Podcast Summary: "A Spooky Scary Halloween: The Moth Podcast"

Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Sarah Austin Janess
Podcast: The Moth

Overview

This special Halloween episode of The Moth Podcast is dedicated to true stories about strange energies, haunted spaces, brushes with the beyond, and the comforting (and sometimes unnerving) sense that something more might be out there. Host Sarah Austin Janess shares her own belief in ghosts, welcomes stories that navigate the thin boundaries between worlds, and even discusses haunted hotel experiences with a fellow Moth director. The theme is playful, spooky, and filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the unseen forces at play on Halloween.

Key Stories and Discussion Points

1. Ophira Eisenberg: The Seventh Grade Halloween Dance

[03:35 – 10:08]

• Story Summary:
  Ophira recounts the anxiety and anticipation of her first co-ed school dance in seventh grade. Channeling her quirky individuality, she wears an elaborate, homemade alien costume, complete with glued-on glitter and pheasant feathers — only to discover she’s vastly overdressed compared to her classmates.
• Core Themes:
  • Feeling like an outsider
  • Awkwardness and bravery in adolescence
  • The powerful sense memories attached to smells
• Culminating Moment:
  Despite initial embarrassment, Ophira triumphs by asking her crush, Brad Moore, to dance during the last song, “Stairway to Heaven.” The memory of his Halloween-hairsprayed hair and the exhilarating moment lingers into adulthood.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I looked like Big Bird on acid, but I thought it was cool.” — Ophira Eisenberg [06:23]
  • “So we dance and we dance like this—arms on shoulders, hands on hips. That’s what we were supposed to do. But we did creep closer and closer, and at one point, my head was right beside his head and I was deeply inhaling that sweet, toxic smell of Halloween hairspray.” — Ophira Eisenberg [08:31]
• Speaker Attribution: Ophira Eisenberg, stand-up comedian and podcast host.

2. Haunted Hotels: Sarah Austin Janess & Jody Powell

[10:39 – 14:47]

• Conversation Summary:
  Sarah and fellow director Jody Powell trade stories about staying in a hotel in West Virginia that advertised itself as haunted. Jody, originally from Jamaica, balances her cultural beliefs in spirits (“duppies”) with professional duties, but can’t shake the unnerving energy she and her colleagues feel.
• Key Insights:
  • Cultural perspectives on ghosts
  • The power of suggestion and fear in unfamiliar places
  • The group’s growing unease as more people sense something “off”
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I thought to myself, well, we could stay here or nowhere.” — Jody Powell [11:13]
  • “In Jamaica, the concept of ghosts and the third... wherever realm you wanna imagine is 100% there. In Jamaica, we call them duppy.” — Jody Powell [11:22]
  • “Almost as if there was some different type of ghost in West Virginia than in Jamaica... but I was terrified.” — Jody Powell [13:37]
• Speaker Attribution: Jody Powell, Moth Director

3. Ethan Sweetland May: The Attic Secret

[16:13 – 21:55]

• Story Summary:
  Ethan and his wife Aberlin move into their first home, a century-old house others insist is haunted. The energy in the house makes both feel unsettled. A mysterious open attic window leads to a creepy nighttime adventure, where they discover a black-plastic-wrapped room with tables, wires, and a tunnel — sparking fears of the worst.
• Resolution:
  With the help of a family member, they realize it’s not a murder scene but a “grow room” once used for cultivating marijuana. Relief replaces terror, humor wins over fear, and the couple consecrates the space with sage.
• Key Themes:
  • The influence of rumors and expectations on perception
  • Relationships tested by fear and mystery
  • Finding rational explanations for the inexplicable
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Even Aberlin and I were admitting that the house had an intense energy… it felt like the house wasn’t ours.” — Ethan Sweetland May [16:31]
  • “Like every stupid guy who’s in love with a hot girl in a horror movie, I just start following her without thinking about what’s happening.” — Ethan Sweetland May [18:27]
  • "Dude, do you know what this is?... They were growing pot in here! And I was like, oh, my sweet Jesus. It was just drugs." — Ethan Sweetland May and his brother-in-law [21:10]
• Speaker Attribution: Ethan Sweetland May, storyteller and state senate candidate

4. Rich Tackenberg: Seeking Proof in the Paranormal

[22:29 – 29:03]

• Story Summary:
  Rich, a stubborn atheist with a secret wish to believe, attends a séance hosted by a psychic named Pat. She warns him about a dangerous car issue—specifically, a problem with the front driver-side wheel, “above the wheel.” Skeptical but intrigued, Rich later discovers, after much prodding at the mechanic’s, that the issue was exactly where Pat predicted.
• Exploration:
  The story wrestles with the desire for proof versus embracing comfort in the unknown. Rich doesn’t become a believer but finds solace in the mystery.
• Key Themes:
  • Skepticism and the longing for magic
  • The limits of rationality
  • The comfort in allowing for possibilities
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Normal people would hear that there was a problem at either of the front two wheels and take that as a sign that Pat was right. But I’m so stubborn that to believe I require 100% accuracy.” — Rich Tackenberg [25:16]
  • “Since that day, I still don’t believe in God. But I do allow for the possibility that there is a race car driver that is looking after me or my car.” — Rich Tackenberg [28:44]
• Speaker Attribution: Rich Tackenberg, executive and aspiring believer

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sarah Austin Janess [02:11]: "I've always believed in ghosts. Believed in is such a funny phrase because spirits to me are of course around us at all times. I don't find this scary. In fact, I find it comforting."
• On Scented Memories: “Sense memory when it comes to smell is one of the strongest… I'll go into stores right around Halloween... and I'm just reminded of being exhilarated and empowered.” — Ophira Eisenberg [09:30]
• Jody Powell [13:37]: “Then for me, it became 100% real… I had to now contend with the fact that this is real and we're gonna all individually go into our bedrooms that night and sleep. And I was terrified.”
• Rich Tackenberg [28:44]: "Since that day, I still don’t believe in God. But I do allow for the possibility that there is a race car driver that is looking after me or my car and I believe just to believe and it feels silly, but it also feels comforting and I like feeling comforted."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sarah Austin Janess’ Introduction & Ghost Beliefs: [02:11 – 03:35]
• Ophira Eisenberg’s Story: [03:35 – 10:08]
• Haunted Hotels Conversation: [10:39 – 14:47]
• Ethan Sweetland May’s Attic Mystery: [16:13 – 21:55]
• Rich Tackenberg’s Psychic Encounter: [22:29 – 29:03]

Episode Tone & Style

• Inclusive, warm, slightly irreverent: Listeners are invited to both laugh and shiver, to believe or not, and to be comforted by the familiar format of people telling extraordinary personal stories live on stage.

Closing

“A Spooky Scary Halloween” presents a collage of true, suspenseful, and funny tales orbiting the supernatural—from haunted hotels to psychic mechanics. It’s a reminder that the best ghost stories are rarely about the ghosts, but the courage, vulnerability, and humanity revealed under a spooky spotlight.

Happy Halloween from The Moth!