Bölümler

  • A couple of weeks ago, I received an email out of the blue from James Aldred, a producer on BBC Radio’s The Late Show. He had come across my book, Chimera, and read my accounts of what happened during that incredibly intense time through my guest blog post for the charity Young Lives Vs Cancer. He asked if I would be up for recording an interview with the show’s host, Jim Davis, the very next day.

    Of course, I said yes. As an independent artist, one of the most difficult issues to deal with is getting your work in front of people. So for the BBC to want to publicise my story and my book – well, you don’t say no. The Late Show, for those that don’t know, is a weekday evening show recorded in London but broadcast simultaneously across the UK’s network of 39 BBC local radio stations, a nightly audience of a few hundred thousand.The original link on the Sounds app is here. The Interview starts at 22mins, and continues at 30mins.I hope you enjoy this interview, it was great to talk with Jim about that crazy time and the raw and poignant book that emerged out of it. You can check the book out at any of the following locations, or ask your local bookshop to order it for you.Amazon Audible Bookshop.orgSpotifyIf you feel so moved it, please help me out by leaving a review if the book wherever you can. Good Reads is a great place to start.Thanks, as ever, for your support.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Sian is a vocalist, composer, musical director, and co-founder of NYX Electronic Drone Choir, based in London, UK.

    NYX is an electronic drone choir and otherworldly electric chorus, re-embodying live electronics and extended vocal techniques. NYX are reshaping the role of the traditional female choir, testing the limits of organic and synthetic modulation to explore the full spectrum of collective female voice as an instrument.

    Sian is a bubbling creative force, and I hope you enjoy this deep dive into her background, her process, and the formation of her primary artistic project. From singing opera as a teenager in New Zealand, to working at London Contemporary Voices, and now as an established artist in her own right. Much love and thanks to Sian for sharing her time and energy.

    If you enjoy this podcast, please share it wherever feels appropriate. Subscribing to the feed allows you to hear the latest episodes first, as well as receive my latest writing – articles, essays, and book excerpts.

    The track you hear in this episode can be purchased on their Bandcamp page. Do explore their other releases, there is so much magic to be heard.

    For all things NYX, including live dates and their forthcoming album go and check out their website. You can also find them on Instagram @nyx.edc



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Eksik bölüm mü var?

    Akışı yenilemek için buraya tıklayın.

  • Charlotte Pulver is a modern-day alchemist and ceremonial facilitator, born into the Pulver lineage of apothecarians.

    She has a background in natural healthcare, studying and practising various systems of healing – including Tibetan Medicine – for more than twenty years. Her work is rooted in a love for making medicines, which she sells through ‘Pulver’s Apothecary’. She teaches intuitive herbalism and medicine-making and leads a variety of pilgrimages, ceremonies and workshops at auspicious times throughout the year.

    CONNECT WITH CHARLOTTE

    Charlotte on Instagram

    Charlotte on Facebook

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Lumieres on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • I first met Gwyn in his native Snowdonia when he was a guest teacher on the Dadeni course. We walked out into the mountains and Gwyn told us tales of the Welsh fairy folk, the Tylwyth Teg, echoes from the past alive but very much in the here and now, connected to the land and the people of the area where these stories are still told and continue to evolve today.

    If you like stories, then you are in for a real treat, as Gwyn has one of the most comforting and grounding voices I know of. This episode was recorded as all these podcast episodes are, in person, in the room. I visited Gwyn at his house late last year, we caught up over tea, ate beans on toast and duly fed, settled in to record

    Diolch Gwyn for making the time to speak with me and for carrying and spreading these stories.

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Lumieres on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Along with his wife Christine, Dr. Stephen Hugh-Jones spent two years in the late 1960s living alongside a village of Yucuna Indians in the Colombian Amazon, learning about their language, their customs, cosmology and cultural traditions. They were even initiated into the tribe and given new names, forever connecting them to this community on the other side of the world.

    Stephen shares his journey into anthropology and his life-long research and support of the Yucuna people he became so close to. He also recounts in vivid detail the Yurupari initiation rite he undertook back then, which involved a hefty dose of Ayahuasca in the darkness, amongst many other things.

