The Mythic Masculine

It wasn’t long after my entry into “mythopoetic masculinity” back in 2015 that I came across the Minnesota Men’s Gathering, a yearly event that began in 1984 by Robert Bly, author of Iron John.

The organization has released a trove of stories & lectures on their Youtube channel from celebrated teachers such as Bly, Lewis Hyde, Martin Prechtel, Martin Shaw, Daniel Deardorff, Malidome Some and many more.

I have been tracking their yearly conference with a desire to attend - and when I heard it was the 40th anniversary, I heeded the call. I reached out and conf...

We’re now a month out from our next cohort of The Deep Masculine, a 3 month online journey for men that weaves together mythology, somatics, ritual & brotherhood.

I invited my collaborator Deus Fortier to reflect on our initial journey which we launched earlier this year and completed in June.

At its core, The Deep Masculine seeks to repattern men's relationships with eros - the primal force of life. Drawing from the mythopoetic men's movement and texts like Robert Bly's "Iron John" and "King, Warrior, Magician, Lover" by Douglas Gillette and Robert Moore, we offer a fr...

I’ve had the good fortune to collaborate with Charles on numerous films, including Sacred Economics and The Revolution Is Love, as well as spent time at Tamera’s Love School and other gatherings.

Our conversation for the Mythic Masculine (originally released as episode #8) touches on his own interview series on the “new story of masculinity” and what he learned along the way.

The major theme, as named in the title, is the archetypal shift of seeing earth primarily as Mother to meeting her as a Lover.

This perspective is influenced by the “ecosexual...

A few years ago I read Terry Real’s book “Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship.” He is a well established couple’s therapist and friends with a fair number of celebrities, with the forward written by Bruce Springsteen.

In one chapter he shares the story of two men, a “strikingly handsome couple” that were “killing each other (as they put it) over sex.” One man wanted it all the time, and the other virtually none of the time.He writes “as any good therapist would do, I draw from each of them not just thei...

“The first half of my career was spent putting people to sleep, and after my midlife crisis, I realized I had to start waking people up, including myself.”

My guest today is Dr. Stephen Faulkner, a former medical doctor, pilot, and one of my key mentors on the path of mythopoetic masculinity.

In this episode, Stephen reflects on his nearly 70 years of life and shares his profound emotional and spiritual contentment despite facing chronic health issues. He emphasizes the critical importance of engaging in inner spiritual work to avoid the bitterness and regret that...

My guest today is Trevor Yelich, an alternative therapist specializing in breathwork, somatic psychotherapeutics and trauma work. He is the founder of Numa Somatics and the Numa Mystery School.

This episode was recorded immediately after I completed an in-person training with Trevor in psychotherapeutics, which I very much enjoyed. Many of the principles and practices I found quite complementary to my existing experience facilitating groups, and I found Trevor to be highly intelligent, warm and compassionate.

In this episode, Trevor shares his take on navigating a transformative phase of life, characterized by shifts in work...

Access The Iron John course here.

A few years ago, I was invited to steward an online offering for the Rowe Center, based in Massachusetts.

With the passing of Robert Bly, esteemed poet, activist, and father of the mythopoetic men's movement, I opted to weave a 7 week journey revisiting his seminal book Iron John, inviting an array of special guests to join me. The roster includes Stephen Jenksinon, Sophie Strand, Ramon Parish, Michael Gay, Philip Folsom, Shay Au Lait & Stefanos Sifandos.

The course was a big success, and since then, I’ve always wa...

My guest today is Nicolas Canon.

Nicolas is a seasoned relationship coach who has deeply intertwined his insights in love with walking the plant medicine path in his homeland of Colombia.

Over the past decade, he has dedicated himself to helping individuals and couples not only deepen their relationships but also find greater self-awareness and spiritual alignment.  In this episode, he shares of his relocation as a youth to Toronto, Canada where he ran a tattoo shop and first worked as a coach - after many challenging & toxic relationships, he was guided to embark on a...

My guest today is Andrea Villa, a scholar, a mentor of men, a restorer of old practices and languages of the sacred.

He has spent several years studying male initiation with indigenous peoples from India to West Africa to Native America, developing a unique understanding of gender as intelligence. His passion is to support men in regaining their erotic agency in love & relationships.

In today's episode, we delve into the profound realms of Eros as a multifaceted force that transcends mere physical attraction, touching upon the realms of the spiritual, the creative, and the deeply...

Last week I had a lovely conversation with Jumana Sophia, creator of Her Mystery School.

In this enlightening inquiry, we delve into the origins and evolutions of her initiation school for women, with clear parallels to what I’ve been developing for The Deep Masculine.

We explore the role of these dedicated spaces to heal and deepen our understanding of gender dynamics in modern society. We touch upon our personal journeys, insights into the challenges of creating potent realms of transformation, and the power of embracing one's depth and nobility.

This episode invites li...

Spring is stirring, and I’m excited to announce the next offerings with my good friend and collaborator Deus Fortier.

After two successful immersive weekends for men held last year, formerly titled MXM, we’re pleased to announce our next one is coming soon April 5-7, 2024 in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.

You’re welcome to listen to our conversation recorded after our first weekend, which is how we were inspired to rename this offering Awakening The Wild Erotic.

This weekend is a mythosomatic immersion for men who wish to heal their sexual...

Barbie is back in the news again. The Oscars race is on and the film was nominated for numerous awards including Best Picture.

Ryan Gosling received the nod for Best Actor, while Margot Robbie & Greta Gerwig were passed over. Ironic snub, given the context of the film? Or just how it goes sometimes?

Now before you roll your eyes and wonder ‘who cares?’ I’ve decided to do some of the mythic heavy lifting around why Barbie is a culturally significant film at this moment. And not just because it crossed a billion dollars at the bo...

“Every group and every single gathering is an opportunity to remake and re-story culture.” - Al Jeffery

My guest today is Al Jeffery, an integrative psychotherapist, meditation guide and regenerative leadership practitioner. 

He is also a conscious explorer of queerness and masculinity. In this episode, Al shares his journey, unlocking the potential and power of queerness as an aspirational approach to love. He speaks of queerness as identity and as orientation, and how it intersects with living fully in oneself. We also touch upon what it means to create inclusive spaces for men to explore these...

My guest today is Rabbi Zelig Golden, the co-founder of Wilderness Torah, an organization dedicated to supporting Jewish people to heal, learn, and grow together through reconnection to the earth. 

Zelig also holds a Masters in Jewish Studies and previously worked as an environmental lawyer protecting food and farms, and has long guided groups into the wilderness.

In our conversation today, we speak about Zelig’s upbringing as a youth embedded in Jewish ritual yet missing the deeper connection to his ancestral roots. We discuss the mystic origins of Judaism and his own path to Rab...

My guest today is Stephanie McKay, an educator and mentor in earth-based skills and ancestral ways. 

She is the co-founder of Fianna Wilderness School on Vancouver Island, as well as a monthly Mythology Club, where folks explore stories of predominately of Indo-European origins in an attempt to uncover the remaining vestiges of an intact, land-based culture and spirituality, indigenous to that landscape

In our conversation today, we discuss her time studying with Martín Prechtel and developing the eyes and heart to see the rich layers of story. We name the distinct and modern act of...

This is a bonus conversation and a special invitation to attend the forthcoming Calling All Men Summit, of which I’m a featured speaker among many other men.

Watch the trailer for the event:

An overview:

Over 7 days you’ll meet and learn from 50 men who are experienced with the multitude of crises we face. These men are fathers, leaders, mentors and elders with unique experiences and deep wisdom to share.

My conversation today is with the summit host & creator Michael Skye, whom I met quite a few years ago through my t...

My guest today is Christopher Ryan, an acclaimed author and speaker who has led a diverse and unconventional life, from working odd jobs around the world to earning a Ph.D. in Psychology and being a self-proclaimed “vanthropologist.”

He is the host of the podcast Tangentially Speaking, as well as the author of “Civilized to Death” and the co-author of “Sex At Dawn”, which columnist Dan Savage has called “The single most important book on human sexuality since Alfred Kinsey’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.”

When I read “Sex At Dawn” over a decade ago, it had a s...

My guest today is Kai Cheng Thom, a certified somatic sex educator, qualified mediator, clinical hypnotherapist, and poet based in Toronto. She's the author of six award winning books in various genres, including the Stonewall Honor Book award winning essay collection, I Hope We Choose Love.

Kai Cheng's work focuses on the intersection of social justice, pleasure activism, and the transformative approaches to healing conflict. A noted speaker and practitioner of somatic wellness, healing, and group process facilitation, Kai Cheng supports individuals and groups who are seeking to repair relationships and to make transformative change.

...

I’m pleased to release this conversation with my friend and longtime collaborator Deus Fortier as we discuss our recent MXM immersion for men.

The detailed show notes are below.

As well, we’ve announced new dates for our next MXM - Nov 17-19. You can find all the details & apply to join here.

Note: I’m very excited to release more new episodes of the podcast that I’ve been trying to polish all summer, but somehow, haven’t been able to do it yet. I promise! They’re coming soon.

Lastly, I...

As lovers, can we move beyond the need to get it right - and instead be absolutely captivated with the desire to be real with each other?

My guest today is Melissa Maya, a writer & artist who works as a feminine leadership and somatic intimacy guide. She is devoted to midwifing a culture that is rooted in the resurgence & remembrance of feminine intelligence & intuition, and in her own words, “in service to women becoming obedient to their true nature.” 

This conversation was sparked by a post from Melissa where she shared about her forme...

The ability to slow down and self-regulate is a very important act of self-love and self-care that is accessible to anyone. - Robin Clements

My guest today is Robin Clements, an international leader in the field of conscious connected breathing. He is the founder of Breathwave, as well as a surfer, yogi and father.

Robin also happens to be my neighbour.  As well, my partner has trained with Robin for many years and so it was inevitable that one day that I would dive deeper into breathwork. 

This episode was recorded du...

Dear listeners,

My guest today is Muhammad Ali Sardar, aka The Alichemist, a satirist who speaks to the themes of money, power, sex, race and religion. 

In particular, he caught my eye through his various Instagram reels that depict a wry critique of men’s work tropes, blind spots, and the dangers of spiritual materialism. 

Our conversation today is a hybrid experience. First, we open with his alter ego Patrick Dragon Lotus Flying Jaguar, where he speaks to his path of becoming a sacred men’s work facilitator, and how to succeed in this b...

Greetings friends,

Happy to share this recent interview with my pal Eamon Armstrong where he interviews me on his podcast exploring mythopoetic masculinity.

The conversation also highlights my active curated series Restorying Masculinity. You’re welcome to join now and receive the recording from last week to get up to speed.

Use the code MYTHICrm20 and get 20% off when you register here.

From the show notes:

“Our conversation begins with a history of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement and its splinter, Men’s Rights activism. We talk about how mainstream cultur...

Welcome to The Mythic Masculine, now hosted on Substack! You’re welcome to continue connected as a free subscriber, or please consider upgrading to a paid subscriber to support all the effort that goes into this show.

“The way you treat and view women represents the way you treat your own feminine qualities and unconscious mind.” - Connor Beaton

My guest today is Connor Beaton, a writer, speaker, and founder of Mantalks, a platform dedicated to offering healing and brotherhood to men around the world. 

Using a combination of Jungian psychology, somatic...

Learn more and register here https://www.ianmack.com/accelerator-jan-2023

This is the full recording of the latest Solar Session, a live conversation via The School of Mythopoetics. Join the School http://schoolofmythopoetics.com

Charles Sue-Wah-Sing is a leadership and whole life coach, facilitator and guide with a focus on conscious leadership, and practicing safe conversations. 

He works with people from all walks of life who are longing for or in the midst of major shifts in their personal lives, careers, relationships and families. He's a self-described seeker for divine wisdom. His curiosities include art, music, religion, cultural traditions and ceremonies, mythology, science, p...

My guest today Ke’oni Hanalei, founder of Pōhala, purveyor of Esoteric Hawaiian Fern Medicine.

Ke’oni caught my attention through his Instagram, where he shares profound perspectives rooted in the Mū teachings of ancient Hawaii.

In our conversation today, we speak about his own upbringing under the guidance of his grandmother and his rediscovery and cultivation of fern medicine. Ke’oni shares his understanding of gender and right relationship, advocating for the cultivation of intimacy within and without. And finally, he speaks of teachings that have bolstered his courage to participate in this...

What if hidden in the soil below the monumental myth of patriarchal masculinity there was a rhizomatic biodiversity of alternative masculinities? What does it mean to create an ecosystem of narratives, rather than uplift a singular story? Looking to the past for ingredients to compost into better stories for the future, Ian and Sophie bring their personal experiences and mythic mycelial systems into a conversation about their own exploration into the myths of the masculine.

Register for Sophie's new course Rewilding Mythology https://www.rewilding-mythology.com

Use the code RewildMYTHPO



...

My new Podcast Accelerator is a deep immersion into everything I've learned on my podcasting journey in creating The Mythic Masculine. I'm sharing my best intel from pre-production all the way to interviewing, distribution, building your audience, and more.

The journey begins Sept 13, 2022. Learn more and register here https://www.ianmack.com/accelerator2022

This bonus episode is actually a conversation recorded for another podcast The End Of Tourism.  The host is my good friend Chris Christou, who I initially met through Stephen Jenkinson’s Orphan Wisdom School.

We have spent many a time gathering on the farm in Ontario where the School is held, and have woven threads of companionship over the years.

A few months back, he invited me on his show to discuss subjects of which I’ve rarely spoken publicly, including my former years working for an online travel magazine, my own self-created initi...

My guest today is Jason MacKenzie, co-founder of Sacred Sons, a men’s organization whose self-professed aim is to “steward the return of the father archetype through men's relational and physical training.”

I first met Jason in 2019 at the Sacred Sons Convergence in San Diego, a powerful gathering of 300 other men. I experienced firsthand the container that he, alongside his core collaborators Aubert Bastiat and Adam Jackson crafted together.

In our conversation today, Jason and I dive into his own experience with drug and alcohol abuse early in life. He speaks of finding his wa...

This episode is a live recording as part of a series of events leading to the Grand Opening of The School of Mythopoetics June 1st, 2022.  Consider joining as a Founding Member http://schoolofmythpoetics.com

In myth, the Underworld is a place of testing and initiation, but hopefully not a final destination. Within many stories the descent is the second element of a three stage process, leading to final grounding that is both redemptive and a gift to others.  Martin Shaw is suggesting in the West we have often made the Underworld so comfortable, so subtle, and in...

On May 11, I'm offering a workshop titled Intro to Podcasting. Two years ago when I started the Mythic Masculine, it may surprise you to hear that I had no idea how to produce a podcast. Though I have many years as a filmmaker under my belt, I needed to learn plenty of new skills to migrate over to this unique medium - and for the first time, I've created a two-hour workshop to share what I've gathered. 

Register here https://www.ianmack.com/podcasting-workshop

My guest today is Autumn Skye, a visionary artist whose work holds a significant presence with transformational culture around the world.

I first had the pleasure of meeting Skye on a festival tour in Australia back in 2016, and since then we’ve kept loosely in touch from afar. Last year, when she released her two pieces, first Mary Magdalene and then Yeshua, better known as Jesus, I knew I had to reach out for an interview.

Luckily, we live only a ferry ride across the water from each other, and so I was ab...

My guest for this Live Episode will be Nicholas Powers, author of The Ground Below Zero: 9/11 to Burning Man, New Orleans to Darfur, Haiti to Occupy Wall Street. He is a poet and an associate professor of English at SUNY Old Westbury with writings in Truth-Out, HuffPost, Alternet and The Indypendent.

Nicholas recently published the essay “Can Psychedelic Masculinity Stop War?”, a poignant weaving of numerous threads I have explored here on The Mythic Masculine podcast. He weaves myth, psychedelics, culture theory, and more - I knew I had to reach out and make contact.

My guest today is Bill Kauth, the resident visionary and co-founder of The ManKind Project, one of the most recognized men’s organizations in the world.

In 1984, Bill was working as a psychotherapist when he conceived and co-created the New Warrior Training Adventure. Since then, over 75,000 men in 12 countries have completed this neo-initiatory experience. In 1992, Bill also authored one of the first books for starting and running effective men’s groups: A Circle of Men.

In our episode today, he shares about these early days of what became the mythopoetic men’s movement, includ...

My guests today are Ophir & Dor Haberer, Jerusalem-born identical twins, who are, among many things, facilitators, ritualists, storytellers, chefs, and organizational consultants.

The brothers bring together their connection to ancestral Arabic Jewish Roots with their love for ecology, healing, and village-building. They have been guiding men’s work for over 4 years, and have just launched their new organization and online platform called Kinhood.

In our conversation today Dor and Ophir share what it was like to grow up on an Israeli kibbutz, and the culture shock they experienced when moving to the United St...

My guest today is Steven Martyn, M.A. (traditional plant use), an artist, builder, and farmer who is also the founder of The Sacred Gardener School. 

Steven has spent more than 30 years of living co-creatively with the Earth, practicing traditional living skills of growing food, natural building, and nurturing community.

He has written numerous books, including the newly released The Roundhouse: A Meditation and Guide to Building A Handmade House with Local Materials, as well as Sacred Gardening: Seeds for the Reemergence of Co-Creative Agriculture.

In our conversation today, we s...

My guest today is Robin Esrock, a global adventurer, travel writer, and author of the Great Global Bucket List.

After a chance encounter on a Canadian TV talk show, Robin and I have remained friends for over a decade. We’ve shared countless experiences together, from working on his acclaimed international reality series Word Travels, to exploring the playa at Burning Man, and even attending the prestigious Explorers Club in New York City (where he was the Master of Ceremonies).

Robin is a man who has done it all. In our conversation today, he...

In this 60 minute conversation, Ian MacKenzie and Heather Pennell unpack the opening chapter of Iron John, the classic tale made famous by poet Robert Bly.

JOIN THE NEW COURSE: REVISITING IRON JOHN

http://revisitingironjohn.com 

The book almost single handedly spark the mythopoetic men's movement of the early 90's, which crested before heading underground. Now a new generation of men are discovering the power of story to illuminate the challenges and pathways of their lives.   What might this story reveal about the nature of men's sexuality in the culture, and how it...

REGISTER HERE http://revisitingironjohn.com

In 1990, Robert Bly’s book Iron John: A Book About Men ignited a generation of men towards what would become known as the mythopoetic men’s movement. Suddenly, men (at least in Western culture) had a map to their inner landscape and their outer experience. The exploration of a German fairy tale, alongside poetry and ritual, offered a pathway into the realm of soul work – and the book has continued to touched millions of men around the world.

In 2022, the spiral has come around as a new generation discov...

My guest today is Chris Fletcher, a counsellor that specializes in working with youth and their families. He is also the co-author of the forthcoming book The Nine Rings of Alignment, alongside his partner.

I first encountered Chris many years ago while visiting his oceanside retreat sanctuary Halfmoon Haven. Over the years, we crossed paths only a handful of times, though I was touched by his grounded presence and passionate dedication to his family.

In our conversation today, we speak about his own troubled adolescence and how intergenerational trauma played out in his...

My guest today is Red K Elders, a magical artist based on the Norfolk coast of England, who sketches powerful portraits of old gods and mythical beings. This bonus episode explores her recent work in bringing forth a depiction of Dionysus, the god of fertility, grapes and wine, of ritual madness and religious ecstasy.  Red was kind enough to send me a copy of this portrait, who currently hangs on the wall in my office.

In our conversation today, we discuss her journey as an artist and the power of creating ritual space for courting in the Ot...

Host Ian MacKenzie shares an update on the The Mythic Masculine Podcast, along with an announcement of our new series: The Pandemic Is A Prism. 

The Pandemic Is A Prism http://agatheringofstories.com/pandemic

Support the Podcast https://www.themythicmasculine.com/supporter

Join the Mythic Men's Lodge https://www.themythicmasculine.com/network

My guest today is Sophie Strand, a writer who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. Though she admits, it would be more accurate to call her a neo-troubadour animist with a propensity to spin yarns that inevitably turn into love stories.

I first encountered her work on social media, reading her surprising and beautiful essays from her forthcoming book: The Flowering Wand: Lunar Kings, Lichenized Lovers, Transpecies Magicians, and Rhizomatic Harpists Heal the Masculine.

In our conversation today, we explore the connection between mycelium and myth, and how various gods...

This is an an excerpt from the full episode A Psychedelic Guide to Healing Trauma. My guest Deus Fortier delivers a powerful spoken word transmission that begs to be listened to multiple times over.  Enjoy! 

Connect more with Deus http://deusfortier.com

Support this podcast http://themythicmasculine.com/supporter

My guest today is Deus Fortier, a multi-faceted artist, men’s coach, and ceremonial facilitator.

He is a fire-keeper and drummer for the Blackfoot sundance in southern Alberta, as well as an initiate of Kriya Yoga, a comprehensive spiritual science, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda of the ancient Swami order.

Since 2007, Deus has been working intimately with entheogens and plant medicines, which is how I had the opportunity to experience the psychedelic 5 MEO DMT.

I’m grateful to call Deus one of my closest friends, and this interview follows a powerful one...

Today I'm happy to speak with Karen Lee Downes, co-founder of FemmeQ, who are holding their next event in Costa Rica as well as online July 24-31st. We are producing the next A Gathering of Stories livestream event in collaboration with their conference. In our conversation, we discuss the journey to come.  

Get tickets for FemmeQ http://femmeq.org

Get tickets for A Gathering of Stories II http://agatheringofstories.com

Learn more about Karen https://karenleedownes.com

My guest today is Maya Luna, a poet and creator of the Deep Feminine Mystery School.

She has also authored a book of poetry, OMEGA: Feral Secrets of the Deep Feminine and released a spoken word album, Holy Darkness: A Tantric Opus.

In our conversation today, we discuss how to tune into the frequency of the Deep Feminine, through the gateways of the senses.  We speak of the historical consequence of literacy on the cultures that venerated the Goddess and the subsequent rise of distorted masculinity.  We wonder on the original trauma that ma...

My guest today is Bill Plotkin, PhD, a depth psychologist, wilderness guide, and founder of western Colorado’s Animas Valley Institute.

Bill has led thousands of women and men through nature-based initiatory passages, and is the author of number books, including Soulcraft, Nature and the Human Soul, and Wild Mind.

In our conversation today, we discuss his recent book The Journey of Soul Initiation, which distills decades of his insights into human development and the mythopoetic relationship between humanity and ecology.

We explore the Five Phases of what he calls Th...

My guest today is Allan B. Chinen, a psychiatrist in private practice in San Francisco and Clinical Professor Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.

He has lectured extensively and presented numerous workshops on the role of myths, fairy tales and legends on our life stories. He the author numerous books, including In the Ever After: Fairy Tales and the Second Half of Life, and Beyond the Hero: Classic Stories of Men in Search of Soul.

In our conversation today, we explore the relationship between the Hero and the Patriarch, and men’s...

My guest today is Matthew Stillman, a dear friend who has been obsessed with how modern humans fit into an ancient world since, forever.

He has a wildly eclectic background, from highlighting the connection between food and culture as a programming executive on the Food Network. He co-produced an acclaimed documentary on The End of Poverty.  He even created a traditional skincare company, called Primal Derma, delivered from his home in Harlem, New York.

I first met Matthew as a scholar in the Orphan Wisdom School with Stephen Jenkinson, and we have spent m...

Happy Beltane! In this bonus episode, Ian MacKenzie and Zamir Dhanji reflect on the inaugural 'A Gathering of Stories' held during Imbolc 2012. This magical weekend brought together a global feast of storytellers, musicians and poets to explore The Soul of Masculinity.  The entire journey is has just been released as a self-directed course on The Mythic Masculine Network, available to all members.  As well, Ian & Zamir hint at the future event to come.  Stay tuned. 

Music: Naad https://naad.bandcamp.com

Access the Journey as a Course http://themythicmasculine.com/network

Lear...

My guest today is Ramon Parish, an assistant professor in Naropa University’s department of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Ramon has been synthesizing mindfulness, embodiment, social justice, the environment, and ritual & ceremony for over a decade, and has helped usher hundreds of young people through contemporary threshold experiences.

In our conversation today, we explore a dazzling array of themes, including: the impact of comics as modern mythologies, the power of healing personal and ancestral trauma through movement, the spiral dynamics of emergence, and how these uncertain times ask that we become riders of chaos.

This is a very special episode, recorded only a few days ago, from the front lines of the Fairy Creek Blockade - a peaceful 8 month occupation to prevent the logging of some of the last remaining old growth forest on Vancouver Island, Canada.

I have been allied with effort these last few months, including releasing a short film ARISE in collaboration with The Mama’s Movement, which weaves voices of indigenous elders like Bill Jones, of the Pacheedaht Nation, alongside activists and children.

On April 1st, the courts granted an injunction to the lo...

The internet is abuzz with reactions to Lil Nas X's new video 'Montero', which abounds with a dazzling array of mythological symbolism and queer reclamation. I felt inspired to offer my take in this short bonus episode. 

Support this podcast http://patreon.com/ianmack

Join the Network http://themythicmasculine.com/network

My guest today is Eivind Skjellum, an expert in the field of archetypes and masculine psychology.

He is also the founder of Reclaim Our Inner Throne, a three month program aimed at guiding men through an initiatory framework of transformation.

In our conversation today, Eivind shares about his earlier challenges with chronic fatigue syndrome, and how that forged his creativity to craft the Inner Throne framework. We discuss our childhood experiences with video games and their impact on our mythological worldview, as well as the dangers of young men left in the underworld...

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 pr...

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...

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 my...

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...

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...

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 conve...

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...

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 morni...

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 t...

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 gr...

My guest today is Murray Kyle, a mystic troubadour from Byron Bay, Australia. Over 15 years of of writing and touring his music has built him grassroots audience from all over the world.  His songs have become anthems of the heart, inviting reconnection to each other and the wisdom of the earth. I first met Murray while touring Australia back in 2016.  I attended a singing circle he led with other local men - I still remember how rich and healing it was to raise my voice in soulful brotherhood. In our conversation today, we speak about awakening to his soul’s pu...

My guest today is Jane Caputi, a professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Florida Atlantic University.  Dr. Caputi’s primary research is in contemporary American cultural studies, including pop culture, gender and violence, and eco-feminism.  She is the author of many articles and four books, including The Age of Sex Crime; Gossips, Gorgons, and Crones: The Fates of the Earth; and Goddesses and Monsters: Women, Myth, Power and Popular Culture.

Her most recent work is Call Your Mutha: A Deliberately Dirty-Minded Manifesto for the Earth Mother in the Anthropocene, which does fierce and mythic batt...

My guest today is Jack Zimmerman, an elder in the realm of relational intimacy.

He is the co-author of The Way of Council (with Gigi Coyle), what I consider to be a key book on teaching the foundations of functional community.  He is also the co-author of Flesh and Spirit: The Mystery of Intimate Relationship, which he wrote with his life partner Jaquelyn McCandless.

In our conversation, we cover the origin and foundations of the council practice. We explore the mystery of partnership: from understanding resonating wounds and the nature of projection, to h...

My guest today is Jared Qwustenuxun (QUEST-AY-NA-HUN) Williams, a Salish Food Sovereignty Chef and Manager at the Elders Kitchen for his community of the Cowichan Tribes. He is also a father and owner of Medieval Chaos, the largest live action role playing game in Western Canada.

I’m grateful for our conversation, where he illuminates his love for traditional teachings, language, and story, deeply informed by his rootedness to his place, the land of the Cowichan peoples, where I currently also call home.

We explore how language is lens into a indigenous view of...

In today’s episode, I speak with Michael Gay, a therapist in private practice based in Boulder, Colorado.  Michael has worked in the field of counseling for the last 14 years as a guide, therapist, and trainer.  He specializes in work with depression, trauma, PTSD, grief, and families.

I first encountered Michael at the Sacred Sons Convergence last October in San Diego California, where he led the men in a group process of healing through attunement to stuck energy, ultimately unlocking the deep alchemy of transformation.

In our conversion today, we touch upon his own...

My guest today is Philip Shepherd, an international authority on embodiment. He is the author of two books New Self, New World and Radical Wholeness, along with the developer of The Embodied Present Process, a series of practices for people to undo the stress and imbalances that are caused by disconnection, and find instead what it means to rest in the deeper, connected wisdom of the body.

Philip's personal path was shaped by his adventures as a teenager, when he cycled alone through Europe, the Middle East, India and Japan; by his deep commitment to and...

My guest today is Pulxaneeks (Pul-ha-neeks), from the Eagle Clan of the Haisla First Nation, a First Nations tribe located on the North West Coast what is now known as British Columbia, Canada. 

Pulxaneeks is a living, loving result of the coastal Indigenous village that raised her & all that survived in the lineage she was born to. She honours the Elders, Mentors and huge family whose love she is a living result of and the Ancestors whose strength and resilience is flowing through her veins.

Her recognition of the responsibility to use her s...

My guest today is Clinton Callahan, an author and cultural edgewalker that calls himself a memetic engineer. He the originator of Possibility Management, a training organization that aims to empower people as bridges to next culture.

Clinton strikes me as a man from the future. And by that, I mean one who has explored the edges of our current paradigm, and has developed a sophisticated and complex series of memetic distinctions that compose an entirely different gameworld than our modern dominant context.

In our sweeping conversation, we cover a lot of ground including...

My guest today is Daniel Foor a teacher and practitioner of practical animism, specializing in ancestral and family healing and helping folks learn to relate well with the other-than-human world.

He is a doctor of psychology, as well as a marriage and family therapist, weaving many years of immersion in earth-honouring ways- including European pagan and Native American paths, Mongolian shamanism, and West African tradition.  He is the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing, and over 15 years has given hundreds of trainings and talks across the United States.

In o...

I’m very excited to share my conversation today with Bayo Akomolafe, an international speaker, poet and activist in service of a radical paradigm shift in consciousness and culture. He is globally recognised for his unconventional, counterintuitive, and indigenous take on global crisis, civic action and social change. Bayo is also Chief Curator for The Emergence Network and the author of two books, including “These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home.”

I first crossed paths with Bayo at the New Story Summit in Scotland, back in 2014, and since then hav...

My guest today is indigenous activist and comedian Dallas Goldtooth (Diné/Dakota).  I first crossed paths with Dallas at the Bioneers conference back in 2016, as he arrived from the height of the action at Standing Rock - where water protectors clashed with police against the Dakota Access Pipeline. This massive energy project would have cut through their sacred lands and polluted the water, and Standing Rock became a global icon of indigenous resistance.

