Episode 176 - Turning to Wisdom

This episode of Living Myth begins with an ancient creation story in which the creator experiences doubt and makes a serious mistake at the very beginning of creation. Ever since then people have been having doubts and making mistakes. The current period of pandemic has been marked by tragic mistakes of judgement as well as mistaken policies that affect all of our lives. In the old creation story, a surprising turn of events brings wisdom into the world as an antidote to unnecessary mistakes and destructive lies. There may be no better time than now for a return of wisdom as a medicine for all that ails the world. Thank you for listening to and supporting this podcast. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his new live online series “Touching the Soul of the World” that begins on Friday, May 22. Register and learn more at: mosaicvoices.org/events. You can save 30% on this series, and receive additional podcast content each month, by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. F...

Episode 175 - The Power of Imagination

This episode of Living Myth considers the importance of imagination when facing complicated challenges. As the world seems to go upside down, we can find ourselves in a kind of underworld where raw emotions, oppositional energies, and delusional thinking become magnified. In these increasingly anxious times, the sense of powerlessness and fear of the unknown can cause a desperate need to find simple answers for truly complicated issues. In that sense, the COVID-19 pandemic doesn't just present a challenging medical situation; it also creates a challenge to human imagination. The more restrictive the basic attitudes of individuals or groups tend to be, the more negative and destructive the effects of a changing world will seem to them. Where a person, group or a whole society feels most restricted, that is where the greatest lack of imagination will be found. Imagination is the deepest power of the human soul. In the end, innovation, as well as liberation, derives from the sense that...

Episode 174 - A Matter of Life and Death

This episode begins with the idea that there are two levels of myth. The first level involves narratives used to shape and manipulate people’s beliefs. Such a “lesser myth” appeared when Donald Trump fashioned a story that deepened the divisions between people, while convincing some that he was the “only one” who could fix their lives. As one journalist stated, "Trump can get his facts wrong as long as he gets his myth right. He can commit a million scandals, but his followers don't see them as long as they remain embedded within that myth." The second level of myth opens pathways to a deeper understanding of life and a greater appreciation for the core values of humanity. Whereas the false narratives depend upon the exclusion of “others,” the greater myths lead to a sense of profound unity. The second level of myth verifies and supports the felt sense that “we are all in this together.” At this critical and perilous moment in the coronavirus pandemic, following the false m...

Episode 173 - A Crisis of Leadership

This episode of Living Myth opens with the idea that the coronavirus pandemic causes a greater activation of both the archetype of the healer and that of the leader. In order to consider how failures of leadership can undermine even the most heroic attempts at healing, Michael Meade turns to an ancient myth from India. When Indra, the prototype for all subsequent leaders, becomes wildly inflated and endlessly demanding, the growing sense of chaos threatens the entire realm of life. In the myth an intervention on the part of the gods reduces the hubris of the ruler and brings balance back to the realm. At this critical time on earth, an awakening of genuine and inspired leadership may have to come from the hearts and minds of a multitude and diversity of people in order for even greater tragedies to be avoided. Thank you for listening to and supporting this podcast. You can hear Michael Meade live by joining his ongoing online series “A Time of Transformation on Earth” that continu...

Episode 172 - The Making of the Earth

On this Earth Day episode of Living Myth, Michael Meade tells a myth of the origin of the earth. The tale begins when a divine woman falls from the sky and is saved by birds and other animals. After giving birth to twins who represent hard-hearted and kind-hearted ways of being, the lady who fell from heaven becomes the living spirit of the earth. When the conflict between the hard and the gentle twins intensifies, the whole world goes out of balance. As things reach a global tipping point, the spirit of the earth directly offers encouragement and guidance to the kind-hearted twin. After outlining how conditions on earth, including the climate crisis and the current pandemic, parallel the conflicts at the beginning of time, Meade concludes: “Those who learn to listen to the earth develop qualities of devotion and fierce compassion. They become capable of creating and sustaining places of refuge and sanctuary and they become the friends of the Earth and the agents of ongoing creatio...

