It wasn’t long after my entry into “mythopoetic masculinity” back in 2015 that I came across the Minnesota Men’s Gathering, a yearly event that began in 1984 by Robert Bly, author of Iron John. The organization has released a trove of stories & lectures on their Youtube channel from celebrated teachers such as Bly, Lewis Hyde, Martin Prechtel, Mart…

We’re now a month out from our next cohort of The Deep Masculine, a 3 month online journey for men that weaves together mythology, somatics, ritual & brotherhood. I invited my collaborator Deus Fortier to reflect on our initial journey which we launched earlier this year and completed in June. At its core, The Deep Masculine seeks to repattern men'…

I’ve had the good fortune to collaborate with Charles on numerous films, including Sacred Economics and The Revolution Is Love, as well as spent time at Tamera’s Love School and other gatherings. Our conversation for the Mythic Masculine (originally released as episode #8) touches on his own interview series on the “new story of masculinity” and wh…

A few years ago I read Terry Real’s book “Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship.” He is a well established couple’s therapist and friends with a fair number of celebrities, with the forward written by Bruce Springsteen. In one chapter he shares the story of two men, a “strikingly handsome couple” that were “killing each othe…

“The first half of my career was spent putting people to sleep, and after my midlife crisis, I realized I had to start waking people up, including myself.” My guest today is Dr. Stephen Faulkner, a former medical doctor, pilot, and one of my key mentors on the path of mythopoetic masculinity. In this episode, Stephen reflects on his nearly 70 years…

My guest today is Trevor Yelich, an alternative therapist specializing in breathwork, somatic psychotherapeutics and trauma work. He is the founder of Numa Somatics and the Numa Mystery School. This episode was recorded immediately after I completed an in-person training with Trevor in psychotherapeutics, which I very much enjoyed. Many of the prin…

Access The Iron John course here. A few years ago, I was invited to steward an online offering for the Rowe Center, based in Massachusetts. With the passing of Robert Bly, esteemed poet, activist, and father of the mythopoetic men's movement, I opted to weave a 7 week journey revisiting his seminal book Iron John, inviting an array of special guest…

My guest today is Nicolas Canon. Nicolas is a seasoned relationship coach who has deeply intertwined his insights in love with walking the plant medicine path in his homeland of Colombia. Over the past decade, he has dedicated himself to helping individuals and couples not only deepen their relationships but also find greater self-awareness and spi…

My guest today is Andrea Villa, a scholar, a mentor of men, a restorer of old practices and languages of the sacred. He has spent several years studying male initiation with indigenous peoples from India to West Africa to Native America, developing a unique understanding of gender as intelligence. His passion is to support men in regaining their er…

Last week I had a lovely conversation with Jumana Sophia, creator of Her Mystery School. In this enlightening inquiry, we delve into the origins and evolutions of her initiation school for women, with clear parallels to what I’ve been developing for The Deep Masculine. We explore the role of these dedicated spaces to heal and deepen our understandi…

Spring is stirring, and I’m excited to announce the next offerings with my good friend and collaborator Deus Fortier. After two successful immersive weekends for men held last year, formerly titled MXM, we’re pleased to announce our next one is coming soon April 5-7, 2024 in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. You’re welcome to listen to our conv…

Barbie is back in the news again. The Oscars race is on and the film was nominated for numerous awards including Best Picture. Ryan Gosling received the nod for Best Actor, while Margot Robbie & Greta Gerwig were passed over. Ironic snub, given the context of the film? Or just how it goes sometimes? Now before you roll your eyes and wonder ‘who car…

“Every group and every single gathering is an opportunity to remake and re-story culture.” - Al Jeffery My guest today is Al Jeffery, an integrative psychotherapist, meditation guide and regenerative leadership practitioner. He is also a conscious explorer of queerness and masculinity. In this episode, Al shares his journey, unlocking the potential…

My guest today is Rabbi Zelig Golden, the co-founder of Wilderness Torah, an organization dedicated to supporting Jewish people to heal, learn, and grow together through reconnection to the earth. Zelig also holds a Masters in Jewish Studies and previously worked as an environmental lawyer protecting food and farms, and has long guided groups into …

My guest today is Stephanie McKay, an educator and mentor in earth-based skills and ancestral ways. She is the co-founder of Fianna Wilderness School on Vancouver Island, as well as a monthly Mythology Club, where folks explore stories of predominately of Indo-European origins in an attempt to uncover the remaining vestiges of an intact, land-based…

This is a bonus conversation and a special invitation to attend the forthcoming Calling All Men Summit, of which I’m a featured speaker among many other men. Watch the trailer for the event: An overview: Over 7 days you’ll meet and learn from 50 men who are experienced with the multitude of crises we face. These men are fathers, leaders, mentors an…

