The Passing Through Podcast

This week David Holmgren is Passing Through!In this episode I was honored to sit down with one of the leading voices in ecological wisdom and regenerative culture — David Holmgren.David is best known as the co-originator of permaculture: a design philosophy that has blossomed into a global movement, offering practical possibilities for living in right relationship with the Earth. In 1978, he and Bill Mollison published Permaculture One, starting the global permaculture movement. Alongside Bill, David helped seed a vision that reimagines agriculture, community, and even economics — not as separate domains, but as interwoven threads in the complex web of existence which makes up the modern world.Over the past decades, David has deepened and expanded the permaculture lens, authoring works like Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability and RetroSuburbia, which invite us not only to survive the converging crises of our time — climate change, energy descent, social unraveling — but to thrive by reinhabiting our environment with creativity, care, and resilience.David’s a deep systems thinker, a grounded realist, and a cultural edge-dweller; someone who challenges dominant narratives while offering hopeful alternatives rooted in the patterns of nature.In our talk we cover what role permaculture plays in the polycrisis, nature as family, permaculture as a political act, the tension between small-scale local solutions and large-scale global problems, anarchy and antiauthoritarianism, the dark side of permaculture and more. To learn more about David you can check out his film Reading Landscape With David Holmgren at readinglandscape.org. You can also find him at holmgren.com.au for articles, videos, courses and other resources on permaculture. Enjoy the talk!

In this episode, we step into the wilderness with legendary landscape photographer Marc Adamus.His images have graced the pages of magazines like National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, and Popular Photography. But more than prestigious awards or publications, it’s Marc’s presence in wild places that sets him apart. Known for chasing light across storming glaciers, trekking alone in the heart of Alaska, Marc is a rare kind of artist: part adventurer, part storyteller, and a bridge bringing people into deeper contact with the incredible beauty of our planet.In this conversation, we’ll discuss Marc’s new book, his solo expeditions into extreme and uncertain terrain, story, and how the wilderness can teach us...if we’re willing to listen. We also explore topics like the pursuit of beauty, the mystical, more liminal aspect of photography which involves entering into dialogue with nature, feeling into the personality of place, as well as AI and what it could mean for art and photography.If you want to learn more about Marc or take one of his photo trips, visit him on his website www.marcadamus.com.

This week Robert Rient is Passing Through!Robert Rient, a powerful voice at the intersection of activism, spirituality, and environmental justice, joins Passing Through for his first interview in English!Robert is the founder of the Odra Person Foundation and the visionary behind the movement to recognize Poland’s Odra River as a legal person. He also established the Odra Tribe and organized the Great March for Odra.Robert is a member of the International Observatory for the Rights of Nature, Save the Rivers Coalition, and the Literary Union Association.Beyond his environmental and activist work, Robert is an author and freelance journalist covering the climate crisis and therapeutic methods of working with the body, emotions and spirit. He runs the Shamanism School, hosts intuitive and embodied healing ceremonies, Intuitive Story Dance ceremonies, as well as shamanic rituals and ceremonies. He’s the creator of the Peaceful Love podcast and a regular contributor to Sens magazine.In our conversation we discuss the rights of nature and spiritual activism, plant medicine, ritual, dialoguing with the more-than-human world, and the art of reconnecting with the Earth, spirit and ourselves. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Below are a list of Robert's books:"The First Contract. Fundamentals of the practice of shamanism," "Visions of Plants, or fifty medicinal plants and one fungus," "A glimpse Around the world - around yourself," "Witness: Inside Jehovah Witnesses Inside Catholic Poland Inside a Gay Life," "It was about love," and the novel "Jeremy's Spirits" nominated for the Nike Literary Award.

