A Millennial's Guide to Saving the World

Back by popular demand, everyone's favorite gay dad returns to the podcast. We picked up right where we left off - diving deeper into the topic of identity. We discuss my Dad's childhood, how being raised by psychotherapists/sex therapists lead to overstimulation and anxiety, but also emotional fluency. We talk about identity as a construct and how my dad navigated his identity throughout the 70s, 80s & beyond, and we discuss my Dad's lifelong passion for theatre & how reacquainting ourselves with the importance of stories might lead us to embody ourselves and our identity more fully.

Saucy Rod's book recommendations: The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter, Scandinavian Design by Charlotte and Peter Fiell and The Trouble with Normal by Michael Warner

Songs featured: "When You Come Back Down" by Nickel Creek & "Star People" by George Michael

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat, patron-led workshops, community contact list & a book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Maren is a writer, podcaster & curious free-thinker, currently working with her partner Jake on a multimedia project called Death in the Garden, which explores the complex intersection of the cycle of life and death, holism, climate change, civilization, ecology, and psychology from the perspective of two millennials on a journey to make sense of our very nuanced world. I invited Maren on the podcast to speak about our society's proclivity to seek out easy solutions to complex problems, how our focus on symptoms rather than systems prevents meaningful change and how embracing responsibility and rejecting blame in our personal lives is the only way to think critically, be honest with ourselves and work to construct meaningful community, empowered activism & a rejection of the status quo.

Find Maren on Instagram @onyxmoonlight & @deathinthegarden, at DeathInTheGarden.org & on Medium

Maren's Book Recommendation: Belonging by Toko-pa Turner, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Songs featured: "Dying to Live" by Jonny Lang & "Home" by Caribou

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat, patron-led workshops, community contact list & a book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Lina Dune (@askasub) is a bisexual submissive in a 24/7 Dom/Sub relationship. She is a writer, a millennial and a proponent of sane and healing BDSM. She is also a masterful creatress of kink-centered memes. Lina and I discuss BDSM as a tool for addressing and healing trauma, specifically from the submissive perspective. We speak about the transition from "bad girl" to "good girl", how equality can co-exist alongside power dynamics in a relationship and the nuanced experience of "pain". We also discuss the complexities of female friendships and of navigating various personas and identities, on and offline.

Find Lina on Instagram, Twitter & Patreon

Lina's Book Recommendation: Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

Songs featured: "Frequency" by Sylvan Esso & "The Animal I Am" by Carsie Blanton

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

It's been a while since I've done a solo episode, but I had an epiphany I felt called to share. In this episode I speak about my evolving relationship to four classic millennial stereotypes - that we're triggered, sensitive, lazy and entitled, and examine them through the lens of multivalence, nuanced thinking and Alice Miller's "Drama of the Gifted Child". While at first I rejected these stereotypes, I have since evolved my relationship to them. I question whether it's not better to embrace and redefine characteristics, rather than reject them outright and why embracing the multiplicitous expression of an archetype can lead to a more honest and comprehensive understanding of ourselves and others.

Song featured: "The Old Story" by Trevor Hall

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Jasmine and Andre are both mixed-race. Andre is a recording artist and DJ known as DJ Sun. He was born in the Netherlands with Caribbean roots. Jasmine, an astrologer, grew up in Texas. She is raising the daughter of her brother, who is currently incarcerated. They both own a bar in Houston called The Flat. These two genuine, kind souls came on the show to discuss their nuanced perspectives and experiences around race, BLM and identity politics. From anger, to victimhood, to alienation and vulnerability, we discuss the many facets of social justice movements, & the importance of holding each other accountable + searching for authentic belonging within ourselves and the collective.