My guest today is Christopher Ryan, an acclaimed author and speaker who has led a diverse and unconventional life, from working odd jobs around the world to earning a Ph.D. in Psychology and being a self-proclaimed “vanthropologist.” He is the host of the podcast Tangentially Speaking, as well as the author of “Civilized to Death” and the co-author…

My guest today is Kai Cheng Thom, a certified somatic sex educator, qualified mediator, clinical hypnotherapist, and poet based in Toronto. She's the author of six award winning books in various genres, including the Stonewall Honor Book award winning essay collection, I Hope We Choose Love. Kai Cheng's work focuses on the intersection of social ju…

I’m pleased to release this conversation with my friend and longtime collaborator Deus Fortier as we discuss our recent MXM immersion for men. The detailed show notes are below. As well, we’ve announced new dates for our next MXM - Nov 17-19. You can find all the details & apply to join here. Note: I’m very excited to release more new episodes of t…

As lovers, can we move beyond the need to get it right - and instead be absolutely captivated with the desire to be real with each other? My guest today is Melissa Maya, a writer & artist who works as a feminine leadership and somatic intimacy guide. She is devoted to midwifing a culture that is rooted in the resurgence & remembrance of feminine in…

The ability to slow down and self-regulate is a very important act of self-love and self-care that is accessible to anyone. - Robin Clements My guest today is Robin Clements, an international leader in the field of conscious connected breathing. He is the founder of Breathwave, as well as a surfer, yogi and father. Robin also happens to be my neigh…

Dear listeners, My guest today is Muhammad Ali Sardar, aka The Alichemist, a satirist who speaks to the themes of money, power, sex, race and religion. In particular, he caught my eye through his various Instagram reels that depict a wry critique of men’s work tropes, blind spots, and the dangers of spiritual materialism. Our conversation today is …

Greetings friends, Happy to share this recent interview with my pal Eamon Armstrong where he interviews me on his podcast exploring mythopoetic masculinity. The conversation also highlights my active curated series Restorying Masculinity. You’re welcome to join now and receive the recording from last week to get up to speed. Use the code MYTHICrm20…

One of Nietzsche’s favorite novels, Le Rouge et le Noir contains some of the most profound psychological analysis in all of fiction. The novel tells the story about a young man from a modest background who seeks a glorious career, but ends up in enormous trouble as a result of his love affairs. The novel is divided into halves, with the first half …

Welcome to The Mythic Masculine, now hosted on Substack! You’re welcome to continue connected as a free subscriber, or please consider upgrading to a paid subscriber to support all the effort that goes into this show. “The way you treat and view women represents the way you treat your own feminine qualities and unconscious mind.” - Connor Beaton My…

This is the full recording of the latest Solar Session, a live conversation via The School of Mythopoetics. Join the School http://schoolofmythopoetics.com Charles Sue-Wah-Sing is a leadership and whole life coach, facilitator and guide with a focus on conscious leadership, and practicing safe conversations. He works with people from all walks of l…

My guest today Ke’oni Hanalei, founder of Pōhala, purveyor of Esoteric Hawaiian Fern Medicine. Ke’oni caught my attention through his Instagram, where he shares profound perspectives rooted in the Mū teachings of ancient Hawaii. In our conversation today, we speak about his own upbringing under the guidance of his grandmother and his rediscovery an…

What if hidden in the soil below the monumental myth of patriarchal masculinity there was a rhizomatic biodiversity of alternative masculinities? What does it mean to create an ecosystem of narratives, rather than uplift a singular story? Looking to the past for ingredients to compost into better stories for the future, Ian and Sophie bring their p…

Join Nina, Daniel, Fabrice, and Rob us as we discuss Edith Wharton's 1913 satire of American ambition, The Custom of the Country.

This bonus episode is actually a conversation recorded for another podcast The End Of Tourism. The host is my good friend Chris Christou, who I initially met through Stephen Jenkinson’s Orphan Wisdom School. We have spent many a time gathering on the farm in Ontario where the School is held, and have woven threads of companionship over the years. A…

Each of the four contributors picked a different poem to read and discuss for this episode. The poems we picked are listed below. Also below are links to the poems and the starting point for each segment. Emily Dickinson, "The Brain is Wider Than the Sky" - 2:35 https://drupal.yalebooks.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/TOC/edelman_wider.pdf Charl…

My guest today is Jason MacKenzie, co-founder of Sacred Sons, a men’s organization whose self-professed aim is to “steward the return of the father archetype through men's relational and physical training.” I first met Jason in 2019 at the Sacred Sons Convergence in San Diego, a powerful gathering of 300 other men. I experienced firsthand the conta…

This episode is a live recording as part of a series of events leading to the Grand Opening of The School of Mythopoetics June 1st, 2022. Consider joining as a Founding Member http://schoolofmythpoetics.com In myth, the Underworld is a place of testing and initiation, but hopefully not a final destination. Within many stories the descent is the sec…

My guest today is Autumn Skye, a visionary artist whose work holds a significant presence with transformational culture around the world. I first had the pleasure of meeting Skye on a festival tour in Australia back in 2016, and since then we’ve kept loosely in touch from afar. Last year, when she released her two pieces, first Mary Magdalene and t…

My guest for this Live Episode will be Nicholas Powers, author of The Ground Below Zero: 9/11 to Burning Man, New Orleans to Darfur, Haiti to Occupy Wall Street. He is a poet and an associate professor of English at SUNY Old Westbury with writings in Truth-Out, HuffPost, Alternet and The Indypendent. Nicholas recently published the essay “Can Psych…

My guest today is Bill Kauth, the resident visionary and co-founder of The ManKind Project, one of the most recognized men’s organizations in the world. In 1984, Bill was working as a psychotherapist when he conceived and co-created the New Warrior Training Adventure. Since then, over 75,000 men in 12 countries have completed this neo-initiatory ex…

My guests today are Ophir & Dor Haberer, Jerusalem-born identical twins, who are, among many things, facilitators, ritualists, storytellers, chefs, and organizational consultants. The brothers bring together their connection to ancestral Arabic Jewish Roots with their love for ecology, healing, and village-building. They have been guiding men’s wor…

My guest today is Steven Martyn, M.A. (traditional plant use), an artist, builder, and farmer who is also the founder of The Sacred Gardener School. Steven has spent more than 30 years of living co-creatively with the Earth, practicing traditional living skills of growing food, natural building, and nurturing community. He has written numerous book…

My guest today is Robin Esrock, a global adventurer, travel writer, and author of the Great Global Bucket List. After a chance encounter on a Canadian TV talk show, Robin and I have remained friends for over a decade. We’ve shared countless experiences together, from working on his acclaimed international reality series Word Travels, to exploring t…

In this 60 minute conversation, Ian MacKenzie and Heather Pennell unpack the opening chapter of Iron John, the classic tale made famous by poet Robert Bly. JOIN THE NEW COURSE: REVISITING IRON JOHN http://revisitingironjohn.com The book almost single handedly spark the mythopoetic men's movement of the early 90's, which crested before heading under…

REGISTER HERE http://revisitingironjohn.com In 1990, Robert Bly’s book Iron John: A Book About Men ignited a generation of men towards what would become known as the mythopoetic men’s movement. Suddenly, men (at least in Western culture) had a map to their inner landscape and their outer experience. The exploration of a German fairy tale, alongside…

My guest today is Chris Fletcher, a counsellor that specializes in working with youth and their families. He is also the co-author of the forthcoming book The Nine Rings of Alignment, alongside his partner. I first encountered Chris many years ago while visiting his oceanside retreat sanctuary Halfmoon Haven. Over the years, we crossed paths only a…

My guest today is Red K Elders, a magical artist based on the Norfolk coast of England, who sketches powerful portraits of old gods and mythical beings. This bonus episode explores her recent work in bringing forth a depiction of Dionysus, the god of fertility, grapes and wine, of ritual madness and religious ecstasy. Red was kind enough to send me…

Host Ian MacKenzie shares an update on the The Mythic Masculine Podcast, along with an announcement of our new series: The Pandemic Is A Prism. The Pandemic Is A Prism http://agatheringofstories.com/pandemic Support the Podcast https://www.themythicmasculine.com/supporter Join the Mythic Men's Lodge https://www.themythicmasculine.com/network Get fu…

My guest today is Sophie Strand, a writer who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. Though she admits, it would be more accurate to call her a neo-troubadour animist with a propensity to spin yarns that inevitably turn into love stories. I first encountered her work on social media, reading her surprising and beaut…

In this bonus episode, I share about my experience in the Patterns to Presence program, co-facilitated by Sabrina and Zamir on how to transform attachment patters with science and compassion. Learn more about their program here https://patternstopresence.com/ Get full access to The Mythic Masculine at themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe…

My guest today is Justice Schanfarber, an artist, marriage counsellor and couples therapist. He is also the author of a two books, including “Conscious Kink for Couples: The beginner’s guide to using kinky sex and BDSM for pleasure, growth, intimacy, and healing.” Our conversation today, we cover some intimate terrority, including: an introduction …