Podcasts about Dionysus

Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! ⁠⁠ Dionysus was a god of revolutions. He featured prominently in two out of three major Roman slave rebellions. Why is that? And why was that aspect of Dionysus forgotten? In this episode, we'll focus on what happened after Dionysus won his place as a god on Mount Olympus--how people worshiped him on earth, and what made him so dangerous to the Roman status quo. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a brief encounter with a Republic deserter, the crew heads to Dionysus to steal an arms shipment bound for the Navy.  featuring: Rodney- The Referee Steve- Vonlan Quis, a relic of a more civilized age.  Bryan- Fastol Hullbreaker, a burned secret agent Matt- Graccus Sirperch, a former pirate and all around lout Jay- The Hound, a bounty hunter regarded as the second best shot in the subsector.   Music: Action and Adventure by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

If you think the worst thing that can happen while skiing is trying not to scream while the ski patrol figures out why your leg's bending that way, we have a lot to teach you about skiing. Spoiler: mountains can cook and kill people. Don't say this podcast doesn't teach you things. On today's episode:  you will learn why Frankenstein was more graceful on stolen corpse feet than you are in snowboots; you'll learn why diagonal tunnels basically act as nature's secret logistical flamethrowers; and we'll see how a $40 appliance permanently derailed a $30-million-a-year alpine operation and changed European history.And if you were listening on Patreon… you would hear about the industrial accident that unearthed the entire history of humanity in Western Europe; you would hear about all the terrible things that happened to the last King of England to die in battle before and after he actually died (spoiler: most of the injuries were after); and if you don't know the story, we'll tell you how Dionysus gave Damocles PTSD.This is one of those bad day at work/bad holiday episodes where everything that could have helped along the way was too expensive, and the one thing that was supposed to help someone was so cheap, it killed almost everybody. We're going to learn a lot about just how weird and active fire can be. Most people picture fire like this: Flames burn, heat rises, you step back. That's fine, if it's burning in a free and open space. You have no chance of being suffocated by it, and it's easy to play keep away with. In an open-air fire, heat rises and disperses, oxygen flows in from every which way, and the smoke just carries away on the breeze. In today's fire, not so much. We will be facing less of a camp fire and more of a blow torch. This episode also marks our return to the European Alps, where we will discover an entirely different way of being afraid of mountains, so that's fun! And as long as we're learning to be afraid of new things, we're also going to look at how everything around us, from the things we sit on to the clothes we wear, all break down into vaporized toxins that will absolutely make for not so good think before shutting you off for good. This is also an episode that extends our philosophy that any “vehicle” could double as a coffin, and funicular is a vehicle we've never explored before.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.

Greek Gods | Paranormal Podcast In this Greek gods episode timed with the Winter Olympics, we explore the fascinating world of Greek mythology starting with the origin story of the three most powerful gods—Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—who were born to the Titan Cronus and his wife Rhea during the Golden Age, though Cronus attempted to eat all his children after a prophecy warned he'd be overthrown by his sons, leading Zeus to eventually free his brothers and defeat their father. We discuss the 12 great Olympians including Zeus (the serial cheater who ruled the sky), Hera (his perpetually angry sister-wife and goddess of marriage), Athena (the brilliant goddess of wisdom who burst fully formed from Zeus's head), Dionysus (the fun-loving god of wine and theater who was gestated in Zeus's thigh after his mother exploded), and several compelling minor gods like Hecate (goddess of magic and crossroads) and Pan (the half-goat satyr god of wilderness). We share captivating myths including Hades kidnapping Persephone with pomegranate seeds that created the seasons, Prometheus stealing fire for humanity and suffering eternal punishment, and the tragic tale of Arachne, who challenged Athena to a weaving contest with devastating consequences.

Today we're back talking about the infamous mystery cult for Persephone and Demeter - the Eleusinian Mysteries! Who can join this mystery cult, why were the ancient peoples celebrating and what are our thoughts on the discussion of reconstruction of mystery cults?Chapters:(0:00) Introduction(2:10) The Eleusinian Mysteries(23:50) Reconstructing Mystery Cults (Modern Practice)(30:00) Connecting to Eleusis in the Modern Day(51:39) Dionysus, Antonius, and Rome

What happens when personal destiny meets the wider world of friends, teams, and the public square? We dive into the Eleventh House as the arena where your hard‑won calling turns into collective contribution, guided by Aquarius's twin rulers—Saturn, who sets the frame, and Uranus, who refreshes it. Along the way, we unpack how projection travels from siblings to partners to society, why the traits you disown often show up as “the group,” and how to retrieve that gold without losing yourself.We lean on myth and psychology to make it practical. Jupiter, in joy here, models leadership that holds tension without collapsing into control or chaos. Athena shows how to carry real achievement into service with clarity. Hermes, the psychopomp, translates Twelfth‑House visions into language the public can actually use. And the dance of Apollo and Dionysus reveals why cultures need both order and creative disruption to stay alive. From festivals that loosen roles to structures that protect dissent, the message is simple: give the trickster a seat and the rules a spine.You'll also hear how Hercules and the Argonauts illustrate an Eleventh‑House upgrade to leadership—when the central hero steps aside, the system wakes up and many gifts emerge. We explore participation mystique in both its light and shadow: the ecstasy of healthy belonging versus the danger of melting into the mass. Expect grounded cues for spotting the difference and for building teams that are resilient, creative, and humane. If you're ready to turn personal genius into public good—without burning out or blending in—this conversation will meet you where you are and stretch you where you're going.If this sparked something, subscribe, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who leads or longs to belong. Your support helps more thoughtful listeners find the show.* the above was autogenerated by Buzzsprout's AI.The podcast art is oil painted on canvas by Leonid Ilyukhin - Apollo and Dionysus.I mentioned a book by Arnold Mindell called Sitting in the Fire (but I mistakenly called it Standing in the Fire. Also an option but not the correct name of the book). This book is well worth looking into if you'd like to find out more about how Process Oriented Psychotherapy works with groups. Truly visionary stuff for our times. Join the Newsletter! Podcast Musician: Marlia CoeurPlease consider becoming a Patron to support the show!Go to OnTheSoulsTerms.com for more.

You are cordially invited to a gathering of the Olympians.In the next chapter of Psychopompos - a new mythology, Zeus has invited the family over for a party no one will ever forget.Content Warning: Explicit Language, Violence.For more information about the story and podcast, a full transcript of this episode, or if you like what you heard and want to donate to this project, visit our site:www.psychopomp-cast.com.Cast:-Brandon Boler as Zeus-Anya Clingman as Calliope-Elizabeth Ellis as Hera & Chorus-Dave Fink as Hephaestus & Chorus-Tate A. Geborkoff as Ares, Thanatos & Chorus-Miguel Long as Ganymede & Chorus-Valerie Lyvers as Athena, Dionysus, Triplicate Voice & Chorus-RjW Mays as Demeter & Chorus-Shayne Patrick as Poseidon & Chorus-Adam Qutaishat as Hermes & Chorus-Julian “joolz” Stroop as Aphrodite, Nyx & Chorus-Ryan Tang as Apollo & Chorus-Marie Tredway as Artemis & Chorus-Theo Zucker as ErisCrew:-Tate A. Geborkoff - Author, Producer-Rachel Staelens - Director, Producer-Brandon Boler - Producer-Joe Palermo - Director of Sound-Roy Freeman - Musical Director & Composer

The team journeys to the anarchist world of Calypso where they encounter an old friend of Hound, Gert Ehrnie, a successful arms dealer. Gert informs the crew that their contact on Bamberg is a fraud but likes the idea of stocking some heavier weapons. She asks the crew to obtain the weapons from a supply train on the deeply loyalist world of Dionysus.  featuring: Rodney- The Referee Steve- Vonlan Quis, a relic of a more civilized age.  Bryan- Fastol Hullbreaker, a burned secret agent Matt- Graccus Sirperch, a former pirate and all around lout Jay- The Hound, a bounty hunter regarded as the second best shot in the subsector.   Music: Action and Adventure by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Bridget, Caitlin, and Hilda discuss "Tender Cruelty," book 9 in Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series. Longtime listeners know Hilda's feelings on this series, but what do Bridget and Caitlin think? Did this book live up to what they were hoping for? Well, listen now and find out.  Join our Patreon for exclusive behind-the-scenes content and let's be friends!Instagram > @Booktokmademe_podTikTok > @BooktokMadeMe

Michael Meade rejoins the podcast to discuss all things 11th house; the house of collective consciousness, groups, teams and the Polis: society at large. The 11th is where the great mystery occurs in the interaction between the individual cell and the whole organism. Michael's words act as a steadying force in unsettling times. He brings us back to a sense of cohesion and collaboration, reminding us of our internal spark of life that he calls the Genius. In his vision, that he draws from ancient wells, he sees a world of individuals waking up to the truth within their souls and participating in the creation of a new world as the current paradigms collapse. The more this happens the more gold within the cracks of the world are revealed.In these times of upheaval and uncertainty, Michael gives us a soothing balm whilst encouraging us to step forward and participate in the great theatre of life. Within this episodes theatre we meet the following characters:PhaëthonThe figure who takes power without inner maturity; the danger of inflated authority disconnected from soul.ChristThe one nailed to the crossroads of collective tension; sacrifice, revelation, and the danger of myth hardening into dogma.DionysusThe twice-born god; Eros, ecstasy, dismemberment, and the return of soul energy that culture tries to repress.Tiresias — the blind seer; inner sight over literal vision; prophetic knowing that comes through loss, transition, and a life lived between worlds.HermesThe trickster and messenger; boundary-crosser, mediator between worlds, carrier of transition.VishnuThe cosmic dreamer; the world inhaled and exhaled through cycles of dissolution and renewal.The TricksterDisruptor of rigid systems; brings medicine through paradox, humour, and mischief.The GeniusThe indwelling spirit unique to each person; purpose as something listened to rather than achieved.The OutsiderThe one on the margins; carrier of renewal and new imagination when the centre collapses.The BodhisattvaThe figure who returns to the broken world rather than escaping it; compassion in times of collapse.Visit Michael Meade's website here where you can find links to his podcast, books and offerings.Cover Art: The Fall of the Rebel Angels - an oil-on-panel painting created in 1562 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.Join the Newsletter! Podcast Musician: Marlia CoeurPlease consider becoming a Patron to support the show!Go to OnTheSoulsTerms.com for more.

