When mythologist Michael Meade received a mythology book on his 13th birthday, little did he know it would ignite a lifelong passion for storytelling and transformation. On our latest podcast episode, we're honoured to have Michael share his journey, from an unexpected act of storytelling that saved him from a gang, to his dedication to at-risk youth, and his personal defiance that led to profound revelations within a military prison. His perspective on personal transformation, the awakening of our inner 'genius', and the visceral power of myth in our lives is nothing short of spellbinding.
Our heartfelt conversation with Michael delves into his collaborations with cultural figures like Malidoma Some and the imperative of healing through community. We trace his path from solitary confinement to organising healing conferences for war veterans, highlighting how shared rituals and storytelling foster connection and recovery. Michael offers insights into the concept of 'sudden community'—a powerful bond forged in the crucible of shared trauma—and how individual purpose might be the key to resolving our greatest cultural and environmental challenges.
Then we turn to how Michael met Robert Bly and James Hillman and how their paths got intertwined in the mythopoetics of the 90s. It's an in depth look at their work with the wounded masculine of the collective psyche and how difficult it was to contain once it garnered the glare of media attention.
The theme of wounds takes us into the image of Chiron and his role as the wounded healer; and how perhaps that was the image that was with them throughout that time. This leads us to a mythic moment when Chiron meets Prometheus and offers to take his place trapped in the rocks. And how this exchange might just be occurring to us today in many obvious and subtle ways.
Podcast Artwork: L'Education d'Achille (The Education of Achilles) Black & White Etching | c.Early 19th Century | Ramboz (engraver) | Bervic Galerie du Museum, No. 12, Paris
Find out more about Michael's work here.
Edith Hamilton: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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#48 | Cancer the Crab
#47 | Melanie Reinhart | On Gemini (Pt. Two) | Castor & Pollux | Hermes/Mercury | Laughter as Medicine
#46 | Melanie Reinhart | On Gemini (Pt. One) | The 'Other' Twin | The Search for Wholeness
#45 | Gemini the Twins
#44 | Persia Juliet | Grief & Loss
#43 | Taurus the Bull
#42 | Rick Levine | The Music of the Spheres
#41 | Aries the Ram
Podcast Announcement | A New Structure | The Fisher King Re-Visited
#40 | Natalia Rachel | The Power of Non-Acceptance
#39 | Psyche & Eros | Part Two | The Four Tasks of Psyche
#38 | Psyche & Eros | Part One
#37 | Tara Judelle | The Transitioning of the Ages
#36 | The Abduction of Ganymede | Aphrodite Urania | Gaia & Uranus | Uranus Vs Saturn | Pluto heading to Aquarius
#35 | Sky Akasha Tobias | Yoga: The Modern Myth
#34 | Prometheus & Epimetheus | Saturnalia | Greek Creation Myth | Jupiter Vs Saturn | Pandora | Re-Dreaming Capricorn
#33 | Passi on Vipassana
#32 | Dr Carolina Herbert (Pt. Two) | Apology & Forgiveness | The Steps & Tools
#31 | Dr Carolina Herbert | The Chiron Return | Apology & Forgiveness | John O'Donohue
#30 | Orpheus & Eurydice | Pisces-Virgo | Dust Gathered on Ancient Festivals (Client Dream)
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