What is the difference between spiritual guidance and spiritual abuse? Certainly, most of us would deny that when we offer spiritual guidance we might also be spiritually abusing. But it is most important that we understand the distinction if we are to serve others in any spiritual capacity. Typically, we think of abuse only in terms of its physical, emotional or sexual forms. But what is beginning, over time and experience, to be exposed is a kind of abuse of the spirit, that creates a great divide between the soul of a person and his or her identity. This show is going to clearly differentiate spiritual guidance from spiritual abuse. If you are in any kind of spiritual leadership capacity, this show is for you.

We generally belief that “livin’ the good life” means having lots of money to buy all the things that give us pleasure. That’s because we don’t know that pleasure is not the same as joy. We also believe that avoiding difficult (currently called “negative”) emotions is a way to develop a good and happy life. That’s because we do not understand that there’s no such thing as a good or bad emotion—nor do we understand that those emotions that seem the most difficult are frequently the ones that lead us to the capacity for the greatest joy. Coming alive is not a linear upward path to ascendance in which we bliss-out perpetually. Coming alive is the capacity to feel the blood running through your veins, to know the deep crannies and caverns of your existence intimately, so that you begin to sense joy, see joy, breathe joy—by knowing the peace in it ALL. Tune in to learn more about how to come alive.

We are excited that Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD comes this week to tell us about the unveiling of her long awaited audio work and online series called “The Dangerous Old Woman, Myths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype.” World renowned author of “Women Who Run With the Wolves,” which was on the NY Times bestseller list for 145 weeks, she is an internationally acclaimed poet, Diplomat Jungian psychoanalyst, post-trauma specialist, award-winning social activist and writer, as well as a cantadora, (keeper of the old stories in the Latina tradition). Dr. E, as she is affectionately called by her many followers, jokes that there have been a few “sightings” over the years, though she disappeared from public view for three decades to write. This week she comes out into the “clattering world” to talk with us about her work. Come and listen to her unique storytelling ability, soothing voice and deep understanding of the complexities of humanity and grow closer to your own soul.

We are excited that Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD comes this week to tell us about the unveiling of her long awaited audio work and online series called “The Dangerous Old Woman, Myths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype.” World renowned author of “Women Who Run With the Wolves,” which was on the NY Times bestseller list for 145 weeks, she is an internationally acclaimed poet, Diplomat Jungian psychoanalyst, post-trauma specialist, award-winning social activist and writer, as well as a cantadora, (keeper of the old stories in the Latina tradition). Dr. E, as she is affectionately called by her many followers, jokes that there have been a few “sightings” over the years, though she disappeared from public view for three decades to write. This week she comes out into the “clattering world” to talk with us about her work. Come and listen to her unique storytelling ability, soothing voice and deep understanding of the complexities of humanity and grow closer to your own soul.

We welcome Dr. E back again to the Authentic Living show this week for the fourth time, this time to talk about her book, “Untie the Strong Woman.” For many years, Dr. E has been sending a message to the world that the feminine aspect of humanity is powerful, beautiful and essential. The depth of her understanding of the feminine aspect of human (both male and female ) consciousness has facilitated an increased global awareness of the essentiality of the conscious expression of this power. And that is exactly what we’ll be talking about on this show. Author of the bestselling “Women Who Run With the Wolves” Dr. Estés has also conducted online events at Soundstrue.com on specific topics relevant The Dangerous Old Woman, topics on which previous interviews have here on Authentic Living been conducted. This week we are going to learn how to untie the feminine. Don’t miss it.

We are so happy to have Dr. E back again to the Authentic Living show to talk to us about The Joyous Body. We do tend to either focus wholly on the body as image, or leave it out entirely from our conscious experience until it acts up. And we rarely if ever think of the body as a repository of joy. It’s a work horse to be whipped into shape, or it’s just a ball and chain we carry around that sometimes gets us into trouble. But what if the body were incrementally tied into the soul? If that were true, wouldn’t we want to do more with it than just keep it enslaved to the ego? If you don’t quite know what to do with this material essence of who you are, this show is for you. Or, if you struggle with body issues of any kind—this show is for you too. Come learn from one of the world’s most profound keepers of wisdom what gifts your body has to give to you.

In this day in which we are being taught to build self-confidence without even making reference to an authentic Self, we think that vulnerabilities make us weak. But actually, just the reverse is true. For, how might one come to know one’s self completely without getting intimate with one’s own vulnerabilities? How will we know our deepest needs, and most authentic desires, without coming to know our vulnerabilities? And isn’t it our vulnerabilities that allow us to take loving care of ourselves? There are many more things that our vulnerabilities do for us. And we are going to talk about them all this week. Don’t miss it.

We are often taught to build self-confidence without even making reference to an authentic Self, we think that vulnerabilities make us weak. But actually, just the reverse is true. For, how might one come to know one’s self completely without getting intimate with one’s own vulnerabilities? How will we know our deepest needs, and most authentic desires, without coming to know our vulnerabilities? And isn’t it our vulnerabilities that allow us to take loving care of ourselves? There are many more things that our vulnerabilities do for us. And we are going to talk about them all this week. Don’t miss it.

Most of us have been taught that guilt is a good thing. A guilty conscience keeps us in line—according to that teaching. Guilt drives us to “do the right thing,” or so we’ve been taught. But what if the human heart has enough passion and compassion to motivate correct action without the use of guilt? What if guilt has been put in place because we don’t trust the authentic Self to direct us? What if guilt is the lie, and the heart of the authentic Self is the truth? What if we’ve been so busy being “good” that we haven’t put any energy into being real? If those things were true, wouldn’t we need to rethink our responses to guilt? For too many guilt the primary decision maker, so that it ultimately runs their lives. If you are one of those, or if guilt has a strong hold on you—this show is for you. Don’t miss it.

What we have heard and we’ve read in the Bible, well it ain’t necessarily so. So goes the old Porgy and Bess song. Perhaps they did not read Thomas Moore’s version, Gospel The Book of John, in which regardless of religion or atheism one discovers a deeper more meaningful spirituality hidden in the root meanings of the words used. Unfortunately, much of the work of John and others has been turned into moralistic dogma. But what we find in the root language is a more celebrative, deeply mystical and loving message. In Moore’s book we discover a different Jesus than the one described for us by earlier translations. This new rendition of Jesus is Dionysian in his urging us toward a full and meaningful celebration of living. He tells us that we are to remember who we are, and he guides us to that knowledge with his actions and words. Come learn of this new Jesus. See if you like him now.