THE SPACESHIP EARTH PODCAST

In this episode I’m in conversation with Lily Cole.Lily is a model, activist, social entrepreneur, writer, actor and mother who has campaigned and acted persistently on multiple social, environmental and climate justice issues throughout her working life.She is committed to exploring new possibilities and ways of being which put care and life at the centre.I connected with Lily last year when we were both invited to attend a climate activism retreat at Plum Village, the Zen Buddhist Monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat HanhThe Plum Village force is strong in this episode.This conversation is grounded in this moment, it’s a dive into the deeper parts of change, the inner and outer dimensions of our values and actions and how they influence and shape the systems we seek to change.We explore:* Mindfulness, practicing deep listening and cultivating empathy for addressing the complex, contradicting and overwhelming issues of living in these times.* The interconnectedness of all beings, ancient wisdoms and other ways of knowing, and the potential of shifting perspectives to create more caring and sustainable cultures.* How we can integrate these practices and insights into our lives and communities as part of a collective journey towards regenerative and peaceful change.LinksLily ColeWho Cares Wins PodcastPlum VillagePlay out TrackWill Flisk with Sif Augustdottir - Satie and the Crow Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

Recorded in 2021 I’m posting this Episode with Dr Wallace J Nichols today to honour his sudden passing this week.The most humble human who gave so much to widening our collective understanding of the human entanglement and interdependence with the waters of this Earth.His book Blue Mind is a must read and rightly influenced so many to see beyond water just as a resource to be protected but a sacred flow of life itself, so entangled with human life and health and our emotional regulation and wellbeing.I spent a little bit of time with ‘J’ in California in 2018 and hosted him on the podcast in 2021 as we were emerging from the pandemic and he was coming to terms with the loss of his family home from wild fires.He spoke a lot then about the need for water connection and blue mind in these times of increasing rage, stress, violence and divisiveness.We had planned to record another conversation exploring loss, trauma, losing what we love and healing with the Earth but we never managed it.He had those very rare qualities of deep intelligence and wisdom, empathy for all life, the capacity to invite curiosity and inquiry from people with humility and without the need to shout loudly or divide. He always spoke so beautifully of his family too - we send them love for these most challenging times of loss.He would always hand out blue marbles, and say -‘if we zoom out from our planet Earth a million miles - all you can see is a little blue marble floating in space - a planet made of water. Keep that marble in your pocket to remember this miracle’He would encourage you to go and find your water, a river, stream, lake, pond or the ocean if you’re lucky. Be near it, on it, in it - cultivate your blue mind.Water is medicine - he said.In these time more than ever._______________________________________Dr Wallace. J Nichols is a renowned marine-biologist, wild water advocate and author of the bestselling book - Blue Mind: How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected and Better at What You Do.His experiences as a field research scientist, government consultant, teacher, mentor, public speaker, parent, founder and director of businesses and nonprofit organisations, all support his quest to build a stronger and more diverse global blue movement. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

In this Episode I’m in conversation with the brilliant Immy Kaur and Kavita Purohit from Civic Square in Birmingham UK.Civic Square’s mission is demonstrating neighbourhood-scale civic infrastructure for social, ecological, economic, and climate transition.I’m a huge fan of their work, they are pioneers in the UK when it comes to demonstrating what communities can achieve when it comes to responding to some of the gnarliest, complex systemic issues we face as a species.They use practical, decentralised approaches, translating complex systems change thinking into participative inquiry and co-design projects working with  place based communities alongside diverse practitioners, knowledge and wisdom holders and regenerative innovators.When the times we are in can feel so overwhelming and mainstream political approaches exhausted, look to Civic Square and their ecology of collaborators for how we might create very different ways of imagining and realising better futures which put people and places at the centre around cultures of care, connection and solidarity.We explore* Systemic Issues and community approaches to finding solutions* The importance of neighbourhoods and Public Goods* Health Justice and ecological Health in neighbourhoods* Demonstrating radical imagination* The role of Doughnut Economics in neighbourhoods* Community engagement and co-ceation approaches* Different ways of knowing, re-pairing and re-imaginingLinksCivic SquareCivic Square MediumNeighbourhood DoughnutStories for Life Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

Earth Sessions are DJ mixes that I put out from time to time.This unravelling world makes me despair today.So I went down to the Spaceship shed and recorded this mix.Ruff and ready.When there are no words, there is music.House MusicAnd Love.Respect to the artists and producers who have created these tracks that are alive for me right now.Full listing on site. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I’m in conversation with Sarah Corbett, award winning campaigner, activist and founder of the Craftivist Collective.Craftivism, where craft meets activism, offers a unique, intimate, transformative approach to addressing the gnarly issues of our time, emphasising the importance of gentle, emotionally intelligent, creative and persuasive protest in fostering meaningful dialogue, connection and change.From crafting hearts to connect across climate movements to sewing personalised handkerchiefs sent to corporate leaders and so much more - Sarah and the Craftivist Collective invite people to embrace activism rooted in gentleness, compassion, humility and self-care.We Explore* Navigating the digital activism world: challenges and personal reflections* Blending craft and activism for change* The potential of gentle protest: crafting a kinder activism* The power of hands in crafting, connecting and healing* The transformative impact of craft on mental health* Craftivism in action: from gentle protest to wider solidarity and systemic changeLinksCraftivist CollectiveCraftivist Instagram Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, futurist and visionary artist Adah Parris explores the fascinating concept of 'Cyborg Shamanism,' blending technology, storytelling, and spirituality. She emphasizes our responsibilities as future ancestors and the power of neurodiversity in shaping a regenerative future. Parris discusses the importance of reconnecting with nature and embracing diverse intelligences, reflecting on her experiences with ADHD and autism. The conversation inspires listeners to challenge norms, engage with community, and cultivate a more inclusive world.

Activists Alnoor Ladha & Lynn Murphy discuss navigating the 'Age of Consequence' & healing wealth post-capitalism. They emphasize systemic understanding, regenerative agriculture, ancestral lineages, and redefining wealth for a more life-affirming world.

Originally released in June 2022, I’m rebroadcasting for Earth Day Episode 60 with Dr Stephan Harding - Holistic Scientist, Deep Ecologist, Author and Co-founder of Schumacher College who was mentored by the scientist James Lovelock - responsible for the Gaia Theory Hypothesis.Earth Day began in 1970 the year before I was born, and here we are 54 years later experiencing the accelerated unravelling of our Earth’s System, essentially from a perception problem, a relationship problem, a separation crisis.Capitalist Modernity has failed to understand or accept that the Earth is alive, an ongoing complex, mysterious entanglement of intelligent living relationships which have created the conditions for life to emerge, including human life.This is Gaia. A way of seeing the Earth that humans throughout the majority of our time as a species on this planet have always known.The Earth and all life on it is sentient, animate and sacred.Decades of destructive and extractive ways of being in relationship with the Earth means we’re facing into the consequences of that in profound ways now, how quickly can we wake up at scale and re-learn to see the Earth as alive ?What Stephan would call Gaian consciousness…“So lets call it a Gaian consciousness. It’s gradually taking root inside people, people are waking-up to it more and more. But it’s slow. Waking up is far slower than the rate of destruction. And what we need now is the rate of waking-up to overtake the rate of destruction. And the waking-up has got to happen on a massive scale. But I don’t know how that is going to happen.The positive side is that cultural revolutions can happen very quickly. Revolutions in consciousness can happen very quickly. This one has got to happen quicker than any other, and happen fast and on a global scale. And it has got to transcend national boundaries, political boundaries, all the sorts of boundaries that we humans have erected between ourselves, gender boundaries, all those boundaries they have got to fall down. And we all have to unify to protect our very own planet, for her own sake and our sake and the sake of all beings. Is that going to happen?”In this episode we explore- Who is Gaia and what’s her history? - James Lovelock independent scientist, mentor and Gaia Theory Hypothesis- From the scientific study of the Muntjac Deer to the deep connection of the wholeness of nature- We are not just thinkers. We’re equally, feelers, sensors and intuitors- We’re inherently animistic with a spiritual connection to nature. And we can still value science- A cultural revolution needs to happen quicker than any other time, for the sake of all life- Gaia Alchemy. Why put alchemy with science? - Healing a crisis of meaning and the Azoth of Philosophy- Valuing the psyche over the ego. Do we invent ideas or do we receive them?- Finding your Gaia placeI hope you enjoy this conversation. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

Something a bit different this week from the deeper more than human dive we’ve been on in the last few episodes.I’m in conversation with Matthew Barr of Adventure Sport Podcast Looking SidewaysMatt has released nearly 250 episodes on his podcast with some of the biggest, humblest and most interesting names in Surfing, Snowboarding, Skateboarding and related pursuits.Many of the conversations Matt hosts explore the big challenges of our time through the lens of these sports, experiences and communities.Aside from being a fan of the pod I wanted to get Matt on for a few reasons:* I’m a life long trail runner and a keen surfer  - both of these pursuits have kept my awe for the living Earth alive and my humility in check - as a little human-being on a vast, powerful, complex, intelligent more than human planet .* I’m always curious about adventure sport and the obvious relationship with our living Earth that offers potential not just for connection, but protection, activism, regeneration and stewarding from within these communities, if they could be more widely mobilised.* I really appreciate how Matt digs into the multiple tensions and issues we are facing today from climate and ecological breakdown, to structural racism, to gender rights and much more - he explores them, through the stories of some amazing humans that he hosts.* Like this podcast tries to do, Matt creates space to explore the complexities, nuance and difficult things we must all learn to face into, the uncomfortable conversations we need to learn to welcome if we’re to find ways through these crazy times into more peaceful, co-operative ways of being, between humans and all life on this Earth.* Podcasting can be an extraordinary medium for learning and unlearning which is what keeps me going with this podcast and what I learn in this conversation drives Matt to continue with his.We explore:* The need for more spaces for true dialogue to help us move through the stuck binary, divisiveness of modern culture and media.* How so many tensions are often based on poor information and limited understanding, especially when it comes to our relationship with a complex living planet.* The elephant in the room when it comes to the meta crisis - ‘the spell of Capitalism’ - and our collective inability to imagine anything different.* The impacts of a deeply commoditised, extractive and often entitled culture on our personal sense of responsibility to look beyond ‘nature as transaction’, and act as stewards, protectors and active participants in change.* ‘The Announcement’ - a 3 part audio documentary that Matt is creating with Patagonia based on their recent decision to ‘convert all the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth - the Earth.’* This is also a conversation from two ‘Gen-X’ middle-aged white men about the pursuit of the podcasting medium, the role for longer form content, the challenges of pervasive technology and social media platforms on our attention, and how to be of service in these unravelling times.As Matt put it:“We were both born in the analogue era and we’ll die in the AI era”.I hope you enjoy, please share if you do and let us know how this lands for you in the commentsLinksLooking Sideways WebsiteLooking Sideways SubstackInstagramPatagonia Announcement Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I’m in conversation with Natasha Lythgoe, Vision Quest guide, retreat leader and mentor, who’s work and approach has been profoundly shaped by her life as an artist and through her buddhist practice.Natasha works with mind, body, psyche/soul and mystery, sharing the skills that have been shared with her over the last twenty five years of practice.I’ve been following Natasha’s work since we trained together as nature guides on Chris Salisbury’s inaugural Call of the Wild program 11 years ago and was excited to invite her onto the podcast this year.This is a conversation which explores the messy work of integration or incorporation as Natasha prefers.It’s about the work we must all do if we’re serious about paradigm shifts, letting go of destructive behaviours that no longer serve us,  and becoming the change we seek, especially following rites of passage, threshold work or peak experience.This is a conversation which invites us to explore different intelligences within us and around us.Especially our own body intelligence, learning its language and clock which defies the very paradigms of extractivism and capitalism.We explore* Natasha’s journey as an artist, her buddhist practice and her connection back to the land and a wilder intelligence.* How do we begin to trust the messy, wild , aliveness inside us and around us in contrast to the linear, rational, limited ways of ‘making sense’ in modernity.* How to learn to trust different ways of knowing to help us navigate these times. Ways which are not always comfortable and clear.* Somatics and the body - this episode is a bit different, in that it features a very spontaneous co-created somatic practice which Natasha offered me as we were in mid conversation.So I invite you to follow along when Natasha guides the body intelligence practice - see it as a playful sensory exploration. Christina Figures said recently:“Systemic transformation is deeply personal. “I think this episode is touching on that.It invites us into the uncomfortable, messy and I’d suggest most beautiful work, which doesn’t fit neatly into the commercialisation of  peak experience, spiritual transformation and purpose/leadership work.Learning to lean into your authentic purpose, with a process and journey which is often being guided by wilder, unpredictable, more feral, more than human life forces. Which I think is really the invitation of becoming crew.As Bayo Akomolafe once said to me:“May your road be rough “I hope you enjoy this conversation._________________________________________________We are planning an On-Land Wilderness Solo with Natasha and Becoming Crew guides with ongoing incorporation 20-22nd of September.If you’d like to register interest mail us: hello@becomingcrew.comLinksThe Art of RewildingNatasha Lythgoe InstagramBecoming Crew - The RemixPlay Out TrackWill Flisk - Long Pig Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe