podcast Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Sky Bridge (to our ancestors?) – Photo: L. Weikel

The Emerald

It’s been almost exactly two months since I discovered a podcast that I’m excited to share with you. It’s a wonderful respite from my usual fare, which runs the gamut of legal analysis of current affairs and politics to astrology. Instead of any of those topics, The Emerald covers subjects that make me smile and nod, and occasionally gasp at the resonance with what I know in my heart to be true.

I took a podcasting course two years ago, and then re-took it again this past fall. No, I haven’t been holding out on you. The idea remains, but finding the internal bandwidth to create it on a consistent basis eludes me. For now, anyway.

But the course itself was wonderful, both technically and in the fact that it introduced me to a cadre of people I never would’ve met had we not shared the aspiration to give literal voice to our passions. I hung out in a couple of groups self-selected for our shared interests, and it was in one of those that I received a recommendation to check out The Emerald Podcast.

An Irony

In spite of the fact that I took a podcasting course – twice, no less –I actually listened to very, very few, especially at the time. I don’t want to spend my time in nature with AirPods in my ears. I still resist shutting out the voices of the wind and birds, the stomping of deer hooves and accompanying snorts, the songs of the peepers, tree frogs, crickets and locusts. (Yes, I was surprised the other day to hear locusts so early in the summer.)

I listen to more podcasts now, though I still find myself only listening part-way to a lot of them. The Emerald, though, is different. The creator, Joshua Michael Schrei, has both a delivery and depth of knowledge that I respect, enjoy, and am inspired by.

Yearning to Share

A real plus for me has been the fact that I discovered The Emerald only recently – but it began back in 2019. So I have four years’ worth of episodes I’ve been slowly working my way through, savoring them bit by bit.

But the episode that captured my attention and engendered my devotion was this one: Animism is Normative Consciousness. It’s a rebroadcast (May 9, 2023) of one of his earlier episodes. I’m not entirely sure what possessed him to go back and add to it, apparently tweaking it from its original broadcast (which I believe I’m only an episode or two away from reaching). But as it happens, the remastered episode landed in my email inbox on May 9th of this year and its title kept nagging at me until I surrendered. All I can say is that, when I finally listened, it made my heart beat a little faster and all my cells sing, “Yes!”

So, my friends. I want the opportunity to make your hearts sing in exclamation, too. Give this a try. You’ll catch your breath and know the truth of what you’re hearing. And hopefully, you’ll understand why I’ve been yearning to share this with you.

ND #143

A Wonderful Book

A while ago – oh wow, I just realized it’s been two years! – I read a wonderful book called The Overstory*, a novel by Richard Powers. Reading that story was a gift on many levels. I permitted myself to step back from the responsibilities of the outside world and just read for hours on end. The tale not only opened my eyes to the plight of the American Chestnut (as well as other species of trees) – but also gave me perspective on current attempts to bring that tree back in a more resilient form.

I’m currently reading Finding the Mother Tree – Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest* by Suzanne Simard. This book is not a novel. Rather, it’s the autobiography/memoir of a forestry research scientist whose work was the basis of a good chunk of The Overstory.

I happen to love reading memoirs, probably because I am fascinated by how people become who they are. The tales of our becoming are sacred.

Finding the Mother Tree

A funny thing about this particular book, though. I’ve been holding it by my side of the bed for six months. But I was compelled to read a couple other books first. Finally, though, about a month ago I finally found Finding the Mother Tree to be next in line. I’ve been savoring it ever since.

As is my habit, thought, I’ve only been allowing myself to read it after I go to bed, so I’m still only about halfway through. What’s especially cool is that my sister-in-law, Francine, sent me a text last week recommending this podcast. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was an interview with Suzanne Simard, the author of this book.

I love that this is a story about how our forests and trees are related to each other in ways no White people ever believed they could be (but, I hasten to add, indigenous people have always known they are). I’m also enjoying this book because I’m the same age as the author. I remember the attitudes she describes facing in her profession – they sound sadly familiar.

Collaboration

Ultimately, the author ends up discovering that forests thrive as a result of collaboration between species – not competition. Extrapolating her discoveries to more and more aspects of our world, especially those in which humans are interfering (or just being themselves) could change everything profoundly.

I heartily recommend both the On Being podcas interviewt and the book. Allow yourself to be inspired.

*affiliate link

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