Victoria Loorz and Valerie Luna Serrels on Sacred Conversations

Day Schildkret on Morning Altars and the Importance of Ritual

This week our minds are blown and our hearts are expanded by Day Schildkret, author, artist and teacher behind the Morning Altars movement, who inspires tens of thousands of people to make life more beautiful and meaningful through ritual, nature and art. Day talks to us about ritual, meaning making, presence, beauty, remembering, curiosity and more in this gorgeous conversation. Show Notes:  * Morning Altars [https://www.morningaltars.com/] * Day’s Books and Art [https://www.morningaltars.com/shop] * Teacher Training  [https://www.morningaltars.com/teachertraining24?utm_source=morningaltars.com&utm_medium=navbar] * Day’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/morningaltars/]  * Grief Ritual Series [https://www.morningaltars.com/workshops] Key Topics * The origin story of Morning Altars and its healing modality * The role of thresholds and thresholds in personal transformation * The importance of meaning making and ritual in everyday life * Reciprocity and the back-and-forth of giving and receiving * The relationship between vulnerability, nature, and ritual Chapters 00:30 The Power of Ritual and Nature 01:44 Thresholds and Transitions in Life 10:32 Meaning Making Through Creativity 14:46 Rituals: Boundaries and Simplicity 18:21 Cultural Challenges to Rituals 22:12 Personal Journey with Rituals 23:48 Exploring Sacred Ground and Relationships 27:56 The Concept of Reciprocity in Rituals 32:35 Vulnerability and Connection with Nature 36:45 Grief and the Role of Ritual 41:30 Grief as an Invitation to Transformation 44:51 Creating Alternative Spaces in a Capitalist World

Erica Smith on the Purity Culture Recovery Guide

Erica Smith, Sex Educator and author of the Purity Culture Recovery Guide joins us today on the pod! Erica’s invitational and open hearted writing explores the harms of Purity Culture and gives pathways to healing for those of us raised in it. Erica is a wealth of shame free sex information and this book is a must read for all people seeking a healthy, open hearted relationship to their bodies and their sexuality.  Show Notes: * The Purity Culture Recovery Guide by Erica Smith [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/purity-culture-recovery-guide-9798881801304/] * Linda Kay Klein Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free [https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Linda-Kay-Klein/545494983] * Netflix Documentary - Trust Me: The False Prophet [https://www.netflix.com/title/81758532] * Purityculturedropout.com [http://purityculturedropout.com] * Erica’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ericasmith.educates/] Key Topics * Impact of Purity Culture on Sexuality * Healing from Religious Shame * Sexual Rights and Autonomy * Creating Safe Spaces for Healing * Men's Group and Vulnerability Chapters 00:10 The Power of Love Poetry 02:45 Introducing Erica Smith: A Journey into Sex Education 04:30 From Casual Christianity to Sex Education 10:38 Understanding Purity Culture: A Deep Dive 13:00 The Impact of Purity Culture on Relationships 17:02 The Broader Effects of Purity Culture 20:52 Healing from Shame: The Purity Culture Dropout Program 27:24 Creating a Safe Space for Conversations 27:52 The Birth of the Purity Culture Recovery Guide 30:18 Responses to the Book: A Positive Reception 33:01 The Sexual Bill of Rights: Empowering Individuals 33:05 Understanding Sexual Rights and Respect 35:41 The Importance of Men's Groups 39:33 Exploring Vulnerability in Masculinity 43:41 Forgiveness and Healing in Masculinity 47:24 Inviting Others Out of Purity Culture 51:00 The Benefits of Healthy Sexuality

Traumatized Church with Scot McKnight and Adrienne Gibson

Fabulous time today visiting with authors Adrienne Gibson and Scot McKnight on their new book Traumatized Church: What Paul's Relationship with the Corinthian Church Teaches Us About Helping Those Who are Hurting. Adrienne brings the perspective of a licensed therapist and Scot the knowledge of a New Testament scholar and together they have written a really hopeful and informative book on trauma, the church, Paul and the Corinthians, and on individual and collective healing. A must listen for anyone working in the church or who loves the church!  Show Notes: * Paul and Thecla from 2nd century [https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2017/11/02/meet-thecla-inspiring-model/] * Traumatized Church [https://www.zondervan.com/p/traumatized-church/] * Valor Counseling - Adrienne’s Practice in Mesa, Arizona  [https://www.valorcounselingaz.com/] * Scot Mcknight on Substack [https://scotmcknight.substack.com/] * Scot’s books [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Scot-McKnight/author/B001IQZDNO?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=bf7d1213-a0fa-4d5c-9c24-41096248a1a7] Key Topics * Trauma in the church and its impact * Paul's vulnerability and trauma as a leader * Trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive church practices Chapters 00:00 The Peace of Wild Things 02:06 Introducing the Authors and Their Journey 09:31 Understanding Trauma 11:47 The Church as a Traumatic Space 15:45 Becoming Trauma-Informed 19:16 Transforming Pain: Insights from Paul and the Corinthians 27:57 Understanding Paul's Humanity 30:46 The Impact of Trauma on Leadership 35:47 The Role of Pastors in Modern Churches 41:34 Breaking the Cycle of Harm in Churches 45:25 The Importance of Trauma Awareness in Ministry

