Skip to main content
CultCodex sigilCULTCODEX

// signal

cunning

Cunning is intelligence applied through deception, strategy, and resourcefulness—the use of wit and trickery to achieve goals or survive danger.

🎬3 episodes🔗7 related topics

In the Psycheverse

Psyche engages with cunning as a morally complex force in folklore and mythology, one that can belong to tricksters, spirits, and ordinary humans alike. The show treats cunning not as simple villainy but as a tool of survival and liberation, particularly in narratives where the powerless outwit the dangerous or the deceptive are ultimately undone by cleverness turned against them.

Episodes (3)

How three brothers outsmarted the fox spirit

This episode of the Cult of Psyche podcast features Trix recounting a folk tale about three brothers who outsmart a fox spirit through clever misdirection. The brothers use everyday objects to create the illusion of a fearsome creature, deceiving the fox spirit and causing it to flee.

EP.109

How the Farmer Tricked a Demon (Filipino Folk Tale)

Psyche/Trix narrates a Filipino folk tale about a farmer who makes a bargain with a demon for a magical invisibility stone to save his family from starvation. The farmer outwits the demon, using the stone to escape and eventually defeat the demon.

EP.132

The Woman and the Fox Spirit

The episode tells the story of a fox spirit who disguises itself as a scholar to marry a village woman, but is ultimately defeated by her clever brothers using deception and teamwork. The story is a narrated folk tale that explores themes of cunning, deception, and the power of cleverness.

🐇 Rabbit Hole

Topics that frequently appear alongside cunning

folk talesFolk tales are traditional narratives passed down through oral culture, typically featuring archetypal characters, moral lessons, and supernatural or magical elements rooted in specific cultural traditions.human natureHuman nature is the fundamental set of characteristics, behaviors, and capacities that define human existence—including morality, desire, compassion, cunning, and the capacity for both creation and destruction.deceptionDeception is the act of deliberately misleading others through lies, disguise, or manipulation—a fundamental human behavior explored across mythology, psychology, and social dynamics.magicMagic is the practice of manipulating reality through supernatural forces, ritualistic knowledge, or mystical transformation—encompassing everything from folklore's miraculous interventions to tarot's symbolic power dynamics.survivalSurvival is the act or capacity of remaining alive or continuing to exist, often in the face of hardship, danger, or transformation. It encompasses both physical endurance and psychological resilience through adversity.fearFear is a psychological and emotional response to perceived threat or danger that can shape behavior, decision-making, and social dynamics.mythologyMythology comprises the traditional stories, narratives, and symbolic frameworks that cultures use to explain cosmic forces, human nature, and the sacred. These narratives preserve archetypal patterns and esoteric knowledge across time.

At a Glance

🎬Episodes3