Planets in Culture: Recent Episodes
Nathaniel Speare
On Planets in Culture we explore social, environmental & human issues through an astrological, mythological perspective.
In this episode, we talk with the renowned astrologer Gemini Brett, founder of the School of Earthstrology. We discuss the relevance of astrology, as a wisdom tradition and as a sacred science, to the current crises humanity faces within nature and culture. Gemini Brett shares his background in what he terms "sacred astronomy", exploring how the disciplines of astronomy & astrology overlap but have been separated by cultural schisms. Our discussion of astronomy & astrology leads into an exploration of how it's possible to integrate these practices in embodied and innovative ways.
What is the role of the astrologer and the sacred astronomer in these transformative times?
In a society obsessed with youth, progress, and a denial of death, the need for genuine elders becomes critical. Gabriel Halpern, renowned Iyengar Yoga teacher, joins us on this episode to unpack the meaning of the term "ritual elder" and what it means to view one's life through the lens of an elder's contribution to the renewal of meaning in a culture. This episode was inspired by both cosmic events and relevant literature: Stephen Jenkinson's book "Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble" and Pluto's ingress into the sign of Aquarius. Pluto in Aquarius presents humanity with a demand to confront the shadow of our dreams of techno-progress, the fantasies of youth lasting forever and dissociation from the vulnerabilities body. It also challenges us to wrestle the modern separation from rites of passage that tend to the link between youth and elders: how in some cases, the discarding of formalities & traditions serves to encourage a more liberated coexistence, but in other ways it alienates us from the knowledge in our bones of a future worth having. The episode's introduction explores this theme as well as telling a story about the connection between youth & elders. Then, 10 minutes in, Gabriel Halpern shares his wisdom on Elderhood and intergenerational contact.
The word “archetype”* has never been more widely used and more vehemently criticized than it is now, on the internet and in social discourse. The notion of “archetype” and archetypal language, is now invoked in many places, from self-inquiry to branding strategies to team-building. But what does the word actually mean, and what larger purpose do archetypes & archetypal thinking serve?
On this episode, master astrologer and consultant Dr. Laurence Hillman joins us to shed light on these questions and to bust some misconceptions about archetypes—especially, why they are not stereotypes.
Dr. Laurence Hillman has been, in his own words, “marinated” in archetypes his whole life, as the son of James Hillman, the founding voice of post-Jungian archetypal psychology. Laurence Hillman’s innovative application of archetypes spans his astrological practice to working with organizations in Archetypes at Work (TM), a practice he co-founded with Richard Olivier.
Since archetypal thinking is the bedrock of this podcast, we’re excited to devote an entire episode to clearly elucidating where we are coming from in a philosophical sense. The conversation starts : into the episode after Nate Speare’s storytelling visualization to initiate the listener into the world of archetypes.
*Several conversations and encounters with other thinkers/practitioners, especially those critiquing the notion of archetype, inspired some of the content of this episode.
-I want to especially name the work of Nick Kepley of the In Search of Tarot podcast, who calls attention to the widely-used definition of “archetype” cited in the episode. In their work, Kepley has asked who is “left out” of this notion of archetype.
-Edward P. Butler’s scholarship on polytheism calls attention to the importance of naming specific gods and goddesses—in the context of this episode, this means that archetypal thinking cannot replace the respect for local ways of knowing and specific names of deities.
-Other practitioners of a mythopoetic mindset, such as storyteller Dr. Martin Shaw, has claimed that archetype is an unsexy word. Enrique Pardo of Pantheatre has said that “archetype” is only used when someone lacks the courage to speak of specific gods/goddesses/mythic figures.
I name these counterpoints out of respectful acknowledgment that not everyone resonates to the notion of archetype and that the work of each of these thinkers is worth reading & exploring.
This episode was inspired by the accelerated frequency of recent internet searches that have asked the question, "is astrology witchcraft?" Special guest Sarah Lyons weighs in on both the answer to the question and why people might be asking the question in the first place. Sarah and Nate explore astrology and witchcraft as ancient wisdom traditions that invite us to open the gates of perception in different ways. They explore how the surge of interest in occult topics over the past decade coincides with the first time Neptune has transited the tropical sign of Pisces since its discovery in 1846, a "return" of the period in the late 1840s where the Spiritualist movement started to take root. What invitation does Neptune, the planet associated with ecstasy, transcendence, intoxication, empathy & psychic phenomena, seem to be offering to the collective cultural consciousness? The conversation begins at 7:31, after the introduction.
This episode features Mexican singer, MC and activist Audry Funk, a legend in the Rap & Reggae scenes in Mexico and worldwide. The conversation begins at 08:35 (8 minutes, 35 seconds into the episode) after my introduction.
Audry & I discuss creative passion, art and artists- not as an industry, but as people and as movements. We explore generational patterns of artistic & social dreams, and current ecopsychosocial upheavals, as seen from a cosmic perspective. We explore how those born with Neptune in Capricorn (1984-1998) form a generation with the potential to trigger an inspired form of self-agency & ethical management within new social structures.
What does it mean to follow your calling and your intuition in a chaotic world? Audry Funk offers us a powerful account of her artistic & international journey, inspiring us to live according to our artistic & spiritual ideals even, and especially, amid troubled times.
This episode features Sophie Strand- neo-troubadour animist, poet and essayist working at the intersection of spirituality & ecology. The conversation touches upon illness, health, and the purification-and-solutions-based model of healing, presenting the timely paradigms of contamination & compost as a medicinal counterpoint. We explore how the call to lean into the contamination, and to expand our capacities for love & aesthetic appreciation within the toxic soup we've created, aligns with current discoveries & shifts in consciousness. Nate Speare opens the episode by exploring two myths of the Water-Bearer, reinterpreting them in the context of ecological catastrophe and the necessity to inhabit the contamination.
If you enjoy this podcast and if you follow Nate Speare's astrological work, consider pledging to Nate's Kickstarter in support of the upcoming year of astrology content & podcast episodes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1291813829/a-full-year-of-astrology-forecasts-horoscopes-and-videos?ref=creator_nav
On "Planets in Culture," we explore social, ecological & human issues through an astrological, mythological & archetypal perspective. On this episode, we talk with Emmy-nominated screenwriter Vickie Curtis, one of the writers of "The Social Dilemma," a documentary-drama about the impact of big tech & social media on society & humanity. Grounding the conversation in the awareness that humanity is undergoing a turning of the ages, we dive into the nuances of social media as part of this experience, including its darker side. In the first 8 minutes, Nate Speare explores some key myths, symbols & figures of the Aquarian Age in relationship to technology, the internet & social media as core parts of our daily realities. The conversation with Vickie Curtis begins 9 minutes into the episode. Stick around for the strange vision at the end.