00:00) Mind Beyond Matter- Part 1: Minds Without Brains (00:03:34) Mind Without Brains (00:04:30) Slime Mold (00:07:23) Mimosa Pudica (00:09:17) Mushrooms (00:11:57) Outro 🎙️ Part 1: Mind Without Brains ✨ Series: Mind Beyond MatterEver met a genius blob?In this mind-bending premiere of Mind Beyond Matter, we meet creatures that think without a brain. From slime molds that can design subway systems, to plants that remember, learn, and even make decisions. We journey through strange forms of intelligence hiding in plain sight: shy plants that stop flinching, fungi that "talk" underground, and organisms that challenge what it means to know.Are brains really the only seat of thought? Or is intelligence something more… distributed? Rhythmic? Hidden in places we never thought to look?From squishy slimes to sentient stems, this episode is a love letter to all the quiet, weird, and wonderful minds of nature.🧠 Featuring:Physarum polycephalum (the Tokyo-dreaming slime mold)Mimosa pudica (our very own makahiya)Pea plants with Pavlovian instinctsForest fungi and the Wood Wide Web👁️‍🗨️ Prepare to unlearn what you know about intelligence. 🌱 Because maybe… the world is thinking back.Thank you for listening and for keeping wonder alive.Stay curious. Keep your wonder close. 🌙✨A gentle note:This episode of the LilWeird Podcast blends science, folklore, thought experiments, and a pinch of poetic speculation. While everything shared is rooted in credible research and genuine curiosity, this isn’t a scientific journal. It’s a storytelling space. So take what resonates, question what doesn’t, and let your mind wander freely. Interpret with care, and most of all, wonder responsibly.📚 References & Suggested ReadingsNakagaki, T., Yamada, H., & Tóth, Á. (2000). Maze-solving by an amoeboid organism. Nature, 407(6803), 470.→ This paper explores how a slime mold (Physarum polycephalum) solved a maze using its natural foraging behavior—a mindless organism solving spatial problems that mimic human-designed systems.Reid, C. R., Latty, T., Dussutour, A., & Beekman, M. (2012). Slime mould uses an externalized spatial “memory” to navigate in complex environments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(43), 17490–17494.→ Shows how slime molds leave behind chemical trails to avoid retracing their steps, effectively demonstrating memory without neurons.Gagliano, M., Renton, M., Depczynski, M., & Mancuso, S. (2014). Experience teaches plants to learn faster and forget slower in environments where it matters. Oecologia, 175(1), 63–72.→ A groundbreaking study revealing that plants like Mimosa pudica are capable of learning and memory through habituation.Adamatzky, A. (2022). Language of fungi derived from their electrical spiking activity. Royal Society Open Science, 9(4), 211926.→ This research suggests that electrical activity in fungi might encode information in a language-like form.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.Here’s how you can support and explore more:🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverseInstagram: @lilweird_universeSubstack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    13 min
  • Part 2 - Beware the Dancing Lights: Tricksters of the West and the Americas
    Sep 5 2025
    (00:00:00) Part 2 - Beware the Dancing Lights: Tricksters of the West and the Americas
    (00:00:14) Europe's Will-o’-the-Wisp
    (00:05:14) Latin America's Duende
    (00:10:44) North America's Coyote
    (00:16:04) The Psychology
    (00:19:29) Trickster Archetype
    (00:22:02) Modern Echoes of Ancient Tricksters

    The journey continues westward, where deceptive spirits flicker across continents. In this second part, we follow Europe’s eerie Will-o’-the-Wisps that lead wanderers into swamps, encounter the mischievous Duendes of Latin America, kin to our own household spirits, and meet the legendary Coyote, the great trickster of Native American lore.
    These tales reveal the same universal fears: of being lost, of mistaking temptation for truth, of trusting the wrong guide. Yet they also show how tricksters, even in their deception, can become teachers reminding us that wisdom often comes only after we’ve strayed.
    From marsh fires to desert foxes, these stories still echo in horror films, urban legends, and even the false promises we face in today’s world. Because whether in folklore or in life, the lesson endures: beware the light that dances just beyond your reach.

