Mythos & Logos

We interact with objects in our surroundings every day; but it's not every day that you see an umbrella sprouting legs, instruments playing themselves, or theatrical masks transform into many-faced monsters. These are examples of tsukumogami, Japanese mythical creatures that are objects come alive. In some sources they are friendly, in others they march in the infamous Night Parade of 100 Demons, and in one text they even serve as vehicle for a Buddhist teaching of enlightenment. Join as we explore the roles of tsukumogami from Classical Japan through the modern day.

Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

The Sun is a major figure in Cherokee mythology; the world depends upon her light and warmth, but is at the mercy of her brutal heat when she is slighted by her brother, the Moon. In this story, recorded from the Eastern Band of Cherokee in the late 19th century, a plan to stop the Sun from burning the world leads to the death of her daughter, and a plan to bring her back from the Ghost Country. Common characters to Native American mythology including the Great Horned Serpent appear in a tale with strong connections to the natural world and Cherokee history.

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Pleased to host Matt Benjamin, friend of the channel, YouTube host, and author of the new novel We Are Icarus on the podcast to discuss his new novel in an authentic, unsponsored conversation. Matt’s novel explores timeless philosophy through a futuristic sci-fi dystopia setting. Join us as we discuss the timeless power of story, explore Ancient Greek philosophy and mythology, explore the creative process for an author in 2024, and talk about mythic heroes from ancient legends through professional wrestling!

A philosopher has the unique challenge of expressing that which is beyond us through the limitations of language. For many, this is done through a series of logical arguments; for the Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi 莊子 the Way of Nature, called Tao 道 is best approached in another way, through the powerful, poetic language of metaphor. Zhuangzi sets the tone through the marvelous image of the mythological Peng 大鵬 bird which rises beyond the limits of our understanding. Yet, we will see, even the lofty Peng can affect our lives.

00:00 Introduction

Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

In the ancient days of Greek and Roman mythology, the story was told of Phaeton, the son of the sun god Helios (often equivocated with Apollo) who asked his father to command the chariot of the sun on its journey across the sky. The power of the god was too much for this mortal, and his bold attempt to wield it nearly destroyed all of creation. Today we wield many of the same powers once attributed to the gods, and we must listen to ancient wisdom to avoid repeating Phaeton's disastrous mistake.

The story of Lycaon (also spelled Lykaion, Lykaon) has been told by many dating back to Ancient Greece, where it was attested in works like Pausanias' Description of Greece, Apollodorus' Library, and Hyginus' Astronomica, and across centuries and civilizations through works like Ovid's masterpiece Metamorphoses. Lycaon's attempt to deceive the gods leads to a terrifying transformation, which many have described as the oldest depiction of a werewolf, wolf-man, or lycanthrope.

Spiritual seekers from across religious traditions have had profound experiences within the natural world. Comparing the role of nature in selected Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings demonstrates the harmonious role that nature serves in the Abrahamic religions. Jesus' parables of the sower and the fig trees in the Gospels show how we can be inspired by the natural world to change ourselves; te Jewish principle of bal tashchit demonstrates how nature informs ethics; and the Quran's invitations to discernment along with the writings of Sufi mystic poets such as Ibn 'Arabi and Rumi show how the visible world can inform us of the transcendent.

Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Hans Christian Andersen's original telling of The Little Mermaid is probably very different from the one you know. The mermaid's transformation is far less pleasant, there is no mention of true love's kiss, and what is she doing with that knife? A close reading and a look into the life of Hans Christian Andersen, a liminal figure caught between two societies, shows a powerful message that applies to each of us.

Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Exploring Jātaka tales, stories of the past lives of the Buddha, allows us to better understand the world of folktales, history of the early Buddhist community, and the journey of the soul in reincarnation across the cosmos toward enlightenment. We will explore nine of the 547 Jātakas: Sammodamana, Suvannahamsa, Nigrodhamiga, Mandhatu, Vedabbha, Mahajanaka, Sama, Muga-Pakkha, and Vessantara.

Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.