This week Michael Meade is Passing Through for one of my all-time favorite episodes!Michael Meade is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. For decades, Michael has paired hypnotic storytelling with sharp, soulful reflections on the crises of our time. He’s the creator and host of The Living Myth Podcast and founder of the Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a nonprofit network of artists, activists, and community-builders encouraging greater understanding between diverse peoples.In our conversation we speak about Donald Trump; how a single person has the power to affect the lives of all the beings on our planet. We discuss community and initiation, myth and imagination, and explore topics like death, love, and the deep and important task of dealing with the other.I loved this conversation and hope you will, too. If you'd like to learn more about Michael and his work, please visit mosaicvoices.orgAnd definitely check out his podcast, The Living Myth

This week A'ida Shibli is Passing Through, for the second time!A'ida is a courageous, wise, passionate Palestinian Bedouin peace activist, educator, eco-villager and mother living at Tamera eco-village in Portugal.  She has dedicated decades of her life to making the world a better place. Join us for a discussion about Israel's illegal abduction of Greta Thunberg and the rest of the crew of The Madleen, the role of eros in the ongoing genocide in Palestine, making a daily contract with our hearts to be present with ALL of our senses, numbness as precondition for capitalist consumption, the spiritual basis of activism, animism, and more.You can find A'ida at @shibliaida or at Tamera.You can learn more about The March to Gaza happening on June 15th.Learn more about A'ida's peace project Women in White.

This week, Moureen Kaki is Passing Through.Moureen is a Palestinian American on the ground in Gaza. For nearly a year she's been working with humanitarian aid organizations like Glia International and Shabab Gaza to provide desperately needed medical assistance and food to the besieged population of Gaza. She's proof that when our governments fail to step up and intervene on behalf of a persecuted people, communities and individual humans will.Moureen is a real life hero and inspiration, and it was an absolute honor to speak with her. Join us for a conversation where Moureen shares her stories, talks about life in Gaza, describes how Israel's blockade not only creates famine, but creates black markets for food. We discuss the importance of community and belonging, family, finding beauty amongst the rubble, and the tenacity of the Palestinian soul.Follow Moureen on Instagram @saha_stx and please feel free to donate and support her. You can donate via Venmo to @Saha_satx using the word "food distributions."You can also follow @glia_intl and @shababgaza and support them and get updates on the situation in Palestine. You can support one of Glia International's initiatives here: www.launchgood.com/Rise4Gaza

This week Eimear Burke is Passing Through, again!Eimear is a druid, the chosen chief of OBOD — the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids — a seanchaí, lover of bees, and a beautiful human. Join us for a chat about Beltane, pre-Christian Pagan history in Ireland, the feats of Saint Patrick, storytelling and myth, animism, how to enter into respectful dialogue with a forest, the importance of intentionality, bees and being in service. You can find out more about Eimear at her website kilkennydruidry.com or at Druidry.org (OBOD's website) where you can find tons of info about druidry and druidic practice.

In this engaging conversation, Robert Falconer, an influential IFS therapist with five decades of experience, dives deep into the transformative power of group healing and ecstatic dance. He shares insights on how community and Spirit can enhance the healing process, highlighting the interplay of the personal and collective Self. Falconer also discusses ancestral trauma and the role of storytelling in fostering connection. His reflections on the relationship between humans and nature invite listeners to engage more deeply with their environment.

This week Geoff Lawton is passing through!Geoff is a world-renowned permaculture designer, consultant and educator who’s taught tens of thousands of students all across the globe. Since the 1980’s he’s been involved in regenerative agriculture and ecological design, designing sustainable systems for soil, water, plants animals energy and housing in over 50 countries. Geoff has done pioneering work in greening deserts and other degraded landscapes around the world. He’s a leading voice in applying permaculture principles to global food security, land restoration, and climate resilience. It was an absolute honor to spend some time with Geoff and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!We talk about his work greening the desert, AI, indigenous wisdoms in the face of colonial erasure, interrogating and redefining our notions of wealth, how our technology contributes to loss not just of our environment but our ability to thrive inside it, natural swimming pools and a whole lot more.If you’re interested in working with Geoff you can sign up to his Global Permaculture Internship program which is expanding to southern Spain. If you’re in Australia you can stop by Geoff’s community at Zaytuna Farm. Or if you want to learn more about permaculture you can take his online Permaculture Design Course. You Can find him on Youtube and Instagram and Facebook.

This week I'm passing through the spaces in between with a special ASMR episode.Join me for a sleepy chat on silence, dreams, a recap of our Community Building workshop, and a quick musing on the important purpose of profaning.