The Hansel and Gretel Code
The Hansel and Gretel Code

The Hansel and Gretel Code

Curtis Cates, MD

Overview
Episodes

Details

forget any "moral of the story," the real meaning of Hansel and Gretel lies hidden between the lines... like a real-life Da Vinci Code — Hansel and Gretel is a literary treasure map filled with secret clues meant only for people like us to suss out and follow... clues that lead to a meaningful, real-life treasure that's been lost for over 200 years... a deep dive into the dark forest of Western European History and Culture, the story explains who the real villains are, how they're still with us, and how they're not only people we've heard of or read about — some of them are people we actually know... in the Hansel and Gretel Code, we'll be reading from the 1810 manuscript version of the story and we'll be examining the many, multi-faceted clues that are packed into each of its 42 sentences... clues that will not only entertain the hell out of you, they'll change the way you see the world and everyone in it... this is the podcast for anyone who loves fairytales, and who'd love to figure out what they really mean... come along with as we explore the metaphoric space between the lines of Hansel and Gretel's forest and I guarantee you're going to learn how to read fairytale clues like this for yourself... if you're game, follow the Hansel and Gretel Code on whatever app floats your boat, and visit the website for links, transcripts and plenty of extra surprises along the way... https://betweenthelines.xyz/hgcode-podcast

Recent Episodes

The Bust Up Between the Emperor and the Pope, or: it’s déjà vu all over the news, again
MAY 31, 2026
The Bust Up Between the Emperor and the Pope, or: it’s déjà vu all over the news, again
The emperor and the pope walk into a barber shop and make the current news cycle spin yet another fancy tale of déjà vuPart 1 [03:18]In which the Grimms use a simple case of fairytale déjà vu to revisit an old, personal grudgePart 2 [17:51]In which we get a depressing surge of will power, followed by a Grimm little bible verse — one that has nothing at all to do with Pulp Fiction, or any other Hollywood film. I swear to god!Part 3 [29:08]In which we catch a replay of some famous super bowl moments, star in a one-word history re-enactment, and find the news déjà vu-streaming all over, againPart 4 [1:12:01]In which we read a brief editorial from the 14th century, write a little op-ed of our own, and finally decide to call a Grimmism a Grimmism*Music and Sound credits for this episode (45) are — as usual — SUPER-extensive and can be found on the website @ betweenthelines.xyz*special thanks to freesound.org for nearly all of kristo's awesome peanut gallery voices...*Chapter Titles, and extra material (auf Deutsch) read by Anna Jacobsen**Original German Fairytale text (manuscript version) read by Jürgen Lexow * *English translation of the original manuscript version read by Nicole Warner***Librivox recording of Hänsel und Gretel (final version auf Deutsch) read by Stephan Gambke***Librivox recording of Hansel and Gretel (final version in English) read by Deborah Knight**got a question… or just wanna say hi…? Talk to me…Wanna support the show, support your own Intuition, and eventually help speed up the production process...? Buy me a coffee or a beer @ ko-fi.com Thanks!
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96 MIN
Dostoyevsky meets Frau Holzhacker, or: Creativity’s a bitch, man
FEB 17, 2026
Dostoyevsky meets Frau Holzhacker, or: Creativity’s a bitch, man
The kids make their way back home, anachronisms abound, and cultures shift as Norman Mailer, Marshall McLuhan, and Ben Johnson kick off our wholly irreverent proceedings...Part 1 [06:35] - In which we put the hermetic seal of approval on the Light of the Silvery Moon.Part 2 [19:57] - In which we do some dream work, and get creative with pizza dough and a bowl of alphabet soup. Then, somebody turns on the light and totally spoils the romantic mood.Part 3 [50:45] - In which we run into a coupla’ few anachronisms: Dostoyevsky meets Jesse Helms, Mad Libs goes Medieval, and Pope Leo meets Rod Blagojevich, the ex-governor of Illinois.Part 4 [1:11:22] - In which Steven Pinker fixes everything, Frau Holzhacker tells the truth, and Billy Graham does some preaching to the choir. We also decide we’re not workaholics, and get ourselves ready to hit the fast forward button.*Music and Sound credits for this episode (44) are — as usual — SUPER-extensive and can be found on the website @ betweenthelines.xyz*special thanks to freesound.org for nearly all of kristo's awesome peanut gallery voices...*Chapter Titles, and extra material (auf Deutsch) read by Anna Jacobsen**Original Fairytale text (manuscript version auf Deutsch) read by Jürgen Lexow * *English translation of the original manuscript version read by Nicole Warner***Librivox recording of Hänsel und Gretel (final version auf Deutsch) read by Stephan Gambke***Librivox recording of Hansel and Gretel (final version in English) read by Deborah Knight**check out John Giannini’s excellent book on Jungian Typology - Compass of the SoulThe Scientific Method - wiki pageThe Carmina Burana - wiki pageThe Gospel According to the Mark of Silver - wiki page
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88 MIN
Does the pope shit in the woods? or: 🎵 Are you Experienced? 🎵
OCT 21, 2025
Does the pope shit in the woods? or: 🎵 Are you Experienced? 🎵
we finally get the bottom-line scoop on Gretel’s crying jags, and answer the 2 burning questions of Western Culture and Civilization over a couple of hot pastrami on ciabatasPART 1 [03:24]In which we find a deep and abiding connection between The Stooges and mysticism, and ask the burning question of Western Culture and Civilization: Is it okay to wear socks with sandals?PART 2 [21:49]In which we figure out exactly why ayahuasca tourism is boomingPART 3 [39:59]In which we start filling in Gretel’s backstory over a couple of hot pastrami sandwiches, and can’t help but notice that somebody is constantly mopping the floorsPART 4 [58:38]In which we do some Provençal provenance proofing, make a gratuitous reference to Taxicab Confessions, and ask that other major question of Western Culture and Civilization: Does the pope shit in the woods?PART 5 [1:16:42]In which we learn that a mystic is a mystic is a mystic, and realize that a cynic is a cynic is a cynicPART 6 [1:31:25]In which we combine ciabata and cardiology in a zen koan and end up with the definitive definition of grace*transcripts and links for each episode are available at: betweenthelines.xyz*Chapter Titles, and extra material (auf Deutsch) read by Anna Jacobsen**Original German Fairytale text (manuscript version) read by Jürgen Lexow * *English translation of the 1819 snippet read by Nicole Warner* *Laboratorio Artigianale di Fandonie recording of Nennillo e Nennella (in Neapolitan dialect) read by Domenico D'Agostino***Librivox recording of Nennello and Nennella (in English) read by Joy Chan**Music and Sound credits for this episode (43) are — as usual — SUPER-extensive and can be found on the website @ betweenthelines.xyz*special thanks to freesound.org for nearly all of kristo's awesome peanut gallery voices...*got a question… or just wanna say hi…? Talk to me…Wanna support the show, support your own Intuition, and eventually help speed up the production process...? Buy me a coffee or a beer @ ko-fi.com Thanks! 
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115 MIN
The Revenge of the Grimms, or: An Episode That’s Best Served Cold
JUN 2, 2025
The Revenge of the Grimms, or: An Episode That’s Best Served Cold
In this episode we dish on the Grimm’s secret obsession with revenge, and solve the mystery of the stepmother switcheroo once and for allPART 1 [04:32] - In which we learn that the Grimms are running a blue light special on sexual reassignment surgeryPART 2 [11:54] - In which we read a troubling bible story, repeat a cliché that’s anything but woke, and come across more famous last words that aren’t last wordsPART 3 [21:16] - In which we peek into someone’s diary and find plenty of insults, grudges, hearsay, vulgarity, and petty peevish gossip PART 4 [32:28] - In which we find the Grimms in Latin class, congratulating themselves on being the class clownsPART 5 [41:29] - In which we find a bag full of jelly donuts, visit a gigantic, romantic library, and finally put a bow on these last 4 episodes of politics as usual*transcripts and links for each episode are available at: betweenthelines.xyz*Chapter Titles, and extra material (auf Deutsch) read by Anna Jacobsen**Original German Fairytale text (manuscript version) read by Jürgen Lexow *  *Librivox recording of Hänsel und Gretel (auf Deutsch) read by Stephan Gambke**Librivox recording of Hansel and Gretel (in English) read by Bob Neufeld**Music and Sound credits for this episode (42) are — as usual — SUPER-extensive and can be found on the website @ betweenthelines.xyz*special thanks to freesound.org for nearly all of kristo's awesome peanut gallery voices...*got a question… or just wanna say hi…? Talk to me…If you'd like to support the show, support your own Intuition, and eventually help speed up the production process you can buy me a coffee or a beer @ ko-fi.com Thanks! 
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59 MIN
The Grimms Meet a Bond Villain, or Game of Dominos
MAY 10, 2025
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62 MIN