On this episode of the Alchemi-Culture Podcast, join Phoenix and Seán Pádraig O'Donoghue as they discuss topics including:

• The complexities and living nature of Irish history, and how it is best understood through various regional traditions and oral narratives, rather than a single narrative. 
• Each region in Ireland has its own unique mythology and knowledge, often diverging from written records. 
• Irish gods and goddesses, often misinterpreted as traditional deities, were more like revered ancestors with attributes such as shape-shifting.
• Overlapping stories between Christian and pagan practices in Ireland
• How the cultural transition to Christianity affected how Irish deities were perceived, altering their cultural significance.
• Personal stories from Sean’s life highlighting the continued influence of revered ancestors, and the importance of maintaining connections with the deceased.
• How Psilocybin's therapeutic effects can help people confront death courageously and with integrity, allowing for a shared understanding of mortality.
• The dual traditions of activism vs. assimilation within Irish culture, and thoughts on discrimination and activism stemming from Irish heritage.
• Sean’s autism diagnosis and his thoughts on the value of lived experience and neurodivergent perspectives.
• A heart-centered approach to herbalism, connecting deeply with nature directly, and recognizing the significance of plants beyond their biochemical properties for healing and connection.

Seán Pádraig O'Donoghue is a poet, a teacher, and herbalist, and an initiated priest of the Feri and Crossroads Traditions. He is the author of The Forest Reminds Us Who We Are, Courting the Wild Queen, and The Silver Branch and the Otherworld and a columnist for Plant Healer Quarterly. He offers weekly classes on subjects in the mythic and magical and herbal realms through the Otherworld Well Hedge School. He also offers private consultations. To learn more about his work go to https://otherworldwell.com/.

Links and books mentioned in this episode:

Sean’s website is https://otherworldwell.com/  

The school that Sean runs is Otherworldwell Hedge School

Sean’s books are:

The Forest Reminds Us Who We Are  https://amzn.to/3V9tEp7

Courting the Wild Queen  https://amzn.to/3OqWugP

The Silver Branch and the Otherworld: Forest Magic with Plant and Fungi Allies  https://amzn.to/3XAJlpt

NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman

John Moriarty and the Silver Branch Vision

Chi-O Instruments available at phoenixaurelius.org https://www.phoenixaurelius.org/collections/chi-o-instruments

To learn more about our work visit: ⁠https://www.phoenixaurelius.org/ and use the coupon code 'Listen15' to receive 15% off your Apothecary order.

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