Belonging to the Wild

Conversations and reflections that help us remember and move into wildness~within and without. To be wild is to know what you are and to live from that knowing without shame. It is to remember that humans are nature too, that the wildness of nature is not only out there in pristine forests and secretive deserts, it is also right here in our unruly hearts, intricate minds, animal bodies, and in the vastness of the imagination. Here, we ask questions, tell stories, share knowledge, and wonder together about ways to belong ourselves back to the wild. www.drvanyaleilani.com

Belonging to the Wild is a society podcast hosted by Dr. Vanya Leilani, with 32 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Dr. Vanya Leilani hosts Belonging to the Wild, a society show with 32 episodes published.

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  Belonging to the Wild

  Ep. 31: "The Whole World is Praying for Love" with Perdita Finn

  Jul 30, 20261h 2m

  “Life prays for life – and life grows from desire and love. The whole world is praying for love.” These are words from Perdita Finn’s beautiful new book, Mothers of Magic . In this episode, Perdita Finn shares with us her expansive views on the many mothers. She talks about mother “not as an individual identity but as a collective reality” and dreams of a world where we all feel deeply mothered, not by one individual but by the whole world. Our conversation includes topics like: The many mothers Appetite, desire, & eros Learning what is enough Prayer ~ it’s gifts and shadows Dreaming about the world we want The magic of the mothers It was such a joy to have Perdita back on the podcast ~ I hope you enjoy our conversation! Join the waitlist for my courses starting this fall Gathering Bones Course Wild Sovereignty Course Send me a message Check out my Substack, The Mythic Fig Buy my book about Eve and Creative Transgression: The Flesh & The Fruit Connect more with Perdita: Buy her new book: Mothers of Magic Visit her website Check out her Substack Join her on Instagram Perdita Finn is the author of Take Back the Magic: Conversations with the Unseen World and Mothers of Magic: Summoning the Wisdom of Our Ancestors. She is the co-founder with her husband Clark Strand of The Way of the Rose, an international fellowship of beings dedicated to the earth, the rosary, and the Lady by any name you want to call Her. They are co-authors of the book of the same name. They live with their family in the moss-filled shadows of the Catskill Mountains.

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  Belonging to the Wild

  Ep. 30: Myth as a Living Practice with Maria Souza

  Jul 16, 20261h 5m

  What does it mean to experience myth as a living practice? In this episode, mythologist Maria Souza and I explore this question. Maria shares her profound wisdom and insight around the power of old stories to bring depth and meaning into our everyday lives. In our conversation we explore myth as: spiritual practice door for our initiations way toward self-belonging and sovereignty connection with the more-than-human world invitation and opening to wilder questions In the second part of our conversation, Maria tells us the Brazilian story of Jaci and Naia and we explore with this story together, diving into its complexity and metaphoric wisdom. ~~~ If you want to listen to the story of Bluebeard, you can listen here. Bluebeard and the Power of Disobedience And if you want another story, you can listen to the episode on the Ugly Duckling here. Wild Belonging and the Ugly Duckling Join the waitlist for my courses and you will be the first to know when enrollment doors open for the fall courses. More about Maria: Maria Souza is a Comparative Mythologist, Poet, Educator, and Narrative Therapy Practitioner whose work explores the enduring relevance of myth, symbol, and story in contemporary life. Drawing from the fields of mythology, history, depth psychology, and spirituality, she offers a multidisciplinary approach to understanding ancient narratives and their significance for modern life. She holds a postgraduate degree in Comparative Mythology from Instituto Dedalus, a Master’s degree in Ecology and Spirituality from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), and an Advanced Training Certificate in Applied Mythology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her academic and professional work bridges scholarship and practice, supporting women in engaging myth as a living tradition. Connect with Maria and learn more about her work

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  Belonging to the Wild

  Ep. 29: Practicing Archetypal Polytheism

  Jul 7, 202636 min

  What is archetypal polytheism and what does it mean in daily life? In this solo episode, I continue this series on cultivating a mythic sensibility and engaging the mythic imagination in everyday life. Topics I talk about in this episode include: What are archetypes?/archetypal theory Our obsession with “The One” The perils of the Salvational Fantasy What I mean by archetypal polytheism The significance of mythic figures Ways of practicing archetypal polytheism in daily life How archetypal polytheism can increase our felt sense and practice of wild belonging Also, if you want to be the first to know when enrollment doors open for my courses that start this fall ~ Gathering Bones & Wild Sovereignty ~ join the waitlist and I will keep you posted. For more information on me and my work, and to send me a message visit my website. www.drvanyaleilani.com Books to help you explore mythic figures through an archetypal approach: Pagan Meditations by Ginette Paris The Goddess by Christine Downing The Flesh and the Fruit by Vanya Leilani

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  Belonging to the Wild

  Ep. 28: Weaving the Worlds Together

  Jun 30, 202629 min

  In this solo episode, I elaborate and deepen into what it means to live with a mythic sensibility and to weave the worlds of the mundane and the mythic as we live our daily lives. I also talk about: The primacy of the wild imagination Exploring the invisible world from different perspectives Examples of weaving the worlds together How a mythic sensibility remembers us back to our wild belonging The problem of exile and dismemberment from the mythic Ways we can begin to cultivate a mythic sensibility During this series on the mythic sensibility and mythic imagination, I invite you to let me know how this is landing with you and if you have any themes or questions that you might want me to address here on the podcast. I would love to hear from you! You can send me a message here. Also, if you want to be the first to know when enrollment doors open for my courses that start this fall ~ Gathering Bones & Wild Sovereignty ~ join the waitlist and I will keep you posted! We can also connect through The Mythic Fig, my Substack publication. You can also visit my website at www.drvanyaleilani.com

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  Belonging to the Wild

  Ep. 27: Cultivating a Mythic Sensibility with Dr. Thomas Moore

  Jun 23, 202658 min

  What does it mean to live with a mythic sensibility? We are starting the new season of Belonging to the Wild with another wonderful conversation with Dr Thomas Moore. In this conversation, we explore what it means to live with a mythic sensibility. Our conversation includes themes like: · what it means to have a mythic sensibility · the difference between myth and mythology · the importance of psychological polytheism · the dangers of mythic fundamentalism · the myths in daily life Dr. Moore also tells us about his new book, The Cure at Walden Pond , and talks about the ways that Henry David Thoreau lived his life with a profound sense of myth. Thomas Moore published his classic Care of the Soul in 1992 and has since written twenty books on spirituality, sexuality, myth, religion and depth psychology. His books have been translated into thirty languages. He has taught religious studies and psychology and has been a psychotherapist for over 30 years. He often speaks at C. G. Jung societies and has done special work consulting at major medical centers with the idea of bringing soul to medicine. He was a close friend and collaborator with James Hillman and published an anthology of Hillman’s work with extensive introductions and commentaries. He writes fiction and music and has a special relationship with Ireland, the home of his ancestors. He lives in New England. Find our more about Dr. Thomas Moore Buy his new book! Join the waitlist for my fall courses and be the first to know when enrollment doors open! Send me a message or question ~ I would love to hear from you! Visit my website to learn more about my work

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