The Mythic Masculine

Just in time for the weekend, a conversation from the vault (actually recorded 2 years ago, but freshly published now).

My guest today is Jayson Gaddis, founder of The Relationship School, which he co-teaches with his wife. He is the author of “Getting to Zero: How to Work Through Conflict in Your High-Stakes Relationships” and has trained over two hundred coaches across eleven countries.

I’d been aware of Jayson for a few years, though what drew to me reach out was discovering a paper he wrote back in 2005 called The Deep Masculine, while researching my own pr...

Can you feel it? Already the summer heat is ebbing.

Walking the trail near my house, I see the first leaves curling at the edges, turning toward brown and gold. I am not ready for the season to change, and yet I know it must.

With the shift toward autumn comes the next invitation for the Deep Masculine, my three-month online quest.

This invitation is for the men who have been listening. Absorbing. Contemplating.

I know you are there...

Perhaps you’ve listened to a few episodes or many. Yo...

Fresh off the first Cascadia Men’s Conference, I’m pleased to share my first long-form podcast episode in some months.

Right now, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is storming around the world, a $1.3 billion phenomenon that has returned one of humanity’s oldest stories to the center of our cultural conversation.

My guest today is a man who has been steeping in this epic for years. Phil Cousineau is the author of newly published ‘The Wisdom of the Odyssey: Twenty-four Life Lessons from Homer’s Epic’ and more than forty other books, including the bestselling Th...

A few years back, I hosted Dougie Mackay at my home on Vancouver Island for some pizza and a televised hockey game.

I’d just caught his show in town and was struck by how he illuminated the wingspan of a story - the way it could carry an audience across centuries and landscapes with each sentence.

Raised in the Scottish Highlands where storytelling is still in the water, Dougie has sold out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. He even holds a Guinness World Record as part of the lo...

We’re just under 30 days out from my upcoming Cascadia Men’s Conference, a first-of-its-kind mythopoetic gathering happening August 6-9 in the Squamish Valley, north of Vancouver.

In the lead up, I’ve been hosting live conversations with our presenters - previous episodes have included men’s author Matt Sturm, indigenous poet Cliff Taylor, and later this week Scottish storyteller Dougie Mackay.

Yesterday I connected with Satyen Raja.

Satyen is the founder of Warrior Sage, a master martial artist, and one of the keynote presenters at the conference. He’s been showing up in FB with...

Two decades ago, I graduated university.

I took a job writing copy for a small online business that rented holiday properties, and my role was to add content for the search engines to bring in traffic.

It was a 9-to-5 kind of thing.

I liked my employer and coworkers. And the job itself, I voraciously learned as much as I could and pumped out all the work that was assigned to me.

Pretty soon, I was able to finish my output by lunchtime. And when I asked for more...

We have reached the final episode of the series:”Trans Men: In Their Own Words”.

This conversation began with Episode #1, looking at the collective cultural moment with The Seed and the Soil. We explored how trans folk represent a trickster figure, troubling the psychic architecture of the binary many of us were raised with. We talked about the urge to ‘monster’ the other, but we also looked at the history of how gender has been used as a tool of social control.

In Episode #2, we moved past the intellect and into Stories of Transition. My guests s...

Last week, I released Part One (you can listen here).

This series grew from a seed - a conversation with Emmanuel H. Brown. Emmanuel has been navigating his own journey, seeking out the places where manhood and masculinity might be expanded to hold the lived experience of trans men.

As someone rooted in the mythopoetic lineage, I recognize that these voices have often been missing from our circles. This series is an invitation to a broader framework - one that is mutually supportive for the soul of every man.

In our first episode...

To brood is to wander through a grovewhere one sheep straysand a hundred wolves follow.

Why did I make brooding my vocationwhen AWE was an option?

Thought spinner, mull the wine of wonder.

- RUMI

Three years ago, my colleague Deus and I joined forces to craft an experiment.

We invited 12 men out to the forest.

He brought his years of training in breathwork, transformational art, and psychedelic facilitation.

I wove my love of archetypes, fairy tales, and the lineage of mythopoetics.

The...

Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility and right moment to kick off this new series on The Mythic Masculine.

It didn’t grow out of a plan; it grew out of a message from a trans man named Emmanuel H. Brown.

Emmanuel was looking to join an in-person gathering of mine—a ritual space he discovered was not open to trans men. It was an intentional choice made with my collaborator Deus Fortier, rooted in cultivating a container for men whose maps of masculinity have always (at least on the surface) lined up to how...

My guest today is David Sutcliffe, a somatic psychotherapist and former actor who has stepped off the red carpets of Hollywood to venture into the deeper landscapes of the masculine soul.

