In this episode I sit down with a returning guest, my friend John Slattery who serves as a bioregional herbalist in the American Southwest. During our talk, John shares his stories and knowledge about what he has learned while delving into his self-discovery journey in connecting with his European heritage. John talks about his travels to Ireland, South America, and more. John discusses some of the unconventional knowledge and ideas about the history and spiritual landscape of the indigenous European peoples, especially in Ireland. We discuss ties to the landscape, animism, storytelling, and the importance of a personal spirituality tied to the land and its energies, among so many other topics. Don’t miss this intriguing episode!

Contact John:

John’s Website

John’s Facebook Page

John’s Instagram

Desert Tortoise Botanicals Website

John’s Books

·      Southwest Medicinal Plants

·      Southwest Foraging

Book Recommendations:

Irish Wisdom Preserved in Bible and Pyramids, by: Conor MacDari

How the Irish Saved Civilization, by: Thomas Cahill

Join me for a discussion with Jahan Khamsehzadeh, Ph.D., psychedelic guide, teacher, researcher, and journeyer with over 20 years of formal and informal research, has taken 1000+ personal psychedelic plant medicine journeys, and guided almost 700 journeys for others. Jahan astutely guides us through what psychedelics are and some specific medicines as well as the natural active compounds they offer. Jahan speaks to the human evolutionary history of psychedelic use including the indigenous use of mind-altering plant medicines for healing and connection as well as the role of animism in human history and the ability of psychedelics to reveal a sense of consciousness or aliveness in all aspects of the natural world. Jahan discusses the current research on the nature connective and pro-environmental influence of psychedelic use on people. Lastly, Jahan offers guidance for those seeking out experiences with psychedelic plant medicines including harm reduction, self-education, and safety considerations.

Connect with Jahan:

Jahan’s Website: https://psychedelicevolution.org

Social Media:

·      Jahan’s Facebook

·      Jahan’s Instagram

Jahan’s Book: The Psilocybin Connection: Psychedelics, the Transformation of Consciousness, and Evolution on the Planet

Book Mentions from Jahan (Listed in Order of Appearance):

·      Darwin’s Pharmacy: Sex, Plants, and the Evolution of the Noosphere, by: Richard M. Doyle

·      Animals and Psychedelics: The Natural World and the Instinct to Alter Consciousness, by: Giorgio Samorini

·      The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World, by: Michael Pollan

·      Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures, by: Merlin Sheldrake

·      How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, by: Michael Pollan

·      Magic Mushroom Explorer: Psilocybin and the Awakening Earth, by: Simon G. Powell

Book Recommends for Those New to Psychedelics

·      The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself, by: Sean Carroll

·      The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, by: James Fadiman, Ph.D.

·      Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth, by: Françoise Bourzat

·      LSD and the Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven, by: Christopher M. Bache

·      Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge, A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution, by: Terence McKenna

Join me for a discussion with Ruby Pinyuh-Derovan, an experienced and skilled outdoor guide who leads young people on life-changing excursions into wild places. We talk about the power of nature and long-term wilderness experiences in shaping our lives, the importance of community and shared experiences in nature, and of course, some great wilderness expedition stories where trials are faced, lessons are learned, and one story in particular where a group of intrepid explorers utilize previously gifted indigenous knowledge to traverse a landscape by watercraft. You don’t want to pass up on this fascinating conversation with someone who lives her life traversing through and sharing the natural world in a thoughtful, intuitive, and healing way.

Discussion with Rick Berry, student of Tom Brown Jr. and founder of the 4 Elements Earth Education school, about the life, teachings, and legacy of Tom Brown Jr.

Tom Brown Jr. Books

4 Elements Earth Education (founded by Rick Berry)

Discussion with Wendolyn Bird, former outdoor preschool/summer camp director and nature-infused parenting coach. We talk about techniques for mindfully dealing with the difficult but rewarding task of parenting and how to infuse nature into our parenting journey and create mindful, helpful, and nature-connected children.

