Medicine Path with Brian James: Recent Episodes
Brian James
Transformational coach, yoga teacher and author Brian James has intimate and engaging conversations exploring the intersections between psychedelics, spirituality and psychology for personal and collective transformation. More info at brianjames.ca
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to gain access to early release of full, ad-free episodes and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. We are an independent production and rely on the support of listeners like you. Make a one-time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Brian James: http://brianjames.ca
IG: http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
On this episode I speak with Dr. Sharon Blackie.
Sharon is an award-winning author and psychologist with a background in mythology and folklore. Her highly acclaimed books, lectures and teaching programs are focused on reimagining women’s stories, and on the relevance of myth, fairy tales and folk traditions to the personal, cultural and environmental problems we face today.
In our conversation we talk about the value of finding your personal myth; working with fairy tales to deepen and expand your life story; the obsolescence of the hero’s journey and the call to imagine post-heroic stories for women and men; the importance of exposing children to undiluted, unDisneyfied stories in order to make them more resilient and empathetic; and the urgency of moving beyond mere self-care and personal development into caring for the soul of the world and working to keep the mythic imagination alive.
Sharon's website: https://sharonblackie.net/
Sharon's Substack: https://sharonblackie.substack.com/
References:
Sharon’s previous appearance on the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/posts/mpp101-hagitude-77331131
My interview with Allen Chinen (Beyond the Hero) https://shows.acast.com/medicinepath/episodes/mpp107
God Father Death (Grimm Bros.) https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm042.html
Sharon Blackie, Hagitude
James Hillman, The Soul’s Code
Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales
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If you’d like to gain access to early release of full, ad-free episodes and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. We are an independent production and rely on the support of listeners like you. Make a one-time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
On this episode I speak with writer, ecophilosopher and activist Derrick Jensen.
True to our Sagittarian natures, we have a wide-ranging conversation that covers a lot of ground, including personal stories of childhood trauma, healing, activism and the journey toward realizing your gifts and offering them to the world.
Before we began recording I told Derrick that I was feeling a little blue that morning, and thought it had something to do with the total solar eclipse that had just occurred. By the end of our conversation I felt the heavy mood lift a little, which speaks to the therapeutic effect of sharing your troubles out loud with someone else who is also troubled.
So, although our conversation delves into some heavy and painful topics, I hope that by the end of it you feel a little less alone with your own troubles. That’s one of the key intentions behind this podcast, and one of the main reasons I continue to do it: so that us lone wolves howling in the wilderness of modernity can find the others who are similarly afflicted, and perhaps find some comfort and community.
Derrick's website: https://derrickjensen.org
Topics: ecology, psychology, trauma, recovery, healing, purpose
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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This was an excerpt of a 2-hour conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. Support this independent podcast by making a one-time donation to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
On this episode I speak with psychologist, writer and activist Bruce Levine.
Dr. Levine writes and speaks widely on how society, culture, politics and psychology intersect. His most recent book is A Profession Without Reason: The Crisis of Contemporary Psychiatry―Untangled and Solved by Spinoza, Freethinking, and Radical Enlightenment (2022).
A practicing clinical psychologist often at odds with the mainstream of his profession, he is a regular contributor to CounterPunch, Salon and Mad in America. His articles and interviews have been published in the New York Times, Skeptic, Adbusters, The Ecologist, High Times, and numerous other magazines.
Dr. Levine is on the editorial advisory board of the journal Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, and he is on the medical and scientific advisory board of the National Center for Youth Law. He is also an editorial advisor for the Icarus Project/Freedom Center Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs. A longtime activist in the mental health treatment reform movement, he is a member of the International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry and MindFreedom. Dr. Levine has presented talks and workshops to diverse organizations throughout North America.
Bruce's website: https://brucelevine.net/
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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This is an excerpt of a 2 hour conversation. If you’d like to gain access to early release of full, ad-free episodes and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. We are an independent production and rely on the support of listeners like you. Make a one-time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
On this episode I speak with artist and scholar Mary Antonia Wood about her book The Archetypal Artist: Reimagining Creativity and the Call to Create.
Mary has been a visual artist for over thirty years, working in a variety of media. Her work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions and has been collected by both public institutions and individuals. She is chair of the Depth Psychology and Creativity program at Pacifica Graduate Institute and the owner of Talisman Creative Mentoring, a practice that supports artists and creators of all types.
This was a lovely conversation where we go deep into all aspects of what it means to be a creative being, the influence that Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung and James Hillman have had on her work, and the parallels between the shamanic archetype and the artist — some of my favourite topics.
Mary's website: http://www.talismanmentoring.com
Topics: creativity, art, shamanic archetype, carl jung, james hillman
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an excerpt of a 2 hour conversation. If you’d like to gain access to early release of full, ad-free episodes and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. We are an independent production and rely on the support of listeners like you. Make a one-time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
On this episode I speak with cultural historian and archetypal astrologer Richard Tarnas about his book Cosmos & Psyche, his journey from Harvard to Esalen in the 1970s, and how his psychedelic research with Stanislav Grof and encounter with James Hillman were integral to the development of what he calls archetypal cosmology.
I really enjoyed this conversation, and it was an honour to have such deep and personal conversation with someone who’s depth of experience, scholarship and concern for humanity is truly humbling.
Richard's website: https://cosmosandpsyche.com
Archetypal Cosmology journal: http://www.archai.org
The Planets article: http://www.archai.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Tarnas-%E2%80%93-The-Planets-%E2%80%93-Archai-Issue-1.pdf
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’d like to gain access to early release of full, ad-free episodes and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. We are an independent production and rely on the support of listeners like you. Make a one-time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
On this episode I speak with Stephen Aizenstat, who I had the pleasure of learning with a couple years ago when I participated in his Dream Tending program.
Stephen Aizenstat, Ph.D., is the founder of Pacifica Graduate Institute, Dream Tending, and the Academy of Imagination. For more than 35 years, he has explored the power of dreams through depth psychology. He has collaborated with Joseph Campbell, Marion Woodman, Robert Johnson, James Hillman, and Native elders worldwide. He conducts dreamwork and imagination seminars throughout the US, Europe, and Asia.
Steve and I have a wide ranging conversation where we talk about the power of imagination to heal individuals and restore the soul of the world, and pay homage to some of the spiritual mentors who he’s worked with and who have inspired me.
Links to Stephen's work:
https://dreamtending.com
https://dreamtending.com/the-imagination-matrix/
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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Support Scott's GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/kathryn-kloos-fundraiser
If you’d like to gain access to early release of full, ad-free episodes and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. We are an independent production and rely on the support of listeners like you. Make a one-time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
On this episode I speak with Scott Kloos, a plant medicine practitioner, teacher and ceremonialist located somewhere in the wilds outside Portland Oregon.
Scott and I first crossed paths in a Santo Daime ceremony about ten years ago and I’ve been watching the development of his work ever since. We have a deep and intimate conversation about our relationship with plant medicines and teachers, and how plants can help us become more humble and humane people.
Scott guides The School of Forest Medicine and Cascadia Folk Medicine and is author of Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness.
You can find out more about his online and in-person offerings by visiting forestmedicine.net
Topics: plant medicine, Santo Daime, psychedelics, animism
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Donate: http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Episode Description:
On this episode I speak with Glen Slater about his new book Jung vs. Borg: Finding the Deeply Human in a Posthuman Age
I feel that this is one of the most relevant and important psychological texts for our current time, but you don’t have to take it from me. Noted trauma psychologist Donald Kasched writes:
“Glen Slater’s brilliant and passionate analysis of online culture and its insidious seductions of hyperreality, virtual companions, and cyber presences—all run by artificial intelligence—opens up that imagination in ways that are both terrifying and illuminating. To become conscious of these dehumanizing forces in our midst and how to combat their dissociative effects on the inner life of the soul should be a major focus of all depth psychological training in the 21st century. I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of this book.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Glen studied psychology and comparative religion at The University of Sydney before coming to the United States in 1992 for doctoral work in clinical psychology. He has been teaching at Pacifica for over twenty years and is currently the Associate Chair of the Jungian and Archetypal Studies specialization. He also teaches in the Mythological Studies program.
His publications have appeared in a number of Jungian journals and essay collections, and he edited and introduced the third volume of James Hillman’s Uniform Edition, Senex and Puer, as well as a collection of faculty writings, Varieties of Mythic Experience: Essays on Religion, Psyche and Culture. Beyond his work in Jungian and Archetypal Psychology, he writes on psyche and film as well as the psychology of technology. He lectures internationally in these areas of interest.
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Donate: http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Episode Description:
On this episode I speak with Susan Rowland about her work in Jungian Arts Based Research as well as her career as a writer of what she calls “cosy mystery novels about undervalued women.”
Susan Rowland (PhD) teaches at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is the author of ten books on Jung, the feminine, literature and the arts. Her last (with soul mate Joel Weishaus) is Jungian Arts-Based Research and the Nuclear Enchantment of New Mexico (2021). For a decade Susan has been working on a project to examine feminine heroism as a way to cultural renewal. Her first novel, The Sacred Well Murders, was published by Chiron in 2022. The book explores marginalized women becoming involved in epoch-defining events that entail literal and symbolic violence. The Alchemy Fire Murder: A Mary Wandwalker Mystery, is the second in the series. You can find the link to her website in the episode notes.
I really enjoyed our conversation and hope you find it as interesting and inspiring as I did.
https://www.susanrowland-books.com
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Episode Description:
On this episode I speak with Dr. James Maffie, about his book Aztec Philosophy: Understanding a World in Motion. James Maffie is senior lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and affiliate of the Latin American Studies Program at the University of Maryland.
This was a fascinating conversation about the sophisticated metaphysics of the Mexica people, which in many ways bears a striking resemblance to Eastern Taoism and Tantra. In our discussion we speak quite a bit about the Mexica concept of Teotl, which can be thought of as a universal energy of movement and transformation. For the Aztecs, like the Taoist, the purpose of life was to maintain a balance of the opposing manifestations of Teotl, such as light/dark, life/death, masculine/feminine. Living an ethical life meant fulfilling what Dr. Maffie calls the “original obligation” of the human to feed the holy, rather than, in the Judeo-Christian world, struggling to overcome the stain of original sin.
Go deeper:
Aztec Philosophy book: https://www.ubcpress.ca/aztec-philosophy
Lecture by Andres Segura Granados: https://youtu.be/GwXMc2VP9y8?si=Y--88jhWOatyPrcX
Topics: Nahua, Toltec, Aztec, Mexica, philosophy, metaphysics, Taoism
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Episode Description:
On this episode I speak with Tim Rutili. Tim is an American musician, filmmaker, and visual artist. He is best known as the founder of the alternative rock bands Red Red Meat and Califone, as well as a diverse range of musical collaborations as a multi instrumentalist and composer of scores for film and television.
I’ve been an admirer of Tim’s work since Califone’s 2006 release Roots & Crowns but had lost track of them in recent years. So I was pleasantly surprised when the algorithmic gods alerted me to a new release from them last year. I consider that album, Villagers, one of the musical highlights of last year and a return to form for Califone, who continue to explore the intersections of American roots music, experimental electronics and improvisation.
The features that have been central to Califone’s music since the beginning has always been Tim’s surreal and imagistic lyrics and masterful ability to create a captivating mood through an inventive and unconventional use of sound and texture.
In our conversation we have an open and honest discussion about the challenges of sustaining a creative life without sacrificing your artistic integrity, the slippery nature of memory and dreams, and the importance of meditative and somatic practice to exorcise the demons and maintain a connection to the creative life force.
This episode features selections from Califone's 2023 release Villagers.
The outro song is "Wingbone" from Heron King Blues (2004).
Califone website: http://califonemusic.com
Cover image: Tim Rutili (http://www.rootcrownarts.com)
Topics: music, art, film, creativity, memory, dreams, Jung, George Harrison, Beatles
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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Support the Podcast:
If you’d like to get access to early release of full episodes and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, you can support the podcast directly by becoming part of the pack over at Patreon.com/howlinthewilderness.
If you don’t mind being interrupted by the occasional ad, you can also support the podcast for free by subscribing and watching on the Howl in the Wilderness YouTube channel http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Make a one-time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
1-on-1 Depth Counseling with Brian James: http://brianjames.ca
Follow on IG: http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Episode Description:
On this episode I welcome Brian Falk on the podcast to speak about the way his practice of Chinese Medicine has been informed by his study of depth psychology, particularly the archetypal and imaginal approach of James Hillman.
In the second half of the episode we talk about his recent book entitled Circling the Drain, which explores how the late comedian George Carlin and renegade psychologist James Hillman critiqued modern culture through a creative use of language and incisive humour.
Brian Falk holds a Master's Degree in Chinese Medicine from Five Branches University in Santa Cruz. Brian also earned a PhD in Depth Psychology with an emphasis in Somatic Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Brian lectures and teaches on topics such as vision improvement, food as medicine, and using acupuncture and massage for chronic pain. Brian maintains a clinical practice in Ventura, California.
Brian's website: https://www.unifiedmedicine.com
Circling the Drain book: https://www.springpublications.com/falk.html
Topics: chinese medicine, taoism, depth psychology, james hillman, george carlin
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
On this episode I welcome author and psychologist Ian Edwards to the podcast to speak about his new book A Druid in Psychologist’s Clothing: E. Graham Howe’s Secret Druidic Doctrine, published in 2023 by Anathema.
E. Graham Howe is the epitome of the kind of renegade spirit that we celebrate on this podcast. He was born in 1896 and was one of the founding members of the famous Tavistock Clinic in London. Although Howe’s work was initially well received by the burgeoning English psychoanalytic community, he soon began to ruffle some feathers with his eclectic and non-conforming ideas that incorporated concepts derived from Eastern spiritual practice.
Howe published 12 books on a number of topics, and his writing stands out in the field for his straightforward and clear style, and conscious avoidance of psychological jargon.
Through his books and lectures E. Graham Howe influenced well-known intellectuals and fellow renegades such as R.D. Laing, Alan Watts and Henry Miller. While Howe travelled to India and studied Eastern spirituality and practice, he found a home for his ideas in the images and concepts of the ancient Druids, who he referred to as “masters of the art of living.” He outlined this druidic approach to a spiritual psychology in the posthumously published book The Mind of the Druid.
In our conversation, Ian and I speak in depth about E. Graham Howe’s life and work, his place within the psychological milieu of the early 20th century among contemporaries such as CG Jung, and how revisiting his once-radical ideas could serve to revive secular psychology that has run out of ideas by finally incorporating spirituality and metaphysics into it’s theory and practice.
If you’d like to get access to early release of full episodes and listen and watch free of advertising and interruptions, please consider supporting the podcast directly by becoming part of the pack over at Patreon.com/howlinthewilderness. Your financial contribution, support and encouragement is what sustains me in this work.
Author page at Anathema: https://anathemapublishing.com/ian-c-edwards
Topics: psychology, spirituality, zen, druidry, carl jung
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
On this episode I welcome author, lawyer and depth psychotherapist Benjamin Sells.
I wasn’t aware of Benjamin’s work until fairly recently, but I’m so happy to have found him. His writing on topics of soul, beauty, love and ecology resonate deeply with many of the subjects we’ve been covering on the podcast lately and I’m honoured to host him on his first podcast appearance.
Ben met and studied with two of our favourite renegade psychologists James Hillman and Thomas Moore back in the 1970s, and in his many books he both contributes to their shared legacy and offers his own unique ideas to the canon of archetypal psychology.
I don’t know how it took me so long to find Ben’s work, but I’m glad I did. If you’re interested in the work of James Hillman and Thomas Moore I highly recommend exploring Ben’s books, particularly the recent trilogy on soul, love and beauty available through Spring Publications and featuring cover artwork by Hillman’s last wife and widow Margot Maclean.
This conversation is the epitome of what I try to do here on the podcast and what I think makes it unique. It’s a deep and intimate meeting of two souls exploring topics that mean a great deal to both of us. We explore ideas around beauty, nature, aesthetics, animal intelligence, ethics and ecology. Plus Ben offers some touching anecdotes about his life and friendship with the late James Hillman.
Ben’s website: http://benjaminsells.com
Thumbnail image: Margot Maclean
Topics: james hillman, carl jung, art, aesthetics, civics, soul, beauty, love
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
This episode has been a long time coming. I’ve wanted to speak about this topic for quite a while and have been looking for the right person to have the conversation with. When I found out that my guest today, Dylan Hoffman, has included the work of Indigenous author and activist Vine Deloria in his depth psychology courses at Pacifica Graduate Institute, I suspected that I might have finally found the right person to have this conversation with.
I wasn’t disappointed.
In the discussion that follows, you’ll hear Dylan and I address the topic of decolonizing psychology — what that means, why it’s important to recognize it and call it out, and why including Indigenous voices like Deloria into psychological training is essential to that project.
We discuss the ways Deloria both appreciated and critiqued the work of Jung, how colonization can’t be separated from Christianity, what our favourite renegade psychologist James Hillman contributes to the decolonizing project, and how a marriage of archetypal psychology and shamanic practice might just offer an authentic and effective animist spiritual practice for a post-colonial, post-Christianity west.
This was a fantastic conversation and I’m sure I’ll be speaking with Dylan again down the road.
Works Discussed:
C.G. Jung and the Sioux Traditions: Dreams, Visions, Nature and the Primitive
https://www.amazon.com/C-G-Jung-Sioux-Traditions-Primitive/dp/1882670612
God Is Red: A Native View of Religion
https://www.amazon.com/God-Red-Native-View-Religion/dp/168275314X
Light in the Dark/Luz en lo Oscuro: Rewriting Identity, Spirituality, Reality (Latin America Otherwise)
https://www.amazon.com/Light-Dark-Luz-Oscuro-Spirituality/dp/0822360098
Epistemologies of the South: Justice Against Epistemicide
https://www.amazon.com/Epistemologies-South-Justice-Against-Epistemicide/dp/1612055451/
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
On this episode I welcome back my friend Erik Davis to talk about how the grassroots values and DIY ethos of Generation X could provide an antidote to an ailing culture that has been polluted by corporate takeover of media and the internet.
Erik Davis, PhD, is an author, award-winning journalist, and popular speaker based in San Francisco.
He’s the author of many books on technology, esotericism and American subculture but his first and best-known book is TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information, a cult classic of visionary media studies that has been translated into five languages and most recently republished by North Atlantic Press.
He hosted the podcast Expanding Mind on the Progressive Radio Network for a decade, and earned his PhD in Religious Studies from Rice University in 2015. He currently writes the Substack publication Burning Shore and frequently hosts events at the Alembic in Berkeley California.
Erik's Links:
https://techgnosis.com
https://berkeleyalembic.org
http://burningshore.com/
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
On this episode I speak with Stephanie McKay, an educator and mentor in earth-based skills and ancestral ways, located on Gabriola Island, British Columbia.
Stephanie and I met when I attended one of her Mythology Club sessions and found that we shared a common passion for tending to old stories in a way that reveals their deeper layers of meaning.
In the first part of our conversation, we talk about her transition from working as a video artist to becoming a wilderness educator, and her 12-year participation in Martín Prechtel’s school Bolad’s Kitchen.
In the second half, we take a deep dive into the old Germanic folk tale Iron Hans, also known as Iron John, the subject of Robert Bly’s seminal 1990 book. Stephanie offers some unique insights into the historical layers of the story that are fascinating and surprising.
Even though I’ve read Bly’s book many times over the past 30 years and recently conducted an 8-week online group where we read and reflected on the story, Stephanie’s insights opened up a whole new area of inquiry for me. In the audio version of part two, I’ve included an afterword where I share some of that research.
If you have any interest in this story, or pre-Christian European culture and spiritual traditions, I highly recommend you check it out.
Listen to Part Two "A Deep Dive Into Iron John" here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/hitw124-mckay-pt-92425341
Links:
Stephanie's website: http://fianna.ca
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
On this episode I speak with Dick Russell, author of the monumental three volume biography of renegade post-Jungian psychologist James Hillman.
Dick is the author of many books, including his groundbreaking journalism on the JFK assassination and best sellers co-authored with Jesse Ventura and Robert Kennedy Jr.
Dick is a natural and generous storyteller and in our conversation he shares many wonderful stories about his friend and mentor James Hillman. In the last half hour of our talk, Dick shares the extraordinary story of taking his schizophrenic son to meet with famed West African teacher and healer Malidoma Somé, eventually traveling to Burkina Faso to work with an indigenous African shaman for a month-long healing ritual.
This was a wonderful conversation and I hope you enjoy it much as I did.
Topics: James Hillman, archetypal psychology, Malidoma Somé, shamanism, schizophrenia, Robert Bly, mythopoetic men's movement
Links:
https://dickrussell.org
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
REFERENCES:
- Dick Russell, The Life and Ideas of James Hillman: Volume II: Re-Visioning Psychology https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-life-and-ideas-of-james-hillman-volume-ii-dick-russell/18312785?ean=9781956763188
- Dick Russell, My Mysterious Son https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-mysterious-son-a-life-changing-passage-between-schizophrenia-and-shamanism-dick-russell/8280481?ean=9781510729001
- Malidoma Patrice Somé, Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic, and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman https://bookshop.org/p/books/of-water-and-the-spirit-ritual-magic-and-initiation-in-the-life-of-an-african-shaman-malidoma-patrice-some/7315872?ean=9780140194968
- James Hillman, Re-visioning Psychology https://bookshop.org/p/books/re-visioning-psychology-james-hillman/8862726?ean=9780060905637
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
On this episode I speak with Jungian and archetypal psychologist Stanton Marlan about alchemy, imagination, psychology and non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Stanton Marlan, Ph.D. is an American clinical psychologist, Jungian psychoanalyst, author, and educator. Stan has written extensively on alchemy and archetypal psychology, includingThe Black Sun, The Alchemy and Art of Darkness, C. G. Jung and the Alchemical Imagination, and Jung's Alchemical Philosophy.
In our conversation we explore the different approaches to the alchemical imagination taken by two of Stan’s main teachers: Carl Jung and James Hillman and how they informed his own approach to working with alchemical images in psychotherapy over 50 years of practice.
Stan was also kind enough to sprinkle in some personal stories about his friend and mentor James Hillman, as well as the early spiritual and psychedelic experiences that opened his awareness to the deeper mysteries of the soul.
Topics: alchemy, psychology, carl jung, james hillman, psychedelics, soul
References:
- Stan's 2017 Pacifica lecture: https://youtu.be/8SF_w77j0dc
- The Black Sun: https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781603440783/the-black-sun/
- CG Jung's Alchemical Philosophy: https://www.routledge.com/Jungs-Alchemical-Philosophy-Psyche-and-the-Mercurial-Play-of-Image-and/Marlan/p/book/9781032105444
- Archetypal Psychologies: https://www.amazon.ca/Archetypal-Psychologies-Reflections-Honor-Hillman/dp/188267054X
- Peter Kingsley Catafalque: https://peterkingsley.org/product/catafalque/
- Edward Edinger Anatomy of the Psyche: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/anatomy-of-the-psyche-alchemical-symbolism-in-psychotherapy_edward-f-edinger/486783/#edition=3764623&idiq=10607188
- Susan Sontag Against Interpretation: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54889e73e4b0a2c1f9891289/t/564b6702e4b022509140783b/1447782146111/Sontag-Against+Interpretation.pdf
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a preview of a longer episode. To listen to the full conversation and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
On this episode I speak with Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen from the Nordic Animism YouTube channel.
This was a really fascinating conversation and we cover a lot of ground, from the almost lost ancient animist traditions of Scandinavia to the vibrant, ever-evolving animist practices of the African diaspora in Brazil.
We talk about the distinctions between animism and paganism, what makes animist traditions so resilient, and how the living animist practices of the global South could lead us in the North toward a post-Colonial, post-monotheistic future in which religious diversity and eclecticism are not only tolerated but celebrated, and reverence for other-than-human life is once again central to our spiritual practice.
This was a fun one and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Topics: animism, paganism, shamanism, condomblé, orishas, capoeira, post-colonialism
References:
- Rune's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nordicanimism
- Animist Manifesto: https://www.animism.org.uk/HarveyAnimism%20flyer.pdf
- Laughing at the Spirits article: https://www.e-flux.com/journal/36/61261/laughing-at-the-spirits-in-north-siberia-is-animism-being-taken-too-seriously/
- Maya Deren, Divine Horsemen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Horsemen:_The_Living_Gods_of_Haiti
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To support the podcast and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
A few days ago I saw that John was going to be offering a couple new seminars online, so I reached out to him and asked if he’d like to workshop his ideas with me beforehand and release it as a podcast.
He agreed, and what you’re going to hear is a raw and unedited conversation between the two of us, exploring the subjects of his two upcoming seminars.
The first one is called The Odyssey Of Aging: Transitioning from Hero to Elder and explores the question “How do men and women let go of outward driven goals and the pursuits of youth and live the second half of life as Elders, mentors and guides?”
The second conversation is on Creativity, Addiction and Passivity and explores the differences between creativity and addiction, and how addiction blocks creativity and stifles emotional maturation.
As usual, I really enjoyed speaking with John and value him as a mentor and elder. I hope you enjoy listening in on our discussion, and if you’re listening to this before September 30, 2023 and are interested in checking out the live seminars, you can go to higherthoughtinstitute.com or check the link in the description. For you counselors and therapists, these seminars are approved for continuing education credits.
Even if you’re not in the helping professions, John’s very practical and down-to-earth approach will make this information accessible and useful for anyone to get the benefit.
Links:
http://johnleebooks.com
https://higherthoughtinstitute.com/product/september-30-2023-john-lee-ma-webinar/
References:
- Allen Chinen, Beyond the Hero: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/beyond-the-hero_allan-b-chinen/825131
- Rilke poem: https://dailypoetry.me/rilke/somewhere-to-the-east-theres-a-church/
- Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-rag-and-bone-shop-of-the-heart-a-poetry-anthology_henry-david-thoreau_robert-frost/258285
Things to Think, Robert Bly
Think in ways you've never thought before.
If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message
Larger than anything you've ever heard,
Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.
Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,
Maybe wounded and deranged; or think that a moose
Has risen out of the lake, and he's carrying on his antlers
A child of your own whom you've never seen.
When someone knocks on the door, think that he's about
To give you something large: tell you you're forgiven,
Or that it's not necessary to work all the time, or that it's
Been decided that if you lie down no one will die.
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To support the podcast and gain exclusive access the first 100 episode archive, join the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Send a one time contribution to http://paypal.me/brianjamessoul
Show Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Description:
A few days ago I saw that John was going to be offering a couple new seminars online, so I reached out to him and asked if he’d like to workshop his ideas with me beforehand and release it as a podcast.
He agreed, and what you’re going to hear is a raw and unedited conversation between the two of us, exploring the subjects of his two upcoming seminars.
The first one is called The Odyssey Of Aging: Transitioning from Hero to Elder and explores the question “How do men and women let go of outward driven goals and the pursuits of youth and live the second half of life as Elders, mentors and guides?”
The second conversation is on Creativity, Addiction and Passivity and explores the differences between creativity and addiction, and how addiction blocks creativity and stifles emotional maturation.
As usual, I really enjoyed speaking with John and value him as a mentor and elder. I hope you enjoy listening in on our discussion, and if you’re listening to this before September 30, 2023 and are interested in checking out the live seminars, you can go to higherthoughtinstitute.com or check the link in the description. For you counselors and therapists, these seminars are approved for continuing education credits.
Even if you’re not in the helping professions, John’s very practical and down-to-earth approach will make this information accessible and useful for anyone to get the benefit.
Links:
http://johnleebooks.com
https://higherthoughtinstitute.com/product/september-30-2023-john-lee-ma-webinar/
References:
- Allen Chinen, Beyond the Hero: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/beyond-the-hero_allan-b-chinen/825131
- Rilke poem: https://dailypoetry.me/rilke/somewhere-to-the-east-theres-a-church/
- Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-rag-and-bone-shop-of-the-heart-a-poetry-anthology_henry-david-thoreau_robert-frost/258285
Things to Think, Robert Bly
Think in ways you've never thought before.
If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message
Larger than anything you've ever heard,
Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.
Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,
Maybe wounded and deranged; or think that a moose
Has risen out of the lake, and he's carrying on his antlers
A child of your own whom you've never seen.
When someone knocks on the door, think that he's about
To give you something large: tell you you're forgiven,
Or that it's not necessary to work all the time, or that it's
Been decided that if you lie down no one will die.
Support the podcast by making a small monthly contribution. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I speak with Anya Foxen, an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her research focuses on the intersection of South Asian yogic and tantric traditions with Western esotericism and metaphysical spiritualities. Her special areas of interest include gender and embodiment, as well as the interplay of religion and science. She is the author of three books including Is This Yoga? with Christa Kuberry and Inhaling Spirit (Oxford University Press, 2020).
This turned out to be a fun and loose conversation between two longtime yoga practitioners, where we talk about the roots of modern yoga in America and the influence of Western Esotericism on contemporary yoga theory and practice.
Howl in the Wilderness features deep and insightful conversations with renegade artists, philosophers, psychologists and spiritual teachers who are working on the edge of dominant culture to recover and revive soul in people and the planet.
If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to early release of episodes and the full podcast archives, considering joining the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Links:
https://www.anyafoxen.com
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
On this episode I welcome back my friend and mentor Thomas Moore, the internationally renowned author of such classics as Care of the Soul and A Religion of One’s Own, editor of the essential James Hillman collection A Blue Fire, and someone who has been teaching soul-centered psychology to therapists, psychiatrists and other caregivers for over 30 years.
In this conversation, we begin to explore questions around what makes a good therapist and what kind of education helps to create a foundation for depth psychology. It’s a topic that’s as vast and deep as the soul itself, and after an hour and a half we really just begin to scratch the surface. I’m hoping that this is just the first of many conversations with Thomas on this theme.
Topics: psychology, Carl Jung, James Hillman, soul, mythology, language, mythopoetics
Sign up for Tom's Soul Psychology course: http://thomasmooresoul.com
Links:
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
This episode has been a long time coming. Over the past five years, Bayo Akomolafe has consistently been the most frequently requested guest. At last, the gods conspired to bring us together to howl about the Trickster in global traditions and what their role might be in the unmaking of the old world and the ongoing creation of the new.
Our conversation takes us on a far reaching journey from the rich cultural soil of ancient Africa to the desolate plains of modernity and trails off on a delightfully blasphemous note, suggesting that within the figure of Yeshua hides the Yoruban trickster deity (Y)Eshu(a).