(00:00:00) Opening (00:00:48) Midweek BONUS Stupidity (00:57:04) Insane Week In Review (01:11:03) Genius Awards (01:21:34) Closing You don't mess with a man's gravy and a KFC worker found that out the hard way. Archaeologists in Sicily found some "hard" evidence on a ancient stylus carved from a bone that sported a very "excited" Dionysus. A Florida woman chose to attack another woman with a plate of collard greens, which would seem to do more damage if they were consumed instead of thrown. Enough stupidity to get you through the week?In this "Midweek BONUS Episode"...A Vegas KFC Customer Felt "Disrespected" Over Gravy—Stabs WorkerFrustrated Airline Passenger Hijacks Airline's Intercom At O'Hare Intn'lThe Enviro-Nuts Are Going After Your Dog's Dinners—Which 'Can Have Greater Climate Impact Than owners'Bath and Body Works Nixed Its New "Pizza and Ranch" Candle Because It Was Making People GagGang of Monkeys and a Goat on the Loose Near a St. Louis, MO ParkVirginia Woman Claims She Snorts All of Her FoodLittle Tyke Tussle! Brawl Breaks Out During KIDS Hockey Game In PAMan Accused of Firing Gun Outside School Cusses Out Judge, Puts Fingers in EarsFL Woman Is Arrested For Attacking Victim With Collared GreensNevada Man Allegedly Tries to Run over Police with BulldozerMen's Makeup Is Going Mainstream...Thanks to Gen Z & Social MediaWorst Invention Ever? Scroll Through TikTok by Honking Your HornFL Woman Stole Co-Worker's Stanley Cup Because She Thought It Would Be Good To Store Her Breast Milk InCoach Passengers Refused to Leave 1st Class on Flight, Police Removed Them in CuffsWoman Accused of Sending Her Ex's Pics to His Mom Rolls Her Eyes in MugshotIs the Secret to Finding the Best Orange Examining Its "Booty Hole"Customer At A Connecticut Restaurant Attacked with Bear SprayWoman Learns She's ‘Allergic' To Her Husband After Years Of Trying to Get PregnantA Drunk Driver Was Breathalized At 21 Times the Legal LimitArchaeologists Discover an Ancient Stylus With an Erection–Yes–That KindCatch up on all the stupidity from the current events of the week with the Insane Week In Review and meet the next 7 "winners" from this week's Genius Awards!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/insane-erik-lane-s-stupid-world--6486112/support.Real-time updates and story links are found on the TELEGRAM Channel at: https://t.me/InsaneErikLane  (Theme song courtesy of Randy Stonehill, ”It's A Great Big Stupid World”. Copyright ©1992 Stonehillian Music/Word Music/Twitchin' Vibes Music/ASCAP) Order your copy on the Wonderama CD from Amazon!This episode includes AI-generated content.

What if the most transformative thing you can do for your writing craft and author business is to face what you fear? How can you can find gold in your Shadow in the year ahead? In this episode, I share chapters from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words. In the intro, curated book boxes from Bridgerton's Julia Quinn; Google's agentic shopping, and powering Apple's Siri; ChatGPT Ads; and Claude CoWork. Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty [MoonShots with Tony Robbins]; and three trends for authors with me and Orna Ross [Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast]; plus, Bones of the Deep, Business for Authors, and Indie Author Lab. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. What is the Shadow? The ‘creative wound' and the Shadow in writing The Shadow in traditional publishing The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author The Shadow in work The Shadow in money You can find Writing the Shadow in all formats on all stores, as well as special edition, workbook and bundles at www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words The following chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn. Introduction. What is the Shadow? “How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole.” —C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul We all have a Shadow side and it is the work of a lifetime to recognise what lies within and spin that base material into gold. Think of it as a seedling in a little pot that you're given when you're young. It's a bit misshapen and weird, not something you would display in your living room, so you place it in a dark corner of the basement. You don't look at it for years. You almost forget about it. Then one day you notice tendrils of something wild poking up through the floorboards. They're ugly and don't fit with your Scandi-minimalist interior design. You chop the tendrils away and pour weedkiller on what's left, trying to hide the fact that they were ever there. But the creeping stems keep coming. At some point, you know you have to go down there and face the wild thing your seedling has become. When you eventually pluck up enough courage to go down into the basement, you discover that the plant has wound its roots deep into the foundations of your home. Its vines weave in and out of the cracks in the walls, and it has beautiful flowers and strange fruit. It holds your world together. Perhaps you don't need to destroy the wild tendrils. Perhaps you can let them wind up into the light and allow their rich beauty to weave through your home. It will change the look you have so carefully cultivated, but maybe that's just what the place needs. The Shadow in psychology Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychologist and the founder of analytical psychology. He described the Shadow as an unconscious aspect of the human personality, those parts of us that don't match up to what is expected of us by family and society, or to our own ideals. The Shadow is not necessarily evil or illegal or immoral, although of course it can be. It's also not necessarily caused by trauma, abuse, or any other severely damaging event, although again, it can be. It depends on the individual. What is in your Shadow is based on your life and your experiences, as well as your culture and society, so it will be different for everyone. Psychologist Connie Zweig, in The Inner Work of Age, explains, “The Shadow is that part of us that lies beneath or behind the light of awareness. It contains our rejected, unacceptable traits and feelings. It contains our hidden gifts and talents that have remained unexpressed or unlived. As Jung put it, the essence of the Shadow is pure gold.” To further illustrate the concept, Robert Bly, in A Little Book on the Human Shadow,uses the following metaphor: “When we are young, we carry behind us an invisible bag, into which we stuff any feelings, thoughts, or behaviours that bring disapproval or loss of love—anger, tears, neediness, laziness. By the time we go to school, our bags are already a mile long. In high school, our peer groups pressure us to stuff the bags with even more—individuality, sexuality, spontaneity, different opinions. We spend our life until we're twenty deciding which parts of ourselves to put into the bag and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get them out again.” As authors, we can use what's in the ‘bag' to enrich our writing — but only if we can access it. My intention with this book is to help you venture into your Shadow and bring some of what's hidden into the light and into your words. I'll reveal aspects of my Shadow in these pages but ultimately, this book is about you. Your Shadow is unique. There may be elements we share, but much will be different. Each chapter has questions for you to consider that may help you explore at least the edges of your Shadow, but it's not easy. As Jung said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” But take heart, Creative. You don't need courage when things are easy. You need it when you know what you face will be difficult, but you do it anyway. We are authors. We know how to do hard things. We turn ideas into books. We manifest thoughts into ink on paper. We change lives with our writing. First, our own, then other people's. It's worth the effort to delve into Shadow, so I hope you will join me on the journey. The creative wound and the Shadow in writing “Whatever pain you can't get rid of, make it your creative offering.” —Susan Cain, Bittersweet  The more we long for something, the more extreme our desire, the more likely it is to have a Shadow side. For those of us who love books, the author life may well be a long-held dream and thus, it is filled with Shadow. Books have long been objects of desire, power, and authority. They hold a mythic status in our lives. We escaped into stories as children; we studied books at school and college; we read them now for escape and entertainment, education and inspiration. We collect beautiful books to put on our shelves. We go to them for solace and answers to the deepest questions of life. Writers are similarly held in high esteem. They shape culture, win literary prizes, give important speeches, and are quoted in the mainstream media. Their books are on the shelves in libraries and bookstores. Writers are revered, held up as rare, talented creatures made separate from us by their brilliance and insight. For bibliophile children, books were everything and to write one was a cherished dream. To become an author? Well, that would mean we might be someone special, someone worthy. Perhaps when you were young, you thought the dream of being a writer was possible — then you told someone about it. That's probably when you heard the first criticism of such a ridiculous idea, the first laughter, the first dismissal. So you abandoned the dream, pushed the idea of being a writer into the Shadow, and got on with your life. Or if it wasn't then, it came later, when you actually put pen to paper and someone — a parent, teacher, partner, or friend, perhaps even a literary agent or publisher, someone whose opinion you valued — told you it was worthless. Here are some things you might have heard: Writing is a hobby. Get a real job. You're not good enough. You don't have any writing talent. You don't have enough education. You don't know what you're doing. Your writing is derivative / unoriginal / boring / useless / doesn't make sense. The genre you write in is dead / worthless / unacceptable / morally wrong / frivolous / useless.  Who do you think you are? No one would want to read what you write. You can't even use proper grammar, so how could you write a whole book? You're wasting your time. You'll never make it as a writer. You shouldn't write those things (or even think about those things). Why don't you write something nice? Insert other derogatory comment here! Mark Pierce describes the effect of this experience in his book The Creative Wound, which “occurs when an event, or someone's actions or words, pierce you, causing a kind of rift in your soul. A comment—even offhand and unintentional—is enough to cause one.” He goes on to say that such words can inflict “damage to the core of who we are as creators. It is an attack on our artistic identity, resulting in us believing that whatever we make is somehow tainted or invalid, because shame has convinced us there is something intrinsically tainted or invalid about ourselves.” As adults, we might brush off such wounds, belittling them as unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We might even find ourselves saying the same words to other people. After all, it's easier to criticise than to create. But if you picture your younger self, bright eyed as you lose yourself in your favourite book, perhaps you might catch a glimpse of what you longed for before your dreams were dashed on the rocks of other people's reality. As Mark Pierce goes on to say, “A Creative Wound has the power to delay our pursuits—sometimes for years—and it can even derail our lives completely… Anything that makes us feel ashamed of ourselves or our work can render us incapable of the self-expression we yearn for.” This is certainly what happened to me, and it took decades to unwind. Your creative wounds will differ to mine but perhaps my experience will help you explore your own. To be clear, your Shadow may not reside in elements of horror as mine do, but hopefully you can use my example to consider where your creative wounds might lie. “You shouldn't write things like that.” It happened at secondary school around 1986 or 1987, so I would have been around eleven or twelve years old. English was one of my favourite subjects and the room we had our lessons in looked out onto a vibrant garden. I loved going to that class because it was all about books, and they were always my favourite things. One day, we were asked to write a story. I can't remember the specifics of what the teacher asked us to write, but I fictionalised a recurring nightmare. I stood in a dark room. On one side, my mum and my brother, Rod, were tied up next to a cauldron of boiling oil, ready to be thrown in. On the other side, my dad and my little sister, Lucy, were threatened with decapitation by men with machetes. I had to choose who would die. I always woke up, my heart pounding, before I had to choose. Looking back now, it clearly represented an internal conflict about having to pick sides between the two halves of my family. Not an unexpected issue from a child of divorce. Perhaps these days, I might have been sent to the school counsellor, but it was the eighties and I don't think we even had such a thing. Even so, the meaning of the story isn't the point. It was the reaction to it that left scars. “You shouldn't write things like that,” my teacher said, and I still remember her look of disappointment, even disgust. Certainly judgment. She said my writing was too dark. It wasn't a proper story. It wasn't appropriate for the class. As if horrible things never happened in stories — or in life. As if literature could not include dark tales. As if the only acceptable writing was the kind she approved of. We were taught The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie that year, which says a lot about the type of writing considered appropriate. Or perhaps the issue stemmed from the school motto, “So hateth she derknesse,” from Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women: “For fear of night, so she hates the darkness.” I had won a scholarship to a private girls' school, and their mission was to turn us all into proper young ladies. Horror was never on the curriculum. Perhaps if my teacher had encouraged me to write my darkness back then, my nightmares would have dissolved on the page. Perhaps if we had studied Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H.P. Lovecraft stories, or Bram Stoker's Dracula, I could have embraced the darker side of literature earlier in my life. My need to push darker thoughts into my Shadow was compounded by my (wonderful) mum's best intentions. We were brought up on the principles of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and she tried to shield me and my brother from anything harmful or horrible. We weren't allowed to watch TV much, and even the British school drama Grange Hill was deemed inappropriate. So much of what I've achieved is because my mum instilled in me a “can do” attitude that anything is possible. I'm so grateful to her for that. (I love you, Mum!) But all that happy positivity, my desire to please her, to be a good girl, to make my teachers proud, and to be acceptable to society, meant that I pushed my darker thoughts into Shadow. They were inappropriate. They were taboo. They must be repressed, kept secret, and I must be outwardly happy and positive at all times. You cannot hold back the darkness “The night is dark and full of terrors.” —George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords It turned out that horror was on the curriculum, much of it in the form of educational films we watched during lessons. In English Literature, we watched Romeo drink poison and Juliet stab herself in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. In Religious Studies, we watched Jesus beaten, tortured, and crucified in The Greatest Story Ever Told, and learned of the variety of gruesome ways that Christian saints were martyred. In Classical Civilisation, we watched gladiators slaughter each other in Spartacus. In Sex Education at the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid-'80s, we were told of the many ways we could get infected and die. In History, we studied the Holocaust with images of skeletal bodies thrown into mass graves, medical experiments on humans, and grainy videos of marching soldiers giving the Nazi salute. One of my first overseas school field trips was to the World War I battlegrounds of Flanders Fields in Belgium, where we studied the inhuman conditions of the trenches, walked through mass graves, and read war poetry by candlelight. As John McCrae wrote: We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Did the teachers not realise how deeply a sensitive teenager might feel the darkness of that place? Or have I always been unusual in that places of blood echo deep inside me? And the horrors kept coming. We lived in Bristol, England back then and I learned at school how the city had been part of the slave trade, its wealth built on the backs of people stolen from their homes, sold, and worked to death in the colonies. I had been at school for a year in Malawi, Africa and imagined the Black people I knew drowning, being beaten, and dying on those ships. In my teenage years, the news was filled with ethnic cleansing, mass rape, and massacres during the Balkan wars, and images of bodies hacked apart during the Rwandan genocide. Evil committed by humans against other humans was not a historical aberration. I'm lucky and I certainly acknowledge my privilege. Nothing terrible or horrifying has happened to me — but bad things certainly happen to others. I wasn't bullied or abused. I wasn't raped or beaten or tortured. But you don't have to go through things to be afraid of them, and for your imagination to conjure the possibility of them. My mum doesn't read my fiction now as it gives her nightmares (Sorry, Mum!). I know she worries that somehow she's responsible for my darkness, but I've had a safe and (mostly) happy life, for which I'm truly grateful. But the world is not an entirely safe and happy place, and for a sensitive child with a vivid imagination, the world is dark and scary. It can be brutal and violent, and bad things happen, even to good people. No parent can shield their child from the reality of the world. They can only help them do their best to live in it, develop resilience, and find ways to deal with whatever comes. Story has always been a way that humans have used to learn how to live and deal with difficult times. The best authors, the ones that readers adore and can't get enough of, write their darkness into story to channel their experience, and help others who fear the same. In an interview on writing the Shadow on The Creative Penn Podcast, Michaelbrent Collings shared how he incorporated a personally devastating experience into his writing:  “My wife and I lost a child years back, and that became the root of one of my most terrifying books, Apparition. It's not terrifying because it's the greatest book of all time, but just the concept that there's this thing out there… like a demon, and it consumes the blood and fear of the children, and then it withdraws and consumes the madness of the parents… I wrote that in large measure as a way of working through what I was experiencing.” I've learned much from Michaelbrent. I've read many of his (excellent) books and he's been on my podcast multiple times talking about his depression and mental health issues, as well as difficulties in his author career. Writing darkness is not in Michaelbrent's Shadow and only he can say what lies there for him. But from his example, and from that of other authors, I too learned how to write my Shadow into my books. Twenty-three years after that English lesson, in November 2009, I did NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and wrote five thousand words of what eventually became Stone of Fire, my first novel. In the initial chapter, I burned a nun alive on the ghats of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. I had watched the bodies burn by night on pyres from a boat bobbing in the current a few years before, and the image was still crystal clear in my mind. The only way to deal with how it made me feel about death was to write about it — and since then, I've never stopped writing. Returning to the nightmare from my school days, I've never had to choose between the two halves of my family, but the threat of losing them remains a theme in my fiction. In my ARKANE thriller series, Morgan Sierra will do anything to save her sister and her niece. Their safety drives her to continue to fight against evil. Our deepest fears emerge in our writing, and that's the safest place for them. I wish I'd been taught how to turn my nightmares into words back at school, but at least now I've learned to write my Shadow onto the page. I wish the same for you. The Shadow in traditional publishing If becoming an author is your dream, then publishing a book is deeply entwined with that. But as Mark Pierce says in The Creative Wound, “We feel pain the most where it matters the most… Desire highlights whatever we consider to be truly significant.” There is a lot of desire around publishing for those of us who love books! It can give you: Validation that your writing is good enough Status and credibility Acceptance by an industry held in esteem  The potential of financial reward and critical acclaim Support from a team of professionals who know how to make fantastic books A sense of belonging to an elite community Pride in achieving a long-held goal, resulting in a confidence boost and self-esteem Although not guaranteed, traditional publishing can give you all these things and more, but as with everything, there is a potential Shadow side. Denying it risks the potential of being disillusioned, disappointed, and even damaged. But remember, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. Preparation can help you avoid potential issues and help you feel less alone if you encounter them. The myth of success… and the reality of experience There is a pervasive myth of success in the traditional publishing industry, perpetuated by media reporting on brand name and breakout authors, those few outliers whose experience is almost impossible to replicate. Because of such examples, many new traditionally published authors think that their first book will hit the top of the bestseller charts or win an award, as well as make them a million dollars — or at least a big chunk of cash. They will be able to leave their job, write in a beautiful house overlooking the ocean, and swan around the world attending conferences, while writing more bestselling books. It will be a charmed life. But that is not the reality. Perhaps it never was. Even so, the life of a traditionally published author represents a mythic career with the truth hidden behind a veil of obscurity. In April 2023, The Bookseller in the UK reported that “more than half of authors (54%) responding to a survey on their experiences of publishing their debut book have said the process negatively affected their mental health. Though views were mixed, just 22%… described a positive experience overall… Among the majority who said they had a negative experience of debut publication, anxiety, stress, depression and ‘lowered' self-esteem were cited, with lack of support, guidance or clear and professional communication from their publisher among the factors that contributed.” Many authors who have negative experiences around publishing will push them into the Shadow with denial or self-blame, preferring to keep the dream alive. They won't talk about things in public as this may negatively affect their careers, but private discussions are often held in the corners of writing conferences or social media groups online. Some of the issues are as follows: Repeated rejection by agents and publishers may lead to the author thinking they are not good enough as a writer, which can lead to feeling unworthy as a person. If an author gets a deal, the amount of advance and the name and status of the publisher compared to others create a hierarchy that impacts self-esteem. A deal for a book may be much lower than an author might have been expecting, with low or no advance, and the resulting experience with the publisher beneath expectations. The launch process may be disappointing, and the book may appear without fanfare, with few sales and no bestseller chart position. In The Bookseller report, one author described her launch day as “a total wasteland… You have expectations about what publication day will be like, but in reality, nothing really happens.” The book may receive negative reviews by critics or readers or more publicly on social media, which can make an author feel attacked. The book might not sell as well as expected, and the author may feel like it's their fault. Commercial success can sometimes feel tied to self-worth and an author can't help but compare their sales to others, with resulting embarrassment or shame. The communication from the publisher may be less than expected. One author in The Bookseller report said, “I was shocked by the lack of clarity and shared information and the cynicism that underlies the superficial charm of this industry.” There is often more of a focus on debut authors in publishing houses, so those who have been writing and publishing in the midlist for years can feel ignored and undervalued. In The Bookseller report, 48 percent of authors reported “their publisher supported them for less than a year,” with one saying, “I got no support and felt like a commodity, like the team had moved on completely to the next book.” If an author is not successful enough, the next deal may be lower than the last, less effort is made with marketing, and they may be let go. In The Bookseller report, “six authors—debut and otherwise—cited being dropped by their publisher, some with no explanation.” Even if everything goes well and an author is considered successful by others, they may experience imposter syndrome, feeling like a fraud when speaking at conferences or doing book signings. And the list goes on … All these things can lead to feelings of shame, inadequacy, and embarrassment; loss of status in the eyes of peers; and a sense of failure if a publishing career is not successful enough. The author feels like it's their fault, like they weren't good enough — although, of course, the reality is that the conditions were not right at the time. A failure of a book is not a failure of the person, but it can certainly feel like it! When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Despite all the potential negatives of traditional publishing, if you know what could happen, you can mitigate them. You can prepare yourself for various scenarios and protect yourself from potential fall-out. It's clear from The Bookseller report that too many authors have unrealistic expectations of the industry. But publishers are businesses, not charities. It's not their job to make you feel good as an author. It's their job to sell books and pay you. The best thing they can do is to continue to be a viable business so they can keep putting books on the shelves and keep paying authors, staff, and company shareholders. When you license your creative work to a publisher, you're giving up control of your intellectual property in exchange for money and status. Bring your fears and issues out of the Shadow, acknowledge them, and deal with them early, so they do not get pushed down and re-emerge later in blame and bitterness. Educate yourself on the business of publishing. Be clear on what you want to achieve with any deal. Empower yourself as an author, take responsibility for your career, and you will have a much better experience. The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author Self-publishing, or being an independent (indie) author, can be a fantastic, pro-active choice for getting your book into the world. Holding your first book in your hand and saying “I made this” is pretty exciting, and even after more than forty books, I still get excited about seeing ideas in my head turn into a physical product in the world. Self-publishing can give an author: Creative control over what to write, editorial and cover design choices, when and how often to publish, and how to market Empowerment over your author career and the ability to make choices that impact success without asking for permission Ownership and control of intellectual property assets, resulting in increased opportunity around licensing and new markets Independence and the potential for recurring income for the long term Autonomy and flexibility around timelines, publishing options, and the ability to easily pivot into new genres and business models