The Movement We Need ~ with Starhawk

In this episode, I speak with two activists, Ruby Pinto and Rae Breaux from the Center for Story-Based Strategy . Storytelling shapes activism, influences perception, and can transform movements for justice and societal change. We experienced significant connectivity issues and lost some of the recording, so bear with us, as it is a wonderful and helpful conversation! I encourage you to visit the...

Imagine a future world with aligned human values. In this July 4th meditation, I explore the ideals behind America’s founding, the current political landscape, and how we can envision and work toward a future rooted in justice, liberty, and community. I hope you find this to be a supportive and meditative guide to understanding our role in shaping a better world. 🌀 If you find this helpful, pleas...

As you will hear in this episode, my guest and co-conspirator, Charles Williams and I have gotten into all sorts of good trouble together. And, we have collaborated as teachers for many years through Earth Actvist Training , working toward real solutions to challenges we face within our communities and from climate change. I’m really glad to have my dear friend on this episode to talk about how pe...

During this summer solstice, I’m reflecting on the power of ritual and ceremony. Rituals are more than traditions. In them, we meet our human needs for belonging and purpose, transforming how we connect with ourselves and each other. In this meditation, I’ll move through the historical and cultural importance of solstices in pagan and Celtic traditions, and the symbolism of flowers, especially ros...

In this special episode for my series on Strategy, I chat with my dear friend Brandi Mack. Brandi is a wholehearted, joyous, and dedicated permaculture and community activist who has served in urban garden projects and land stewardship in Calaveras County. Co-founder of the Butterfly Movement, her work in fostering wellness, cultural regeneration, and land-based connection is wide and deep. Learn...

I have been wanting to speak to Daniel Hunter from Freedom Trainers for some time, and am delighted to share with you a conversation I had with him for this series on strategy. Together, we look at the underpinnings of effective social and environmental movements through decentralized organizing, nonviolent resistance, and strategic planning. All crucial for challenging authoritarian regimes and c...

In this episode, we continue this special series on STRATEGY. I first ran into  David Snowden's Cynefin  framework in a video about, of all things, grazing. Probably most of you are not worrying about how best to graze a flock of sheep or a herd of cows, and I don’t think Snowden had grazing in mind when he came up with this framework. But it works well for understanding the difference between...

This episode is part two, looking at Donella Meadows’ 12-leverage points and work on intervention strategies. So grab a notebook, listen with your groups, and of course, if you are on the move, take it along for the ride and revisit whenever you need. Read: Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows or her shorter article Leverage Points . Learn more about Donella Meadows Systems Change WAYS TO SUP...

This episode is a great study companion! So grab a notebook, listen with your groups, and of course, if you are on the move, take it along for the ride and revisit whenever you need. Over the next forty minutes, I will look at the application of systems theory to movement building, particularly 12-leverage points from Donella Meadows’ work on intervention strategies. WAYS TO SUPPORT STARHAWK’S FRE...

In this podcast episode, I offer a conversation about Mayday, Pagan Festival, International Workers Day, & General Strike. SPECIAL MEDITATION: PLUS, enjoy a special meditation at the end of this episode. To celebrate life, honor the workers of the world, and bring about a world of greater justice. WAYS TO SUPPORT STARHAWK’S FREE TEACHINGS: Become a paid Substack subscriber I know the economy i...

I have decided to do a little series here on strategy because I truly believe we are going to win in the end. We are going to return to some form of democracy, hopefully a better form than we had before, which led us into this mess. But to do that, we need to know where we want to go and we need a plan for how to get there. And that is what strategy is all about. In this episode, I want to talk ab...

I wanted to do a little series here on the podcast on strategy. We want to build a movement for justice. And in order to achieve what we need to achieve, we need a strategy to get there. In this episode, I offer some teachings, guidance, and personal experiences that ritual, in particular, has taught me about strategy and movement building. As we move into a new chapter of the podcast, I would lov...

READ 📚 Starhark: Dreaming in the Dark Silvia Federici: Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation David Kubrin: Marxism and Witchcraft Deirdre English: Witches, Midwives, and Nurses Visit Starhawk. Substack.com

Visit ⁠www.earthactivisttraining.org⁠ to learn more about Socially Engaged Permaculture and our Permaculture Design programs. Visit ⁠starhawk.substack.com⁠ to join a vibrant community of movement building with Starhawk

In this episode, I reflect on the profound interconnectedness of all life. I share some musings following my morning meditation outside on my back porch, observing a Redwood tree. Recognizing ourselves as part of a living tapestry truly can inspire gratitude, empathy, and collective action. So here, I share a little from my personal journey, the spiritual significance of nature, and tried and true...

Visit ⁠www.earthactivisttraining.org⁠ to learn more about Socially Engaged Permaculture and our Permaculture Design programs. Visit ⁠starhawk.substack.com⁠ to join a vibrant community of movement building with Starhawk

Visit www.earthactivisttraining.org to learn more about Socially Engaged Permaculture and our Permaculture Design programs. Visit starhawk.substack.com to join a vibrant community of movement building with Starhawk

🌀 MEDITATION for Grounding in Crises: The episode will end with a grounding meditation that I invite you to revisit whenever you need. Because in a time when we can start to feel defeated, we need to be grounded, resourced, and able to let joy in so we can continue our work. Today’s podcast is kind of a little emergency response to Trump and Netanyahu’s invasion of Iran that happened over the wee...

In this episode, I honor my friend and teacher, Dr. Elaine Ingham, who passed away last week. I share a little bit about how we first met, the impact she had on my work and teachings, and the legacy she leaves behind in the world of soil biology. I also offer some teachings about the world of soil biology ~ so grab a notebook, or simply enjoy this as you go about your day. The dirt beneath our fee...

Okay, I just couldn’t resist the temptation to rant some more about the Epstein files and all that they represent. And the simple summary is this: rape and sexual exploitation are not some fluke of the system, they are the essence of patriarchy itself, the necessary rewards for an ideology designed to get men to brutalize each other and be willing to get brutalized, with control of women as the re...

Buy me a coffee Support The Movement We Need on Substack This episode is less a conversation and more of a training to support us in navigating both collective and everyday stress. It includes helpful practices for those on the frontlines of active movements or those simply seeking more steadiness in daily life. You might want to: Listen with friends, partners, or affinity groups On your own, duri...

This is a sort of emergency podcast responding to the events of the last week, where we’ve seen yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, an out-and-out murder of a beautiful young man, Alex Pritti. What we’re witnessing is a great moral battle. Listen to the full episode as I share an excerpt from my book “The Fifth Sacred Thing,” where Maya tells a story during a ritual of scenes from many year...

This episode is a conversation with my co-teacher and long-time friend, Charles Williams, about the principles and practices of permaculture, and how they can address ecological and social challenges. We touch on the ethics of permaculture, including care for the earth, care for people, and fair share… and how these principles can be applied to create sustainable systems. To support my work - buy...

In this episode, I offer my thoughts after deep reflection on what has unfolded over the past 10 or so days around the U.S invasion of Venezuela, and the murder of Renee Good. For me, this has been enraging. It’s been upsetting. It’s been hard to even write about it because what do I say about it that hasn’t already been said a hundred times at this point? But I do want to say this… These are the...

I really hope the new year is going to be a better year than 2025. 2025 started off pretty rough, reeling from the impact of the election, going into it with a sense of tremendous dread about what was to come. But I am less fearful than I was a year ago that it’s going to bring a descent into all-in-one fascism. I’m more hopeful that it is going to continue to build resistance and build a movement...