Podcasts about Animism

Tricksters and culture disruptors populate global mythology. From Loki to Coyote to Èṣù and Hermes, they bend rules, cross boundaries, commit deliberate and unintentional offenses and generally mess with established orders. Yet they are often seen as indispensable to these orders — they are renewers and cultural innovators and often pave the way for great change. So in many cultures, Tricksters, despite their shenanigans, are seen as sacred. In modern society, we have no such ritualization of cultural disruption. Trickster is relegated to the margins. So when Trickster comes along these days, he tends to upend everything. Sometimes, we welcome that change — it's a wonderful thing when Trickster shows up and topples the gods that we want toppled. It's a lot more disconcerting when it's our gods being toppled. And ultimately… Trickster isn't on our side. He's the mythic embodiment of the other side.  From ritualized mockery in Ancient Greece to the Merry Pranksters to Ol' Dirty Bastard to the Capitol riot, this episode explores how a society acts in relation to its own dirt…and how, when Trickster is not honored by keeping a society fed and renewed, he shows up in darker ways.  Warning: This episode contains explicit subject matter — because that's how Trickster rolls.Support the show

Welcome to Weird Web Radio! This episode features Joey Morris! Joey is the author of the new book Celtic Hedge Witchery - A Modern Approach.  Joey and I had so much fun! We discussed ghost cats, pendulums and Ouija boards, The Morrigan, Animism, liminal spaces, and so much more! We also did quite a lot of laughing!  Joey's BIO: Joey Morris is a Celtic Hedgewitch, Priestess of the Morrigan, author, and creatrix behind Starryeyedsupplies. Having shared a prolific amount of information surrounding topics of Paganism, Celtic Hedge Witchcraft via Youtube since 2012, Joey has been serving the pagan community with videos, books, sacred poetry and physical witch items for over ten years. Trained as a priestess, she has a unique perspective on integrating Celtic paganism for a modern age. JOEY ON THE WEB: Main Site: https://www.starryeyedsupplies.com/ Enjoy the show! Stay Weird! Want to know what Joey and I Talk about in the bonus portion?! Join here! It's time to sport a new look? Hell yes! Check out the Official Weird Web Radio Store for Shirts, Hoodies, Hats, and more! You can also come join the Facebook discussion group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weirdwebradio/ New Instagram for Weird Web Radio! Follow for unique content and videos! https://www.instagram.com/weirdwebradio/ You can make a One-Time Donation to help support the show and show some love! Is this show worth a dollar to you? How about five dollars? Help support this podcast! That gets you into the Weird Web Radio membership where the extra goodies appear! Join the membership at patreon.com/weirdwebradio or at weirdwebradio.com and click Join the Membership! SHOW NOTES: SUBSCRIBE ON Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and Spotify! Also streaming on mobile apps for podcasts! Intro voice over by Lothar Tuppan. Outro voice over by Lonnie Scott Intro & Outro Music by Nine Inch Nails on the album ‘7', song title ‘Ghost', under Creative Commons License.

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen examine the origin, history and core beliefs of Buddhism. Episode Resources: Subscribe to our Rumble Channel - https://rumble.com/c/c-6444461; CHAPTERS:00:00 Cold Open03:20 Podcast Intro03:40 Welcome05:25 The Historical Context of Buddhism08:00 The 3 Periods of the Buddha's Life14:33 Core Teachings: The Four Noble Truths21:00 Inherent Problems with the Four Noble Truths 25:10 The Great Buddha (Messiah) to Come32:01 Liberation: The Renunciation of Self33:03 Folk Buddhism vs. Enlightened Buddhism35:06 Buddhism's Self-Salvation is a Death Cult36:41 ReformCon '25 AD37:27 Navigating the Eightfold Path: Ethical Conduct in Buddhism46:15 The Illogic & Hopelessness of Buddhism48:46 Understanding Nirvana50:00 Desire is NOT the Enemy54:00 The Eightfold Path is Full of Pot Holes58:50 Various forms of Buddhism: Tantric, Zen, Animism and Occultism01:03:11 Gnosticism Within: Illusion, Sin and the Self01:09:00 Body/Mind Dualism within Buddhism01:14:15 Conclusion01:15:06 OutroThe WAIT is OVER!!! Pre-order your copy of the NEW updated and expanded version of Dr. Boot’s Mission of God with a brand-new study guide! Get it here: https://ezrapress.ca/products/mission-of-god-10th-anniversary-edition; UPCOMING CONFERENCES:REFORMCON '25 | "Out of the Ashes" | April 24-26, 2025 @ Tucson, AZ: https://reformcon.org/ For All Ezra Events: https://www.ezrainstitute.com/events/; Think Christianly about politics with the help of Dr. Boot’s latest book “Ruler of Kings:” https://ezrapress.ca/products/ruler-of-kings-toward-a-christian-vision-of-government; Got Questions? Would you like to hear Dr. Boot answer your questions? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us at https://www.ezrainstitute.com/connect/contact/; For Ezra’s many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute: https://www.ezrainstitute.com;Subscribe to Ezra’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen examine the origin, history and core beliefs of Buddhism. Episode Resources: Subscribe to our Rumble Channel - https://rumble.com/c/c-6444461; CHAPTERS:00:00 Cold Open03:20 Podcast Intro03:40 Welcome05:25 The Historical Context of Buddhism08:00 The 3 Periods of the Buddha's Life14:33 Core Teachings: The Four Noble Truths21:00 Inherent Problems with the Four Noble Truths 25:10 The Great Buddha (Messiah) to Come32:01 Liberation: The Renunciation of Self33:03 Folk Buddhism vs. Enlightened Buddhism35:06 Buddhism's Self-Salvation is a Death Cult36:41 ReformCon '25 AD37:27 Navigating the Eightfold Path: Ethical Conduct in Buddhism46:15 The Illogic & Hopelessness of Buddhism48:46 Understanding Nirvana50:00 Desire is NOT the Enemy54:00 The Eightfold Path is Full of Pot Holes58:50 Various forms of Buddhism: Tantric, Zen, Animism and Occultism01:03:11 Gnosticism Within: Illusion, Sin and the Self01:09:00 Body/Mind Dualism within Buddhism01:14:15 Conclusion01:15:06 OutroThe WAIT is OVER!!! Pre-order your copy of the NEW updated and expanded version of Dr. Boot’s Mission of God with a brand-new study guide! Get it here: https://ezrapress.ca/products/mission-of-god-10th-anniversary-edition; UPCOMING CONFERENCES:REFORMCON '25 | "Out of the Ashes" | April 24-26, 2025 @ Tucson, AZ: https://reformcon.org/ For All Ezra Events: https://www.ezrainstitute.com/events/; Think Christianly about politics with the help of Dr. Boot’s latest book “Ruler of Kings:” https://ezrapress.ca/products/ruler-of-kings-toward-a-christian-vision-of-government; Got Questions? Would you like to hear Dr. Boot answer your questions? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us at https://www.ezrainstitute.com/connect/contact/; For Ezra’s many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute: https://www.ezrainstitute.com;Subscribe to Ezra’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen examine the origin, history and core beliefs of Buddhism. Episode Resources: Subscribe to our Rumble Channel - https://rumble.com/c/c-6444461; CHAPTERS:00:00 Cold Open03:20 Podcast Intro03:40 Welcome05:25 The Historical Context of Buddhism08:00 The 3 Periods of the Buddha's Life14:33 Core Teachings: The Four Noble Truths21:00 Inherent Problems with the Four Noble Truths 25:10 The Great Buddha (Messiah) to Come32:01 Liberation: The Renunciation of Self33:03 Folk Buddhism vs. Enlightened Buddhism35:06 Buddhism's Self-Salvation is a Death Cult36:41 ReformCon '25 AD37:27 Navigating the Eightfold Path: Ethical Conduct in Buddhism46:15 The Illogic & Hopelessness of Buddhism48:46 Understanding Nirvana50:00 Desire is NOT the Enemy54:00 The Eightfold Path is Full of Pot Holes58:50 Various forms of Buddhism: Tantric, Zen, Animism and Occultism01:03:11 Gnosticism Within: Illusion, Sin and the Self01:09:00 Body/Mind Dualism within Buddhism01:14:15 Conclusion01:15:06 OutroThe WAIT is OVER!!! Pre-order your copy of the NEW updated and expanded version of Dr. Boot’s Mission of God with a brand-new study guide! Get it here: https://ezrapress.ca/products/mission-of-god-10th-anniversary-edition; UPCOMING CONFERENCES:REFORMCON '25 | "Out of the Ashes" | April 24-26, 2025 @ Tucson, AZ: https://reformcon.org/ For All Ezra Events: https://www.ezrainstitute.com/events/; Think Christianly about politics with the help of Dr. Boot’s latest book “Ruler of Kings:” https://ezrapress.ca/products/ruler-of-kings-toward-a-christian-vision-of-government; Got Questions? Would you like to hear Dr. Boot answer your questions? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us at https://www.ezrainstitute.com/connect/contact/; For Ezra’s many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute: https://www.ezrainstitute.com;Subscribe to Ezra’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