Validation based on positive reader reviews and money earned Personal growth and learning through the acquisition of new skills, resulting in a boost in confidence and self-esteem A sense of belonging to an active and vibrant community of indie authors around the world Being an indie author can give you all this and more, but once again, there is a Shadow side and preparation can help you navigate potential issues. The myth of success… and the reality of experience As with traditional publishing, the indie author world has perpetuated a myth of success in the example of the breakout indie author like E.L. James with Fifty Shades of Grey, Hugh Howey with Wool, or Andy Weir with The Martian. The emphasis on financial success is also fuelled online by authors who share screenshots showing six-figure months or seven-figure years, without sharing marketing costs and other outgoings, or the amount of time spent on the business. Yes, these can inspire some, but it can also make others feel inadequate and potentially lead to bad choices about how to publish and market based on comparison. The indie author world is full of just as much ego and a desire for status and money as traditional publishing. This is not a surprise! Most authors, regardless of publishing choices, are a mix of massive ego and chronic self-doubt. We are human, so the same issues will re-occur. A different publishing method doesn't cure all ills. Some of the issues are as follows: You learn everything you need to know about writing and editing, only to find that you need to learn a whole new set of skills in order to self-publish and market your book. This can take a lot of time and effort you did not expect, and things change all the time so you have to keep learning. Being in control of every aspect of the publishing process, from writing to cover design to marketing, can be overwhelming, leading to indecision, perfectionism, stress, and even burnout as you try to do all the things. You try to find people to help, but building your team is a challenge, and working with others has its own difficulties. People say negative things about self-publishing that may arouse feelings of embarrassment or shame. These might be little niggles, but they needle you, nonetheless. You wonder whether you made the right choice. You struggle with self-doubt and if you go to an event with traditional published authors, you compare yourself to them and feel like an imposter. Are you good enough to be an author if a traditional publisher hasn't chosen you? Is it just vanity to self-publish? Are your books unworthy? Even though you worked with a professional editor, you still get one-star reviews and you hate criticism from readers. You wonder whether you're wasting your time. You might be ripped off by an author services company who promise the world, only to leave you with a pile of printed books in your garage and no way to sell them. When you finally publish your book, it languishes at the bottom of the charts while other authors hit the top of the list over and over, raking in the cash while you are left out of pocket. You don't admit to over-spending on marketing as it makes you ashamed. You resist book marketing and make critical comments about writers who embrace it. You believe that quality rises to the top and if a book is good enough, people will buy it anyway. This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment when you launch your book and it doesn't sell many copies because nobody knows about it. You try to do what everyone advises, but you still can't make decent money as an author. You're jealous of other authors' success and put it down to them ‘selling out' or writing things you can't or ‘using AI' or ‘using a ghostwriter' or having a specific business model you consider impossible to replicate. And the list goes on… When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Being in control of your books and your author career is a double-edged sword. Traditionally published authors can criticise their publishers or agents or the marketing team or the bookstores or the media, but indie authors have to take responsibility for it all. Sure, we can blame ‘the algorithms' or social media platforms, or criticise other authors for having more experience or more money to invest in marketing, or attribute their success to writing in a more popular genre — but we also know there are always people who do well regardless of the challenges. Once more, we're back to acknowledging and integrating the Shadow side of our choices. We are flawed humans. There will always be good times and bad, and difficulties to offset the high points. This too shall pass, as the old saying goes. I know that being an indie author has plenty of Shadow. I've been doing this since 2008 and despite the hard times, I'm still here. I'm still writing. I'm still publishing. This life is not for everyone, but it's my choice. You must make yours. The Shadow in work You work hard. You make a living. Nothing wrong with that attitude, right? It's what we're taught from an early age and, like so much of life, it's not a problem until it goes to extremes. Not achieving what you want to? Work harder. Can't get ahead? Work harder. Not making a good enough living? Work harder. People who don't work hard are lazy. They don't deserve handouts or benefits. People who don't work hard aren't useful, so they are not valued members of our culture and community. But what about the old or the sick, the mentally ill, or those with disabilities? What about children? What about the unemployed? The under-employed? What about those who are — or will be — displaced by technology, those called “the useless class” by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book Homo Deus? What if we become one of these in the future? Who am I if I cannot work? The Shadow side of my attitude to work became clear when I caught COVID in the summer of 2021. I was the sickest I'd ever been. I spent two weeks in bed unable to even think properly, and six weeks after that, I was barely able to work more than an hour a day before lying in the dark and waiting for my energy to return. I was limited in what I could do for another six months after that. At times, I wondered if I would ever get better. Jonathan kept urging me to be patient and rest. But I don't know how to rest. I know how to work and how to sleep. I can do ‘active rest,' which usually involves walking a long way or traveling somewhere interesting, but those require a stronger mind and body than I had during those months. It struck me that even if I recovered from the virus, I had glimpsed my future self. One day, I will be weak in body and mind. If I'm lucky, that will be many years away and hopefully for a short time before I die — but it will happen. I am an animal. I will die. My body and mind will pass on and I will be no more. Before then I will be weak. Before then, I will be useless. Before then, I will be a burden. I will not be able to work… But who am I if I cannot work? What is the point of me? I can't answer these questions right now, because although I recognise them as part of my Shadow, I've not progressed far enough to have dealt with them entirely. My months of COVID gave me some much-needed empathy for those who cannot work, even if they want to. We need to reframe what work is as a society, and value humans for different things, especially as technology changes what work even means. That starts with each of us. “Illness, affliction of body and soul, can be life-altering. It has the potential to reveal the most fundamental conflict of the human condition: the tension between our infinite, glorious dreams and desires and our limited, vulnerable, decaying physicality.” —Connie Zweig, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul The Shadow in money In the Greek myth, King Midas was a wealthy ruler who loved gold above all else. His palace was adorned with golden sculptures and furniture, and he took immense pleasure in his riches. Yet, despite his vast wealth, he yearned for more. After doing a favour for Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, Midas was granted a single wish. Intoxicated by greed, he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold — and it was so. At first, it was a lot of fun. Midas turned everything else in his palace to gold, even the trees and stones of his estate. After a morning of turning things to gold, he fancied a spot of lunch. But when he tried to eat, the food and drink turned to gold in his mouth. He became thirsty and hungry — and increasingly desperate. As he sat in despair on his golden throne, his beloved young daughter ran to comfort him. For a moment, he forgot his wish — and as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, she turned into a golden statue, frozen in precious metal. King Midas cried out to the gods to forgive him, to reverse the wish. He renounced his greed and gave away all his wealth, and his daughter was returned to life. The moral of the story: Wealth and greed are bad. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is described as a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner.” He's wealthy but does not share, considering Christmas spending to be frivolous and giving to charity to be worthless. He's saved by a confrontation with his lonely future and becomes a generous man and benefactor of the poor. Wealth is good if you share it with others. The gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: 14-30, tells the parable of the bags of gold, in which a rich man goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with varying amounts of gold. On his return, the servants who multiplied the gold through their efforts and investments are rewarded, while the one who merely returned the gold with no interest is punished: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Making money is good, making more money is even better. If you can't make any money, you don't deserve to have any. Within the same gospel, in Matthew 19:24, Jesus encounters a wealthy man and tells him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, which the man is unable to do. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Wealth is bad. Give it all away and you'll go to heaven. With all these contradictory messages, no wonder we're so conflicted about money! How do you think and feel about money? While money is mostly tied to our work, it's far more than just a transactional object for most people. It's loaded with complex symbolism and judgment handed down by family, religion, and culture. You are likely to find elements of Shadow by examining your attitudes around money. Consider which of the following statements resonate with you or write your own. Money stresses me out. I don't want to talk about it or think about it. Some people hoard money, so there is inequality. Rich people are bad and we should take away their wealth and give it to the poor.  I can never make enough money to pay the bills, or to give my family what I want to provide. Money doesn't grow on trees.  It's wasteful to spend money as you might need it later, so I'm frugal and don't spend money unless absolutely necessary. It is better and more ethical to be poor than to be rich. I want more money. I read books and watch TV shows about rich people because I want to live like that. Sometimes I spend too much on things for a glimpse of what that might be like.  I buy lottery tickets and dream of winning all that money.  I'm jealous of people who have money. I want more of it and I resent those who have it. I'm no good with money. I don't like to look at my bank statement or credit card statement. I live off my overdraft and I'm in debt. I will never earn enough to get out of debt and start saving, so I don't think too much about it. I don't know enough about money. Talking about it makes me feel stupid, so I just ignore it. People like me aren't educated about money.  I need to make more money. If I can make lots of money, then people will look up to me. If I make lots of money, I will be secure, nothing can touch me, I will be safe.  I never want to be poor. I would be ashamed to be poor. I will never go on benefits. My net worth is my self worth. Money is good. We have the best standard of living in history because of the increase in wealth over time. Even the richest kings of the past didn't have what many middle-class people have today in terms of access to food, water, technology, healthcare, education, and more. The richest people give the most money to the poor through taxation and charity, as well as through building companies that employ people and invent new things. The very richest give away much of their fortunes. They provide far more benefit to the world than the poor.  I love money. Money loves me. Money comes easily and quickly to me. I attract money in multiple streams of income. It flows to me in so many ways. I spend money. I invest money. I give money. I'm happy and grateful for all that I receive. The Shadow around money for authors in particular Many writers and other creatives have issues around money and wealth. How often have you heard the following, and which do you agree with? You can't make money with your writing. You'll be a poor author in a garret, a starving artist.  You can't write ‘good quality' books and make money. If you make money writing, you're a hack, you're selling out. You are less worthy than someone who writes only for the Muse. Your books are commercial, not artistic. If you spend money on marketing, then your books are clearly not good enough to sell on their own. My agent / publisher / accountant / partner deals with the money side. I like to focus on the creative side of things. My money story Note: This is not financial or investment advice. Please talk to a professional about your situation. I've had money issues over the years — haven't we all! But I have been through a (long) process to bring money out of my Shadow and into the light. There will always be more to discover, but hopefully my money story will help you, or at least give you an opportunity to reflect. Like most people, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. My parents started out as teachers, but later my mum — who I lived with, along with my brother — became a change management consultant, moving to the USA and earning a lot more. I'm grateful that she moved into business because her example changed the way I saw money and provided some valuable lessons. (1) You can change your circumstances by learning more and then applying that to leverage opportunity into a new job or career Mum taught English at a school in Bristol when we moved back from Malawi, Africa, in the mid '80s but I remember how stressful it was for her, and how little money she made. She wanted a better future for us all, so she took a year out to do a master's degree in management. In the same way, when I wanted to change careers and leave consulting to become an author, I spent time and money learning about the writing craft and the business of publishing. I still invest a considerable chunk on continuous learning, as this industry changes all the time. (2) You might have to downsize in order to leap forward The year my mum did her degree, we lived in the attic of another family's house; we ate a lot of one-pot casserole and our treat was having a Yorkie bar on the walk back from the museum. We wore hand-me-down clothes, and I remember one day at school when another girl said I was wearing her dress. I denied it, of course, but there in back of the dress was her name tag. I still remember her name and I can still feel that flush of shame and embarrassment. I was determined to never feel like that again. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I was also learning the power of downsizing. Mum got her degree and then a new job in management in Bristol. She bought a house, and we settled for a few years. I had lots of different jobs as a teenager. My favourite was working in the delicatessen because we got a free lunch made from delicious produce. After I finished A-levels, I went to the University of Oxford, and my mum and brother moved to the USA for further opportunities. I've downsized multiple times over the years, taking a step back in order to take a step forward. The biggest was in 2010 when I decided to leave consulting. Jonathan and I sold our three-bedroom house and investments in Brisbane, Australia, and rented a one-bedroom flat in London, so we could be debt-free and live on less while I built up a new career. It was a decade before we bought another house. (3) Comparison can be deadly: there will always be people with more money than you Oxford was an education in many ways and relevant to this chapter is how much I didn't know about things people with money took for granted. I learned about formal hall and wine pairings, and how to make a perfect gin and tonic. I ate smoked salmon for the first time. I learned how to fit in with people who had a lot more money than I did, and I definitely wanted to have money of my own to play with. (4) Income is not wealth You can earn lots but have nothing to show for it after years of working. I learned this in my first few years of IT consulting after university. I earned a great salary and then went contracting, earning even more money at a daily rate. I had a wonderful time. I traveled, ate and drank and generally made merry, but I always had to go back to the day job when the money ran out. I couldn't work out how I could ever stop this cycle. Then I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, a book I still recommend, especially if you're from a family that values academic over financial education. I learned how to escape the rat race by building and/or accumulating assets that pay even when you're not working. It was a revelation! The ‘poor dad' in the book is a university professor. He knows so much about so many things, but he ends up poor as he did not educate himself about money. The ‘rich dad' has little formal education, but he knows about money and wealth because he learned about it, as we can do at any stage in our lives. (5) Not all investments suit every person, so find the right one for you Once I discovered the world of investing, I read all the books and did courses and in-person events. I joined communities and I up-skilled big time. Of course, I made mistakes and learned lots along the way. I tried property investing and renovated a couple of houses for rental (with more practical partners and skilled contractors). But while I could see that property investing might work for some people, I did not care enough about the details to make it work for me, and it was certainly not passive income. I tried other things. My first husband was a boat skipper and scuba diving instructor, so we started a charter. With the variable costs of fuel, the vagaries of New Zealand weather — and our divorce — it didn't last long! From all these experiments, I learned I wanted to run a business, but it needed to be online and not based on a physical location, physical premises, or other people. That was 2006, around the time that blogging started taking off and it became possible to make a living online. I could see the potential and a year later, the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle launched, which became the basis of my business as an author. (6) Boring, automatic saving and investing works best Between 2007 and 2011, I contracted in Australia, where they have compulsory superannuation contributions, meaning you have to save and invest a percentage of your salary or self-employed income. I'd never done that before, because I didn't understand it. I'd ploughed all my excess income into property or the business instead. But in Australia I didn't notice the money going out because it was automatic. I chose a particular fund and it auto-invested every month. The pot grew pretty fast since I didn't touch it, and years later, it's still growing. I discovered the power of compound interest and time in the market, both of which are super boring. This type of investing is not a get rich quick scheme. It's a slow process of automatically putting money into boring investments and doing that month in, month out, year in, year out, automatically for decades while you get on with your life. I still do this. I earn money as an author entrepreneur and I put a percentage of that into boring investments automatically every month. I also have a small amount which is for fun and higher risk investments, but mostly I'm a conservative, risk-averse investor planning ahead for the future. This is not financial advice, so I'm not giving any specifics. I have a list of recommended money books at www.TheCreativePenn.com/moneybooks if you want to learn more. Learning from the Shadow When I look back, my Shadow side around money eventually drove me to learn more and resulted in a better outcome (so far!). I was ashamed of being poor when I had to wear hand-me-down clothes at school. That drove a fear of not having any money, which partially explains my workaholism. I was embarrassed at Oxford because I didn't know how to behave in certain settings, and I wanted to be like the rich people I saw there. I spent too much money in my early years as a consultant because I wanted to experience a “rich” life and didn't understand saving and investing would lead to better things in the future. I invested too much in the wrong things because I didn't know myself well enough and I was trying to get rich quick so I could leave my job and ‘be happy.' But eventually, I discovered that I could grow my net worth with boring, long-term investments while doing a job I loved as an author entrepreneur. My only regret is that I didn't discover this earlier and put a percentage of my income into investments as soon as I started work. It took several decades to get started, but at least I did (eventually) start. My money story isn't over yet, and I keep learning new things, but hopefully my experience will help you reflect on your own and avoid the issue if it's still in Shadow. These chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn  The post Writing The Shadow: The Creative Wound, Publishing, And Money, With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Daily Dose of Hope January 19, 2026   Scripture: I Thessalonians 5   Prayer:  A prayer from Martin Luther King, Jr... Thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the whole universe has come into being, we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with our hearts, souls and minds, and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us. We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We often give in order to receive. We love our friends and hate our enemies. We go the first mile but dare not travel the second. We forgive but dare not forget. And so as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against you. But thou, O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know your will. Give us the courage to do your will. Give us the devotion to love your will. In the name and spirit of Jesus, we pray. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently journeying through Paul's letters.  Right now, we are walking through I Thessalonians.   Today, we read I Thessalonians 5.   Paul is focusing on the end times not to scare people or bully people into accepting Jesus.  Rather, these words were intended to provide comfort to his congregations.  He is reiterating some of Jesus' teaching here – how the Lord's return will come like a thief in the night.  Paul doesn't quote the Gospels directly but we can see here in this letter, that Jesus' teaching was part of Paul's teaching.    Paul tells them to be alert and sober.  This would have been in contrast to many in the area.  Dionysus, the god of wine, was worshiped in Thessalonica, and his late night parties were known for being wild and crazy events.  The Thessalonians, then, needed to reject those false gods to serve the living God.  In doing so, they will be children of the light/day, awake, alert, watchful.   Jesus' return and their identity as people of the light/day are intended to be words of encouragement to them.  They have nothing to fear when the Lord comes but will actually excel even more.  There is much to be excited for and they are to encourage one another with this hope.   This is fascinating to me.  We don't typically encourage each other by remembering that Jesus will return.  Unfortunately, popular media and Hollywood have made people, even Christians, afraid of Jesus' return.  And we have nothing to be scared of!  For the Thessalonians, this was the ultimate hope.  It was a reminder that this world, and the persecutions and hardships they faced, were temporary.  But they would eventually be with Jesus forever.   Does this give you hope?  Why or why not?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Faun discusses a transformative experience under an elder tree at a crossroads, experiencing The Hat Man as a teenager and a childhood memory of a transparent young girl . Faun came on pilgrimage to Britain and met some of us at the MFSP patreon community meet up in Glastonbury. They had many synchronicities and profound experiences during their journey: an archetypal-looking pilgrim who kept appearing and a person whom appeared to be channelling Dionysus on Glastonbury Tor. In the BONUS EXCLUSIVE FULL-LENGTH VIDEO VERSION on Patreon we hear about the powerful qualities of Elder and Faun shares a further experience with Orbs and a malevolent manifestation which took place in her mothers bedroom. Music in this episode: Fae Transit by Sam McLoughlin https://folkloretapes.bandcamp.com/album/fae-transit ⭐️ JOIN THE MODERN FAIRY SIGHTINGS COMMUNITY ⭐️ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership⁠⁠⁠ If you're looking for exclusive bonus material, monthly zoom chats with like-minded folks, access to the Discord chat channels, quiet meditation gatherings and meeting other members, join us at: ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership⁠⁠⁠ S U P P O R T If you'd prefer to support the Modern Fairy Sightings with a one off donation, you can ‘buy me a coffee' and I'd be very grateful

