Rune Soup

One of my favourite books of the year is Jerry Kantor's Sane Asylums. He joins us this week for an equally-scintillating episode. We explore how homeopathy works, the 19th century heyday of homeopathic psychiatry -including the successful treatment of Abraham Lincoln's widow's 'incurable madness' with three months of homeopathy. And we find out just how it was homeopathy was erased from history and why. (Spoiler: Money.) Really great stuff. **Show Notes** Get Sane Asylums. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1644114089/ Jerry's website, Vital Force Health Care. https://vitalforcehealthcare.com/ Jerry's publishing website, Right Whale Press. https://rightwhalepress.com/

This week we have the first triple-header of the energy healing dialogues. Brian Wilkins returns to the show with first-time guest, Jess Waters. Jess and Brian are principally responsible for creating and maintaining a weekly intention group based on the principles outlined in Lynne McTaggart’s Power of Eight. So we discuss their respective paths through various healing modalities, how they came to intention-based work, what it’s good for, how it might work and what its efficacy implies for the cosmos at large. Really scintillating chat. Excellent stuff with some excellent people. Enjoy! **SHOW NOTES** Jess and Brian's substack, Banhe https://banhe.substack.com/ Brian's website https://www.wilkinsbrian.com/

The legendary Eileen McKusick joins us this week for the next Rune Soup Energy Healing Dialogue. We discuss the origins of biofield tuning, how it and other forms of sound healing work, what it's best for and what other modalities it best supports. A fantastic discussion with a true healing pioneer. Enjoy! **SHOW NOTES** Biofield Tuning Store https://biofieldtuningstore.com/ Biofield Tuning Website https://www.biofieldtuning.com/

Continuing the energy healing dialogues this week, we welcome to the show Kenzie Q. Adams. Kenzie is a Reiki master and teacher, professional healer, industrial engineer and the creator of Mind Connection Healing. She also happens to be the better half of Scarlet Imprint author, Peter Mark Adams. MCH is a healing and trauma release system incorporating meridian therapy, Reiki and several other modalities into an holistic synthesis. Kenzie and I discuss her own journey as a healer, the road to developing MCH and what it can be used for. Note: Kenzie is giving a training webinar this weekend (Sunday Sept 4th) as part of the Rune Soup Premium Member energy healing course. So if you like what you hear, there’s still time to join us! **SHOW NOTES** Mind Connection Healing: https://www.mindconnectionhealing.com/ Join Rune Soup: https://runesoup.com/join-rune-soup/

Continuing our dialogues with and about different energy healing frameworks, this week we welcome to the show Pranic Healer, Trisha White -who also happens to be my mother. We chat about the origins of Pranic Healer, Trisha's career as a professional healer, how the system works and what it works best for. Join the Rune Soup Premium Membership for access to the energy healing course and all other courses: https://runesoup.com/join-rune-soup/

This is one of my favourite shows of the year so far! Continuing our dialogues with energy healers as part of the Rune Soup Premium Member course on energy healing, this week we welcome to the show Stella Osorojos. Stella is a mother, a writer, an acupuncturist and multi-disciplinary healer, and the creator of a powerful healing modality called Resonant Attention. We discuss the origins of Resonant Attention in her own miraculous health journey, working with and learning from 'non-western' systems, the importance of understanding trauma, how healing systems 'work' and what health even 'is'. Splendid stuff! **SHOW NOTES** Stella's Substack, Resonant Attention https://resonantattention.substack.com/ Part 1 of Stella's serialised healing memoir, The Universe Is Generous https://resonantattention.substack.com/p/something-isnt-right Stella's website https://stellaosorojos.wordpress.com/ A guided resonant attention exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0iJk_VL34o

