Living Myth

This episode begins with a description of the youngest sisters and youngest brothers in fairy tales. They seem out of place and behind everyone else, yet they are the only ones able to break the collective spells of materialism, resentment and despair. They represent the genuine dreamer inside all of us and they are deeply connected to the dream of life and the wisdom of mythology. As agents of myth they have exactly what this troubled world most needs. However, it is the attitudes of the older brothers and sisters that prevail in the daily world. Only after all else has failed will people turn to the youngest sister or brother within who has been holding onto the true dream of life all along. Michael Meade then lays out the old idea of the Three Kinds of Thinking: the logical, the psychological and the mythological. Following the trail of the youngest aspects of the psyche, he shows how when all else makes no sense, mythic imagination makes the most sense. Myth is the deepest layer of life where grace and wisdom and even redemption can be found. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. 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 700 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. 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.

This episode of Living Myth begins with the story of the Spirit in the Bottle in which a youth must confront a powerful and angry spirit in order to claim his own genius and natural gifts. One point of the tale is that we cannot become who we are intended to be unless our genius becomes conscious and is confirmed by someone other than our parents. If our inner spirit remains bottled up too long, it has no choice but to turn against us. Whereas the spirit in the old tale erupts with anger, in someone else's story it can collapse into an enduring depression. If, like the youth in the story, we accept whatever aspects of fate that befall us and face our fears, everything changes. Spells are broken, gifts are revealed and what was known as the "second adventure of life" begins. While many theorists and psychologists ascribe the soul's adventure to the second half of life, Michael Meade suggests something different. When our mutual fate involves us in a time of worldwide upheaval, turning to the inside realm of the soul and awakening to the second adventure becomes a greater priority. When meaning and unity are lacking in the outside world, they must be sought and found in each person's inner life. Since the world will not settle soon, undertaking the soul's adventure becomes the best way to find a genuine sense of meaning and purpose, but also reveals how we can best contribute to the healing of both nature and human culture. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. 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 700 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. 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.

This episode of Living Myth addresses the rise of conspiracy theories and spread of falsehoods in conjunction with the phenomenon of a widespread loss of personal identity. Recent studies show that amidst radical social changes and growing levels of personal insecurity many people feel a greater need to feel part of a group. While being part of an in-group can relieve underlying feelings of insecurity, it can also involve a loss of true identity. As hostilities between polarized sides intensify, people can cling more tightly to social identities and partisan beliefs, which in turn can make false information and conspiracy theories not only more acceptable, but also more necessary. As the contemporary confusion between truth and lies intensifies, Michael Meade offers the age-old concept of a genuine "act of truth" that can restore the sense of personal integrity and also serve as an antidote that can reverse the spread of poisons in the collective body of society. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "Finding Unity in a Divided World" on Thursday, July 17. 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 700 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. 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.

On this episode of Living Myth Michael Meade tells a fairy tale about a realm that is rapidly becoming a wasteland because its king has become seriously ill and there is no simple cure. The only way to heal the realm is to find the Water of Life. Doing that requires the seeker let go of all arrogance and accept the condition of not knowing. For only then will the mysterious dwarf provide the guidance and resources that are needed for the quest. Part of the essential guidance involves learning how to face our deepest fears. And that inevitably brings up each person's abandonment issues as well as feelings of being inadequate and overwhelmed by what life requires of us. Ultimately, it is only the youngest part of each psyche, the eternal youth and inner initiate that is able to access the wisdom and resources needed to find the Water of Life and return the flow of life to the psychic realm. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "Finding Unity in a Divided World" on Thursday, July 17. 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 700 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. 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.

This episode of Living Myth begins with the ancient idea of each soul receiving a "lot in life." Lot basically means "a chip of wood," but in this case, the chip comes from the roots of the World Tree, that also used to be known as the Tree of Destiny. Thus, each of our souls secretly carries a "divine word" or living symbol drawn from the Tree of Life that makes each person a divine experiment in life. We are human by lot, but we are divine by origin. We must begin life with the hand that fate has dealt us; yet our fate can be seen as more of an oracle set within us than as an outcome predetermined for us. When so many aspects of modern life seem increasingly out of our control, turning to the adventure our souls would have us live can give us our best chance to find a sense of inner unity and live with meaning and purpose. The soul's adventure involves stepping off the common pathways and going off the maps that others have given to us. This "second adventure of life" intends an unfolding of the meaningful story trying to unfold from within us. It is a path of awakening to who we already are at our core and how we can best contribute to life. The soul's adventure aims at things beyond the concerns of the daily world, and yet the transformations it can produce are essential for renewing human culture and for determining the fate of life on Earth. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "Finding Unity in a Divided World" on Thursday, July 17. 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 700 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. 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.

