Basecamp for Men E81: The Quest for the Soul

E81: The Quest for the Soul with Special Guest

Dr. Anne Baring

 

E81 Introduction-

So many of our wisdom traditions and myths speak of the recovery of the Soul. In the central myth of the Gnostics, The Goddess Sophia has fallen. The Feminine Soul has descended.  Out of the Pleroma or Heavenly Abode all the way to the material dimension that we find ourselves in. Sophia: confused, lost, bewildered, and homesick, the Feminine Soul begins its slow, steady journey back to its Heavenly Abode.

Myths and fairy tales often contain the clues and maps of the Soul’s Journey. It’s descent and eventual ascension. Myths awaken and nourish the Divine imagination. They nourish the Soul.

To use my guests’ words, when we are not in touch with the Soul, it is as if a vital part of us is asleep. It cannot communicate with us, nor we with it. Civilizations such as ours may die because we have forgotten how to nourish the soul and imagination. We have forgotten how to honor and love nature and the Divine Feminine.

All of our most vibrant myths seem to be pointing in this direction. To the marriage of the Divine Masculine Spirit  with the Divine Feminine Soul. We are, as a tribe, being asked to reclaim what has been dormant but not forgotten.

We will not restore the Wasteland we find ourselves in without this awakening. Technology will not rescue us. Not with its dry, digital landscape. It’s algorithms. Technology represents a kingdom without the Goddess, without nature and the Divine Feminine.

In mythic terms, the most beautiful maiden of the forest is in a deep sleep and awaits for the right Prince, for the right moment in the story. It seems we have arrived at this part of the story. We are there.

The destiny of the entire kingdom is dependent on this outcome. Can the Prince, the symbol of Solar Consciousness, turn inward and find the Lunar Soul, his inner Divine Feminine?

Each one of us holds part of this Soul. The myth of the Holy Grail includes all of us. Each one of us IS the Sleeping Beauty AND the Prince that restores her and the kingdom.

It is important to remember that the Soul does not communicate primarily through words. It does through myth and poetry but the Soul seems to prefer feelings, intuitions, emotions, and dreams. It is in this inner direction that holds the key to the Grail and has the potential to awaken the sleeping Princess.

My guest today has written an incredible book. One that ought to sit high up in anyone’s library.

Anne Baring Bio-

Doctor Anne Baring is a Jungian Analyst and the author of 7 booksincluding her most recent book The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soulwhich was awarded the Scientific and Medical Network Book Prize for 2013. The ground of all her work is a deep interest in the spiritual, mythological, shamanic and artistic traditions of different cultures. Her website www.annebaring.com is devoted to the affirmation of a new vision of reality and the issues facing us at this crucial time of choice. Here is my interview with Anne Baring.

E81 Final Thoughts-

I hope you enjoyed my discussion with Anne Baring as much as I did. I felt like I could talk to her all night and not run out of things to ask her.

If you have not read the fairy tale The Sleeping Beauty or you have kids and you want to introduce them to a powerful tale of the lost feminine principle and the Soul’s Journey, go pick up a copy.

Fairy tales carry an amazing transformative power in them. I was speaking with a friend the other day and I was saying that sometimes I think you could take out all the literature of the world and leave only the fairy tales and the Soul would still be able to figure out where it is and where it is going.

Anne’s book The Dream of the Cosmos is as good as everyone says it is.  It is full of myth, magic, the Soul’s Journey,  and how we go about restoring the Goddess and the feminine principle to its rightful place.

To buy The Dream of the Cosmos or other books by Anne, go to Amazon. And to listen to Anne’s excellent talks and find her video archive, go to www.annebaring.com

 

 

 

 

 

Basecamp for Men E80: Spiritual Guidance for Men

E80: Spiritual Guidance for Men

 

E80 Introduction-

Hello dear listeners. Here we arrive at the conclusion of our second season and what a season it has been. However, Chris and I will NOT be taking a break and will continue to bring you fresh episodes every Tuesday.

My website guy Corey and I will make some different categories for the episodes to live under, making it easier for listeners to find episodes on the topics that most resonate with them, knowing that not all topics will be of equal interest for you. We will also divide up episodes by seasons as well.

My intention was to run a season for 40 episodes or so and then take a short break but I don‘t feel ready for a break quite yet. We have some great interviews lined up and I want to continue to speak with you. Hopefully, there will be time later this year for a short break for Chris and I.

Part 1-

I had the wonderful experience recently of connecting with a good friend and he asked me how the podcast was going. I said great but that I recently was banned by Twitter, had episodes removed by Apple, and even had Google put a banner over Basecamp for Men warning visitors that they are entering dangerous territory.