    If this episode sparked your curiosity, made you feel a little more enchanted, or reminded you of the stories hiding in plain sight—I’d love for you to stay connected with the LilWeird Universe. You can support the podcast, explore more curious content, and help keep this little world growing, glowing, and wonderfully weird.

    Thank you for listening—and for keeping wonder alive.
    Stay curious. Keep your wonder close. 🌙✨

    A gentle note:
    This episode of LilWeird Podcast is a blend of researched facts, folklore, personal reflection, and creative storytelling. While efforts were made to ensure accuracy, this episode is intended for curious exploration, not as a scientific or academic resource. Listener discretion is encouraged when interpreting historical or cultural content.

    Credits:
    Bgm 🎵- Mystical Piano Atmosphere

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.

    Here’s how you can support and explore more:

    🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon
    🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app
    ✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us
    🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic
    🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →
    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverse
    Instagram: @lilweird_universe
    Substack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/
    Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    29 min
  • Part 1 – Beware the Dancing Lights: Philippine and Asian Legends of Deceptive Spirits
    Sep 4 2025
    (00:00:00) Part 1 – Beware the Dancing Lights: Philippine and Asian Legends of Deceptive Spirits
    (00:06:02) Santelmo - St. Elmo's Fire
    (00:08:55) Tikbalang
    (00:10:15) Engkanto
    (00:12:44) Kitsune
    (00:14:47) China’s guǐhuǒ
    (00:15:30) Korea's dokkaebi bul

    Ever wondered what lurks in the dark when the path ahead flickers with light? In this first part of our two-episode journey, we explore the Philippine and Asian spirits that lead travelers astray. From the fiery Santelmo dancing on the shores, to the Tikbalang twisting mountain trails, to the beguiling Engkantos of enchanted cities, our folklore brims with beings who thrive on deception.
    We’ll then travel across Asia to meet Japan’s sly Kitsune and their fox-fire illusions, China’s wandering ghost lights, and other fire-born phantoms that tempt the curious into peril. Each tale warns us that not all lights guide home. Some burn, some bind, and some trap us forever in realms not our own.
    Join me as we uncover the myths, meanings, and warnings behind these deceptive spirits, and ask: why do we keep telling stories of lights that lie?

    If this episode sparked your curiosity, made you feel a little more enchanted, or reminded you of the stories hiding in plain sight, I’d love for you to stay connected with the LilWeird Universe. You can support the podcast, explore more curious content, and help keep this little world growing, glowing, and wonderfully weird.

    Thank you for listening and for keeping wonder alive.
    Stay curious. Keep your wonder close. 🌙✨

    A gentle note:

    This episode of LilWeird Podcast is a blend of researched facts, folklore, personal reflection, and creative storytelling. While efforts were made to ensure accuracy, this episode is intended for curious exploration, not as a scientific or academic resource. Listener discretion is encouraged when interpreting historical or cultural content.

    Credits:
    Bgm 🎵- Mystical Piano Atmosphere


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.

    Here’s how you can support and explore more:

    🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon
    🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app
    ✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us
    🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic
    🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →
    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverse
    Instagram: @lilweird_universe
    Substack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/
    Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    17 min
  • Ramblings + Peek Into My First Interactive Story
    Aug 27 2025
    This isn’t your usual LilWeird episode, it’s more like a journal entry. In this catch-up, I share some reflections on past episodes (The Cosmic Compass and Philippine Star Lore) and how uncovering ancient knowledge of the skies inspired me to return to something I’ve always loved: writing stories.

    Somewhere between rambling thoughts and quiet confessions, I offer a glimpse into my newest project, Case 001: The Crossing. It begins with a disappearance, an old sky map, and a lighthouse that blinks when it shouldn’t. The story unravels like a forgotten dossier, filled with fragments, riddles, and signals that blur the line between history and myth.

    So, join me for a short, honest ramble. Part reflection, part sneak peek, and maybe the first clue of what’s to come.

    If this episode sparked your curiosity, made you feel a little more enchanted, or reminded you of the stories hiding in plain sight, I’d love for you to stay connected with the LilWeird Universe. You can support the podcast, explore more curious content, and help keep this little world growing, glowing, and wonderfully weird.

