What does it mean to be a steward of land - not just taking responsibility for its preservation but also listening to the wisdom it offers? On today's episode, I discuss this topic with Belinda Liu, a nature-inspired visionary, co-creator of Gratitude Blooming, a movement to explore the deep connections between nature and culture, and co-founder of Hestia Retreat Center located near Mt. Shasta, California.

In the mystical Jewish tradition, the Shekhinah is the “immanent, feminine aspect of God who dwells with human beings and shares our lives, joys and sorrows.” On our latest episode, I explore the wisdom of the Shekhinah with scholar, author and poet Joy Ladin. Joy’s latest book of poetry is “Shekhinah Speaks”, published by Selva Oscura. She has also published nine other books of poetry, including National Jewish Book Award winner “The Book of Anna”, and two Lambda Literary Award finalists,...

What does it mean to live a committed life, and how might the Sacred Feminine help guide us in our attempts to do so? On today’s show, I explore this subject with renowned visionary and best-selling author Lynne Twist. Lynne is the author of the award-winning “The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life”, as well her latest book, “Living a Committed Life: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in a Purpose Larger Than Yourself”. Over the past 40 years Lynne has worked...

Birth has always been women’s business – in both the act of birthing, and until very recently, in the tending of women during childbirth too. On the latest episode, I explore the sacred nature of childbirth with Bridget Supple, author of the new book “Birthkeeper of Bethlehem: A Midwife’s Tale” (Womancraft Publishing), which tells the fictional story of Salome, the midwife who attended Mary during Jesus’ birth. Bridget has spent the last twenty years supporting women and birthing people...

On the latest episode, I embark upon a wild and roaming conversational romp with writer Sophie Strand. Sophie’s writing focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. But, as she says, it would probably be more authentic to call her a neo-troubadour animist with a propensity to spin yarns that inevitably turn into love stories. Sophie’s first book of essays, The Flowering Wand: Rewilding the Sacred Masculine is newly released from Inner Traditions. Her eco-feminist...

What happens when we take charge of our own story, viewing our life’s journey an ever-unfolding tale of creation? On the latest episode, I explore this fascinating idea with storyteller, artist and tarot deck creator The Story Medicine. The Story Medicine transmits stories through the medium of her voice foremost but also as a ceremonialist and craftswoman of spiritual art. The Story Medicine’s work not only expresses the Sacred but also acts as healing and protective. Her stories drip...

How can art facilitate healing – of ourselves and others? On the latest episode I dive into this topic with artist, writer, teacher and “creativity midwife" Arla Patch. Arla uses art as a tool for healing, working with her own challenging history to provide the source material for using creativity for personal transformation. Making art has offered a powerful opportunity for her and those with whom she has facilitated art making: breast cancer survivors, incarcerated women, at-risk teens, and...

In September 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested by Iran’s Morality Police while visiting Tehran with her family, and later died in custody after several witnesses described seeing her assaulted during her arrest. Mahsa Amini’s killing has sparked protests across Iran and a brutal crackdown in response by the government, leading to the deaths of hundreds of people, including children and teenage girls. On today’s episode, I discuss this situation and how it relates to the global rise...

What might it mean to embrace matriarchy? On the latest episode, I explore this topic and much more with two of the three co-hosts of one of my favorite podcasts, “Make Matriarchy Great Again.” Dawn Alden has spent almost 30 years in the non-profit arts space, both as a performer and as an administrator. She founded and ran her own non-profit theatre company for 10 years, worked in Development and Fundraising for various arts organizations, runs a film production company and is founding a...

“Elen of the Ways” is a name given to an elusive, antlered Goddess connected with deer, nature and the ancient trackways of Northern Europe. But who, exactly, is She, and what evidence of Her exists? On the latest episode I explore this question with Caroline Wise, editor of “Finding Elen: The Quest for Elen of the Ways.” Caroline has had an interest in what is now known as the ‘Earth Mysteries’, and the mystical since childhood. From the late 70s to late 80s she was associated with The Ley...

The term “Black Madonna” refers to statues, paintings and other images of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus with dark skin that you can find all around the world – although most often when people refer to them, they are usually referring to those found in Europe, which began proliferating in the Middle Ages. We’ve explored the Black Madonna from a few different angles in the past, and on the latest episode, we’re diving deep into Her mysteries and wisdom with one of my favorite fellow...

So many of us never received any specific guidance into Sacred Feminine wisdom early on in life. While it can be challenging to find and reclaim Her presence as adults, the process can also involve weaving ourselves into a beautiful story of remembrance, as my guest today can attest to. Johanna Rivera is a mother, song and womb alchemist, community herbalist and women’s health educator. She weaves a beautiful tapestry of women’s knowledge: the scientific with the intuitive; the political...

What might a relationship steered by Sacred Feminine wisdom look like right here and now, in these modern times and the world we live in today? On the latest episode, I explore this topic with Elizabeth Gould, author of the new book The Well of Truth. This book, Elizabeth’s first, incorporates elements of fantasy, mysticism, and lore to follow a female heroine through poignant moments of her adult life. Through the initiations of marriage, raising children, getting divorced, going through...

So many of us take the notion of exchange for granted – we pay for something, for example, and we receive a good or service in exchange. But what if our true nature isn’t based on equal exchange at all, but rather gifts given and received, as demonstrated by an infant’s earliest relationship with their caregiver, typically a mother? On the latest episode I discuss this fascinating idea and its implications with one of the leading champions of the Maternal Gift Economy, Genevieve Vaughan....

Who is the Great Mother, and what does it mean to embrace mothering as a verb – stretching our notions of this action to reach out beyond gender? On today’s episode I explore this and many other questions with writer, storyteller and epidemiologist Finn Schubert. Finn is a board member at Baltimore Wisdom Project and co-author of Developing TransCompetence: A Short Guide to Improving Transgender Experiences at Meditation and Retreat Centers. Released in 2014, this book was an early resource...

In tarot, the Tower card represents crisis, destruction and liberation. According to my latest guest, it’s also an apt representation of where we are culturally. How then, do we navigate this time of collapse with compassion, bravery and heart? On today’s episode, I explore this subject with H. Byron Ballard, a ritualist, teacher, gardener, and author of multiple books, including “Staubs and Ditchwater: A Friendly and Useful Introduction to Hillfolks’ Hoodoo”; “Earthworks: Ceremonies in...

On the latest episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Irish artist Dee Mulrooney, whose creative work includes painting, drawing, film, story-telling and performance art. I first got to know Dee through her remarkable performance piece “Growler,” an 81-year-old shamanic vulva living in exile in Berlin, Germany. Dee works with the alchemical aspect of transmutation in her art and she uses this process to deal with difficult topics, including abuse, death and loss. She has exhibited and...

We spend our days enveloped by natural rhythms and cycles – cycles of breath, the regular, repeating patterns of the sun and the moon, and the cycle of seasons – yet many of us have very little awareness of them. What happens when we consciously align ourselves with these cycles? As Stella Tomlinson shares on the latest episode, we can find a sense of belonging and a deeper connection to the Sacred Feminine. Stella Tomlinson is a poet, Priestess and the author of the new book, “Cycles of...

Who are we speaking of when we refer to “Goddess?” Is She one overarching deity, or someone different – someone with many different faces and expressions around the world? On the latest episode, I explore this question with Kimberly Moore, founder of Motherhouse of the Goddess, a devotional community and living altar dedicated to the Goddess in all Her emanations. Kimberly, who is also the Founder and Director of Mystery School of the Goddess and the host of Goddess Alive Radio podcast,...

The American Dream, which suggests that anyone can achieve success in this country, is a concept desperately in need of radical revision: It blatantly ignores the realities of Indigenous genocide, institutionalized racism, sexism, ableism, and heteronormativity; assumes that “success” within a capitalist framework is the ultimate goal; that hard work in favor of material gains should take precedence over everything, including our relationships and our well-being; and that human dominance...

What does union between the Sacred Feminine and the Sacred Masculine look like within ourselves, externally in our relationships, and in the world? On today’s episode, I explore this question with feminine/masculine integration expert Sarah Poet. Sarah is a truth seeker, a soul traveler, and, as she says, a medicine woman for modern times, who is on a mission to help us integrate feminine and masculine energies on all levels, and live lives full of integrity and heart. Sarah is also the host...

The Sacred Feminine is infinitely large and multifaceted, but let’s face it: all too often, she is depicted and celebrated as white. European prehistoric figurines are far more recognized and depicted than African icons of the Sacred Feminine, for example, and even Goddesses with African origins often end up depicted with lightened skin and European features. We do the Sacred Feminine and ourselves a huge disservice when we whitewash Her in this way. On the latest episode, I discuss the...

There are over 450 Black Madonnas found all over the world, and they are known and beloved by millions of people. But all too often, the Black Madonna is described in archetypal, disembodied language that completely omits a powerful truth: She is Black. This is a critical distinction, because as my latest guest has written, “the divine feminine alone will not liberate us from white patriarchy. She. Must. Be. BLACK.” Dr. Christena Cleveland is a social psychologist, public theologian,...

What is the counterpart to the Sacred Feminine? What does healthy masculinity look like, and what are our models for it – mythically and culturally? These are questions I’ve been wanting to explore on this show for a long time, and on today’s episode, Ian MacKenzie, host of the Mythic Masculine podcast, joins me to dive into this subject. Ian MacKenzie is a filmmaker and visionary artist whose work sits at the intersection of eros, emergence, and village. For more than 11 years, he has been...

What is the connection between art and the sacred – and specifically the Sacred Feminine? This is the question I explore with my latest guest, Verlena Johnson. Verlena is a multimedia artist whose work includes drawing, painting, sculpture, puppetry, performance and video. Drawing inspiration from mysticism, spirituality, feminism, queer theory and popular culture, much of Verlena’s artwork is about healing and represents a visual embodiment of Love. Verlena holds Master’s degrees in...