Explore every episode of the podcast Mythic U
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes and Serpents | 19 May 2025 | 00:53:00 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Join hosts Karen Foglesong and Erin Branham as we discuss the mythological significance of snakes, and their dual symbolism of life and death. We explore various cultural perspectives, including Chinese mythology where snakes represent power and transformation, and Hindu mythology where snakes are both protective and deceptive. The conversation also delves into the historical and symbolic use of snakes in medicine, such as the Caduceus and the rod of Asclepius. We highlight the snake's role in ancient myths, from the Minoan Snake Goddess to the Garden of Eden, and conclude by encouraging listeners to embrace the transformative power of the snake in their own lives. SHOW NOTES Wadjet: Cobra Goddess of Egypt Ningishida: Snake God of Mesopotamia Nuwa and Fuxi: Chinese Mythology The Solstice Snake in the Moab Desert We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Artificial Intelligence and the Soul | 15 Apr 2025 | 00:47:43 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere now, available for your use and possibly coming for your job! Karen and Erin discuss the hefty moral implications of AI for humans - and for the artificial intelligence itself. The discussion ranges from AI art in competitions to the Church of AI to (of course) Star Trek, the Borg, and Commander Data (with a little Star Wars thrown in for good measure). SHOW NOTES What Isaac Asimov Can Teach Us About AI - article in The Atlantic The Mathematical Basis of the Arts by Joseph Schillinger, 1943 - Internet Archive Inside the First Church of Artificial Intelligence - article in Wired We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Modern Mythic Tales: Bull Durham | 11 Nov 2023 | 00:44:59 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Join us for our first Modern Mythic Tales, where we look at contemporary works of art for their mythic and symbolic meaning. Today's Modern Mythic Tale is Bull Durham, a movie about America's other favorite pastime (SEX!). Released in 1988 and enjoying its 35th anniversary this year, Bull Durham was voted the best sports movie of all time by Sports Illustrated - but like most sports movies, it's about life more than it's about baseball, specifically a life where the main characters have constructed their own mythologies. Brendan Hunt (Coach Bear and Ted Lasso Co-Creator/ Writer) Interview in the Observer about Ted Lasso Season 2 in which he briefly discusses Bull Durham The Gospel of Bull Durham According to Ron Shelton The Church of Baseball: The Making of Bull Durham by Ron Shelton Faith, Hope and Love: Bull Durham - The Cooler movie blog The Best Baseball Movie Ever? Bull Durham - The Atlantic The Inner Game of Tennis: the Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance by W. Timothy Gallwey Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihalyi Czikczentmihalyi We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Dreams | 04 Oct 2023 | 00:41:45 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Dreams speak in the language of mythology - symbols. Join us to learn how your dreams are your unconscious mind speaking to your conscious mind, how to interpret dreams in the Jungian fashion to illuminate the most powerful symbols in your own psyche. Carl Jung and the Psychology of Dreams - Messages from the Unconscious - Academy of Ideas Jung on Neurosis: Part I Definition and Causes - Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences Active Imagination - Learning Mind The Wisdom of Your Dreams book by Jeremy Taylor (this is the updated version of the book Erin’s dream group used) We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Shadows and Monsters | 14 Aug 2023 | 00:55:43 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. What horrors lurk in our own psyches? Each of us carries an Ego - and our Shadow. Join us as we discuss what the Shadow is, how it operates in each of us, in groups, and in society at large - from the Satanic Panic to Aliens and Darth Vader. Carl Jung and the Shadow: The Ultimate Guide to the Human Dark Side - High Existence You’re Wrong About Host Sarah Marshall interview - Time Magazine You’re Wrong About - Satanic Panic - on Spotify I’m Sorry - LA Times article by Kyle Zirpolo, as told to Debbie Nathan Investigator’s Guide to Allegations of “Ritual” Child Abuse - National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, 1992 report The Satanic Panic in the Missouri General Assembly - overview of the Satanic Panic and how it spread to the heartland of the USA HR Giger: The Monster Maker - YouTube video overview of Giger’s work Lovecraftian Horror - and the racism at its core - explained - Vox article We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Pop Goes Mythology | 06 Jul 2023 | 00:41:50 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. We live in the God gap, when old mythologies are breaking down for many, and new mythologies have yet to emerge. Humans need mythology so much, though, that we'll get quite creative in making things work as mythology - even movies, tv, and book series! This episode we take a look at how participation in fandom meets the needs of some people's souls. Spockanalia - The First Star Trek fanzine StarTrek.com - before the internet, fans shared their love and interest via self-produced magazines filled with original art and writing that ranged from wildly silly to amazingly profound. Where No Fandom Has Gone Before: Exploring the development of fandom through Star Trek Fanzines - a deep dive into the history of fanzines. Thesis by Jacqueline Danielle Guerrier Joseph Campbell and the Mythology of Star Wars - Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell discuss how Star Wars fulfills the Hero's Cycle and takes us to mythological realms. Han shot first controversy - article in The Independent explaining the Han shot first controversy that demonstrates how strongly fans feel about the material they love. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Archetypes | 29 Jun 2023 | 00:58:16 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Symbols speak straight to the unconscious part of our mind and some of the most powerful symbols we deem to be Archetypes. In this episode we explore the many definitions and uses of Archetypes, from psychology to advertising, and how they are related to the quest for wholeness. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| The Needs of the Soul | 09 Jun 2023 | 00:40:30 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. The renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell described 4 functions of mythology - here we describe each function and flip them to examine how mythologies meet the needs of our souls. In conversation we consider how institutional mythologies such as organized religions may or may not still be successful in meeting our soul's needs and how choreographing our own spiritualities may do a better job. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Why are You Mythic? | 26 Apr 2023 | 00:39:09 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Welcome to Mythic U! In our first episode we define mythology as deeply meaningful stories and ask: what does it have to do with you? Each of us lives in a web of myths - spiritual & religious stories, family stories, national stories, historical stories. Our stories are our beliefs are our myths are our identities. Topics covered include Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth, Carl Jung, the consciousness of plants and growing up in the Bible Belt, as we explore core concepts of thinking and living mythically. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Stories & Recovery: An Interview with Shannon Gaulding | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:47:03 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Erin Branham and Karen Foglesong interview Shannon Gaulding, a film and television producer, about her personal mythology. Shannon discusses the importance of self-created stories in defining one's identity and the role of mythology in entertainment. She shares her journey from a chaotic family background to finding self-love and spiritual growth through the 12-step program. Shannon emphasizes the need for self-awareness, acceptance, and action in shaping one's life narrative. She also highlights the significance of community and spiritual practices in overcoming personal challenges and creating a fulfilling life. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Conspiracy Theories as Mythic Stories | 03 Jan 2025 | 00:43:54 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Welcome to a discussion about the nature of conspiracy theories, looking at their symbolic and mythic roots. What are conspiracy theories and why do people believe them? What do conspiracy theories have to do with personal mythology? The conversation delves into the motivations behind belief in conspiracy theories, and the history of conspiracy theories. The discussion also touches on the psychological impact of conspiracy theories and the importance of self-awareness and understanding one's personal stories. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Divining Yourself: Divination and Personal Mytholgy | 17 Nov 2024 | 01:03:58 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Join us as we discuss divination and its role in illuminating life's hidden significance and personal challenges. We explore divination's historical context, noting its ancient origins and modern relevance. Then we go deep on astrology, Myers-Briggs, and tarot, highlighting their Jungian origins and how they use symbolic archetypes. We also touch on modern augury, sharing personal experiences with animal omens and radio songs as divinatory tools. Does divination tell the future? Probably not - but does it tell us a lot about ourselves? Definitely! Divination - Open Encyclopedia Jung on Astrology - Jungiancenter.org Psychological astrology - wikipedia Seventy-eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness by Rachel Pollack Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small by Ted Andrews We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Social Myths: Progress & the Golden Age | 16 Sep 2024 | 00:49:08 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Join us as we discuss a couple of fundamental social myths of Western culture: the ideas of progress and the Golden Age. We take a look at the historical sources of these myths and how they ripple through our culture today. We explore the complexities of time and progress, looking to challenge the linear mythology that underpins Western culture and offer insights from various cultures and perspectives to broaden our understanding. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Affectionate Anarchy: The Mythology of the Muppets | 02 Aug 2024 | 00:50:50 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Join us for a fun romp through the Magic Store and the works of the genius artist of play, Jim Henson. Puppets were dismissed as mere children's entertainment until Jim Henson took the art form to unforeseen levels with the affectionate anarchy of the Muppets. We explore Henson's philosophy of difference, creativity and play! We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| Deep Dive: Demeter and Dionysus | 19 Apr 2024 | 00:46:10 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. We take a deep dive into the fluidity of myth across place and time using Demeter and Dionysus as examples. While lesser known in our age, these two powerful gods once had thousands upon thousands of worshippers across the ancient Mediterranean. We explore their varied cults and the diverse versions of their myths. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| The Greek & Roman Pantheon | 14 Mar 2024 | 01:03:17 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Join us for a deep dive into the Greek and Roman pantheons. We look at the Classical Gods as archetypes and discuss how they have come down to us as literature versus how they were worshipped and thought about in the ancient world. U Penn comparison of Greek and Roman gods chart Jean-Auguste_Dominque Ingres Jupiter and Thetis Neptune’s Horses by Walter Gray on the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood website We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||
| The Mythology of You | 18 Dec 2023 | 00:57:28 | |
We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us a text. Whether you know it or not, you already have a personal mythology. It is made up of stories - stories of your place of birth, your family, your religion or spirituality (or lack thereof), your own lived experiences. Examining these tales can teach you a lot about yourself - and give you the agency to realign your stories to more fully reflect the you that you want to be. We want to hear from you! Please rate and review us wherever you find this podcast. Join our Patreon: patreon.com/yourmythicu | |||