#64 | Michael Meade | Gifted & Aimed

Two fish connected by an umbilical cord, swimming in opposite directions, deep in the seas of the collective unconscious. This is where we meet the 12th and final sign of the Zodiac: Pisces. Mythically those fish are Aphrodite (Venus) and Eros (Cupid/Amore) escaping the terrifying Typhon: mother of all monsters.

Faye Northgrave joins me for this sea journey. On the way we will explore Neptune/Poseidon, the god of the ocean, and his penchant for punishing hubris with lostness, confusion and shame. As well as Jupiter/Zeus who connects us to the inspirational waters of shared archetypal vision.

It's a fitting conclusion to the series on the mythic roots of the zodiac. I want to take this moment to thank all those who have come with us through all 12 signs.

Podcast Art: Galleria di luca giordano, 1682-85, nettuno e anfitrite

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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This episode I’m joined by Safron Rossi.

From her Bio:

Safron has spent her life steeped in literature, religion and mythology, fields in which she holds her degrees. Her writing and scholarly studies focus on archetypal psychology, astrology, alchemy, goddess traditions, and Greek myth. She is a member of the core faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute, teaching mainly in the Jungian and Archetypal Studies program. She is author of The Kore Goddess: A Mythology & Psychology (2021), editor of Joseph Campbell's Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine (2013), and co-editor of Jung on Astrology (2017). She has published articles in Jungian, archetypal, and astrological journals, and lectures across the US and internationally in Europe, South America and Australia.

Today we talk about the path that led her to Pacifica and how myth, archetypal psychology and astrology weave their way through her lived experience.

To find out more about Safron’s go to thearcheypaleye.com

Artwork: The Prague Astronomical Clock in Old Town

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Aquarius is a notoriously difficult to pin down archetypal structure. On this episode, Faye Northgrave re-joins the show to shed some light on this sign of the Heavens Above.

When doing this write up I generally ignore the AI suggestion that comes with it. My Podcast Distributor listens to the podcast and then writes up a summary. In the spirit of the forming Aquarian Age I thought this time, to stay in theme, I would leave it in... After all, it is quite impressive:

Embark on a journey through the stars with us, as I, Chris Skidmore, along with my esteemed guest Faye Northgrave, unravel the enigmatic persona of Aquarius. Our latest podcast episode is not your run-of-the-mill astrological forecast; it's an odyssey that bridges the celestial dichotomy of Saturn and Uranus, conformity and rebellion, in a sign known for its humanitarian spirit and progressive vision. Expect to emerge with a newfound perspective as we traverse the labyrinth of mythology, revealing how the trials of Sisyphus and the ingenuity of Prometheus echo the triumphs and tribulations of the Water Bearer.

As we cast our gaze upon the collective consciousness, Faye and I dissect the societal structures Aquarius longs to improve, against the backdrop of the Internet’s rise as a digital agora for knowledge exchange. Here, we ponder the ethical quandaries of our tech-driven age, where AI reshapes our sense of community and individuality. Like the myth of Ganymede, we balance the cup of knowledge, weighing the collective nectar against the potent brew of personal identity, and how Aquarius serves as the zodiac's paradoxical alchemist.

Our celestial journey doesn’t end there. The myth of Gaia and Uranus becomes a metaphor for the intricate dance between the material and the ethereal, while the arrival of Pluto in Aquarius prompts us to confront the profound implications of power, technology, and the human condition. From the mythic to the mundane, join us as we peel back the layers of the Aquarian ideal, asking not only what it means to be part of a collective, but how we can navigate the future's digital landscape with our humanity intact.

Not bad! I promise when we come back with Pisces the write up will go back to a human flow. 

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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When mythologist Michael Meade received a mythology book on his 13th birthday, little did he know it would ignite a lifelong passion for storytelling and transformation. On our latest podcast episode, we're honoured to have Michael share his journey, from an unexpected act of storytelling that saved him from a gang, to his dedication to at-risk youth, and his personal defiance that led to profound revelations within a military prison. His perspective on personal transformation, the awakening of our inner 'genius', and the visceral power of myth in our lives is nothing short of spellbinding.

Our heartfelt conversation with Michael delves into his collaborations with cultural figures like Malidoma Some and the imperative of healing through community. We trace his path from solitary confinement to organising healing conferences for war veterans, highlighting how shared rituals and storytelling foster connection and recovery. Michael offers insights into the concept of 'sudden community'—a powerful bond forged in the crucible of shared trauma—and how individual purpose might be the key to resolving our greatest cultural and environmental challenges.

Then we turn to how Michael met Robert Bly and James Hillman and how their paths got intertwined in the mythopoetics of the 90s. It's an in depth look at their work with the wounded masculine of the collective psyche and how difficult it was to contain once it garnered the glare of media attention.

The theme of wounds takes us into the image of Chiron and his role as the wounded healer; and how perhaps that was the image that was with them throughout that time. This leads us to a mythic moment when Chiron meets Prometheus and offers to take his place trapped in the rocks. And how this exchange might just be occurring to us today in many obvious and subtle ways.

Podcast Artwork: L'Education d'Achille (The Education of Achilles) Black & White Etching | c.Early 19th Century | Ramboz (engraver) | Bervic Galerie du Museum, No. 12, Paris

Find out more about Michael's work here.

Edith Hamilton: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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This episode is a deep dive into the mountain goat of Capricorn; Looking up and ahead, mapping and planning, and strategically making our way to the new peaks of personal and cultural growth and maturity..

Saturn/Cronus rules this sign and we will take another look at his mythology as he overthrows his father and then eats his own children. Astrologically the planet represents the painful process of life’s great challenges but how they are ultimately in our path not just to antagonize us, but to make us flourish into who we are meant to be.

The Great God Pan and his sister Amalthea, Zeus’ nanny goat, are also explored. Pan as the rustic, wild, musical and wise half-goat God. And Amalthea as the nurturing caregiving energy. Both of these elements help us to expand our view of Capricorn beyond that of the serious, disciplined and controlling one..

We also take a look back to ancient calendars and the importance of the festival of Saturnalia that would occur around this time of year. As well as a glimpse into the figures of Jesus and Dionysus and their shared birthday of December 25th, making them both Capricorn Suns..

The image for the cover is taken from here. It’s a combination of artwork from William-Adolphe Bourguereau, 1873 and Thomas Cole, c.1834.

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Elsa Henderson moves between the roles of facilitator, coach and educator. Her background is in Process Oriented Psychology and Anthropology and is currently pursuing her doctorate in organisational studies, exploring how we make sense of things when things don't make sense.

She is one of the key teachers at MetaVision Institute and someone I learned a lot from in my studies of Processwork. She also has her sun, moon and a few other planets in Sagittarius.

Elsa joins me today to talk about the fascinating world of process work, not just as a therapeutic tool, but as a way to interact with reality in deeper and more substantial ways than those we are generally exposed to.

It's a fascinating and wide ranging discussion, as one would expect from the arrow of the archer.

Elsa's Website
Bill Say's book on Life Myth that Elsa mentions at the end of the show. 

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
Please consider becoming a Patron to support the show!
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Sagittarius is the sign that follows Scorpio in the story of the Zodiac. It represents what happens once we've returned from the dark night of the soul. Through Sagittarius we find meaning, purpose and grander visions. 

Faye Northgrave joins me today to explore this most fiery and visionary of signs. With the help of the myths of Zeus/Jupiter, Apollo & Artemis, The race of Centaurs including the kindly Chiron and more we delve deeper into the mythic themes of mutable fire. 

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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You may have heard of the '13th sign' of the Zodiac known as Ophiuchus. It entered the Astrological picture with controversy and ultimately by mistake. That mistake being the confusion between 'constellations' and 'signs'.

Nevertheless, Ophiuchus, or Asclepius, has an intriguing position amongst the stars, situated as it is on the cusp of Scorpio (the death realm) and Sagittarius (new life). His myth represents this perfectly as he is born from a dying mother and is forever positioned on the edge of life and death.

This bonus episode explores the mythology underlying Ophiuchus and how, although it'll never be an actual sign of the Zodiac, his mythology can deeply inform those moments in life where we, ourselves, can find ourselves explore that edge.

Asclepius is also explored in Episode 22 and Episode 4 of the show.

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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In this episode, Astrologer Jason Holley and I explore the love story of Artemis and Orion. This story is etched into our stars through the two oppositional constellations of Scorpio and Orion. The Greeks saw this as a Scorpion, summoned by Artemis, chasing down Orion for all eternity. 

It was punishment for Orion’s depletion of nature through an insatiable desire to hunt until all wildness was gone; Something that violated Artemis’ code as a Huntress who, though herself a killer, is dedicated to protecting and perpetuating the species that she hunts. 

If Orion’s behavior was to continue it would have led to a mass extinction on the planet, something that Artemis is unwilling to accept. And so the necessary poison of the Scorpion is unleashed to correct the imbalance. 

The story is of course complicated, however, by the fact that Orion is the first and only man that Artemis feels an attraction and affinity for. And as such the first time she drops her vow of chastity and virginity and joins the human to human world of love.

This betrayal leads to the tragic story of Acteon who has the misfortune of stumbling into a grove where Artemis is bathing naked, years after the event. Stay tuned to hear of his fate and what it all means for us modern humans and our ways of being in the natural world today.

Jason and I also explore the tension point between Aphrodite, personifying love and connection, and Artemis’ rejection of such things through chastity.

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Today I’m honored to be joined again by the Astrologer Jason Holley. As you’re about to hear, Jason’s work is dedicated to re-invigorating a relationship with the animate world through participation with the Zodiac as a circle of creatures; creatures that are alive inside of ourselves, in our relationships, and wandering through our world. 

In this first part of two episodes we discuss Jason’s worldview and his evolving work, and how astrology can help to give us a full felt sense experience of being embedded in the natural world. 

We talk about Jason's childhood growing up with five generations of Matriarch. Everyone in the family was conversant in Astrology and as such he was already embedded in the language from an early age. His Great Grandmother would read tea leaves to the point where those in the village would come to seek her guidance as the town Oracle.  As such, the world as animate and pregnant with information for those who know how to attune to it is something in the very fabric of Jason's DNA. 

Jason and I ended up talking for well over 2.5 hours. In Part Two of our conversation we turn to the Myths to help us better understand Scorpio dynamics. Jason's Moon and Venus in Scorpio lead the way in this one as we follow the ancient tragic love story between Artemis and Orion. 

Part Two will be released into the Scorpio Moon in just a few days. Stay tuned for that. 

Episode Artwork: Karl Friedrich Schinkel - Stage set for Mozart's Magic Flute 

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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