Victoria Loorz and Valerie Luna Serrels on Sacred Conversations

Today on the pod sisters, co-authors, and co-founders of Wild Church Network and The Center for Wild Spirituality Valerie Luna Serrels and Victoria Loorz join us in sacred conversation. In this lovely conversation we visit about unlearning patriarchal ways of being, the importance of deep noticing, the reemergence of reciprocal relationships with the human and more than human world, and the mycelial network that connects us all. This is such an important and expansive conversation for the wild times we find ourselves in!  Show Notes: * Margaret Wheatley - Using Emergence to Take Social Innovation to Scale [https://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/emergence.html] * Dean Radin [https://noetic.org/profile/dean-radin/], PhD - IONS * The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist  [https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-ai-doc-or-how-i-became-an-apocaloptimist] * The Great AI Unraveling [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-great-ai-unraveling-tristan-harris/id1643318607?i=1000763258264]: Tristan Harris on Sounds of SAND * The Holy Wild Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-holy-wild-with-victoria-loorz/id1799604110] * Wild Church Network [https://www.wildchurchnetwork.com/] * Wild Church Online [https://www.wildchurchnetwork.com/online] * Why I Should Hike Every Day No Matter What by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer [https://pollycastor.com/2024/07/24/why-i-should-hike-every-day-no-matter-what-poem-by-rosemerry-wahtola-trommer/] Key Topics * The roots and growth of the Center for Wild Spirituality and Wild Church Network * The paradigm shift towards interconnectedness and emergence in spirituality * The biomimicry and feminist principles guiding wild church structures * The role of love, love as awareness, and sacred reciprocity in transformation * Science and spirituality: understanding the impact of consciousness on the physical world * The importance of community, unlearning, and vulnerability in spiritual evolution Chapters 00:00 The Power of Nature and Freedom 03:49 Introduction to the Wild Church Network 06:54 Roots of the Center for Wild Spirituality 09:42 Emergence and Community Building 12:32 Biomimicry and Networking 15:27 The Role of Feminine Leadership 18:37 The Importance of Listening and Awareness 21:25 Love and Change in the World 24:11 Worldview Shift and Sacred Reciprocity 27:24 Personal Journeys of Undoing 30:06 The Journey of Trust and Passion 36:42 Navigating Personal Struggles and Community Support 39:07 The Journey of Acceptance and Grief 43:45 Understanding Burnout and Resilience 47:28 The Sacredness of Life's Challenges 50:29 Awareness and Renewal in the Face of Grief 54:51 Emerging Futures and the Balance of Hope and Grief 58:47 Choosing Love Amidst Uncertainty

Everything is a Story with Kaitlin Curtice

We were so honored to speak with the author of Everything is a Story Kaitlin Curtice! Kaitlin is a an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, public speaker, and enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation. Today she walks us through the importance of the stories we tell ourselves, rewriting the stories we’ve been told that we’ve outgrown, and telling new stories about community and connection to ourselves, to the land, and to one another. Join us as we dive deep this week into stories, imagination, and hope amidst collapse.  Show Notes: * Substack - Liminality Journal [https://kaitlincurtice.substack.com/] * Everything is a Story [https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436635_everything-is-a-story] * Kaitlin’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kaitlincurtice/?hl=en] * Don’t Bother the Earth Spirit by: Joy Harjo [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/101675/dont-bother-the-earth-spirit-who-lives-here] Takeaways * Stories are time capsules that evolve with us, reflecting our growth. * Grief is a sacred space that, when embraced, can lead to profound healing. * Imagination is a vital tool for envisioning a better world and living beyond our limitations. * Connecting with ancestors and the earth provides guidance and strength. * Healing stories require patience, presence, and a willingness to face discomfort. Chapters 00:00 The Power of Storytelling 04:02 Childhood Narratives and Personal Growth 12:20 Healing Through Reflection and Connection 17:46 Catalysts for Change and Presence 23:51 Collective Stories and Community Healing 27:55 Healing Through Grief and Community 31:18 The Role of Imagination in Writing 36:07 Wisdom of Midlife Transitions 41:47 Navigating Edges: Pleasure, Risk, and Pain 47:35 Fear and Failure as Invitations 50:27 Claiming Words as Medicine