On this episode of Michael Meade recounts a myth from ancient Persia, the name by which Iran was known for centuries. The ancient tale predates all historical hostilities and battles in the Middle East and offers surprising insights into the origins and nature of the kind of conflict that can plunge whole peoples and entire epochs into darkness. Way back at the beginning, the original clash of opposite forces and the presence of great uncertainty about the future of life entered the world together. The force of chaos and darkness attacks the principle of order and creation using the weapons of lies and aggression. However, that is not the end of the story, but rather a critical turning point in which a greater sense of consciousness and a deeper sense of wisdom can shift the balance back to the process of creation. The primary problem is that breaking the tension of opposing forces requires that the original split in life must become more conscious. No true healing unless the original split is touched. No true changes without a moment of wholeness that can offset the underlying doubts and projections of guilt and blame. No lasting treaty unless those claiming to create peace already have peace in their hearts. Only then can it be understood that the effect of an elemental opposition is to generate a deeper sense of meaning and a greater sense of understanding that does not simply stop the hostilities, but also stimulates life itself. Creation is the only outcome of conflict that can satisfy the soul. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his free online event "Finding Unity in a Divided World" on Thursday, July 17. 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 700 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. 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.

On this excerpt from a Living Myth Premium episode, Michael Meade explores how even in the darkest times, the inner abundance of the soul is ever nearby. The problem is that the pathways to our inner inheritance and instinctive vitality are blocked by received ideas and an over-adaptation to early life conditions. The rigid attitudes of our ego or little-self make it difficult to connect to the imagination and vitality of the greater self within us. The deeper self is our true center that can be both a place of stillness and refuge or a place of breaking open and breaking through the limitations of the little self. You can hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 700 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

On this excerpt from a Living Myth Premium episode, Michael Meade explores how inside of each of us is a mostly hidden, mostly golden and mostly eternal image and aspect of being similar to the gold that is buried in the Earth. In seeking out this inner gold, we meet egoic resistance and must find ways to break the ego's shell to tap the deeper wisdom within. Along the way, part of what opens this territory is a courageous act of facing death, for a death of the ego is required in order for the deeper self to emerge. You can hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 520 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

On this excerpt from a premium episode, Michael Meade follows a myth from ancient Ireland and weaves together cosmology, psychology and philosophy in order to open the soul's vision and catch the fish of wisdom. Rather than being abstract knowledge, "embodied wisdom" is shown to be both immediate and eternal, both spiritual and soulful. You can hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 480 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.

On this excerpt from a premium episode, Michael Meade talks about key issues that affect transformation in our lives. He considers core complexes in family and culture and wades into the territory of deep emotions. The word complex is trying to point out that when we have a particular kind of interior trouble, the issues are complex. Deep down, we all want to change, he says, and each crisis and obstacle we encounter serves to spark the initiatory transformation our soul longs for. If we change one small thing in our lives, we affect everything and everyone around us. In following our deep calling in life, we naturally encounter struggles. Yet it is these exact struggles that become the turning point for our lives to become bigger, for our wounds to find healing and for our destiny to be revealed. You can hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 445 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.

On this excerpt from a Living Myth Premium episode, Michael Meade considers how when the certainty of the world collapses around us, the danger of cynicism, isolation, and becoming numb inevitably increases. In looking for antidotes to these feelings of overwhelm and separation, he draws on themes and ideas including cosmology, genius and our inner gifts and wounds. If you would like to hear the rest of this episode, and receive additional podcast content, you can become a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 425 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.

On this bonus sharing of the latest premium podcast, Michael Meade begins with a poetic response to the deadening language that at times dominates the discussion about impeaching the President. What begins as a critique of the speech being used to defend the politics of big lies turns into a lament for the loss of language able to carry the truth of the human heart and soul. A procession of poems and commentary ranges from Aime Cesaire seeking "to rediscover the secret of great communications and great combustions" to D.H. Lawrence warning us how big lies and damning mistakes have repeatedly been sanctified in modern times. The surprise of this intricate response to the lack of presence and imagination in political life arrives through the ancient wisdom of Kabir, who reminds us that truth resides in the surprising territory of awakening where the deep self and soul waits to be found again. Thank you for listening to this podcast. You can hear more content like this by joining the growing community of listeners who are members of Living Myth Premium. Become a member with a $10/month subscription and receive 3 bonus episodes each month, the full podcast archives and a 30% discount on all products. Become a member at patreon.com/livingmyth.