Episode 171 - To Not Miss Your Star

This episode begins with a series of contrasting words that can characterize some of the responses to the current pandemic. Disaster is a star word that means to “miss your star” and find catastrophe instead, and destiny, which means to “follow your star” to your soul’s destination. Meade considers leadership through the contrast between being a tyrant and having genuine nobility and that leads to the old idea that a true king sacrifices for the benefit of the people. He then offers an antidote to all the confusion, suffering and loss by addressing the star spark in each of our souls that can guide us through the dark times we are in. Thank you for listening to and supporting this podcast. We are excited to announce a new live online series with Michael Meade beginning on Friday, April 17 that addresses the great crises we now face and considers how to respond from a deep place of soul and radical resilience. Register and learn more at: mosaicvoices.org/events. We also want to ...

Episode 170 - The Saint, the Poison and the Power of Words

Michael Meade uses an ancient story from India to reflect on leadership and language during this painful period of pandemic. In the old tale, a wandering saint or sadhu teaches a snake that has been spreading poison amongst the local villagers to become peaceful. A second story, from the Sufi tradition, demonstrates the importance of language in a crisis and dramatizes the healing power of words. Thank you for listening to and supporting this podcast. We are excited to announce a new live online series with Michael Meade beginning on Friday, April 17 that addresses the great crises we now face and considers how to respond from a deep place of soul and radical resilience. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events. We also want to thank everyone who has contributed over the last few weeks with encouragement, financial support and feedback on the podcast. During this time of great collective challenge, we at Mosaic deeply appreciate you and the all listeners and supporters out...

Episode 169 - When the Center Cannot Hold

This episode looks at the advent of the coronavirus pandemic through three distinct viewpoints: the literal level of facts and figures, the psychological level that adds feelings and insights to the numbers and data, and the mythological perspective that involves narrative intelligence, deep imagination, and wisdom. Using that framework Michael Meade addresses the growing number of Covid-19 deaths as well as the “little deaths” we all experience as we make sacrifices for our own safety as well as for the health and welfare of everyone else. Michael ends with quotes from his book Awakening the Soul: “When a situation begins to feel like a matter of life and death, the underlying soul is actually close at hand and trying to get our attention. The core ideals of humanity are intended to serve as a light to follow, especially when the dark times come around and we become more exposed to the extremes of life and even to the touch of death.” Thank you for listening to and supporting t...

Episode 168 - An Ancient Truth, A Modern Pandemic

Michael Meade uses an old story from India to illustrate the importance of understanding the idea of exponential growth. The ancient tale serves as a warning for what can happen when the ruler of a country fails to grasp the nature of a complex situation that involves radical change. In contemporary India, the current prime minister has made the bold move of ordering 1.3 billion people to stay at home in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. At the same time, leaders at the top of the U. S. government seem to lack the wisdom and the care needed to truly protect people from the virus. Failing to heed sage advice or simply follow the data, they seem willing to risk trying to revive the economy rather than helping people survive the unprecedented pandemic. Thank you for listening to and supporting this podcast. All Mosaic public events and gatherings set for April, May and June have been postponed. While public events are postponed, we intend to continue the creative work of Mos...

Episode 167 - The Second Level of Hope

This episode of Living Myth begins with the idea that the world as we knew it has disappeared as the worldwide climate crisis and the global virus pandemic transform both the world around us and the world within us. Michael Meade uses an ancient myth from India to show how the soul responds to troubled times when we can feel overwhelmed by waves of fear and sorrow and all seems to turn to despair. Being both deep and ancient, the human soul has a second level of hope that involves an inner buoyancy that is connected to both imagination and radical resiliency. Thank you for listening to and supporting this podcast. All Mosaic public events and gatherings set for April, May and June have been postponed. While public events are postponed, we intend to continue the creative work of Mosaic, including these free weekly episodes of the Living Myth Podcast. Because proceeds from events and workshops represent a major form of support for all of Mosaic’s creative projects, we are asking you ...