Dallas is also a key member of the media team for the Indigenous Environmental Network, a non-violent direct action trainer, and a Dakota cu...

My guest today is Nicky Wilks, a good friend and father of 3, who has spent many years working with youth of all ages.

5 years ago, he co-founded Journeymen, an organization dedicated to guiding young men through nature-based rites of passage, and honing their communities to be able to receive them properly afterwards.

In our conversation we touch upon a number of key themes, including: why modern culture is currently failing our youth, why parents aren’t meant to be everything to their kids (and why that’s a good thing), and how we can...

I’m very excited to introduce my guest today - prolific author and mythteller Dr. Martin Shaw.

I first encountered Martin’s writing in the foreword to Stephen Jenkinson’s book Die Wise, and was immediately hooked by the elegant and unruly prose that leapt from the page. I found the same ecstatic spirit in Martin’s popular essays and numerous books including Scatterlings and the more recent Courting the Wild Twin.

Over the years, we’ve crossed paths at numerous teachings and locales, from a small island off the coast of British Columbia...

My guest today is the venerable Michael Meade, author, mythologist, and storyteller, who was a prominent figure in the first wave of the mythopoetic men’s movement of the 80’s and 90’s.   Michael was right in the center of it - sitting alongside legends such as Robert Bly and James Hillman. By the mid 90’s Michael moved away from the men’s movement, and founded the Mosaic Multicultural foundation, a non-profit dedicated to education and cultural healing, working with at-risk youth, returning veterans, prisoners, and youth involved in gang life. Over the last few years, I’d met Michael at a few publi...

I’m pleased today to share my conversation with visionary philosopher Charles Eisenstein. He is the author of numerous books, including the recent Climate: A New Story.

I first came across Charles’ work over 10 years ago with his book The Ascent of Humanity, where he articulates the deep story of separation that lives at the heart of modern civilization. From there, he wrote Sacred Economics, which inspired me to reach out to him and collaborate on a short that to this day remains one of my most popular films.

Since then, I’ve been p...

Today I’m happy to share my interview with Pat McCabe, an indigenous grandmother, activist, artist, and ceremonial leader.   She is an international voice for global peace, and someone I seem to continually cross paths with at new paradigm gatherings around the world. I suppose we’re following the same song lines.

Recently on Facebook, I asked others to speak about the value of men’s work, and Pat wrote an intriguing response where she named her own explorations into a “thriving life” paradigm - and a new narrative for the sacred masculine that is longing to be born.<...

Eamon Armstrong is the host of his popular podcast Life is a Festival, promoting adventure and personal development through the lens of festival culture.

I first met him as the Prince of Parties when he worked for Fest300, where he got to travel the globe and report from world’s best festivals. It was at Rainbow Serpent in Australia where he happened to attend one of my first talks on masculinity and love. We bonded soon after, and kept in touch after returning to our home places.

A year later, Eamon and I re...

Benjamin von Mendelssohn is a longtime resident of Tamera peace research village in Portugal, which for the last 5 years has been the focus of a documentary I’m co-directing titled Love School.   Benjamin is co-leader of the Global Love School, as well as the director of The Grace Foundation which aims to heal our collective relationship to money.

I first met Benjamin actually in my own kitchen, back when a friend asked on his behalf for a place to stay for a stop on his North American tour.  At the time, I didn’t know much about T...

Dr Sharon Blackie is an award-winning writer, teacher and speaker, aimed at cultivating the mythic imagination.  She is the author of numerous books, including “If Women Rose Rooted” and the host of her own podcast This Mythic Life. Sharon specializes in the myths, folklore and fairy tales of the Celtic nations and the British Isles.

In today’s episode, I’m excited to speak with her about her historical and psychological insight into the masculine: from understanding the role of myth and re-examining classic stories like the quest for the Grail.  Finally, we touch on the limitation...

Zamir Dhanji is a longtime friend and ally in our mutual exploration of emerging culture. He is trained in Hatha yoga in the lineage of Swami Gitananda. His spiritual guru of the last eight years is the Buddhist wisdom master Maticintin, lineage holder of the “Mind Treasure Teachings” which are aimed as a direct means of cultivating the mind of enlightenment. This path includes the study of Buddhist teachings and applying oneself as a bodhisattva, dedicated to the benefit of all sentient beings as a servant of life. He serves as a lead instructor for the Langara College Yoga Teac...