We all know the current system of predatory capitalism is not fit for purpose.  We don't (yet) all agree on how to fix it, but for sure, no problem is solved from the mindset that created it.  So how do we begin to compost the debris of the failing system to grow something constructive, generative, connected communities that can act as a bridge from where we are towards that future we'd be proud to leave behind? James Lock is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Opus Independents Ltd, a not-for-profit social enterprise, working in culture, politics and the arts. Opus works to encourage and support participation, systemic activism and creativity with project strands that include Now Then Magazine & App, Festival of Debate. Opus Distribution, the River Dôn Project and Wordlife. I met James and other members of Opus in Sheffield last summer when we were all part of the Sheffield Social Enterprise Network summer conference and I was really blown away by their understanding of systemic thinking, by their absolute commitment to total systemic change and by the flexibility of their thinking. Here were people who were taking the concepts that we talk about and making them real, amongst real people in a real place.  So we agreed that we'd talk first to James for an overview of what Opus is and does, how the thinking comes together and how we can each take ideas from here and scale them up and out in the places we live. Clearly each city, town, village, street is unique, but some principles are universal and I think we can all learn from the ways James thinks about things as he strives to create the bridges towards a new system. LinksOpus https://www.weareopus.org/Festival of Debate https://festivalofdebate.com/Opus 2024 Report https://www.weareopus.org/opus-annual-report-2024Opus on LInkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/opusindependents/Fairness on the 83 https://fairnessonthe83.nowthenmagazine.com/Citizen Network https://citizen-network.org/Dark Matter Labs Cornerstone Indicators https://darkmatterlabs.org/initiatives/cornerstone-indicatorsPlum Village podcast w Kate Raworth https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mindful-economics-in-conversation-with-kate-raworth/id1579910767?i=1000669364849James is Co Founder & Director at OpusCo Founder of Now Then MagazineCo Founder of the UBI Lab NetworkCo Founder of Festival of DebateCo Founder of Foundations EarthCo Founder of The River Don ProjectVoluntary Roles: Social Entrepreneur In Residence at Sheffield Hallam UniversityAdvisory Board Member on SYMCA  Local Nature Recovery StrategyGeneral Secretary of the Independent Media AssociationSouth Yorkshire Social Enterprise Place Steering Group MemberAdvisory Board Yorkshire & Humber Office for Data Analytics 

it's not about belief—it's about action and relationship Try it, see what happensThis Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In this episode of Creation's Paths, Charlie and Brian dive into a powerful short by Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen of Nordic Animism, exploring the core paradox of animism: it's not about belief—it's about action and relationship. As Christopagan Druids, they discuss how animism is a lived practice rooted in reciprocity with spirits, not an intellectual concept to debate. They reflect on how Protestant Christianity's emphasis on belief distorts our understanding of spiritual practices and share personal stories about working with house spirits, Brigid, and even Ganesh.Through engaging anecdotes—like giving ginger tea to house spirits and making offerings to trolls—the duo illustrates how relational magic transforms daily life. They challenge listeners to “just try it,” underscoring that it's through doing that transformation and belief naturally arise. This episode blends theology, practical spirituality, and deep respect for unseen relationships in a refreshingly grounded way.Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.Thank you for Tips / Donations: * https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett * https://patreon.com/cedorsett * https://cash.app/$CreationsPaths* Substack: New to The Seraphic Grove learn more For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com --- A Christopagan Manifesto--- Answer to the Call: A Dream of an Oak ChurchSocial Connections: * BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com * Threads https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths * Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/#Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #ChristianWitch #Paganism #Esoteric #Magic #Druidry #Mysticism #Spirituality #Occult #WitchCraft #Wicca #IrishPaganism #CelticPaganism #Magick #Polytheism #Enchantment Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Animism01:08 Hosts Introduction01:45 Christianity and Belief03:08 Understanding Animism Through Practice03:50 Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen's Insights04:29 Challenges of Demonstrating Animism05:22 Practical Examples of Animism06:29 Personal Experiences and Reflections10:56 The Importance of Relationship in Magic21:52 Testing and Observing Animism30:39 Concluding Thoughts and Call to Action Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe

Tales of Earth presents the Tales of 3 Wisdom Keepers: Nazdira, Ash, and Lux. What weaves them together are their relationships to Plants , Medicine Making, and their Ancestors. These Visionaries explore how plants bring us back to wholeness and ancient traditions, showing us what we might be missing in our modern world. Here we learn  that the Wisdom of the plants arrive through respect, reciprocity, and by being patient Land Stewards. When in right relationship with the Land, the Plants graciously offer their magic for collective liberation. Here we'll explore Animism, Plant Ceremonies, Channeling Plant Wisdom, How To Begin Working With Plants, and more.The Wisdom Keepers Summit: https://www.houseofhorus.world/wisdomkeepersAshley: https://www.instagram.com/embraced_by_earth/Nazdira: https://www.instagram.com/nazdiranaturalremedies/Lux: https://www.instagram.com/luxtheherbalist/

Host of The Emerald and animism teacher Josh Schrei joins me to explore topics that span existential questions to practical rituals. We look at what it means to be alive in a world teeming with distractions, the role of myth in modern life, and the tension between liberalism and animism. Josh shares his take on mental health, the importance of authentic connection, and why mindfulness and yoga sometimes fall short. From the Goddess to eco-terrorism, AI to stages of consciousness, we touch on what it means to live fully in a world of ever-increasing complexity. Plus, Josh shares his thoughts on the best myths to pass down to future generations - because we all need a good story to tell. Read more about Josh's work here: themythicbody.com ------------------------------------------------------ Josh Schrei is a podcaster, mythteller, teacher, and a lifelong student of the cosmologies and mythologies of the world - in particular the Indian subcontinent.  Throughout a lifetime of teaching, study, meditation and yogic practice, wilderness immersion, art, music, and public speaking, Josh has sought to navigate the living, animate space of the imagination and advocate for a world that prioritizes imaginative vision. Josh has taught intensive courses in mythology and somatic disciplines for over 20 years. ------------------------------------------------------ See the Feral Philosophy YouTube channel HERE  Support the Feral Philosophy mission by donating through Crowdfunder  Want to become a certified embodiment coach? More details about CEC Join Mark for in-person workshops Join free coaching demo sessions with Mark  Find Mark Walsh on Instagram

Hi, friends! We've been working hard this month getting back into the swing of things. We spent four days vending at various markets this month and March and April are slated to be busy as well. We also had the official grand opening of our farm store in Hotchkiss and it's been so amazing to connect with people in person when they come in to browse our teas and other herbal products!  We're getting ready to jump on our next project, which is getting the greenhouse built next month! We're also getting some seeds going indoors in the meantime, and then they'll move out to the greenhouse which we hope to have done by mid-April at the latest. This will let us get a HUGE jump on the growing season, as we can't really put many plants outside until the end of May.  And as we wait for spring to arrive, I'm having fun editing some of the great interviews I've had time to record these last couple months, including today's wonderful convo with Lisa Fazio. Lisa is an Irish/Italian American folklore witch, herbalist, and astrologer, as well as the mother of 4 children and Nonna to 2 grandchildren.  Her principal training is in Traditional Western Herbalism, Western Astrology, and the folk ways of her Italian immigrant family. The primary focus of her work is ancestral revival and remembrance within the Italian diaspora as well as with anyone who longs for ancestral connection. She has an academic background in Psychology and Ethnobotany as well as years of study and practice in the traditions of Trika Shaivism and Plant Spirit Medicine. She is also a tracker, a wilderness first responder and has spent 20 years working as a clinical and community herbalist.  I'm so honored to have gotten to chat with Lisa about her book, Della Medicina: The Tradition of Italian-American Folk Healing. We had such a wonderful conversation and one thing I really want to emphasize is that you don't need to be of Italian heritage to get a ton of value out of Lisa's work! So much of what she shares crosses different cultures and backgrounds and I hope this will inspire you to dive into your own ancestry as well. Grab your own copy of Della Medicina! Connect with Jill: Instagram * Substack * Website ~*~*~*~*~*~ Our farm shop is full of goodies for you! We have two new offerings in the shop -- our Hot Italian Seasoning, and our Tummy Mender Tea. Our seasonal Lymph Love vinegar is also back in stock to guide us smoothly out of winter and into early spring over the next few months. Your support helps us to keep growing, literally and figuratively

We live in times of individual, sociocultural and planetary crisis, exacerbated by rising divisions between people. How have humans historically navigated such times of crisis? Yes, we've organized, taken action, and responded as we've been called to respond. But we have also deepened our connection to the greater cosmos, through songs and poems and rituals of devotion, through crying out to a beloved universe whose workings remain a mystery but to whom we feel intimately and inextricably connected. In times when we are raw and situations are precarious, many poets tell us, the breath of life is closer than ever. So we have sung aloud to source, and honored the emotional intricacies of our relationship with a beloved world whose turnings can be maddening, painful and often beyond our control. Singing to the beloved in this way isn't about blissing out and bypassing, it's about finding a practice that honors the depth and emotional texture of our experience of a paradoxical world and that matches the intensity of the times we're living in. For the wounds of these times cannot simply be addressed through rational analysis and diagnosis, nor can they be addressed only with the short-burning flame of outrage. We need a deeper resourcing.  At a time of a profound pan-societal longing for meaning and sacredness, connecting to the cosmos as beloved and seeing the sacred in every phase of the beloved's waves has deep implications for how we resource and replenish ourselves, how we align our movements to the actual ebbs and flows of the natural world, and how we begin to heal the divided sociocultural space between us. Featuring a conversation with Dr. Omid Safi and music by Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Duncan Wickel, Jeunae Elita, Marya Stark, Sidibe, Serena Bixby, Forest Sun, Haley Young and others, this episode of The Emerald podcast encourages us to pause for a moment in the midst of all the great world-turning events and remember and connect to the living, breathing, source of it all. Just... for a moment.Support the show

Hello beautiful ones, and welcome back to The Becoming Podcast. Today on the show I am thrilled to introduce you to Ruth Allen.  I have been following (and loving) Ruth's work for a number of years, and I've absolutely loved her two books, Grounded and Weathering.  Her work and her writing has deeply shaped the way I think about the natural world and the way I move my body through it. Let me formally introduce Ruth: Ruth is a writer, embodied psychotherapist and facilitator working primarily outdoors in landscape, and online. Combining her background in geology, with innovative body-based and creative techniques drawing on a multitude of teachings and influences, she offers therapy, mentoring, workshops, classes and adventure retreats - all practical, slow magic - designed to help others connect with their bodies and the rest of nature through depth-full enquiry and practices that deepen our capacity to listen, for the greater whole-health of planet and people.   Some of the things Ruth and I talk about on the show are: > The resourcing we can access through witnessing the natural cycles and seasons of the natural world – and also how that is being impacted by climate change. > How to be in relationship with the earth as both a benevolent and even maternal entity – as well as one with the potential for destruction.  We talk about the parallels between the concepts of the "ever-giving mother" and the "ever-giving planet," and how both ideologies seem to make those who nurture us vulnerable to exploitation. > What we can learn from rocks as allies in times of change in our lives and in the collective.  Ruth talks about the concept of weathering and erosion as being inevitable parts of the process of growth and rising, both for ourselves and our rock kin. > The challenge of extending our ideas about animacy to the seemingly inanimate:  rocks.  Ruth beautifully hypothesizes that if we can see rock as kin and choose to be in a caring relationship with them, then we can see anyone as kin and care for them just the same. > How Ruth engages in reciprocity with the natural world. And truly, truly so much more!  If you're curious about how you might be in deeper connection with the living world and perhaps how that connection might support you through times of weathering in your life, this episode is for you.  

There's a lot of interest at the moment in connecting with our ancient past, and reviving the “Old Ways” of our earth-honoring ancestors. And while there's so much we can learn from the past, it can be all too easy to romanticize or misinterpret our ancestral history. In this episode Sam weaves together archeology, animism and academia to demystify Britain's ancient peoples, offering grounded insights into our native spirituality free from romantic projections. She shares beautiful wisdom about the nine elements that were honored in different Indo-European cultures, likely including the Pretanī people of ancient Britain. She also gives clear examples of how our ancestors honored these nine elements, and offers an overview of the Pretanī people as a whole; more commonly, and incorrectly, known as the “Celts”. If you're someone who enjoys learning about archaeology and history from an academic perspective, along with a good dash of spirituality and mysticism, this episode is for you.

Gordon White is a chaos magician, shamanic practitioner, and permaculture designer based in Tasmania. He podcasts and teaches through the vehicle of Rune Soup, the world's largest magic academy, and he writes prolifically -- not only on the Rune Soup blog but in several incredible books. Gordon's breadth and depth of knowledge is unbelievably humbling, and it was an honor to spend an hour or so with him.We came to Gordon for perspective, to some bring context and breadth and dimension to our relatively narrow world. Disintegrator sits in a kind of para-academic space, where we tend to limit the things we allow ourselves to write and think in terms of what's acceptable in mainstream academia. And there are so many people in this space, squashed between the outer walls of the academy and a totally vast, teeming ocean of different ways of thinking and being.((An academic might chastize us for using 'outside' as a kind of euphemism for an alien or an other, but we'd push back -- it is the inside that we're all kind of bunched up against, like feudal serfs huddling for protection and warmth. As we look outside, we've started to speculate about what might be out there, inventing our own 'pseudosacreds' that preoccupy our minds without forcing us to change anything about ourselves.))Gordon brings sledgehammers from magical practices and shamanic tradtions around the world, alongside a potent alternative canon of Western, and, well, pummels our walls a bit.Tons of references packed in here, but a good place to start would be his books Chaos Protocols and Ani.Mystic (in order). Marek fell in love with Gordon's world through these three podcast episodes (one, two, three) and this lecture at the Guggenheim (with visual media from friend of the pod Refik Anadol).Further references:A big and loving shoutout to Jay Springett, who just absolutely rules in every possible way, you gotta be a JayMo fan fr.Gordon references Dr. Jeff Kripal on the subject of the 'imaginal' -- which becomes a helpful concept later in the episode as we talk through technology. The imaginal is an ontological layer or that is not necessarily physical but still real.The most significant reference here is of Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, a Brazillian anthropologist discussed in the context of pespectivism and what a truly decolonized anthropology (and philosophy) might look like.Gordon references Ephesisans 6:12 ("powers and principalities") in the context of a Christian ontology that affords an idea the status of a being.Dr. Jack Hunter's concept of "ontological flooding" -- an "opening of the floodgates" of what is discussible in ontological terms. Here's a discussion on the subject from 2021.Marek references a recent trend in philosophy ("object oriented ontology") that grapples with the autonomy of the non-human world. This episode is cheekily named after Quentin Meillassoux's concept of the "great outdoors" -- a plane of reality that exceeds human experience or human conception.Gordon references Paracelsus, Edgar Cayce, Rudolf Steiner, and Allan Kardec in the context of a Western spiritualist canon.Gordon discusses Matías De Stefano specifically in the context of mineral intelligence. Here's an absolutely wild talk on the subject.For those unfamiliar, the "Dieta" that Gordon refers to is a period of isolation, strict diet, and deep work with plant medicines like ayahuasca.Ambient track is 'Respect for the Medium' by friend of the pod They Became What They Beheld, show them some love on Bandcamp.

Even a river can die. What if we saw it as a person, not just a resource?--- Join and support the community: https://www.creationspaths.com/ In this episode of _Creation's Paths_, Charlie and Brian explore **animism**, the belief that the world is filled with persons—only some of whom are human. They discuss how recognizing **the personhood of nature**, objects, and even everyday items like cups or computers fosters **a deeper, more respectful relationship with the world**.Charlie argues that **animism is a philosophical choice with profound spiritual and legal implications**, rather than a primitive belief system. They highlight **real-world applications** of animism, including **New Zealand's legal recognition of rivers as persons** and how this perspective shifts environmentalism from resource exploitation to **stewardship**.Brian shares personal insights on how **animism helps cultivate patience, gratitude, and ethical living**. They discuss the **role of animism in magic, spirituality, and law**, demonstrating how seeing the world as full of persons—not objects—can transform daily interactions, from how we treat the land to how we care for our possessions.The episode also touches on **spiritual practices** tied to animism, the difference between **idolatry and right relationship**, and how recognizing the **life cycle of objects** can aid in **recycling, sustainability, and emotional well-being**.Thank you for Liking and Subscribing to this podcastThank you for sharing this episode with your loved ones, friends and community--- Thank you for Tips or Donations: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett https://patreon.com/cedorsett $CreationsPathsSubstack: https://www.creationspaths.com/ For all of the things we are doing at The Seraphic Grove go to Creation's Paths https://www.creationspaths.com/ For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com Guided Meditations Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0J2QAAlD1uaIJvQ3Sr9sIqO Christopagan Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0ISXDQkZBRB7EHrUUJgXlGN The Everything Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0Ln3eGW-tDk2R68PM6c182OCreation's Paths Podcast: http://www.creationspaths.com/podcast Church of the Oak Podcast: http://churchoftheoak.com/Hallowstead Podcast: http://hallowstead.com/Social Connections: BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com Threads https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/## Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Animism01:11 Hosts Introduction01:26 Misconceptions About Animism03:07 Philosophical Perspective of Animism03:51 Environmental Implications of Animism04:32 Personalizing Everyday Objects08:29 Legal and Cultural Examples of Animism09:56 Animism in Daily Life14:25 Animism and Idolatry20:39 Practical Applications of Animism28:56 Conclusion and Call to Action Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe

In this episode, we are joined by Philiswa Makhaye, a traditional Zulu healer from South Africa. Initiated as a Sangoma at the age of 12, Philiswa has dedicated her life to ancestral communion, intergenerational healing and ancient earth-based spiritual wisdom.This conversation offers a rare glimpse into animistic spirituality, free from the limiting frameworks of non-animist worldviews. It continues a thread of enquiry explored in a recent episode with Dr Andy Letcher, who highlighted the animistic discourse as one of the most disruptive to the reductionist Western paradigm. Through Philiswa's insights, we delve into the deep relationality between the land, the ancestors and the healing traditions that have traversed across generations and cultures.Philiswa's presence at this year's Medicine Festival left a lasting impression, particularly during a powerful collective ceremony for peace, where wisdom keepers from around the world offered prayers from each cardinal direction. Her songful prayer, graciously recorded for this episode, is woven into the conversation - a gift to carry in your bones.For those who wish to experience the full, uninterrupted recording of Philiswa's prayer, it is uploaded on our patreon, available for all listeners. Additional meditations and resources are also available for those who wish to support the show. We have recently launched a free hour-long workshop on embodied deep ecology.  Bookings have now opened to join us at Earth Medicine, our signature ceremonial retreat.Support the show

Alex Tobert is the author of the book Das Ich-Paradoxon (The Paradox of Self) as well as the writer of the Left Brain Mystic publication on Substack, which I highly recommend checking out.We discussed animism, panpsychism, and the nature of consciousness.My Novel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro Provided by Brock Tanya

  ongoing – Anarcho*Entheo*Astro*Animism Composting the con of cults into nutrient for egalitarian Community……   Caroline welcomes the return of Eddy Nix who “plays a bookseller in real life and has many projects operating in the dream world. He is founder and operator of Driftless Books and Music in Viroqua, WI; was a founding teacher at Youth Initiative High School; and has a radio show on community radio station WDRT every Sunday. He identifies as a rhizome, or a verb, depending on circumstances. He has been many other things also.”   honoring ancestral mentors: David Graeber, Hakim Bey and team…. That we animate and hone  all of our collaborative liberating trickster skills… Let all tyranny serve as incentive for ingenious creativity….to compost cruel horror into compost for kind ingenuity     The post The Visionary Activist Show – ongoing – Anarcho*Entheo*Astro*Animism appeared first on KPFA.

Our kinship with the natural world can offer a balm for the troubled modern soul, and counsellor, somatic therapist and folk herbalist Rachel Weitz works directly with strengthening this sense of relationships with plants, earth and spirit. After quite an amazing journey of apprenticeships and study that span a counselling degree, a 4-year stint in the Peruvian amazon with the Shipibo peoples, and a 6-year apprenticeship with shamanic healer and herbalist Ann Drucker she has created a healing modality she calls “animistic healing arts” that weaves all these threads together. She works with her clients and to restore the lost sense of kinship with the greater intelligence that is within and round us - the plants, the ancestors, nature herself and guides. Her aim is the support folks in facilitating their own direct healing process in connection with these guides and more-than-human relationships.  In this episode, Stephanie and Rachel explore how plants can be powerful allies in our healing journeys beyond the physical, the spirit properties of hawthorn for opening us to grief, what an old world apprenticeship really looks like, and the wonder of being in the circle of care of the plant world.  SHOW NOTES https://www.instagram.com/rachelweitzhealingarts/ contactrachelweitz@gmail.com https://www.rachelweitz.com/ *BUY ME A CUPPA* If you liked the episode and want more, a cuppa fuels my work and time, which is given for free. Leave a comment and a few bucks here: ⁠buymeacoffee.com/theeldertree⁠ To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theeldertree.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow is on socials here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  The intro and outro song is "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sing for the Earth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If what our culture most urgently needs is for a critical mass of us to grow into adults and then elders, how can we help our young people to step beyond the artificial boundaries of our old, rigid system into a world where they are fully connected to all parts of themselves, each other and the web of life. How, in effect, can we create an educational system that is fit for purpose in the emerging century?In this podcast, I joined with Tim Logan, host of the Future Learning Design podcast, educator, part of the team at Good Impact Labs and co-leader of the International Baccalaureate's 'Festival of Hope'.   Tim is a highly experienced school leader, management consultant, coach, educator and researcher, has held previous pedagogical and well-being senior leadership positions in a variety of international settings and is proud to have consistently helped to build innovative, outstanding schools, supportive relationships and powerful educational visions.  He says, 'The important question for now is, can we intentionally create more spaces in our schools that provide a qualitatively different kind of 'educational' experience?  Transformational shifts are happening in educational and organisational cultures around the world right now. I am incredibly fortunate to be able to play a role in this.'I was on the Future Learning Design podcast just before the dark nights of winter with Ginie Servant-Miklos, Raïsa Mirza and Will Richardson and his podcast has become one of my essential listens of the week and had been planning to invite Tim here to talk about the transformational shifts happening in education and how they can help us lay the foundations for a world we'd be proud to leave behind.  We were planning something for later in the year but we had a cancellation and he had a tech misfire and we both  needed something fast to get the schedules back on track, so here we are with a joint conversation—one of those that ranges wide over the landscape of culture and learning and the 'citadel mind' and our history of optimising for everything and how we could, instead, begin to expand into a more porous mindset and look for resonance and help young people to become part of the emerging transformation of the entire web of life.  Tim on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/teblogan/Tim's podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/future-learning-design-podcast/id1536832802Good Impact Labs https://www.goodimpactlabs.com/aboutNick Mulvey Live from COP26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-GBl6DeA50&t=1273sConcerned Bird Substack https://theconcernedbird.substack.com/p/elon-musks-and-xs-role-in-2024-electionFestival of Hope https://ibo.org/festival-of-hope/ Systems Transformation Pathway at UWC Atlantic College: https://www.uwcatlantic.org/learning/academic/systems-transformation-pathwayGreen School: https://www.greenschool.org/School of Humanity: https://sofhumanity.com/

Send your email to join the MoM Underground: Co-create with a community of artists and stay informed of online and local events, including gatherings, concerts, live podcast recordings, meditations, etc.Support Mormons on Mushrooms:Become a PatreonSend a ContributionIn this episode, Mike and Doug dive deep into the themes of community, connection, and finding meaning amidst chaos. Mike shares his recent experience with the devastating Los Angeles fires, reflecting on how disasters highlight the fractures in our modern, isolated lifestyles. The conversation weaves through topics like the cultural importance of tribal connections, the challenges of corporate America, and the lost wisdom of our pagan ancestors.The duo also explores animism, the spiritual significance of nature, and how movies like The Witch and The Northman bring ancient traditions to life. They discuss the Salem Witch Trials, the roots of hysteria, and the importance of reclaiming communal rituals that connect us to our shared humanity. Along the way, there's plenty of humor, nostalgia, and even a shout-out to some heartfelt song lyrics.Key Topics Discussed:The Los Angeles fires and the fragility of modern life.How corporate structures create isolation and stifle creativity.The significance of community and tribal connections in raising children.Animism and reconnecting with nature as a spiritual practice.Reflections on the Salem Witch Trials and the evolution of "witch" as a concept.Pagan roots and the myths of Scandinavian and Celtic cultures.The transformative power of rituals, both ancient and modern.Musings on the importance of connection through art, music, and storytelling.

This conversation with Leah Rampy, author of Earth and Soul, emphasizes the importance of connecting deeply with the Earth amidst climate chaos. By exploring themes of kinship, responsibility, and deep listening, we uncover ways to foster relationship with nature that can lead to sustainable solutions for our planet.  Learn more about Leah HERE. Buy Leah's book, Earth and Soul HERE.Learn more about Daniel and Unshod HERE.Leah Rampy is a writer, speaker, and retreat leader who weaves ecology, spirituality, personal stories, and practices to help others deepen their relationship to the natural world. She is the author of the award winning Earth & Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos and a frequent speaker on spiritual ecology and leadership in these uncertain times. Leah co-authored and co-facilitated with Beth Norcross the six-part video series on The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees: Insights from Our Elders in collaboration with the award-winning film maker Jane Pittman and sponsored by The Center for Spirituality in Nature. Leah and Beth are co-authoring a book, Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees, to be published by Broadleaf Books in April 2025.​She has led over a dozen pilgrimages to sacred places in the US and internationally for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation where she previously served as the Executive Director and continues as an adjunct staff member. She is the founder and leader of Church of the Wild Two Rivers, affiliated with the Wild Church Network, that meets regularly to deepen spirituality through time in the natural world. Leah also offers retreats through Friends of Silence, a nonprofit honoring the work and intent of the late, well-loved author, Nan Merrill. Through Shepherd University's Lifelong Learning Program, Leah teaches classes on ecology through the lens of current writers. Her essays on living more fully connected to Earth in these uncertain times have appeared in the Anthology of Appalachian Writers (Barbara Kingsolver edition), The Cardinal Anthology Vol 1, and Soul Food; Nourishing Essays on Contemplative Living and Leadership. She is a member of West Virginia Writers.Leah holds a doctorate in Curriculum from Indiana University. She has extensive leadership experience as an executive in Fortune 100 organizations and in nonprofits and has offered executive coaching and consulting to individuals and organizations through the business she founded in 2001, Illumined Way, LLC.She lives with her husband in a cohousing community in Shepherdstown, WV, where members collaborated to build and now to run their village with a focus on community, environmental responsibility, and Earth care. She co-founded Save Our Soil, a volunteer organization to promote soil health, local food, native plants, and regenerative agriculture in the Eastern Panhandle and beyond. The Rampys have two adult children who live in Virginia, and two dogs who live at home.

Anarcho*Entheo*Astro* Animism – Facing the Global Conflagration with the Strength of Community  Caroline welcomes the return of Eddy Nix who “plays a bookseller in real life and has many projects operating in the dream world. He is founder and operator of Driftless Books and Music in Viroqua, Wi and was a founding teacher at Youth Initiative High School, and has a radio show on community radio station WDRT every Sunday. He identifies as a rhizome, or a verb, depending on circumstances. He has been many other things also. honoring ancestral mentors: David Graeber, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Kropotkin, And the Book “Occult Features of Anarchism” by living author Erica Lagalies, forward by Barbra Ehrenreich The post The Visionary Activist Show – Anarcho*Entheo*Astro* Animism appeared first on KPFA.

This week's show is with Aidan Wachter, an animist, author, and healer. Aidan has been involved in practical magic since the 1980s.  He is an animist and is deeply concerned with the effects of modern Western life-ways on the human animal, on both physical and spiritual levels.  Aidan views a living magical practice as a path to heal many of the problems we face today and a way of being that is intrinsic to the creatures we are. He is the author of Six Ways: Approaches & Entries to Practical Magic and Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past & Telling True Lies, and Changeling: A Book Of Qualities. In this episode, Lian and Aidan dive deep into the essence of teaching and learning, weaving together themes of projections, archetypes, and the transformative power of experiential education. They explore how modern conditioning distances us from innate learning processes and highlight the profound connection between learning and remembrance. Lian and Aidan challenge conventional views of teaching, advocating for an approach that honours individual journeys and the unique keys each of us carries to unlock deeper truths. Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to remember their inherent knowledge, embrace the beauty of being both teacher and student, and rediscover their place in a conscious, living world. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: Teaching as a Vessel of Discovery Teaching is not about having all the answers; it is about creating a space for others to access their own wisdom. Through teaching, we often uncover truths about ourselves, fostering a mutual journey of growth and understanding. Learning as Remembrance Rather than acquiring new information, true learning is a process of remembering what is already within us. This remembrance connects us to ancestral knowledge, past lives, and the communal nature of existence, offering a profound sense of interconnectedness. Rewilding Education Experiential learning rekindles our natural ability to trust our own experiences, breaking free from the conditioning of traditional education. By rewilding our approach to knowledge, we reconnect with animism and the wisdom of a conscious, interconnected universe. Resources and stuff spoken about: Visit Aidan's Website Join Aidan on Patreon Join UNIO, the Academy of Sacred Union. This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).  

Make a Donation to Forbidden Knowledge News https://www.paypal.me/forbiddenknowledgenehttps://buymeacoffee.com/forbiddenReconnect to Everything with BrainsupremeGet 25% off your order here!!https://brainsupreme.co/discount/FKN15Subscribe to Cory Hughe's "Bloody History" substackhttps://bloodyhistory.substack.comSign up for the IMT crypto community Imt.networkBook a free consultation with Jennifer Halcame Emailjenniferhalcame@gmail.comFacebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561665957079&mibextid=ZbWKwLSick of having mediocre health? Transform your health and vitality with Christian Yordanov's program. Learn more and book a free intro call here (mention FKN at time of booking and he will have a special gift for youhttps://christianyordanov.com/fkn/Watch The Forbidden Documentary: Occult Louisiana on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/pGXW6chxCJbC60 PurplePowerhttps://go.shopc60.com/FORBIDDEN10/or use coupon code knowledge10FKN Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/FKNlinksForbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.news/ Sign up on Rokfin!https://rokfin.com/fknplusPodcastshttps://www.spreaker.com/show/forbiddenAvailable on all platforms Support FKN on Spreaker https://spreaker.page.link/KoPgfbEq8kcsR5oj9FKN ON Rumblehttps://rumble.com/c/FKNpGet Cory Hughes Book!https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jfkbookhttps://www.amazon.com/Warning-History-Cory-Hughes/dp/B0CL14VQY6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=72HEFZQA7TAP&keywords=a+warning+from+history+cory+hughes&qid=1698861279&sprefix=a+warning+fro%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1https://coryhughes.org/Johnny Larson's artworkhttps://www.patreon.com/JohnnyLarsonYouTube https://youtube.com/@fknclipspBecome Self-Sufficient With A Food Forest!!https://foodforestabundance.com/get-started/?ref=CHRISTOPHERMATHUse coupon code: FORBIDDEN for discountsThe FKN Store!https://www.fknstore.net/Our Facebook pageshttps://www.facebook.com/forbiddenknowledgenewsconspiracy/https://www.facebook.com/FKNNetwork/Instagram @forbiddenknowledgenews1@forbiddenknowledgenetworkXhttps://x.com/ForbiddenKnow10?t=uO5AqEtDuHdF9fXYtCUtfw&s=09Email meforbiddenknowledgenews@gmail.comsome music thanks to:https://www.bensound.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.

There's a lot of cultural clutter these days around 'The Goddess.' She appears everywhere, her many names are invoked free of context in a hundred thousand ways. She's what? An empowerment tool. An archetype. A self-help course. A political symbol. Something that is invoked to bring more creative energy or material abundance into our lives.  Something that, in an individualistic modern world, always seems to have a whole lot to do with us. Yet the goddess, traditionally, is much more than this. She is the animating power of the universe itself, felt in bodies, realized in states of deep conjunctive rapture, accessed through ritual protocols, alive in trees and stones and living geography, alive in song, alive in the myths and stories of her, alive in sound, alive in longing, alive in trance, alive in the states of consciousness realized by those who feel her. This devotional episode honors the goddess as the animating power of creation, drawing on her texts, her myths, her songs, and on personal experiences of journey to her sacred seats to evoke her as a living presence rather than as a conceptual abstraction. With songs and slokas from special guest Nivedita Gunturi. Support the show

“Syria is a mix of everything. There are multiple Christian cultures, multiple Muslim cultures, and multiple languages. It’s the crossroads of the world. It made for some of my best travel memories from that time of my life.” —Rolf Potts In this episode of Deviate (which was remixed from an episode of Ari Shaffir’s You Be Trippin’ podcast), Rolf and Ari talk about when and why Rolf traveled to Syria back in the day, and what it was like when he got there (3:30); his experience in staying in a Christian monastery in the mountains outside of Damascus (18:30); Rolf’s journey to the Tigris River, his experience with the Kurds he met in a Syria-Turkey border town, and the types of food on offer in Syria (28:30); Rolf’s enjoyable experience of watching the movie Con Air on a long-distance bus in Syria, and his experience of going to a Sudanese refugee church in Damascus (37:00); Rolf’s experience of accepting hospitality from Syrian Kurds, the experience of eavesdropping on American music at an Aleppo hotel, and what it’s like to watch American movies in other countries (47:00); old travel clothing and gear that Rolf still uses 25 years on, and Rolf’s travel tips and next destinations (1:07:00). Ari Shaffir (@AriShaffir) is a comedian, writer, podcaster, and actor. He is the host of theYou Be Trippin’ podcast,. His latest comedy special, JEW, is available on YouTube. Notable Links: Ari Shaffir on Deviate (archive of podcast episodes) Paris Writing Workshops (Rolf’s travel memoir classes) 2011 Syrian revolution (protests and uprisings in Syria) Five Pillars of Islam (fundamental religious practices) Alawites (Arab ethnoreligious group) Ba’athism (Arab nationalist ideology) Qamishli (city on the Syria-Turkey border) Greater Kurdistan (geo-cultural region) Deir Mar Musa (Syriac Catholic monastery) Traveler ideals and hospitality in Syria (Deviate episode) Suicide door (style of automobile door) KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) No-fly zone (area protected from specific aircraft) Fuul (Egyptian stew of cooked fava beans) Con Air (1997 movie) Hannibal Lecter (fictional character) Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005 conflict) Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, by Rolf Potts (book) Ibn Battuta (14th century Arab traveler) Benjamin of Tudela (12th century Jewish traveler) Anthem Soul (Rolf’s 2001 radio essay about Syria) James Brown (American singer) Djellaba (unisex robe worn in North Africa) Souvenir, by Rolf Potts (book) Tortuga (travel backpack brand) Vanuatu (South Pacific island nation) Animism (belief system) Cargo Cult (Melanesian spiritual movement) The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel's 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don't host a “comments” section, but we're happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

Are we manifesting? Are we practicing unattachment to results? Are we trying to create a new us, a better us? How do we even know what a better us might be or look like? Are we good enough as we are? If so, what's the point, what drives us into any kind of action? There's a lot that feels confusing and overwhelming at this time of year. So here, on a new moon at the beginning of a new year, I talk about the rhythms of planting, tending, harvesting, evaluating which are available to us at many points throughout the year. I also muse about hunger and desire and some of the pitfalls we can fall into when we're manifesting from our modern ways of perceiving and relating to the world, as opposed to more ancestral and animist ways of perceiving and relating (and how that can affect our burnout and purpose anxiety). And I share a method that seems to be working well for me (hint - it's not a word-based theme and I'll also tell you why I suspect that didn't work for me). Whatever your way of honoring this moment in time, may you find a way to wield your desires on behalf of more beautiful and meaningful relationships with the world. And may you move in the direction of a most honest and loving aliveness, expressing itself through you. With love, Kate P.S. If you're interested in Insight 2025, you can find more info or purchase yours here: https://www.wildsacredjourney.com/tarot-for-2025 ____________________________ You can find Kate: Website: www.wildsacredjourney.com Email – kate@wildsacredjourney.com Instagram: @wildsacredjourney_kp --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kate-powell-wsjp/support

Traditionally, we have offered a meditation for the solstice - and these are available in the links below. This meditation aims to offer a long-wide-deep perspective on our place as conscious nodes in the web of life - the journey that brought us here and the places humanity may go.  Please give yourself plenty of time both to experience the journey and to reflect afterwards. If it helps to write down your feelings, images, ideas or sensations afterwards, please do. Winter Solstice Meditation  https://media.transistor.fm/25cbf6e7/e9f16280.mp3Summer Solstice Meditation https://media.transistor.fm/4dbb7991/ddc721bc.mp3

Check out BeerBiceps SkillHouse's Monetizing Content Creation Course- https://bbsh.in/ra-yt-mcc Share your guest suggestions here Link - https://forms.gle/aoMHY9EE3Cg3Tqdx9 BeerBiceps SkillHouse को Social Media पर Follow करे :- YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2-Y36TqZ5MH6N1cWpmsBRQ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/beerbiceps_skillhouse Website : https://linktr.ee/BeerBiceps_SKillHouse For any other queries EMAIL: support@beerbicepsskillhouse.com In case of any payment-related issues, kindly write to support@tagmango.com Level Supermind - Mind Performance App को Download करिए यहाँ से

The World of Eora is a news & lore podcast about the fantasy setting created by Obsidian Entertainment for their cRPG series, Pillars of Eternity, and their upcoming action RPG: Avowed. This week's episode will focus on several theories that both myself and contributors on Reddit have come up with regarding "The Voice" in Avowed, as well as our Godlike nature. This episode is entirely speculative, but it draws on a substantial amount of lore from the previous Pillars games. Interestingly, though, there are NO SPOILERS in today's episode if you want to listen in, but at the same time, this will definitely be an episode where Eora veterans will be able to keep up easier than those new to the world. Not saying you shouldn't listen if you're new, just more of an interesting observation. Speculation is always fun, imo :) Topics discussed: Rymrgand, the Glamfellen, Pale Elf Migration, Godless faction, Wael, Dreamscourge, Living Lands, Old Gods, Regular Gods, Animism, and Godlike. worldofeora@gmail.com @worldofeora ko-fi.com/worldofeora

In this episode, I explore the concept of animism—what it means historically and how it can be applied in today's world. Animism is the belief that nature is alive and infused with spirit, a perspective that can help us connect deeply with both our animal and human selves. By shifting our view of the world, we can honor our sensory, emotional, and just natures, living more harmoniously on this dynamic, living planet. Together, we'll delve into the foundational principles of shamanism, reflecting on what it means to see ourselves as part human and part animal. We'll also confront darkness—an integral, yet often misunderstood, aspect of the animistic worldview. I'll share insights into what darkness can teach us, its potential dangers, and how we can protect ourselves from its perils. Using tools like prayer, ritual, and herbs, we'll discuss ways to bring light into the dark spaces of life. I'll highlight three powerful solar herbs—Rosemary, Angelica, and Calendula—sharing their historical significance and my modern approaches to using them. Known for their warming, diffusive, and protective qualities, these herbs have long been associated with the sun's energy and are invaluable allies for navigating the unknown. Join me as we light our lanterns and journey together into the wisdom of the dark. ———— *KICKSTARTER*

In this rich and winding conversation, we are joined by Dr. Andy Letcher — Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, former Programme Lead for the MA in Engaged Ecology at Schumacher College, and author of Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom. With doctorates in both Ecology and the Study of Religion, Andy is a singular voice in contemporary psychedelic research, animism, and the revival of folk wisdom.We explore the deep well of his research into the ritual and animistic use of psychedelics by British Druids, hints of myths and traditions of the Fly Agaric mushroom, and the discourses that shape our understanding of psychedelic experiences. Andy's insights bridge folklore, embodied ecology, and mythopoetic storytelling, offering a compelling perspective on how we frame and make meaning within animate landscapes.This episode is laced with music from Andy's former folk band, Telling the Bees. For our Patreon supporters, we're offering a curated selection of Andy's most elusive and fascinating writings — rare gems that are otherwise difficult to access.Andy will also be one of 14 special guests on our upcoming Deepen Your Roots programme — a year-long journey beginning on Imbolc (1st February 2025).  This programme offers a slow, spiralling incubation of Joanna Macy's Work that Reconnects, guiding you to unearth your ecological niche and mythopoetic calling amid the Great Turning. Registration is now open — visit rootedhealing.org/deepen to learn more.Support the show

It's that time of year - when all we really want is to curl up and reflect, go inside, become the potential that will arise in the unfolding spring.  If you want things to listen to or watch or read as you head into the long-nights, then these are (some of) the things that have caught my attention this year. Enjoy!Books: Non-FictionHospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machada de Oliviera https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/hospicing-modernity-parting-with-harmful-ways-of-living-vanessa-machado-de-oliveira/6401710?ean=9781623176242Pedagogies of Collapse: A Hopeful Education for the End of the World as we Know It by Ginie Servant-Miklos  https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/pedagogies-of-collapse-9781350400498/  NB - you can download the pdf for FREE!Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Foundations for Collective Wellbeing by Yuria Celidwen https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/flourishing-kin-indigenous-wisdom-for-collective-well-being-ph-d-celidwen-yuria/7727216?ean=9781649632043Right Story, Wrong Story Tyson Yunkaporta https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/right-story-wrong-story-adventures-in-indigenous-thinking-tyson-yunkaporta/7645728?ean=9781922790439Down the Rabbit Hole by Charlie Bennett   CharlieBennettauthor.co.ukFiction: Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-ministry-of-time-kaliane-bradley/7445878?ean=9781399726344 Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/venomous-lumpsucker-ned-beauman/2764635?ean=9781473613577Denise Baden 'Murder in the Climate Assembly'  You can get a feel for the book here: https://www.dabaden.com/murder-in-the-climate-assembly/Kickstarter here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dabaden/murder-in-the-climate-assembly    Katherine Addison 'Throne of Dragons' - due March 11th US and a few days later UK https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-tomb-of-dragons-the-cemeteries-of-amalo-book-3-katherine-addison/7764905?ean=9781837864393FilmsRichard Wain: The Oath of the Hopeful  https://youtu.be/JFNEPx9NYVkRoots so Deep https://rootssodeep.org/The Shopping Conspiracy  Trailer:  https://youtu.be/OVfZw_eqJW8    Full film: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81554996 Future Council - not yet released: https://theregenerators.org/future-council/see-the-film/ PodcastsFarm Gate 1 'What is Bill Gates doing to Africa's Food?' https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/farm-gate/id1490590788?i=1000675185519Farm Gate 2 'Down the Rabbit Hole with Charlie Bennett' https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/farm-gate/id1490590788?i=1000678521906The Great Simplification: Future Council: How Children are responding to our Planetary Crisis  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-great-simplification-with-nate-hagens/id1604218333?i=1000678061953  What is a Good Life with Mark McCartney - Rekindling our Wild Nature with Diarmuid Lyng https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/what-is-a-good-life/id1663668603?i=1000677421697Wild w Sarah Wilson  Indy Johar: the Starkest Collapse Prognosis I've heard  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/wild-with-sarah-wilson/id1548626341?i=1000677521024

You are not mistaken: this is in fact the podcast formerly known as The Blue Beryl. We have changed our name for season 3, as we are embracing the darkness! You'll notice a new logo and a new URL, but if you're a subscriber, there's nothing you need to do. Everything will automatically be updated. In today's episode, we are launching the new season with the tables turned. Producer Lan Li takes over the microphone to interview me about spirit healing and related practices. Lan has been trying to ask me these questions for the last two years, but I've continued to put them off. Now it's finally time to put some things on the record and clear the air. So in this episode, we dive right in to questions like do spirits exist? Are mystical experiences real? What are the best talismans for healers? We're also going to talk about different kinds of possession and the benefits of holding more than one ontological perspective at the same time.I hope you enjoy the conversation, and please subscribe to The Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. We also want to invite everyone to check out blackberyl.substack.com. Our episodes are going to continue to be free as always, but we now have paid subscriptions where we can make exclusive resources available to members for a small fee. Your payments help us with production costs of the pod, so thanks for your support! Resources mentioned in this episode:Pierce Salguero, A Lamp Unto Yourself (preorder).Resources provided for members on blackberyl.substack.com:Full manuscript of the short book book Traditional Thai Medicine: Buddhism, Animism, Yoga, Ayurveda (2106), with chapters on spirit healing, talismans, and other topics covered here. 