    This is an absolutely fascinating conversation for anyone interested in hearing first-hand how an indigenous culture with minimal western influence operates. You’ll even hear about the story of The Spirit Without An Anus!

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Lumieres on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • I first met Owen Shiers back in 2011 down in Devon where we were both on the same intake of The Journey, the flagship course run by Mac MacCartney and his team at Embercombe.

    Since that time Owen has moved back to his native Wales and in 2019 he put out his first album, a musical project with a difference. ‘Dilyn Afon’ (or ‘Following A River’) is the result of three years research and work, collecting arranging and recording folk songs from Ceredigion. This a project which aims to put West Wales and its fragile traditions firmly back on the musical map.

    It's an evocative, timeless work and I highly encourage everyone to seek it out.

    The word ‘cynefin’ itself is swaddled in layers of meaning – a Welsh noun with no direct equivalent in English, its origins lie in a farming term used to describe the habitual tracks and trails worn by animals in hillsides. The word has since morphed and deepened to conjure a very personal sense of place, belonging and familiarity.

    I spoke to Owen about his journey to making the record, what it means to be cultural conservationist, and how urgent it is that we stop standing by while our heritage slips slowly into extinction.

    CONNECT WITH OWEN

    Owen's Website

    Owen on Instagram

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • If I said the word endometriosis to you, would you know what it meant? March is endometriosis awareness month, a debilitating and difficult-to-diagnoses disease that affects 1 in 10 women.

    In this episode, my wonderful friend Justine squire, who is a amazing circus artist and performer, goes deep into her own lifelong journey to her diagnosis and unmasks many of the myths around what this disease actually is and how it can be more widely understood and therefore treated.

    It takes courage to come on a podcast and speak about what is a very personal issue, and so I want to say a very special thank you to Justine for being up for this, and being such an exceedingly well-prepared, well-researched interviewee! She really drops the knowledge so be prepared to learn a lot - I know I did.

    EPISODE RESOURCES

    Pain and Prejudice: A call to arms for women and their bodies by Gabriella Jackson

    https://nancysnookendo.com/ - for information and advice on Endometriosis.

    https://insixteenyears.com/ - Endometriosis-focused podcast with a personal, humour-led touch.

    https://thebotanicclinic.com/about - Betty specialises in treating the disease with herbal & alternative medicine.

    CONNECT WITH JUSTINE

    Justine's Website

    Justine on Instagram

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Eric Maddern is a storyteller, an author and the founder and steward of Cae Mabon, a magical eco-retreat and learning centre in Snowdonia, North Wales.

    They host all sorts of courses, ranging from singing and voice work, to clowning, herbalism, mythology, yoga, and natural building. It’s a place that is very dear to me having spent quite a lot of time there over the past few years.

    On this episode, I asked Eric to tell his own fascinating story, and weave it into the quite miraculous tale of how Cae Mabon came to be. He’s told it many times over the years, so I really appreciate him taking the time to revisit it for the podcast and for this audio time-capsule!

    Big thanks go to Eric for making time to speak with me. I must say, I find his rich voice to be a very soothing listen and I do hope you enjoy this episode.

    CONNECT WITH ERIC

    Cae Mabon Website

    Cae Mabon Instagram

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Lumieres on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Dani Tonks is a somatic coach and movement teacher, who runs a variety of body-focused classes, workshops and retreats, both online and in-person.

    Somatic work is very much about re-connecting us to the innate wisdom of the body, allowing it to guide us to what we need, as you will hear and experience in this very episode.

    I feel very privileged as this is Dani's first ever podcast. Thanks Dani for trusting me with your story and your journey. This is a powerful conversation and I do hope you all get something from it.

    CONNECT WITH DANI

    Dani's Website

    Dani on Instagram

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Lumieres on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Today is the day that my first book, Chimera, is released!

    Chimera: Living Through Leukaemia, A Memoir – to give it it’s full title – is the alchemical story of my teenage near-death initiation. Here's the blurb:

    Jody White’s eighteenth year of life filled his heart with young love – only to break him apart. Diagnosed with a rare form of Acute Leukaemia, he was given just two weeks to live

    After a whirlwind of intensive treatment, and close to death, he dreamed his way into the care of a wizened cowboy, his own personal SWAT team, and a mysterious old crone who wanders the desert collecting wolf bones.