Please join us as we unravel and revel in the complexities of the Trickster and their role in making and unmaking the world.
Topics: Eshu, trickster, colonization, cultural appropriation whiteness, language, ecology, post-activism
Links:
https://www.bayoakomolafe.net
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
.
On this episode I speak with artist, poet and writer Marlene Seven Bremner about her new book The Hermetic Marriage of Art & Alchemy: Imagination, Creativity, and the Great Work (Inner Traditions, 2023), billed as an initiatory and practical guide to creative alchemy.
If you're interested in how alchemy relates to creativity and depth psychology, I'm sure you'll enjoy this conversation.
.
Topics: alchemy, imagination, art, creative process, Carl Jung, depth psychology
.
Links:
https://marlenesevenbremner.com
https://www.patreon.com/sevenart
http://brianjames.ca
http://instagram.com/brianjames.soulwork
http://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Howl in the Wilderness features deep and insightful conversations with renegade artists, philosophers, psychologists and spiritual teachers who are working on the edge of dominant culture to recover and revive soul in people and the planet.
On this episode I speak with renegade Jungian, author and spiritual teacher Paul Levy about his latest book Undreaming Wetiko, and what we can do to combat the archetypal forces of evil that conspire to keep us complacent and asleep in the dream.
If you’d like to support the podcast, considering joining the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Thanks for listening.
Tags: Carl Jung | Archetype | Wetiko | Evil | Psychology | Dream
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Howl in the Wilderness features deep and insightful conversations with renegade artists, philosophers, psychologists and spiritual teachers who are working on the edge of dominant culture to recover and revive soul in people and the planet.
On this episode I speak with author and psychologist Rachel Harris about her new book Swimming in the Sacred, which features the stories of 12 female elders of the underground psychedelic therapy movement.
https://www.swimminginthesacred.com/
If you’d like to support the podcast, considering joining the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Thanks for listening.
Tags: psychedelics | therapy | ayahuasca | women
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Howl in the Wilderness features deep and insightful conversations with renegade artists, philosophers, psychologists and spiritual teachers who are working on the edge of dominant culture to recover and revive soul in people and the planet.
On this episode I speak with author and Senior Maverick at Wired magazine Kevin Kelly about his new book Excellent Advice for Living. In our conversation, we focus on his advice for entrepreneurs and freelancers.
http://kk.org
If you’d like to support the podcast, considering joining the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Thanks for listening.
Tag: addiction | recovery | psychedelics | dislocation theory | Bruce Alexander | Carl Jung | James Hillman | Rudolf Steiner
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation. If you’d like to listen to the full episode and support the podcast, consider becoming part of the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Howl in the Wilderness features deep and insightful conversations with renegade artists, philosophers, psychologists and spiritual teachers who are working on the edge of dominant culture to recover and revive soul in people and the planet.
On this episode I speak with Author, Recovery Activist, and Researcher Piers Kaniuka about reimagining addiction, recovery, and community in the 21st century.
Resistance Recovery: https://www.youtube.com/@RESISTANCERECOVERY
If you’d like to support the podcast, considering joining the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Thanks for listening.
Tag: addiction | recovery | psychedelics | dislocation theory | Bruce Alexander | Carl Jung | James Hillman | Rudolf Steiner
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Howl in the Wilderness (formerly Medicine Path with Brian James) features deep and insightful conversations with renegade artists, philosophers, psychologists and spiritual teachers who are working on the edge of dominant culture to recover and revive soul in people and the planet.
On this episode I speak with David Solomon about his time with renegade philosopher and anti-guru UG Krishnamurti.
Learn more about UG: https://www.ugkrishnamurti.net
If you’d like to support the podcast, considering joining the pack over at patreon.com/howlinthewilderness
Thanks for listening! Awwwoooo!
More info at http://brianjames.ca
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I welcome back Thomas Moore to talk about his new book The Eloquence of Silence.
While modern culture tends to avoid emptiness as much as possible, in The Eloquence of Silence: Surprising Wisdom in Tales of Emptiness, New York Times bestselling author Thomas Moore makes a compelling case for an easier, lighter way of moving through life by embracing the peace, calm, and spaciousness that emptiness offers.
The Eloquence of Silence offers a collection of traditional stories and ideas about emptiness that explore the value of silence, empty space, and letting go.
The Eloquence of Silence is ultimately about simplifying our way of living and being in the world with transparency. Tom encourages readers to consider that the habit of constant multitasking, like listening to a podcast while taking a walk or constantly being distracted by our phones, often means missing the heart and soul of what is happening around us. And the daily recognition of quiet spaciousness is not a retreat from reality, but a rich and full opportunity to experience all that is most meaningful and real.
Tom's Website: http://thomasmooresoul.com
➤ GO DEEPER
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Medicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
➤ SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How did things get so f*cked up?
Like a true elder, Stephen hears my troubled plea and hangs with me as we traverse great swathes of time and geography, tracking the catholic project to convert the world to Christianity that began with Paul the Apostle, through to Columbus opening the door for colonization of the so-called New World by the Puritans, up to the modern era of residential schools, globalization, AI and the revival of Christian conservatism.
It's not an easy ride. Over the course of our conversation the range of emotions and responses is as broad as the story of How We Got Here. Grief, sorrow, bewilderment, joy and praise all make an appearance.
By the end, I'm mentally and emotionally spent and confess, "I can't take any more!" Stephen laughs and says, "I'm not sure I can take any more either." As Stephen says repeatedly, there are no answers, no way to fix things. But perhaps by wondering How We Got Here, we start to get a glimpse of How Things Could Be Otherwise and along the way, uncover a few hints on how to proceed like an ancestor worthy of being claimed.
➤ GO DEEPER
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Medicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
➤ SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
➤ GUEST BIO
Culture activist, worker, author Stephen Jenkinson teaches internationally and is the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School, co-founded the school with his wife Nathalie Roy in 2010, convening semi-annually in Deacon, Ontario, and in northern Europe.
Website: http://orphanwisdom.com
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Note: This is a rebroadcast of episode 70, recorded April 21 2021 with improved audio levels. This conversation was too good to let bad audio potentially get in the way of you enjoying it.
Martin Shaw is widely regarded as one of the most exciting teachers of the mythic imagination. He is the author of the award winning A Branch From The Lightning Tree, Scatterlings: Getting Claimed in the Age of Amnesia (2016), Courting the Wild Twin (2020), and the upcoming Smokehole: Looking to the Wild in the Time of the Spyglass (2021). He is director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK, and devised and led the Oral Tradition course at Stanford University.
In our conversation we touch on many topics close to my heart: storytelling, mythology, honouring our teachers and mentors, cultivating a sense of belonging and serving the spirit of the land in the place we claim as home.
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.
— Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks
Martin's websites:
Names invoked:
Robert Bly, Michael Meade, James Hillman, Martín Prechtel, Malidoma Somé, Federico García Lorca, Arshile Gorky, Willem De Kooning, Rumi
+++
GO DEEPER
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Medicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
+++
SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I speak with Adam Aronovich, who I met six years ago when I arrived at an ayahuasca retreat centre in the Peruvian Amazon to teach yoga for a few months. Adam lived and worked there for four years, facilitating retreats and performing research on healing outcomes among the Western participants.
Since that time, we’ve been keeping an eye on each others work and have found ourselves arriving at similar viewpoints about the problems and limitations of what he calls healing culture.
The catalyst for this conversation are the two recent articles I’ve published outlining my critique of what I’ve termed Traumadelic Culture, which is in my view, the result of the assimilation and capture of psychedelic culture by therapies that are obsessively focused on childhood trauma and perpetuate a victim narrative that disempowers and depoliticizes individuals. In my critique, I draw the work of post-Jungian psychologist James Hillman, as well as my study of yoga and other indigenous healing systems.
As a doctoral candidate in Anthropology and Communications focusing on Medical Anthropology and Cultural Psychiatry, as well as years of on-the-ground experience, Adam brings an acute awareness of the cultural and political impacts that spiritual tourism and the exportation of Western ideals and prejudices have on indigenous healing systems and local cultures.
And through his popular Instagram account @HealingFromHealing which is full of darkly funny and acerbic critiques of healing culture, he lends a bit of much-needed catharsis and levity to the conversation.
➤ LINKS
Adam's website: http://healingfromhealing.com
The Rise of Traumadelic Culture & The Capture of Psychedelics: https://medicinepath.me/journal/traumadelic-culture
Beyond Trauma: Re-Visioning Trauma Therapy: https://medicinepath.me/journal/beyondtrauma
➤ RELATED EPISODES
MPP78 Jeremy Narby https://tinyurl.com/mpp78-JeremyNarby
MPP44 Carlos Suarez-Alvarez https://tinyurl.com/mpp44-carlossuarezalvarez
MPP09 Jeronimo Mazarrasa https://tinyurl.com/mpp09-jeronimomazarrasa
➤ GO DEEPER
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Medicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
➤ SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
“If men's tales are about men, they are also for women: for wives, mothers, daughters, lovers, and co-workers, bewildered and infuriated by the men around them.”
— Beyond the Hero: Classic Stories of Men in Search of Soul
NOTE: Initially we were experiencing some connection issues — both technical and otherwise — until an interruption (by the Trickster?) about 20 minutes in. We restarted and found a nice rhythm and flow, so please stick with it. There's some great stuff in this conversation!
Allan B. Chinen, MD is a psychiatrist in private practice in San Francisco and Clinical Professor Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. He has lectured extensively and presented numerous workshops on the role of myths, fairy tales and legends on our life stories.
In our conversation we mainly focus on his 1993 book Beyond the Hero: Classic Stories of Men in Search of Soul which offers a vision of the post-heroic journey that is relevant not just to men struggling with the transition into middle age, but also to the sons, daughters and spouses who care for them.
Through a retelling and analysis of classic stories that portray a part of the male psyche that is normally buried under conventional male roles, heroic ideals, and patriarchal ambitions, the post-heroic journey dramatically breaks with traditional Western masculine values and typical stereotypes, by making a case for the Trickster as the guiding archetype of the midlife passage.
Topics: myth, fairy tales, archetypes, men, midlife, trickster, shaman, mentor
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GO DEEPER
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Medicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
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SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rebecca Wildbear is the author of Wild Yoga: A Practice of Initiation, Veneration & Advocacy for the Earth.
Rebecca came to yoga after a life-threatening encounter with cancer in her twenties, and over years of study and teaching developed an approach called Wild Yoga which empowers individuals to tune in to the mysteries that live within the earth community, dreams, and their own wild nature so they may live a life of creative service.
She has been leading Wild Yoga programs since 2007 and also guides nature and soul programs through Animas Valley Institute.
You can find out more about her at rebeccawildbear.com
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GO DEEPER
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
+++
SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode I speak with Carl Abrahamsson about his latest book Source Magic: The Origin of Art, Science & Culture.
The main theme that emerged during our conversation is about the relationship between Carl Jung's idea of individuation and the practice of magic, a topic Carl explores in an essay entitled The Magic of Individuation from his book.
Carl Abrahamsson is a writer, publisher, magico-anthropologist, filmmaker, and photographer. Since the mid-1980s he has been active in the international magical community, integrating “occulture” as a way of life and lecturing about his findings and speculations. He is the author of numerous books on art and the occult as well as the editor and publisher of the annual anthology of occulture, The Fenris Wolf, he lives in Småland, Sweden.
You can learn more about Carl’s work at his website carlabrahamsson.com
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
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SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This bonus episode is a recording of a conversation I had with Asher Packman of the Fifth Direction platform, based in Australia (https://thefifthdirection.com).
Asher reached out to me to talk about my work, and it was a nice opportunity to be on the other side of the questions for once. As an intuitive introvert type, it’s not my natural inclination to talk about my ideas unless it’s in the context of a conversation — which is why these intros tend to be short and to the point.
So, I enjoyed having the chance to try putting together some of the ideas I’ve been working with lately, and hope that you get something out of this conversation.
We touch on a number of topics, including men’s work, the Magician and Trickster archetype, the importance of male mentorship, and some initial thoughts I have about addressing the epidemic of despair that’s afflicting record numbers of middle-aged men here in the West.
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GO DEEPER
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Medicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
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SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I welcome Marlene Seven Bremner on to talk about her book Hermetic Philosophy & Creative Alchemy.
Marlene is a self-taught oil painter, writer, and teacher who has spent more than 20 years exploring esoteric and spiritual traditions, including Hermeticism, alchemy, surrealism, symbolism, tarot, psychology, magic, astrology, shamanism, and mythology. She developed her career as an artist in the Pacific Northwest and now spends her time painting and writing in the New Mexico desert.
You can view Marlene’s paintings and find out more about her work at: https://marlenesevenbremner.com
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
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SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode, it’s my great pleasure to welcome back psychotherapist, educator and author Edward Tick to talk about his latest book Soul Medicine: Healing Through Dream Incubation, Visions, Oracles and Pilgrimage.
If you’re interested in hearing more about Ed’s personal journey, I recommend also checking out episode 80 of the podcast.
For many decades, Ed has devoted himself to studying and practicing depth psychology and the ancient Greek healing arts, and has led pilgrimages to Greece and Vietnam as a guide for those seeking a form of holistic healing beyond the limits of what modern medicine and psychology can offer.
In his new book, Ed delves deeply into the philosophical, mythological and cultural origins of modern medicine and psychology in an attempt to recover their archetypal roots. Drawing on both ancient wisdom and modern depth psychology as well as stories of healings from his more than 25 years of guiding Vietnam veterans and others on pilgrimages, Soul Medicine offers a vision of how we can all use ancient healing philosophies and practices to achieve holistic healing today.
As I mentioned in the intro to the last episode, I’m hoping to have more conversations with less well-known folks who have found soul recovery and healing through the creative arts. If you’re someone who fits that description, or knows someone like that, please feel free to reach out via Instagram @revealingthesoul or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
Long life, honey in the heart
White roads paved with the eyebrows of the moon, which is sea foam
Yellow roads, all colour roads, which are paved with abundance
From the tail of the morning star, which is a deer
No evil
Thirteen thank yous
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Ed’s website: https://www.edwardtick.com
Purchase Soul Medicine: https://amzn.to/3JIT6N4
+++
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Become a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
+++
SUPPORT & APPRECIATION
Send a gift from our wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7
Make a one-time contribution via:
PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I speak with Sean Alec Auld from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne about how his apprenticeship as a stone worker was integral to his recovery from substance abuse and how it had the unexpected side-effect of connecting him to soul, land and the ancient folklore of his Anglo Saxon ancestors.
Sean's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.name.of.stone
Sean’s story is a perfect example of what I mean when I talk about how your medicine path is your own unique process of soul recovery, healing and growth. It’s a path that is laid out just for you, and if we listen to the prompts and urgings from our guiding spirit or daimon, it will lead us on our journey toward wholeness and reveal to us what is the medicine we have to offer the world.
It was a lovely chat and I hope that it inspires and encourages you to follow your medicine path. I’d like to have more conversations with regular folks like Sean who may not be well known outside their local community. If you know someone who has an inspiring story to tell, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @revealingthesoul or send an email to hello@brianjames.ca
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Join the conversation by becoming a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
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Donate to support this work!
Bitcoin: 18GN22NsbzA8cXdioabNPWfmX6t6Yj7gcj
PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyoga
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Writer, teacher and psychologist Dr. Sharon Blackie talks with guest host Debbie Stapleton about her latest book Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life.
Deftly interweaving myth, psychology and memoir, Sharon Blackie argues that menopause ushers in a rich and vibrant new phase of life, and explores the many different ways in which women can flourish during what is so often portrayed as a time of decline.
Hagitude unearths the stories of the little-known but powerful elder women in European myth and folklore, inspiring readers to imagine that the last decades of our lives might be the most dynamic of all. This moving and uplifting book will inspire a new generation of female elders: women who have reclaimed their Inner Hag, matured into their own unique brand of hagitude and who are ready to pass down their deep feminine wisdom for the benefit of the wider Earth community.
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Sharon Blackie, PhD, is an award-winning writer of fiction and nonfiction and a psychologist who has specialized in neuroscience, narrative, mythology, and Celtic studies. Her work has been published extensively in professional journals and consumer media, and she offers workshops and seminars worldwide and online. She lives in Wales, UK. https://sharonblackie.net
Debra Stapleton is a Canadian artist, singer, herbalist, and twice-certified astrologer. She offers holistic astrology readings & courses for those seeking a soulful life through a deeper connection to the cosmos. http://starfruitastrology.com
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Join the conversation by becoming a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
Sound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A short check-in to share some gratitude, new intentions for the podcast and online community, and a couple of requests.
Happy new year and thanks for all your support!
Brian
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Continue the conversation
Become a member of the Medicine Path community & online school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Work 1-on-1 with soul recovery guide and mentor Brian James: http://medicinepath.me
Download the free Soul Recovery eBook and other resources: http://medicinepath.me/resources
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction, gabor maté
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series I read chapters from my 2019 book Yoga & Plant Medicine: Integrating Yoga & Psychedelics for Your Healing, Growth & Transformation.
Print version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Plant-Medicine-Psychedelics-Transformation/dp/1088479847
Digital download from my website: https://www.brianjames.ca/downloads/p/yoga-amp-plant-medicine-pdf
Tags: yoga, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychedelics, healing, trauma, addiction
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I’m honoured to welcome back to the podcast author and psychotherapist Thomas Moore, who I previously had on episodes 57 and 75.
Tom has been a constant companion on my own medicine path, and one of the key inspirations and mentors for my approach to counseling others on their journey toward living a life of deeper meaning and purpose.
I’ve had the privilege to study with Tom over the past year in his Soul Psychology course, and through that process have gotten to know him, and myself, a little better.
To round off the series of interviews I’ve been conducting as part of an exploration of my relationship to Christianity, I thought it would be fitting to speak to Tom about his journey with Christianity, particularly how the teachings and model of Jesus have informed his soulful approach to life.
We focus our conversation primarily on his 2009 book Writing in the Sand: Jesus & the Soul of the Gospels, which offers his unique insights into the deeper meanings of Jesus’ teachings and how they can help us create a happier and more meaningful life, free of dogma and fundamentalism.
I hope you are nourished by our chat as much as I was.
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LINKS
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Tom’s Soul Psychology course: https://www.thomasmooresoul.com/courses
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On this episode I speak with author of Jesus Through Pagan Eyes and former ordained minister Mark Townsend, who left the Church of England to follow a calling to explore the earth-based path of Druidry. Mark is now an independent “hedge priest” who performs life ceremonies that weave together rituals and customs from nature-based traditions of British Celtic culture.
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LINKS
Mark’s website: marktownsendministry.co.uk
Mark’s book: Jesus Through Pagan Eyes
NAME DROPS
Philip Carr-Gomm: philipcarr-gomm.com
Emma Restall Orr
Richard Rohr: cac.org
Matthew Fox: dailymeditationswithmatthewfox.org
Cynthia Bourgeault: cynthiabourgeault.org
Henri Nouwen: henrinouwen.org
Gerard W. Hughes, God In All Things
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On this episode I welcome Berlin-based Jungian analyst and creator of the Psychology & The Cross podcast, Jakob Lusensky. On his podcast, Jakob has been speaking with prominent Jungians and Christian theologians about the intersections of psychology and religion so I thought he’d be a great person to have on to talk about Jung’s complex relationship to Christianity.
READING LIST:
•Hillman, J. Shamdasani, S. Lament of the Dead: Psychology After Jung’s Red Book, 2013, W.W. Norton & Company
•Kempis, T. My Imitation of Christ, 1982, Confraternity of the Precious Blood
•Homans, P. Jung in Context Modernity and the Making of a Psychology, 1979, The University of Chicago Press
•Stein, M. Jung’s Treatment of Christianity: The Psychotherapy of a Religious Tradition, 2015, Chiron Publications
•Giegerich, W. Dreaming the Myth Onwards: C.G Jung on Christianity and on Hegel, 2020, Routledge
•Lammers, A.C In God’s shadow The Collaboration of Victor White and C.G Jung, 1994, Paulist Press
•Cook, Amy, Jung and Kierkegaard: Researching a Kindred Spirit in the Shadows, 2018, Routledge
•Jehle-Wildberger M. C.G Jung Adolf Keller, On Theology & Psychology, 2020, Philemon Foundation
•Jaffé, A., Jung, C.G., Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1961, Random House
LINKS:
Psychology & The Cross podcast: http://cross.center
Medicine Path Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Soul-Centered Counselling & Resources: http://brianjames.ca
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On this episode I speak to William Barnard, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University and author of the book Liquid Light: Ayahuasca Spirituality and the Santo Daime Tradition.
Professor Barnard has previously written books on William James and Henri Bergson, but in this latest work he writes about his first hand experience as an initiate in the syncretic Brazilian church of the Santo Daime, which uses ayahuasca as a sacrament.
This episode has been a long time coming. My experiences in the Santo Daime church have played a big part in the arc of my life since my first ceremony with them back in 2010.
I’ve been wanting to speak with someone about the Santo Daime since starting this podcast four years ago, but wanted to make sure that it was someone who wasn’t just approaching it from an academic or anthropological perspective. To know anything at all about the Santo Daime you have to drink Daime many times in different contexts.
In that respect, Bill is the perfect guest to discuss this complex topic. In our conversation we talk a little bit about the history of the Santo Daime, but mainly focus on the mystical aspects of the religion, which includes the practice of incorporating spiritual entities.
Bill’s website: http://liquidlightbook.com
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On this episode I speak with two OGs of the mythopoetic men’s movement, Walton Stanley and Timothy Young.
Walton and Tim currently organize the Minnesota Men’s Conference, and were there way back in 1984 when it was founded by poet Robert Bly.
They share some great stories about the early days, and talk about how men’s work has contributed to their lives and local communities. They also offer their perspective on how men’s work has evolved over the years, and where they see it going in the future, and finally, they address some of the criticisms against the early men’s movement as being a reaction against feminism.
Over the years, I’ve received so much inspiration and encouragement from listening to the Minnesota Men’s Conference archival recordings featuring wise elders like Robert Bly, Michael Meade, James Hillman, Robert Moore and Martín Prechtel.
I’m deeply grateful to Walton and Tim for keeping the home fire burning over there in the Northeast and for generously sharing the collective wisdom from decades of men’s conferences for free.
I highly recommend subscribing to the Minnesota Men’s Conference YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/MensConference) and if you’re interested in attending the conference in person, visit https://minnesotamensconference.com
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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On this episode I speak to William Barnard, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University and author of the book Liquid Light: Ayahuasca Spirituality and the Santo Daime Tradition.
Professor Barnard has previously written books on William James and Henri Bergson, but in this latest work he writes about his first hand experience as an initiate in the syncretic Brazilian church of the Santo Daime, which uses ayahuasca as a sacrament.
This episode has been a long time coming. My experiences in the Santo Daime church have played a big part in the arc of my life since my first ceremony with them back in 2010.
I’ve been wanting to speak with someone about the Santo Daime since starting this podcast four years ago, but wanted to make sure that it was someone who wasn’t just approaching it from an academic or anthropological perspective. To know anything at all about the Santo Daime you have to drink Daime many times in different contexts.
In that respect, Bill is the perfect guest to discuss this complex topic. In our conversation we talk a little bit about the history of the Santo Daime, but mainly focus on the mystical aspects of the religion, which includes the practice of incorporating spiritual entities.
Bill’s website: http://liquidlightbook.com
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I speak with two OGs of the mythopoetic men’s movement, Walton Stanley and Timothy Young.
Walton and Tim currently organize the Minnesota Men’s Conference, and were there way back in 1984 when it was founded by poet Robert Bly.
They share some great stories about the early days, and talk about how men’s work has contributed to their lives and local communities. They also offer their perspective on how men’s work has evolved over the years, and where they see it going in the future, and finally, they address some of the criticisms against the early men’s movement as being a reaction against feminism.
Over the years, I’ve received so much inspiration and encouragement from listening to the Minnesota Men’s Conference archival recordings featuring wise elders like Robert Bly, Michael Meade, James Hillman, Robert Moore and Martín Prechtel.
I’m deeply grateful to Walton and Tim for keeping the home fire burning over there in the Northeast and for generously sharing the collective wisdom from decades of men’s conferences for free.
I highly recommend subscribing to the Minnesota Men’s Conference YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/MensConference) and if you’re interested in attending the conference in person, visit https://minnesotamensconference.com
Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is part two of my conversation with Australian intellectual, writer and scholar of Jung and religion David Tacey.
In part one we spoke at length about his time in analysis with famed post-Jungian writer James Hillman, including David’s critique and praise of Hillman’s psychology.
In this second half we get into a discussion around Jung and religion, David’s book Religion as Metaphor, and the limitations of both Jungian psychology and religious literalism. In the end we digress into some good old fashioned gossip and David lets rip on misogyny in depth psychology and why Jordan Peterson pisses him off so much.
On this episode I speak with David Tacey, an Australian public intellectual, writer and scholar. David has written and taught extensively on Jung, spirituality and Christianity and is Professor Emeritus of Literature at La Trobe University in Melbourne and Research Professor at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture.
In our conversation, David shares his memories of meeting and working with the renowned post-Jungian writer James Hillman. While I’ve spoken with other people like Thomas Moore who worked closely with Hillman, this is the first time I’ve talked to someone who was actually in analysis with him.
David offers some unique insights into Hillman and his work, as well as a few criticisms. Some of you might know David from the articles he published a few years ago critiquing Hillman’s work and legacy titled The Unmaking of a Psychologist. Those articles were my first introduction to David and his work and I appreciate his outsider perspective on Hillman and the Jungian approach to religion, and more specifically, Christianity.
David was very generous with his time, so I’ve decided to split our conversation into two parts. The second part will deal more specifically with Jung and Religion.
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Wondering about belonging, mystical experience and religion with writer and activist Stephen Jenkinson.
On this episode I welcome back Stephen Jenkinson for the fourth time on the podcast. If you’re not already familiar with Stephen’s work I recommend checking out episodes 14, 45 and 69.
For those of you who are familiar with Stephen’s work, you’ll know that he is a special kind of teacher. I know he prefers not to think of himself that way, but my interactions with him always stretch my brain in really productive but often challenging ways, and that to me is in essence what it means to be a teacher.
This conversation was no different.
We got together on the occasion of the release of a new book that he collaborated on with Kimberly Johnson, called Reckoning. We touch on what brought about that work, but the bulk of our conversation centers around Stephen’s journey to obtaining a Master’s in Theology from Harvard Divinity School and how that lead him to start working as a Social Worker and eventually to the work he’s best known for as a Palliative Care counsellor.
Along the way we hear about his mysterious encounter with an angel at the Notre Dame Cathedral following a near death experience at sea, and wonder together about what it means to belong to a place, particularly for those of us who are relative newcomers to this land called Turtle Island.
As it often happens after speaking with Stephen, I’m left with some questions that continue to haunt me. In particular, what it means to belong, and the question that we end with, does Christianity belong in North America?
As usual, it’s better not to expect any clear cut answers from Stephen but be open to having some new questions to consider. Personally, I take the advice of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who suggested the following in his letters to the young poet Franz Kappus back in 1903:
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
Stephen's website: http://orphanwisdom.com
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Professor Sean McGrath is a former monk who studied at the CG Jung Institute in Zurich which makes him a perfect person for me to talk to about wrestling with my Christian heritage and encounters with the Christ I've had through yoga and psychedelics.
Sean J. McGrath researches and teaches in the areas of metaphysics, classical German philosophy (Kant to Heidegger), phenomenology and hermeneutics, and psychoanalysis at Memorial University in St. John's Newfoundland.
I discovered Sean through the excellent Psychology & The Cross podcast, which you can listen to here: https://cross.center
Links
Join the Medicine Path Inner Circle at http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Medicine Path yoga practices: http://medicinepathyoga.com
The Four Initiations 6-week coaching program for men: http://fourinitiations.com
Psycho-spiritual Counseling & Coaching with Brian James: http://brianjames.ca
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This excerpt is from Robert Moore's lecture series entitled The Warrior Within, which is available from the CG Jung Institute of Chicago and republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Robert L Moore was an American Jungian analyst and consultant in private practice in Chicago, Illinois. He was the Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology, Psychoanalysis and Spirituality at the Chicago Theological Seminary; a training analyst at the CG Jung Institute of Chicago; and director of research for the Institute for the Science of Psychoanalysis. He was author and editor of numerous books in psychology and spirituality, and lectured internationally on his formulation of a Neo-Jungian paradigm for psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.
Robert Moore is probably best known as the senior author, along with Douglas Gillette, of a series of books on the in-depth structure of the male psyche, drawing on the account of the archetypal level of the human psyche developed by CG Jung. The most well known of these books is King, Warrior, Magician, Lover, which remains a seminal text of the ever-evolving men’s movement.
To find out about my coaching program for men based on the work of Robert Moore and CG Jung, visit http://fourinitiations.com
I'm offering a 25% discount on the program until September 2022.
*Please note: the audio quality of the original tapes is quite poor but I've done my best to optimize it for clarity and ease of listening. I hope you can overlook (overhear?) the poor audio and appreciate the excellent content.
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Scholar, writer and psychotherapist Mark Vernon joins us once again to guide us through Dante's Divine Comedy as a map of the spiritual journey.
Mark's podcast: https://www.markvernon.com
Support the podcast by becoming a Medicine Path Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Learn about my counseling practice, books and events at http://brianjames.ca
This is perhaps the most important podcast I’ve recorded so far, because it deals with a topic that is becoming increasingly relevant with the growing popularity of psychedelics, occult practices and technology.
On this episode I speak with Norwegian healer and author Are Thoresen about his 2020 book Demons and Healing: The Reality of the Demonic Threat and the Doppelgänger in the Light of Anthroposophy: Demonology, Christology and Medicine.
Are Thoresen was born in Norway in 1952. A doctor of veterinary medicine, he has also studied anthroposophic medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy and agriculture. Since 1981 he has run a private holistic practice in Sandefjord, Norway, for the healing of small animals and horses, as well as people. He has lectured widely, specializing in veterinary acupuncture, and has published dozens of scholarly articles. In 1984 he started to treat cancer patients, both human and animals, and this work has been the focus of much of his recent research. He is the author of Demons and Healing and several other books on complementary medicine.
In our conversation Are and I discuss many aspects of demonic entities and possession — how they are created, how they cause physical and mental disease, and how we can transform them and protect ourselves from them. In his books Are writes in great detail about these entities, and trust me, it can begin to feel pretty complex and overwhelming.
