Living Myth

On this episode, Michael Meade describes how "entering the modern world at this point is like entering a rite of passage that is already underway. In that sense, we are in a 'liminal phase' that requires a transition, not simply from one place to another, but from one way of seeing the world to another way of seeing and being in the world."   Liminal refers to a betwixt and between period in which...

This episode of Living Myth features a compelling and inspiring interview between Michael Meade and Robin Beck, the editor of The Artist of Possibility magazine, produced by Emergence Education . The conversation begins with the archetypal imagination of the eternal youth and wise old sage who dwell in each person's heart and soul and can be drawn upon in times of trouble and confusion.   Michael...

This episode   focuses on the idea that sharing stories is at the heart of any relationship. The word relate comes from Latin roots meaning "to carry back, to report, to tell." From ancient times humans have related by carrying stories back to each other. When we stop sharing the heartfelt tales of our life experiences, we can lose the essence of our relationships.     Through mythic stories we le...

This episode begins with the increasing fears that the rapid development of AI might lead to the extinction of humanity. As the dangers posed by AI agents coincide with end-time fears, Michael Meade turns to an old myth that shows that humans have always been a great risk taken by the forces of creation. As creatures capable of conscious awareness, humans can become the enemy as well as the friend...

In this episode of Living Myth, Michael Meade talks about the "inner initiate," the part of us that is ever willing to take a new step that can lead to a transformation of our life. After connecting the inner initiate to the Muses, Meade reveals how the ideas and images that he finds most compelling come from the Otherworld as the primary source of inspiration. Following the thread of inspiration...

This episode connects ancient ideas of rites of passage with the need for both transformation and healing on many levels of life. An old idea from the process of initiation states that before the journey begins, you own the journey. But, once the journey has begun, the journey owns you. Both collectively and individually we are in the midst of a journey that we don't own.     Ancient wisdom and in...

In this episode, Michael Meade explores how when the world seems to make no sense, myth can make the most sense. Stories of renewal of the Earth can help us see the world with different eyes and create new contexts for facing the threats of climate change and stopping ecological degradation. Myth has a redeeming function as stories become vessels of imagination and inspiration that can open new wa...

In this episode, Michael Meade talks about the second adventure in life and the challenges of following the path of the soul in the modern world.  Touching on themes of gratitude, joy and the genius of the soul, and weaving together poetry and psychology, Meade suggests that we have little choice in the end; either we follow the dream that calls us to a greater life and become bigger and enter lif...

"When the world seems to lose all sense and meaning, it is usually 'mythic sense' that is missing," says Michael Meade in talking about the vital language of myth. Without a sense of mythic imagination, the world can seem more random and be more overwhelming. Myth is not about the facts of the matter, but about what matters most to us. He suggests that myth is the inside story of the world we live...

The world is so flooded with change, it becomes difficult to keep abreast of radical climate changes, shifts in technology, and all the scandals and revelations of politics. In this episode of Living Myth, Michael Meade suggests that being an "agent of change" may not be enough to affect life in meaningful ways. He proposes becoming "agents of creation" who can help tip the scales away from destru...

The fragmentation and polarization that trouble the outside world is also felt deeply within us. Since the world will not settle soon, the unity and wholeness so sorely missing in the outer world must be found within us as well. As things fall apart the "knowing self" within moves closer to the surface, seeking to become more conscious to us. The greater the distance between the little-self and th...

As tensions and conflicts in the outer world continue to escalate, fears and anxieties intensify inside each of us. Increasing polarization leaves us deeply uncertain about the future as well as increasingly disoriented and further divided against each other.     While the poles of a polarity appear to be irreconcilable opposites, they can also be seen as parts of a hidden unity waiting to be foun...

This episode begins with a fairy tale in which a wondrous tree grows in a palace garden at the center of a realm. The tree at the center produces golden fruit; but each night a golden apple mysteriously vanishes. The culprit turns out to be a golden bird that drops a shining feather before also disappearing. The rest of the tale involves searching for various elements that represent the golden sel...

In this episode, Michael Meade talks about the various ways we can find and connect with our creative muse. He brings surprising insights into practical ways of being creative and the good news that everyone, artists and non-artists alike, has a muse. Creativity is a force larger than ourselves that wants to flow through us, be expressed by us and be given to the community around us.   Meade share...

In this episode, Michael Meade tells an old story about a man whose dreams call for him to go on a long, challenging journey to find a hidden treasure of gold. The story suggests that the treasure we desire most hides where we would never choose to go on our own. Bringing a dream to life requires that we truly change and that can awaken our deepest fears and strongest resistance.     Symbolically,...

This episode begins with the idea that each person has a unique story that seeks to unfold from within their soul. If a person is lucky or adventurous or devoted, they will typically find a path that aligns with their inside story. If they follow that path far enough, they will come to a place where there are no footsteps and the only way forward involves what is called the pathless path. Taking u...

On this excerpt from a Living Myth Premium episode, Michael Meade looks at the growing polarization, conflict and uncertainty in the world and considers how we are living within a "re-creation myth," a period resembling ancient creation stories in which darkness, division, and chaos precede renewal. Creation myths from many cultures describe the world emerging from darkness and separation, implyin...

"Regardless of the conditions of the outside world, we are each here to transform our own lives from the inside and become a full expression of our unique soul." So says Michael Meade when he talks about one of his favorite stories, The Tiger's Whisker.  This episode of Living Myth includes a full telling of the famous tale of a woman who must face a living tiger in order to cure what ails her sou...

In this episode, Michael Meade considers how there are always two stories going on in life. The ongoing drama of what we call the world and the story of the individual soul trying to awaken to a life of meaning and purpose. The two stories are secretly related and become more intensely connected and dramatic during times of upheaval and radical change. When the way we have been taught to view life...

In this episode, Michael Meade explores how each soul born bears a personal story that involves natural gifts intended to be given and an original agreement of the soul that includes an inherent sense of purpose in life. At the same time, each family has fateful issues and inherited plotlines that strongly affect the dependent and defenseless child. The good news is that at each critical time in o...

This episode considers how until modern times, people have relied on ritual practices to heal the wounds of culture, draw upon the renewing energies of nature and rejuvenate the life of both individuals and the community. Ritual gives a place for constricting attitudes to loosen, for emotions to flow and for the reservoir of genuine hope to renew.     Creative rituals can help release the burdens...

People increasingly question whether there is any hope for the world at this time. In this episode of Living Myth , Meade suggests that it is the nature of hope to become lost, before being found at another level of life. In the myth of Pandora, hope only appears after all possible troubles have been unleashed upon the world. There is a deeper sense of hope that can arise when "all hope is lost."...

This episode of explores how as the world becomes a more chaotic and conflicted place, turning to creative practices can help us find ways to settle and center and grow a greater sense of self and soul. Throughout the ages, meaningful practices have served as primary pathways for psychological and spiritual growth, as well as for finding moments of wholeness and inner unity.     Traditional roads...

To be alive at this time means to be present as many familiar patterns simply dissolve. One major crisis quickly replaces another, so that both collective and personal levels of uncertainty grow day by day. It turns out that uncertainty is a powerful energy that makes us feel deeply vulnerable as well as susceptible to more intense levels of anxiety. It is also true that what shatters familiar pat...

This episode begins with the ancient tale of the Titans, the mythic giants who wreaked havoc at the beginning of civilization and arise again when human cultures become power driven and chaotic. For the Titans, nothing is sacred except excess, immediate satisfaction of greed and being insatiable when it comes to power and dominance. Titans were also called the strainers, as their excess of hubris...