Poet, author, taiji instructor and intentionist (this will make sense shortly), Brian Wilkins joins the show this week, on the occasion of the publication of his book, A Wheel of Small Gods. We discuss how poetry can be a container or place for spirits, different methods of experiencing and understanding energy, healing magic, magic-as-time-travel as well as the how’s and why’s of coming into relation with star spirits. Super fun discussion. **SHOW NOTES** Get 'A Wheel of Small Gods' https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Small-Gods-Brian-Wilkins/dp/1947544365/ Brian's website https://www.wilkinsbrian.com/

The Q3 premium member course beginning shortly is on energy healing and to go alongside it we'll be doing a series of dialogues with practitioners from various energy modalities. First cab off the rank is fellow Newcastle boy, Lance Baker, to talk about certainly the most well-known (and perhaps the least understood?) modality, Reiki. Lance is a Reiki Master, hypnotherapist, author and teacher. Definitely the right person to talk me through it! **Show Notes** Lance's website and business, Branches of Healing. http://branchesofhealing.com.au/ Lance's YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP5FLGZ9zfz7H5nmCAZOhsQ Join the Rune Soup community: https://runesoup.com/join-rune-soup/

The one and only Matawhero Lloyd returns to the show this week. More specifically, while I am in New Zealand, I returned to Whetu Ariki to spend some time with Matawhero and to see what’s been happening with his pā project over the past couple of years. This is a project many of you will be familiar with from Ani.Mystic, where it gets a whole chapter of its own. Matawhero goes really deep on Maori metaphysics, indigenous philosophy and all kinds of powerful topics. This is an amazing discussion and I'm really grateful to be able to share it with you. (I am also grateful for the break in the weather that made the site even more beautiful!) **SHOW NOTES** Get Ani.Mystic https://scarletimprint.com/publications/p/ani-mystic

Something different and personally very exciting for this show. In the few days in between my Ecuadorian ayahuasca retreat and a return to my Peruvian jungle dieta, I got to visit the art school founded by my favourite artist, Pablo Amargino. Even better… I got given the tour by Pablo’s son, Juan! Juan is himself an artist, so I also got to see some of his work, and some of the work of Pablo’s students. Plus I got the opportunity to ask some questions about Peruvian shamanism and curanderismo, and have some of the amazing concepts depicted in the painting spelled out.

The one and only Jenx returns to the show to discuss his latest book, Supernatural Thailand. And so of course we discuss graveyards, Naga caves, boy spirits, dying for one's city and a whole bunch more. Then we end the show looking at some of Adjarn Apichai's forecasts for the next few years and where they precisely align with our own. Great stuff, as always! Please note I'm still in the Andes so there are a few audio dropouts. **SHOW NOTES** The Thai Occult: https://www.thethaioccult.com/ Get 'Supernatural Thailand': https://www.thethaioccult.com/product-page/supernatural-thailand-book-pdf

A solo show this week, in which I explore Ani.Mystic now that it's about two months out from launch, and how it has been immensely helpful in coming to terms with Mexican and explicitly Mayan sense making. As I have basically been travelling since the thing came out, I've been remiss in sharing some of the shows that have kindly had me on to discuss the book. So let that be your show notes for this week. Each episode is remarkably, remarkably different in a way that shows I've done for Star.Ships or The Chaos Protocols or Pieces of Eight weren't. And I genuinely think that's down to the material in the book. Which means, if you are so inclined, you have hours of material to enjoy! (And hopefully that makes up for the travel-based radio silence.) The audio version of this week's show is the audio of my presentation and discussion with the guys from Watkins the most recent discussion of the book for reasons spelled out in this video. Watch the rest here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOkBDpkVkME **Show Notes** Gordon talking Ani.Mystic on The Higherside Chats. https://runesoup.com/2022/05/gordon-talking-ani-mystic-on-the-higherside-chats/ Gordon talking Ani.Mystic on Coffee and Divination. https://runesoup.com/2022/05/gordon-on-coffee-and-divination-talking-ani-mystic/ Gordon talking Ani.Mystic on Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio. https://runesoup.com/2022/05/gordon-on-aeon-byte-talking-ani-mystic/

The one and only Gary Lachman returns to the show this week. And the topics of the hour are dreams and time: precognition, sacred time, time slips, machine time and what even am dreams in the first place? Definite food for thought here. Always a pleasure! **Show Notes** Gary's latest book, Dreaming Ahead of Time. https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Ahead-Time-Precognitive-Synchronicity/dp/1782507868/ Gary's website. https://garylachman.co.uk/

Everyone’s favourite expat druid and substacker, Rhyd Wildermuth, returns to the show this week. His latest book, Being Pagan, forms the through-line of a wide ranging discussion on beingness, paganism, embodiment and the general state of the world. Electrifying stuff, as ever. ***Show Notes*** Rhyd's latest book. https://abeautifulresistance.org/beingpagan Rhyd's substack. https://rhyd.substack.com/ Rhyd's website. https://rhydwildermuth.com/

Here is the next of the free or publicly available modules of the latest premium member course, Protection and Malefica. It is a discussion on morality frameworks and how, when and we we might magically intervene. The one and only Peter Grey of Scarlet Imprint joins us for a deep dive on one of Jack Parsons's most important texts, We Are The Witchcraft. This is a video discussion with slides and such, but if you would prefer to listen to it like a normal podcast, this audio version is eminently followable. ***Extra Material*** Download a PDF of We Are The Witchcraft. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/runesoup/We_Are_The_Witchcraft.pdf Peter Grey reading We Are The Witchcraft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyuhHQ8y9iU

The one(s) and only(s) Miguel Conner of Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio and Chris Knowles of The Secret Sun join the show this week for a discussion of all things astro-gnostic. We discuss the true antiquity and use of star lore, stars in the Bible, gnostics in history as well as a gnostic study of history as well as which components of gnosticism may or may not be universal. This chat was arranged in honour of a conference that Miguel is arranging that Chris and I will both be speaking at next month (March 20 – 22) in Playa del Carmen called the Astro Gnostic Conference. We discuss the event during the show and you can find out more, including details on tickets, accommodation and excursions in the show notes. Great stuff. Enjoy! ***Show Notes*** The Astro Gnosis Conference website. https://thegodabovegod.com/astro-gnosis-conference/ The Secret Sun. https://thegodabovegod.com/astro-gnosis-conference/ Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio. https://thegodabovegod.com/

This week we complete our revisitation of classic blog post series from back in the day. And we have saved my favourite for last: Apocalypse Pharmaka. It’s my favourite for a bunch of reasons that I explain in the episode. But, basically, the contested landscape of medicine and power and the body is where the witch and the cunning person has always lived. (Not that you’d know it from looking around in the past couple of years, although the shrillness is mercifully receding.) So if you want to say you are a participant in the ‘western’ understanding of magic or witchcraft in any capacity and have the people around you keep a straight face, one way or the other you need to ‘come to terms’ -in the animist sense- with this contested landscape that is our homeland. It really is as simple as that. Of course -and this is pretty much the whole point- we have all been pushed off these homelands over the past two years and into both literal and metaphoric quarantine camps. Which is to say these discussions are even more fraught than at the time I wrote the series. So you won’t find this episode on YouTube. Enjoy! ***Show Notes*** https://runesoup.com/category/apocalypse-pharmaka/

This week, we are joined by essayist and filmmaker, Niles Heckman. Among other things, Niles is the co-creator of the Shamans of the Global Village series. So we talk about that, obviously. And we also talk about creativity, filmmaking, the power of the essay format, as well as how -or if it’s possible- to participate in cross-cultural learning in non-extractive ways. Great chat. Enjoy! ***SHOW NOTES*** Niles’s website, podcast and blog. https://www.nilesheckman.com/ Watch Shamans of the Global Village. https://www.shamansoftheglobalvillage.com/ Trailers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-QtwCGVGMI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0cLTxmrhA

Continuing our revisitations this week, we turn to the archonology series -a long running exploration of power and conspiracy. And you know what? A lot of these have held up pretty well. I especially like how so many of the videos shared in the posts are now gone from YouTube, and how many links have died. It’s like burning the edges of a pirate map. Adds character. https://runesoup.com/2013/03/archonology-things-that-persist-part-1/ https://runesoup.com/2013/04/while-we-pray-for-a-long-summer-archonology-part-2/ https://runesoup.com/2013/04/spook-tech-archonology-part-3/ https://runesoup.com/2013/05/the-money-archonology-part-4/ https://runesoup.com/2013/06/collaborators-archonology/ https://runesoup.com/2013/11/the-weapon-of-the-enemy-an-interlude-archonology-part-6/ https://runesoup.com/2014/01/knives-in-the-dark-archonology-part-7/ https://runesoup.com/2014/07/fate-of-empires-archonology-part-8/ https://runesoup.com/2014/11/dispatches-from-the-front-archonology-part-9/ https://runesoup.com/2015/05/force-majeure-archonology-part-10/ https://runesoup.com/2017/11/listening-to-demons-archonology-redux/ https://runesoup.com/2017/11/pointing-out-devils-archonology-redux/ https://runesoup.com/2017/11/section-31-archonology-redux/ https://runesoup.com/2017/12/the-syndicate-archonology-redux/ https://runesoup.com/2017/12/offers-unrefused-archonology-redux/

A bumper episode this week and a veritable romp through the Fortune’s Fools project as the finish line appears over the horizon. I was told going into a project like this that it would show up in your life in strange ways: seeing a cardiologist the week of the Heart card, having a friend lose is eyebrow ring at your house the week of the Ring card, taking ayahuasca the week of the Tree card. None of these things were planned out beforehand but if you read cards, you know these things tend to happen. They just seem a little extra when you’re creating a deck. So artist extraordinaire Colin Alexander returns to the show in order to reminisce and commiserate on this wacky journey so far. ***SHOW NOTES*** Download a large version of all the cards so far. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/runesoup/_Fortunes_Fools.jpg Pre-order the cards and the book. https://runesoup.com/product/pre-order-a-fool-and-his-money/ Join the Fortune’s Fools Telegram group. https://t.me/fortunesfools The Fortune’s Fools playlist on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hIjOcsa0YJyiIstk4nE4W?si=pGMyiSuzS2ezjD5UMw-fEg&nd=1 Colin on TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@colinalexanderdraws? Colin on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/colinalexanderdraws/

Continuing our whistle-stop tour of classic blog series, this time we revisit a term I lifted from the (pre-cancelled) Joss Whedon film, Serenity. It’s the term I use to better frame the totality of digital systems and social media in the context of how they see the world and what it is they seek to do to ours. For people who may be unaware, I had a career in digital media and publisher strategy before doing whatever it is you call what I’m doing now. And I’ve long been interested in that overlap between communication and magic. These posts weave all of that together. And it’s necessary to continue the revisitations with this series next, because it gives us the context for why probably the rest of the revisitations won’t be found on YouTube. Here are some of those old posts: https://runesoup.com/2015/09/im-going-to-show-you-a-world-without-sin/ https://runesoup.com/2016/06/the-first-world-without-sin/ https://runesoup.com/2015/10/worlds-jurassic-and-without-sin/ https://runesoup.com/2017/10/world-without-sin-farming-spies/ https://runesoup.com/2019/11/blowing-filter-bubbles-world-without-sin/

In what is a particularly apt metaphor, I’m dragging The Whisky Rant up from the depths. This impromptu little reminiscence is inspired by the recent solo show on the story of Rune Soup. Somebody suggested it might be a good idea to look at some of the classic post series from back in the Age of Blogging. So we begin with The Whisky Rant: where the name came from, the benefits and shortcomings of alternate history, which UFOs are actual aliens and which of the various rants stood the test of time. For new people, this was a series that covered off all the exciting hits like ruins on Mars and the Moon, the location of Atlantis and my own version of the stoned ape hypothesis.