With the reign of Proca in the rear view mirror, we turn our attention to his two sons- Numitor and Amulius. A murderous plot and a usurpation leads to a young woman being condemned to a life as a Vestal Virgin. However, that doesn't stop her getting pregnant somehow. Oh well, let's put those twin boys in the Tiber...Sources for this episode:Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2025), Vestal Virgins (online) (Accessed 15/08/2025).Eutropius (1760), Eutropius; Epitome of the Roman History. London: Printed for W. Johnston et al.Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Plutarch (1938), Plutarch's Lives (Volume I). London and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. And E. P. Dutton & Co. Inc.Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.

Our critical review of The Secrets of Greek Mysticism by George Lizos, and why this book is so problematic in its ideologies, from starseed propaganda to Mr. Lizos's rejection of scholarship.Why have online “influencers” promoted this book to their audiences? Many of their critiques focus on surface-level issues, such as the absence of Hades or Hekate, Xenia and Dionysus while missing the far more serious problem: this book aligns itself with New Age propaganda and ancient alien beliefs, ultimately leading people astray in their understanding of ancient Greek history, mythology, and ancient Greek religion.Chapters:(00:00) Why are we doing this?(08:04) The starseed propaganda(18:55) Claims all scholars are wrong?(29:35) Greek gods are love and light?(36:03) Zeus isn't a monarch, ascension and soul contracts?(41:35) Misogynistic view on goddesses(44:50) Artemis is “control”?(49:41) Hera is the maiden, mother and crone?(53:12) Hestia is boring and blasé?(58:24) The apple of discord and his theology?(1:00:14) Where is the “mysticism”?(1:09:15) Calling out the “influencers” that promoted this bookCalling all devotees to Styx and Bones that are content creators! Join the Styx and Bones Temple new affiliate marketing program: https://www.crystalmoonclarity.com/affiliate-marketing Check out our Patreon, Styx and Bones Temple's Store, Blogs and more! ⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/styxandboness⁠FOLLOW STYX AND BONES ON SOCIAL MEDIAhttps://www.instagram.com/styxandbonespodcast⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW HIGH PRIESTESS CHELSEA⁠https://www.instagram.com/highpriestesschelsea⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW DR. K⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_⁠⁠⁠

Aventinus and Proca take us all the way down to the 790s BCE. Along the way, we see another hill of a certain famous city gets its name, the city chugs along quietly in the background, and the Herbology teacher from Harry Potter gets a cameo story in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Wait... What was that last part?Sources for this episode:Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). Translated by H. White. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ld. and Harvard University Press.Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seven hills of Rome (online) (Accessed 15/08/2025).