David is something of an enigma to me. He’s a therapist who champions the necessity of men getting in touch with their feelings and expressing their rage and grief. Yet, he is also an ardent Trump supporter and has interviewed uber-masculine figures like Andrew Tate.

In this conversation, we certainly don’t align on everything, but we remain willing to lean in and see...

Friends, it’s been a minute.

I’m deeply troubled by the times - yet, I’m honoured to share this conversation with Nisha Moodley, an integrative leadership coach, community builder, and founder of the Center for Devotional Leadership.

We have been in mutual orbit for years, including sharing a number of mutual friends and an appreciation for each other’s work in the realms of cultural healing.

While much of our current collective attention is fixed on the horrific revelations of the Epstein files, Nisha and I sit on either side of this inq...

My guest today is once again Stephen Jenkinson, a culture activist, teacher and author, and principal instructor of The Orphan Wisdom School, co-founded with his wife Nathalie Roy. He has Master’s degrees from Harvard University (Theology) and the University of Toronto (Social Work).

The School, though now formally closed, has made an incredibly significant mark on my life and Stephen continues to tour and teach all over the world. I’ve had the wild good fortune to have collaborated with Stephen in numerous ways, including producing the short film Lost Nation Road, as well as being part...

My guest today is Miki Dedijer, a writer, ecologist, and mentor devoted to the ancestral arts of belonging, fatherhood, and grassroots initiation.

In our conversation, Miki invites us to look at the crisis facing young men and the absence of meaningful adulthood in our time. He speaks to the ecological and emotional consequences of failing to initiate the young, how untempered fire in boys becomes turmoil in families, and how communities have lost their memory of what it means to guide the next generation.

Together we explore initiation not as an event, but a cultural...

I’m pleased to share this #mini episode with Maria Souza, a Comparative Mythologist, Poet, and Educator, and founder of Women & Mythology.

As we name in the conversation, we’ve known about each other for some time and appreciated each others’ work from afar. Just as Robert Bly’s ‘Iron John’ is the book that ignited the mythopoetic men’s movement, so too, does Clarissa Pinkola Estés’s book ‘Women Who Run With The Wolves’ occupy that position for women.

Maria shares how her journey with myth began has evolved into her podcast, along with courses that bri...

“Eros is not something you get from another person. It’s the aliveness that rises when you are fully in your body.” - Victor Warring

My guest today is Victor Warring, a somatic educator and founder of Rewilding Eros - a body-centered path to reclaiming our natural erotic intelligence.

In our conversation today, Victor invites us to look deeply at the condition of modern men: domesticated human animals, cut off from the wild currents that once shaped our bodies, relationships, and souls. He names how much of our struggle with intimacy, desire, and discon...

An audio version of my long-form essay that explores my encounter at the 40th Anniversary of the Minnesota Men's Conference in 2024. For the full references and links to supporting interviews, check out the essay on Substack.

My guest today is Jonathan Stensland, a poet and long-time collaborator and friend of Robert Bly.

This conversation was recorded in 2024 at the 40th anniversary of the Minnesota Men's Conference. Speaking from the banks of the Saint Croix River, Jonathan offers a unique insider's perspective on four decades of men's work.

In his early 20s, Jonathan was involved with Bly as he worked on his seminal book ‘Iron John’, through typing-up handwritten pages, revisions, and countless conversations- a process he describes as practically like quilt making. His relationship was deeper than professional collaboration, as akin to a...

My guest today is Miguel Rivera, a seasoned ceremonialist, musician, and ritualist.

This conversation is a two part series recorded in 2024 at the 40th anniversary of the Minnesota Men’s Conference. Miguel is a longtime facilitator to the conference where he has played a pivotal role in guiding men through transformative experiences.

Miguel's journey began in the vibrant cultural landscape of the 1980s, where he was drawn to the path of healing through indigenous medicine and becoming a Sundancer. His involvement in the men's movement began with an invitation from Robert Bly in 1992, where he su...

Recently I spoke with Adam Lewis, co-founder of MANCAMP, a Canadian gathering dedicated to “the celebration of masculinity.” (Disclosure: Adam is also a mentorship client of mine).

Now entering its second year, MANCAMP emerged from Adam’s experiences organizing raw and elemental camping trips with small groups of men in the wilderness. What began as paddling into Algonquin Park has grown into a vision of 150+ men coming together for a weekend of transformation, brotherhood, and celebration.

Adam shares the story of how MANCAMP was born—first as a seed of inspiration, then through the alignment with his...

My guest today is Darren Silver, a rite of passage guide, ceremonialist, and storyteller.

