Poema Podcast

Poema S7 053 | Geek Philosophy: The Grief & Deconstruction of Loki with Doug Humphries

My geek philosophy series continues today as writer Doug Humphries and I spend time reflecting on the season one of 'Loki' and the lead characters personal journey. 
We explore how Loki confronts his past, his actions, and his grief and goes through an incredible personal deconstruction & transformation, and how his journey is often reflected in our own.
We also talk about the similarities between TVA and evangelicalism/capitalism, - a system we are part of and seems friendly, but has a sinister side - and a lot more too. This is one of my favourite shows, and one of my favourite episodes in this series.

Poema S7 052 | Geek Philosophy : Drew Brown on Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Today my geek philosophy series continues, as my friend Drew Brown and I sit down to discuss the series 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier'.
We explore the character arcs of the two central characters, their processing of grief and trauma from the events of Avengers Endgame and loss of Steve, and how this journey helps them discover themselves. 
We also explore the issues around systemic racism and white supremacy in the US and how these manifest themselves in the show, and the lessons they can teach us. 
This was a fascinating conversation which covered a number of important topics, and Drew has some great insights to share. 

Poema S7 051 | Deborah Brunt on Spiritual Abuse & Escaping Toxic Religion

Today on the podcast, another in our occasional series of deconstruction / spiritual transformation journeys, this time blogger and author Deborah Brunt. 
Deborah shares with us her experiences of growing up in a toxic religious environment and the spiritual abuse she experienced, and how it impacted her faith & her mental/emotional health.
She tells me how in order to follow what she believed to be a call to ministry and be free of this abuse and toxicity, she had to make tough choices, and let go of everything she'd known in relation to her life and faith.
**TW: Spiritual abuse, toxic religion**

Poema S7 050 | Marie (Mystic Kootenaygirl) on Deconstruction & Liberation

Today my friend Marie joins me to tell her deconstruction story. She talks about how she and her husband found their way into evangelical culture as adults, and how she slowly began to feel trapped in toxic religion.
She shares her experience of purity culture and how this impacted her marriage & her faith. Marie then tells us how she began her journey out of of toxic religion and purity culture, and found true liberation on the other side.

Poema S7 049 | Ana on Narcisstic Abuse & Christian Fundamentalism

**Trigger warning: Narcissistic abuse, spiritual abuse, emotional abuse**
My friend Ana returns to the podcast today, to share her lived experience of narcissistic abuse within Christian fundamentalism. 
It's a powerful, discomforting story which shows us the depths of narcissism within evangelical Christianity and patriarchy, and how challenging it is to break free of it. 
Ana tells us how she found a way to freedom, her deconstruction, the challenges she faced along the way - and still does - and how she discovered freedom to be fully herself & embrace her identity an LGBTQIA native woman. 
 
 

Poema S7 048 | Bridge Livwat on Life Uncaged

Today I'm joined by John Howey, otherwise known as Bridge Livwat, who shares with us his personal, spiritual and creative journey.
He talks about his faith deconstruction and the journey from aspiring worship leader into creating his own music, and his creative and spiritual journeys intertwined and interacted. We talk about our shared love of the work of Rob Bell, and how he's impacted each of our lives and journeys, including the principle of sabbath, and time.
Ultimately, it's a story of how John escaped from a God and life which was caged and restricted, to a an uncaged life and spirituality, with a divine who is not contained by religion or structure.

Poema S7 047 | Cat with the Cards on Journeying into Tarot

My friend Cat, tarot reader, joins me today. They tell their powerful, challenging story from evangelicalism through deconstruction into tarot and spellwork, and coming out. 
They also tell us about how they discovered the transformative power of tarot and spellwork, and the impact it's had on their life. 
It's a discomforting but honest story, of Cat's experiences within an evangelical cult, the struggles of leaving it behind and the freedom from discovering & embracing their true identity.
*****
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Poema S7 046 | April Kling Mayer on Why Creativity Is Spirituality

Today I'm joined by podcaster, creator, artist and spiritual mentor April Kling Meyer.
April tells us her own story and talks to us about the intersection between creativity and spiritual journey. She shares through her story and experience how our spiritual and personal journeys inform our creative journey.
Finally, we discover how we can use the energy of grief and trauma to transform our lives, our spirituality and allow us create something fresh, new and life giving.

Poema S7 045 | Jenna DeWitt & Holly Stallcup on Being Sex Positive

I'm honoured to be joined again by my friends Jenna DeWitt & Holly Stallcup today, to explore healthy sexual ethics in the church and being sex positive.
We explore topics like masturbation, sex toys and other things which rarely get discussed in church environments. We also go on to explore different sexual ethics, and how we should honour and respect each others sexual ethics, even if they're different. 
We discuss how harmful it can be to force one sexual ethic on everyone, and how sexuality in our culture is very static.
We share about how this static view differs from our basic biological make ups, which are all very different and how every ethical expression of sexuality - including things like abstinence and asexuality and waiting till marriage  - all belong. 
Holly and Jenna have such wisdom in this area and talk with such honesty, in a way which is reassuring, inclusive and encouraging, without shame. 

Poema S7 044 | Suzanne & Declan Dewitt Hall on Being Transgender Before God

I'm honoured today to be joined by Suzanne and Declan DeWitt Hall, authors, activists and Christians. They tell us their story as a couple, and in particular the journey of Declan to embrace his gender identity.
Declan talks about his own journey of coming to terms with his true gender identity, being honest about this with herself, before God and the world, and beginning the transitioning into that identity. 
It's a powerful, courageous story, which shows once again the divine loves and accepts us as we are, for who we are, and is fully inclusive of the LGBTQI community.