Mergulhamos na complexa e fascinante figura de Dioniso, o deus do vinho, do êxtase e da transformação. "Acto XXXIV Dioniso" explora os mitos, simbolismos e as diversas interpretações que cercam essa divindade enigmática da mitologia grega. Prepare-se para uma jornada repleta de drama, rituais antigos e revelações surpreendentes que desafiam a realidade e convidam à reflexão sobre a natureza humana, a loucura criativa e o poder da celebração. Descubra como Dioniso influencia não só os mitos, mas também a cultura, a arte e a espiritualidade ao longo dos séculos.

This episode is very, very frightning- me! But Bohemian Rhapsody references aside, we continue our story of the kings of Alba Longa down to 856 BCE. Join us for the arrogance of Remulus, earthquakes, divine punishments, and Cassie's intense dislike of an Alban king called Acrota.Sources for this episode:Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.The lightning sound effect used is by TanwerAman (Thunder Strike (Wav) | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay), used under Pixabay licence (Content License - Pixabay).

Cats Cradle is inspired by the Greek myth Ariadne and her journey from Crete to Naxos. Like The Fates, she is associated with the symbol of the thread, which she uses to help Theseus kill the Minotaur. Central to Ariadne's story is her deification, her transcendence from mortal to divine through a union with Dionysus. By revisiting this ancient myth, Cats Cradle invites viewers to reflect on how they navigate their own inner labyrinths of identity and transformation. https://www.instagram.com/allysonglennart/ https://www.facebook.com/allyson.glenn.1/ What motivated you to make this film? I was preparing for a solo art exhibition called Date with Hermes: Journeying between Dreams and Reality for the Vorres Museum in Greece (2024). The curator, Dr. Katerina Pizania, suggested I create an animation to connect the Greek myth themes. While the show focused on large-scale paintings and works on paper, the film became a companion piece to my series on Ariadne and Dionysus. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? I only had two months to develop the animation for the first exhibition, so the first version was more of an “outline.”Completing the film took a year and a half. How would you describe your film in two words!? Intense! What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Time! As a full-time Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, I worked on the animation during weekends with invaluable help from students and alumni. ---- Subscribe to the podcast: https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Quite a few reigns come and go as we head towards 916 BCE. Perhaps the most noteworthy of them all is that of Tiberinus- who drowns in the Albula river during a battle and becomes a god...Sources for this episode:Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Ovid (1959), Ovid's Fasti. Translated by J. G. Frazer. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.

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This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the god Dionysus and the play The Bacchae by Euripides.

From about 1030 BCE, all of our sources about Alba Longa and its kings crumble into disagreement. Get ready for tales of heirs saving puppies in housefires, three kings at once, and whether the recording room of Autocrat is still haunted.Sources for this episode:Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Vol. I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Ovid (1959), Ovid's Fasti. Translated by J. G. Frazer. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.

My links:My Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/rhetoricrevolutionSend me a voice message!: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/liam-connerlyTikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mrconnerly?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc⁠Email: ⁠rhetoricrevolution@gmail.com⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connerlyliam/Podcast | Latin in Layman's - A Rhetoric Revolution https://open.spotify.com/show/0EjiYFx1K4lwfykjf5jApM?si=b871da6367d74d92YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MrConnerly 

My links:My Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/rhetoricrevolutionSend me a voice message!: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/liam-connerlyTikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mrconnerly?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc⁠Email: ⁠rhetoricrevolution@gmail.com⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connerlyliam/Podcast | Latin in Layman's - A Rhetoric Revolution https://open.spotify.com/show/0EjiYFx1K4lwfykjf5jApM?si=b871da6367d74d92YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MrConnerly 

Today on Nephilim Death Squad, we're joined again by Jamie Dyer—researcher, author, and co-host of Jay's Analysis—for a deep dive into the Cults of the First Century and how ancient goddess worship, mystery religions, Rome, Babylon, and early Christian persecution mirror exactly what we're seeing in culture today.We cover:

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The night breaks and a mountain appears. We step out of the eighth house and into the ninth, following a mythic trail across four Greek peaks—Helicon, Delphi on Parnassus, Olympus, and Pelion—to understand how vision is born, tested, codified, and taught. This is a journey from trauma to Pegasus, from memory to the Muses, from riddled answers to living oracles, from the banquet of certainty to the humility of service, and finally to Chiron's cave where purpose is shaped into skill.We start with Helicon, where Perseus' severing of Medusa gives rise to Pegasus and the Hippocrene, the spring that nourishes the nine Muses. History, music, comedy, tragedy, dance, love poetry, hymns, astronomy, and epic become living conduits for meaning. Hesiod's insight that the Muses can speak convincing falsehoods as well as truth becomes our caution against dogma; ninth house wisdom is movement, not marble. At Delphi, we find the Omphalos, the eagle-eye view, and the Pythia's forked speech. Apollo's light and Dionysus' winter rule alternate, teaching us to hold both clarity and mystery. Prophecy arrives obliquely and unfolds over time, working on the imaginal mind that can carry insight back into life.On Olympus, the ninth house expands into ethics, law, and systems—the “we think” that shapes culture. Zeus' knowledge is not solitary; it's conjoined with Metis, the oceanic intelligence that tempers sky-high judgment. We explore the lure and limits of certainty and remember Ganymede's role as cupbearer: service as a path to perspective. Finally, we reach Pelion, where Chiron mentors heroes and healers—Jason, Achilles, Asclepius—grounding lofty aims in hands-on craft, medicine, and embodied practice. The fire-house arc aligns identity, joy, and purpose so that the tenth house can build the road our aim has set.Along the way, Ocyrrhoe's tale warns against revealing everything too soon; mystery gives meaning its depth. If Helicon inspires, Delphi questions, Olympus orders, and Pelion mentors, which mountain is yours? Press play to find an eagle-eye view that still honors the serpent's wisdom, and carry that vision into the work you offer the world. If this exploration sparked something, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find their way to the summit.*The above was auto-generated by Buzzsprout's AICover Art: Simon Vouet (1590-1649) The Muses Urania and Calliope, 1634 ca.Join the Newsletter! Podcast Musician: Marlia CoeurPlease consider becoming a Patron to support the show!Go to OnTheSoulsTerms.com for more.

Narrator: Thomas Jones

Behind the Wall of Illusion- Sean MacLeodHere are a few things you will discover from this text: How the Beatles expressed a modern take on the ancient Greek god Dionysus, How the title Yellow Submarine brings together male and female symbolism, That John Lennon's first experience with LSD influenced the song ‘Help!', Why the Beatles' hair cultivated spiritual connotations, How the film Magical Mystery Tour foreshadowed John's murder.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

J.S. aka Jeffrey Groves https://www.patreon.com/cw/jsgroves returns to speak with Luxa https://linktr.ee/LuxaStrata about how to recover from creative or magical burnout, and what to do when you're starting to realize you're experiencing it. Jeffrey also shares about writing the series, The Prince's Fighter's, “ritual play” and xier photography work, including capturing magical operations like invocation, experimenting with spirit photography and more. Luxa shares about the experience of modeling for such shoots, communion with Austin Osman Spare and invoking Venus Victrix. Diversions include paranormal investigation photography, talismanic jewelry, botthole haikus and more!Thanks for listening to the Lux Occult Podcast! Support the show by helping Luxa buy books and curtail other costs, as well as taking a bibliomancy break by giving on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/luxoccult . Or, Buy Me a Coffee.com is an option for a one time donation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/luxoccultpod?new=1 We would love to hear from you! Please send your thoughts, questions, suggestions or arcane revelations to luxoccultpod@gmail.com or message on Instagram @luxoccultpod https://www.instagram.com/luxoccultpod/ and on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/luxastrata919.bsky.socialGreen Mushroom Project https://greenmushroomproject.com/ Ask for a link to our Discord server!Merch! https://www.etsy.com/shop/IlluminIndustries?ref=shop_profile&listing_id=1880570110Jeffrey Groves http://jsgroves.com/ The Prince's Fighters novel https://princesfighters.jsgroves.com/The Sorcerer's Workbench https://www.etsy.com/shop/sorcerersworkbench/?etsrc=sdtReferenced in today's episode:66. Dionysus and the Sorcerer's Workbench w/ JS Groves & the Game of Identity w/ Art Worldbuilding https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/luxa-strata/episodes/66--Dionysus-and-the-Sorcerers-Workbench-w-JS-Groves--the-Game-of-Identity-w-Art-Worldbuilding-e28numnVoid House Presents: Trauma Informed Practices or “Just the TIPs”https://youtu.be/gCrTpfsAAHcLeopold von Sacher-Masochhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_von_Sacher-MasochCool People Who Did Cool Stuff Podcast Part One: Riot Dogs Are Very Good Dogshttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-cool-people-who-did-cool-96003360/episode/part-one-riot-dogs-are-very-115624059/?embed=trueCool People Who Did Cool Stuff Podcast Part Two: Riot Dogs Are Very Good Dogshttps://www.tapesearch.com/episode/part-two-riot-dogs-are-very-good-dogs/NFEvDfVGVECcS3HywsnVy4‘The Tradition' by Jericho Brown https://poets.org/poem/traditionFind Luxa's work published in Serpents of Circe: A Manual to Magical Resilience edited by Laura Tempest Zakroff and Ron Padrón https://revelore.press/product/serpents-of-circe-a-manual-to-magical-resilience/Lux Occult is produced by Luxa Strata. All rights reserved. 2025.

