A New and Ancient Story: The Podcast

Brock Dolman is the founder of Occidental Arts & Ecology in Northern California, one of the first permaculture education centers in North America. In this conversation Brock displays a tiny fraction of his savant-level knowledge of ecology, water, soil, trees, and how to engage in a healing relationship to our environment. His unorthodox insights, especially relevant in a time of forest fires and extreme weather events, embed scientific reasoning within an ecospiritual aesthetic.

Philip Munyasia is the founder of Otepic, a permaculture/ ecovillage project in Kenya that brings youth from the slums to the land for social and ecological healing. You will Philip's courage, vision, and insight as they shine through in this conversation. He has been for me a key  informant to the question I carry: "What will it take to heal?" You can make donations to Otepic and send out a powerful ROI  (ripple of impact).

Orland Bishop is in my eyes a treasure on this earth. In this conversation we talk about the cosmological and geological dimensions of the current evolution of culture and consciousness, along with other topics. Please do avail yourself of the information carried by Orland's words and -- even more -- by his voice.

Judith Schwartz is the author of several books, most recently "Water in Plain Sight." She is a leading advocate of what is coming to be known as "rain for climate" -- a shift in emphasis toward water as the most important substance in understanding and addressing climate change. We talk about water, soil, and plants, trees and cows, dogmatism, veganism and meat, and other topics.

This conversation explores the contentious subject of the mental health system, through the story of patient advocate Laura Delano. Her journey into being institutionalized and recovering sovereignty over her mind and body has larger significance in our society. Her organization, Inner Compass Initiative, supports those who want to wean themselves off medication -- a formidable task not to be taken lightly.

Part 2 of Charles' conversation with Orland Bishop.

Charles Eisenstein in conversation with Orland Bishop

Eivind Skjellum is the creator of Reclaim your Inner Throne, a training program for men. In this conversation we talk about masculine and feminine archetypes, leadership, elderhood, and stories of transformation in this time when the old story of what a man is and how to be one are dissolving.

Severine von Tscharner Fleming is a kind of farming savant and a super-dynamic agent of the revolution in agriculture reuniting us with soil, water, and life. She is the founder of the Agrarian Trust, which connects young farmers with land they otherwise couldn't afford. We talked about the evolution of farming, its planetary healing potential, issues of ownership and the commons, and how to bridge our ideals and best practices to present-day economic realities.

This conversation with the amazing Gigi Coyle was recorded with a small live audience on a houseboat, where Gigi was recovering from knee surgery. Gigi is a source of valuable wisdom for activists and change agents today; a veteran of 1970's feminist and environmental movements, she has turned to deeper levels of activism. We connected on topics of ritual, surrender to a path, the importance of water, community, ambivalence and paradox, living our songlines, myth as a conveyor of truth, and more. I wish more people would have the chance to learn from Gigi, someone who is, in my eyes, a true elder.