In an attempt to keep this conversation grounded and relatable, I thought it would be helpful if I shared my personal experience with a demonic entity that I encountered while experimenting with astral projection as a teenager, and how I dealt with it 20 years later in the Santo Daime ayahuasca church.
This experience is something that I’ve only talked about with 2 or 3 people over the years, and while I’m a little reluctant to share it publicly, I feel that it could actually save someone’s life. It’s that important.
•••
Timestamps
4:20 Introduction
8:22 Early spiritual life (Anthroposophy, spirits, Christianity)
13:10 Demons, entities, psychedelics & disease
16:35 Possession & translocation of entities
20:40 Guarding against opening portals
21:40 My experience with a demonic entity
28:50 Are diagnoses my opening
29:57 Closing portals
32:00 Types of entities & disease
38:49 Different types of attacks
40:25 Ayahuasca and opening portals
42:20 Protecting yourself in ceremony
45:00 Translocation vs. Transformation of entities
46:10 Strengthening the “I”
53:16 The protective power of music
53:56 The dangers of technology
57:30 Memory of water & homeopathy
58:49 What psychedelic “therapy” is getting wrong
1:02:15 “Opening the middle” in electronic devices and in healing work
1:13:40 What changed after Christ
1:16:36 The need for spiritual warriors and spiritual healing
•••
Support the Podcast!
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
•••
Links:
Donate: http://ko-fi.com/brianjames / http://paypal.me/medicinepathyoga
Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
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Become a member of the Medicine Path Inner Circle and gain early access to new episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and full podcast archives. https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath.
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https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath
Originally published October 2019
Danielle Tarantola, founder and director of Yoga Foundation and teaching since 1998, is certified by the Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation at Teacher, Teacher Trainer, and Yoga Therapist levels.
She aligns with the powerful and practical teachings of Krishnamacharya as learned directly through TKV Desikachar and his primary students in Chennai, South India, over 13 trips to Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. Continued and extensive teaching, practicing, and studying inspire her to ensure that yoga’s profound wisdom comes through clearly, simply, and with total relevancy for our modern times and conditions.
She continues to learn with her Vedic Chant mentor of 17 years, Radha Sundararajan.
**Correction: In the intro I mention that Danielle is based in New Jersey. She is based on Long Island, NY.
Danielle’s website: https://www.yoga-foundation.com
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https://plus.acast.com/s/medicinepath
Originally published August 2019
Don Rosenthal is the author of The Uncharted Journey, and Learning to Love, which he co-authored with his partner of 48 years Martha.
For the past 30 years, Don and Martha have counselled couples and individuals in the Art of Relationship, their approach to intimate relationship as a spiritual path. In this conversation, Don talks about how he got started working with couples after his time living a monastic lifestyle in the wilds of Alaska; the keys to open hearted listening; advice on navigating difficult conversations; dealing with death; and some advice on writing.
Don & Martha’s website: http://awakeningtogether.com
This is an archived episode of the Medicine Path with Brian James
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Originally published July 2019
Molly Lannon Kenny is a teacher, therapist, and writer who has dedicated her life to the collective reclamation and liberation of the human spirit.
She believes in the inherent worthiness of all beings and uses her passion, knowledge and experience to inspire collective care and well-being. In the late 1990s, combining her extensive clinical background with her knowledge and experience in yoga, Molly developed Integrated Movement Therapy® – a therapy framework which centers the wholeness of the individual, incorporating movement, breath and contemplative practices to address the complexity and dimensionality of every lived experience.
In July 2000, Molly founded The Samarya Center in Seattle, Washington, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing yoga based therapy to people of all ages and abilities.
Molly is the author of the book No Gurus Came Knocking, a memoir about yoga and everyday life. She has also published a unique deck of yoga cards with a booklet describing the neurophysiologic perspective of Integrated Movement Therapy®, with several fun games and activities linking cognitive, linguistic and motor output from the games with their specific correlations in the brain.
Website: mollylannonkenny.org
Lead-in music: 66 Saints, “Collider” (w/ Molly K.)
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Originally published October 2018
On this episode, I speak with yoga therapy pioneer Gary Kraftsow. Gary has been instrumental in the development of yoga therapy in America over the past 40 years.
He began his study of yoga in India with T.K.V. Desikachar in 1974 and received his Masters Degree in Psychology and Religion from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1983. In 1999, he founded the American Viniyoga Institute. Since then, he has become a renowned speaker and teacher and has authored two books that I highly recommend, Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation.
Gary’s Website: https://www.viniyoga.com
Gary’s Books: Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation
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Originally published June 2018
Santiparro, aka Alan Scheurman is someone who I've been crossing paths with for a long time without actually meeting, so it was a real pleasure to finally sit down and connect with him. We covered a lot of ground in this one, beginning with his start in the Detroit indie music scene, his initiation into the peyote and ayahuasca medicine paths, why his brand of spiritual music isn't "cheezy", the spiritual technology of ikaros (ayahuasca healing songs) and the beauty of collaborating with his wife Indy.
He's got a new album coming out in August called The Talon, and I highly recommend checking out his first album as Santiparro called True Prayer, which is one of my all time favourites and one of the few "spiritual" albums that doesn't make me cringe.
Connect with Santiparro at http://santiparro.com and http://highpalmshealing.com
Music: "Rainbow in the Night" & "Now Act Now" both by Santiparro
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Dedicated to the respectful exchange between Indigenous teachings about health and healing and mainstream Western psychology, Richard Katz received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Harvard, where he taught for nearly 20 years.
Over the past 50 years, Dr. Katz has spent time working with Indigenous elders and healers in various parts of the world, including the primarily hunting-gathering Ju/'hoansi of the Kalahari Desert, the Indigenous Fijians of the South Pacific, the Sicangu Lakota of Rosebud Reservation, and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nations people of Saskatchewan. At the request of the Indigenous elders he has worked with, he seeks to bring their teachings into contact with mainstream psychology.
The aim is to encourage the mainstream to be more respectful of diversity, more committed to social action, and more appreciative of the spiritual dimension in health and healing. Dr. Katz has written 7 books on culture and healing. He is currently Professor Emeritus at First Nations University of Canada and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan. He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Dr. Katz can be reached at: rkatz@firstnationsuniversity.ca
•••
I’d love to hear what you think, so please feel free to make a comment if you’re listening to this on YouTube, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or send me an email at hello@brianjames.ca
If you enjoy this podcast, you might be interested in another one I’ve recently started called Soul Studies with Brian James, where I share readings from some of my favourite authors in the realm of spirituality and depth psychology. You can find a link to those episodes at my website http://brianjames.ca/soul-studies or search “Soul Studies with Brian James” wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
Support the Podcast!
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
•••
Links:
Donate: http://ko-fi.com/brianjames / http://paypal.me/medicinepathyoga Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Although perhaps not as well-known as his colleagues and friends Thomas Moore and James Hillman, Robert Sardello has nonetheless been a deeply influential presence for both of those thinkers and the countless students and clients he's attended to over the past 40+ years as a teacher, psychotherapist, author and spiritual guide.
Robert Sardello, Ph.D, is Co-founder and Co-director of The School of Spiritual Psychology, which began in 1992. He is author of many books on the power of soul and our relationship with the earth, and has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 40 years.
His main emphasis has been to develop theoretical and practical approaches to perceiving and being in right relation with the Soul of the World, showing that humans are pulled from the time stream from the future rather than pushed from the past, and developing the interior consciousness of the heart.
He has created new, yet very practical cultural visions in areas such as the meaning of books, the essence of service, the virtues, money, business, giving, healing, religion, living through the heart, and how to be in right relationship with and in the earth.
Robert's online school: http://www.heartfulsoul.com
Name drops: Carl Jung, Rudolf Steiner, James Hillman, Henry Corbin, Thomas Moore
•••
I’d love to hear what you think, so please feel free to make a comment if you’re listening to this on YouTube, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or send me an email at hello@brianjames.ca
If you enjoy this podcast, you might be interested in another one I’ve recently started called Soul Studies with Brian James, where I share readings from some of my favourite authors in the realm of spirituality and depth psychology. You can find a link to those episodes at my website http://brianjames.ca/soul-studies or search “Soul Studies with Brian James” wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
Support the Podcast!
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
•••
Links:
Donate: http://ko-fi.com/brianjames / http://paypal.me/medicinepathyoga Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Mark Vernon is a psychotherapist and author, living and practicing in London. His most recent books are Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey and A Secret History of Christianity which is the subject of this conversation.
We talk about a number of topics that we've been wrestling with on our own spiritual journeys, like how psychology, mystical experiences, non-heteronormative sexuality and exposure to Eastern non-dual philosophies might be reconciled with Christianity if we can get past the dogma and how the struggle to understand and come to terms with the more problematic aspects of Christianity can be a fruitful part of one's spiritual journey.
Mark's website: http://markvernon.com
Name drops: Owen Barfield, Carl Jung, Rupert Sheldrake, Father Bede Griffiths, tantra, non-duality, William Blake, Jesus Christ
I’d love to hear what you think, so please feel free to make a comment if you’re listening to this on YouTube, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or send me an email at hello@brianjames.ca
If you enjoy this podcast, you might be interested in another one I’ve recently started called Soul Studies with Brian James, where I share readings from some of my favourite authors in the realm of spirituality and depth psychology. You can find a link to those episodes at my website http://brianjames.ca/soul-studies or search “Soul Studies with Brian James” wherever you get your podcasts.
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Support the Podcast!
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Links:
Donate: http://ko-fi.com/brianjames / http://paypal.me/medicinepathyoga Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Eivind Skjellum is the founder of Reclaim Your Inner Throne, a program for men based on the work of neo-Jungian Robert L. Moore and his book King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. Eivind and I recorded an episode last week that covered the details of his 3-month program, which unfortunately was unusable due to poor sound quality.
When we sat down to try it again, our conversation turned into a broad and far-reaching discussion about many of the things we've been working with in our own lives, including:
- the future of men's work
- four primary masculine archetypes
- the hidden gift of addiction
- what is the significance of the current Christian revival?
- the Christ archetype
- preserving the legacy of Dr. Robert Moore
Name drops: Robert Moore, Carl Jung, Gabor Maté, Robert Bly, Jesus Christ
Eivind's website: http://inner-throne.com
Interview with Robert Moore's niece about the details of his death in 2016: https://youtu.be/3V3bTkByAM8
My 6-week program for men: http://fourinitiations.com
I’d love to hear what you think, so please feel free to make a comment if you’re listening to this on YouTube, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or send me an email at hello@brianjames.ca
If you enjoy this podcast, you might be interested in another one I’ve recently started called Soul Studies with Brian James, where I share readings from some of my favourite authors in the realm of spirituality and depth psychology. You can find a link to those episodes at my website http://brianjames.ca/soul-studies or search “Soul Studies with Brian James” wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
Support the Podcast!
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Links:
Donate: http://ko-fi.com/brianjames / http://paypal.me/medicinepathyoga Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
On this episode teacher, author and counselor Rick Jarow talks about his long spiritual journey through the worlds of academia, yoga, shamanism and plant medicine, along the way offering some insights into finding right livelihood and avoiding cultural misappropriation while benefiting from the gifts of living spiritual and healing traditions.
Rick’s website: http://rickjarow.com
Name drops: Hilda Charlton, Orestes Valdes, Carl Jung, Ram Dass, James Hillman, Carioca Freitas, ayahuasca, pachamama
I’d love to hear what you think, so please feel free to make a comment if you’re listening to this on YouTube, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or send me an email at hello@brianjames.ca
If you enjoy this podcast, you might be interested in another one I’ve recently started called Soul Studies with Brian James, where I share readings from some of my favourite authors in the realm of spirituality and depth psychology. You can find a link to those episodes at my website http://brianjames.ca/soul-studies or search “Soul Studies with Brian James” wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
Support the Podcast!
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Links:
Donate: http://ko-fi.com/brianjames / http://paypal.me/medicinepathyoga
Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
On this episode psychotherapist and author John Lee discusses his book Half-Lived Life: Overcoming Passivity & Rediscovering Your Authentic Self.
John Lee is a pioneer in the fields of self-help, anger, codependency, creativity, recovery, relationships and men’s issues. In the mental health field, he is considered the therapist’s therapist and regularly trains and mentors therapists on how to work with clients and how to work on themselves. He has taught his techniques and theories to thousands of individuals, couples, families, groups, corporations, and therapists all over the world.
After 35 years of touring nationally and internationally, bestselling author, John Lee, calls Austin, TX his home.
Website: https://johnleebooks.com/
Topics: men’s work, passivity, compassion, authenticity
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:
Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjames
Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Soul Studies is a new series of podcasts where I read excerpts from books that are currently inspiring me. In this episode I read from the first chapter of Rollo May’s 1975 book “The Courage to Create”. It struck me as a book that feels incredibly relevant to our cultural moment, particularly on the topics of despair, cultural divides and ideological fanaticism.
“People who claim to be absolutely convinced that their stand is the only right one are dangerous. Such conviction is the essence not only of dogmatism, but of its more destructive cousin, fanaticism. It blocks off the user from learning new truth, and it is a dead giveaway of unconscious doubt. The person then has to double his or her protests in order to quiet not only the opposition but his or her own unconscious doubts as well.”
Rollo May (1909-1994) taught at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, and was Regents' Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. An influential psychologist, he was the best-selling author of Love and Will, as well as the author of The Courage to Create, Man's Search for Himself, The Meaning of Anxiety, and Psychology and the Human Dilemma.
If you enjoyed this episode and want me to continue sharing work I find in the course of my Soul Studies, please let me know!
Email me: hello@brianjames.ca
Instagram: @revealingthesoul
Website: brianjames.ca
This is the third and final episode in a series that pays tribute to the poet, teacher and activist Robert Bly, who passed away on November 21 of this year.
That was Robert you heard at the top of the podcast, from the excellent film A Gathering of Men with journalist Bill Moyers. You can find the full video on the Medicine Path YouTube channel.
In this episode I speak with his old friend and colleague John Lee, who worked alongside Robert for many years leading men’s groups around the US. John is an early pioneer in the men’s movement and has worked for over 30 years teaching workshops on recovery, emotional intelligence, anger management and emotional regression.
John has been featured on Oprah, 20/20, Barbara Walters, The View, CNN, PBS, and NPR. He has been interviewed by Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and dozens of other national and international magazines and radio talk shows.
Personally, John’s work has helped me better understand some of my own emotional issues, and his down-to-earth wisdom continues to help me in my relationships to my wife, family, friends and clients.
In our conversation, John shares some deeply personal stories about his time with Robert, from the time he first met him as a young therapist in the 1980s up until Robert’s gradual decline into dementia.
Please join us as we share some laughs and shed a few tears remembering the man John is proud to call his mentor, colleague and friend — Robert Bly.
Website: https://johnleebooks.com/
Topics: robert bly, poetry, men’s work, writing, mentorship, elderhood
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
This is the second in a series of podcasts that pay tribute to poet, activist and author Robert Bly, who died a few weeks ago.
That was his voice you heard at the beginning of the podcast, reading the 15th century Indian poet Kabir and accompanied by live musicians. I think that little excerpt gives you a feeling for Robert’s spontaneity and humour, qualities that he helped awaken and nurture in today’s guest.
In this episode I speak with storyteller and mentor Michael Meade, who spent many years working side-by-side with Robert as part of the mythopoetic men’s movement. Michael was a central figure in that scene, bringing his deep knowledge of myth, story and initiation to the gatherings.
In our conversation Michael shares what it was like to work so closely with Robert, the ways in which they learned from each other and how they ended up parting ways. I’m so grateful to Michael for sharing these personal stories and reflections, because they offer some great insights for anyone involved in any kind of mentorship, leadership or men’s work.
So please, pull a chair up to the fire, lean in, and listen as Michael Meade pays tribute to his old friend, mentor and colleague Robert Bly…on the medicine path.
Website: http://mosaicvoices.org
Topics: robert bly, poetry, men’s work, writing, mentorship, elderhood
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Poet, activist and men's work pioneer Robert Bly died on November 21 at the age of 94. This is part one in a series of conversations with some of the people who knew him intimately.
Martin Shaw is an acclaimed teacher of myth and author of numerous books including his latest, Smoke Hole: Looking to the Wild in the Time of the Spyglass. He founded the Oral Tradition and Mythic Life courses at Stanford University, and is director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK.
He has introduced thousands of people to mythology and how it penetrates modern life. For twenty years Shaw has been a wilderness rites of passage guide, working with at-risk youth, those who are unwell, returning veterans as well as many women and men seeking a deeper life.
Website: http://drmartinshaw.com
Topics: robert bly, poetry, men’s work, writing, mentorship, elderhood
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
Edward Tick PhD has been has been working to heal the invisible wounds of war and violent trauma for over forty years and has led pilgrimages to Greece and Viet Nam for the past 20 years.
He has published many books and articles on healing veteran’s PTSD, including the award-winning War and the Soul, and his 2001 book The Practice of Dream Healing is a classic in depth psychology, offering the most comprehensive modern account of ancient Asklepian dream healing practices and the Western origins of medicine and psychotherapy, and their applications to holistic healing today.
Trauma specialist Peter Levine calls Ed’s audio program Warrior’s Return: Restoring the Soul After War “A masterpiece from one of our wisest elders for understanding the complex dimensions of war trauma.”
Ed's website: http://edwardtick.com
Topics: dreams, dream healing, shamanism, war, trauma, PTSD
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: http://medicinepathyoga.com
On this episode I welcome back Jungian therapist and shamanic practitioner C. Michael Smith, founder of Crow’s Nest Shamanism and author of Jung & Shamanism in Dialogue.
In this conversation we look at the topic of shadow work from both the Jungian and shamanic viewpoints and offer some personal examples of how the shadow shows up in our relationships, the realm of spirituality and personal development, and in the culture at large.
I really enjoyed my first conversation with Michael, and wanted to have him back to offer his perspective on some important topics that come up in personal development and shamanic work. He does a great job of bridging the psychological and shamanic perspectives, and has a lot of experience walking in both worlds which makes him quite unique as a Jungian and as a shamanic practitioner. If you’re not already familiar with Michael, I recommend that you go back and listen to that first episode (MPP74) if you’d like to know more about his background and work.
Michael's website: http://crowsnestshamanism.com
New Shamanic Breathwork workshop: http://vimeo.com/ondemand/shamanicbreathwork
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
Topics: jung, shamanism, plant medicine, ayahuasca, psychology, shadow
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Jeremy Narby is a Canadian-born anthropologist and bestselling author who became an early pioneer of ayahuasca research while living with the Ashaninka people of the Peruvian Amazon in the 1980s. He works as Amazonian projects director for Nouvelle Planète, a nonprofit organization that promotes the economic and cultural empowerment of indigenous peoples. Jeremy is perhaps best known as the author of The Cosmic Serpent which was published in English back in 1999.
His new book, Plant Medicines: Ayahuasca, Tobacco and the Pursuit of Knowledge, which he authored with Shawi indigenous elder Rafael Chanchari Pizuri, presents a cross-cultural dialogue that explores the similarities between ayahuasca and tobacco, the role these plants play in indigenous cultures, and the hidden truths they reveal about nature.
I’ve been a fan of Jeremy’s work since reading The Cosmic Serpent a number of years ago and it was a real pleasure to speak with him about the two plant medicines that have been most integral to my own healing journey. We discuss the scientific and shamanic views of these two important plant teachers and begin to imagine a Western animism that could help restore our kinship with the more-than-human world.
If you’d like to join the conversation and help support the podcast, please considering becoming a member of the growing Medicine Path tribe at patreon.com/medicinepath. You can also follow me on Instagram @revealingthesoul. I love hearing from listeners, so please feel free to reach out on social media or email me at hello@brianjames.ca
Topics: psychedelics, ayahuasca, tobacco, plant medicine, shamanism
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Julian Vayne is a British independent scholar and author with over three decades of experience within esoteric culture: from Druidry to Chaos Magic, from indigenous Shamanism through to Freemasonry and Witchcraft.
Growing up in the Britain of punk and then rave culture, Julian immersed himself in the philosophy and techniques of magic. His journey into group ritual practice began within the Western Esoteric Tradition when he was 16. Since then has worked in ceremony with practitioners from many different lands and lineages.
Julian is a co-organizer of the psychedelic conference Breaking Convention, and a Trustee of The Psychedelic Museum Project. He facilitates psychedelic ceremony, as well as providing one-to-one psychedelic integration sessions and support. In 2017 he published the celebrated book Getting Higher: The Manual of Psychedelic Ceremony.
Today Julian is the author of books, essays, journals and articles in both the academic and esoteric press. He sees his work as part of the process to help re-imagine an earth-centered, non-dogmatic, open-source spirituality. He shares his practice through mentoring, workshops, online teaching and retreats.
Julian's website: https://julianvayne.com
Topics: psychedelics, magick, healing, therapy, community, culture
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Bill Plotkin, Ph.D., is a depth psychologist, wilderness guide, and agent of cultural evolution. As founder of western Colorado’s Animas Valley Institute in 1981, he has guided thousands of seekers through nature-based initiatory passages, including a contemporary, Western adaptation of the pan-cultural vision fast. Previously, he has been a research psychologist (studying non-ordinary states of consciousness), professor of psychology, psychotherapist, rock musician, and whitewater river guide.
In 1979, on a solo winter ascent of an Adirondack peak, Bill experienced a call to adventure, leading him to abandon academia in search of his true calling. Bill is the author of Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche; Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche and most recently, The Journey of Soul Initiation: A Field Guide for Visionaries, Evolutionaries, and Revolutionaries. He has a doctorate in psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Topics: soul, initiation, mythology, archetype, adulthood, mentorship, elderhood
Website: http://animas.org
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Thomas Moore is the author of the bestselling Care of the Soul and twenty other books on spirituality and depth psychology that have been translated into thirty languages. He has been practicing depth psychotherapy for thirty-five years. He lectures and gives workshops in several countries on depth spirituality, soulful medicine, and psychotherapy.
In his latest book Soul Therapy the New York Times bestselling author of the classic The Care of the Soul addresses the needs of those providing soul care to others—therapists, psychiatrists, ministers, spiritual directors, teachers, and even friends—sharing his insights for incorporating a spiritual or soulful dimension into their work and practices.
Thomas’ website: http://thomasmooresoul.com
Topics: therapy, soul, Greek mythology, James Hillman, Carl Jung, Carl Rogers, Patricia Berry, Rafael López-Pedraza
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
C. Michael Smith (or Mikkal as he’s known in some circles) is a Jungian psychotherapist, shamanic practitioner, breathwork facilitator and director of the Crows Nest Wilderness Retreat and Conference Center, which has outposts in the USA and Europe.
Michael is an active clinical psychologist and medical anthropologist, and author of Psychotherapy And The Sacred (1995), and Jung And Shamanism In Dialogue (1997).
He teaches and lectures on the topic of Jungian psychology in creative dialogue with shamanic studies, and has presented at various shamanic conferences and Jung Societies around the globe, including the International Conference on Shamanism in Iquitos, Peru in 2012 and 2013.
Michael's website: http://crowsnestshamanism.com
Topics: Jung, shamanism, ayahuasca, psychedelics, spiritual practice
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Michael Crowley was born February 26th, 1948 in Cardiff, Wales. He began studying Buddhism with a Tibetan lama in 1966, becoming an Upāsaka of the Kagyud lineage in 1970.
In order to augment his Buddhist studies, he acquainted himself with Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Mandarin Chinese. Mike has lectured at the Museum of Asia and the Pacific, Warsaw, the Jagiellonian University, Cracow, the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
His work has been published in Fortean Times, Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness, and Culture, Psychedelic American, and Psychedelic Press UK. In January 2016, Mike received the R. Gordon Wasson Award for outstanding contributions to the field of entheobotany. In 2016 he published The Secret Drugs of Buddhism, exploring the role psychedelic plant medicines had on the early development of Yoga & Buddhism.
He currently serves on the advisory board of the Psychedelic Sangha, a group of psychedelically-inclined Buddhists, based in New York and he teaches at the Dharma Collective in San Francisco.
Mike's website: http://amritadzong.com
Shamanic Roots of Yoga: https://youtu.be/b9KT7rVgynk Yoga & Plant Medicine (download): https://bit.ly/3gpOmM8 Yoga & Plant Medicine (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3wkHB4U
Topics: Vajrayana Buddhism, psychedelics, meditation, soma, amrita
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Michael Meade is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. He combines hypnotic storytelling, street-savvy perceptiveness, and spellbinding interpretations of ancient myths with a deep knowledge of cross-cultural rituals. He has an unusual ability to distill and synthesize these disciplines, tapping into ancestral sources of wisdom and connecting them to the stories we are living today.
He is the author of Awakening the Soul, The Genius Myth, Fate and Destiny: The Two Agreements of The Soul, Why the World Doesn't End, The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul; editor, with James Hillman and Robert Bly, of Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart; and editor of Crossroads: A Quest for Contemporary Rites of Passage. Meade is the founder of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a nonprofit network of artist, activists, and community builders that encourages greater understanding between diverse peoples.
Michael’s website: http://mosaicvoices.org
Topics: initiation, ritual, elderhood, ritual leadership, ritual space
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Safron Rossi, Ph.D., has spent her life steeped in literature, religion and mythology, fields in which she holds her degrees. Her writing and scholarly studies focus on archetypal psychology, astrology, alchemy, goddess traditions, and Greek myth. She is a member of the core faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute in the Jungian and Archetypal Studies program. She is also an archetypal psychological astrologer.
Addendum: At one point toward the end of the interview, I mention that it's Tuesday and Mercury's Day. Of course, Tuesday is Mars' Day (Mardi in French). I'll chalk it up to that old Trickster Mercury trying to force his way into the conversation and making me look like a fool. Thank you Hermes, you wing-footed bastard for keeping me humble :-)
Safron’s Website: www.thearchetypaleye.com
Name Drop: Carl Jung, James Hillman, Richard Tarnas, Joseph Campbell, Pacifica Graduate Institute
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Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)
Support the Podcast:Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Martin Shaw is widely regarded as one of the most exciting teachers of the mythic imagination. He is the author of the award winning A Branch From The Lightning Tree, Scatterlings: Getting Claimed in the Age of Amnesia (2016), Courting the Wild Twin (2020), and the upcoming Smokehole: Looking to the Wild in the Time of the Spyglass (2021). He is director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK, and devised and led the Oral Tradition course at Stanford University.
In our conversation we touch on many topics close to my heart: storytelling, mythology, honouring our teachers and mentors, cultivating a sense of belonging and serving the spirit of the land in the place we claim as home.
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.
— Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks
Martin's websites:
https://drmartinshaw.com
https://schoolofmyth.com
Names invoked:
Robert Bly, Michael Meade, James Hillman, Martín Prechtel, Malidoma Somé, Federico García Lorca, Arshile Gorky, Willem De Kooning, Rumi
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Stephen Jenkinson is an activist, author and farmer who now prefers the term practitioner rather than teacher. In this, our third conversation, he explains why the distinction is important and why he quit being a teacher.
We also talk about a question he posed to me a number of years ago when I attended his Orphan Wisdom school that has stuck with me ever since, and continues to provoke new insights into the mysterious ways that our unknown ancestors might be guiding us on our quest for meaning and purpose.
In the second half of the episode we touch on the topic of matrimony and patrimony, which is the subject of his next book. As usual, Stephen has left me with a lot to chew on, and after listening to this conversation a few times I think I’m just being to comprehend what he was getting at, particularly concerning the topic of Patrimony, a word I’m not sure I’d even heard before speaking with him.
As Stephen repeatedly warns us, he offers no comfort, no easy answers, no how-tos. Instead he invites us along as he wonders aloud about what it means to be fully human, how to live and die with dignity and wisdom, and how to become an ancestor worthy of being claimed.
"I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear sir, to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."
— Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
http://orphanwisdom.com
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On this episode I speak with Jungian analyst and astrologer Christina Becker. We discuss the intersection of Jungian psychology and astrology, and how astrology can help us navigate our medicine path toward wholeness and enjoy a more meaningful and purposeful life.
Christina Becker is a registered psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, a clinical member of the Ontario Society of Psychotherapists, a senior analyst with the Association of Graduate Analytical Psychologists, and a senior training analyst with the IRSJA. She is also a faculty member of the Toronto Art Therapy Institute and a member of the Canadian Association for Sandplay Therapy.
In addition to her Jungian training, she has studied astrology at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London as well as with Liz Greene through the Astrodeinst seminars in Zürich.
Ms. Becker has lectured at Jungian training institutes in Buffalo, Calgary, Halifax, Johannesburg, Montreal, New York, Toronto, and Zürich. She has also spoken at various astrological conferences and local Jungian societies across North America, and currently maintains a private practice in the west end of Toronto.
She is the author of the book, The Heart of the Matter: Individuation as an Ethical Process, originally published by Murray Stein’s Chiron Publications in 2004. A second edition has been published by Chiron in 2014.
http://cjbecker.com
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Anne Baring was born in London in 1931. Educated in the UK, France and America, with a BA Oxon 1953, MA 1981 in Modern History. Honorary Ph.D. from Ubiquity University 2018. Anne is the author and co-author of 7 books, and a Jungian analyst who trained with the Association of Jungian Analysts, London.
The ground of all her work is a deep interest in history as well as the spiritual, mythological, shamanic and artistic traditions of different cultures. Anne's work is devoted to the recognition that we live in an ensouled world and to the restoration of the lost sense of communion between us and the invisible dimension of the Cosmos that is the source or ground of all that we call ‘life’.
Anne lives near Winchester in the UK with her husband, artist Robin Baring and they have a daughter and grandson. Anne's website includes many articles, talks and videos, and is devoted to the affirmation of a new vision of reality and the issues facing us at this crucial time of choice.
Show Links:
Anne's website: https://www.annebaring.com
Understanding the Shadow (lecture): https://youtu.be/t4saOQaZeN4
The Need for a Higher Vision (article): https://www.annebaring.com/the-need-for-a-higher-vision/
Anne's children's book (abridged): https://www.earthpathwaysdiary.uk/festivals/lammas/the-birds-who-flew-beyond-time/
Edward Edinger, Ego & Archetype: https://www.amazon.com/Ego-Archetype-Individuation-Religious-Foundation-ebook/dp/B01M4MRZM8
Adam Curtis, Can't Get You Outta My Head (part 1): https://youtu.be/MHFrhIAj0ME
Journey of the Universe: https://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/
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Dr. Ryan Westrum PhD is a nationally recognized psychedelic integration expert.
