On the 7th episode of Mycelial, we speak with Chels Hood Withey.

Chels Hood Withey is a passionate Community Organiser, Advocate and Creative Problem-Solver dedicated to equity, justice, and systemic change. As the founder of House You, a Housing-First Campaign, Lead Organiser in the Community Disaster Action Group and Northern Rivers Organiser of 350 Australia, Chels brings a unique perspective to the intersection of housing justice, climate resilience, and community empowerment.

In this episode we talk about the fact that access to a safe home for yourself and your family is a most basic human right and the moral deficit of the commodification of human rights under capitalism and colonialism.

We also talk about the actual numbers, stats and facts around the housing crisis that we face in Australia today and the tax cuts, negative gearing and institutional inertia that perpetuates it. A system that solely benefits wealthy individuals, making it easy to accrue and hoard more homes, driving up property prices and living costs effectively making it harder and harder for lower income households to be able to enter the buying market for a family home. 

We discuss also the explosion of short stay websites like Airbnb and how it renders good housing stock off limits, affecting supply and sky rocketing rental prices. And the many embarrassingly simple solutions that the govt could implement tomorrow to start fixing the housing crisis and its effect on the widening wealth gap.

Chels also shares wins that they have succeeded in like the community-led initiative that they spearheaded to get a Dignity Village built to house people in need in the local area. Local council has approved it and it is slated to be implemented this term of Government proving that people-powered projects can work. 

Chels finishes with a squatters handbook for my anarchists out there and ways you can be a part of the housing first legion transforming our society into one that prioritises people and planet over profit and privilege // and much more

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Massive Gratitude and Respect to Chels for their time, action and wisdom.

You can learn more and get in contact with them through their instagrams @chelshoodwithey or @house_you__ or you can find Chels or House You on Facebook.

You can also learn more about House You at their website houseyou.org or email on [email protected]

If you feel you are receiving something from the podcast, a way you can give back is to follow and give us a 5 star rating or review on podcast platforms. Also, following on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelialpodcast and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mycelialpodcast helps its growth and message. If you feel others could receive something from it too, please share an episode with a friend or on social media.

At this point, this project is 100% self funded by me and my recycled clothing business NIRANIA so you can also support my business on instagram https://www.instagram.com/nirania_collective

Also big thanks to Juman for the music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/77pkM8fFPgStKyD3G2Qr4B

This podcast is broadcast from the First Nation ancestral sacred lands of Bundjalung in so called Australia. I would like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and any indigenous Elders listening in. I’d also like to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded in this country. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

On the 6th episode of Mycelial, we speak with Omora Sonqo and Sophie Samrow.

Omora is a revered indigenous Medicine Man, musician, and healer from the Maputche nation of Chile. He embodies a profound connection to a lineage of healers that spans generations within his family. Sophie is the founder of Conscious Flow Breathwork and a passionate Holistic Health Coach amongst many other things.

Together they run Munay Temple in Bundjalung northern NSW. Munay Temple offers transformative spiritual retreats with indigenous communities around the world, holistic wellness, and healing ceremonies such as the Temazcal sweat lodge and Vision Quest to give some examples. Omora and Sophie are also newly married.

In this episode we talk about what indigenous rituals like the Temazcal and Vision Quest are and why they are beneficial to the whole being. We also do a deep dive into one of the many transformational retreats Munay Temple hosts around the world, with the Yawanawa tribe of the Brazilian Amazon as an example. In these retreats, western participants are taken to stay with, learn from and partake in traditional ceremony and ritual leading to a profound cultural exchange and deep healing. 

We also talk about why its important that people from the west can be with, listen and learn from indigenous cultures in this way; the Yawanawa’s strong ties with plant medicines like Ayahuasca, and why and how journeying with plant medicines like Grandma can change ones life and the greater collective in deeply profound ways.

Lastly, we talk about the crossover and overlap of teachings and wisdom across all the indigenous tribes Omora and Sophie work with and follow on from our last episode, uncovering more about the Kiva multicultural gathering happening in the Northern Rivers of NSW March 2nd to 5th which is being hosted by Omora and Sophie and their Roots of the Earth family // and much more

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Massive Gratitude and Respect to Omora and Sophie for their time and wisdom. You can learn more and get in contact with them through their instagrams @omorasonqo or @consciousflowbreathwork and @munaytemple or at their websites www.munaytemple.org or www.consciousflow.com.au .

