The Mythic Masculine

My guest today is Meghan Kurts, a writer and entrepreneur dedicated to self-care and planet care.She is the solo mother of a young son, and co-founder of Evohe (ev-oh-AY), an ethical skincare company based in Australia, as well as the author of “A Man’s Guide: Navigating the Menstrual Mood Swing.”In our conversation today, Meghan shares the impetus behind writing her book, and the challenge making it accessible to all readers (not just men).  She articulates her unique practice of mapping the seasons and archetypes to the cycles of menstruation, along with practical tips to support the women in your life. And finally, we muse on the connection between the blood cycle and this modern culture’s fear of death, and why slowing down just might be the medicine we all need right now.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmackJoin the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Taiaiake Alfred, an Indigenous scholar and activist.He is the recipient of numerous awards, including best column writing for the Native American Journalists Association, as well as a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. Taiaiake is an author, governance consultant and former university professor known for his keen focus and commentary on Indigenous resurgence and decolonization.In our conversation today, he shares of his early years as a young man in the US Marine Corps and what it means to be a warrior in a dominator system. He explores the origin cosmology of the Mohawk peoples and the capacity to find harmony within a complex system, and he reflects on fathering his three sons and how his understanding of leadership has shifted over the decades.Finally, on the question of toxic masculinity, he names the necessity for the soil of rooted community to live true accountability - as there is no good man without the health of the land.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Rune Hjarnø, a doctor of History of Religions, educated from the Universities of Uppsala and Copenhagen.He has lived and worked in a number of countries - with a particular focus on Afro-Atlantic and Nordic religions.  He is the creator of Nordic Animism, a popular Youtube channel that explores the themes of Nordic religion, culture, and history in short accessible videos. As well, he is the orginator of the Rune Animist Calendar that introduces seasonal animism from Northern Europe.In our conversation today, we look at the function of mythology as the capacity to create relationship. We explore the challenges of modern culture, where the absence of functional mythology gives rise to conspiracy theories, and we learn how the pantheon of Nordic gods can provide expressions of transgressive masculinity.Finally, we explore the myth of Ragnorak and what guidance it might offer us in these apocalyptic times.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Gary Dillon, a mentor of many years and man I consider deeply grateful to know. I first met Gary through the Orphan Wisdom school, and have discovered that Gary’s rich and varied life has taken him through many pathways and modalities: including learning the traditional Hawaiian art of Lomilomi bodywork, transformational movement therapy, and the arts of sacred intimacy. In our conversation today, Gary shares how he was given the name Kekoanui, which means A Warrior of Aloha. We explore the tale of Eros & Psyche and the dynamic nature of divinity, and we speak of the role of memory and beauty, as nourishment for the mythological World Tree.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Jan Blake, one of Europe’s leading storytellers who has been performing for 35 years.  Jan specializes in myths and folktales from Africa, the Caribbean and Arabia - and has mesmerized audiences at every major storytelling festival worldwide.She has been the Storyteller-in-Residence for the Hay Literary Festival, the curator for Shakespeare’s Stories at the World Shakespeare Festival, and the recipient of the British Award for Storytelling Excellence.  Jan also leads popular workshops for emerging storytellers, and gives masterclasses on the craft of storytelling.In our conversation today, we speak of the return to her childhood home after many years living in the city of London. We explore the role of the storyteller and the necessity of permission to connect with an audience. Jan shares the story of The Hunter and the challenges young men face in the cultural climate of today, and finally we speak of the magic that blurs the line between telling a story, and the story telling you.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Alan Cooke, a filmmaker, poet, and speaker from the wilds of Ireland.Alan’s poetic and literary work is based on the narrative of the medicine of nature, forged from the sorrow of undergoing numerous personal and cultural losses in his days.  Back in 2009, Alan won an Emmy for writing a film about his time in New York City, titled Home.   After returning to Ireland, he spent 13 years as a wandered and walker of the Irish landscape, refining the power of words to alchemize trauma into beauty.In our conversation today, we speak of his youth growing up in Dublin and his initiation into the poetic imagination, we speak of his hard days in New York and the cascade of loss that met him upon returning to Ireland, and we speak of how nature brought Alan back to a deeper sense of his masculinity, and how in the end, all darkness turns to beauty.And of course, Alan shares a few poems.   I’ve layered the beautiful harp playing of Andee Anko behind his words.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Dr. Riane Eisler, a social systems scientist, cultural historian, and author whose research, writing, and speaking has made an enormous impact on the cultural landscape.I first encountered her work through the book The Chalice and the Blade, where she first articulated her cultural transformation theory of history, which includes the lens of dominator versus partnership society.In the decades since, she’s written numerous other books include Sacred Pleasure, and most recently Nurturing our Humanity. Dr. Eisler is president of the Center for Partnership Studies (CPS), as well as given keynotes at the United Nations General Assembly, the US Department of State, along with corporations and universities offering applications of the partnership model introduced in her work.In our conversation today, we cover the foundations of her cultural transformation theory, along with her own childhood experience of fleeing Nazi Germany.  We look at the limitations of language that have so far prevented the depth of cultural change we urgently need, and how sharing a new mythology of partnerism may yet regenerate a more humane and environmentally sustainable world.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Stephen Jenkinson, a culture activist, teacher and author, and principle instructor of The Orphan Wisdom School, co-founded with his wife Nathalie Roy. He has Master’s degrees from Harvard University (Theology) and the University of Toronto (Social Work). Stephen’s most recent books are the award-winning Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul (2015), and Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble (2018). I first encountered Stephen back in 2012, when a friend invited me to a summer teaching that was close to my home in Vancouver. That first morning, he gathered us at first light and told a story about the sun, rising.  I was never to be the same again. That meeting has altered my life completely. That winter, I joined the Orphan Wisdom School on his farm in Ontario, and have returned to many gatherings and teachings over the years. I have also produced numerous short films on Stephen’s work, including The Meaning of Death, the Making of Humans, and Lost Nation Road (2019). If you’ve listened to this podcast for some time, you know that I usually quote Stephen at least once an episode. And this interview has been a long time coming - largely because I wished to record it in person, and not over Zoom. I finally had that opportunity last September when I travelled to Ontario on a whirlwind trip to the farm.  If you’d like to hear more of that story, I’ve shared an additional recording which is available to my Patreon supporters.  Head over to the Mythic Masculine website and click ‘Become a Supporter’ if you’d like to gain access. For now, I’m very pleased to share our conversation, where we explore personal and profound territory, including: the lost origins of the mythopoetic men’s movement, the times Stephen met Robert Bly and James Hillman, the deep etymology of the word ‘patriarchy’, and the mythic understanding that a culture needs its fathering, as much as it needs its fathers. And so, enjoy my conversation with Stephen Jenkinson.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Tyson Yunkaporta, an academic, poet, and carver of traditional tools and weapons. He is a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne, and the author of the book ‘Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World’.Since its release, Sand Talk has received many glowing reviews, and offered a crucial indigenous perspective on the areas of history, education, money, power and sustainability - using traditional wisdom for a livable future.I first learned of Tyson from the Melbourne based men’s group Warrior Within, and with the surprising success of his book, have observed Tyson being ushered into a growing spotlight.For our conversation, I was excited to explore his take on masculinity - and he offered a raw and personal dive that touched some deep places in us both.We speak about the importance of relationship as the truth of our being, where the term “toxic masculinity” came from and why it’s a bad story, how a man’s relationship with the land mirrors his intimate relationships to others, and why tracking the mystery of emergence invites us to look to the wisdom of the outliers.Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack Join the Conversation http://themythicmasculine.com/network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

Greetings dear listener. This is a special episode of the podcast, where I reflect on the year since launching. It’s been hugely satisfying for me, and based on the feedback, for many listeners as well. I thought to record this anniversary episode to share about the journey of The Mythic Masculine. But rather than be a solo-cast, I invited my friend Elisa Spring to conduct the conversation, with some questions gathered from members of The Mythic Masculine Network.In our conversation today, we explore the intersection of eros, emergence and village, the problem with personal growth, the poverty of location independence, and how to intentionally pollinate the noosphere - that is, the realm of interconnected consciousness unites us all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe