Stephen is a culture activist, teacher, author, and co-founder if the Orphan Wisdom School. His work centers around grief, elderhood, community, and is rooted in knowing history, being claimed by ancestry, and working for a time we won’t see. Stephen and I speak about how a lack of generational connection and transmission has provoked deep rupture and brokenness. We discuss the difference between communities and collectives, the danger of individualism and personal “sovereignty,” and how grief is an inevitable outcome of true “awakening”. We also touch on guru/student relationships, societal misconceptions about power and privilege, how to cultivate belonging as a state of being, and the devastating effects of living in a culture that has traded grief for grievance.
The black hole of American culture, community, and elderhood is something I have been "longing" after for years. It is, in a way, what led me to your podcast. I don't know how I haven't found Stephen's work before, but thank you for this. I just finished listening and my brain and body are buzzing. Balance and Surrender have so far been the great lessons of my time on this planet.
I think this episode is a really beautiful pairing and elaboration on the episode with Sophie Strand. I found myself actually laughing in this, remembering, for lack of a better term, that was sparked when Stephen mentions the impersonalization of death, power, etc., as well as the concept that life isn’t supposed to be easy or even “work out”. It reminded me so much of when Anya and Sophie talked about the reframing of our own life away from this concept (and really, false narrative) of the “main character” and towards a more collective experiencing of sorts with all things.
The black hole of American culture, community, and elderhood is something I have been "longing" after for years. It is, in a way, what led me to your podcast. I don't know how I haven't found Stephen's work before, but thank you for this. I just finished listening and my brain and body are buzzing. Balance and Surrender have so far been the great lessons of my time on this planet.
Not exactly sure what to make of what he is saying, but I'm along for the ride.
Since he appears to be around my age I wonder how old he is, if he has children (and grandchildren).
I'm not "healthy" or "whole" enough to be an elder myself.
(But maybe I'm more gloomy than usual since my younger brother died in Feb, mostly because of alcoholism.)
Somehow this from my favorite LP ever popped into my head.
It might even be irresponsible elder hood to share this since even if he "Hope(s) to live. . ." in the lyrics he in fact died by suicide at age 35:
https://youtu.be/jIYnUo2ePsg
I think this episode is a really beautiful pairing and elaboration on the episode with Sophie Strand. I found myself actually laughing in this, remembering, for lack of a better term, that was sparked when Stephen mentions the impersonalization of death, power, etc., as well as the concept that life isn’t supposed to be easy or even “work out”. It reminded me so much of when Anya and Sophie talked about the reframing of our own life away from this concept (and really, false narrative) of the “main character” and towards a more collective experiencing of sorts with all things.
Diving in immediately xxx
I haven’t listened yet but I am SO fucking excited for this