Send us a textIn this landmark episode of the Magick Kitchen Podcast, hosts Leandra Witchwood and Elyse Welles sit down with spiritual teacher, psychic healer, and bestselling author George Lizos to explore the modern revival of Hellenic polytheism — the living religion of the ancient Greek gods.George shares his groundbreaking experience performing the first Hellenic polytheist wedding in Cyprus, what it means to practice an evolving ancient faith, and how community, ritual, and activism are helping restore sacred traditions to modern life. Together, they dive deep into the real essence of the Greek gods — beyond myth — and explore how these deities represent universal laws, virtues, and living forces that guide us today.From the mysteries of Zeus and Aphrodite to the misunderstood roles of Hekate and Dionysus, this conversation bridges witchcraft and religion, exploring how the old ways are alive, evolving, and deeply needed in our world.

In this episode I look at Page duBois' examination of polytheism in theory and practice in her book A Million and One Gods. I focus on the Greek Gods Artemis and Dionysus, and the political implications of polytheism.

Hear the word "Dionysus" and you picture the Greek god of ecstasy: overflowing tables, delirious revelry, chaos. Not the austere soundworld of Guy Brewer, AKA Carrier. On the surface, the UK artist's latest alias feels almost Spartan. But look closer and the Dionysian link starts to show: it's about shedding fixed forms and identities, to allow something more true, more alive, to form. RA.1011 marks Brewer's third entry in the RA Mix series, following editions as drum & bass outfit Commix (RA.269) and, later, the techno alias Shifted (RA.310). "I guess it's an effort to step away from purism," Brewer told Resident Advisor back in 2023. "Right now the thresholds between genres are where you find the most exciting music." Carrier's phenomenal debut album, Rhythm Immortal, delivers on that promise. Low-end pressure cloaks like foreboding shadows, punctured only by eerie, otherworldly percussion comparable only to Photek or T++. Listen to the LP in full and it feels like walking through a scene in a true-crime drama: a fog-drenched city street in the deep of night, ambushed by gusts of wind, whispers and strange noises—and it sounds totally, utterly original. Tracing a line through dub pressure, fractured percussion and narcotic ambience, Brewer explores that same world on RA.1011. As with the album, there's a primal pulse that threads through the recording. Walls of negative space seem to hover before dissolving inexplicably, their tension intact; drums move more like the weather than rhythm. - Bella Aquilina

Historian Charles H. Kahn wrote that Pythagorean contributions to Western thought were "on the one hand, a mathematical understanding of the world of nature; and, on the other hand, a conception of human destiny that points beyond the visible world and beyond the mortal body to a higher form of life." Unfortunately, for the following 2,500 years, we took the first part: logic and reason, and largely discarded the other: intuition and imagination. Or, as Nietzsche put it in The Birth of Tragedy, we chose to rely heavily on our Apollonian side (yang) while neglecting our Dionysian side (yin).  And here we are, in a world of contradictions which are becoming ever more acute with the astounding recent advancements of Artificial Intelligence, which is of course based on numbers (in fact, it was Pythagoras who said, "everything known is a number").  How do we go back to the Pythagorean tradition? How do we restore balance between Apollo and Dionysus?  On this special evening, we will attempt to do just that. We will start with a talk by Edward Frenkel, mathematician, Berkeley professor, and author of Love and Math (currently out in 20 languages) who considers himself a Pythagorean. He will provide the context and the background. His talk will be followed by a ceremony, administered not by a priest or shaman but, as is more common these days, by DJs.  During the dance party following Edward Frenkel's talk, DJ Wilder (Anna Fedorova) will dazzle us with music sourced from different genres and epochs, followed by Edward Frenkel himself (as DJ Moonstein) playing back-to-back with Cihat Fitzgerald (DJ Chi) taking us further into the unknown. Magic awaits. A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Frenkel photo courtesy the speaker; public domain painting is "Pythagoreans Celebrate the Sunrise" by Fyodor Bronnikov. Organizer: George Hammond  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who was Dionysus, the son of Zeus, and Greek god of ecstasy, revelry and madness? Why was he so central to the ancient Greeks? What is the story of the Bacchae, the play in which a young man is ripped apart by the handmaidens of the goddess Artemis? What did it mean to be a Bacchae, one of the followers of Dionysus, and what shocking acts did it entail? Why were female cults like this believed to be integral to the survival of Athens? How did Dionysus' cult subvert all the conventions of Ancient Greek society? What hedonistic revels occurred at his festivals every year? And, what hidden secrets about his historical origins have been unlocked by subsequent archaeological discoveries…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss one of the most exotic and erotic of the Greek gods: Dionysus, and the origins of The Bacchae, the tragedy that immortalised his story, but also transformed Greek drama, and thereby the world, forever… Try Adobe Express for free now at https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/spotlight/designwithexpress?sdid=HM85WZZV&mv=display&mv2=ctv or by searching in the app store. Learn more at https://www.uber.com/onourway Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude  Video Producer: Bruno Di Castri + Jack Meek Social Producer: Harry Balden Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when we venture beyond the horizon of self and encounter the world? In this profound continuation of our houses journey, Brian Clark and I explore the second half of the astrological wheel - where we meet the other, confront our shadows, and discover our place in the cosmic order.Recorded during a solar eclipse at the equinox (coinciding with Brian's 76th birthday), our conversation takes on a synchronistic quality that exemplifies how astrology works through us rather than merely being studied by us. Following the thread of Ariadne from Greek mythology, we explore how she reveals family secrets, follows the heroic impulse, and ultimately finds her way to the center after being abandoned - mirroring our own soul journey.The seventh house brings us to the horizon where we encounter "the other" - that quality in relationships that reveals parts of ourselves we've yet to recognize. As Brian notes, "We marry our own shadow." Moving into the eighth, we face "loving in the face of loss" and discover how betrayal becomes a pathway to consciousness. The ninth house offers rebirth into spirit and wonder, while the tenth shapes our character through vocation and contribution. We then explore the communal eleventh house before concluding with the twelfth - a sanctuary for our exiled parts that need integration.Throughout our dialogue, we return to Ariadne staring at the sea as Theseus abandons her, then turning toward the center of Naxos where Dionysus awaits. This powerful image captures how our greatest disappointments often lead us to our truest path - when we give back to the sea what was never truly ours and find ourselves essential parts of something greater.How might your relationship struggles be mirrors revealing aspects of yourself? What ancestral patterns are you carrying in your intimate connections? Where do you find genuine rebirth after painful losses? Join us for this expansive exploration of how we become ourselves through our encounter with the world.* The blurb above was generated by Buzzprout's AITo find out more about Brian's work go to astrosynthesis.com.au.Podcast Musician: Marlia CoeurPlease consider becoming a Patron to support the show!Go to OnTheSoulsTerms.com for more.

By request, we are looking at the Virgin Mary in this week's podcast, in particular the "dark Feminine" elements of her mythology. An exploration into Mary (or Maryam), mother of Jesus reveals various layers of her myth and the doctrines surrounding her. This includes the myth of the dying and resurrecting vegetation god, some striking parallels with Semele, mother of Dionysus, the heroic myth of the Virgin Birth and the Divine Child, and the social implications of her role in the Bible and other texts from the early Church to the medieval period. 

Episode 2.36Texts, Myths, and ManuscriptsIs the New Testament historically trustworthy—or just a rewritten patchwork of pagan myths? In this episode of Take 2 Theology, Zach and Michael respond to online critics who claim the Bible is unreliable and Jesus is just a recycled myth.Covered in this episode:– What do textual variants actually show?– How do the Dead Sea Scrolls impact our confidence in Scripture?– How was the New Testament canon formed—and does it hold up under scrutiny?– Are the popular “copycat messiah” claims (Horus, Mithras, Dionysus, etc.) grounded in truth or internet fiction?Drawing from respected scholars like Bart Ehrman, N.T. Wright, and Ronald Nash, this episode unpacks the facts and clears the fog—so you can know what the Bible really is and why it still stands.Lutheran Satire Video--Horace Ruins Christmas: https://youtu.be/s0-EgjUhRqA?si=dNr0t7vhazj-AfkmDavid Wood is the gentleman whose first name Michael could not remember.Jesus, Recycled Redeemer? (STR Article): https://www.str.org/w/jesus-recycled-redeemer-Person of Interest by J. Warner Wallace: https://coldcasechristianity.com/person-of-interest-by-j-warner-wallace/Books by Michael Kruger on the Canon:https://a.co/d/fqYyP8zhttps://a.co/d/gLaG99dProminent atheists and skeptics who converted to Christianity:C. S. Lewis (Oxford scholar, Mere Christianity), Francis Collins (geneticist, The Language of God), Alister McGrath (theologian, The Dawkins Delusion), Rosalind Picard (MIT professor), Allan Sandage (cosmologist), Anthony Flew (philosopher, late-life belief in God), A. N. Wilson (novelist/biographer), Guillaume Bignon (French philosopher), Malcolm Muggeridge (journalist/satirist), Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ), Andrew Klavan (novelist/screenwriter), Jennifer Fulwiler (Something Other Than God), J. Warner Wallace (cold-case detective, Cold-Case Christianity), Abdu Murray (former Muslim apologist), Nabeel Qureshi (Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus), and Jonathan Noyes (former atheist lawyer, now apologist with Stand to Reason).Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/rPZV4u8C1zcMerch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone⁠License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

Today we dive deep into the legendary Greek mythology love story of Dionysus and Ariadne. Discover how Ariadne, the abandoned princess of Crete, found love with Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy. From her heartbreak with Theseus to receiving a crown of stars and a place among the gods, Ariadne's myth is one of empowerment, resilience, and romance and is one of our favorite myths here at Styx and Bones podcast too!Chapters:Intro (0:00)What Are the Girls Doing? (6:00)Reconstructing Ancient Greek Religion, Persephone Deep Dives + Community Lives (13:15)Update on Zeus and Joe Story (20:07)Dionysus and Ariadne (27:31)Is Ovid for the Girls? (36:45)Dionysus vs. Theseus (42:45)Bad Dating Stories and Getting Our Own Crown of Stars (50:46)Final Thoughts on the Love Between Ariadne + Dionysus (1:00:11)Check out our Patreon, Styx and Bones Temple's Store, Blogs and more!⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/styxandbonessFOLLOW STYX AND BONES ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonespodcast⁠⁠FOLLOW HIGH PRIESTESS CHELSEA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/highpriestesschelsea⁠⁠FOLLOW DR. K⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_⁠⁠

Natasha Pulley has, at times, called Japan, China, and Peru home She teaches creative writing students at Bath Spa University and is the international bestselling author of several novels, including The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, The Bedlam Stacks, The Mars House, and her latest, The Hymn to Dionysus. Natasha chats about her choice of narrator for The Hymn to Dionysus, writing a character with PTSD, which character in the book is most like her, the appeal of writing about ghosts, and more! For more information about Natasha and The Hymn to Dionysus, visit Natasha's website https://natashapulley.co.uk/ or follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/natasha_pulley/