    Chimera is an alchemical dive into teenage illness, a near-death initiation framed by the innate, mythic stories that touch all our lives.

    I’m really proud and excited about this book. And I still can’t quite believe it’s actually out there starting it’s journey in the world.

    I decided to launch it with a crowdfunder. Over 100 backers raised around £5K to support the production of the first copies of the book, with 20% of that going to charity. This was a very special moment for me and I’m so thankful to all those who supported the project. If any of you are listening, once again, thankyou so very much.

    Because not only was there the pandemic to contend with, the latter half of 2021 also brought with it perhaps the most stressful six months in my personal life I think I’ve ever I’ve been through. Without going into too much detail, with all the challenge and emotional turmoil that was stirred up, there were days I wasn’t sure quite how I was going to move forward. Yet quite bizarrely, there was still an underlying sense that it was all part of the flow of my life, something to be ridden out, rather than raged against. Dedicating myself to finishing the book got me through.

    But this is a podcast Jody, I hear you ask? Yes, it is. And…. I have also been recording an audiobook version of Chimera for all of you who prefer to listen to your literature these days. Seems to be an ever-growing number of folks actually, myself included.

    Whilst that is a couple of months away from being done, as a very special book launch day treat, I thought I’d present the first two chapters exclusively here now for you lovely listeners. If you’re still with me after all this time off, then you are hardcore and I salute you to the absolute max.

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Tchad Blake is an audio engineer and producer, primarily known for his creative, world-class mixing. His work on records by The Black Keys, Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega have won him several Grammy awards.

    The list of artists he has worked with is seriously impressive, from Peter Gabriel to Crowded House, Tom Waits, The Pretenders, Fiona Apple, Arctic Monkeys and many more.

    It just so happens that Tchad lives in the Welsh hills a short trip north, so when my friend Emanation put us in touch I was really excited to sit down and chat with an industry legend, putting a body and a face to a name I saw pop up on the back of my Pearl Jam and Joseph Arthur CDs growing up.

    Tchad is humble, gracious and a very funny guy, happy to share stories from his life in music. From the early days as an LA studio assistant, to forming a long-term partnership with producer Mitchell Froom, moving to the UK, working at Real World and settling down in Wales with his wife Jackie to raise their two boys.

    For those local to the Powys area, and for those interested, a shout out to the fantastic organisations Tchad mentions towards the end of our chat:

    Mid-Powys Youth Theatre

    The Willow Globe

    Impelo Dance Centre

    Big thanks to Tchad for making the time to talk with me. I hope you enjoy this conversation.

    CONNECT WITH TCHAD

    Tchad on Instagram

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Today we are going to talk about death, because, lets face it, as a culture we really need to. Despite it being an intrinsic part of being alive, something that will happen to everybody, we really don’t like to talk about it. Our medical system will do anything to prevent it happening, sometimes despite the very wishes of the patient themselves.

    When did you last hear a friend tell you they’d been working on their will, or that they’d chosen a song they’d like played at the ceremonial commemoration of their life? How do we feel about our dying, about these close to us dying? Do we have a plan for a our death? It’s time we got these conversations going publicly and privately.

    Death is in the air right now. With so much talk about death tolls, some saying the virus rates have been over-inflated, some saying they’ve been deliberately under-reported and the real count is much higher. Its hard to know who to believe. Either way, as a society we are still incredibly frightened of this part of life, understandably. By its very nature we can know nothing of what actually happens, but depending on your belief system, we can have a pretty good guess and that's enough for most.

    For myself, coming within a hair’s breath of dying at a young age re-framed my life as nothing less than a blessed gift, a second-chance at being here for which I am forever grateful. I think there is a lot of peace to be found in coming to terms with our dying and the deaths of others. It is the fundamental nature of life: all things will end. How can this truth teach us to live more fully while we are able?

    I’ve noticed more conversation around death awareness in podcasts recently, with Russell Brand talking to Amanda Palmer and my previous guest Manda Scott going into the subject on a recent episode of her Accidental Gods project.

    So here is a contribution to the cauldron from myself and my guest today, Sophia Campbell. Sophia is a basket maker and weaver of coffins. Her own encounters with death have come in a very personal way with the passing of her mother and sister and as you’ll hear, it was actually through her grieving process after her Mum died that she began working with baskets and weaving willow.