You can also learn more about the upcoming Kiva international elder gathering through the website www.kivafamily.au or instagram @kiva.gathering.australia

If you feel you are receiving something from the podcast, a way you can give back is to follow and give us a 5 star rating or review on podcast platforms. Also, following on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelialpodcast and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mycelialpodcast helps its growth and message. If you feel others could receive something from it too, please share an episode with a friend or on social media.

At this point, this project is 100% self funded by me and my recycled clothing business NIRANIA so you can also support my business on instagram https://www.instagram.com/nirania_collective

Also big thanks to Juman for the music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/77pkM8fFPgStKyD3G2Qr4B

This podcast is broadcast from the First Nation ancestral sacred lands of Bundjalung in so called Australia. I would like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and any indigenous Elders listening in. I’d also like to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded in this country. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

On the 5th episode of Mycelial, we speak with Wiruungga Dunggiirr which in language means ‘Leader of Koalas’.

Uncle Wiruungga is an active First Nations Elder and wisdom keeper from the Ngambaa clan of the Gumbaynggirr people of Nambucca heads. He is an artist, wisdom teacher, storyteller, bush medicine and bush tucker educator. Wiruungga is also an Indigenous Australian Ambassador and has been invited all over the world to numerous international summits to represent the original people of this continent. COP28 United Nations and Kiva gatherings of multicultural elders are just a few on this list.

In Wiruungga’s words his passion lies in building bridges amongst all races on the planet and ancestors beyond. He is the founder of ‘The Bridge’ which is an initiative bringing non indigenous to remote indigenous communities to support them with clothing, supplies and permaculture set ups and tools. Along the way non indigenous volunteers get taught culture in various ways creating a type of cross cultural symbiosis.

In this episode we embark on a non-linear yarn through stories of his childhood growing up on a mission and learning the dreaming and culture from his grandmother and extended family who he calls the ‘the best of the best’ of wisdom teachers. He shares the difference between old dreaming and new dreaming and tools to connect us with it and nature in general. He also tells us how and why protocol is important to follow in this.

Finally Wiruungga gives us an insightful indigenous perspective on his vision of veering away from the laws of other countries and reinstating natural law back to this land. 

He also explains what we can expect from the upcoming Kiva International Elder forum in Byron Bay in March which is the first time Australia has held this precious gathering of ancestral preservation // and much more

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Massive Gratitude and Respect to Uncle Wiruungga for his time and wisdom.

You can learn more and get in contact with Wiruungga through his instagram @wiruungga_dunggiirr. Or you can email him at [email protected] if you are interested in supporting or volunteering for the Bridge expeditions to remote indigenous communities.

You can also learn more about the upcoming Kiva international elder gathering in Byron through the website www.kivafamily.au or instagram @kiva.gathering.australia

If you feel you are receiving something from the podcast, a way you can give back is to follow and give us a 5 star rating or review on podcast platforms. Also, following on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelialpodcast and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mycelialpodcast helps its growth and message. If you feel others could receive something from it too, please share an episode with a friend or on social media.

At this point, this project is 100% self funded by me and my recycled clothing business NIRANIA so you can also support my business on instagram https://www.instagram.com/nirania_collective

Also big thanks to Juman for the music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/77pkM8fFPgStKyD3G2Qr4B

This podcast is broadcast from the First Nation ancestral sacred lands of Bundjalung in so called Australia. I would like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and any indigenous Elders listening in. I’d also like to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded in this country. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

On the fourth episode of Mycelial we speak to an old friend, Aaron Mears.

Aaron is a Permaculture and Regenerative agriculture teacher, consultant and founder of Lulus Perch permaculture farm. He runs permaculture courses and workshops from his farm, local community gardens and other places.

Using biomimicry, Aaron has followed mother natures fingerprint to grow food all over the world from the Jordanian desert to the Peruvian Andes to the Amazon and now on the Sunshine Coast Gubbi Gubbi sacred lands of QLD with his beautiful family where in his words ‘reignites and reconnects individuals and communities with mother nature for abundance for all.’

In this episode we talk about patterns in nature and how they are the language in which the universe speaks to us, that nature is a 2 billion year old research project that we can mimic to help us solve human problems, The difference between dirt and soil; and the mineral content and bio available nutrients of an organic vegetable grown on a permaculture farm vs one grown in commercial agriculture, which aaron calls nothing but ‘crunchy water’.

We also go into the fact that permaculture isn’t just about building a garden, it is a holistic design system that can help build anything in a more ethical and principled based way. Say - a relationship, a project, or even a new societal system and much more.

To close this intro, Id like to issue a trigger warning as we speak suicide and mental health themes that may be distressing to some. If you are having problems with your mental health please reach out to a close friend or family member or a mental health line like Beyond Blue.

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Massive gratitude and respect to brother Aaron for his time and wisdom.

You can learn more and get in contact with Aaron through his instagram @lulus.perch.permaculture, at his website www.lulusperch.squarespace.com or watch his comedic gardening videos on youtube at Lulus Perch where you can view his whole journey through the greening the desert site to how he came to design his farm and much more.

If you feel you are receiving something from the podcast, a way you can give back is to follow and give us a 5 star rating or review on podcast platforms. Also, following on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelialpodcast and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mycelialpodcast helps its growth and message. If you feel others could receive something from it too, please share an episode with a friend or on social media.

At this point, this project is 100% self funded by me and my recycled clothing business NIRANIA so you can also support my business on instagram https://www.instagram.com/nirania_collective

Also big thanks to Juman for the music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/77pkM8fFPgStKyD3G2Qr4B

This podcast is broadcast from the First Nation ancestral sacred lands of Bundjalung in so called Australia. I would like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and any indigenous Elders listening in. I’d also like to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded in this country. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

On the third episode of Mycelial, we speak with Subhi Awad who is a Palestinian refugee, human rights activist and head organiser at Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine.

In this episode we speak about the tragedy that is the acute ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people and International Law and why it must be protected at all costs. We also debunk some propaganda myths of the Settler-colonial project: Zionism and unpack nuances surrounding armed resistance throughout space and time.

Subhi says ‘'The root cause of violence is settler-colonial supremacy and oppression. Once we give all people equal human rights, we will have peace’'.

We also talk about the Free Palestine movement which is the largest sustained global protest movement that the world has ever seen, our power in western privilege to affect change for the whole world and the new initiative by Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine called 'We Vote for Palestine' that informs Australian voters where their local, state and federal MPs stand on matters around Palestine, putting the power back in the hands of the Australian people to either reward or punish those in government depending on their stance. Also, helping to get MPs into power that would affect Palestine through the sanctioning of Israeli state and more.

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Massive thanks and respect to brother and friend Subhi Awad for his time and wisdom.

You can learn more and get in contact with Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine on their facebook page or on instagram or tiktok @northernrivers4palestine . 

You can also learn more about where your local, state and federal mps stand on Palestine and how your vote can help at https://wevoteforpalestine.net/

If you feel you are receiving something from the podcast, a way you can give back is to follow and give us a 5 star rating or review on podcast platforms. Also, following on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelialpodcast and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mycelialpodcast helps its growth and message. If you feel others could receive something from it too, please share an episode with a friend or on social media.

At this point, this project is 100% self funded by me and my recycled clothing business NIRANIA so you can also support my business on instagram https://www.instagram.com/nirania_collective

Also big thanks to Juman for the music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/77pkM8fFPgStKyD3G2Qr4B

This podcast is broadcast from the First Nation ancestral sacred lands of Bundjalung in so called Australia. I would like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and any indigenous Elders listening in. I’d also like to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded in this country. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

On the second episode of Mycelial we speak with Imuna Flo who is a free-birthing mother, performance artist, activist, & sovereign birth advocate. She is a descendent of the Anangu people of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara language groups of the Central Desert. Always in service to Elders, children and country, she lives with her multi-generational, blended family on Widgabal-Wiyabal land of the Bundjalung Nation.