For more than 15 years, his primary focus has been working with individuals and groups facilitating experiential therapy and integrating psychedelic journeys into healing and personal transformation.
Ryan is a registered integration therapist for Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and is the co-author of the book The Psychedelics Integration Handbook.
Show Links:
https://www.healingsoulsllc.com
https://www.psychedelicintegration.net
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James Hollis, Ph. D., was born in Springfield, Illinois, and graduated from Manchester University in 1962 and Drew University in 1967. He taught Humanities for 26 years in various colleges and universities before retraining as a Jungian analyst at the Jung Institute of Zurich, Switzerland (1977-82). He is presently a licensed Jungian analyst in private practice in Washington, D.C.
James has written a total of sixteen books including:
• Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times
• Living an Examined Life: Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey
• Why Good People Do Bad Things: Understanding Our Darker Selves
• Prisms: Reflections on this Journey we call Life (Feb 2021)
He lives with his wife Jill, an artist and retired therapist, in Washington, DC. Together they have three living children and eight grandchildren.
Find out more about Dr. Hollis' books and online courses at http://jameshollis.net
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Tom was born and raised on the Suffolk-Norfolk border in East Anglia, but lived in Scotland for almost twenty years before gravitating to Dartmoor in the Southwest of England. Tom has been storytelling publicly for over 15 years and writing for much longer.
He now teaches storytelling for Hedgespoken and has been known to mentor a writer or two. Tom is also occasionally still a craftsman, having been a leatherworker since 1999, and is sometimes still an acupunk, or community acupuncturist.
In 2015, he co-launched Hedgespoken travelling storytelling theatre and Hedgespoken Press and these are often his main focus, elliptical approaches to changing the world, blessed with plenty of Trickster and a good helping of unfathomable magic.
Show Links:
https://tomhirons.com
https://hedgespokenpress.com
Music in the show:
Sometimes a Wild God: Darkwood by David Darling
Nettle Eater: Improvisation by Özgür Baba & Hamed Habibpour
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Jason Smith is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. He is a past president of the C.G. Jung Institute-Boston (now the C.G. Jung Institute of New England) and currently serves as a training analyst and faculty member for the New England Institute. Jason is the host of the podcast, Digital Jung, and the author of Religious but Not Religious: Living a Symbolic Life published by Chiron Publications.
Show Links
https://jungiantherapist.net
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John Lee is a pioneer in the fields of self-help, anger, codependency, creativity, recovery, relationships and men’s issues.
In the mental health field, he is considered the therapist’s therapist and regularly trains and mentors therapists on how to work with clients and how to work on themselves. He has taught his techniques and theories to thousands of individuals, couples, families, groups, corporations, and therapists all over the world.
After 25 years of touring nationally and internationally, bestselling author, John Lee, calls both Austin, TX and Mentone, AL his home.
Show Links
http://johnleebooks.com
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Talking Andean traditional healing, plant medicine and cultural appropriation with Jhaimy Alvarez-Acosta.
Jhaimy is a traditional healer from Cusco, Peru who has been trained and initiated in the wisdom teachings of the Northern region of Peru, home to the ancient lineage of the Sacred Plant medicine known as Wachuma or San Pedro. He began his initiation onto this path at a young age and has apprenticed with Master Teachers in the Alchemical mystery teachings of transformation and transmutation.
Jhaimy has taught and lead ceremonies at conferences, workshops and specialized tours throughout Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Brazil and most recently Spain and Sweden.
http://childrenofthe7rays.com
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Amy Wheeler, Ph.D. is a Professor of Kinesiology at California State University, San Bernardino for 21 years. Amy's degrees include a B.A. and M.A. in Health Promotion, and a Ph.D. in Education and Psychology.
Amy has extensive Yoga training in the Krishnamacharya Tradition and was certified as a Yoga Teacher, a Yoga Teacher Trainer and Yoga Therapist. Amy helped to set standards for Yoga Therapist in organizations such as NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association). Amy is a Co-Founder of The Optimal State of Living, an organization that certifies Yoga Teachers and Yoga Therapists at the 200, 300, 500, 800 and 1000-hour levels. Amy is President of the Board of Directors for the International Association of Yoga Therapist (IAYT).
https://amywheeler.com
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Part one of my conversation with author Thomas Moore. Thomas Moore is the author of the number one New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. He has written twenty-four other books about bringing soul to personal life and culture, deepening spirituality, humanizing medicine, finding meaningful work, imagining sexuality with soul and doing religion in a fresh way. In this episode we speak about his writing process and how he got interested in the subject of soul, how the years he spent living in a monastery influenced his life and work, the trouble with the gender binary in spirituality and psychology and the transgender nature of the soul, taking a soulful approach to yoga, and the role of the body in soul work. http://thomasmooresoul.com
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My beautiful friend Laraaji returns to the podcast for a free flowing conversation about staying serene while living in New York City, how 5Rhythms dance helps his creative process, the yumminess of silence, and the connections between music and psychedelics.
Laraaji Nadabrahmananda is a meditator, laugh-master and cosmic musician who has performed in Europe, Asia and the United States with his specially designed electric zither. He also uses the African Mbire, piano, synthesizers, hand drums, percussion, Tibetan gong, and voice in his presentations.
Since his first musical collaboration with famed producer Brian Eno in 1980, Laraaji has appeared on dozens of recordings, toured the world multiple times performing music, leading laughter meditation workshops and teaching healing sound intensives.
Learn more: http://laraaji.blogspot.com/
Intro music: Tonings 1 from Laraaji’s “Be Still & Glow”
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Jazmin Pirozek is a Cree Ethnobotanist and Traditional Healer serving Northern Ontario indigenous populations in Canada through teaching and aiding in the remembering of plant medicine teachings lost due to colonization. Her work has carried her to South America where she learns Amazonian plant medicines from Maestro Juan Flores Salazaar.
Jazmin is the founder of Maiinganung Healing Centre in Canada and continues to study and work with Entheogens and other plant medicines to aid remediating Western drug related and food illnesses in indigenous populations.
Jazmin’s presentation at Breaking Convention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl1YJ8YMYzs
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Max Gimblett was born in 1935 in New Zealand and moved to New York City in the 1970s where he’s maintained a studio ever since. He is one of New Zealand’s most recognized painters and continues to exhibit regularly in the US and throughout New Zealand.
He is well represented in major collections around the world, most significantly in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Galleries in Washington D.C. and Melbourne Australia, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Museum of New Zealand, Wellington Te Papa Tongarewa, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.
Max is known for his vibrant gestural style, influenced by zen calligraphy and painters like William De Kooning and for his unconventional canvases, particularly his signature quatrefoil shape which has eastern and western spiritual significance. A longtime buddhist practitioner, Max took his vows as a Rinzai Zen priest in 2006.
Max’s website: http://maxgimblett.com
Need support on your medicine path?
1-to-1 yoga, plant medicine integration and transformative coaching with Brian James
http://brianjames.ca
Support the Podcast!
1. Leave a review on iTunes, or share with your friends on social media
2. Become a Patreon supporter at http://patreon.com/medicinepath and gain access to podcast extras and hours of yoga practice resources including vinyasa sequences, breathwork, chanting and guided meditations.
3. Leave a one-time donation at http://paypal.me/medicinepathyoga
4. Purchase a print or Kindle version of my new book, Yoga & Plant Medicine: https://amzn.to/2mv3i36
About Brian James
Brian James is a yoga teacher, transformational coach and psychedelic integration counselor currently living in Montréal, Canada with his wife, astrologer Debbie Stapleton and their Boston Terrier Kingston. He has been exploring the intersection of yoga and shamanism for over 25 years.
medicinepathpodcast.com
instagram.com/brianjames.medicinepath
tags: brian james, max gimblett, art, painting, zen, spirituality
Shawn Dinkel is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Addiction Counselor (CACII) in the state of Colorado. Over the past 14+ years, he has facilitated more than 9,000 therapy sessions, 5,000 of those in group therapy.
I had Shawn on the podcast a couple of episodes back to talk about male anger issues, and I received so many positive comments that I wanted to have him on again and continue our conversation. We start out by responding to a listener request for tools to help deal with anger which lead us into a deep and real exploration of grief and loss.
Shawn’s website: https://nd4life.com/
My episode on Shawn’s podcast: http://tiny.cc/brianjames
Support the Podcast:
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Dr Ben Sessa (MBBS BSc MRCPsych) is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. He trained at UCL medical school, graduating in 1997, and he is interested in the developmental trajectory from child maltreatment to adult mental health disorders.
Dr Sessa is an approved MDMA and psilocybin psychotherapist, currently a senior research fellow at Bristol and Imperial College London Universities, where he is conducting the UK's first clinical study with MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of PTSD and alcohol dependence syndrome. He is also lead therapist on Bristol-based study investigating the role for psilocybin therapy for depression. He is currently working with industry figures to set-up a network of UK-based psychedelic therapy clinics.
In the last ten years he has worked on several UK-based human pharmacology trials as study doctor or as a healthy subject administering and receiving test doses of LSD, DMT, psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine. He is the author of several dozen peer-reviewed articles in the mainstream medical press and has written two books exploring psychedelic medicine; The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012 / 2017) and To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic (2015). In speaking publicly at universities and medical conferences, Dr Sessa is outspoken on lobbying for change in the current system by which drugs are classified in the UK, believing a more progressive policy of regulation would reduce the harms of recreational drug use and provide increased opportunities for clinical psychedelic research.
He is a co-founder and director of the UK's Breaking Convention conference.
Ben’s website: www.drsessa.com
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Shawn Dinkel is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Addiction Counselor (CACII) in the state of Colorado. Over the past 14+ years, he has facilitated more than 9,000 therapy sessions, 5,000 of those in group therapy.
In this conversation, Shawn and I explore the roots of men’s anger issues and the key to resolving them. Vulnerability and the ability to express primary emotions is at the heart of healing anger, and this is definitely a conversation where we get vulnerable as we explore this issue, sometimes treading into new territory and wondering out loud. In the first half of the conversation we discuss his journey as a therapist who focuses on men’s anger and rage, the problems with most psychology training, and discuss some of the more prominent male figures on the spirituality/self-help scene including Gabor Maté, Jordan Peterson and Jeff Brown. If you want to skip ahead to where we turn the focus to anger in particular, that happens around 40 minutes into the conversation.
Shawn’s website: https://nd4life.com/
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Mary K. Greer is an independent scholar, writer, teacher, and professional tarot consultant, known for her innovative teaching techniques.
Featured at most Tarot conferences in the U.S. and abroad, Mary travels the world teaching Tarot. In 2007, Mary received the International Tarot Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Tarot Studies and is a research partner in Le Tarot Associazione Culturale (Italy). She also received the 2006 Mercury Award from the Mary Redman Foundation for "excellence in communication in the metaphysical field," and the 2006 Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) award for best divination book. She is an ordained priestess in the Fellowship and Church of Isis.
Her books include Tarot for Your Self: A Workbook for Personal Transformation, 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card, Women of the Golden Dawn: Rebels and Priestesses, and is a co-author of Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story.
Mary’s website: http://marykgreer.com
Mary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mkgreer
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Stephen Jenkinson is an activist, teacher, author, and farmer. He has a master's degree in theology from Harvard University and a master's degree in social work from the University of Toronto. He is the author of many books including Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul, and, most recently, Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble. For the past few years Stephen has been touring the world with musician Gregory Hoskins and their Nights of Grief & Mystery.
Some of you might remember that I had Stephen on the podcast last year around this time, talking about his book on elderhood. That conversation left me with a lot to wonder about and this one is no different. What is different perhaps, is that in this episode I think you hear more of Stephen’s lighter side, in part because it’s an aspect of him that really comes out on stage when he’s with his band and it’s something I wanted to talk to him about. We also talk about what it’s like for him to find a new vocation as frontman at this stage in his life; the creative process behind Nights of Grief and Mystery; the connection between grief and joy; and Stephen offers his thoughts on another provocative Canadian figure, Jordan Peterson.
Stephen’s website: https://orphanwisdom.com/
Tour Dates: http://nightsofgriefandmystery.com
Lead-in music: ‘Take a Little Walk’ by Gregory Hoskins
Outro music: ‘Everybody Knows’ by Leonard Cohen
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Carlos Suárez Álvarez is a Spanish journalist and ethnographer with a degree in Amazonian studies from the Unversidad Nacional de Columbia. Since 2007 he has lived in the Colombian city of Leticia on the banks of the Amazon River. He is the author of the Ayahuasca trilogy which includes the project “Ayahuasca, Iquitos and Monster Vorax”, a series of multimedia books that studies the phenomenon of ayahuasca in Iquitos Peru, a shamanic mecca where the local collides with the global.
Carlos’ website: ayahuascaiquitos.com
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Jill Purce pioneered the international sound healing movement in the 1970’s through her rediscovery of ancient vocal techniques, the teaching of overtone chanting, the power of group chant, and the spiritual potential of the voice as a magical instrument for healing and meditation.
She pioneered the practice of healing ancestral traumas with her Healing Family and Ancestor and Resonant Family Constellations, and activated the mandala as a living practice with her extended Mandala ceremonies.
She lectures and conducts workshops internationally, especially The Healing Voice, and has taught the English National Opera and The English Shakespeare Company, as well as teaching in hospitals, schools, monastic communities, and businesses. In the last 20 years she pioneered her workshops, Healing the Family and Ancestors, a unique combination of Family constellations, chant and ceremony.
Her recordings include Overtone Chanting Meditations and The Healing Voice. She lives in London with her husband, the biologist Rupert Sheldrake and their two sons: the biologist and author Merlin Sheldrake and the musician Cosmo Sheldrake.
Jill’s Website: http://healingvoice.com
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Ellen Goldberg is an author, psychotherapist and internationally renowned teacher of the mystic arts of Tarot and Palmistry. In addition to founding the New York-based School of Oracles and teaching internationally for the past 30 years, Ellen has maintained a successful private practice, offering both psychotherapy and readings that blend astrology, tarot and palmistry.
Ellen’s website: https://schooloforacles.com
Ellen’s Free Tarot & Palm Reading Videos
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John Vervaeke, PhD is an award-winning lecturer at the University of Toronto in the departments of psychology, cognitive science and Buddhist psychology.
He is first author of the book Zombies in Western Culture: A 21st Century Crisis which integrates Psychology and Cognitive Science to address the meaning crisis in Western society. His ongoing YouTube lecture series Awakening from the Meaning Crisis has reached over 100,000 views on YouTube so far.
In our conversation we discuss what makes an experience meaningful, and how practices like meditation, yoga and shamanism open us to receive insight and create connections that make life more meaningful.
• his popular YouTube lecture series Awakening From the Meaning Crisis
• open source learning on YouTube
• what is “meaning”?
• what makes an experience meaningful
• the cognitive science of meaning
• cultivating qualities that make life meaningful
• the magic of the flow state
• shamanism as a psychotechnology
• the benefit of yoga, qi gong and tai chi practices
• the power of practicing in community
• committed relationship as a spiritual path
Links to John’s work:Awakening from the Meaning Crisis on YouTube
Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis
Support the Podcast:
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Dr. Leanne Whitney is an independent scholar in the fields of depth psychology and consciousness studies.