    CONNECT WITH SOPHIA

    Sophia's Website – wovenfarewell.co.uk

    Sophia on Instagram

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    www.jodywhite.co.uk

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Sam Gandy is a an ecologist, writer, speaker and researcher whose special interest lies in examining the capacity of psychedelic substances to dramatically and radically shift our interactions with the natural world for the betterment of all.

    In this episode, Sam shares his journey from his early forays into consciousness exploration and the wonders of nature, through his academic studies into soil and living systems. We talk about the value of psychedelics and how their expanding use can be harnessed as a force for good in this rapidly changing world.

    As well as his role as Scientific Assistant to the Director of the Beckley Foundation, Sam recently collaborated on a ground-breaking study with the Centre for Psychedelic Research team at Imperial College, London. Their findings demonstrated a reliable and robust positive association between psychedelic use and nature relatedness. This study and others like it are vitally important as we enter a new paradigm in which the value of psychedelics as tools for deeply positive change is undisputable and backed by science.

    Be sure to read Sam's latest article for Eco Hustler, a perfect companion piece to this episode of the podcast.

    CONNECT WITH SAM

    Psychedelics and Nature Connection – EcoHustler

    TEDx Oxford – From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics and Nature Connection

    Imperial College Study on Psychedelics and Nature Connection

    Sam @ Breaking Convention 2019 – Psychedelic Biophilia

    Sam @ Breaking Convention 2017 – Dying to Live

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • I first heard the name Manda Scott many years ago from the wonderful Mac Macartney down at Embercombe in Devon (where co-incidentally Manda is teaching this November). He was talking about how her historial fiction books, the Boudica series, had been dreamed into being. A shamanic author? I was intrigued and made a mental note.

    Manda is an award-winning novelist as well as an experienced shamanic dreaming teacher, running her own courses for the past fifteen years. I knew she'd make the perfect person to pick up the thread of this podcast with. Along with her partner Faith Tilleray, she recently birthed an extremely potent new project. Accidental Gods is the culmination of a year's intense dreaming, meditating and planning. Accidental Gods is a podcast, a website portal and a framework for conscious evolution. It's a bold and timely initiative that has the potential to be extremely beneficial to many people, regardless of background or experience. I urge you to check it out.

    In this episode you'll hear Manda share her journey from veterinary surgeon, through shamanism and dreaming, into best-selling novelist. Manda unpacks the Accidental Gods project in depth and we talk about the state of the world, where the hope lies and what we can do to allow the next steps to emerge.

    Many thanks to Manda for her time and graciousness and to you for listening, liking, sharing and subscribing. I really appreciate your support.

    CONNECT WITH MANDA

    www.mandascott.co.uk

    www.dreamingawake.co.uk

    www.accidentalgods.life

    Manda on Twitter

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Ian Marchant lives five minutes walk from my house in Presteigne. I'd heard his name mentioned here and there, and after meeting Bob Rowberry a few months ago (and learning about Ian's book based on Bob's adventures) it felt like a very natural progression to pop round to Ian's for a chat. In this episode you'll hear about his life as a writer, what it's like to reinvent contemporary British trainspotting and be interviewed by Noel Edmonds, as well as a deep dive into the topics covered by his important new book A Hero For High Times: A Younger Reader’s Guide to the Beats, Hippies, Freaks, Punks, Ravers, New-Age Travellers and Dog-on-a-Rope Brew Crew Crusties of the British Isles, 1956–1994 (Jonathan Cape, 2018).

    Roger Lewis, writing in The Times, has already called it “a seditious, crackpot, transcendental riot… my book of the year, and it’s only February.” I've just ordered my copy and I would ask you to consider doing the same. I'm genuinely excited to learn more about this period of immense counter-cultural influence which happened before I really came of age. I'm hoping it can help fill in the large gaps in my understanding of my own cultural heritage and I have a feeling it will provide many laughs along the way!

    On a personal level, there is something beautifully fitting about the fact I now live in this small town in the Welsh borders in which the man who has written such a book also resides. I feel among friends. As I mentioned last time, it has been perfect timing to meet Ian and an honour to be able to release an episode of the podcast to coincide with the publication of the book.

    I really hope you enjoy this episode, we had a lot of fun and I can safely say you will learn a thing or three!

    CONNECT WITH IAN:

    Ian's Website

    Ian on Facebook

    Ian on Twitter

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Deep in a wood in a valley in the Marches of Wales, by an abandoned railway line, there lives a 75 year old man called Bob Rowberry. His home is an ancient school bus whose engine has died and whose wheels have fallen off.

    A Hero For High Times is the story of how he ended up in this broken down bus, on this abandoned line, in this forgotten part of the world. It tells of how, along the way, Procul Harum were named after his cat, how he sold Owsley acid to RD Laing, of how he annoyed Saddam Hussein and the IRA, and how he was freed from jail in Mexico by a popular uprising of the peasantry who had come to know him as ‘El Maestro’.

    It’s also the story of his times, and the ideas that shaped him. It’s a story of why you know your birth sign, why you have friends called Willow, why Yoko Ono affected how we eat much more than Linda McCartney ever did, why sex and drugs and rock and roll once mattered more than money, why dance music stopped the New Age Travellers from travelling, and why you need to think twice before taking the brown acid.

    – from Ian Marchant‘s new book, A Hero For High Times (Jonathan Cape, 2018) – extract repeated here with the kind permission of Ian.

    This is the second part of my conversation with Bob Rowberry. The next episode will feature a wonderful hour in the esteemed company of the aforementioned author of A Hero For High Times, Mr Ian Marchant himself. This will be released on the very same day as the book is launched. I didn't actually plan it like that but it's worked out perfectly!

    Special thanks once again to Jayne Worthington for the wonderful portrait photography.

    CONNECT WITH BOB:

    Bob on Facebook

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Deep in a wood in a valley in the Marches of Wales, by an abandoned railway line, there lives a 75 year old man called Bob Rowberry. His home is an ancient school bus whose engine has died and whose wheels have fallen off.

    A Hero For High Times is the story of how he ended up in this broken down bus, on this abandoned line, in this forgotten part of the world. It tells of how, along the way, Procul Harum were named after his cat, how he sold Owsley acid to RD Laing, of how he annoyed Saddam Hussein and the IRA, and how he was freed from jail in Mexico by a popular uprising of the peasantry who had come to know him as ‘El Maestro’.

    It’s also the story of his times, and the ideas that shaped him. It’s a story of why you know your birth sign, why you have friends called Willow, why Yoko Ono affected how we eat much more than Linda McCartney ever did, why sex and drugs and rock and roll once mattered more than money, why dance music stopped the New Age Travellers from travelling, and why you need to think twice before taking the brown acid.

    – from Ian Marchant‘s new book, A Hero For High Times (Jonathan Cape, 2018) – extract repeated here with the kind permission of Ian.

    I first heard about Bob from friends we were staying with last Autumn, apparently he was a well-known local character. The more they described this charismatic, resourceful man who lived by himself in the woods in an old school bus, the more I knew I had to meet him. Bob is a man who has really lived the life of an adventurer, unafraid to take risks and to seek out the unusual. There is something feline about him, as if he has lived several lives. He certainly has plenty of tales and he loves to tell them. I was eager to record Bob talking about his adventures, so here we are.

    After you've listened to the episode, (of which there will be two parts) why not pop over to your local book-selling-outlet and order a copy of Ian's new book for a richer exploration of themes woven through Bob's story. Bob is a very gifted metal worker and jeweller who regularly posts his work on Facebook. if you're lucky and he's in a good mood, you might even be able to commission something from him.

    Grab yourself a hot brew and take a seat by the burner as I joined Bob in the bus for a twist-turning conversation about his life.

    CONNECT WITH BOB:

    Bob on Facebook

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • A bit of backstory for you… I first met Sophia years ago at what was then Wildheart Gathering where she was leading a singing workshop and I went along to participate. That experience touched me and we kept in touch. As life would have it, a couple of years later she move into the shared house I lived in, nestled in the shadow of the South Downs, and we spent a couple of years bonding over all the good stuff – music, spirituality, mildly inappropriate humour, cooking and being a little bit OCD about cleaning! She is a very dear friend of mine and I've been privy to witness the sheer determination and talent in what she does, as well experience the deeply unifying, heart-warming feelings that often result from one of her singing sessions.

