The Nature Of with Willow Defebaugh

Lindsay Mack: Growth Is a Spiral, Not a Line

Lindsay Mack spends her time helping people rewild and reconnect with their intuition—but not in the way you might expect. This week, Willow sits down with the teacher, author, and host of Tarot for the Wild Soul for a conversation about spirituality rooted in nature, healing that moves in spirals rather than straight lines, and finding meaning in uncertainty. Together, they explore how the living world can become a mirror, a guide, and a reminder that we already carry much of the wisdom we’re searching for. For more about Lindsay Mack: https://www.lindsaymack.com/ [https://www.lindsaymack.com/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rebecca Solnit: Why Cynicism Feels Smart—and Isn't

Hope isn’t found in looking to the future; it’s in the past. This week, Willow sits down with legendary writer and activist Rebecca Solnit for a conversation about uncertainty, change, and the stories we choose to believe about what’s to come. Together, they explore why hope is not naïve optimism when rooted in evidence, and how history reminds us that change often arrives in unexpected ways. Drawing from Rebecca’s new book, The Beginning Comes After the End, this conversation examines the progress made in the last 70 years as cause for hope—and proof that the impossible happens all the time. For more about Rebecca Solnit: https://www.rebeccasolnit.net/ [https://www.rebeccasolnit.net/]   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Vivien Sansour: Saving the Seeds of Palestine

What can seeds teach us about memory, resilience, and the possibility of renewal? This week, Willow sits down with Vivien Sansour, seed keeper and founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. They explore how seeds carry stories across generations and why protecting threatened varieties is a way of preserving the knowledge and traditions they hold, particularly during times of loss. From childhoods spent foraging in the hills to the role food and seeds play in connecting people to place, Vivien reflects on what it means to remember our connection to land, to each other, and to the stories that continue to shape us. For more about Vivien Sansour: https://viviensansour.com/ [https://viviensansour.com/] For more about the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library: https://www.palestineheirloomseedlibrary.com/ [https://www.palestineheirloomseedlibrary.com/] For more about the Traveling Kitchen: https://viviensansour.com/Traveling-Kitchen [https://viviensansour.com/Traveling-Kitchen] Palestine’s Seeds in Diaspora: https://atmos.earth/political-landscapes/palestines-seeds-in-diaspora/ [https://atmos.earth/political-landscapes/palestines-seeds-in-diaspora/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From Soil to Shelf: The Science of Beauty With Jorge Blanco

What does it mean for beauty to be part of ecology rather than separate from it? Willow sits down with Jorge Blanco, Davines' North America Culture & Creative Director, for a conversation about regenerative agriculture, green chemistry, and the hidden systems behind the products we use every day. They explore how soil, science, farming, and haircare are deeply interconnected and what it means to move beyond sustainability toward regeneration. This conversation invites us to rethink what it means to care for ourselves and the Earth at the same time. This episode was made possible by Davines. If you’re interested in learning more about Davines, check out Davines: For A Good Life [https://us.davines.com/pages/for-a-good-life]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Maria Popova on Turning Matter Into Meaning

How do we stay open amid uncertainty? In this episode, Willow sits down with Maria Popova, writer and founder of The Marginalian, for a conversation about meaning, wonder, and the unknown. They explore Maria’s idea that “selfing” sits at the root of much of our suffering and how wonder can be an antidote. Moving between the scientific and poetic, the historical and the personal, they trace surprising connections across time in Maria’s new book, Traversal. This conversation is an invitation to loosen our grip on certainty and let ourselves be astonished by the marvels of existence. For more about Maria Popova and The Marginalian: https://www.themarginalian.org [https://www.themarginalian.org] For Reweaving the Rainbow: https://substack.com/@reweavingtherainbow [https://substack.com/@reweavingtherainbow] Reweaving the Rainbow: Science, Poetry, and the Magic of Nature: https://atmos.earth/ecological-wisdom/reweaving-the-rainbow/ [https://atmos.earth/ecological-wisdom/reweaving-the-rainbow/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.