Living Myth

A captivating Native American origin story reveals the intertwining of healing rituals and songs. Michael Meade describes how illness emerged alongside a community’s struggles for knowledge. Seekers, facing darkness, discover the earth's remedies, leading to the birth of healing songs. These songs bring the sick to communal centers, revitalizing connections and nurturing sacredness. The episode also highlights the power of sound in creation and introduces beautiful recording excerpts that celebrate the healing potential found in music.

This episode of Living Myth begins with a review of how cosmology used to refer to all of the ways that humans could imagine the creation of the world and the subtle connections of the human soul to the living cosmos. "As above, so below" is the ancient mantra that places humankind in the middle of the cosmic story as an essential link in the chain of being. As individuals we may properly feel frail and small; yet we belong to more than one dimension of life. And the dark time of the year is the traditional time to recall the interconnection between each of our souls and the starry universe around us. The word solstice means the "sun stands still" and ancient people imagined that the extremes of darkness harbored a timeless moment of stillness as the sun seems to stop just in time before the gloom becomes too great to recover from. Traditional cultures all over the world imagined that the midwinter sun needed conscious help from human beings in order to turn things around and bring back the light. These are not simply the dark days of winter; but the dark times for everyone; especially for those who truly care for the souls of other people, and for the well-being of the sacred earth we all live upon. Even as we can feel more physically separated from each other, and just when we can feel even more frail and small in the face of all the worldwide troubles we face, there may be no better time to light a candle, make a prayer, find a song to sing in the midst of the darkness, in order to help bring the light back. In facing the darkness together in a spiritual sense and in the ancient way, we can also find again and realign with the divine spark of life we each carry. For the soul has its own inner light and each soul is secretly connected to the song of the earth, to the Soul of the World, and to the indelible spark of life and light that can only be found in the darkest hours and the darkest times. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online Solstice ritual "In This Darkness Singing" on Saturday, December 20. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 725 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Explore the enchanting yet frustrating world of perfectionism, where the quest for flawlessness stifles creativity and spontaneity. Discover how an old Grimm tale illustrates the journey from silence to self-expression. The discussion reveals that true self-worth lies in embracing our unique imperfections rather than chasing an unattainable ideal. With insights on how perfectionism breeds self-loathing and hinders compassion, the focus shifts to the importance of wholeness, forgiveness, and recognizing the intrinsic value of each individual soul.

This episode brings a focus to the importance of recognizing that we live in more than one world. Before modern times, it was commonly understood that there was another world next to the daily domain of facts and figures and that this other world is real in its own way. What traditional societies called the Otherworld turns out to be the primordial center, the place of origins and the essential source for changing and healing the daily world. Thus, the problem is not simply that damaging things have been done in the course of history. Rather, the greater issue is the fact that so much has been lost and forgotten over time. By insisting on seeing reality as only those things that are measurable and provable, modern societies have lost the subtle connections and hidden threads that secretly tie the time-bound world to all that remains immeasurable, timeless and capable of renewing life. The sense of the Otherworld as the endless source of imagination and ongoing creation allowed ancient people to accept the fact that things do fall apart, but also have the understanding that life can be renewed by being in touch with the sacred center and secret source of all existence. The Otherworld, that keeps being lost but can be found again, has always been the source of the unity that is lacking in the common world. It cannot be scientifically proved, but can intuitively become known, that what we most need when everything is falling apart and time is running out on us is not simply more time, but importantly, more timelessness and the redeeming touch of the eternal. We may increasingly feel that we are but tiny, frail beings who are insignificant in the great expanse of an accidental universe. Yet, we have always lived in two worlds and as the fabric of life loosens, the veil between this world and the Otherworld thins and we are called to be witnesses of the collapse, but can also become again the soulful vessels through which the daily world of the time bound and the redeeming realm of the eternal can meet. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining him for two online events: "Your Genius is Calling", an in-depth workshop on December 6 and "In This Darkness Singing", a free solstice ritual on December 20. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events. You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 725 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth If you enjoy this podcast and find it meaningful, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Explore the profound connections between grace and gratitude, rooted in ancient myths. Discover how gratitude is a fleeting moment of wholeness that reveals life's gifts. Michael Meade delves into the Greek graces, linking them to nature and joy. He also traces the origins of grace to feminine figures like Gaia, emphasizing spiritual practices that attune our hearts to receive these blessings. Ultimately, he highlights grace as an unearned gift that transforms and opens us to deeper connections and mercy.

The discussion dives into how global troubles weigh heavily on individual souls, triggering feelings of abandonment. Michael Meade uses the symbol of a dream with abandoned infants to explore our need to nurture neglected parts of ourselves. Joy is positioned as our original wealth, requiring us to heal wounds of self-betrayal. Empathy from caregivers shapes our sense of self, and the podcast reflects on reclaiming joy as a divine connection. Poetic insights highlight the beautiful madness intertwined with this joy throughout life.

This discussion delves into the intriguing split between the ego and the deeper self, exploring how this inner division affects our lives. The symbolism of golden balls in fairy tales represents our innate quest for wholeness. Listeners learn about the importance of dreams and creative inspiration as guidance from this deeper self. The chat highlights how suffering can activate personal transformation and the vital role of creativity in reclaiming our lost selves, ultimately leading to inner unity and a meaningful existence.

Explore the fascinating concept of blindness, both personal and societal, and the quest for genuine visionaries. Discover how obstacles in life can serve as calls to awaken deeper insight. Delve into ancient myths like Tiresias and Oedipus, illustrating the paradox of visionary blindness and the consequences of ignoring fate. Emphasizing the importance of imaginative metaphor, the discussion encourages a shift from ego-driven perspectives towards transformative visions that can reshape culture and foster renewal.

The discussion explores the rise of vertical morality that prioritizes obedience over empathy, critiquing how this mindset fosters division and alienation. Michael Meade contrasts this with vertical imagination, a powerful concept that reconnects us to feelings and collective healing. He dives into the long-term effects of historical dualism on our perception of empathy and calls for a revival of the soul's role as a unifying force. The conversation ultimately emphasizes the importance of balancing ascent and descent to foster deeper connections and renew compassion in troubled times.

The discussion explores how trauma affects our bodies, revealing that witnessing pain—even on screens—triggers our fight-or-flight response. Constant exposure to traumatic news can deplete our resilience, leaving us overwhelmed. Helpful strategies include setting boundaries on news consumption, connecting with nature, and reaching out to loved ones. The conversation also delves into how trauma can shift our worldviews, with a mythological lens offering hope that chaos can lead to renewal. Finally, there's a focus on connecting to both the macrocosm and our inner selves for healing.