Ever wondered how people fall in love with Greek mythology? From Percy Jackson to Disney's Hercules, and even modern myth-inspired works like Epic: The Musical, we explore all the ways these legendary stories capture our hearts. Join us as we dive into myth retellings, the myths that first drew us in, and where YOU can start your own journey into the world of the Greek gods.Timestamps:(0:00) Intro(2:28) Thoughts on Greek Myth Retellings(8:17) Tyche, Hades & Epic: The Musical in the Mystery Cult(10:18) Dionysus & Hermes Restock(11:20) Gateways to Greek Mythology: Percy Jackson, Hercules & More(19:18) How We Got Into Greek Mythology & the Gods(30:03) Where to Start in Greek Mythology(36:26) The First Myth That Hooked Us(41:26) Zeus & HP Chelsea's Godson StoryCheck out our Patreon, Styx and Bones Temple's Store, Blogs and more! ⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/styxandbonessFOLLOW STYX AND BONES ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonespodcast⁠⁠FOLLOW HIGH PRIESTESS CHELSEA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/highpriestesschelsea⁠⁠FOLLOW DR. K⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_⁠⁠

Welcome back to the Dirt Diaries. Today, we're exploring a secret room in the heart of an ancient villa that was preserved during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, known today as the Villa of the Mysteries, which may contain scenes of cultic activity.Is this room connected to initiation into the cult of Dionysus? You be the judge, as we also examine a find that was discovered 100 years later. Perhaps the mystery will finally be solved.What do you think?-Stay curiousWant more Dirt Diaries?Join patreon with all your history-loving friends!patreon.com/TheDirtDiariesTravel with me, my socials, and more!https://beacons.ai/dirtdiaries.tenn

On episode 338, Sabrina weaves some ideas around transmuting basic fear, the Aries and Dionysus archetypes, embodied mysticism, through personal stories.Mentioned:free Pluto Course - https://www.sabrinamonarch.com/pluto-mini-courseOracle Body 1:1 Coaching - https://www.sabrinamonarch.com/oracle-body-coachingFelt Sense School of Evolutionary Astrology - waitlist: https://www.sabrinamonarch.com/the-felt-sense-school Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, we're joined by Professor Courtney Friesen, who is Professor of Classics and the Director of Graduate Studies in Classics at the University of Arizona and the author of Reading Dionysus: Euripides' Bacchae and the Cultural Contestations of Greeks, Jews, Romans, and Christians (published by Mohr Siebeck). In our conversation we talk about the Bacchae and its interpretation as well as other legends and myths about Dionysus. This leads us to several topics of relevance in the New Testament, especially the alleged drunkenness at Pentecost in Acts 2 and Jesus turning water to wine at Cana in John 2. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mystical Anarchism, Rosicrucianism, Josephin Peladan, Symbolism/Symbolist movement, subliminal Symbolist techniques, theurgy, Maurice Maeterlinck, The Blue Bird/Project Bluebird, Symbolism is Russia, Georgy Chulkov, Viacheslav Ivanov, Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Zinaida Gippius, Boris Savinkov, Merezhkovsky's Trinitarianism, Joachim of Fiore, the Joachim revival in France, the Status of Spirit/Third Testament/Eternal Gospel, Huysmans & La-Bas, Nikolai Fedorov, Cosmism, transhumanism, noosphere and how it relates to Joachim, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Iona Brikhnichev, Alexander Gorsky, the transformation of the God-seekers to God-builders, "The Tower," the Rites of Dionysus, Anna Mintslova, Andrei Bely. Rudolf Steiner, realia & realiora, a society based around the sobornost (cultic-theater), the cultic-theater as a replacement for government, acting as theurgy, acting as an act of possession, Japanese Noh theater and other traditions of possession in theater, audience participation, Mystical Anarchism's influence, role-laying games (RPGs), Dungeons and Dragons (D & D), the shift from passively observing narratives to co-creating them, MAGA as cultic-theaterMusic by: Keith Allen Dennishttps://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us today with our guest the mystic and bard Sophie Strand as we discuss the Knight of Wands. Like Dionysus, the Knight of Wands arrives from beyond with a message: look for the joy, look for what delights you, even if it's just a small thing, imagine it like a small spark of fire, then blow. We talk about the difference between the Knight and the King, and the ecological relationships they both imply. We talk about ecstasies and where inspiration comes from and what it means for your wand to flower and rituals for working with the Knight of Wands on your morning walks. Join us!To attend the SONNETS FOR THE MUSE workshop in Scotland on July 26th click here.To join Amanda's MYSTERY CULT on Substack click here.Listen to Carolyn's podcast with Beth Pickens Mind Your Practice, and join their Homework Club.**********************************FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST SOPHIE STRANDSophie Strand is a poet and writer with a focus on the history of religion and the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. She is the author of four books: the poetry book "Love Song to a Blue God," "The Flowering Wand: a deep exploration of the regenerative and magical secrets of sacred masculinity hidden in familiar myths both ancient and modern", the novel "The Madonna Secret," and most recently the eco-disability memoir "The Body is a Doorway." You can find Sophie on her excellent Substack platform: Make Me Good SoilFind Sophie on Instagram: @cosmogonyOr buy her books here: sophiestrand.com/**********************************SONNETS FOR THE MUSE WORKSHOP with Amanda Yates Garcia and Rebecca SharpJoin Amanda and the poet Rebecca Sharp on Saturday, July 26th for a day-long workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland. This workshop is for you if you have a subject you're passionate about that you'd like to make space for in your life. Especially if you have an interest in learning more about poetry and its relationship to magic.FIND OUT MORE **********************************Learn More About Your Host Amanda Yates GarciaTo join Amanda's MYSTERY CULT on Substack click here.To order Amanda's book, "Initiated: Memoir of a Witch" CLICK HERE.Amanda's InstagramTo book an appointment with Amanda go to www.oracleoflosangeles.com*********************************Original MUSIC by Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs**********************************Get in touch with sponsorship inquiries for Between the Worlds at betweentheworldspodcast@gmail.com.CONTRIBUTORS:Amanda Yates Garcia (host) & Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs (producer, composer). The BTW logo collage was created by Maria Minnis (tinyparsnip.com / instagram.com/tinyparsnip ) with text designed by Leah Hayes. Learn More About Your Host Amanda Yates GarciaTo join Amanda's MYSTERY CULT on Substack click here.To order Amanda's book, "Initiated: Memoir of a Witch" CLICK HERE.Amanda's InstagramTo book an appointment with Amanda go to www.oracleoflosangeles.com*********************************Original MUSIC by Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs**********************************Are you an artist or writer looking for structure, support and community? Check out Carolyn's project - Homework Club -with with arts consultant and author, Beth Pickens:Homework Club offers creative people strategies for keeping their projects and practices a priority with monthly webinars, worksheets, live QnA's, accountability pods, and actual homework (that you'll never be graded on. Ever!). Make 2024 a BIG PROJECT year - first month free with code: YourArtMind Your Practice is our podcast.You can visit https://www.bethpickens.com/homework-club for more details or listen wherever you stream Between the Worlds.**********************************Get in touch with sponsorship inquiries for Between the Worlds at betweentheworldspodcast@gmail.com.CONTRIBUTORS:Amanda Yates Garcia (host) & Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs (producer, composer). The BTW logo collage was created by Maria Minnis (tinyparsnip.com / instagram.com/tinyparsnip ) with text designed by Leah Hayes.

This is a free demo--Full episode 90 minute episode can be found at: patreon.com/c/RememberShuffleIt's a music episode! The Shuffle Bois turn to an early 2000s artist that NME Magazine called "The Saviour of Music" and Pitchfork Magazine called "A horseman of the apocalypse," Andrew WK. The Shuffle bois first trace the surprisingly interesting life of Andrew WK before the 2001/2002 release of his first album "I Get Wet." They review this seminal album of the 2000s before discussing some themes and big ideas: irony and artifice for performers, the role of technology in music production in the early 2000s, and Andrew WK as modern-day Dionysus. En route, they discuss Andrew WK's afterlife as a meme, explore the conspiracy theories around his identity, and describe the sound of "Jackpot Rock" that he exemplified.

SPONSORS: 1) GhostBed: Use Code "JULIAN" to get 20% GhostBed Sitewide: https://ghostbed.com/julian PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in Description Below) ~ Neal Sendlak (aka "Gnostic Informant") is an Ancient History Researcher & Youtuber. He focuses on History, Mythology and Comparative Religion. GNOSTIC INFORMANT's LINKS: YT: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtdweFMJ5DGj7_q5IcpQhPQ FB: https://www.facebook.com/GnosticInformant X: https://x.com/Gnosisinformant FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 – Wes Huff Disagreement, Bible Misconceptions, Ending of Matthew Explained 09:42 – Fascination with Gnosticism in Prison, Bible & Ancient History Studies 15:15 – Hilari Festival, Gospel of John vs Dionysus, Wedding at Cana Parallels 24:34 – Dramatic Worldview Shift, Leaving Christianity, Pentecostal Church Experience 36:14 – Drawn to Gnosticism, Luke Verse on Leaving Family 46:47 – Roman Noblewoman Julia Avita Mamaea, The Great Persecution, Luke's Contradictions 59:11 – Christianity Arrives in Rome, Valentinianism, Holy Trinity Finalized, Marcian, 70 vs 12 Apostles 01:11:11 – 70 Disciples vs 12 Theory, Flavius Josephus, December 25th Debate 01:20:20 – Council of Nicaea Truth, Arius' Letter, Trinity Rejection 01:32:23 – Why Constantine Made Christianity Rome's Religion, Naasenes & Hymn to Attis 01:46:05 – Jewish vs Christian Sin Traditions, Leviticus 16, Alexander the Great vs Dionysus 01:58:39 – Crucifixion History, Roman Empire Divisions, Visiting Israel & Jesus Depictions 02:12:45 – Mystery of Jesus, Biblical Interpretation, Council of Nicaea Power, Drugged Eucharist Theory 02:21:45 – Burning Purple Theory, Ammon Hillman Rebuttal 02:25:49 – Gospel of Mary, Jesus' Relationship with Mary, “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved” 02:33:00 – How the Gospels Were Written, History of Banned Gospels 02:40:45 – Nephilim & Giants, Christianity's Global Impact (Good or Bad) 02:52:30 – Pope Gregory Letter, Understanding Other Faiths, Leaving Gnosticism 03:04:22 – Modern Greece & Ancient Studies, Losing Plato in the West CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 318 - Gnostic Informant Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices