Höre Radical Soul

As early as the mid-19th century, white supremacists started using Norse mythology in an attempt to legitimize ideas that people with Scandinavian or Germanic heritage were of a superior race. Later, the Nazis used Nordic symbols, often the runes, as part of their party. To this day, white supremacists often claim Norse paganism, also known as heathenry, perverting the true meaning of the myths and symbols in order to fit their twisted ideology. But many modern Norse pagans are taking a stand: actively creating inclusive communities and stating exactly what they stand for [https://thetroth.org/declaration-127/]. We can also find Nordic witches like Siri Vincent Plouff [https://www.sirivincentplouff.com], my guest for today’s episode, who are teaching and practicing heathenry from an inclusive lens. For white folks with Nordic or Germanic ancestry (which includes me), there’s power in researching (and potentially even adopting) the beliefs of our ancestors. Yes, we need to confront the fact that many of our ancestors would have been colonizers, as well. And we have a responsibility to do better. But go back far enough, and our ancestors were also impacted by the forceful spread of Christianity, which turned their native practices into a crime. For me, the beauty of researching Nordic and Celtic stories and traditions is to understand a little of what my ancestors would have practiced before many of them were forced to convert. What gods or goddesses might they have prayed to? What animals or seasons did they find sacred? What herbs or trees did they have a special connection to or use to heal their families? What can I claim for myself to root myself in the traditions of my ancestors?[I need to add that heathenry isn’t just for white folks or for people with Nordic or Germanic heritage. That’s kinda the whole point: it should be for anyone for whom the stories, rituals, and the runes resonate.] For this newest episode of the Radical Soul podcast, I spoke to Siri, author of the newly released, Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578638376]. During our conversation, Siri offers a high-level overview of heathenry. We also chatted about how it was appropriated by the Nazis and continues to be misused by white supremacist groups, and how modern heathens are creating a more inclusive practice. As Siri mentions in the episode, “it can’t just be that we aren’t racist. It can’t just be we’re an inclusive group because we exclude the bad guys. It has to be like: then what are you actually doing? What are the good things that you are trying to spread in the world? What do you actually stand for?”For folks interested in learning more, Siri offers many anti-racist heathen resources [https://www.sirivincentplouff.com/antiracist-heathen-resources] on their website. You can also join us on Sunday January 19th 1-3pm ET for an introduction to queering the runes. This is a donation-based event. RSVP here [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-queering-the-runes-tickets-1127152085229?aff=oddtdtcreator]. About the Book Siri’s new book, Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578638376], is an inclusive guide to Nordic paganism and rune divination. In the first chapters, it covers some of what we discussed in the podcast in more detail. But the majority of the book is dedicated to understanding and working with the runes through a queer lens. Siri offers their own take on each rune, as well as recommendations for using a specific rune for ancestral work. Their recommendations are often queer- or nature-oriented. For instance, Siri associates the Jera rune, the rune of the harvest and summer, with Pride: “a moment of being celebrated by and among your chosen family and friends for being exactly who you are.” To use Jera energy to work with your ancestors, they recommend asking what the growing season might’ve looked like for your ancestors and how you might “pay tribute to your ancestors on specific harvest festivals.” About the Guest Siri Vincent Plouff [https://www.sirivincentplouff.com/] (they/them) is a Nordic witch, rune reader, and tarot reader. They are the author of Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578638376] and coauthor with Cassandra Snow of Lessons from the Empress: A Tarot Workbook for Self-care and Creative Growth [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578637935]. As an unabashedly queer person, they are constantly interrogating runes and Nordic practices through a unique lens of sexual and gender identity. They see witchcraft as a way to break out of expectations and live outside of society. Siri is the brain behind the radical heathenry podcast The Heathen's Journey [https://open.spotify.com/show/6zbltAVOz1Sjv3t7Rjpupq?si=a74d15faf5e64237]. They teach about runes, tarot, and witchcraft. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com [https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

This is the longer of two episodes featuring author, pastoral counselor, and Dharma Leader Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde. In this full 90-minute interview, you’ll hear about Ayo’s experiences being a part of the school integration initiative in the 60s and 70s and being bussed to a mostly White school. You’ll hear about her transformative experience with Sister Soulah, her work as an asylum officer, and a lot more.In the 30-minute version [https://open.substack.com/pub/radicalsoul/p/is-it-a-small-j-or-big-j-justice?r=13el7b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web], I pulled together moments from our interview that highlight Ayo’s insights about justice with a small j — which is justice on a personal level — versus justice with a Large J — which is systemic change — and how she makes sometimes daily decisions about which to focus on. About Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde Dr. Yetunde, JD, MA, ThD, is pastoral counselor, spiritual director, chaplain, and Community Dharma Leader in the Insight Meditation Community. She is coeditor of the Nautilus Gold Award-winning Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781611808650]; and the author of Songbird Birdsong: The Story [https://www.amazon.com/Songbird-Birdsong-Story-Transform-Book-ebook/dp/B0CW3F5KYY/], Casting Indra’s Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781645470922], Object Relations, Buddhism, and Relationality in Womanist Practical Theology [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9783319944531], and the Frederick J. Streng Award-winning Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, U.S. Law, and Womanist Theology for Transgender Spiritual Care [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9783030425593]. Ayo is the cofounder of Center of the Heart [https://www.centeroftheheart.org], and Buddhist Justice Reporter [https://www.buddhistjustice.com]. Her upcoming book Dearly Beloved: Prince, Spirituality, and This Thing Called Life [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9798889831600] will be published in April 2025. Learn more at pamelaayoyetunde.com [https://www.pamelaayoyetunde.com]. This is part of a series honoring queer elders and ancestors [https://radicalsoul.substack.com/t/queer-elders-and-ancestors]. If a queer ancestor or elder has made a difference in your life, nominate them to be featured on Radical Soul [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0_p21UTSa6b02pFo8rXzfTnyeG3pUrRx6O5vxRDFuMTmPIg/viewform?usp=sf_link]. For other radical souls that aren’t queer or not quite an elder: nominate them here. [https://forms.gle/4aKzsUjC2orvUr488] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com [https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

This is the shorter of two episodes featuring Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde. In this 30-minute version, I pulled together moments from our interview that highlight Ayo’s insights about justice with a small j — which is justice on a personal level — versus justice with a Large J — which is systemic change — and how she makes sometimes daily decisions about which to focus on. Check out the full 90-minute interview, if you find comfort and insights in the details of how someone’s life and mission radically transforms over the years. You’ll hear about Ayo’s experiences being a part of the school integration initiative in the 60s and 70s and being bussed to a mostly White school. You’ll hear about her transformative experience with Sister Soulah, her work as an asylum officer, and a lot more. About Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde Dr. Yetunde, JD, MA, ThD, is pastoral counselor, spiritual director, chaplain, and Community Dharma Leader in the Insight Meditation Community. She is coeditor of the Nautilus Gold Award-winning Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781611808650]; and the author of Songbird Birdsong: The Story [https://www.amazon.com/Songbird-Birdsong-Story-Transform-Book-ebook/dp/B0CW3F5KYY/], Casting Indra’s Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781645470922], Object Relations, Buddhism, and Relationality in Womanist Practical Theology [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9783319944531], and the Frederick J. Streng Award-winning Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, U.S. Law, and Womanist Theology for Transgender Spiritual Care [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9783030425593]. Ayo is the cofounder of Center of the Heart [https://www.centeroftheheart.org], and Buddhist Justice Reporter [https://www.buddhistjustice.com]. Her upcoming book Dearly Beloved: Prince, Spirituality, and This Thing Called Life [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9798889831600] will be published in April 2025. Learn more at pamelaayoyetunde.com [https://www.pamelaayoyetunde.com]. This is part of a series honoring queer elders and ancestors [https://radicalsoul.substack.com/t/queer-elders-and-ancestors]. If a queer ancestor or elder has made a difference in your life, nominate them to be featured on Radical Soul [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0_p21UTSa6b02pFo8rXzfTnyeG3pUrRx6O5vxRDFuMTmPIg/viewform?usp=sf_link]. For other radical souls that aren’t queer or not quite an elder: nominate them here. [https://forms.gle/4aKzsUjC2orvUr488] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com [https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

This is part three of a three part series on combating Christian Nationalism. The entire conversation was livestreamed [https://www.youtube.com/live/QOAYgv3HJPU?si=QCrHky7_3Mu3nOet] on Wednesday, November 6, the day after the election. Part one [https://radicalsoul.substack.com/p/know-your-enemy-know-your-future] covered what Christian nationalism is and who Christian nationalists are. Part two [https://open.substack.com/pub/radicalsoul/p/how-not-to-fight-fascism?r=13el7b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web] covered what doesn’t work in combatting Christian nationalism, or fascism in general. In this episode, we discuss strategies that do work. My guests for the talk were Blake Chastain [https://blakechastain.com/], host of the Exvangelical podcast and author of the new book Exvangelical and Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That’s Fighting Back [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9780593717073], lenny duncan [https://lennyduncan.com/], an ordained Lutheran priest and author of Dear Revolutionaries: A Field Guide for a World Beyond the Church [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781506479064], and Redeem Robinson [https://www.facebook.com/RevRobinson/], an ordained minister within the fellowship of the department ministries, and a longtime civil rights activist. Books mentioned in this episode Treason to Whiteness is Loyalty to Humanity [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781839765018] by Noel Ignatiev The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9780822369004] by Incite! Women of Color Against Incite! Highlights from the entire livestream about strategies to lean into 1. Take practical training “It's time to get basic street medic training. If there's a de-escalation training in your area, you need to find one.  You need to learn how to make someone realize that they might be making a mistake that will put them in prison for the rest of their life.” Lenny 2. Invest in mutual aid “You got to get involved in mutual aid because mutual aid is baseline community living. Get into rent and tenant unions; figure out what they're doing at the encampments that you keep seeing on your highways that you've been ignoring for months.” Lenny 3. Invest in other organizations that are BOTH led by and funded by the communities they support “We have to break away from this whole non-profit industrial complex. We have to break away from it. It is killing us. And it's sucking up actual resources that can go to directly impacted people.” Redeem 4. Find your ride-or-die community, no matter what they believe or who they voted for. “These will be the people who run towards the gas and the bullets and the pain, and they'll show up the next day cause they're going to want to see what really happened for themselves. And they're going to have lots of ideas. You don't have to convince them of anything. The state does a really good job of convincing people of its violence. You just have to make sure you hold them in that space while they witness it.” Lenny 5. Be prepared to welcome and un-condition people fleeing from toxic communities “There will be people who are hurt and they will leave their faith communities and they will go to a place that focuses on a part of their identity or their experience, whether that's because they're a Black Indigenous person of color and they need to focus on that, or because they're queer or because whatever else. We need lots of communities and we need them to do their own thing and focus on their own values and, at the same time, find ways to build meaningful alliances that can combat this sort of stuff.” Blake 6. Get serious about supporting alternatives to the two-party system ”The Democratic Party is not here to protect us. They are another face for the empire.  And the sooner we get that through our heads, the better we can actually fight like supremacy, Christian nationalism, KKK, whatever you want to call fascism.” Redeem 7. Resist through pleasure and joy “If you don't got some joy,  like listen. After you get done being all serious with us … I hope you're ready to find some joy. I hope you're ready to use your body. I hope you're ready to have some pleasure,” Lenny Related In 2020, I wrote about why I regretted unfriending my family over the election [https://rebelliousmagazine.com/why-i-regret-unfriending-my-family-following-the-election/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3G9Qu7Kjvd4Nhv5JLFbTIgcUiQW0ZTUQ6dcclCJ0HsCEiKYrLIb-jOAqw_aem_n83KX7aQNbKrc-IyrceI5A] and maintaining relationships with political differences [https://rebelliousmagazine.com/just-the-tip-maintaining-relationships-with-political-differences/] for Rebellious Magazine. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com [https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

This is part two of a three part series on combating Christian Nationalism. The entire conversation was livestreamed on Wednesday, November 6, the day after the election. If you haven’t heard it yet, part one covered what Christian nationalism is and who Christian nationalists are. A reminder that, when it comes to its impact, Christian nationalism is the same as White supremacy. It’s fascist power under a different name.  So in this episode, we talk about what doesn’t work in fighting Christian nationalism, which is also what doesn’t work in fighting white supremacy. Stay tuned for part three, which covers what seasoned activists believe does work and what we should be leaning into right now.  My guests for the talk were Blake Chastain [https://blakechastain.com/], host of the Exvangelical podcast and author of the new book Exvangelical and Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That’s Fighting Back [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9780593717073], lenny duncan [https://lennyduncan.com/], an ordained Lutheran priest and author of Dear Revolutionaries: A Field Guide for a World Beyond the Church [https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781506479064], and Redeem Robinson [https://www.facebook.com/RevRobinson/], an ordained minister within the fellowship of the department ministries, and a longtime civil rights activist. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com [https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]