Find DJ Sun at DJSunMusic.com & Jasmine at kosmictonic.com

Andre's Book Recommendation: The Anatomy of Love by Helen Fisher
Jasmine's Book Recommendation: Goddesses in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolene and Gods in Everyman by Jean Shinoda Bolene

Songs featured: "Let Go" by East Forest, "Tomorrow" by DJ Sun and "Black Man" by Stevie Wonder

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Kimberly (known online as "MagaMama") combines her skills as a yoga teacher, sexological bodyworker, Rolfer and somatic experiencing trauma resolution practitioner, helping people heal from birth trauma and sexual trauma so that they can live more authentically in their bodies. She is also a writer and a mother. Our conversation dives deep into the nervous system and Polyvagal theory; We discuss “fitting in” as a nervous system response, how c-sections affect both mothers and children, and how equality for the sexes should not be misunderstood as "sameness". We also talk about birth control and delve into some unconventional ideas around when and how women should be having children.

Find Kimberly at magamama.com and on Instagram @magamamas

Kimberly's Book Recommendations: Women’s Anatomy of Arousal by Sheri Winston and The Fourth Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson 

Songs featured: "Nectar Drop" by DJ Drez and "In the Blood" by John Mayer

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Fionnula is wise beyond her 16 years. Officially the youngest person to be on MGSW, I was eager to get Fionnula's perspective on just about everything. We discuss what it's been like to be a high school student during Covid and how she and her friends are feeling about the election and climate change, without being able to vote. Fionnula also shares her thoughts on what Gen Z thinks of millennials and what her opinions are about college, mental health and communal living.

Fionnula's Book Recommendations: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Songs featured: "Making Do" by Lake Street Drive and "Ooh La La" by Faces

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Jasmine, Eliza and Kestrel are certified astrologers and the hosts of Kosmic Tonic, a podcast about astrology, mythology, archetypal psychology, magic and so much more. The four of us talk about each of our journeys in learning astrology, meeting each other, and how we integrate astrology into our lives. We discuss planetary cycles, explain some of prominent archetypal energies of the current moment (namely those of Pluto, Saturn and Mars) and how they're related to the pandemic, raging wildfires, the upcoming US election, our inclination to return to the land, and the multiple cycles of destruction and rebirth that we currently find ourselves in.

Find Jasmine, Eliza and Kestrel at KosmicTonic.com and on Twitter and Instagram, plus check out their podcast "Kosmic Tonic" wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jasmine's Book Recommendation: Astrology for the Soul by Jan Spiller

Eliza's Book Recommendation: Cosmos & Psyche by Richard Tarnas

Kestrel's Book Recommendation: Gods of Change by Howard Sasportas

Songs featured: "A Trick of the Light" by Villagers and "San Luis" by Gregory Alan Isakov

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Kevin returns to the show and we pick up right where we left off. From parents to romantic relationships to bosses to astrologers to politicians to Joseph Smith, Kevin and I have been influenced by quite a number of narcissists. We break down and define what narcissism is, unpack dark triad personalities, discuss how Western culture hijacks our desire to live and think communally, why we are so attracted to gurus and those with god complexes (+ why it's so hard to get away from them), and how we can develop the self-trust and critical discernment necessary to avoid being manipulated by those who don't have our best interests at heart.

Find Kevin on Medium and on Twitter @TechnoOptimist

Kevin's Book Recommendations: Hate Inc. by Matt Taibbi and Antisocial by Andrew Marantz

Songs featured: "Under Your Thumb" by Natty Reeves and "Motion Sickness" by Phoebe Bridgers

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram

Clementine Morrigan is the author of several books and zines, and the creator and facilitator of the popular workshop Trauma Informed Polyamory. Clementine and I discuss many of my favorite topics including non-monogamy, abolitionism, shame, how we often miscategorize shitty relationships as abusive relationships, the complex physical & emotional discernment needed to assess true safety and security, how fawn dynamics can intersect with BDSM & sexual submissiveness and our culture's oversimplified understanding of consent. 

Find Clementine at clementinemorrigan.com, on Instagram @clementinemorrigan and on Patreon.

Clementine's Book Recommendations: I Hope We Choose Love by Kai Cheng Thom and Various Sci-Fi books by Ursula La Guin

Songs featured: "Sex-o-Matic Venus Freak" by Macy Gray and "Never Enough" by Eminem, 50 Cent & Nate Dogg

How to support the show:

Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Support my work on Patreon and get access to perks like an exclusive WhatsApp group chat & book club just for patrons!

Visit my website - AnyaKaats.com & Find me on Instagram