S2E17 | Where Pleasure Prays (Carly Mountain)

S2E17 | Where Pleasure Prays (Carly Mountain)

In this soul-stirring episode from June 2024, The Fifth Direction's Asher Packman journeys with psychotherapist, writer, and women's initiatory guide Carly Mountain into the depths where myth meets embodiment, and pleasure becomes a path to wisdom. Rooted in the ancient tale of Inanna’s descent, Carly speaks to the sacred art of reclaiming the hidden, the exiled, and the erotic aspects of the self. They explore how the body holds story, how voice unearths truth, and how descent is not a failure but an initiation. With tenderness and fire, Carly shares insights on psychosexual healing, the spiritual potency of breath and movement, and the fierce grace of navigating trauma, desire and transformation. This conversation invites us to reimagine the erotic not as performance or indulgence—but as prayer, presence and power. Carly's seminal work, Descent & Rising: Women's Stories & the Embodiment of the Inanna Myth, serves as a guide for those navigating transformative life experiences, intertwining personal narratives with ancient mythology to illuminate the path of descent and re-emergence. Looking ahead, she is awaiting the publishing of a new book that continues to explore themes of embodiment and psychosexual growth. This upcoming work promises to further expand on the rich tapestry of insights Carly offers in her life, practice and writing. Enter the underworld. Rise through the roots. And remember, pleasure is where soul comes to pray. Find out more about Carly and subscribe to her musings at carlymountain.com [http://carlymountain.com]. Join The Fifth Direction by visiting thefifthdirection.com [http://thefifthdirection.com].

S2E16 | Between Wound and Grail (Sam Crosby)

Cornish traditional oral storyteller 'Campfire Sam' Crosby joined Asher Packman on the Warrior Within podcast for The Fifth Direction in March, 2025. In their wide-ranging conversation, Sam shared his journey into storytelling and the deepening of his work with mythology, elderhood and personal transformation. His path was shaped by personal crisis, nature connection and encounters with mythic traditions, particularly through the influence of Martin Shaw and Danny Deardorff. Raised on Tolkien’s stories but lacking a deeper mythic or spiritual grounding in his youth, Sam initially pursued theatre but struggled with self-consciousness. A profound shift occurred after the birth of his first son, which led him to deepen his connection with nature. This period of transformation introduced him to mythic storytelling, and he now shares stories through Recalling Fire, working in various settings to facilitate reflection and dialogue. Sam and Asher explored the idea that elderhood is not merely a function of age but an intentional process of becoming more authentically oneself. Young people, in turn, have a role in "blessing" elders, fostering mutual empowerment. They discussed the necessity of intergenerational healing, particularly in addressing cycles of emotional repression, and how nature itself serves as an elder, offering wisdom and presence. For Sam, stories provide a means of seeing ourselves more clearly without direct confrontation. He emphasised that myths are not about historical accuracy but rather deeper truths that resonate across time. His work with Arthurian legends continues to reveal personal insights as well as reflections on societal imbalances. Myth creates a shared language that allows for meaningful exchanges across generations. A major turning point in Sam’s life was the birth of his first son, who was born with a disability. This experience challenged his fears and opened his heart in unexpected ways. Learning to balance his role as a father to both his children, he recognised that transformation had always been possible—his son simply provided the opportunity to step into it. Sam’s approach to storytelling emphasises “cross-pollination” between the story and participants’ lived experiences. He is particularly interested in the pauses, the moments where collective meaning-making happens, rather than simply telling stories in a linear fashion. He sees storytelling as an alchemical process, one that allows for deep transformation through shared experience. Sam joins our Story Circle at The Fifth Direction over five weeks beginning Tuesday, March 11, as he carries the sprawling, shapeshifting story of King Arthur, following a loose trail left behind by Mallory: injecting Mabinogion, Geoffrey, Chretien, modern reworks including Mary Stewart, his own experiences in wild Cornwall and a flicker of his own imaginings. Event details at thefifthdirection.com/events/arthur [http://thefifthdirection.com/events/arthur]. Find out more about Sam at samuelcrosby.com [http://samuelcrosby.com] and on social media as @campfiresam. Join The Fifth Direction by visiting thefifthdirection.com [http://thefifthdirection.com].

S2E15 | Music for Mushrooms (East Forest)

East Forest is a multidisciplinary artist, producer and ceremony guide known for his fusion of ambient music, electronic soundscapes and meditative practices. His music is often used in meditation, yoga and psychedelic therapy sessions, where it serves as a tool for inner work, helping listeners access deeper states of consciousness. East Forest joined Asher Packman on the Warrior Within podcast for The Fifth Direction in September 2024 to discuss the imminent release of his new feature-length film Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary showcasing the transformative power of psychedelics, music and community. As well as exploring the film itself, they go behind the scenes and dive into the film-making process, East Forest's vision in bringing the project to life, and the vulnerabilities of sharing personal story. He also discusses the accompanying soundtrack which features music recorded during live psilocybin ceremonies, plus the time he spent with Ram Dass, his special collaboration with Peter Broderick and much more. Find out more about the film at musicformushrooms.com or eastforest.org [http://eastforest.org]. Visit The Fifth Direction at www.thefifthdirection.com [http://www.thefifthdirection.com].

S2E14 | Logos and Dragon-Speak (Andreas Kornevall)

Author, storyteller and ecologist Andreas Kornevall joined Asher Packman on the Warrior Within podcast for The Fifth Direction in July, 2024. The two men began by discussing Andreas' childhood in South American and Sweden and his introduction to the mythological world, highlighting the importance of play to sustain and develop the imaginative function. Andreas introduced the concept of apotheosis (the theme of his upcoming book) as the road between the conscious and unconscious -- and the requirement of a spirit/animal guide (or 'fetch') to act as a psychopomp or 'bridge' that can hold your story as you move between these realms. This led to the concept of the 'middle way', the ability to hold the tension of oppositional forces, and the need for reconciliation (in myriad forms) beyond a concretised 'yes' or 'no' paradigm. Andreas noted that "wisdom is often born from the flames of opposition" and remembered a profound meeting he witnessed between the Sami people and Scandinavian governments. He also talked about the beauty and grief in creating a memorial (or life-can) to extinct species as a kind of golden thread that creates an ongoing kinship to all beings. The conversation turned to runic wisdom and the symbolic value embedded in even the Latin alphabet. Andreas spoke of how he is creating a runic 'demblem' to counter the power of the corporate logo. They concluded with discussion around rituals or 'seidr', in particular the ancient High Chair Ritual, and Andreas' continuing search for dragon trails which has taken him around the United Kingdom. The final compelling image was that of dragon as rainbow. You can find related essays to all the above at Andreas' Substack: northernspirithouse.substack.com [http://northernspirithouse.substack.com] Andreas joins The Fifth Direction's Story Circle on Tuesday, August 13, offering The Flowering Tree: A Journey into Northern Myth, Ritual, Runes and Cosmology. Event details at: thefifthdirection.com/events/flowering-tree [http://thefifthdirection.com/events/flowering-tree]. Find out more about Andreas at www.kornevall.com [http://www.kornevall.com]. Join The Fifth Direction by visiting www.thefifthdirection.com [http://www.thefifthdirection.com].

S2E13 | Taming the Wild Fox (Caiyuda Kiora)

In our modern era there are forces that strive to disconnect us from our essential nature. The dominant mainstream paradigm continues to threaten our connection to heart-based and soul-centred consciousness, spiritual gnosis, holistic health and wellness, natural medicines and the wildness of nature. Asher was joined by long-term friend and 'technician of the shamanic healing arts' Caiyuda Kiora, where together they weaved a conversation around this theme. Aligned to sacred practices and earth-honouring wisdoms, Cai's vision is to facilitate a bridge between one world and another; the seen and unseen; ancient and modern; civilised and wild; life and death, riding those edges to better walk a path forward. Asher and Cai discussed the importance of understanding the convergence of spirituality, mysticism, shamanism, animism, and nature connection skills and the shortcomings of modern ideas regarding 'nature connection' and the antidote known as 'nature awareness skills'. They spoke about the importance of nature-based initiatory experiences and the difference between that and a rite of passage, touching on discipline and ritual. Cai masterfully called in the story of The Little Prince and the Fox, highlighting it's teaching around courting our wildness. Cai has an upcoming edition of his shamanic wilderness expeditions, The Pilgrimage, in the Byron Bay hinterland (on Bundjalung country) from July 18-21, 2024. Find out more at www.caiyudakiora.com [http://www.caiyudakiora.com]. Join The Fifth Direction by visiting www.thefifthdirection.com. [http://www.thefifthdirection.com]