I told my friend that I found myself in some controversial terrain in recent weeks starting with the episode I did where I was asking Dr. Jennifer Marugulis questions about vaccines. To the episodes we did on the Great Awakening and the Q phenomenon.

I continue to be proud of these “Red Pill episodes”. I believe they will stand the test of time and age well. I really do. I have no intention of altering them or removing them. I don’t see the point as they serve to point to you to something. In an ironic twist, these red pill episodes have been the most downloaded episodes. Go figure.

It‘s funny, I have seen all sorts of things about Q in the mainstream media. 60 minutes and CNN and more. And those reports are so full of lies and misconceptions about what Q is and what the value is for WE THE PEOPLE. Completely off base but again, that is to be expected, isn‘t it?

I never set out to be a right-wing conspiracy podcast and I still don‘t consider us as such. This show is still, at its core, about humanity. It’s about men and masculinity and finding new narratives and tools that will help elevate us. I am simply seeking to serve WE THE PEOPLE and the awakening of our tribe.

When you change your philosophy or political orientation or find new terrain that is in alignment with your heart and your truth, it can be challenging. Old friends may find your new ideas to be threatening or wrong-headed or foolish. Such is the way of things.

If we are going to walk the talk of aligning with the truth, the letting go process will have some growing pains. To anyone who feels I have betrayed them in this Hero’s Journey, it was not my intention to have it be this way. I would love to take all my friends from all stages of my life along for the ride…….but that is not the nature of a Hero’s Journey. Like Frodo and Sam, you take a small fellowship down the faint trail and face the truth from there. The process of letting go and travelling light is difficult for most of us. I know it can be for me.

Part 2-

So, what is coming in season three? I wish I knew man! I have some pretty good ideas of what may be unfolding but it is, in every sense of the word, in God’s hands. We will continue to speak with guests about what is happening in the world. Some of these likely get categorized as “Red Pill episodes”.  So be it.

Additionally, seems to be something interesting going on in the Divine Masculine/Divine Feminine balance and we will explore that with great interest. My next guest is author and Jungian Anne Baring and I can’t wait to speak with her. It should be a great episode.

The topic of UFO’s is knocking at our door, both literally and figuratively. I will be researching some guests and unique and insightful angles for that. It’s a juicy topic that has been floating around the fringes but seems to be asking for a bit more attention right now. I’m curious as to why that is.

And we’ll continue to explore relationships via our talks with psychotherapists and spiritual growth with teachers and thought-leaders in those areas.

We‘ll also ask some of our dear friends and guests that we love to come back again to dialogue with us. And we’ll continue to offer the short format Firestarters for Men when I want to simply speak with you directly. They are useful when I don‘t have a guest lined up and don’t want to bother Lisa to do another one!

All of this should add up to a great season three!

Part 3-

One thing that has emerged at the end of season two is new service I am offering men. As you all know, I have spent the past fifteen years leading and participating in men’s groups. Some of you have sat in these circles over the years.

I will no doubt be leading some sort of men’s groups in the future. But things are a bit murky as to when that is happening  and what that looks like. You will be hearing updates on men’s groups here as we start to feel the pull to circle up again.

So as a way to offset the lack of group work, I am offering one-on-one spiritual counseling for men, with a focus on life renewal. What is spiritual counseling?  It is a partnership between you and I where I hold a non-judgmental space for you to show up however you are. From there, we will work with insights, wisdom, and tools that have come out of the men’s movement and group work, customized for you and the next important chapters of your life.

Who would benefit from such calls? Maybe a man who feels stuck or depressed or is hitting a mid-life crisis. Or maybe a man who’s energy is low and he doesn’t know why. Or a man who is not inspired and is just going through the motions. Or someone who wants to make a change and doesn’t know how to go about it.

If you have hit a phrase and thought “what the hell do I do here” and you have no one to dialogue with, I can most certainly help and I would be honored to be your guide.

The intention of these one-on-one Zoom calls will be to identify the obstacles that are keeping you stuck in your current pattern and to use any number of tools to get forward movement and upliftment happening and to do it in as fast a way as possible.

If our intentions are clear, then any man who steps into a partnership with me will feel supported and inspired by his upcoming chapters. Your story is not all told and I can help you discover positive movement towards chapters that hold promise, inspiration, and dignity.

You can find more information about these one-on-one sessions at either tonyrezac.com or basecampformen.com.  If you are ready to get started, simply fill out a contact form and I will get back to you within 48 hours.  Or you can email me directly at tonyrezac@mac.com.

