Howl in the Wilderness

On this episode I welcome back Thomas Moore to talk about his new book The Eloquence of Silence.While modern culture tends to avoid emptiness as much as possible, in The Eloquence of Silence: Surprising Wisdom in Tales of Emptiness, New York Times bestselling author Thomas Moore makes a compelling case for an easier, lighter way of moving through life by embracing the peace, calm, and spaciousness that emptiness offers.The Eloquence of Silence offers a collection of traditional stories and ideas about emptiness that explore the value of silence, empty space, and letting go.The Eloquence of Silence is ultimately about simplifying our way of living and being in the world with transparency. Tom encourages readers to consider that the habit of constant multitasking, like listening to a podcast while taking a walk or constantly being distracted by our phones, often means missing the heart and soul of what is happening around us. And the daily recognition of quiet spaciousness is not a retreat from reality, but a rich and full opportunity to experience all that is most meaningful and real.Tom's Website: http://thomasmooresoul.com ➤ GO DEEPERBecome a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepathMedicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me➤ SUPPORT & APPRECIATIONSend a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7 Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyogaSound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James

How did things get so f*cked up? Like a true elder, Stephen hears my troubled plea and hangs with me as we traverse great swathes of time and geography, tracking the catholic project to convert the world to Christianity that began with Paul the Apostle, through to Columbus opening the door for colonization of the so-called New World by the Puritans, up to the modern era of residential schools, globalization, AI and the revival of Christian conservatism.It's not an easy ride. Over the course of our conversation the range of emotions and responses is as broad as the story of How We Got Here. Grief, sorrow, bewilderment, joy and praise all make an appearance.By the end, I'm mentally and emotionally spent and confess, "I can't take any more!" Stephen laughs and says, "I'm not sure I can take any more either." As Stephen says repeatedly, there are no answers, no way to fix things. But perhaps by wondering How We Got Here, we start to get a glimpse of How Things Could Be Otherwise and along the way, uncover a few hints on how to proceed like an ancestor worthy of being claimed.  ➤ GO DEEPERBecome a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepathMedicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me➤ SUPPORT & APPRECIATIONSend a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7 Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyogaSound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James➤ GUEST BIO Culture activist, worker, author Stephen Jenkinson teaches internationally and is the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School, co-founded the school with his wife Nathalie Roy in 2010, convening semi-annually in Deacon, Ontario, and in northern Europe.Website: http://orphanwisdom.com 

Note: This is a rebroadcast of episode 70, recorded April 21 2021 with improved audio levels. This conversation was too good to let bad audio potentially get in the way of you enjoying it.Martin Shaw is widely regarded as one of the most exciting teachers of the mythic imagination. He is the author of the award winning A Branch From The Lightning Tree, Scatterlings: Getting Claimed in the Age of Amnesia (2016), Courting the Wild Twin (2020), and the upcoming Smokehole: Looking to the Wild in the Time of the Spyglass (2021). He is director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK, and devised and led the Oral Tradition course at Stanford University.In our conversation we touch on many topics close to my heart: storytelling, mythology, honouring our teachers and mentors, cultivating a sense of belonging and serving the spirit of the land in the place we claim as home. The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.Don’t go back to sleep.You must ask for what you really want.Don’t go back to sleep.People are going back and forth across the doorsillwhere the two worlds touch.The door is round and open.Don’t go back to sleep.— Rumi, translated by Coleman BarksMartin's websites:https://drmartinshaw.comhttps://schoolofmyth.comNames invoked:Robert Bly, Michael Meade, James Hillman, Martín Prechtel, Malidoma Somé, Federico García Lorca, Arshile Gorky, Willem De Kooning, Rumi+++GO DEEPERBecome a member of the Medicine Path online community and school of soul studies: http://patreon.com/medicinepathMedicine Path YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/c/medicinepath1-on-1 Soul Recovery resources and coaching with Brian James: http://medicinepath.me+++SUPPORT & APPRECIATIONSend a gift from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/11HNWME8NHNM7 Make a one-time contribution via PayPal: http://PayPal.me/medicinepathyogaSound collage: "Invocation" by Brian James