Welcome to the Observatory Podcast with your hosts, Scott and LaRae Wright. In this episode, we dive into the captivating world of primitive skills and the extraordinary experiences shared by our guest, Dave Wescott. Join us as we explore the origins of the Rabbit Stick gathering, its profound impact, and the enchanting journey of friendship and exploration with David Holladay. Prepare for an inspiring conversation that ignites your passion for nature, traditional skills, and human connection.

Episode Summary In this episode of the Observatory Podcast, we embark on a fascinating journey through primitive skills and the incredible bond between our guest, Dave Wescott, and David Holladay. As we delve into their shared experiences, we uncover the origins of the renowned Rabbit Stick gathering and its role in fostering collaboration among skilled individuals. We also explore the enduring legacy of Larry Dean Olson's influential book, "Outdoor Survival Skills," and its impact on our hosts' fascination with primitive skills.

Main Discussion Points: The Birth of Rabbit Stick and the Need for Collaboration

• Discover the origins of Rabbit Stick and its connection to the Boulder Outdoor Survival School.
• Explore the challenges faced by skilled individuals before the internet era.
• Highlight the significance of Rabbit Stick in facilitating learning and teaching primitive skills.

Rabbit Stick: Fostering Principles and Camaraderie

• Dive into the story of Rabbit Stick's evolution, from "rabbit stick rendezvous" to the "wood smoke rendezvous."
• Emphasize the importance of maintaining core principles and camaraderie among instructors.
• Reflect on the loss of original members and the goal of fostering instructor interaction and recognition.

The Beauty and Success of Rabbit Stick

• Explore the picturesque location of Rabbit Stick along the Snake River in Eastern Idaho.
• Appreciate the enchanting setting and its contribution to the gathering's continued success.
• Highlight the admiration for Dave Wescott's dedication to preserving the gathering's essence.

Lessons from David Holladay: Drumming and Shared Interests

• Uncover the deep friendship and shared interests between Dave Wescott and David Holladay.
• Discuss David Holladay's ability to ignite interest in various subjects, particularly drumming.
• Share memorable moments from Rabbit Stick and the profound influence it had on the guest.

Bridging Cultures Through Primitive Skills

• Explore the importance of engaging in conversations with different perspectives and values.
• Emphasize the value of learning from others without conflicts.
• Discuss the significance of Rabbit Stick in preserving and passing down primitive skills.

Notable Quotes

• "He's [David] a muse to me. I think he's a muse to a lot of people. He creates an interest in something, and then you just kind of go for it." Dave, 18:37
• "Those two skills that divide us from everything else on the face of the earth is fire and the cutting edge. And those two things are magical... You have to hold your mouth right. I mean, everything goes into that whole process to make it work. But it's those two things that I think we have a unique connection to just because... it's built into us." Dave, 29:10
• "There is no rush. Take time to slow down, take time to be present with whatever it is that you're doing, do it intentionally, observe it." Scott, 34:17
• "The depth of knowledge is more important to me in an instructor than breadth of knowledge, that they've spent time, that they've invested time, sweat and... and they know what works and what doesn't work from experience." Dave, 41:47

We invite you to reflect on the transformative power of primitive skills, the beauty of shared experiences, and the magic within our connections. Join us next time as we continue to explore living life from the inside out.

www.Rabbitstick.com

Introduction

Welcome to an engaging episode of The Observatory podcast! In this edition, we have the pleasure of introducing Jeff and Robyn Kirkham, an extraordinary couple who share their captivating journey, diverse experiences, and profound insights. Joined by your hosts LaRae and Scott Wright, who are dedicated to exploring the transformative journey of living life from the inside out, this episode delves into the Kirkhams' military backgrounds, entrepreneurial ventures, and the transformative power of drumming. Get ready for an inspiring conversation filled with personal growth, resilience, and the pursuit of purpose.

Main Topics Unconventional Journeys and Military Experiences

• Jeff's unconventional journey in the military, from a young recruit to a Green Beret serving in special operations.
• Post-military ventures, including creating a successful business around a tourniquet invention.
• Robyn's surprising path from a Jewish New Yorker upbringing to joining the ROTC program and pursuing a military career.
• Challenges and experiences faced during their military service, including deployments and near misses.

