A Millennial's Guide to Saving the World

Vaishnavi is an independent filmmaker, feminist, writer, and women's rights activist from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Her most recent film, Dysphoric: Fleeing Womanhood Like a House on Fire is a four-part documentary series on the rise of Gender Identity Ideology and gender transition in developing countries. We focus specifically on the recent uptick in FTM transitions, how the trend showing up abroad and where it may intersect with internalized misogyny. We also talk about the patriarchal underbelly of medical corporatism, cancel culture, and why understanding the social construction of our identity is so vitally important, especially when our goal is to achieve equality across the board.  Find Vaishnavi at VaishnaviSundar.com, on Twitter and on Instagram. Watch Dysphoric on Youtube. Vaishnavi's book recommendation: Writing by Andrea Dworkin and Sheila Jeffreys Songs featured: “Splintered” by Aisha Badru and “Your Move” (single version) by Yes How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website – AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

Tao is a filmmaker (Being in the World, Monogamish), a photographer, a musician, a podcaster (the Being in the World podcast) and has a degree in philosophy from UC Berkeley. He is also an incredibly inspiring human and friend. From the compound he's built on his property in Joshua Tree to The Bombay Beach Biennale, Tao has a knack for creating environments and communities that push the limits of our imagination. We sat down to co-release this conversation about sexuality, non-monogamy, fear, and how the act of applying our philosophies and beliefs about life to our physical, tangible surroundings can be a powerful form of anarchism. Find Tao on Instagram and listen to his podcast. Songs featured: “I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got” by Bettye LaVette and “Relationship Anarchy" by Mary Wander How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website – AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

Steve QJ is a writer who writes about race, politics and culture. He joins me on the podcast to have a controversial, but important conversation about race, and more specifically, about the current Anti-Racism movement. We speak about how "anti-racism" tends to favor conformity to an idea over genuine solidarity and support of black people, how broken our discourse is about these topics, especially online, and how power and privilege aren't inherently negative. Steve also questions the notion of "safe spaces," how identity has become more valuable than intelligence, and how looking at these issues cross-culturally can help lead to greater understanding between all people, across the board. Find Steve on Medium and on Twitter Steve's book recommendation: Writing by James Baldwin and Thomas Sowell Songs featured: “A Thought Is Just a Passing Train” by John Moreland and “In the Real World” by Alex Serra How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website – AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

Jenny is a certified Astrologer, has a B.A. in Classical Philology, a PhD in Modern languages and has studied ancient civilizations and languages for over 25 years. Jenny returns to MGSW, this time to expand on the topic of spiritual awakenings. Jenny and I chat about our personal journeys, and what we've experienced within (and without) various spiritual communities. We address what happens when consumerism and capitalism meet spirituality, and how our individual trauma always plays a role in our spiritual awakening. We also discuss the differences between discernment and skepticism, why having a spiritual container is so imperative to navigating the entire process, and so much more. Sign up for Jenny's Lunar Nodes workshop this Saturday by joining Patreon at the "Renegade" level or higher: Click here Find Jenny at amaltheaastrology.com Jenny’s book recommendation: Spiritual Emergency by Stanislov and Christina Grof Songs featured: “blue sky mind” by Trevor Hall and “Breathe” by Ásgeir How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website – AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

I decided to record a short reintroduction to myself and to this podcast. From honoring the space between personal experience and objective "truth", finding a community that can mirror us and help us grow, and taking responsibility for the stories we tell, I speak a little bit about why I created this project in the first place and where I think it's going. Thank you, as always, for listening, supporting, and for being here with me on this journey. Song featured: “Mind on Fire" by Aisha Badru How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website – AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

Lindsey is a writer and podcaster, helping others to heal trauma holistically and consciously create a reality that isn't ruled by the past. Lindsey was raised in Evangelical Christianity, and at 35, after watching a pro-gay rights Christian documentary, Lindsey had an identity crisis which lead to a nervous breakdown & suicide attempt. Eventually, she rejected her religious upbringing and restructured her life and values from the ground up. Lindsey and I speak about the danger of toxic, cult-like movements, from religion, to wellness culture and woke politics. We also touch on what it means to take a holistic approach to healing trauma, and how learning to think for ourselves & healing our trauma are two of the strongest antidotes against fundamentalist ideologies of all kinds that prey on fearful, dysregulated humans. Find Lindsey at LindseyLockett.com and on Instagram. Lindsey’s book recommendations: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Songs featured: “Party at the End of the World” by Carsie Blanton and “Waking Up” by Explosions in the Sky How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website – AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

Deepa Iyer is Director of Strategic Initiatives at Building Movement Project where she builds projects, resources, and narratives that support nonprofits and individuals engaged in transformative movements for progressive social change. Her work includes creating the social change ecosystem map, which is a brilliant and creative way to help people identify their unique and authentic role within broad and diverse social justice movements. Deepa outlines each of the 10 roles, and discusses how self-awareness is imperative to creating change in the world. We also talk about the role anger plays social justice movements for better or worse, how shame is always counter-productive to progress, and how we can develop the courage to embody our principles and values, despite the pressure we may feel to comply or perform. Find Deepa at buildingmovement.org and on Instagram. Deepa's book recommendation: Sylvia & Aki by Winifred Conkling Songs featured: "Be Good" by Carsie Blanton and "Tribe" by Danny Addison How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

Kevin is a digital pastor, the author of Bad Theology Kills, podcaster and holds a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology from Columbia Theological Seminary. This is Kevin's second time on the podcast, and I was thrilled to continue our conversation about Christianity, faith, sexuality, spirituality, magic and gender, and how they all intersect. Kevin and I discuss the importance of cultivating spiritual community, how to avoid becoming a fake idol (or following one), and how they define and approach magic and ritual. Kevin also discusses their gender identity through the lens of Christianity and masculine/feminine energies. Find Kevin at thekevingarcia.com and on Instagram. Kevin's book recommendations: I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown, Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde and the audio version of Being Ram Dass by Ram Dass Songs featured: "Undercurrent/Watershed" by April feat. Mary Lattimore, "Little Runaway" by Celeste and "Crowded Table" by The Highwomen, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Maren Morris How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

James is an artist, chef, non-profit founder, co-host of the Sustainable Dish Podcast with Diana Rodgers and a documentary filmmaker. Some of James' film projects include Transmilitary, Michael Moore’s latest documentary, Where to Invade Next, and Sacred Cow. James has been studying the history of vegetarianism for the past decade, and we do our best to unpack it's complex past. From vegetarianism's deep connection to religious fundamentalism, sexual shame and fear of death + phrenology, genocide, eugenics and American corporatism, this conversation is not for the faint of heart. However, if you're interested in exploring a fascinating, and deeply disturbing social construction, this episode is not to be missed! Find James on Instagram James' book recommendation: Books by Trevanian Songs featured: "Healing" by Sampa the Great and "Strange American Dream" by Rayland Baxter How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe

Mariana Rittenhouse is a Tea Ceremonialist & Guide, helping people reconnect to themselves & nature through the practice of ceremonial tea. Mariana explains what a tea ceremony is, delves into some of the history of tea (Camellia sinensis) and explains how tea is a potent ally, friend and plant medicine. We speak about my experience taking her Start Your Own Tea Practice course + share our thoughts on living honorably as a human in nature, the difference between routine & ritual, and how tea can help bring us back to ourselves and our place in the world.  Find Mariana on Instagram and at MarianaRittenhouse.com Mariana's book recommendation: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Songs featured: "Morning Sun" by Melody Gardot and  "Õhtu Viimased Read (tunnetel on kõla remix)" by Kirtana Rasa Sign up for Mariana's Start Your Own Tea Practice here. Registration ends 3/26. How to support the show: Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive Discord Server, a book club just for patrons, shirts + stickers, playlists, and curated workshops led by myself, fellow Patrons and former guests of the podcast. Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram Get full access to Dirt Road Dispatch at anyakaats.substack.com/subscribe