Lunisolar Mind returns with a thirteenth episode, shedding some light (or darkness) on the new moon, the light absent in the skies of this episode’s release. In this moment of pregnant stillness, in the space between inhale and exhale, we wonder. PODCAST LINKS https://www.intheborderlands.com/ https://www.patreon.com/IntheBorderlands https://www.facebook.com/intheborderlands https://www.instagram.com/intheborderlands_podcast/ TORGRIM'S...

We kick off 2024 with a timely musing on the nature of Good and Evil. Does absolute Good and absolute Evil exist? Is the binary idea of Good and Evil useful or does it disconnect us from the actual reality of things? Your hosts Mikael Öberg and Torgrim Mellum Stene explore this landscape through the medium of a spread of Hollywood blockbuster movies. Independence Day https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_independence%2520day Top Gun:...

It is that time of the year. We sit on the treshold. Between what we know and what we don’t know. We look at what has happened In the Borderlands in 2023 and we look ahead at what we would like to discover and experiment with in the year to come. And as an offering to you, dear listener, we end with a midwinter meditation, dreamt up for this moment in time. Join our Patreon www.patreon.com/IntheBorderlands PODCAST...

Susanna Salo was looking for a deck of Tarot cards inspired by Finnish mythology, but could not find one. So she decided to make one herself. More than a decade later, close to the global relaunch of the English version of her mesmerizing and dreamlike deck, we were lucky enough to get to speak to her In the Borderlands. About the creative process, being inspired by dreams, following the inner voice, how the mythology of Kalevala blended with the Tarot system to create something entirely new,...

The Yule Goat is an ancient Northern European symbol of the midwinter solstice, a time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. The practice of dressing up like a horned goat for Christmas has many examples in Scandinavian history, though only echoes remain. Friend of the show and historian of religion Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen has for the past few years aimed to remake a new tradition. Inspired by animism, carneval, Krampus processions in the Alps and samba he has started a Yule Goat...

From the busyness of UK screen writer’s rooms to the stillness of the Swedish forests. From mastering the story to serving the story. From performance to ceremony. From ego-centred to eco-centred. Zara Waldebäck’s life, wisdom and thoughts on storytelling, resonance, relationship and attention are some of the many wonderful ingredients of this conversation. It developed and grew like a mycelial network of association and wonder, sprouting fascinating mushrooms to ponder, while pairing and...

Of all the creatures of the forest, the bear holds a place most dear in the hearts of ancient Scandinavians. New animist thinking and perspectives on how our forebears related to the world around them as well as the concept that personhood and culture is the baseline of existence for all life, ignited a spark in Olle Möllervärn's mind during his Religious studies. His fascinating master thesis on "Bear Culture“ is the springboard for this podcast episode where we delve into folklore and...

We are back after a lengthy interim! And how better to kickstart our new bout of episodes than with a dose of divine power! We interview Sally Pomme Clayton, British performance storyteller and author, about her latest book – The Mighty Goddess. We try to touch upon the immensity that is the Goddess, through a breadth of mythical lenses, attempting to describe archetypal energies that are impossible to pin down or reduce to human psychology. Indeed, how do you approach the Mighty Goddess, a...

In the middle of the night, you find yourself caught between dream and wakefulness, unable to move, unable to scream, with the feeling that someone's sitting on your chest. There are many names for this condition. Sleep paralysis. The Old Hag. The Nightmare. Mara. With returning guest, performance storyteller Dominic Kelly, we delve into this fascinating phenomenon that is deeply entrenched in the borderlands of folklore and belief. Dominic Kelly's website http://dominickelly.net/ See MARA...

This interview took us for a spin through a myriad of worlds - from the rambunctious and chaotic Commedia dell’Arte performances of Renaissance Italy through the clown-like persona of Donald Trump to UFO mythologies! All of it viewed through the lens of the carnivalesque. Our guest Petter Madegård is a visual artist, a director of film and theatre and an actor. He is the inventor of the Commedia dell’Arte-inspired live animation theatre Cinema dell’Arte. Enjoy this interview filled with...

Do you know the origin of iron? When did you last fall and take fright? These questions are good to keep in mind as we delve into the world of Finnish magic, where sorcerers prepare themselves for healing by standing on rocks in freezing rapids and newborn children are protected from evil spirits in the sauna by being given misleading nicknames. With us we have performance storyteller Markus Luukkonen who has, together with Mikael, made one show based on the fragmented source material of...

Śivani Howe is a classically trained Sannyasi of the Saraswati lineage from India running an ashram with her husband in the veld of the Purcell Mountains in Canada. Her focus is on yoga ecology, on reconnecting and creating a life in reciprocity with Mama Earth, and on channelling the unseen. With us In the Borderlands she shares a few personal stories brimming with synchronicity and serendipity, among them an amazing tale of her special relationship with bees. According to Śivani, the core...

The twelfth and final (?) episode of our podcast within the podcast – a series of full moon specials, released on every full moon – where we turn our attention to the glowing celestial body that has inspired artists and mystics for millenia. We have come to the end which is also a beginning. Spring is here, the birds are singing, celebrating the bursting forth of life. The cycle goes ever on and on, from flourishing to withering to flourishing once more. We have come to the beginning which...

Heresy. A word that usually evokes the image of a radical opposer of doctrine, of people burned at the stake, of violence and of religious conflict. But the Greek origin of the word is not so conflagrant. Etymologically, heresy means "choice". In this Easter Special, interdisciplinary performer Jo Blake returns to In the Borderlands to talk about her upcoming show "The Witness" about the relationship and balance between Jesus and Mary Magdalene and how his story became History and her story...

Can Nature have rights? We speak with ecopsychologist and Earth Rights activist Henrik Hallgren about the fascinating introduction of a trickster in the legal system, the concept that everything on Earth, from animals to rivers to entire ecosystems, have subjective rights. A new paradigm is emerging relating to the ideas of whether we can own the world or whether we are but one of many subjectivities in an interconnected whole, potentially changing our consciousness in the process. Come and...

Episode eleven of our podcast within the podcast – a series of full moon specials, released on every full moon – where we turn our attention to the glowing celestial body that has inspired artists and mystics for millenia. We are at the crossroads of spring. Every path a new possibility. Every path a new opportunity. Every path a new perspective. The worms patiently forge pathways through the thawing earth beneath our feet. The waters melt and start their patient flow anew. Pick a choice and...

Our guest Andreas Kornevall (storyteller, ecologist and writer) argues that contemporary logos work on our subconscious in a similar vein to medieval sigil magic, narrowing our perspective and molding us into consumers. In this episode he speaks about the creation of demblems, counter-sigils to deactivate and balance the negative aspects of our logo-inundated society. We also touch upon a host of related and fascinating subjects, including the value of regenerative grief and how the mythic...

The blindfold was removed. She did not know where she was. All she could see was the river. What began as an artistic experiment regarding relationship to space, turned into a seven year long (and counting) ceremony of Dreamtime visions and giving voice to that which has been lost. Join us in this fascinating conversation with interdisciplinary artist Laura Burns where we speak about the importance of tending to invisible presences and entering into dialogue with the consciousness of the...

Episode ten of our podcast within the podcast – a series of full moon specials, released on every full moon – where we turn our attention to the glowing celestial body that has inspired artists and mystics for millenia. The northern hemisphere is in the hard grip of frosty February. The Hunger Moon beams with dispassionate clarity in the skies, while we start to awaken from our winter slumber. The cycle is about to start anew. But who are we now? What do we want? What are we hungry...

In this episode we explore a different borderland altogether, the liminal spaces of the Metaverse. With VR artist and digital myth maker Lee Mason AKA Metageist as our guide we line dance on the edge between dream and reality, exploring themes as diverse as hypnagogic states, shadow people, digital life forms/ecosystems, cautionary sculptures and consensual realities. Mythology keeps rearing its head, even in the virtual worlds. Lee Mason's...

Episode nine of our podcast within the podcast – a series of full moon specials, released on every full moon – where we turn our attention to the glowing celestial body that has inspired artists and mystics for millenia. We are still in the grip of winter, the sky is occluded by grey fur, and the tough love of the Wolf Moon grabs us by the scruff of our necks. Reminding us to wake up from our slumber, to contain our own power, and make our own...

Historian of religion and animist thinker Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen is back on our podcast! This time to launch the Year of Aun, an invitation to celebrate 2023 as a year of healing and reconnection based on old Nordic spiritual practices. We speak about the theoretical foundations behind the Year of Aun, our relationship with the forces of nature as reflected through both ancient and contemporary mythologies, and what it means to be the worst possible ancestor. Rune Hjarnø...

Episode eight of our podcast within the podcast – a series of full moon specials, released on every full moon – where we turn our attention to the glowing celestial body that has inspired artists and mystics for millenia. Winter is upon us, and further introspection is needed. The Winter Moon calls us to the mountaintop, to stillness, to reflection. Mikael and Torgrim's journeys mirror each other perfectly and synchronistically in this episode where we look for guidance removed from the...