The Mythic Masculine

My guest today is Miguel Rivera, a seasoned ceremonialist, musician, and ritualist.This conversation is a two part series recorded in 2024 at the 40th anniversary of the Minnesota Men’s Conference. Miguel is a longtime facilitator to the conference where he has played a pivotal role in guiding men through transformative experiences.Miguel's journey began in the vibrant cultural landscape of the 1980s, where he was drawn to the path of healing through indigenous medicine and becoming a Sundancer. His involvement in the men's movement began with an invitation from Robert Bly in 1992, where he suddenly found himself at the heart of a cultural force that sought to reconnect men with their inner selves and the sacred.The Mythic Masculine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In our conversation today, we delve into the transformative power of men's gatherings and the role of ritual in healing and initiation. Miguel shares his experiences of how these ceremonies amplify healing and create a sense of belonging and brotherhood.We also discuss the challenges faced by modern men, including the "lone wolf syndrome" and the importance of finding older men who can offer guidance and mentorship. Miguel's insights into fathering and the necessity of creating a safe and nurturing environment for the next generation are both poignant and profound.We ask: what is the legacy and evolution of the mythopoetic men’s movement? How can modern men find their way back to a sense of community and belonging in an increasingly isolated world?You’re invited to join the 41st Fall Conference Oct 7-12, 2025 “Men Who Stand Atop the Old Mound of Miracles”Also don’t miss my interview last year with conference organizers Walton Stanley and Ben Dennis.ADDITIONAL EPISODESCheck out these conversations for more on the history of the men’s movement. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Darren Silver, a rite of passage guide, ceremonialist, and storyteller. With nearly two decades of experience, Darren has devoted his life to ritual, wilderness living skills, and guiding transformational experiences across the world.. An apprentice to the old myths, he weaves the power of the natural world, vision, and community in service of regenerative culture.Darren’s path began in the forests of Virginia and later deepened through the teachings of Tom Brown Jr. From these roots, he cultivated a lifelong devotion to vision, animacy, and the mysteries between humans and the more-than-human world. His journey led him to wilderness therapy, guiding quests, and the practice of divination as passed down through the lineage of Malidoma Somé and Carter Brown.The Mythic Masculine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In our conversation today, we explore the initiatory dimensions of blood rites and the sacred hunt, and how encounters with mortality awaken a man’s power and responsibility. Darren shares stories of divination as a way of orienting one’s soul, restoring ancestral connection, and realigning with the genius each of us carries.We look at the role of wilderness rites of passage in breaking the spell of modern isolation, how vision arises both as daily practice and as life-altering encounter, and why ritual remains essential for men seeking to live in right-relation with themselves, their communities, and the living world.Together we ask: What do blood rites reveal about masculine initiation? How does divination open a dialogue with the unseen? And in an age of rupture, how might men return to the wild conversation that remakes us whole?LINKS * Courting the Sacred Hunt - Men’s Initiation Program beings Oct 1st* Darren’s official websiteADDITIONAL EPISODES This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Matt Sturm, a guide and writer dedicated to the evolution of masculinity. His offerings include psychotherapy, psychedelic-assisted work, sacred sexuality, and men’s retreats. He is the author of two books—The Organic Masculine and Primal Drives—and the creator of the Living Kosmos tarot deck.(You might also remember Matt from when he joined Deus and I to discuss eros & intimacy in men’s ritual space).After a decade working in the corporate climate sector, Matt left his dream job to embark on a spiritual path that led him deep into yoga, tantra, and the mythic roots of masculine identity. His work bridges archetypal psychology, developmental theory, and sacred embodiment, inviting men into a more integrated and life-affirming expression of their power.In this conversation, we explore the crisis and rebirth of masculinity in a time of global unraveling. Matt shares his framework of the "organic masculine," and how the primal drives of aggression and sexuality—when unintegrated—fuel much of the world’s destruction. We look at the role of rites of passage, the death-rebirth journey of the hero, and the challenge of moving from domination to deep relationality.We discuss the symbolic power of myths like Hercules and the Hydra, the collective adolescent psyche behind our social and environmental collapse, and how reclaiming the warrior archetype can support a shift from violence to sacred protection.Together, we ask: How might men transform their primal drives into devotion? What kind of masculine presence is needed to meet the polycrisis of our time? And how do we embrace the monster within so that it becomes an ally rather than an adversary?This episode is a call to enter the depths—where masculinity is not conquered or discarded, but composted, reimagined, and reborn in service to life.The Mythic Masculine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.MATT’S LINKS* Website* Essay: Masculinity & The PolycrisisADDITIONAL EPISODESIf you like our conversation, check out my earlier complimentary conversations: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

Greetings friends. By now you have likely heard about, if not already listened to, Aubrey Marcus’ podcast “A New Pattern for Sacred Relationship.” If you haven’t I would recommend at least check out the first 30 minutes. Last weekend I listened to the whole thing, all 2.5 hours. I've also read and watched a number of responses to it (and there are many).Some folks call him a "false king" who is not a "real man". Others say the women (his wife and their lover) are being manipulated and have lost their own inner compass.Marc Gafni, their mentor (also featured on the podcast) calls them "evolutionary lovers in a field of erotic mystics" ... or something.It seems to have hit the cultural zeitgeist on sex, relationships, monogamy/polyamory, spiritual bypassing, divine union, cults, psychedelics, all of it.Just that alone has been fascinating to witness.A few days ago I posted an initial response on my Facebook. I also sent the episode to my friend and collaborator Deus Fortier, and he responded with is take here.I felt inspired to jump on a call today and record an emergent conversation between us. Enjoy! As named, you can stream my film The Village of Lovers.And check out Deus and I’s upcoming men’s offerings here: * Awaking the Wild Erotic (In-Person) * The Deep Masculine (Online)SHOW NOTES* 00:00 – Opening and framing: why this conversation matters now* 00:50 – Who is Aubrey Marcus? Context on his influence and subcultural position* 02:45 – Summary of the podcast episode: divine union, polyamory, and the “radical monogamy” claim* 06:50 – The Egypt “download”: Aubrey’s call to impregnate both women* 08:00 – Mark Gafni’s role as spiritual mentor and the atmosphere of unquestioned affirmation* 10:30 – Deus shares his initial unease and what made the episode feel “off”* 13:30 – The concept of krivda: when truth is wrapped in distortion* 17:00 – Power dynamics, spiritual bypass, and concerns about lack of transparency* 22:00 – Reflections on biological imperative and cultural conditioning around monogamy* 31:00 – Lessons from Tamara: embedment and forum as collective relational technologies* 40:00 – The danger of personal downloads without communal discernment* 44:00 – Deus’s personal journey of erotic healing, trauma, and moving at the speed of trust* 50:00 – How to offer better relational support to each other This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I’m honored to share a conversation with Minna Salami—author, social critic, and senior fellow at The New Institute.This exchange was recorded during the Fugitive Futures Summit I co-hosted in February 2025. I’m sharing it here because of the powerful resonance between Minna’s work and the questions we hold on this podcast.Her book Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone proposes a liberatory way of knowing that’s embodied, relational, and rooted in both thought and feeling. Drawing on African cosmologies and feminist philosophy, Minna challenges the dominance of Euro-patriarchal systems and invites us toward a more holistic worldview.We explore this sensuous way of knowing—and its deep relevance to masculinity. We speak to the adolescent forms of masculine power so common in leadership today, and ask how a more mature, rooted masculinity might emerge through depth and inner listening.UPCOMING OFFERINGSSpeaking of pathways of mature masculinity, men are invited to check out my online trainings and in-person events. The Deep Masculine - 12 week online journey to repattern your relationship to sex, soul and purpose. Begin anytime. Awakening The Wild Erotic - A men’s ritual initiation into the archetype of The Lover. We have two upcoming weekends: * July 25-27 - Montreal, Canada* Aug 22-24 - Vancouver IslandAll folks are invited to explore Iron John: A Mythic Story about Men.Would love to hear your comments on my conversation with Minna! Leave you thoughts below. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

Earlier this week, I posted this on Facebook and Instagram and received quite a strong response - so I’m publishing here as well to hear from my readers. In my recent interview with Tyson Adams, we explored the phenomenon of pornography and its deep, often hidden, effects on men.You might think it’s not so different from what previous generations faced—but after listening to our conversation, you’ll see we’re living in an era unlike any before.Once upon a time, a young boy’s access to pornography required either cunning effort—like sneaking into his dad’s hidden stash—or sheer luck, like Tyson stumbling across a Playboy in a field.Today, that mediation is all but gone.Youth can now access an unending stream of pornographic imagery and videos—24/7, in any variation imaginable.And the impact has been nothing short of catastrophic.Martin Shaw, mythteller and rites-of-passage guide, speaks to the mythic loss pornography has inflicted on the male psyche:“There used to be shadowy areas in the imagination that contained passageways for Aphrodite, Dionysus, and lusty Pan to emerge through and ignite the sexual experience. However, that requires an imaginal flow, not the oddly passive imprint of negotiated image, downloaded into the mind by a jaded computer techie in Silicon Valley. […] Porn provides the picture—a very limited one—that short-circuits the entrance of ‘the mind’s eye’ to the erotic imagination. […] In other words, we fail to develop our own erotic imagery.”And now, with the advent of AI, we are entering exponential territory.The involvement of a human woman is no longer required.Busty, “perfect” AI-generated women now have hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, with legions of adoring men. AI porn platforms allow users to conjure whatever woman or scenario they desire—on demand.It’s a godlike power, exercised within the confines of a false, synthetic reality.I can’t help but return to a common thread in many indigenous traditions: that everything has a spirit.When that spirit is extracted, manipulated, and concentrated, it becomes addictive. Think: sugar cane versus refined sugar. Sacred tobacco versus commercial cigarettes. The same for alcohol, coffee, the list goes on.Pornography, in this light, makes a promise: connection to the Feminine.But it cannot deliver.Instead, it offers a ghost.A distorted, addictive shadow of the feminine.So how does a man break free?The path is not linear—and it involves multiple layers.One is rewiring the nervous system: learning to seek self-regulation not through porn, but through practices like breathwork, meditation, movement, and creative expression.Another is healing the shame that clings to so many men’s sexual histories. This is the heart of my work in Stealing the Key: Men, Sex, and the Mother Complex.And finally, a man must expand his relationship to sexuality itself—reclaiming it as a doorway into eros, the primal force of life.He comes to realize that sex is just one channel of this vast current, and that when he stops seeking it solely through women—or through substances—he opens to a cosmos teeming with beauty and inherent purpose.If you're a man who wants to begin this journey, send me a DM. ___ I’d also love to hear your comments on this below! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."I remember coming across this quote at Burning Man years ago. It's from writer and essayist Anais Nin. It struck me then, and it reverberates for me still.This photo was taken that year. That sky is particularly specific to that time of evening, as the heat of the day dissolves into gorgeous blue & purple hues.I remember my friends and I were stopped at an art piece, after gallivanting around the playa on our bikes, weaving in and out of the dust and denizens of Black Rock City.That year was the Temple of Transition, and it was a threshold that changed everything.It was then I learned of the role of grief and the necessity to come together in tending the endings that make us human. It was then I recognized my marriage was over, even though it was another year before we parted ways.Recently I had the impulse to look up the words from Anais Nin, and discovered the rest of the quote:"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death. Living never wore one out so much as the effort not to live. Life is truly known only to those who suffer, lose, endure adversity and stumble from defeat to defeat. Perfection is static, and I am in full progress."I love that. That a live worth living is not one of striving for success, but a willingness to fail again and again. This is how one comes to know life. To blossom is a risk. To expose your vulnerability, your authenticity and your creativity is to expose yourself rejection. To dare to become. Somewhere in there, your soul comes alive. This is the spirit of my upcoming Awakening the Wild Erotic, an ritual immersion for men release dysfunctional patterns around “eros,” the primal force of life, and step into a new phase of aliveness. This will our 5th time running the event, and men have found the container incredibly valuable. Upcoming AWE Dates: April 4-6, 2025 Vancouver Island has a few spots left. (Last chance to apply now!) We are also bringing AWE to the Montreal area July 25-27, 2025. Get the full details and apply here.Podcast RoundupOver the last few months I’ve been featured in a number of great podcasts. I figured I’d round them up as a digest and share below. The Authentic Man - Mythopoetic Masculinity and Navigating Conflict in RelationshipI really enjoyed this conversation with David Chambers, where we cover a number of topics, including: Domination vs. Partnership Culture, Reconditioning for Connection, Support systems for couples, Regenerating Culture, The Power of Deep Partnership, Understanding and Dealing with Jealousy, How to deal with conflict in a relationshipEvolving Man - Iron John And The Foundations Of Mythopoetic MasculinityA solid conversation with my longtime friend Ben Goresky. In this episode, I share my journey into the mythopoetic men’s movement, which explores masculinity through myth, initiation, and men’s groups. I open up about how the death of my grandfather led me to this work and helped me understand the challenges of modern manhood, especially in a culture that lacks clear rites of passage. We discuss the archetypes of the Hero and the King, dive into the themes of Iron John, and explore the importance of men’s circles for personal growth and emotional support. We also reflect on the rediscovery of lost initiation practices, reconnecting with passion, and embracing The Deep Masculine to navigate life's stages and challenges.The Smiling Human - Myth as Medicine: Addressing the Crisis of MeaningIn this conversation, Oak Mountain and I discuss the themes of mythopoiesis, masculinity, and the cultural narratives that shape our understanding of identity. We cover the importance of myth in making sense of the human experience, the evolution of masculinity through different cultural eras, and the current crisis of meaning faced by many men today. RiverFlow - Weaving Love, Eros & Men’s WorkIn this episode, Harry Friedman and I explore into rich territory. We explore the metaphor of polyamory as a wetland and “relational exclusivity” as a river, to understand different approaches to love and relationships. We dive into the traditional views of elder mentors around marriage and matrimony, contrasting those with the ideas of free love and open relating, particularly those espoused in the Tamera research project. We also discuss how romantic relationships can serve as vehicles for healing, while community plays a crucial role in the broader process of personal and collective healing.Tripping with Nick SunFinally, you’re invited to check out this episode with Nick Sun', whose podcast “seeks to explore the fundamental question: How do we live as human beings during these crazy times without losing our freaking minds?”Thanks for reading. P.S. My Deep Masculine 3 month program is also live. There are pathways for both men & women. Get the full details here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themythicmasculine.substack.com/subscribe