How much can a tiny insect tell us about our relationship with nature?

This podcast episode unfolds as a chronicle—tracing one insect, the scarab, across time and place.

From the banks of the Nile in Ancient Egypt, to the French Alps twenty years ago, to today’s Mediterranean shores, and even millions of years back, when a scarab’s body lay buried until archaeologists uncovered it.

Why has an insect once worshipped as a god by our ancestors lost its place in our modern cities?

What made it so important that our ancestors kept it so close? What wisdom does it hold? And how can we rebuild this relationship—not only with it, but with other living beings?

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Sources:

• https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/khepri/

• https://www.naturalhistorycuriosities.com/insects/scarab-beetles-and-their-meaning-in-the-ancient-egyptian-history/

Cover: Illustration of Egyptian scarabs (public domain, from an early archaeological catalogue)

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We are in a world of mad kings. The ones that destroy life, extract more and more, leaving Earth empty. 

Lately, I keep asking: What shall we do? What are we doing wrong?

If I had asked that question in the medieval Arab world, they might have said: Tell them a story. And they might have told me the story of Shahrazad, the woman who changed the mind of a mad king by telling him a thousand stories.

Stories can change minds, worldviews. And worldviews shape our actions: toward care, kinship, and love for the natural world, or toward detachment, conquest, and destruction.

So, what are the stories that could save humanity? And most of all, how do we shape them, as the storytellers we are? Why was the medieval Arab world, like many ancient cultures, so devoted to storytelling? And how did they understand the precious power it held?

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Sources:

• The Arabian Nights, translation by Malcolm C. Lyons

• Ocean Vuong, 'A Life Worthy of Our Breath' On Being Podcast

Cover: Die Favontin by Adolf Seel, 1883

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If a story reveals something about its characters, it also reveals something about the storyteller.

The story you’re about to hear is no exception.

But what could a story tell about the one who is telling it? You might ask. Well, what if, in this story, the storyteller was the Prince of them all? What if, thousands of years ago, he understood better than anyone what makes a story an invisible thread connecting humanity together? What if he told a tale you could still connect with today?

His name was Ovid. And this podcast episode is about Daphne, who became a tree; Apollo, whom she fled; and Ovid, who told their story.

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Sources:

• The Metamorphoses by Ovid, translation by Mary M. Innes

• The Epic of Gilgamesh, translation by Andrew George

• The Masks of God, Volume 1: Primitive Mythology by Joseph Campbell

• https://www.worldhistory.org/Melusine/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20legend%2C%20and,accept%20her%20as%20she%20was

Cover: Apollo and Daphne by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1743

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What would you do if you stood before the spirit of the forest? How would you feel? And how would you treat its forest?

This podcast episode comes at a time when I find myself looking around and witnessing how deeply we disrespect nature in so many ways—including the precious, life-giving forests of our planet. Deforestation, animal hunts, mining…

As a fierce believer that stories shape a culture and the actions of a civilization, I wondered: what stories are we telling ourselves? And more importantly, what are the stories we don’t? The ones we’ve forgotten?

Because, let’s be real—our ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years. What did they have that we don’t?

One story. As old as time.

And let me tell it to you.

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Sources:

• The Epic of Gilgamesh, translation by Andrew George

• https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/faith-in-the-forest-helps-indonesias-dayaks-keep-plantations-loggers-at-bay/

• https://www.instagram.com/p/DF7z77GR0tB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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Carolyn recalls romanticizing the woods after spending time with her father among the majestic Redwoods. 

Her connection to the forest deepened when she later, within her studies, traveled to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Surrounded by their rich forests, she was struck by a profound realization that changed her career path: these forests and their biodiversity were deeply intertwined with agriculture. 

This insight revealed to her how Western culture often approached growing food incorrectly, while some local communities used practices that regenerate the environment, doing the exact opposite. 

What was her experience there? What is agroforestry? And how can agriculture help nature regenerate itself? Join Carolyn Hirshon, a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island and the host of The Farmers I Know podcast, as we explore the world of sustainable food systems.

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Connect with Carolyn: https://www.instagram.com/thefarmersiknow/

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Gabriela has always felt at home where she grew up, on a guest house farm on the Portuguese coast. Despite often leaving her land to travel and work, deep down she knew that, like indigenous trees, she belonged to that place. 

But one summer day, a wildfire swept through her father's land, devouring everything around. Her father was evacuated, leaving the fire time to pass. And when he returned to his lands, thinking that everything would be gone, his house was nearly intact. 

If we tell you this story today, it's not only a testimony to the resilience of nature but Gabriela's own journey. Gabriela started to explore wildfires and understand the cultural issues behind these events, changing her vision of this element. 

Join us as we follow Gabriela, a photographer, event curator, and coach, exploring the intersections of art, creativity, and ecology as we uncover the stories hidden within forests and wildfires, illuminating important issues that we once forgot.

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Connect with Garbiela: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielala.m/

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Dorcas grew up in Kenya, where her father instilled in her the value of planting trees—his farm was full of trees and coffee plants. Dorcas also recalls the generational stories that were passed along: they once had forests full of trees that have now been cut down. These stories sparked a deeper appreciation for nature within her. While she once overlooked tree-cutting on farms, believing it would bring other benefits, Dorcas's perspective shifted over time.

With eye-opening studies in marine science management, Dorcas founded the Mazingira Pamoja Initiative, dedicated to empowering women and girls. Among its projects, the initiative focuses on restoring mangroves on Funzi Island.

What are Dorcas's experiences in planting mangroves with local communities, and why does she view forest ecosystems as essential?

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Connect with Dorcas: https://www.instagram.com/dorcaswakio/

Support the Mozengida Pamoje Initiative: https://www.instagram.com/mazingirapamoja/

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Rūta's upbringing was enriched by her mother's presence and the wisdom of her grandmother, a passionate geologist deeply connected to the natural world and its spiritual essence. 

When her grandmother faced a grave illness, Rūta found herself pondering:  “If we were able to present the diagnosis with a very different approach, how would people heal?” This question ignited her journey into psychology, intertwined with her understanding of biology. 

As a dedicated researcher, writer, and facilitator of multi-species imagination, Rūta immersed herself in interpreting the human psyche through the lens of nature. Exploring the innate mechanisms of regeneration and embracing co-creation with the natural world, she sought to unravel the mysteries of the psyche and promote healing. 

What symbolism does the forest hold? And what profound insights does nature offer about ourselves?

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Connect with Rūta: https://www.instagram.com/r_u__ta/

Read Rūta's articles: https://rutazem.substack.com/

Sympoiesis: https://www.instagram.com/sympoiesis.world/

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Ana was raised in Venezuela with her family, who had been cattle farmers for generations. They, from whom she inherited Indigenous ancestry, maintained a deep connection to the land. 

However, due to increased governmental pressure, she was compelled to leave with her parents for Canada, thus becoming separated from her family, homeland, and culture. 

Growing up far from her ancestors' lands, Ana found solace through meaningful encounters and the nature around her. By exploring the forest whenever possible, observing her surroundings, foraging, and learning the names of the trees, she cultivated a sense of belonging to her new environment. Embracing her Indigeneity, Ana's worldview evolved.

How did she forge this profound bond with the forest, and what experiences did she encounter there? Follow Ana's journey as a forager, activist, and influencer.

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Connect with Ana: https://www.instagram.com/ana.inthewild/

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After a long journey that took her from writing poems to strangers, to the Shakespeare & Company bookstore café in Paris, and to an immersive writing experience in a forest in Sweden, Billimarie found herself back in her mother's garden. "This is a man-made woods," Billimarie recalled a phrase that had struck her during her time in Sweden. "Man-made," she thought. 

Meanwhile, her mother, wise and attuned to nature, understood the needs of her plants instinctively, without relying on science or other methods. Witnessing her mother's connection with nature, Billimarie felt compelled to pass on this knowledge to her own daughter. 

What could be more beautiful than nurturing the dream of a greener world, where such a connection is not only cherished but also achievable? 

This is why she decided to create her own dream, a forest oasis in the desert. 

How did she reach this point? Join us as we dive into Billimarie's creative journey.

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Connect with Billimarie:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bee0robinson/

Billimarie's Ecofarm project: https://www.instagram.com/foreverystaratree/

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