She specializes in the intersection of Western psychology and the Eastern liberatory traditions. In addition to her book, Consciousness in Jung and Patañjali, she has published several academic papers including Jung, Yoga and Affective Neuroscience: Towards A Contemporary Science of the Sacred. Dr. Whitney works as a transformational coach both online and in person, with her private practice located in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit leannewhitney.com.
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Susana Bustos PhD is a transpersonal counselor, professor of psychology, and independent researcher on entheogenic shamanic traditions of the Americas.
Her main body of research and clinical work has focused on Peruvian Amazonian Vegetalismo practices, particularly on the effects of song (icaros) and plant diets on healing processes, as well as on the integration of experiences with plant medicines in ordinary life.
She teaches courses on entheogenic shamanism and research at the California Institute of Integral Studies, co-leads groups into the Amazon rainforest, and holds a private practice in Berkeley, CA
Susana’s website: http://www.roamingthemind.com
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
In this episode I share some of what I've learned about icaros, the healing songs of ayahuasca shamanism, and include some samples from my recent trip to Mayantuyacu, Juan Flores' plant medicine centre in Peru.
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Debbie Stapleton is an astrologer, singer, artist and herbalist who uses the art of chart analysis to illuminate the dynamics at play in an individual’s life, in relationship to self or another so that the potential of the soul can be realized. She also happens to be my wife and partner of 15 years.
If you’re a regular listener, you know how much I appreciate her and how important our relationship has been in my recovery and growth on every level. So, for the final episode of the year, I thought it would be really fun to interview Debbie about her journey becoming a professional astrologer and get her take on what we can expect in 2019 from an astrological perspective.
She also helps me understand some key aspects of astrology like sun signs and rising signs, and through that, ends up giving me a bit of a mini astrology reading, which was really fun and illuminating for me. I think it will give you an idea of what a consultation with a professional astrologer is like, and what kind of insights and inspiration you can gain from a deeper dive with someone like Debbie who’s been studying astrology for so many years, and is so good at making these complex and symbolic cosmic connections understandable and relevant to everyday life.
Debbie’s website: http://modern-mystic.com
Debbie’s Instagram: http://instagram.com/holistic_astrology
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D. is a transpersonal psychotherapist and non-dual teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti who specializes in kundalini awakening.
She was a founder of the Kundalini Research Network in 1990 after publishing “Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process”, based on her dissertation research. In 2015 she published “The Kundalini Guide” and “The Awakening Guide” based on 30 years experience advising and counselling people in a spiritual awakening process. Her latest book “When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening” was released by New Harbinger Press last June.
Bonnie’s website: http://www.kundaliniguide.com
Support the Podcast:
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Jim Sanders is a father, husband, filmmaker, ayahuasquero and founder of Tonkiri, a healing and wellness centre in Manitoba, Canada.
Jim shares openly about his background as an raging anarchist activist filmmaker, the challenges of balancing his family life with his calling to become a healer, hist apprenticeship with master shaman Juan Flores, integrating his whole family into his medicine work, and his mission to bring the healing medicine of South America to the indigenous communities of North America who are experiencing the devastating effects of deep generational trauma, poverty and segregation.
Jim’s website: http://tonkiri.ca
Jim’s film about Juan Flores: https://youtu.be/Praue4caC8g
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Books: http://brianjames.ca
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Emily Shaw is a wellness entrepreneur and owner of ama-veda.com, creating products and detox programs using principles of Ayurveda combined with Amazonian plant medicines.
In this episode we talk about her journey from kitchen witch to opening one of the first whole foods restaurants in Toronto to her current work leading home detox programs and week-long retreats around the world.
If you’re an entrepreneur who’s struggling with self-doubt, self-promotion and staying true to who you are, I think you’ll get a lot out of this episode. Emily is super empowered and fearless in her entrepreneurship and I was really inspired by our talk.
Emily’s Website: https://ama-veda.com/
Support the Podcast:
Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Michael Meade, D.H.L., is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology.
He is the author of The Genius Myth, Fate and Destiny: The Two Agreements of The Soul, Why the World Doesn't End, The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul; editor, with James Hillman and Robert Bly, of Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart; and editor of Crossroads: A Quest for Contemporary Rites of Passage. Meade is the founder of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a nonprofit network of artist, activists, and community builders that encourages greater understanding between diverse peoples.
Michael’s website: https://www.mosaicvoices.org
Support the Podcast:
Patreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath
Books: http://brianjames.ca
Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pages
Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Rachel Harris is the author of Listening to Ayahuasca, New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety, and a psychologist with both a research and a clinical background. She was in the 1968 Residential Program at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA and remained on the staff for a number of years. She also worked as a psychological consultant to Fortune 500 companies including the UN. Rachel was in private psychotherapy practice for thirty-five years specializing in people interested in psychospiritual development.
In 2005, Rachel began working with the South American plant medicine ayahuasca, which became the main focus of her work since retiring as a clinical counsellor. In this episode, we get into some of her research on the healing benefits of ayahuasca, the keys to realizing longterm, lasting change after a psychedelic experience, psychedelics and psychotherapy and lots more.
Rachel’s Website: http://listeningtoayahuasca.com
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Books: http://brianjames.ca
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Larry is founding president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and director of the Yoga Therapy RX certification program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
In our conversation we talk about how meeting some of the legends of modern yoga inspired his move from working as a successful advertising executive to becoming one of the founders of Yoga Therapy in America. Larry shares some great stories of his time with TKV Desikachar and offers some invaluable career advice to yoga teachers and therapists.
Samata Yoga Centre: https://samata.com/
Intro Music: A Beautiful Mine by RJD2
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Books: http://brianjames.ca
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Stephen Jenkinson is a culture activist, teacher, author and ceremonialist. In this thought-provoking and soul-stirring conversation we speak about elderhood, initiation and uncovering your ancestral roots.
Stephen Jenkinson Bio
Stephen teaches internationally and is the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School, founded in 2010. With Master’s degrees from Harvard University (Theology) and the University of Toronto (Social Work), he is revolutionizing grief and dying in North America. Stephen is redefining what it means to live, and die well. Stephen lives a handmade off the grid life on a farm beside the River of Abundance and Time in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, Canada.
Stephen's website: http://orphanwisdom.com
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
In this solo podcast, I reflect on some topics covered in MPP13, expanding on the Hero's Journey and sharing Support the Podcast:
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Robert Tindall is the author of The Jaguar That Roams the Mind, The Shamanic Odyssey: Homer, Tolkien, and the Visionary Experience and Sacred Soil: Biochar and the Regeneration of the Earth. In this conversation we talk about his exploration of indigenous healing traditions of North and South America, including his work with ayahuasca and peyote, and get into a discussion about mythology and the hero's journey.
Robert's Bio:Robert Tindall, M.A. is a writer, father, classical guitarist, long-time practitioner of Zen Buddhism, and an inveterate traveler, whose work explores the crossing of frontiers into other cultures, time depths, and states of consciousness. He is the author of three books on shamanism and indigenous lifeways, "The Jaguar that Roams the Mind," "The Shamanic Odyssey: Homer, Tolkien, and the Visionary Experience," and "Sacred Soil: Biochar and the Regeneration of the Earth," along with numerous articles on themes such as pilgrimage along the Camino to Santiago, the medieval quest, and the indigenous prophetic and healing traditions of the Americas.
Robert works as a professor of Literature, a leader of writing workshops, and a meditation instructor. He divides his time between the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, Mendocino, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Erik Davis is an author, scholar, podcaster, and award-winning journalist. In this conversation we talk about the new science of psychedelics; the loss of the mystic in the mainstreaming of psychedelics and spiritual practice; and the tricky business of marketing yourself as a yoga teacher or spiritual teacher.
From his website:
His most recent book is Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica (Yeti, 2010). He also wrote The Visionary State: A Journey through California’s Spiritual Landscape (Chronicle, 2006), Led Zeppelin IV, and TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (Crown, 1998), which has been translated into six languages and was recently reissued.
Erik’s essays on music, counterculture, technology, and alternative spirituality have appeared in dozens of books and publications. He has been interviewed by CNN, the BBC, public radio, and the New York Times, and explores the “cultures of consciousness” on his weekly podcast Expanding Mind, on the Progressive Radio Network. He graduated from Yale University, and earned his PhD in religious studies at Rice University. His next book, High Weirdness: Drugs, Visions, and Esoterica in the Seventies, will be co-published by MIT Press and Strange Attractor.
Show Links
Eriks's website: http://techgnosis.com
Intro & Outro Music
Magical Connection by Gabor Szabo
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Books: http://brianjames.ca
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Anne Baring is a former Jungian analyst and author of many books, including Mystic Vision and The Divine Feminine with Andrew Harvey, and her final book, Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul.
From her website:
"I feel we are living now in a mythic time of choice - a time of stupendous scientific discoveries which are enlarging our vision of the universe, shattering the vessel of our old concepts about the nature of reality. Yet the delicate organism of life on our planet and the survival of our species are threatened as never before by an ethos that seeks dominance and control of nature. This ethos reflects a brutal desire to conquer and master nature for our own purposes, shows no respect for the Earth and disregards the perils of our present interference with the intricate web of relationships upon which life on this planet depends. We are an integral part of this great web of life, and cannot survive without respecting all aspects of it."
Show Links
Anne's website: http://annebaring.com
Intro & Outro Music
Song of The Divine Mother Of The Universe by Ben Lee
Support the Podcast:
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Books: http://brianjames.ca
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
Jason Grechanik is a former New York City actor now living in Peru studying and practicing tobacco and ayahuasca shamanism. In this episode, we chat about the misconceptions about tobacco, its role in South America as a master plant teacher, and his own experience apprenticing as a tabaquero.
From his website:
"My journey through life has led me around the world in search of the questions I have had about life. Early in my 20s I began to develop a keen interest in plants: as food, as nutrition, as life, and as medicine. That curiosity eventually led me to the Amazon where I began to work with indigenous plants to learn the traditional ways of healing. My experience combines many different modalities of working with plants. The plants of the Amazon, and the way in which the peoples of the Amazon work with them, has had a revelatory effect on my life and being. Plants truly are our food, our life, our medicine, and they are alive and here to help us learn from them. They can open us to a world that we perhaps never could have imagined. When we approach them with respect, honor, humility, and a genuine desire to learn, they can open the doors of life and truly heal us on all levels. I am deeply grateful to all of my teachers, everyone that has helped me in this journey to where I am, and to wherever it may lead."
Show Links
Jason's website: http://nicotianarustica.org
Temple of the Way of Light: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/
Intro & Outro Music
Bena Caya Ainbobo (A New Feminine Spirit) by Maestra Olivia Arévalo
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
In this episode I speak with Jerónimo Mazarrasa about ayahuasca best practices, the sustainable use of sacred plants, cultural appropriation and much more.
Jerónimo Mazarrasa works with the International Center of Ethnobotanical Education Research and Services (ICEERS Foundation) as Social Innovation Coordinator, he’s also a coordinator of the Platform for the Defense of Ayahuasca (Plantaforma). In the past decade he has produced and written two documentaries about ayahuasca. The first about the Brazilian Ayahuasca churches, the second about the use of Ayahuasca in the treatment of drug addiction. He has travelled extensively through South America, researching a broad range of Ayahuasca practices, and has lectured internationally on ayahuasca tourism and the appropriation of indigenous knowledge. Since 2012 he calls Ibiza home, where he runs The Council Tree, a series of monthly lectures on indigenous knowledge, people, and plants.
Show LinksThe Ayahuasca Project
The Jungle Prescription (ayahuasca documentary with Gabor Maté)
ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service)
Ayahuasca Defense Fund
Intro & Outro MusicTomo Daime by Luis Mendes
Morning Improv by Rafaelle MacKay
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Livia Cohen-Shapiro holds a masters of Somatic Counseling Psychology from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. She has practiced and taught yoga for nearly two decades and her dedication to understanding the human experience is life-long. Through yoga teacher training modules and online courses, Livia educates teachers on ethics, emotional literacy, psychologically sound and trauma aware teaching.
In this conversation, Livia and I discuss the psychological dynamics at play in the student-teacher relationship, the issues around sex between student and teacher, and the inherent power differential that some would say makes true consent impossible. It's a complex topic and while we cover a lot, I feel it's just the beginning of future conversations that I hope will bring more awareness to these issues that are affecting many of us in the yoga and shamanic communities.
Links to Livia's work:
https://www.appliedpsychologyforyogis.com/
http://ecstaticunfoldment.com/
Music: "The Art Teacher", by Rufus Wainwright
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
It was a real treat to catch up with my friend Danny Paradise on the rare occasion that he's at home in Hawaii. In this conversation we discuss the shamanic roots of yoga, ayahuasca, music, aging gracefully and his work raising awareness for the Children of the Forest, a sanctuary and school for orphaned and abandoned kids in Thailand.
Danny Paradise has been practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga since 1976 and teaching worldwide since 1979. He is known for his non-dogmatic and exploratory approach to Ashtanga Vinyasa and has taught numerous well-known musicians, athletes and artists including Sting and Madonna. He travels the world teaching all levels of students and encourages people to take up a sacred, personal and healing yoga practice. In addition to teaching yoga, Danny is an accomplished musician, songwriter and filmmaker. He has released two albums of music, River of the Soul in 2000 and Travellers, Magicians and Shamans in 2008.
Music by Danny Paradise: iTunes
Danny's website: dannyparadise.com
Children of the Forest: childrenoftheforest.org
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Use code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk
I had the chance to sit down with ambient music pioneer and laughter yoga guru Laraaji on his recent stopover in Montréal. In this enlightening and laughter-filled conversation, we chat about music as a way to tap into the eternal now, laughter as medicine, the key to aging gracefully and the power of saying 'no' to heavy language. Toward the end of our conversation his partner Arji adds some beautiful wisdom about mothering our inner child. Spending time with these two was some real heart medicine, and I hope that it leaves you feeling as light and inspired as it did me.
Find out more about Laraaji and his work at:
laraaji.blogspot.com
Laraaji Eternity or Bust film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfnVoJ2Jt74
Intro and outro music: Meditation No. 2 from Ambient 3: Day of Radiance by Laraaji and Brian Eno.
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It was my great honour and joy to have a conversation with my teacher Srivatsa Ramaswami, who I studied with back in 2014 during one of his trainings at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Ramaswami has an encyclopedic knowledge of yoga, having spent over 30 years learning from his guru, the great Sri T Krishnamacharya, considered by most to be the grandfather of modern yoga. Ramaswami carries those teachings with a great deal of integrity and humility, which in my books, makes him not only a great teacher, but also a real yogi (although I'm sure he would say otherwise).
Find out more about Ramaswami's work and upcoming trainings:
vinyasakrama.net
Intro and outro music excerpted from Ramaswami's recording of Ganesha Sahasranaamam, available on iTunes.
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Ramakant Gundecha is one half of the Gundecha Brothers, the foremost practitioners of dhrupad, an ancient form of Indian vocal music. After I attended a weeklong workshop with the brothers, Ramakant was kind enough to sit down with me for a short conversation about the origins of dhrupad, their lineage, singing as meditation, how Westerners and non-musicians can benefit from practicing dhrupad, and the mystical meaning of the syllable AH.
Show Links:
Gundecha brothers official website: dhrupad.org
Information about dhrupad: Wikipedia
Information on swara and SA: Wikipedia
Support the Podcast:
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