A new episode of the Pathfinders Podcast is now available wherever you get your podcasts. In the latest episode, we dance with the question: How do we compost our sh*t to create the soil for future thriving?
In our last Newmoonsletter, we invited you to spend a bit of time in your own head – and body – to reflect on how you’re dealing with what feel like the end times by sharing the Empathy Map for End Times.
In this episode of the Pathfinders Podcast, we invite you to reflect on how we might collectively let go of all the sh*t that’s making it hard to feel empathy for ourselves and leaves us unable to imagine an alternative to end times.
We know the solution isn’t ignoring all the sh*t that’s piling up, suffocating our planet and our bodies. We’ve tried shipping our sh*t out of sight, out of mind, which only encouraged us to produce more sh*t, to the point where our various ecosystems can hardly cope. A recent study suggests that the increasing presence of microplastics in our soil and air is already causing crop and seafood loses due to decreased plant photosynthesis, and could possibly lead to mass starvation.
So while it is uncomfortable to think about sh*t like this, and easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of sh*t we have to deal with in our daily lives, we also have a unique opportunity to start composting all of this sh*t to create soil for future thriving. A future, in which we won’t be poisoning our soil, food, and minds with more sh*t that cannot be composted.
Throughout our exploration, we discuss the importance of using metaphors that make abstracts concepts more visceral, and open our bodies to engage with the metaphorical sh*t in more creative and imaginative ways. Along with more playful language, we also see a need for creating spaces where these challenging emotions can be expressed and processed. As an example, Mat shares his experience from a recent event he facilitated on climate adaption, during which kids were given to express their sadness and grief about the future.
We also play with the invisible train metaphor to explore how we might step off the fast-moving train of progress that’s heading towards the cliff. We acknowledge that while composting inevitably takes time and shared effort, humour and playfulness can make the process more enjoyable and imaginative. Instead of trying to find a resolution or solution, we take the time to appreciate the humanity that’s being revealed in these end times.
You can watch the full episode on YouTube, or listen to it on Substack or in your favourite podcast app.
About the podcast
Pathfinders Podcast is a podcast for wondering wanderers, eager to explore paths to better tech futures, together. Each podcast episode is a meandering exploration inspired by the seeds planted in our Pathfinders Newmoonsletter at the beginning of the lunation cycle, and the paths illuminated during our Full Moon Gathering.
