This episode does not center a particular story.  It is a revisiting of a {PAST} conversation, honoring that {people are stories, too!}.  

In this episode, Kristyn practices secure attachment and connects with her tattoo artist Dusty to discuss tattoos, the union of creativity and spirituality, and the practices that resourced us to leave the cult of evangelical Christianity while leaving the door open for the Numinous.

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for courses on Secure attachment & ritual practices, her Podcast on Fascism, and her book  “The Spirited Kitchen” for more on Yule and other “rewilded” spiritual practices.

For more companioning around leaving the high demand group of fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity, check out Tia Leving’s Instagram and Substack and Jeanna Kadlec’s “Heretic”

For more on rewilding Yeshua/Jesus, check out Sophie Strand’s books: “The Madonna Secret” and “Flowering Wand”

For more animism and mythology for troubled times, check out The Emerald Podcast

Roadmap to Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

(This episode contains spoilers for the season 1 ofBad Sisters on Apple- Watching not mandatory-Kristyn provides arecap in the beginning of the ep)

If practicing pleasure weren’t a radically potent act of resistance, then why are radical conservatives andlow value men so scared of women, trans, & queer folk experiencing it?  How does capitalism condition us into scarcity mindsets that keep our pleasure small?  What are simple, yet profound, practices that can help us embody the world we dream about?  Why does the etymology of the words we use to describe our pleasure parts and practices matter, and what words can we use instead?

Kristyn with a Why chats with her colleague and friendMarisa Sullivanabout their past pains of the patriarchy; the magical practices of self-pleasure, story, and creativity; and the importance of security, slowness, options, and consent-  through the lens of Bad Sisters season 1.

0: Introduction 

6:33: Kristyn gives an overview of Bad Sisters through the lens of the Stoner Story Witch

28:24: Introducing Marisa!

43:50: Marisa and Kristyn chat about Bad Sisters- Grace’s dance class and what the facilitator might have done differently

57:51: The importance of creativity: Grace’s art class and autonomy

1:06:23: Grace saved herself through story and creative practice

1:14:13: The different channels of pleasure, Romantasy/Onyx Storm connections

1:21:47:  Casting spells, at home practices

1:28:59: Kristyn gets personal

1:43:17: Marisa gets personal

1:50:38: More practices

1:59:06: Where you can work with Marisa

2:02:03: Gratitude, sneak peek of upcoming episodes

For more on pleasure, check outPleasure Activism byadriennemareebrown 

For more on the the liberation of women in hetero relationships, check out Zawn Villines’Liberating Motherhood Substack, andPodcast

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

The Numinous Network (where Marisa guides embodied movement sessions) and Carmen Spagnola’s courses on Secure attachment and Contact Nutrition

The book“Love Sex and No Regrets for Today’s Teens” by Elizabeth Clark

Wheel of Consent/Consent Game

The life and death of Isadora Duncan

Eve Ensler & the Vagina Monologues

Marisa’s Teachers:Sheri Winston ,Mama Gina,Amina Peterson &Pamela Samuelson

Jacob Moreno & Pyschodrama

Pillars of Liberation withRev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically“Our Lady of the Underground” andOrpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

How can we resist buying into the big lie that we are alone?  What does it take to embody a sense of dignity and belonging when we hold dominant identities within oppressive systems?  Can we lay to rest the desire to be “pure, perfect, and innocent” and still be worthwhile to the revolution?

Kristyn with a Why receives compassionate witnessing from some of the folks from her Embodied Social Justice cohort (ESJC) in today's (relatively) mini episode.

0-11:00: Introduction, Updates, Synchronicities

11:16- end: Crying and Compassionate Witnessing by Embodied Social Justice Cohort

Check out Kristyn on the “Asteria’s Convos” podcast where they chatted about building community and sharing sourdough!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

If you enjoyed today’s ep, you will probably love the Cosmic Anarchy Substack by Ayesha Khan, Ph.D  and on IG @wokescientist

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

(This episode contains spoilers for the first two books of The Empyrean Series- Fourth Wing and Iron Flame)

How can romantasy novels resource us to live a more liberated life?  How does “curing” a protagonist of their chronic pain support larger ableist narratives?  If you fall in love with a “book boyfriend” whose lands, language, and culture have been stolen from them- how can you show your devotion to them in real life and honor land back and indigenous sovereignty?  What would it take for us to stop policing groups we have been conditioned to hate/fear especially when the rules are unjust?  Do *all* romantasy fans play Dungeons and Dragons?

Kristyn with a Why sits down for a friendly chat with two friends she met on Reddit- Alexis (a writer/boardgamer) and Kendra (an aerialist/chiropractor and member of the Cree nation)- both of whom live with chronic illnesses.  Together they discuss how Violet’s journey resonated with them, what they would have liked to see more of, and they collectively imagine what liberation can look like in the soon to be released 3rd book of the series, Onyx Storm!