In Imuna’s words ‘decolonisation starts with birth’ and her work revolves around supporting the birth continuum back to sovereign ways. Both in the individual and the collective.

In this episode we speak about the importance of sovereign birth on mothers’ terms and its role in limiting trauma cycles for the next generations. Also the inverse, how trauma can perpetuate soul loss that can lead to the continuation of colonisation in this generation and next.

Imuna offers some words of wisdom on how to connect to our ancestors in helping for ease of birth and cleaning past ancestral birth trauma. Also, on the role of community in the birth continuum and beyond.

She says ‘We are the land walking around in flesh and in the same way mother nature is embodied in all mothers. For this reason, many maternal matters are everybody’s business to learn for the men and other members of our tribes and communities must know how to hold reverence and space for mothers and babies who are the centre of community.’

We also speak broader issues such multiple genocides happening on our planet today and the local environmental movement ‘Save Wallum’.

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Enormous thanks and respect to sister and friend Imuna Flo for her time and wisdom.

You can learn more and get in contact with Flo and her offerings through her Instagram @imuna_flo
https://www.instagram.com/imuna_flo

Update: She has just become a published author and contributed a chapter to Rebel Ma. Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0D8YQKVSZ?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1d-EZVd4jWlgjT1vroNqK93-dz1seVglD3httmJ263eW1XCv2wbdBhsOU_aem_v5dG6T62F1xIad6pZW8CBg

You can also find and get involved with the Save Wallum movement on Instagram @save_wallum

If you feel you are receiving something from the podcast, a way you can give back is to follow and give us a 5 star rating or review on podcast platforms. Also, following on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelialpodcast and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mycelialpodcast helps its growth and message. If you feel others could receive something from it too, please share an episode with a friend or on social media.

At this point, this project is 100% self funded by me and my recycled clothing business NIRANIA so you can also support my business on instagram https://www.instagram.com/nirania_collective

Also big thanks to Juman for the music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/77pkM8fFPgStKyD3G2Qr4B

This podcast is broadcast from the First Nation ancestral sacred lands of Bundjalung in so called Australia. I would like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and any indigenous Elders listening in. I’d also like to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded in this country. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

On our first episode we speak to Jambi. Jambi is an active Northern Rivers Bundjalung indigenous caretaker and wisdom keeper from the Githabul, Minjungbal and Ngarakbul people.

As he describes it, Jarmbi's life work is in ‘helping mother earths children come back home’ through trauma release, grounding to the earth and connecting to our bloodlines. Whoever we are and wherever we come from. 

Jarmbi is an environmental activist who has worked closely with movements like Stop Adani, Lock the Gate anti fracking, Sea Shepherd and now Save Wallum to protect our precious country.

He has also been involved with the worldwide indigenous collective, The Wisdom Keepers.

In this episode Jarmbi gives us tools and the first steps in grounding and connecting to mother earth and our bloodlines and ancestors.

We also talk about why its important to connect to mother earth as a ritual of life as the more we know her, the more we fight for her and her children everywhere and the more we connect with her, the more empowered we become.

Jarmbi also gives us an insightful perspective on Native Title and explains the current local environmental movement - ‘Save Wallum’.

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Massive gratitude and respect to brother Jambi for his time and wisdom.

You can learn more and get in contact with Jambi through his website www.groundedandconnectedempowerment.com

You can also find and get involved with the Save Wallum movement on Instagram @save_wallum

If you feel you are receiving something from the podcast, a way you can give back is to follow and give us a 5 star rating or review on podcast platforms. Also, following on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelialpodcast and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mycelialpodcast helps its growth and message. If you feel others could receive something from it too, please share an episode with a friend or on social media.

At this point, this project is 100% self funded by me and my recycled clothing business NIRANIA so you can also support my business on instagram https://www.instagram.com/nirania_collective

Also big thanks to Juman for the music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/77pkM8fFPgStKyD3G2Qr4B

This podcast is broadcast from the First Nation ancestral sacred lands of Bundjalung in so called Australia. I would like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and any indigenous Elders listening in. I’d also like to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded in this country. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.