E80Final Thoughts-

I am excited about what is unfolding in the human tribe. The Great Awakening of WE THE PEOPLE continues with great momentum. Basecamp for Men will continue to chronicle this in our own small way. Men are finding their courage, that much is clear. Courage to face ourselves. Courage to let go of habits and ways of seeing that no longer serve us. Courage to lead with our hearts and our heads. And the courage to view other men as allies instead of adversaries. Even when our worldviews are quite different.

We are collectively moving the Hero along the storyline and what has more dignity than that?

I thank you listeners and I look forward  to sharing the exciting journey that will be season three and 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basecamp for Men E79: Meditation as a Portal

E79: Meditation as a Portal with Special Guest                Richard Haight

 

E79 Introduction-

Meditation is a topic that we have covered here on Basecamp for Men a number of times. It is not a coincidence that most of my guests have not only a familiarity with meditation but most have active practices spanning many decades and many different types of meditation.

We have done episodes with Paul Dunion and Ziad Masri. We have done episodes with Janell Hartman and Howard Ferguson. We’ve done them with Sally Kempton and Sophie Maclean. And we have recently done EPs with Champ Parinya and Lisa Rezac, all active meditators. I bet if I asked all my guests, most would say they have some sort of meditation practice. And it makes sense, doesn’t it?

If meditation speeds up evolution then a show about men’s personal development really should have a lot of meditators on the guest list.

My take on meditation is that it is one of the most powerful tools you can use for yourself and your development. What are the benefits of a meditation practice? The answer: comprehensive. In other words, it helps with everything.

And there is a touch of  magic and mysticism in a meditation practice. Something transcendent. And who doesn’t love these qualities? You are, in a very real sense, communicating with the Divine. You may not start with that as your notion but over time, it hits your awareness as this jaw-dropping discovery.

Your awareness starts to expand. Ego starts to dissolve and, with it, all its unnecessary suffering. Patterns that seemed on the edge of your awareness suddenly come into full, clear view. Subtle energies that eluded you suddenly become available to you.

I like this quote by the great Ken Wilber. He says “Meditation speeds up evolution. It accelerates the remembering and the re-discovery of the Spirit that you eternally are. Meditation quickens the rate that acorns grow into oaks, that humans grow into God.”

My guest today is a life-long student and teacher of meditation and meditation techniques. Let’s go have a chat with him.

Richard Haight Bio-

Richard L. Haight is the founder of the Total Embodiment Method (TEM), which is an awareness training system designed to integrate meditation into one’s daily life. Richard is the author of five bestselling titles, most notably The Warrior’s Meditation, Unshakable Awareness, and The Unbound Soul. He is a considered one of world’s foremost experts in the traditional Japanese martial arts.

Through his books, his meditation, and martial arts seminars, Richard  seeks to ignite a worldwide movement for personal transformation that is free of all constraints and open to anyone of any level.

E79: Final Thoughts-

I hope you enjoyed our time with Richard. I have found that, like Richard, meditation has greatly improved my writing. There is an allowing in writing, a giving yourself over to the flow of words that meditation helps prepare you for.

I also like what he said about how training ourselves in open awareness or what the Buddhists call “Big Mind” is often times easier for beginners. There is something interesting to this. If meditation walks you along a path of Light with fellow mystics and seers, then this vast, expansive exploration will certainly hold treasures for those brave enough to plunge into the deep end of the ocean, so to speak.

I sometimes wonder, as I prepare to do a meditation, how many millions of other Souls am I joining in this extraordinary experiment in energy, frequency, and vibration. Who might I meet next along these ancient roads? I thank you my listeners and I wish you Godspeed.

Basecamp for Men E78: The Path with Heart

E78: The Path with Heart with Special Guest Scott Wyman

 

E78 Introduction-

I would like to start by thanking a dear friend of mine, Roger Songster. Roger, your text message really helped strengthen me this week so thank you for that.  You’re a true friend.

I have found that when you follow your Hero’s Journey and commit to living your deepest truth, it doesn’t always come as a celebration to those that are closest to you. This is part of what makes it heroic. You leave what is familiar. This inevitably takes us away, sometime far away, from the familiar faces and viewpoints and identities of where we have come from and where we have been.

I didn’t think when we started Basecamp for Men that it would be such an important  chapter in my life. I have learned just as much as you have about this emerging tribe we are calling WE THE PEOPLE.

Of all the things I have tried and done, I think writing and hosting this podcast has been my favorite endeavor. I never thought it would bring me this much satisfaction. I just love it! It feels like a culmination of all my life experiences and all the things I have read and researched all rolled into one expression. That and I get to interview incredibly wise and kind-hearted people like my guest today.

Scott Wyman Bio-

Scott Wyman has been a passionate student of the spiritual path for over 40 years. A psychotherapist for over 30 years he as come to blend western psychological insights with ancient teachings that have stood the test of time, using practices that go directly to the source of our suffering, connecting the highest truth of our Soul with the darkest aspects of our shadow.

E78 Final Thoughts-

A couple of final things. If all this talk of meditation as a tool for your own growth and development has piqued your interest and you like Scott as much as I do, go sign up for his upcoming 3-day online meditation retreat on March 5-7that www.scottwyman.comThis will surely be a great retreat for beginners and advanced students alike. Let Scott know you heard him here on the show.

And Scott recommended a beloved meditation teacher and author from Vietnam named Thich Nat Hahn.  His book Being Peace is considered an absolute classic in most spirituality circles.  I have a number of his books in my library and they all contain great wisdom.

 

 

Basecamp for Men E77: Why the World Will ALWAYS Need Men

E77: Why the World Will ALWAYS Need Men

with Special Guest Nicky Billou

 

E77 Introduction-

I believe that we still need masculine men. Men who know who they are, who are comfortable in their own skin. I believe we will always need the rock solid strength that men bring to the world.

Look, not everyone is going to be transgender or androgynous, despite what the MSM or pop culture is telling us. I do not believe it is best for our nation to have a world full of overly sensitive, politically correct soy boys. Do you?

The world has always and will always need men. After all, who will defend our nation? Who will protect our women and children? Who will father our future generations? Where will humanity derive its strength, which is inherent in men.

The eroding impact of cultural Marxism has temporarily put good men on their heels. Masculinity is under attack. This is not the cry of a victim here. I am just noticing.

There is a concerted effort to emasculate men. To turn us into something that we aren’t.   Boys are being educated to sit down and shut up and are often shamed simply for being of “the aggressive gender”.

I had the experience recently of finishing up a 9-year stint on the Board of Directors for a NYC not-for-profit. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.  However, as I was finishing up my tenure, our Board happened to schedule a day-long training in Critical Race Theory. I politely declined to participate.

According to Critical Race Theory, the fact that I declined to participate automatically makes me a racist. It doesn’t take much these days.

Yet, the truth is I didn’t want to waste 6 precious hours talking about how best to treat people, which I feel I do pretty well.  As a man, I’ve been trained to guard my boundaries well and I am just am not interested nor available to be shamed, confused, and isolated by trained cultural Marxists.  It seems that shaming, dividing, and confusing people is what they do best.

Political correctness has brought us a long ways from something so common sense as this: have respect and kindness for everyone you meet. This seems to me a much simpler approach to all the hand wringing, angst, and finger-pointing that we see today.

In these issues, I am really clear about a couple of things. One, I refuse to let others tell me what my experience is within the human tribe. I trust myself and I see us all as brothers and sisters on an epic Hero’s Journey. If that is not good enough for cultural Marxists and their followers, fuck ’em I say.

And I am also really clear that we will continue to need good men to help anchor strength in the human tribe. Men are needed now more than ever. If the men of our human tribe don’t claim and honor their inner strength, the part of them that is essentially masculine, then what do we do when the world once again needs the clarity and presence and strength of good men?

Let’s go talk to my guest today about some of these very issues.

 

Nicky Billou Bio-

Nicky Billou is the International Best Selling Author of the book: Finish Line Thinking: How to Think and Win Like a Champion.He is an in-demand and highly inspirational speaker and an advisor and confidante to some of the most successful and dynamic entrepreneurs in Canada. He is the co-founder of eCircle Academy (www.eCircleAcademy.com) where he runs a yearlong Mastermind & Educational program working with Coaches, Consultants, and Corporate Trainers.

Nicky is the host of the podcast The Thought Leader Revolution where he has interviewed over 200 of the world’s top thought leaders. Here is my interview with Nicky Billou.

E77 Final Thoughts-

I hope you enjoyed our conversation with Nicky as much as I did. As we were finishing our call, Nicky wanted me to pass along an offer for you. Anyone who wants a free 45-minute coaching session with him, just go to www.eCircleAcademy.comand go book a success call. This is a really generous offer to all of you entrepreneurs out there to get some free insights from a man who knows how to guide thought leaders and others towards success.