    Thank you for listening and for keeping wonder alive.
    Stay curious. Keep your wonder close. 🌙✨

    Credits:
    🎵Intro - Peaceful Piano Background
    🎵BGM - Mystical Piano Atmosphere
    🎵 Outro - Magical Voyage

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.

    Here’s how you can support and explore more:

    🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon
    🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app
    ✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us
    🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic
    🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →
    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverse
    Instagram: @lilweird_universe
    Substack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/
    Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    7 min
  • Ghost Month 101: Myths, Taboos & the August Slowdown
    Aug 14 2025
    (00:00:00) Ghost Month 101: Myths, Taboos & the August Slowdown (00:02:01) Part 1 - Where Ghost Month Comes From (00:03:09) Customs and Beliefs (00:05:35) Story 1 - The Front Row Seat (00:06:12) Story 2 - The Taxi Passenger (00:06:48) Story 3 - The Shore that Pulls (00:07:27) Story 4 - The Red Envelope (00:08:00) Some of the Lesser Known Beliefs this Month (00:11:02) What are the Practical Reasons August is a Slow Month? (00:13:04) Closing (00:14:43) Outro “The month doesn’t just honor the dead. It feeds them.” In this LilWeird deep dive, I walk the lantern-lit road of Hungry Ghost Month. Its Buddhist and Daoist roots, the customs and taboos (front rows left empty, water lanterns on black seas), and the stories people still whisper in August. Then I pull back the incense curtain to ask the blunt question: Is August slow because of ghosts… or because of calendars, budgets, and storms? Expect lore, etiquette, eerie vignettes, and a grounded look at why many businesses quietly avoid August. Light your lantern, don’t touch the offering, and press play.If this episode sparked your curiosity, made you feel a little more enchanted, or reminded you of the stories hiding in plain sight. I’d love for you to stay connected with the LilWeird Universe. You can support the podcast, explore more curious content, and help keep this little world growing, glowing, and wonderfully weird.Here’s how you can support and explore more:🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal. A dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us🌿 Join as a monthly supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverseInstagram: @lilweird_universeSubstack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverseThank you for listening and for keeping wonder alive.Stay curious. Keep your wonder close. 🌙✨A gentle note:This episode of LilWeird Podcast is a blend of researched facts, folklore, personal reflection, and creative storytelling. While efforts were made to ensure accuracy, this episode is intended for curious exploration, not as a scientific or academic resource. Listener discretion is encouraged when interpreting historical or cultural content.References and suggested readings:Stephen F. Teiser — The Ghost Festival in Medieval ChinaRoots.gov.sg — “Zhong Yuan Jie (Hungry Ghost Festival)”Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Office — “Yu Lan (Hungry Ghost) Festival (Chiu Chow)”Taiwan Tourism — “Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival”Alvin Eng Hui Lim (2020) — “Live Streaming and Digital Stages for the Hungry Ghosts and Deities,” ReligionsTime Out Hong Kong — “Hungry Ghost Festival taboos and things to avoid doing”Credits:Outro - Quirky Whimsical PlayBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.Here’s how you can support and explore more:🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverseInstagram: @lilweird_universeSubstack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    16 min
  • Beyond Translation: The Deep Meaning of ‘Loob’ in Filipino Culture
    Aug 7 2025
    What if a single word could hold the heart of a culture? In the Philippines, “Loob” is more than “inside”. It’s the core of your being, the spirit that shapes how you feel, connect, and live. In this episode of the LilWeird Podcast, we explore the Filipino concept of loob, its ties to values like kapwa and pakikiramdam, and why it’s almost impossible to translate into English. We’ll uncover how this untranslatable word influences everyday life, relationships, and even how outsiders see us and what we lose when words like this fade from use.For fans of: Philippine culture, Filipino psychology, language and identity, and indigenous wisdom.🗣 Note: This episode is spoken entirely in Filipino, in celebration of Buwan ng Wika and in honor of our shared loob as a people.If this resonates with you, let me know! I'd love to create more episodes in Filipino and continue exploring the language of our loob together.This isn’t just a lesson in words.It’s a soft invitation to return to something deeper.To the soul of who we are when we are not trying to explain ourselves in someone else’s tongue.If this episode made you pause, reflect, or think twice about the words we carry and the language that carries us, I’d love for you to stay connected with the LilWeird Universe.Here, we dig deep into the stories and meanings that don’t always translate and that’s the magic. You can support the podcast, explore more curious content, and help keep this little world growing, glowing, and wonderfully weird.Here’s how you can support and explore more:🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal. A dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us🌿 Join as a monthly supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverseInstagram: @lilweird_universeSubstack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverseThank you for listening and for keeping wonder alive.Stay curious. Keep your wonder close. 