The Lumieres Podcast

If I said the word endometriosis to you, would you know what it meant? March is endometriosis awareness month, a debilitating and difficult-to-diagnoses disease that affects 1 in 10 women.In this episode, my wonderful friend Justine squire, who is a amazing circus artist and performer, goes deep into her own lifelong journey to her diagnosis and unmasks many of the myths around what this disease actually is and how it can be more widely understood and therefore treated.It takes courage to come on a podcast and speak about what is a very personal issue, and so I want to say a very special thank you to Justine for being up for this, and being such an exceedingly well-prepared, well-researched interviewee! She really drops the knowledge so be prepared to learn a lot - I know I did.EPISODE RESOURCESPain and Prejudice: A call to arms for women and their bodies by Gabriella Jacksonhttps://nancysnookendo.com/ - for information and advice on Endometriosis.https://insixteenyears.com/ - Endometriosis-focused podcast with a personal, humour-led touch.https://thebotanicclinic.com/about - Betty specialises in treating the disease with herbal & alternative medicine.CONNECT WITH JUSTINEJustine's WebsiteJustine on InstagramCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on PatreonMUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

This week’s guest is Eric Maddern. Eric is a storyteller, an author and the founder and steward of Cae Mabon, a magical eco-retreat and learning centre in Snowdonia, North Wales. They host all sorts of courses, ranging from singing and voice work, to clowning, herbalism, mythology, yoga, and natural building. It’s a place that is very dear to me having spent quite a lot of time there over the past few years.On this episode, I asked Eric to tell his own fascinating story, and weave it into the quite miraculous tale of how Cae Mabon came to be. He’s told it many times over the years, so I really appreciate him taking the time to revisit it for the podcast and for this audio time-capsule!Big thanks go to Eric for making time to speak with me. I must say, I find his rich voice to be a very soothing listen and I do hope you enjoy this episode.JodyCONNECT WITH ERICCae Mabon WebsiteCae Mabon InstagramCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on PatreonMUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

A little refresher if you are a new listener – I started this show back in January 2017 after realising I had a network of friends, friends-of-friends and various contacts doing weird and wonderful things in the world, and I wanted to celebrate them. I thought a good way to do this would be to go out to meet them and record interviews finding out how they got to where they are now, doing the unique work that they do, shining their light into the world, if you will. I only ever record in person, because I think it is just a whole other kind of energy when you are in a room with a person, as opposed to looking at them on a screen. So you can imagine the past couple of years have been a bit tricky!This year there is a new wave of energy carrying the show forward and I have a bunch of great conversations recorded and for this new season. You will meet storytellers, musicians, folklorists, farmers, anthropologists, ritualists, and artists, all at the intersection where creative expression, holistic health and grounded spirituality meet.To celebrate the very first of these new episodes I went down to Bristol to record this conversation with the force of nature that is Dani Tonks. Dani is a somatic coach and movement teacher, who runs a variety of body-focused classes, workshops and retreats, both online and in-person. Somatic work is very much about re-connecting us to the innate wisdom of the body, allowing it to guide us to what we need, as you will hear and experience in this very episode.I feel very privileged as this is Dani's first ever podcast. Thanks Dani for trusting me with your story and your journey. This is a powerful conversation and I do hope you all get something from it.I'll be back next week, but for now, please enjoy.JodyCONNECT WITH DANIDani's WebsiteDani on InstagramCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on PatreonMUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

Welcome back once again to the Lumieres Podcast! – Yes, somehow I’m still here and this is really happening, you are not dreaming… or maybe you are. Either way, today I have a very special episode of the Lumieres Podcast to share with you, because today is the day that my first book, Chimera, is released!Chimera: Living Through Leukaemia, A Memoir – to give it it’s full title – is the alchemical story of my teenage near-death initiation. Here's the blurb:Jody White’s eighteenth year of life filled his heart with young love – only to break him apart. Diagnosed with a rare form of Acute Leukaemia, he was given just two weeks to liveAfter a whirlwind of intensive treatment, and close to death, he dreamed his way into the care of a wizened cowboy, his own personal SWAT team, and a mysterious old crone who wanders the desert collecting wolf bones.Chimera is an alchemical dive into teenage illness, a near-death initiation framed by the innate, mythic stories that touch all our lives.I’m really proud and excited about this book. And I still can’t quite believe it’s actually out there starting it’s journey in the world.I decided to launch it with a crowdfunder. Over 100 backers raised around £5K to support the production of the first copies of the book, with 20% of that going to charity. This was a very special moment for me and I’m so thankful to all those who supported the project. If any of you are listening, once again, thankyou so very much.Because not only was there the pandemic to contend with, the latter half of 2021 also brought with it perhaps the most stressful six months in my personal life I think I’ve ever I’ve been through. Without going into too much detail, with all the challenge and emotional turmoil that was stirred up, there were days I wasn’t sure quite how I was going to move forward. Yet quite bizarrely, there was still an underlying sense that it was all part of the flow of my life, something to be ridden out, rather than raged against. Dedicating myself to finishing the book got me through.But this is a podcast Jody, I hear you ask? Yes, it is. And…. I have also been recording an audiobook version of Chimera for all of you who prefer to listen to your literature these days. Seems to be an ever-growing number of folks actually, myself included.Whilst that is a couple of months away from being done, as a very special book launch day treat, I thought I’d present the first two chapters exclusively here now for you lovely listeners. If you’re still with me after all this time off, then you are hardcore and I salute you to the absolute max.Stay safe out there,JodyCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on PatreonMUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

Tchad Blake is an audio engineer and producer, primarily known for his creative, world-class mixing. His work on records by The Black Keys, Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega have won him several Grammy awards.The list of artists he has worked with is seriously impressive, from Peter Gabriel to Crowded House, Tom Waits, The Pretenders, Fiona Apple, Arctic Monkeys and many more.It just so happens that Tchad lives in the Welsh hills a short trip north, so when my friend Emanation put us in touch I was really excited to sit down and chat with an industry legend, putting a body and a face to a name I saw pop up on the back of my Pearl Jam and Joseph Arthur CDs growing up.Tchad is humble, gracious and a very funny guy, happy to share stories from his life in music. From the early days as an LA studio assistant, to forming a long-term partnership with producer Mitchell Froom, moving to the UK, working at Real World and settling down in Wales with his wife Jackie to raise their two boys.For those local to the Powys area, and for those interested, a shout out to the fantastic organisations Tchad mentions towards the end of our chat:Mid-Powys Youth TheatreThe Willow GlobeImpelo Dance CentreBig thanks to Tchad for making the time to talk with me. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Breathe deep and go well,JodyCONNECT WITH TCHADTchad on InstagramCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on Patreon.MUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

Today we are going to talk about death, because, lets face it, as a culture we really need to. Despite it being an intrinsic part of being alive, something that will happen to everybody, we really don’t like to talk about it. Our medical system will do anything to prevent it happening, sometimes despite the very wishes of the patient themselves.When did you last hear a friend tell you they’d been working on their will, or that they’d chosen a song they’d like played at the ceremonial commemoration of their life? How do we feel about our dying, about these close to us dying? Do we have a plan for a our death? It’s time we got these conversations going publicly and privately.Death is in the air right now. With so much talk about death tolls, some saying the virus rates have been over-inflated, some saying they’ve been deliberately under-reported and the real count is much higher. Its hard to know who to believe. Either way, as a society we are still incredibly frightened of this part of life, understandably. By its very nature we can know nothing of what actually happens, but depending on your belief system, we can have a pretty good guess and that's enough for most.For myself, coming within a hair’s breath of dying at a young age re-framed my life as nothing less than a blessed gift, a second-chance at being here for which I am forever grateful. I think there is a lot of peace to be found in coming to terms with our dying and the deaths of others. It is the fundamental nature of life: all things will end. How can this truth teach us to live more fully while we are able?I’ve noticed more conversation around death awareness in podcasts recently, with Russell Brand talking to Amanda Palmer and my previous guest Manda Scott going into the subject on a recent episode of her Accidental Gods project.So here is a contribution to the cauldron from myself and my guest today, Sophia Campbell. Sophia is a basket maker and weaver of coffins. Her own encounters with death have come in a very personal way with the passing of her mother and sister and as you’ll hear, it was actually through her grieving process after her Mum died that she began working with baskets and weaving willow.Thanks for listening. Breathe deep and go well,JodyCONNECT WITH SOPHIASophia's Website – wovenfarewell.co.ukSophia on InstagramCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on Instagramwww.jodywhite.co.ukSUPPORTSupport the show on Patreon.MUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

Sam Gandy is a an ecologist, writer, speaker and researcher whose special interest lies in examining the capacity of psychedelic substances to dramatically and radically shift our interactions with the natural world for the betterment of all.In this episode, Sam shares his journey from his early forays into consciousness exploration and the wonders of nature, through his academic studies into soil and living systems. We talk about the value of psychedelics and how their expanding use can be harnessed as a force for good in this rapidly changing world.As well as his role as Scientific Assistant to the Director of the Beckley Foundation, Sam recently collaborated on a ground-breaking study with the Centre for Psychedelic Research team at Imperial College, London. Their findings demonstrated a reliable and robust positive association between psychedelic use and nature relatedness. This study and others like it are vitally important as we enter a new paradigm in which the value of psychedelics as tools for deeply positive change is undisputable and backed by science.Be sure to read Sam's latest article for Eco Hustler, a perfect companion piece to this episode of the podcast.Wishing you all good health,JodyCONNECT WITH SAMPsychedelics and Nature Connection – EcoHustlerTEDx Oxford – From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics and Nature ConnectionImperial College Study on Psychedelics and Nature ConnectionSam @ Breaking Convention 2019 – Psychedelic BiophiliaSam @ Breaking Convention 2017 – Dying to LiveCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on Patreon.MUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

The Lumieres Podcast is alive! Two years after the last episode, I've been called back to the microphone once more. First, I share what I've been up to in the interim and why the podcast was on hiatus, the primary reason being that I've been finishing my first book, Chimera. The book is a memoir of the tumultuous year of my life twenty years ago when I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukaemia. I'm now at the point where I am actively looking for a literary agent to help take the book to the next level and put it out into the world.I heard the name Manda Scott many years ago from the wonderful Mac Macartney down at Embercombe in Devon (where co-incidentally Manda is teaching this November). He was talking about how her historial fiction books, the Boudica series, had been dreamed into being. A shamanic author? I was intrigued and made a mental note.Manda is an award-winning novelist as well as an experienced shamanic dreaming teacher, running her own courses for the past fifteen years. I knew she'd make the perfect person to pick up the thread of this podcast with. Along with her partner Faith Tilleray, she recently birthed an extremely potent new project. Accidental Gods is the culmination of a year's intense dreaming, meditating and planning. Accidental Gods is a podcast, a website portal and a framework for conscious evolution. It's a bold and timely initiative that has the potential to be extremely beneficial to many people, regardless of background or experience. I urge you to check it out.In this episode you'll hear Manda share her journey from veterinary surgeon, through shamanism and dreaming, into best-selling novelist. Manda unpacks the Accidental Gods project in depth and we talk about the state of the world, where the hope lies and what we can do to allow the next steps to emerge.Many thanks to Manda for her time and graciousness and to you for listening, liking, sharing and subscribing. I really appreciate your support. It feels good to be back!Until next time,JodyCONNECT WITH MANDAwww.mandascott.co.ukwww.dreamingawake.co.ukwww.accidentalgods.lifeManda on TwitterCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on Patreon.MUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records

Ian Marchant lives five minutes walk from my house in Presteigne. I'd heard his name mentioned here and there, and after meeting Bob Rowberry a few months ago (and learning about Ian's book based on Bob's adventures) it felt like a very natural progression to pop round to Ian's for a chat. In this episode you'll hear about his life as a writer, what it's like to reinvent contemporary British trainspotting and be interviewed by Noel Edmonds, as well as a deep dive into the topics covered by his important new book A Hero For High Times: A Younger Reader’s Guide to the Beats, Hippies, Freaks, Punks, Ravers, New-Age Travellers and Dog-on-a-Rope Brew Crew Crusties of the British Isles, 1956–1994 (Jonathan Cape, 2018).Roger Lewis, writing in The Times, has already called it “a seditious, crackpot, transcendental riot… my book of the year, and it’s only February.” I've just ordered my copy and I would ask you to consider doing the same. I'm genuinely excited to learn more about this period of immense counter-cultural influence which happened before I really came of age. I'm hoping it can help fill in the large gaps in my understanding of my own cultural heritage and I have a feeling it will provide many laughs along the way!On a personal level, there is something beautifully fitting about the fact I now live in this small town in the Welsh borders in which the man who has written such a book also resides. I feel among friends. As I mentioned last time, it has been perfect timing to meet Ian and an honour to be able to release an episode of the podcast to coincide with the publication of the book.I really hope you enjoy this episode, we had a lot of fun and I can safely say you will learn a thing or three!JodyCONNECT WITH IAN:Ian's WebsiteIan on FacebookIan on TwitterCONNECT WITH JODYJody on InstagramLumieres on InstagramJody's WebsiteSUPPORTSupport the show on Patreon.MUSICSix Organs of AdmittanceDrag City Records