The concept of original instructions is not about having them magically stored in our bodies but about embodying teachings passed down through generations with living oral memory. Original instructions are about co-emergent co-regulation with ecology and culture, aiming for continuity. From a Western integral perspective, cultivating original instructions involves external and objective observation of interactions that nourish ecological flourishing and also personal and collective subjective practices that support well-being. Practices like harvest ceremonies in pagan traditions bind communities to a sense of connection to the continuity of life.
On this episode, thought leader and ceremonial guide Samantha Sweetwater joins Nate to share her journey through mysticism and guiding others through their own unique spiritual paths. Strengthening relationality is a critical component for fostering deeper connections to nature - including fellow humans - and subsequently creating more cooperative, peaceful societies. Within a culture which predominantly values linear processes, Samantha’s work has centered around finding a balance between convergent thinking and the relational intelligence we’ve neglected. What can we learn from the various indigenous cultures who understand their entanglement with the land? Is it possible for future societies to value a more balanced development across the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aspects of its people? How can we - as individuals - nurture the subjective, intersubjective, and objective within ourselves to create more holistic sensemaking within a complex world?
About Samantha Sweetwater:
Samantha Sweetwater is a writer, soul mentor, strategic partner and deeply loved ceremonial guide. She has facilitated transformational experiences in diverse communities, cultures and industries on five continents for over 30 years. Her work bridges spirituality, science, psychedelics, indigenous wisdom, transpersonal psychology, embodiment and deep ecology. She leads experiences and conversations about our relationship with the earth, spirituality and systemic change that transform the way we think about what it means to be human. Samantha is the founder and director of One Life Circle, a plant medicine ministry tending our intimacy with and belonging to Life. She also advises companies and organizations in the areas of technology, health, materials economy and psychedelics. As the former founder of Dancing Freedom and Peacebody Japan, she pioneered the conscious dance movement—facilitating tens of thousands of people and training hundreds of facilitators to seed communities around the globe. She holds an MA in Wisdom Studies and a BA in Social Theory and the Dance with a minor in Legal Philosophy. She has been initiated by indigenous teachers in Africa, South America and the US.
Her first book, True Human: Reimagining Ourselves at the End of Our World, will be available Fall Equinox 2024.
For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/112-samantha-sweetwater
To watch this video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-D_y4jqxnmM