Transitioning Careers and Building a Business

• Robyn's transition from military police officer to joining the Coast Guard and eventually finding her way into the intelligence community.
• Meeting Jeff in the DC area and their instant connection leading to engagement and marriage.
• Settling in Utah and deciding to take a break from their military careers to focus on business ventures.
• Robyn's involvement in the Bundy standoff and its impact on her career choices.

Purpose, Resilience, and the Three Pillars of Well-being

• Importance of purpose in people's lives, especially during significant life changes.
• Exploring the concept of rewilding and its relation to finding purpose and balance.
• Discussion on the three pillars of resiliency: physical, psychological, and emotional.
• Understanding the interconnectedness of these pillars and practical tools for managing reactions and emotions.
• Emphasizing the role of community in personal development and well-being.

Managing Triggers and Difficult Conversations

• Strategies for managing triggers and difficult conversations with certain individuals.
• Recognizing and understanding personal physiological responses to triggering situations.
• Reframing experiences and relationships to reduce stress and anxiety.
• Importance of teaching children about emotions, reactions, and resilience from an early age.
• Expanding the discussion to holistic approaches to well-being and the significance of the spiritual or energetic connection.

Drumming Circles and the Therapeutic Power of Music

• Benefits of drum circles and creating a safe space for participation.
• Overcoming initial hesitations and experiencing the joy of playing without worrying about synchronization.
• Importance of balance in life and using drum circles as a tool to manage stress and improve well-being.
• The transformative power of drumming and its communal and therapeutic aspects.
• Introduction to the handpan and its ability to add beauty and tranquillity to their lives.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "So right as I finished nursing school that Hugh reached out to me and said, hey, I'm thinking about starting this mental health retreat and, you know, do you want to get involved? And I was like, yeah." - Jeff, 11:45
• "I had him on the rails a little bit stressing because I was like, called him out on a few things. And I was like, your life, I don't think you're being fully honest with me about what you do." - Robyn, 20:00
• "You know, addiction is so rampant everywhere, all different kinds and forms that that takes. And if you don't change your environment when you're stuck in that pattern of your life or that habit of your life, then it feeds itself, right? In so many different ways that we see that happening." - Scott, 37:50
• "But you have community, your family, your friends, or whatever that's around you. And everybody starts getting into sync. And so it's like, it's as therapeutic as hitting a heavy bag times a hundred." Jeff, 58:12
• "So the balance is really creating where those legs of the stool are all very strong versus one is strong and the other have, you know, not the same amount of strength. So it's creating tremendous balance in their life." LaRae, 01:00:34

Welcome to another enlightening episode of The Observatory podcast! Our guest this week are Nick and Vileena Peterson, facilitators of the sweat lodge experience in the ReWilding event. Here we speak of the power and transforming of the Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony. It is a cleansing ceremony, a purification ceremony, cleanses and purges the unwanted. The Sweat Lodge experience is not only a physiological journey, but also a journey filled with emotion and spiritually. In addition to the Sacred Salmon Run, traditional food gathering, and the importance of spending time outdoors.

Topics discussed on this Episode:

• The Sweat Lodge Ceremony
• Sacred Salmon Run
• Traditional food gathering
• Importance of spending time outdoors
• Reconnecting with Nature

Memorable Quotes:

• “We are nature, nature is who we are… there is not one lesson we cannot learn from nature.” LaRae, 53:55
• “Whenever we finish a prayer or finish a statement or finish speaking we close 'To all my relations' — to all my relations means the food in my belly, to the ancestors that have come before me, to the posterity that is yet to come, to the tree that is providing me shade and shelter. It’s all of it, it’s understand the connect in relationship that we have is what makes us rich existence, that were we feel wholeness and the greatest peace.” — Nick, 1:03:55

Revisiting one of our favorite episodes with Hugh Vail and his powerful message. Hugh is hosting ReWilding, a 4-day immersive experience July 6th-9th.

We have a good friend of ours on the podcast today, Mr. Hugh Vail. We’ve known Hugh for about 4 years or so and when we were introduced to one another, he began this process of working with wild mustangs. He was on his own journey of healing, which is something that really connected us. We discuss how horses are so similar to humans in various ways and how they are able to help us understand our own internal feelings. Our most profound messengers from inside of us are our emotions, and if we have resentment in our life or feel we’re carrying it, it’s because we have pain that has been avoided and ignored. “Don’t seek for peace because when you seek for it, all you get is non peace. Seek to just be OK with what is, and then you will all of a sudden have peace.” -Eckhart Tolle

What Mustang Medicine is 10:11
Horses are 99.9% the same as humans 23:45
Avoiding shadow emotions 29:07
Willful surrender 40:25
The rewilding event 47:01
The spiritual aspect to the event 57:49
Changing his belief that he was not a good man 72:59

“[Horses] are 99.9% the same as humans. There’s a couple things, obviously they’re on 4 feet, we stand up right, but when you get into the skeleton, they only have 2 more bones than we do because one of the joints in their feet moves differently. Other than that they’re the same, the same digestive system, the same reproductive systems, the same everything. The human body has 11 major systems and horses have the same systems.” 23:45

https://www.instagram.com/mustangmedicine
Instagram @hughvail

Welcome to The Observatory podcast! In this episode, hosts Scott and LaRae Wright are joined by Mimi and Chase from The Medicin Podcast. Discover their personal journey of faith, spirituality, and thriving business centered around medicinal mushrooms. Explore beyond dogmatic religion and embrace a holistic spiritual and physical health approach.

Main Topics

Journey Beyond Dogmatic Religion: Mimi and Chase share their exploration of Christianity and expansion beyond dogmatic religious beliefs. Join them as they discuss the transformative power of exploring different spiritual practices and embracing a broader perspective.

The Medicin's Vision and Mission: Learn about Mimi and Chase's business venture, The Medicin, which promotes healthier living through medicinal mushrooms. They introduce their rare and effective product, Immune Intel AHCC, and express their disappointment in the lack of therapeutic doses of mushrooms in many products on the market.

Importance of Structure in Health: Discover the significance of structure in both spiritual and physical health. Mimi and Chase emphasize the role of structure in personal growth, relationships, and overall well-being.

Action Items for Listeners:

• Explore different spiritual practices beyond dogmatic religion.
• Prioritize structure in both spiritual and physical health.
• Look for mushroom products with therapeutic doses and adaptogenic properties.
• Visit www.themedicin.com/ for their products and recommended items.
• Subscribe to the Medicin Drop newsletter for ongoing information and updates.

Notable Quotes:

• "We just spent three years figuring out that we had nothing figured out." - Mimi (07:14)
• "Everything is a relationship, and mushrooms are a perfect mascot for this idea." - Chase (12:14)
• "We often say that human relationships are just mirrors for our own self-development. And if we can start to look at not just romantic partnership, although that can be a domain that's maybe the most profound and provides the most opportunity for learning about oneself and integrating shadow and these projections that you put on others, but it can be every relationship as well." - Chase (14:55)
• "The new medicine will be sound medicine and earth medicine. As we go forward, that will become the predominant medicine for humanity." - LaRae (44:39)
• "Mushrooms are adaptogenic... they assess the needs of the body and they adapt to those unique needs." - Chase (57:36)

Conclusion: Join Mimi and Chase as they share their inspiring personal journey, business venture, and passion for medicinal mushrooms. Connect with them on Instagram at @Mimi_theMedicin and @the_chasen_one. Explore their website, for their products and recommended items. Don't forget to subscribe to their newsletter, the Medicin Drop, for ongoing insights and information. Remember to prioritize structure in your spiritual and physical health, explore different spiritual practices, and seek mushroom products with therapeutic doses. The Medicin Podcast and its offerings are here to support your journey toward a healthier and more balanced life.

https://www.themedicin.com/

Welcome to another enlightening episode of The Observatory podcast! In this episode, renowned social anthropologist, consciousness researcher, professor, and author Dr. Marilyn Schlitz joins hosts Scott and LaRae Wright. Get ready to embark on a fascinating journey as they delve into topics such as consciousness, transformative experiences, and integrating these practices into daily life.

Main Topics Consciousness and Transformative Experiences

• Dr. Marilyn Schlitz shares her vast research experiences and the current focus on studying the psychomanteum, a unique exploration of consciousness.
• The hosts discuss their personal journey of embracing a broader perspective on death and the natural processes of life, influenced by Dr. Schlitz's work.
• Reference to "The Toltec Art of Life and Death" by Don Miguel Ruiz highlights the significance of releasing past traumas and fears.

Transforming Fear and Integrating Transformative Practices

• Dr. Schlitz outlines the five essential elements of transformative practice: intention, attention, repetition, guidance, and surrender.
• Emphasizing seeking guidance through teachers, books, or podcasts and integrating transformative principles into various institutions and communities.
• Intention's role in communication and integration's power in personal growth and development.

COVID-19 and Personal Transformation

• The profound impact of the pandemic on personal growth and shifting perspectives is explored.
• Discover the positive aspects of introspection, utilize the time for creative and educational pursuits, and find inner strength during challenging times.
• Cultivating loving-kindness, empathy, and compassion in relationships and communication, particularly during disagreements, is highlighted.

Themes of Resilience and Conscious Relationships

• Gain insights into recognizing personal patterns and habits to facilitate positive change, along with the role of language and self-talk in personal growth.
• Explore "Love Study," the speaker's novel, which focuses on cultivating conscious couples and enhancing mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual communication.
• Hear personal anecdotes of transformative moments in diverse group settings and engaging scientific debates.

Coupling Beyond Physicality and Self-Actualization

• Discover the speaker's perspective on the importance of emotional, mental, and spiritual connections in relationships, recognizing the sacred power of physical union.
• Insights from the book "Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life" and practices like gratitude and mindfulness bring awareness and transformation into daily experiences.
• Addressing loneliness in the digital age, promoting compassion, empathy, and the power of community to elevate collective consciousness.

Exploration of Consciousness and Grief Processing

• Uncover the frontier of consciousness research and the speaker's involvement in evaluating theories beyond the brain.
• Learn about the speaker's current research on the psychomanteum, a sensory deprivation procedure used for grief processing, and its profound impact on grief and bereavement.

Surrender, Safety, and Technological Advancements

• The importance of surrender and inner safety in practices like hypnosis and creative thinking is explored.
• Discover different avenues to achieve transformative experiences, including drum circles and the potential benefits of psychedelics.
• Gain insights into the speaker's interest in the research and therapeutic use of psychedelics, approaching artificial intelligence without fear and focusing on elevating consciousness.

Notable Quotes

• "So those are the five elements of the transformative practice. And then finding a way to ground that in community, being able to live in the sense that we are part of a greater whole, being part of the natural environment, I think it's really important for people." - Dr. Marilyn Schlitz (Timestamp: 12:47)
• "And the most powerful union we can have as human beings is that physical union that we have. It creates life. And I think it's important that we hold that sacredness, not in the old dogmatic religious way, but in the essence of what it actually truly is." - Scott, 27:50.
• "Curiosity, I think, is what if people can stay curious and then they want to engage in what comes next? Yeah, I love that. Curious is the perfect word. I like that word too, because curiosity is the root of the beginning of creation." - Speaker 1, 43:17
• "But let's step into and elevate this consciousness to a higher level so that we're in a higher vibration or frequency of loving each other instead of being fearful of each other. Love and fear are the two really counter energies that we're really seeing now on the planet." - Scott, 48:41

Conclusion Prepare to be captivated as the Dr. Schlitz recalls an intriguing interview with an android named Sophia, contemplating death and consciousness. Stay tuned as they express their curiosity about experiencing a black hole. To explore more of Dr. Marilyn Schlitz's work, visit their website and check out their thought-provoking books: https://marilynschlitz.com/