0- Episode Intro

5:30- Kristyn gives a reflective synopsis of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame

28:40-Introducing Alexis and Kendra

41:32- Critiques of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame

58:00- Moments in the book that resourced us

1:09:47- How Fourth Wing and Iron Flame help you FEEL liberation

1:15:30- What was lost? Connections with Indigenous themes

1:19:37- The value of not curing a chronically disabled protagonist

1:33:51- More connections and quotes of Indigenous themes

1:40:00-Hope for Onyx Storm

1:50:23- Outro

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

10 Principles of Disability Justice by Sins Invalid

Sophie Strand’ssubstack: You can preorder “The Body is a Doorway” here

For more community and witnessing around chronic illness and disability, check out Carmen Spagnola’sNuminous Network

Roadmap to Liberation withRev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically“Our Lady of the Underground” andOrpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

(This episode contains spoilers for seasons 1 and 2 of Squid Game)

How can I connect and hold space for someone who is moved by a story that I refuse to watch?  How does capitalism thrive in binary/hierarchical thinking: good vs bad, guilt vs innocence, us vs. them? Is consent and free will even possible in capitalism? In what ways is Squid Game a metaphor for reality shows like Love Island?  How can a practice of satisfiability and finding your “enough” disrupt the insatiable momentum of capitalism? How can we create the world we prefer while also fighting against unjust systems?

This episode flips roles asKevinsits Kristyn down to give a synopsis of Season 1 and Season 2 of Squid Game.  Then together they riff on how the puritanical obsession with innocence and perfection has kept us immobilized from just doing less harm and feeling more satiation in unjust systems of exploitation and “never enough.”  

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Grateful for the learning alluded to in today’s episode:

-Toi Smith 

-Carmen Spagnola’spodcast with Toi Smith, courses on Attachment and Contact Nutrition on theNuminous Network

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically“Our Lady of the Underground” andOrpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

(This season contains spoilers for the show“Severance”- season 1 aired in 2022 on Apple)

In what ways does Santa prime kids for the blind obedience to authority and black and white purity thinking that fascism requires?  How can stories help us overcome our fear response and reach for things we deeply yearn for?  Are reality TV shows (like Love Island) just another high demand group keeping us dysregulated and disconnected?  Is it even possible to untangle the web of fascism, diet culture, and Christian fundamentalism?

Kristyn with a Why sits down for a friendly chat with her BFF Jamie to discuss the synchronicities that have arrived since they invited Severance into their lives.

0-6:00: Introduction

6:00: Santa Claus as Milchek

11:48: The radical and uncomfortable task of creating more spaciousness from the demands of our jobs

24:30: Jamie connectsS2E3 to Love Island and reality TV

35:00: Jamie connectsS2E3 to Diet Culture and Christian Fundamentalism

43:36: Kristyn connectsS2E3 to the November election in the USA

48:41: Kristyn updates on the state of her marriage postS2E2

55:28:S2E4- how Subversive Smut can prepare the masses to confront “Big Lies”

57:00: Burt’s invitation to return to the “1st edition” of stories and intuitive connections with the divine fromS2E5

1:06:30: Stories as a way to connect and companion ourselves in our shared human experience

1:10:00 Outro

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Tia Leving’sInstagram andSubstack

Carmen Spagnola’sPodcast on Fascism

Sophie Strand’s novel:“The Madonna Secret”

Roadmap to Liberation withRev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically“Our Lady of the Underground” andOrpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

(This season contains spoilers for the show“Severance”- season 1 aired in 2022 on Apple)

What are all the ways that we sever from parts of ourselves?  How does public school utilize the tools of “the break room” to foster compliance rather than embody liberation?  How was Helly’s embodied elitism a catalyst for her Innie to revolt? How does Burt living out his “1st edition” beliefs radicalize Irv into queering his “ramrod straight” self?  What does it take for Dylan to discover that the fingertraps of capitalism are insufficient and isolating?

Kristyn with a Why sits down for a friendly chat with her friendJohn Klingler- a public school history teacher and somatics coach.  They discuss the push-pull between the Innies’ search for meaning and mattering with the Outties’ quest to forget.

0-7:50: Introduction

7:50: Thoughts from a history teacher, parallels between Severance and public schools, “Break room” as “break your will room” & training subconscious that “it is dangerous to rest”

27:15: Helly’s Embodied Anti-Capitalism– her elitism is a liability to Lumon on the Severed floor where she is no longer trying to earn secure attachment with her father

37:20: Irv’s radicalization

1:04:45: Dylan’s radicalization

1:14:30: Outro

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Work with John atburiedwisdom.com

Resmaa Menakem’s book: My Grandmother’s Hands

Carmen Spagnola’s Hypnotherapy and courses on Secure attachment & Contact Nutrition on The Numinous Network, preorder herbook here

Hospicing Modernity (Book)

*Prentis Hemphill’s book: What it takes to heal*

*Prentis uses they/them pronouns, in the pod Kristyn clumsily used “women” to relate Prentis Hemphill’s embodiment work IRL to Reghabi’s reintegration work in "Severance" andpronouns matter.

The Hive- in-person and online classes in Cincinnati

Roadmap to Liberation withRev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically“Our Lady of the Underground” andOrpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

This bonus and first ever mini-sode is a practice of trust--recorded, edited and uploaded in an hour.

Kristyn takes a moment to celebrate the podcast's half revolution around the sun: Timeline peering the last six months, sharing best predictions for early 2025 (more subversive smut coming soon?!), and offering a tearfelt thank you to listeners-

THANK YOU for sitting around my campfire with me the last 6 months.

(This season contains spoilers for the show“Severance”- season 1 aired in 2022 on Apple, and this episode contains spoilers for the romantic fantasy (romantasy) series “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (ACOTAR) by Sarah J Maas)

How can we increase intimacy with someone by opening ourselves to the stories that are speaking to them?  What can we learn about our own liberation when we engage in acts we have been conditioned to think of as “taboo”?  How can sci-fi and fantasy stories become our guides and companions to help us grapple with the realities of our world?  How can an author’s strategic use of attachment biology and “contact nutrition” enable readers to completely shift their allegiances?  What makes romantasy so fricking compelling, anyway!? 

Kristyn with a Why sits down for a friendly and integrative chat with her friend and fellow “movement fantasy baker” Burju about creativity, romantasy, and grappling with late-stage capitalism through the lens of “ACOTAR.”

0-17:39: Intro, connection to Severance, pollination and polyamory

17:45-28:41: Intro to Burju, Burju answers the pod’s 3 questions

28:45-45:40: Why we love ACOTAR/How Fantasy helps us see our life 

45:40-1:04:28: Our overview of ACOTAR

1:04:28-1:16:13:Fiction and Desire/Romantic love as metaphor for a creative practice, secure attachment for the sake of creating

1:16:13-1:25:11:Fantasy/Symbols are psychological, not literal/remembering that wealth is a symbol/side-eyeing the hoarded wealth of the romantasy genre’s  justice-minded revolutionary love interests

1:25:11-1:33:50: Kristyn breaks down “Contact Nutrition under the Mountain”- how stories wield the tools of attachment to change readers’ minds 

1:33:50-1:46:04:Power/TheDionysian roots of Rhysand 

1:46:04-2:22:30: “Subversive Smut,” locating ourselves in a story, how romantasy can radicalize readers to feel solidarity with CEO assassins, grappling with what it is to have power and own a business in late-stage capitalism

2:22:30-end: When people/practices we thought were the destination end up being stepping stones, how the Feyre character in ACOTAR can help connect us to our own agency

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:

Sophie Strand’sSubstack and Writings onDionysis 

Natalie Wynn’sContrapoints video on Twilight/Romantasy

Celeste Davis’Substack onElizabeth Gilberts’ discussionof degraded vs divine masculine and feminine

Carmen Spagnola & courses on Secure attachment & Contact Nutrition on The Numinous Network, preorder herbook here

Roadmap to Liberation withRev. angel Kyodo williams

Recommendation for healing for patriarchal males- bell hooks

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically“Our Lady of the Underground” andOrpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

(This season contains spoilers for the show“Severance”- season 1 aired in 2022 on Apple)

How might someone heal from a coercive relationship or high demand group?  How can we identify fascism and fight tyranny and why must we?  How can we respond when escape is off the table?  When trauma severs the mind from the body, what are the pros and cons of “top down” vs “bottom up” healing modalities?  How can we discern when “wellness” isn’t safe?  How is absurdity a hallmark of collapse?

Kristyn with a Why chats with her teacher and mentor Carmen Spagnola about disorganized attachment, cult tactics, fascism, “wellness,” and collapse through the lens of Severance.  

--------------------

0-11:14 Intro to episode

11:14-18:00: Intro to Carmen

18:00-31:51: Petey’s Protocol- How to heal from high demand groups

31:51-45:31:  The disorganized field of Lumon- How fascism depends on cult tactics of hijacking your nervous system

45:31-58:44: When Mark sculpts a tree/When “wellness” isn’t safe- Somatics and “top down” vs “bottom up” healing modalities

58:44-1:08:40: Severance is absurd and so is Collapse- "We are in the Bread and Circus Phase"

1:08:40-1:21:22:  a liberated future for Helly in Season 2, collectively imagining a better future.

1:21:22-end:  If you enjoyed this interview, you can preorder Carmen’snext book!/ Outro

Scene Links—------------------------

Wellness Session

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

PreOrderCarmen Spagnola’s book here

Alexandra Stein’s book: Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems

Timothy Snyder’s Book: On Tyranny

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically“Our Lady of the Underground” andOrpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)