#78 | The Hydra, Hercules & the Polycrisis - Matt Sturm

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Jul 16, 2025

In this conversation, Matt Sturm, a guide and writer focused on evolving masculinity, shares insights on the crisis and rebirth of masculine identity amid global challenges. He discusses the importance of the 'organic masculine' framework and how integrating primal drives can mitigate destruction. Matt uses the myth of Hercules and the Hydra to illustrate modern battles against societal collapse. The episode also explores rites of passage, the warrior archetype, and the transformative journey from domination to meaningful relationships.

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INSIGHT

Polycrisis and Masculinity Link

The polycrisis is a complex, interconnected set of crises that cannot be understood or solved individually.
Masculinity as an identity deeply influences how men engage with and impact these global crises.

ANECDOTE

Matt's Crisis and Spiritual Path

Matt left his dream job in the corporate climate sector to explore spiritual growth through traveling and volunteer work.
This crisis moment led him to yoga and tantra, beginning a decade-long journey toward evolving masculinity.

INSIGHT

Multidimensional Nature of Masculinity

Masculinity exists as a social construct, an archetypal symbol, and a universal pattern influencing consciousness.
It shapes identity and behavior beyond biology, spanning social and mythic layers.

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My guest today is Matt Sturm, a guide and writer dedicated to the evolution of masculinity. His offerings include psychotherapy, psychedelic-assisted work, sacred sexuality, and men’s retreats. He is the author of two books—The Organic Masculine and Primal Drives—and the creator of the Living Kosmos tarot deck.

(You might also remember Matt from when he joined Deus and I to discuss eros & intimacy in men’s ritual space).

After a decade working in the corporate climate sector, Matt left his dream job to embark on a spiritual path that led him deep into yoga, tantra, and the mythic roots of masculine identity. His work bridges archetypal psychology, developmental theory, and sacred embodiment, inviting men into a more integrated and life-affirming expression of their power.

In this conversation, we explore the crisis and rebirth of masculinity in a time of global unraveling. Matt shares his framework of the "organic masculine," and how the primal drives of aggression and sexuality—when unintegrated—fuel much of the world’s destruction. We look at the role of rites of passage, the death-rebirth journey of the hero, and the challenge of moving from domination to deep relationality.

We discuss the symbolic power of myths like Hercules and the Hydra, the collective adolescent psyche behind our social and environmental collapse, and how reclaiming the warrior archetype can support a shift from violence to sacred protection.

Together, we ask: How might men transform their primal drives into devotion? What kind of masculine presence is needed to meet the polycrisis of our time? And how do we embrace the monster within so that it becomes an ally rather than an adversary?

This episode is a call to enter the depths—where masculinity is not conquered or discarded, but composted, reimagined, and reborn in service to life.

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MATT’S LINKS

* Website

* Essay: Masculinity & The Polycrisis

ADDITIONAL EPISODES

If you like our conversation, check out my earlier complimentary conversations:

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