Longtime friend and incredible tattoo artist, conjurer, Quimbandeiro, and practitioner of Thai necromancy Gary Noriyuki joins the gang once more to talk all about the magic involved in ceremonial tattooing. From inheriting lineage taboos to maintaining pacts, Gary covers the ins and outs of receiving different kinds of sacred tattoos, touching on his own training in Sak Yant as well as fusions with conjure and planetary sorcery. He also introduces key concepts in how amulets and tattoos relate as forms of worn and carried magic, and ways in which their differing pacts may interact when combined together. Support us on patreon.com/TheFrightfulHowls and follow us at twitter.com/FrightfulHowls.

The Marian Apparitions at Zeitoun with Travis Dumsday Travis Dumsday is Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Concordia University of Edmonton, Canada. He is author of several books, including Dispositionalism and the Metaphysics of Science, Alternative Conceptions of the Spiritual: Polytheism, Animism, and More in Contemporary Philosophy of Religion; and The Marian Apparitions at … Continue reading "The Marian Apparitions at Zeitoun with Travis Dumsday"

We are not going back.  But how do we go forward now in a world where the old norms are under assault by people who move fast and break everything? How do we find a place of balance and compassion - for ourselves, each other and the More than Human world - so that we can move forward in a way that isn't just a replaying of the old binaries? Our world changed irrevocably with the results of the US election on the 5th of November.  On this podcast, we talk a lot about total systemic change and now that change is happening in front of our eyes.   Clearly, there is no going back from here.  So how do we who care deeply about a flourishing future - who wish there to be a survival of complex life in all its amazing creativity - navigate this new landscape? How do we embrace the polarities and dichotomies of an unpredictable world so that we can embrace the infinite complexity - and unknowability - of the future? This week's guest is someone who has devoted her life to exploring the paradox at the heart of our existence. I first met Andrea Hiott through her 'Love and Philosophy' podcast which has become part of my essential listening list.  From the outset, Andrea struck me as someone whose way of viewing life is, if not unique, then definitely exceptional and well worth exploring. As you'll hear, she is someone who throws herself into learning: she can talk with authority on everything from philosophy and phenomenology to neuroscience and ecology and  as we speak, she's completing her doctorate, which is called Ecological Orientation.  She's an author of various books, including Thinking Small, The long, strange trip of the Volkswagen Beetle, and has long worked on issues of motoring and mobility as a consultant, writer, and ghostwriter.  She has appeared in films and TV shows, such as The Bug and Cars that Changed the World.  She's been on a whole variety of other podcasts, and has worked extensively for museums, artists, collectors, and agencies. She is also developing the philosophical framework of Waymaking and the practice of Navigability and I have never in my life spoken with someone who has evolved their own philosophy to the extent that they can talk about it in depth and in detail and make so much sense.  There's a YouTube where Andrea does exactly this - I've put a link in the show notes. On top of all this, she is founder of the private educational consulting platform, Making Ways and pours her energy into collaborating with other thinkers and creators at the intersection of multiple different philosophical, cognitive and ecological landscapes, so that she can create a deeper, more emergent understanding of the world we live in. We booked this conversation over six months ago and we were not particularly hinging it around the US election.  But we recorded this one week to the day after the vote that has so completely changed our world so it would have been impossible not to reflect on this. Andrea is a US citizen, currently living in Europe, so she has a particular set of perspectives - and a capacity to see beyond the polarities that feels particularly useful now.   I felt a lot calmer after this conversation than I did going into it and that wasn't all about the pony with colic that put our recording back by a day.  So in the hope that this helps you, too, to deepen into this moment of absolute change, https://www.andreahiott.net/https://making-ways.ck.page/profilehttps://www.youtube.com/@waymaking23https://www.youtube.com/@DesirableUnknownhttps://www.facebook.com/TheBugMovieThinking Small Book

Beata Stawarska, Philosophy and 2024–25 Oregon Humanities Center Faculty Research Fellow My project engages with the untranslated and relatively unknown theoretical writings by L. S. Senghor, the first president of independent Senegal, a poet, and a philosopher. I will translate selected essays and author an article dealing with the topic of vital force in Senghor's philosophy. I will argue that Senghor's ideas are rooted in the traditional West African culture, especially Serer animism, wherein life and death, bodies and spirits, are interdependent rather than mutually opposed. Senghor's philosophy indicates therefore a departure from European efforts to articulate an African ontology of life force.

Today's episode features author and eclectic animist Aidan Wachter. Join us as we talk living in magic, spirit allies, and finding your path. Aidan Wachter is an eclectic animist, magician, and witch. His work focuses on magical approaches that produce real change in the practitioner and their reality. Wachter believes that magic is an inherent aspect of the human animal that, when missing or neglected, can lead to pathological states in the individual. These states then ripple out into human society and beyond it. It is his belief that magic can be a tool to re-frame what is possible for a person and, from that position, create better possible futures for all beings. He is the author of Six Ways: Approaches & Entries For Practical Magic, Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing The Past, & Telling True Lies, and Changeling: A Book Of Qualities. CONNECT WITH AIDAN: Instagram Patreon Website Make sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, SHARE, and COMMENT to let us know what you thought of this episode! Craving a supportive, judgement-free community for mystical misfits? Join my exclusive membership group HOT MESS COVEN here This podcast is possible thanks to supporters like YOU! CONNECT WITH MANDI: Courses, Classes, Books, and Offerings Instagram Facebook TikTok

Recorded during the liminal time of year when the veil between the worlds is thin (Halloween, Samhain, Day of the Dead), Rochana and Kathleen discuss how we connect to the unseen — plant devas, our dearly departed, ancestors, angels, and spirit guides.  Animism, a belief that spirit is alive in everything, is a basic principle of making flower essences as we view it as a co-creative activity between ourselves and the spirit of the plant.   We don't need to turn to psychedelic plant medicines to connect with spirit beings. Flower essences can help us open to spiritual connection, practice discernment, and invoke protection on our journeys. Join us for this interesting conversation as we bring in some of our favorite plant spirit helpers.  Essences discussed:  Angelica Hairy Angelica Forget-Me-Not Hound's Tongue Mountain Forget-Me-Not Yarrows Siberian Yarrow Black Tourmaline Hematite Rainbow Hematite Guardian Purification St. John's Wort Mugwort Queen Anne's Lace   Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

Hey Cousin, This is how I think our conjure works. If you want an in-depth, well researched video from a guy who studies religion and spirituality for a living, check out the youtube channel Religion for Breakfast : https://youtu.be/xoYZ5xNyKbc?si=eaET7rKis40HGNXu

If you're over 40, the world you grew up believing in no longer exists.  The younger generation approaches the polycrisis with open eyes, striving to find and nurture resilience, to listen to the whispers of synchronicity and let it lead them - and us - to a world that works for all life. Today, we're talking to Elliot Riley. Elliot is an educator, permaculture designer and practitioner working to bring wellbeing, reforestation and perennial food production into schools. Elliot graduated during the pandemic. When he left school, he was planning to join the paratroops, but after what he describes as a 'Thunderbolt moment', he shifted tack and, despite not having the grades, was able to get a place to study history at the New College of Humanities.  One pandemic and a degree later, he realised that mainstream education struggles to equip us for the challenges of a changing world. After two years upstream, studying Trauma-Informed Education and permaculture in the Dominican Republic, Elliot returned to his hometown, where he now works at The Saint Leonard's Academy, leading a wellbeing programme called Future Growth, which supports students whilst transforming the community's waste into a regenerative food forest. Through an initiative called OFFSET, Elliot's working to spread the mission further.Elliot's Patreon Page for OFFSET https://www.patreon.com/offsetfoodforests/about/Elliot's instagram account for OFFSET food forest: https://www.instagram.com/offset_food_forests/The One World Orchestra's first single https://open.spotify.com/album/62UZvSNV1gtBXdqLQLdfrw?si=WIdwzar_RvivoA-P3dBiAThe Human Hive https://www.thehumanhive.org/our-storyVaughan Wilkins and links to his PhD thesis on the Zoochosis of humanity https://www.vaughanwilkins.com/thesis  Accidental Gods Membership https://accidentalgods.life/enrol/

In the deepest, oldest caverns of human memory, a fire burns... and that fire has been with human beings since the very beginning. Scientists now say that the human relationship with fire goes back over 1.5 million years. And so — fire has played a profound role in shaping human bodies and human consciousness in ways we're often unaware of. For fire... changed everything. It took us out of the immediacy of the animal experience and gave us a focal point, a place to gather and tell stories, to ideate, and to dream. And because fire created for us a perpetual hearth in the midst of shifting seasons, fire also gives us the ability to pause and plan ahead. Forethought, in many traditions, is a gift of fire, as is ritual. Our ancestors recognized the universe itself as lit by a great cosmic fire and recognized that same fire present within themselves. So ritual practice — often centered around fire — reflects and enacts the transformative friction of the cosmos. And practitioners heat themselves through repetitive dance, drumming, rattling, singing in order to participate in a primal alchemy, a transformative process that is not possible without the heat of fire. The spiritual promise of fire is in the transformation it brings, in how it burns away dross and reduces old patterns to ashes and regenerates us anew. Yet fire has another side too. The very thing that warms and nourishes us, that cooks our food and provides the spark for our ideas can also... burn us.  In dozens upon dozens of cultures, fire is brought to human beings by a trickster, and the gift of fire has consequences too. For, poorly tended, fire can burn out of control. Today, in a world inflamed, a world of conflict driven by obsessive hungers and enacted through incendiary discourse and weapons of fire, we can see clearly that there is a fire imbalance on planet earth. What is called for in such times? Perhaps a return to the old gods and goddesses of the hearth, and a lot of time spent learning what it means to properly tend the fire. Featuring incandescent music by Travis Puntarelli and Victor Sakshin, listen to this episode on a good sound system and perhaps while staring into the hottest part of a roaring fire.Support the show

Send us a textIn this co-sponsored event between ByNorse and the University of Colorado Boulder's Ethnomusicology and Nordic Studies departments, Einar joins Jameson in front of a live audience to talk about the animist cosmology behind Wardruna's music, what animism means to Einar, how Wardruna's music has (or hasn't) changed over time, and an inevitable deep discussion about questions of authenticity and reconstructionism often nagging the reception of Wardruna's music. The interview concludes with a thought-provoking conversation regarding the bear, the namesake of Wardruna's upcoming record "Birna", and how Wardruna's music continues its mission to ask questions and give voice to nature and the ecological problems we face today.Being live, and with the Nordic Sound being very DIY, there are some inevitable imperfections in the audio quality. Thank you for listening!0:00 Intro2:50 Red Rocks6:18 Being a Cultural Ambassador10:20 How has Wardruna changed over time?15:13 Any lasting influence from Einar's heavy metal background?17:04 The Animism of Wardruna22:49 Animism in Nordic cultural heritage25:40 Reconstructionism and Authenticity38:31 Birna47:44 Q+AThe Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:AlexGeorgeBetsCarrieGenLeighMikeCindyClaytonDrakeEricJamieJuliaMaryMichaelSeanSimonDanYou too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsoundSupport the show

Dr. Joscha Bach discusses advanced AI, consciousness, and cognitive modeling. He presents consciousness as a virtual property emerging from self-organizing software patterns, challenging panpsychism and materialism. Bach introduces "Cyberanima," reinterpreting animism through information processing, viewing spirits as self-organizing software agents. He addresses limitations of current large language models and advocates for smaller, more efficient AI models capable of reasoning from first principles. Bach describes his work with Liquid AI on novel neural network architectures for improved expressiveness and efficiency. The interview covers AI's societal implications, including regulation challenges and impact on innovation. Bach argues for balancing oversight with technological progress, warning against overly restrictive regulations. Throughout, Bach frames consciousness, intelligence, and agency as emergent properties of complex information processing systems, proposing a computational framework for cognitive phenomena and reality. SPONSOR MESSAGE: DO YOU WANT WORK ON ARC with the MindsAI team (current ARC winners)? MLST is sponsored by Tufa Labs: Focus: ARC, LLMs, test-time-compute, active inference, system2 reasoning, and more. Future plans: Expanding to complex environments like Warcraft 2 and Starcraft 2. Interested? Apply for an ML research position: benjamin@tufa.ai TOC [00:00:00] 1.1 Consciousness and Intelligence in AI Development [00:07:44] 1.2 Agency, Intelligence, and Their Relationship to Physical Reality [00:13:36] 1.3 Virtual Patterns and Causal Structures in Consciousness [00:25:49] 1.4 Reinterpreting Concepts of God and Animism in Information Processing Terms [00:32:50] 1.5 Animism and Evolution as Competition Between Software Agents 2. Self-Organizing Systems and Cognitive Models in AI [00:37:59] 2.1 Consciousness as self-organizing software [00:45:49] 2.2 Critique of panpsychism and alternative views on consciousness [00:50:48] 2.3 Emergence of consciousness in complex systems [00:52:50] 2.4 Neuronal motivation and the origins of consciousness [00:56:47] 2.5 Coherence and Self-Organization in AI Systems 3. Advanced AI Architectures and Cognitive Processes [00:57:50] 3.1 Second-Order Software and Complex Mental Processes [01:01:05] 3.2 Collective Agency and Shared Values in AI [01:05:40] 3.3 Limitations of Current AI Agents and LLMs [01:06:40] 3.4 Liquid AI and Novel Neural Network Architectures [01:10:06] 3.5 AI Model Efficiency and Future Directions [01:19:00] 3.6 LLM Limitations and Internal State Representation 4. AI Regulation and Societal Impact [01:31:23] 4.1 AI Regulation and Societal Impact [01:49:50] 4.2 Open-Source AI and Industry Challenges Refs in shownotes and MP3 metadata Shownotes: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g28dosz19bzcfs5imrvbu/JoschaInterview.pdf?rlkey=s3y18jy192ktz6ogd7qtvry3d&st=10z7q7w9&dl=0

In recent years, the practice of 'mindfulness' has become ubiquitous. Mindfulness has outgrown its traditional Buddhist roots and now permeates modern wellness and optimization culture, finding its way into corporate boardrooms, therapist's toolkits, and an ever-increasing number of calmness apps. Yet modern iterations of mindfulness practice often live removed from their original context.  The forest ecology from which mindfulness grew was animate and alive, and what we call mindfulness practices formed only a part of a rich tapestry that included rituals of ancestor worship, enacted connection to ecology, spirit mediumship, healing, and esoteric somatic practices. Modern adoptions of mindfulness tend to view the solitary meditative aspects of practice to be the 'essential' part, whereas the ritual and animist elements are seen as expendable. The reasons for this are deeply tied in with colonial history, and with the western legacy of body-mind divide. For it turns out that the animate, ritual context is profoundly important for shaping and architecting relational minds, and post-modern minds — free of context, already fractured from relational connectivity, left to simply 'sit with what is' or left to focus on individual optimization at the expense of relationality — may not benefit or be able to assimilate the power of such practices. Extracted from context, freed from ethics and the heart connection to other beings, mindfulness can exacerbate isolated individualism. In an age of fracture, is being mindful of an already fractured mind enough? Or is a more robust vision necessary? As science increasingly comes to recognize the importance of the context that traditional cultures have understood for thousands of years, we come to understand that minds need a contextual body. Mind needs fire and water, breath and movement, it needs story and song... it needs to establish a living relationship with those that came before and those yet to come, to offer in devotion and to repeatedly enact its place in the larger cosmos. Such realizations return us to the sacredness of... form.  We find that all of the supposedly 'non-essential', ritual, form-based aspects of tradition actually architect a mind that has true fullness to it, and perhaps we can't find true fullness of mind without ritually placing the mind in living context.  Support the show

Here is an Autumn Equinox Meditation to help set you up for the shift from the long days to the long nights. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, there's a Spring Equinox Meditation here.

Practices of guardianship — invoking guardian deities, enlisting spirit help, clearing spaces of questionable energies, and establishing boundaries around ritual, communal, and personal space — are common to animate traditions across the world. In many traditions, guardianship is absolutely central as we navigate a world of forces, not all of which are traditionally seen as beneficial. So traditional practitioners — even as they commune with the natural world — also draw clear boundaries, send wayward spirits fleeing, and even do battle with malefic energies. Such practices challenge modern western minds and are often dismissed as 'superstitious' or as the least important part of any traditional practice. They rub up against modern visions of a cosmos or a natural world that is 'all good', as they suggest the existence of things like malefic forces that are incompatible with a modern rationalist vision. So modern spiritualities forgo traditional understandings of guardianship and promote a vision of 'openness' within a universe that is 'all good.'  Yet many traditions focus a lot of attention on closing, sealing, and directly establishing boundary. Even in non-dual traditions that see a cosmos ultimately beyond yes and no and good and evil, practitioners spend years establishing boundary, cultivating discernment, and invoking guardian entities. With the rise of modern freeform spiritual experimentation, people are invoking and inviting spiritual forces and navigating heightened states of consciousness often without any attention to guardianship. In such a time, when mental states are fragile and traditional safeguards are no longer in place,  it can be important to understand what guarded space looks like personally and ritually. Guardianship practice needn't be complicated. It starts very simply, with offering and gratitude, and with how we navigate our own thoughts and feelings. Featuring conversations with Tantric scholars Dr. Ben Joffe, Dr. Hareesh Wallis, and Dr. Sthaneshwar Timalsina, author and Ayurvedic Doctor Robert Svoboda, sculptor Rose B. Simpson and activist Nadia Irshaid Gilbert, this episode dives deep into how traditional systems have viewed guardianship practice and its necessity in an age of spiritual free-for-all and excessive exposure to internet imagery. Listen on a good sound system at a time when you can devote your full attention.Support the Show.