Connect with Wendolyn:
- https://wendolynbird.com

Book Recommendations:
- How to Calm a Tantrum in 17 Seconds: From Chaos to Calm: Discovering Nature’s Path to Peaceful Parenting (eBook), by: Wendolyn Bird

- Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans, by: Michaeleen Doucleff

- Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One), by: Dr. Deborah MacNamara

- Trails, Tails & Tidepools in Pails, by: Docents of Nurserty Nature Walks

- Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature, by: Jon Young, Ellen Haas, & Evan McGown

Join me and co-host Fil Tkaczyk for a “proper yarn” with Tyson Yunkaporta about:

·      The idea of what it means to live within and through multiple associations, ideals, and ways of thinking.

·      Tyson’s indigenous and cultural roots.

·      How everything that is real about who we are is not necessarily only within ourselves, but within the connections of our relations.

·      What a “proper yarn” is and means.

·      Developing a relationship with place and society’s ideas of who should have a voice based on perceived identities and social fragmentation.

·      The idea of emergence for cultural change and tracking patterns.

·      How everything in the world is surrounded by sex and death.

Connect with Tyson:

Deakin University Faculty Profile

Book Recommendations:

Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World,  by: Tyson Yunkaporta

Connect with Fil:

[email protected]

Animism: Listening to the Land Podcast on Apple

Animism: Listening to the Land Podcast Facebook Page

Animism: Listening to the Land Podcast Instagram Page

A short episode discussing the lyrics of the song "Alie Nation" written by the late John Trudell and performed by the musical group "The Halluci Nation" (formerly "A Tribe Called Red"). I offer a personal interpretation of the lyrics, discussing the two different mindsets one may adopt, that of an indigenous way of thinking which may lead to healing, connection, and sacredness, or that of a post-modern western societal way of thinking which embraces separateness, numb, trauma, and materialism.

Alie Nation Youtube Video

Halluci Nation Article

Halluci Nation Article

John Trudell Wikipedia Page

In this eighth episode of my tracking series I had the fortune to catch up with avid hunter, tracker, and CyberTracker evaluator Brian McConnell. In our discussion we cover a lot of ground (pun intended). Brian fills us in on his background as a young man being taught by his dad how to hunt in the Arkansas woods, then learning intuitively to trail deer, and finally, later in life, connecting with a class offering formal training in tracking techniques which helped him refine his craft to the point of earning a specialist level on his second ever trailing evaluation, then becoming an evaluator shortly after. Brian shares his knowledge on:

·      How a trailing evaluation unfolds and what the evaluator is scoring the tracker on

·      How he uses tracking to inform and support his hunting activities, especially for deer and elk

·      Tells us some hunting stories, showcasing how 90% of the elk he takes are done so by trailing right to the animal

·      Gives us some practical tips on how to begin learning the art of trailing, especially for hunting purposes

Connect with Brian

https://trackercertification.com/evaluators/

Book Recommendations

Dersu the Trapper, by: V.K. Arseniev

The Jim Corbett Omnibus, by: Jim Corbett (Includes “Man-eaters of Kumaon”, “The Temple Tiger and More Man-eaters of Kumaon”, and “The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag”)

In response to a question from a listener, I tell the story of where the coyote howl recording from my intro came from. It is a very special story, near and dear to my heart, and discusses my experience with a pair of coyotes while searching for a quality sit spot area.  Stick around after the outro music to hear a 5 minute sample of all the coyote vocalizations from the story.

In this Wilderness and Wellness “Short”, I introduce the inaugural episode for a new format that I plan to start releasing and delve into a passage from Eckhart Tolle's "Oneness With All Life". Based on Eckhart's teachings in this passage I discuss the way that the thinking mind perceives organic natural spaces as chaos, whereas the quiet mind of "being" perceives a sacred order. I offer commentary on the importance of the "being mind" while in nature to develop a participatory relationship with other living beings and garner the personal and planetary health and wellness benefits that will ensue.