Howl in the Wilderness

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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription: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-92425341Links:Stephanie's website: http://fianna.cahttp://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkhttp://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness 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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription: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 movementLinks:https://dickrussell.orghttp://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkhttp://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessREFERENCES: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=9781956763188Dick Russell, My Mysterious Son https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-mysterious-son-a-life-changing-passage-between-schizophrenia-and-shamanism-dick-russell/8280481?ean=9781510729001Malidoma 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=9780140194968James Hillman, Re-visioning Psychology https://bookshop.org/p/books/re-visioning-psychology-james-hillman/8862726?ean=9780060905637 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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription: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, soulReferences:Stan's 2017 Pacifica lecture: https://youtu.be/8SF_w77j0dcThe 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/9781032105444Archetypal Psychologies: https://www.amazon.ca/Archetypal-Psychologies-Reflections-Honor-Hillman/dp/188267054XPeter 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=10607188Susan Sontag Against Interpretation: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54889e73e4b0a2c1f9891289/t/564b6702e4b022509140783b/1447782146111/Sontag-Against+Interpretation.pdf 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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription: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-colonialismReferences:Rune's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nordicanimismAnimist Manifesto: https://www.animism.org.uk/HarveyAnimism%20flyer.pdfLaughing 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 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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription: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.comhttps://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/825131Rilke 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/258285Things to Think, Robert BlyThink in ways you've never thought before.If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a messageLarger 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 mooseHas risen out of the lake, and he's carrying on his antlersA child of your own whom you've never seen.When someone knocks on the door, think that he's aboutTo give you something large: tell you you're forgiven,Or that it's not necessary to work all the time, or that it'sBeen decided that if you lie down no one will die. 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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription: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.comhttps://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/825131Rilke 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/258285Things to Think, Robert BlyThink in ways you've never thought before.If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a messageLarger 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 mooseHas risen out of the lake, and he's carrying on his antlersA child of your own whom you've never seen.When someone knocks on the door, think that he's aboutTo give you something large: tell you you're forgiven,Or that it's not necessary to work all the time, or that it'sBeen decided that if you lie down no one will die. 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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription:We track the long and winding road Josh Schrei has travelled, from his childhood bouncing around Zen monasteries and ashrams, to his career in the music business working with the Beastie Boys, to finally finding his true calling as a teacher, storyteller and podcast creator.Intro Text:On this episode I speak with Joshua Schrei, creator of The Emerald podcast. On The Emerald, Josh explores many aspects of human experience through a unique and artful interweaving of myth, poetry, music, conversation and personal reflection.My 2018 YouTube documentary The Shamanic Roots of Yoga is similar in form to what Josh does with The Emerald, combining voiceover commentary with music and scriptural references, and touches on a topic that he later covered in an episode on the shamanic third chapter of the Yoga Sutras. I initially found out about his podcast when that episode came out and people started messaging me, saying, “Hey, you should check out this guy, he’s interested in the same things you are.”And it’s true, I feel a kinship with Josh, and find that we are often exploring the same ground around the same time. I’m glad I got to finally meet him and have this conversation. To me it’s evidence that men don’t have to be in competition with each other, and that actually, if we can relax our egos and appreciate each other, we discover (often to our surprise and delight) that male colleagues can be a source of camaraderie, support and inspiration.Josh is a fellow musician, teacher and lifelong explorer of stories, scripture and spiritual practice, which made for a rich and enlightening conversation about how his unconventional upbringing and early interest in storytelling, music and theatre were the seeds for what has unexpectedly grown into a meaningful livelihood as writer, teacher and podcast creator. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To 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/brianjamessoulShow Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkWatch and subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@howlinthewildernessDescription: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/howlinthewildernessLinks:https://www.anyafoxen.comhttp://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkhttp://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness 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/howlinthewildernessOn 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, mythopoeticsSign up for Tom's Soul Psychology course: http://thomasmooresoul.com Links:http://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkhttp://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness 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/howlinthewildernessThis 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-activismLinks:https://www.bayoakomolafe.nethttp://brianjames.cahttp://instagram.com/brianjames.soulworkhttp://youtube.com/@howlinthewilderness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.