With nearly two decades of experience, Darren has devoted his life to ritual, wilderness living skills, and guiding transformational experiences across the world.. An apprentice to the old myths, he weaves the power of the natural world, vision, and community in service of regenerative culture.

Darren’s path began in the forests of Virginia and later deepened through the teachings of Tom Brown Jr. From these roots, he cultivated a lifelong devotion to vision, animacy, and the mysteries between humans and th...

My guest today is Daniel Waite Penny, a journalist and cultural critic whose recent work investigates the connection between masculinity and the climate crisis.

He’s the creator of NonToxic, a podcast exploring men and sustainability, and co-creator of Carbon Bros, an investigative series made in collaboration with Drilled.

Here’s an overview of the series:

You’ve heard it from cable news pundits, Democratic strategists, and your favorite YouTuber: young men swung the last U.S. election for Trump. Understanding what’s driving “the manosphere” and how to reach the young men in its grips...

My guest today is Matt Sturm, a guide and writer dedicated to the evolution of masculinity. His offerings include psychotherapy, psychedelic-assisted work, sacred sexuality, and men’s retreats. He is the author of two books—The Organic Masculine and Primal Drives—and the creator of the Living Kosmos tarot deck.

(You might also remember Matt from when he joined Deus and I to discuss eros & intimacy in men’s ritual space).

After a decade working in the corporate climate sector, Matt left his dream job to embark on a spiritual path that led him deep into yog...

Note: you can watch the Youtube version of this podcast here.

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Well, the saga around Aubrey Marcus continues.

You may recall a few weeks back when I spoke about Aubrey, an American entrepreneur, influencer, and “psychonaut”, who released an episode of his podcast with his wife Vylana, their lover Alana, and their mentor Marc Gafni.

The main reveal was that during a trip to Egypt, Aubrey received a “download” from the goddess Isis instructing him to “impregnate both women.”

They described this not as polyamory but as “radical monogamy.”

​Their epis...

Greetings friends.

By now you have likely heard about, if not already listened to, Aubrey Marcus’ podcast “A New Pattern for Sacred Relationship.”

If you haven’t I would recommend at least check out the first 30 minutes.

Last weekend I listened to the whole thing, all 2.5 hours. I've also read and watched a number of responses to it (and there are many).

Some folks call him a "false king" who is not a "real man". Others say the women (his wife and their lover) are being manipulated and have lost their own inne...

Last week, I sat down with Chris Kyle, co-founder of the upcoming Big Tent Summit, a gathering for men & woman who are involved in the stewardship of healthy masculinity today.

Chris has been in the exploration for nearly three decades, and he articulates his perspective on the “three waves” of the modern men’s movement: from its mythopoetic roots, to the rise of embodied presence, and now—an integrative call to wholeness.

We speak of the fragmentation many men feel, the seductive pull of the mansophere & adolescent masculinities, and the hunger for a mature, grounded path roo...

Today, I’m honored to share a conversation with Minna Salami—author, social critic, and senior fellow at The New Institute.

This exchange was recorded during the Fugitive Futures Summit I co-hosted in February 2025. I’m sharing it here because of the powerful resonance between Minna’s work and the questions we hold on this podcast.

Her book Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone proposes a liberatory way of knowing that’s embodied, relational, and rooted in both thought and feeling. Drawing on African cosmologies and feminist philosophy, Minna challenges the dominance of Euro-patri...

Heads up - we’re taking AWE on the road this July!

I’m pleased to share this conversation with my collaborator Deus Fortier, and two colleagues, Paul Simard and Robin Corlux, who are supporting us to bring our men’s ritual weekend to the Montreal region this July.

AWE is more than a retreat - it's an initiation into erotic maturity, focusing on the Lover archetype. This archetype, which emphasizes relational consequence and interconnectedness, is crucial for cultivating a deeper sense of beauty and soul.

In a culture that often glorifies the King a...

Earlier this week, I posted this on Facebook and Instagram and received quite a strong response - so I’m publishing here as well to hear from my readers.

In my recent interview with Tyson Adams, we explored the phenomenon of pornography and its deep, often hidden, effects on men.

You might think it’s not so different from what previous generations faced—but after listening to our conversation, you’ll see we’re living in an era unlike any before.

Once upon a time, a young boy’s access to pornography required either cunni...

My guest today is Tyson Adams, a trauma-informed IFS men’s coach, somatic bodyworker, and psychedelic facilitator.

After spending twenty years entangled in pornography addiction, Tyson broke free seven years ago and has since dedicated his life to helping men reclaim their lifeforce energy. He co-facilitates men’s leadership intensives, supports couples navigating intimacy, and brings a grounded, embodied presence to the evolving landscape of modern masculinity.

In this conversation, we enter one of the most charged topics in men’s lives today: pornography. Tyson shares his personal path through addiction and healing, revealing the deep c...