This excerpt from the latest premium episode offers samples from the new audio book Awakening the Soul, along with expanded content and spontaneous commentary by Meade. The book sample focuses on the chapter "Inner Eyes of the Soul" which includes a story of an orphan left behind by his tribe, who then unexpectedly has a radical awakening experience that leads to a vision that affects everyone in the tribe. The commentary by the author includes autobiographical material as well as psychological ideas about each person's "orphan self." You can hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Go to www.patreon.com/livingmyth to learn more and subscribe. For $10/month, members of Living Myth Premium receive: * Q&A episodes where Michael Meade answers member questions * Autobiographical and anecdotal stories from Michael * A 30% discount on all products and many events * Archival recordings from live events and dynamic interviews * Access to over 125 Living Myth podcasts Living Myth and Living Myth Premium are products of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a 501©3 organization. Your membership helps grow Living Myth and ensures we are able to continue developing and expanding this creative project. Peace and blessings, Mosaic Staff

We are pleased to announce that Michael Meade's latest book "Awakening the Soul" is now available as an audio book. Here is a sample from this newly released title. The audio book can be purchased as a download or CD at mosaicvoices.org/audio. Members of the Living Myth Premium Podcast can save 30% on this title and all other offerings from Michael Meade and Mosaic. Learn more and become a member of this podcast at patreon.com/livingmyth.

On this excerpt from the latest Living Myth Premium episode, Michael Meade answers questions about the soul posed by listeners. One question is "what is the meaning of the original agreement of the soul?" Another is "why is this first agreement so important that it is indelible in the soul?" Using ancient stories about the origin of the soul, Meade offers a compelling commentary on the soul's way of bridging the two worlds, the eternal and the time bound. Rather than being separated from the divine by an "original sin", old stories depict the separation as an original forgetting of the unique pattern in each soul. The rest of life involves a longing to reconnect to the eternal and live out the soul's first agreement and original intention in life. This excerpt is from the first of a two-part Living Myth Premium podcast series on the two agreements of the soul. Hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Go to www.patreon.com/livingmyth to learn more and subscribe. For $10/month, members of Living Myth Premium receive: Q & A episodes where Michael Meade answers questions from Premium members Autobiographical stories from Michael Archival recordings from live events and dynamic interviews Exclusive offers on products and events Access to the entire collection of Living Myth podcasts Living Myth and Living Myth Premium are products of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a 501©3 organization. Your membership helps grow Living Myth and ensures we are able to continue developing and expanding this creative project. Peace and blessings, Mosaic Staff

On this excerpt from the latest Living Myth Premium episode, Michael Meade reads selected poems from The Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart, the renowned anthology edited along with Robert Bly and James Hillman. The recording includes reflections on the surprising dynamic of creating the anthology along with commentary on the importance of poetic inspiration. This is the first part of a Living Myth Premium podcast series that weaves poetry, spoken word and anecdotal stories about the role of art and creativity and the undying speech of the soul. You can hear the full episode and receive additional podcast content by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Go to www.patreon.com/livingmyth to learn more and subscribe. For $10/month, members of Living Myth Premium receive: Q & A episodes where Michael Meade answers questions from Premium members Autobiographical stories from Michael Archival recordings from live events and dynamic interviews Exclusive offers on products and events Access to the entire collection of Living Myth podcasts Living Myth and Living Myth Premium are products of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a 501©3 organization. Your membership helps grow Living Myth and ensures we are able to continue developing and expanding this creative project. Peace and blessings, Mosaic Staff

Hey Living Myth listeners, thank you for being a part of this podcast. We wanted to let you know about the Living Myth Premium Podcast, a new offering from Mosaic that gives members access to additional content beyond the free weekly edition of the podcast. Go to mosaicvoices.org or livingmyth.org to learn more and become a member. Your membership helps grow Living Myth and ensures we are able to continue developing and expanding this creative project. To give you a flavor of the premium content, we have included an excerpt from the first bonus episode.

Michael Meade introduces the role of myth in making sense of our complex and challenging world and he answers the question "Why Myth, Why Now?".