Living Myth

Ep. 485 - Under the Spell of Power and Greed

This episode begins with the ancient tale of the Titans, the mythic giants who wreaked havoc at the beginning of civilization and arise again when human cultures become power driven and chaotic. For the Titans, nothing is sacred except excess, immediate satisfaction of greed and being insatiable when it comes to power and dominance. Titans were also called the strainers, as their excess of hubris or self-importance caused them to strain to be seen as gods who had no limits and did not need to follow any rules. In psychological terms, the condition of titanism appears in those who use chaos to gain power and use it solely to aggrandize themselves. Under the spell of titanism, everything is done simply for effect, to make a big appearance that glorifies or even deifies the person who is actually empty and hollow inside. Lacking any sense of empathy for the suffering of others, they come to see violence and destruction as necessary for maintaining power and extending their sphere of dominance. As we are in a period of great uncertainty and cultural upheaval, we are subject to a return of titanic conditions like lawlessness, wanton greed and the reckless use of power by those who have no idea of how to use it. Yet, sustaining those false uses of power requires that people continue to give their own power to those seeking to be deified. For, power is no godsend in itself and can only become a blessing when it is used to help those in need and to protect those suffering injustice. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "The Soul of Change" on Thursday, April 30. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Episode 484 - Changing Life by Finding Spirit and Making Soul

This episode of begins with the idea that the world we used to know is gone and we have not found a footing in the world that is trying to emerge. That leaves us in a state of uncertainty and in the midst of multiple levels of tragedy. In that sense, we are in a collective rite of passage that seeks to awaken the spirit of humanity and stir the creative depths of our souls. However, if we cannot sustain the vitality of our own being we become unable to change the conditions of community and culture. The heart of the human drama concerns whether we are becoming a greater vessel for the flow of life. Spirit calls us to a higher sense of self, while soul would connect us more deeply to the heart of nature and the soul of the world. Either we are following spirit and growing more soul or we can find ourselves shrinking from life. We are each here to live out an inner story and living plot line that brought us to life. When we live our lives more fully it is beneficial, not just for us personally, but also for the transformation of the world. When in touch with the soul's mythic thread we can find the aims and meanings that allow our souls to grow deeper, our imagination to expand and our spirits to awaken. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "The Soul of Change" on Thursday, April 30. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Episode 483 - When Things Fall Apart, Our Souls Can Awaken

This episode of Living Myth begins with the idea that we keep finding ourselves in uncharted waters in terms of the future of the planet and in unmapped territories in terms of human culture. The increasing pressures and uncertainties in the outer world create an inner tension that can only be relieved through a change of awareness coming from within us. In order to avoid overwhelm and find meaningful ways forward, we must tap the deep resources of our souls which can connect us to the timeless roots of imagination and the endless energies of creation. Only imagination can provide the genuine visions we need, while also revealing untapped capacities for healing and renewal. Soul awakens as things seem to fall apart and soul would have us each find our unique part in life's ongoing drama. Yet, the way of the soul requires that we let go of our conventional and collective beliefs and received ideas. As we make more soul we find more moments of wholeness. When there is enough soul in the world, nature and culture can be truly connected and both can be served. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "The Soul of Change" on Thursday, April 30. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Episode 482 - To Not Abandon Ourself

Clearly, we are living in radical times when almost everything can be taken to the extreme. We find ourselves in uncharted waters when it comes to the future of the planet and in unmapped territories in terms of human culture. In the midst of great uncertainty any moment can lead us to feel anxious, isolated and abandoned. Life must be lived forward, but often can only be understood in looking back. Looking back far enough reveals that everyone has abandonment issues from early life fears of being left isolated and alone. As if insisting upon being faced, our core fears and anxieties intensify whenever we face the need to change or grow. Early in life we were vulnerable and easily overwhelmed. Eventually, the issue becomes not just who abandoned us and why, but how we avoid abandoning ourselves when faced with fears and the uncertainty of life again. In times of overwhelm, the deep self and soul within us also seeks to become more conscious to us. In the essential work of changing from within, each occasion of not abandoning ourselves liberates more of the divine spark that was sewn in our souls to begin with. The light we liberate within our souls also adds some life to a world in the process of transforming itself. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "The Soul of Change" on Thursday, April 30. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Premium Episode 175 Excerpt - The Redemptive Power of Soul

On this excerpt from a Living Myth Premium episode, Michael Meade discusses the inherent longing for redemption and how it can be experienced as a life-seeking process rather than an end-of-life event. He explores the archetypes of creation and apocalypse, reframing the latter as an expression of the dynamic of collapse and renewal. Part of renewal involves connecting to vertical imagination, that goes deep into the unconscious, and can reveal the unique map of each soul's journey and help us become instruments for transformation and awakening. You can hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth.