It’s a potent week for podcasts! Gordon White and I had our third and perhaps most compelling and exploratory conversation yet on his podcast Rune Soup. We discussed J.R.R. Tolkien’s notion of Faërie, fantasy, and imagination, connecting the principles outlined in his groundbreaking essay “On Fairy-Stories” with his creation myth the Ainulindalë: theory and practice of the sub-creative imagination. In our discussion of my new book, Journey to the Imaginal Realm, we also spoke of how The Lord of the Rings provides a powerful mythos for facing the great challenges in our current era, which are reaching a new peak in 2020. The podcast is available for download or can be listened to directly below.
Astrology Hub Podcast with Amanda Pua Walsh
In preparation for being a lunar guide in the Astrology Hub’s Inner Circle Membership program for this upcoming Sagittarius lunation, I joined Amanda Pua Walsh in conversation on the Astrology Hub’s podcast to discuss the archetypal perspective in astrology, the connections between ecology and an astrological world view, and the significance of some of the upcoming transits in 2020. As always, it is such a pleasure to speak with Amanda, and I deeply enjoyed our rich and evocative conversation. To listen, here is the episode: “The Link Between Archetypal Astrology, Healing Our Ecological Crisis, and Embodying Your Chart.”
Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio: Jung, Tolkien & the Imaginal
When I first started researching the parallels between Jung’s Red Book and Tolkien’s Red Book of Westmarch, I came across a wonderful 2011 interview with the Gnostic scholar Lance S. Owens, conducted by Miguel Conner of Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio and titled “Gnostic Themes in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” The ideas set forth both affirmed and furthered my thinking on the two Red Books, and Owens became an essential source in my research.
Now, seven years after I first heard that interview, I had the great honor of being invited myself onto that same podcast to discuss my new book, Journey to the Imaginal Realm, with Miguel Conner. To listen, here is the interview: “Jung, Tolkien, and the Imaginal.”
We intimately understand the events and processes that allowed C.G. Jung and J.R.R. Tolkien to enter the Imaginal. Can we access those creative energies and charged symbols from the realm of archetypes to alchemically transform ourselves and the surrounding culture for the better? Our quest into the minds of these magicians of the imagination leads us as well to discover the deeper meanings in such hallowed works as The Lord of the Rings and The Red Book.
Magic of the Spheres Podcast
I had an absolutely enchanting and immersive conversation with the evolutionary astrologer Sabrina Monarch on her podcast Magic of the Spheres, in which we discussed planetary combinations of Venus. It felt as though we had dropped into a timeless space during our conversation, and that between us we were truly communing with the archetypes.
Our conversation has been released in two episodes: in the first episode we talked about the nature of archetypes, the current Saturn-Pluto conjunction and how we have been seeing that manifest, and the planetary combinations of Venus through the pairings made with the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and so on all the way out to Pluto. In the second episode we wrapped back around to Saturn and Pluto by talking about the triple combination of Venus, Saturn, and Pluto.
It was such a joy to be in dialogue with Sabrina, and I feel absolutely delighted to share these two episodes.
Part I: Planetary Combinations of Venus – Venus PairingsÂ
Part II: Planetary Combinations of Venus – Venus-Saturn-Pluto
Mutations Podcast: Recovering the Imaginal
In anticipation for my upcoming course with Nura Learning, Sub-Creating Middle-Earth: Reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, I had a wonderful conversation with Jeremy Johnson on the Mutations podcast about J.R.R. Tolkien and C.G. Jung, and the recovery of imagination in our era. Jeremy is a skillful interviewer, bringing his own ideas and research to the table in a way that deepened our mutual inquiry. The conversation was an absolute delight to participate in, and I am thrilled to share the podcast.
To listen: “Recovering the Imaginal with J.R.R. Tolkien and C.G. Jung“
If you are interested in joining us for the course on The Silmarillion, there is still time to Register!
Holes to Heavens Podcast
The astrologer Adam Sommer welcomed me back onto his podcast Holes to Heavens for a rich conversation about The Red Books of C.G. Jung and J.R.R. Tolkien, in which we explored astrology, myth, imagination, ecology, and the power of eclipses. From dragons to elf-light, this was a wonderful dialogue in which to participate.
The podcast is available for download, or can be listened to here: The Red Books with Becca Tarnas.
Astrologers in Profile Interview
The astrologer and teacher Adam Elenbaas kindly invited me to do an Astrologers in Profile interview, in which we discussed my journey into becoming an astrologer and scholar. Doing the interview was a deeply meaningful and moving experience for me, and I am so grateful to Adam for the opportunity to share my story in this way. Our conversation ranged through a wide variety of topics and ideas, and we dove into some rich philosophical and spiritual eddies.Â
Unifying Perspectives
I was invited to participate in a wonderful, wide-ranging astrological conversation with Philip Daniel Miles for his website Unifying Perspectives. We spoke about the power of language, death and rebirth, the archetypal experience of being in the womb, and the evolution of archetypes, as well as what it means to participate in the transformation of our current moment.
Talking The Lord of the Rings on Rune Soup
Gordon White, the fantastic host of Rune Soup, kindly invited me back on his podcast to discuss the practice of active imagination and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It was such a pleasure to drop back into conversation together two and a half years later, and to see how my research has evolved since my first interview with him back in 2016! The podcast is available for download or can be listened to directly below.
The Astrology of Dreams
I joined Renn Butler on his podcast The Astrology of Dreams: Explorations in Archetypal and Holotropic Astrology for a two part conversation on archetypal astrology and the upcoming Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto triple conjunction. We shared how we each came to the study and practice of astrology, and spoke of our experiences working in the field and some of the spiritual, philosophical, and psychological insights we have come to. Finally, we turned to the current and upcoming transits, looking back to earlier periods with the same alignments, so that we could come to some understanding of what may be in store personally and collectively in the next few years.
Part 1: Astrology as an Invitation to Cosmic Ecstasy
Part 2: The Upcoming Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto Conjunction
Becca Tarnas 