    Sophia is a very busy woman, running a handful of extremely popular choirs in the South-East of England as well as holding singing circles at various festivals. She's even offering a singing holiday to Turkey next year on a boat! She is a warm, frequently hilarious and genuine soul who really embodies the message I'm trying to put across via the medium of this podcast; she shines her unique light into the world. Back before this project even started, I asked her about coming on as I knew it would make for a fascinating listen. For one reason or another we kept missing each other until a few weeks back in November when I was down in Sussex staying at the old house. The time was right, we had a wonderful chat and I'm very happy to present this episode to you now on this December day of light, sun, the closing of another cycle and the steady return of longer, warmer days to our wild northerly shores.

    CONNECT WITH SOPHIA

    Singing Ourselves Home

    Facebook

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Hello listeners,

    I do hope you are navigating through these vibrant times with a sense of inner balance and a kindness of heart. As I'm sure we all know, that's not always possible and for a multitude of reasons we all go through periods of struggle, both inner and outer.

    Whenever life knocks me off-kilter I find immense worth in making a little space for myself. Time to feel into which areas of my life may be out of balance or in need of some honest self-reflection. I ponder what actions I can take to re-calibrate such circumstances. There are many many layers and masks to both recognise and potentially remove on this journey, but simply starting the process off by acknowledging the struggle helps makes it real and brings it into conscious awareness.

    In my experience, many of the common anxieties that we all face from time to time can often be traced back to our societal disconnection from the rest of the natural world. I wrote an article for Rebelle Society earlier this year on this very subject which gathered some great responses so do check that out if you feel drawn.

    Right then, on with the show…. I invite you to listen and slowly absorb this wonderful conversation I had with with Rachel Corby, plant whisperer and medicine woman. It's one of my favourite episodes and I reckon there is something for everyone here in a evolving chat which moves from Rachel's introduction to Plant Spirit Medicine in South America to the current ecological crisis and our responses to it.

    Reflections and thoughts are welcome via Facebook or Instagram, or contact me via the form on this website. If you enjoyed this podcast, learned something or feel suitably inspired, then please consider sharing it with your friends and social networks. I'd be most grateful.

    CONNECT WITH RACHEL

    Wild Gaian Soul Website

    Twitter

    Facebook

    Instagram

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com
  • Thanks for tuning in to The Lumieres Podcast fellow humaniacs!

    If you enjoy pondering how exactly technology and the evolution of human perception is really tied together then this episode will delight your imagination. I was lucky enough to sit down with a man who really does embody the phrase “a gentleman and a scholar” – I'm of course talking about Carl Smith, Director of the Learning Technology Research Centre (LTRC) at London's Ravensbourne University.

    Carl's work helps pioneer technological experimentation and research for the advancement of human cognition, and he has an innate ability to discern both the benefits and potential problems inherent within these experimental technologies. What this means is that not only is he aware of how positive experiences of context engineering can be curated and the impacts they can have, he takes it further, envisioning the resolution of some of our current societal issues through new and innovative projects such as [WEKIT] Wearable Experience for Knowledge Intensive Training.

    This is also a man who also has the honour of being one of the first people ever to be legally administered with LSD and DMT for two groundbreaking studies into the neuropsychopharmacology of psychedelic compounds at Imperial College in association with the Beckley Foundation. His resumé is pretty damn impressive!

    I do hope you'll find this episode illuminating and thought-provoking and I highly encourage you to check out the links to a few of Carl's talks at Breaking Convention if you want to find out more about the way his mind works.

    CONNECT WITH CARL

    Carl Smith at Ravensbourne

    Boundaries And Application Areas Of Perceptual Technologies To Create Non-Drug ACSs @ Breaking Convention 2017

    Context Engineering Consciousness Using Hybrid Technologies @ Breaking Convention 2015

    Carl H Smith – The Development of a Hybrid Ecology Framework for Psychedelic Technologies @ Breaking Convention 2015

    CONNECT WITH JODY

    Jody on Instagram

    Jody's Website

    SUPPORT

    Support the show on Patreon.

    MUSIC

    Six Organs of Admittance

    Drag City Records



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeinfractals.substack.com