On the Soul's Terms

This episode is the second half of the epic tale of Psyche & Eros from the 2nd Century AD, moving forward from episode #38.  

Psyche, devastated at the loss of her husband Eros, throws herself in the river. The river doesn't accept her sacrifice and washes her up to the shore where she sees the great god Pan playing around with his pipes. From this encounter she is emboldened and ready to take on her journey, the journey we all have to embark upon, the return to Eros. 

Along the way we meet the Goddesses Demeter and Hera and their temples on hills and in forests. Until finally Psyche confronts Venus (Aphrodite) and accepts her four tasks - the tasks of the soul.

Artwork for this episode is from Edward Burne-Jones.

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Today's episode explores the story of Psyche & Eros, from the 2nd century AD by Apuleius in his novel, The Golden Ass. Part fairytale, part myth, it presents as a dream and allows us to dive deep into its imagery, symbols and motifs. In it you'll hear strands of Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White amongst other ancient tales that were eventually recorded by the Brothers Grimm.

To get us primed we begin with the poem by John Keats, Ode to Psyche, where he expresses his devotion to the newest of the Olympian Goddesses who was never really given her full due.

This is Part One of a two part podcast - the story being simply too long and rich to fit within the confines of one single episode.

Artwork: Eros and Psyche, Guiseppe Cammarano, 1821

Further Reading:
Erich Neumann: Amor and Psyche
Mary Louise von Franz: The Golden Ass of Apuleius
Robert A. Johnson: She

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Tara Judelle comes back to the show to share of her embodied, visionary wisdom (previous episode #17).

As the moon waxes its way towards its fullness in the vibrant, creative sign of Leo, we enter through Tara's own Nodal Story (Leo South Node - Aquarius North Node) and let the spirit of the times move us.

This leads us into some observations of our times and the strong pull of the little black box we call smart phones to abduct us out of our circumstances and into other dimensions. We drop into the paradox of the Individual and the Collective, a primary theme of this Astrological Archetypal Axis. And then find our way into meditating upon the concept of the Astrological Ages, tracking them back over the last four or five Millenia, as a frame for working with these times of transition.

For a more in depth look at the astrological ages click here for an article by Robert Fitzgerald.

The Leo Full Moon is Sunday 5th February at 6:26pm GMT.

Tara Judelle is a world renowned yoga facilitator moved by bringing humans into their innate sense of freedom and purpose. After 30 years experimenting in all forms of movement, Tara co-created the School of Embodied Flow™ in 2014 to bring her current passions of yoga, somatics, tantra, free movement into a modern movement of Yoga. From a background in literature, film writing, directing and dance, Tara brings students on a journey of discovery of their numinous self through laughter, meditation, embodiment, movement & inquiry.

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Following on from last episode's deep dive into the themes of Capricorn, this episode tracks the elusive 11th sign of the Zodiac, Aquarius, and the mythic themes that flow through it.

We watch as the beautiful youth, Ganymede, is abducted by Zeus and taken to Heaven to pour wine for the Gods while his father is left behind bereft. This story was taken from the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite and is followed by the tragedy of Eos and Tithonus; Eos is the Goddess of the Dawn who falls in love with the mortal Tithonus. She asks that he might live forever, not thinking to add the critical piece that he would remain eternally youthful.

How can these stories of the tension between the reality of ageing and the ideal of eternal youthfulness help us to see Aquarius more clearly?

We then follow Aphrodite (Venus) and her two births: one as the daughter of Uranus and the other as the offspring of Zeus & Dione (the feminine form of Zeus) before settling in to the original creative tension: Uranus the mind of god Vs Saturn of the earthly wisdom.

The New Moon is in Aquarius on January 21st, 8:53pm, GMT.

Jason Holley's Constellation Deep Dives
Gorillaz: Don't Get Lost in Heaven

Image: Johann Frank Kirchbach; The Rape of Ganymede (1892)

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What is the myth underlying the modern practice of Yoga?

In today's episode, Sky Akasha Tobias joins me to unpack this question. In doing so we explore Yoga's ancient roots to see if the bridge that connects it to its modern incarnation can still be seen, felt and perhaps even traversed.

Sky spends his time between Sweden and Bali, teaching with his wife, Sanna, at their school called Sama Yoga. He is a devotee of Vedanta and dedicated student of Shri Swami Vagishanandaji.

"The practices and disciplines that bring us to harmony and balance in all aspects of life as well as understanding the choices that bring us equanimity. Sama Yoga is taught intuitively from the heart, it’s a practice that brings you back to yourself, to land in relaxation, trust and contentment with whatever your life brings. Samayoga brings balance and health physically, mentally and emotionally"
- samayoga.info

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To celebrate this time of the year where, like Janus with his two faces, we're looking backwards and forwards, this episode looks into the two Titan brothers of Greek Mythology, Prometheus (forethought) and Epimetheus (afterthought).

But first, it's a deep dive into the Creation Myth of Greek Mythology going right back to the relationship between Gaia (Earth Mother) and Ouranus (Sky Father). From here we follow the brewing battle between Chronus (Saturn) and Zeus (Jupiter) as they continue on the lineage of Father Vs Son into the Clash of the Titans.

On this new moon in Capricorn, wedged between the Solstice and Christmas, we dive into the much misunderstood sign of Capricorn and see if we might find our way into a deeper, richer and more complex understanding of this essential archetypal energy. 

Honorable mentions: Pandora, Atlas, Saturnalia, Pan, Amalthea and more in this all-star cast of Ancient Greek Deities.

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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This morning when I woke up to meditate, 10 days after completing a 10-day Vipassana course, my app told me that it's Bodhi Day. According to Buddhists this day celebrates the day that the Buddha became enlightened whilst sitting under the Bodhi Tree (the tree of awakening).

It's also a Gemini Full Moon today - the sign closely associated with the beginner's mind, opposite the Sun in Sagittarius, the sign of Spiritual Discipline.

And so, as we float along this river of synchronicities together, episode 33 of the podcast is a conversation with Passi. Passi is a man from Delhi, India, who has sat in 29 Vipassana courses ranging from 10 to 30 days in length. He has also served on a further 13 courses. He's now preparing himself to sit for 45 days on January 1st. 

We discuss the practice of Vipassana Mediation, how it entered his life (at the end of a decade of Silicon Valley life and in the midst of his arranged marriage troubles), and in what ways and on what levels it has impacted his way of being in the world. 

Enjoy! And a happy Bodhi Day to all. 

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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After receiving a lot of feedback and questions from our last episode (ep. 31), Dr Carolina Herbert joins us again to discuss the steps and tools and what it takes to move through the process of Apology & Forgiveness.

For the first half of the Podcast we look at the first step - getting a clear idea of the moment of wounding and where it continues to occur in your current life. Next, the importance of being well-resourced and with good support for the journey ahead.

And lastly, Carolina takes us through a deep dive into the Hawaiian process of Ho'oponopono, slowly and carefully taking us into the simple steps involved that help us to encounter the complexity of injury and harm in our lives.

Carolina mentions:
The Jewish Museum Vienna's video film installation by film artist James T. Hong.
The Apology by V.

Find out more about Dr Carolina at alkimiasoul.com.

Cover Art Photography by Carolina.

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Dr Carolina Herbert joins us on the show again to discuss her experience of the Chiron Return: a process that occurs for us all in our late 40s/early 50s.

We begin with a poem from John O'Donohue from his collection, To Bless the Space Between Us. It's a poem entitled For Someone Awakening to the Trauma of His of Her Past. This sets the scene for the story of Chiron told from his birth until his eventual release from his physical form to join the constellations.

Then, Carolina generously shares with us some of her experiences over the course of her Chiron Return, giving us a glimpse into the personal, human story expressed with the backdrop of this archetypal event. She speaks of her process of Apology and Forgiveness, and how she has drawn from the work of V, formerly known as Eve Ensler, and her most recent book entitled, The Apology.

We traverse the field between the personal and the collective in this one, exploring the complexity of being a human two in a world that is one.

For more on Dr Carolina: www.alkimiasoul.com

Artwork is Gustave Moreau - Dead Poet Borne by at Centaur.

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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In this slightly new format of the show we explore a dream that I client brought to me this week. In this dream she is in the rubble of an old building and looks down to see dust gathering on the remains of ancient festivals. The feeling is of a deep sense of loss. Into this feelings comes a woman with dark hair called Cynthia (linked to Artemis) who comes to guide her through her exploration.

The dream brought to mind the tragic Love Story of Orpheus & Eurydice that formed the basis of the Orphic Mystery Cult of Ancient Greece.

We explore these themes with the backdrop of the Pisces Full Moon conjunct Neptune. Interestingly it was a Virgo Full Moon opposite Neptune when Corona captured our attention in March 2020. Listen in to hear what this all means, especially in light of the Neptunian Sea Monster, Typhon.

Artwork:
Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, 1861

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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