Basecamp for Men E42: Honoring the Divine Feminine

E42: Honoring the Divine Feminine w Sally Kempton

 

E42: Introduction

In season one, I did a bunch of episodes on the sacred masculine. I like to use masculine archetypes to help orient the listener  to a larger inner landscape, using myth when appropriate.  I promised I would return with some episodes about the Divine Feminine as I think it warrants a deeper exploration.

In my studies of myth, I have been particularly attracted to two myths: One is The Holy Grail. The other is the Fallen Goddess Myth or the myth of Sophia, which is the central mythic motif in Gnosticism. Both are Goddess myths.

And India, being a suppository of Feminine divinity, has always carried this lineage forward in a powerful and enchanting way.

The Goddess traditions, and there are many from all times and places, come with a whole new set of insights, practices, and wisdom. For the open-minded seeker, this lineage has the potential to open up vast new vistas for the spirit.

My guest today is Sally Kempton and she is a teacher in the great Feminine lineage. I am a HUGE fan of her work and her wisdom.

 

Sally Kempton Bio

Sally Kempton is a widely respected teacher of meditation and spiritual wisdom. A former journalist who wrote for Esquire, New York, and the Village Voice, she has spent over four decades practicing, teaching, and writing on meditation and spiritual philosophy.

Sally is the author of two best-selling books, Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga, and  Meditation for the Love of It,” which Spirituality and Health magazine called “the meditation book your heart wants you to read”.  Sally teaches online courses and seminars on meditation and spiritual philosophy, and leads retreats and workshops in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Her website is www.sallykempton.com.

Basecamp for Men E41: Conversations with Men

E41: Conversations with Men featuring Chris Beatie

 

E41 Introduction

One of the many things that we talk about in men’s circles is to how to have a more open mind. Being curious about things brings a kind of magic to your life. I have discovered that when you adopt a growth-mindset, all sorts of things begin to open up.

With this in mind,I like to bring on writers and thought-leaders as guests to bring new perspectives to you. I also like to talk with friends, as I did many times in season one. My guest today is my good friend Chris.

Sometimes we can find great value in hearing two friends talking honestly about the challenges they’ve faced and what constitutes “the edge” of their learning. My hope with these conversations is that you the listener will feel that you are sitting in our circle, drawing inspiration and finding new terrain for your own personal development.

Chris Beatie Bio

Chris Beatie has been a computer engineer for the last 25 years.  Finding that the stress and rigors of 12+ hour work days was taking a toll on his health,  Chris decided to apply his engineering skills to improve his life, becoming a biohacker of sorts.  Books, podcasts, doctors, medications, eastern medicine, Chris has explored and experimented far and wide.  His personal mission passion is to help others find their most enlightened, capable, healthy and happy version of themselves.

Basecamp for Men E40: Optimizing Your Health

E40: Optimizing Your Health with Mary Purdy

 

E40 Introduction

One of our sub-topics here on Basecamp is health and wellness for men. Many men I know are rethinking health, self-care, and diet. It used to be that men didn’t give these things too much thought. It was actually considered unmanly to speak of taking better care of yourself, of getting proper rest, of having a body that is flexible and feeling, of eating better food. Athletes would consider these because they are more tuned into how they feel. However, everyday men would often skip over these important topics.

With the release of the pro-plant based diet documentary The Game Changers, men are starting to have serious conversations about diet. Especially the pros and cons of a plant-based diet. And I am committed to continue to co-create the narrative with you on men and self-care here on Basecamp for Men.

My hope is that by listening to the show, you gain new perspectives and come away with a few new resources every show. If you are finding new tools that uplift and improve your life and your energy, then I’m serving my mission. Thank you men.

 Mary Purdy Bio-

My guest today is a friend and a nutrition and health expert.

Mary Purdy holds a Master’s Degree from Bastyr University where she is currently a member of the adjunct faculty. She has given over 100 nutrition workshops, speaks regularly at health and nutrition conferences and was the keynote speaker at Bastyr University’s Commencement Ceremony 2019. Additionally, she hosts the podcast THE Nutrition Show (formerly “Mary’s Nutrition Show”) and is author of the book “Serving the Broccoli Gods.”

Here is my interview with Mary Purdy.

 

 

Basecamp for Men E39: The Law of One with Ziad Masri

E39: The Law of One with Ziad Masri

 

E39 Introduction

Some of the episodes I do will feel like I’m taking you out of your philosophical comfort zone and I‘m ok with that. It would not serve you if I held back and I would feel like I‘m betraying myself and my mission. My hope is that I can present challenging content that I know is valuable in a way that is accessible and inviting to you.

My aim is to strike a balance between men’s work and the  practical resources that we know helps men, and the more philosophical and mythical themes that I am drawn to explore and find expression for. It‘s a balancing act between creating a more uplifting narrative, using myth and stories, and giving you practical tools that you can use for the challenges you face as a man.

None of my more mystical leanings exclude any particular philosophy. Not really anyways. You can be a Christian or a Buddhist or an atheist or just about anything and draw from the spiritual wellspring. That is what it is there for.

The Hero’s Journey inevitably takes you on a faint trail. So when you find fellow travellers that have found a useful map or an approach to a particular challenge you will face, my instinct is to share the map, share the gold and let you see how it aligns with the inner work that you are undertaking.

If you are just beginning to enter into a phase that feels more scary and, perhaps, more heroic, I welcome you. Inside these conversations will be metaphorical flashlights for the dark night that every Hero and Heroine inevitably face.

“I always knew that I would take this road but yesterday, I did not know it would be today.”

                                                                                               Narithra, poet 

Ziad Masri Bio- 

My guest today has been a fellow seeker and student of consciousness.

Ziad is the author of the #1 best selling book, Reality Unveiled, which is I consider to be one of the more transformative books in recent times. He is also a highly successful online entrepreneur in multiple arenas. Following nearly two decades of spiritual seeking, he experienced a series of very powerful spiritual awakenings which have led him to dedicate his life to helping people transcend their limited sense of self and awaken to their true, limitless nature.

Basecamp for Men E38: Mentoring Our Boys

E38: Mentoring Our Boys with author Earl Hipp

 

E38 Introduction

The topic of guiding adolescent boys into manhood seems to me an extremely relevant one right now. As a society, we have not created the initiatory structures that enable our young people to come into manhood as a celebration. We almost dread it when a boy is creeping towards manhood, as if that is a terrible thing. What sort of message does that send our boys? Is being a man really that awful? Do men not have anything to offer? Or is it the cultural conditioning that is in dire need of being upgraded? How come boys aren’t properly celebrated as they enter the tribe of men?

There has been a movement to create rites-of-passage trainings for boys but we need more. We need more imperfect men stepping up to mentor adolescent boys.

My guest today exemplifies being committed to helping our boys arrive at manhood as a celebration and with the support of caring, appropriate elders.

Earl Hipp Bio-

Earl Hipp is an author, speaker, adviser to mentoring groups, and community consultant. Since 1982, Earl has been involved with organizations that focus on men’s issues and development. He speaks at national conferences and delivers workshops across the country, teaching organizations how to call men to mentoring.

Since 2005, Earl has published the Man-Making Blog, discussing manhood, male culture, mentoring, and men’s rites of passage. His mission is to help men discover and use their innate man-making gifts, so fewer boys (and men) are left to wander alone in the dangerous never-never land between boyhood and manhood.

Lastly, here is a quote from Meladona Some, an African spiritual teacher, “When a civilization lacks rites of passage, its soul is sick. The evidence for this sickness is threefold: first, there are no elders; second, the young are violent; and third, the adults are bewildered.”