Shows
Out of the WoodsEx-communicated from the cult of toxic social justice with Poplar RoseIn this episode we talk to my dear friend and former witch colleague Poplar Rose. Poplar and I met in 2017 when we both ran businesses online. They used to write for a site Little Red Tarot and their business was called witch cabinet. Through witch cabinet, they ran a 12-week course on boundaries called Hawthorne Heart. They share their story of being a social justice activist, a witch, and their eventual major fall out and extreme crisis of faith in social justice. As they say, "social justice broke up with me." This came after experiencing two back t...2021-01-142h 22Out of the WoodsHeart-Centered Spiritual Gatherings with Aliza Aliza, at age 40, ended up undergoing a series of distressing life events that threw things into disarray. It was at this time, while dealing with the aftermath of bed bugs, she ended up in a heart-centered, new age spiritual gathering at her mysterious massage teacher’s house. Aliza attended these gatherings as make up sessions for massage school classes she missed while in the midst of all the chaos. Things got peak weird in the group when her teacher’s guru came into the picture. Aliza eventually left the gathering behind, but not before some heartbreak. --Su...2021-01-101h 17Out of the WoodsNew Age Priestess LARPing & Self-Actualizing with AveryIn this episode I sit down to talk with Avery, who shares their story about being involved in a new age spiritual cult-y group. They got involved with this cult and felt like after so many years struggling to find solid queer community—that they had found a home. Their story details the ups and downs and struggles of being embedded in such a cultish community, their mental anguish, and their eventual break out into a new life: getting the right support for their neurodivergence, pursuing a degree in STEM, and coming out as trans. --S...2021-01-072h 00Out of the WoodsAttending a conservative Christian college & being queer with GabiGabi shares her experience growing up as an evangelical Christian and then choosing to attend a nearby wealthy conservative Christian college. Although she was deeply tied to her faith growing up, and found meaning in it, the homophobic and repressive culture of the school onset not only mental heath struggles but a crisis of faith in her religious beliefs. Gabi reflects on this time in her life and shares what happened after leaving campus and graduating.Gabi's instagram: @biggrrrl__smallworld--Subscribe to the podcast on Patreon!Follow the podcast on...2020-12-091h 39Out of the WoodsLeftbook, safe spaces, and trigger warnings with SkyeSkye reflects on their experience in "Leftbook," a constellation of leftist Facebook groups that were popular around 2016-2018. They started out in a group called "political aesthetics escape pod," and eventually became tied up in a group about mental illness and trauma. It was in this group where they encountered a militant approach to "trigger warnings." Follow Skye on Instagram @buttrepreneur --Suggested reading to learn more about Leftbook Leftbook: Destroying the Leftist Movement in AmericaFacebook’s 'Free Emotional Labor Club' Is Ready for Your QuestionsOn Au...2020-11-051h 10Out of the WoodsLiving at anarcho-primitivist protest sites, getting sober, transitioning, and entering queer social justice communityFelix McLean begins his story by reflecting on his time living at anarcho-primitivist protest sites in the UK. Although he found the community unlike anything else he has found outside of the sites, he made the decision to leave after a series of site evictions and realizing that he needed to medically transition--something that sort of doesn't neatly fit into the anarcho-primitivist worldview. He quickly got involved in queer social justice spaces, and eventually got sober. Felix shares all of this and more in this 4th episode of Out of the Woods. Follow Felix on Instagram @soccermomzen2020-10-281h 08Out of the WoodsGrowing up Baptist; coming out as queer, non-binary, and polyamorous with Ky McGinnissKy shares their story about growing up Baptist in a family that was not only deeply integrated with a local Baptist college where their father taught in the seminary, but had ties to prominent Evangelical figures. They reflect on learning how to read the Bible starting at age 5, learning about the end of the world, and constantly asking questions.When they really sat down and tried to understand why their faith was so ardently against lgbtq people, their entire worldview began to crumble. After trying to explore different theologies, they eventually made the decision to leave behind...2020-10-201h 31Out of the WoodsCampus Crusade for Christ & The Sisterhood of the Rose with Kelly GermaineKelly Germaine shares her story about being involved in Campus Crusade for Christ (now known simply as Cru) in college in the mid- to late-2000s. Initially lured in by pizza and camaraderie in shared faith, she gradually grew into a leadership role in the organization where she hosted bible studies and recruited others to join. Once her discipler suggested she consider marrying someone in the group rather than her now husband, she began to realize...it was time to leave. Some years later, attending a series of anti-racism workshops, Kelly experienced a major crisis of faith i...2020-10-141h 33Out of the WoodsShame, punishment & social justice culture with Kira RosenKira Rosen shares her story of separating from punitive online social justice culture. She recounts how the concurrent experience of her escalating bipolar disorder symptoms and a dysfunctional intimate relationship forced her to confront the reality that the shame and punishment normalized in the culture was unsustainable for her. Follow Kira on Instagram @kira.rosen.7----[Kira's suggested reading]Brene Brown: Her work on shame and connectionClementine Morrigan: Clementine's writing on shame, attachment theory, trauma, queerness, cancel cultureKai Cheng Thom: Book (mentioned in the episode) I...2020-10-071h 26
Out of the WoodsTrailer - Intro to the ConceptWelcome to...Out of the Woods! Out of the Woods is a podcast for stories about not-quite-cults but not-quite-not-cults. People share their experiences being strong believers in something--a religion, an ideology, a community, anything--and share how they came to realize it was, well...cult-ish. This first episode is a "concept-trailer" that explains why this podcast exists, how it came to be, and what sorts of experiences it hopes to share.Zine about my crisis of faith that I mentioned: yr problematic (crisis of) faith ——Follow the podcast on Instagram! @outofthewoodspodIf you h...2020-10-0514 min