Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
We celebrate our return from break with a retrospective, catching up on news from the first half of the season and sharing updates and related stories that have caught our eye in the weeks since. From tree-hugging Pakistanis to intrepid mollusks, a saucy young Scottish princess and a return of the blues-singing cows — not to mention, lots of feedback and stories from listeners and fans. In our Pro extension, we share more stories of solstice celebrations from all around the world, and Ali performs a reading of two of her recently published poems.
Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
Jeff and Ali return from mid-season break to share stories of solstice celebration and fun! We tell the sun-drenched tale of our first ritual here in the Seattle area, hosted in a shady oaken grove by a delightful gathering of local Druids, we explore the fiery legends of sun and solstice throughout the cultures of the world, and we sit down with a special guest, fellow Druid Scott Schumacher (of Northern Druid Podcast) for our very first interview here on FF&C!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Scientific studies can give us great insights into broad patterns in nature — from the physical laws that govern the universe, to the ways that plants and animals behave, to the neuropsychology behind religious faith — but one of the limitations of the scientific method is that it’s bad at handling statistical outliers. Can we appreciate the eccentricity of the unexpected even while encouraging rational thought as a valuable tool? We share stories of amazing animals, astounding art, chilling pop culture trends and befuddling politicians as we celebrate the weird and wacky in today’s society. In our Pro extension, we revisit the connection between neuroscience and religious faith, and we wrap up the episode with a conversation about satire, irony, cynicism and sincerity.
Refer a Friend! Enter our contest to win a free album of guided meditations. Everyone who enters receives a complimentary Spiritual Name Reading to show our thanks!
Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
Tonight’s episode is the second part of a two-part special exploring alternative theories from outside the scientific mainstream and their evolving relationship with nature-centered spiritualities, as we seek a balance between modern science and a meaningful religious life. We turn our attention away from the Earth and look at the strange sea it swims in. Outer space appears empty but is actually filled with swirling clouds of plasma. What effect does it have? Most astronomers dismiss it as largely inconsequential, but plasma cosmologists think otherwise. Plasma is ionized gas, a powerful conductor of electricity; and electromagnetism is far more powerful than gravity. What if we’re living in an electric universe?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Happy World Environment Day! Tonight, we explore this year’s WED theme, Green Economy: Does It Include You? What does a “green economy” look like? Our relationship with the natural world reflects our understanding of the value of material existence and the symbols we use to express that value, from money, to jobs, to social justice. We examine the different ways that communities all over the world envision sustainable economic systems, and the tension that arises between valuing the natural world and putting a price tag on it. In our Pro extension, we look at how transitioning to a greener economy not only benefits the planet, but can also lead to happier, healthier human beings and more fulfilling, creative work for everyone.
Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
Tonight’s episode is the first part of a two-part special exploring alternative theories from outside the scientific mainstream and their evolving relationship with nature-centered spiritualities, as we seek a balance between modern science and a meaningful religious life. Approaching cosmology from the perspective of a spirituality grounded in nature and the Earth, we sometimes find ourselves considering what seem to be pretty strange theories, and they require us to think carefully and critically about both their scientific and spiritual implications.
In Episode 110 – Cosmology (Part I) – Embracing Gaia, we trace the history of the Gaia hypothesis from goddess-inspired conjecture into a testable hypothesis that eventually overcame mockery and ridicule to become the widely-accepted Earth system theory embraced by some of the most world-renown mainstream scientists of today.