🌙✨A gentle note:This episode of LilWeird Podcast is a blend of researched facts, folklore, personal reflection, and creative storytelling. While efforts were made to ensure accuracy, this episode is intended for curious exploration, not as a scientific or academic resource. Listener discretion is encouraged when interpreting historical or cultural content.References and suggested readings:Enriquez, V. G. (1992). From colonial to liberation psychology: The Philippine experience. University of the Philippines Press.Covar, P. R. (1998). Larangan: Seminal essays on Philippine culture. National Commission for Culture and the Arts.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.Here’s how you can support and explore more:🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverseInstagram: @lilweird_universeSubstack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    15 min
  • Philippine Star Lore: Ancient Skies and Forgotten Constellations
    Jul 24 2025
    Long before telescopes, the night sky was a living map. In the Philippines, constellations like Balatik and Moroporo told when to plant, when to fish, and when to prepare for change. In this episode of the LilWeird Podcast, we dive into Philippine star lore and the field of ethnoastronomy. How ancient communities read the stars, the myths they wove, and the rituals tied to celestial movements. You’ll discover how colonial history dimmed these sky stories, and why reclaiming them matters today.Join us as we uncover how this profound celestial wisdom, once central to survival and culture, faced the threat of erasure due to modernization and colonial influence. We'll honor the pioneering work of Dr. Dante L. Ambrosio, "the Father of Philippine Ethnoastronomy", and highlight ongoing efforts to reclaim and revitalize this invaluable indigenous knowledge.This episode is a call to remember the ancient skies and the deep connections our ancestors shared with the universe above. You'll never look at the stars the same way again.For fans of: Philippine mythology, astronomy history, indigenous science, cultural astronomy, cosmic myths.If this episode sparked your curiosity, made you feel a little more enchanted, or reminded you of the stories hiding in plain sight, I’d love for you to stay connected with the LilWeird Universe. You can support the podcast, explore more curious content, and help keep this little world growing, glowing, and wonderfully weird.Here’s how you can support and explore more:🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal. A dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us🌿 Join as a monthly supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverseInstagram: @lilweird_universeSubstack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverseThank you for listening and for keeping wonder alive.Stay curious. Keep your wonder close. 🌙✨A gentle note:This episode of LilWeird Podcast is a blend of researched facts, folklore, personal reflection, and creative storytelling. While efforts were made to ensure accuracy, this episode is intended for curious exploration, not as a scientific or academic resource. Listener discretion is encouraged when interpreting historical or cultural content.References and Suggested Readings:"Balatik: Etnoastronomiya, Kalangitan at Kabihasnang Pilipino" by Dr. Dante L. Ambrosio (considered a monumental study on Philippine ethnoastronomy)The National Planetarium, National Museum of the Philippines: While "Filipino Life Guided by Skies" is a key exhibition for insights into ethnoastronomy practices, please note that the National Planetarium is temporarily closed for visitors as of July 2025.The Aswang Project: A great online resource for precolonial astronomy in the Philippines and other folklore.ResearchGate publications: Search for articles on Philippine ethnoastronomy for academic papers and ongoing research.Credits:Intro Music - Ambient Meditative Clear SkyOutro Music - Velvet SkyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lilweird-podcast--6099720/support.Here’s how you can support and explore more:🌕 Become a Ko-fi supporter and receive the Moon Notes Journal - a dreamy little guide to help you reflect, set intentions, and write under the phases of the moon🌌 Follow the LilWeird Podcast on your favorite app✨ Leave a rating or review! It helps more curious minds find us🌿 Join as a supporter on Ko-fi to unlock future perks and behind-the-scenes magic🧭 Explore all LilWeird links here →Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilweirduniverseInstagram: @lilweird_universeSubstack: https://lilweirduniverse.substack.com/Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lilweirduniverse
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    23 min