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

I remember coming across this quote at Burning Man years ago. It's from writer and essayist Anais Nin.

It struck me then, and it reverberates for me still.

This photo was taken that year.

That sky is particularly specific to that time of evening, as the heat of the day dissolves into gorgeous blue & purple hues.

I remember my friends and I were stopped at...

My guest today is Simon Yugler, a longtime friend who is a psychedelic therapist, educator, and the author of Psychedelics & the Soul—a mythic guide to deep healing, depth psychology, and cultural repair.

With a background steeped in Jungian thought and apprenticed to earth-based wisdom traditions, Simon walks the liminal spaces where myth and medicine meet, where the personal journey of the soul intertwines with the great unfolding of culture.

In our conversation, we explore the archetypal landscapes revealed through psychedelic experience—those luminous, perilous realms where the collective unconscious speaks in image and story. We t...

1999 was a golden year for movies.

That year saw the release of The Matrix, American Beauty, and Fight Club - which remain some of my all time favourites.

The latter two are particular compelling as I look through my present-day lens and what they had to say about men & masculinity at the end of the millennium.

Both American Beauty & Fight Club depict similar themes of (white) men grappling with middle-class consumerism and a lack of potency, trapped in a meaningless existence.

In American Beauty, Lester Burnham opens the film by detailing...

My guest today is the renowned Starhawk, a writer, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a leading voice for ecofeminism and earth-based spirituality. She is the author of thirteen books, including The Spiral Dance, The Earth Path, and The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups, as well as the visionary novels The Fifth Sacred Thing and City of Refuge.

She directs Earth Activist Training, which combines regenerative design with spirit, social permaculture, and activism, offering courses both online and in person.

In our conversation today, we begin with acknowledging the fires that have ravaged...

My guest today is my good friend Tad Hargrave.

Tad is the founder of Marketing for Hippies with a mission to restore the beauty of the marketplace. He teaches folks who have a desire to do good, but hate marketing, how to articulate their work with elegance and effectiveness.

Tad has spent years learning his ancestral language of Scottish Gaelic in Nova Scotia and on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. As well, for over a decade we have both attended the Orphan Wisdom School with Stephen Jenkinson in Ontario, where we have many fond...

Greetings all - I’m excited to extend a special invitation for men who wish to dive into the cauldron of mythopoetic masculinity and eros.

But before I get to that, I want to acknowledge a milestone: it’s been over five years since I began The Mythic Masculine podcast.

Time, as always, passes like a blink.

This journey began after my previous film project, Amplify Her, which explored feminine archetypes through the lives of DJs and producers. That collaboration had me seek out writers like Marion Woodman (Dancing in the Flames) and Clar...

My guest today is Gabriel Meyer Halevy is a "radical flexitarian minstrel," musician, poet, and spiritual activist, born and raised in Argentina.

I first met Gabriel at the Tamera research project in Portugal, where we both attended the Global Love School. We stayed in touch over the years, and this past fall, I hosted Gabriel for a few shows in the Pacific Northwest where he brought this ‘prayerformance’ to the people.

During our time, we sat together to record this conversation that delves into Gabriel's personal journey, highlighting his wild adventures as youth, to his life...

Recently I sat down with Matt Sturm (author of The Organic Masculine) alongside my collaborator Deus Fortier to do a post-event harvest from our immersion Eating the Shadow.

This men’s gathering was the first 5 day offering that Deus and I had put together, and we were beautifully affirmed by what happened in the container. Matt flew up from California to join us and experience the magic of what we created.

He has facilitated numerous men’s gatherings and been steeping in realms of archetypes & myth for many years - therefore, it’s a delight to unp...

On today’s episode, we delve into the layers of myth and meaning surrounding same-sex love in mythology, exploring the fascinating tale of Ganymede—a myth that stands apart from other tragic tales of ancient love. 

Here, we uncover a story of enduring affection that doesn't end in loss, but in ascension, as Ganymede is welcomed to Olympus by Zeus and granted immortality. What does this myth offer modern queer men and the evolving dialogue around masculinity?

My guest, who goes by Gregory Ganymedes, joins me to explore these questions, along with his own journey throu...

My guest today is Ned Abenroth, a creative entrepreneur and wilderness guide who has spent much of his adult life tending to transformational spaces.

For the last 10 years, he’s worked with Illuman, a global spiritual community that was birthed out of Richard Rohr’s work with male spirituality and rites of passage. 

In this episode, we explore the distinction between merely growing older and becoming an elder, as well as the cultural gap that has left many adrift without guidance in traversing this threshold. Ned reflect on his personal experiences with grief and illness, havin...