Best Michael Ellick Podcasts (2025)

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Indigenous Wisdom For the Edges of Western Spirituality with Randy Woodley 49:31

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13d ago49:31

49:31

In this conversation with Victoria Loorz, Randy Woodley shares stories from his Cherokee lineage, his mother’s deep communion with plants and animals, and his decades of land based ministry at Eloheh Farm. Together they explore why many today stand on the "inside and outside edges" of the Christian story, the collapse of institutional religion, and…

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Love, Truth and the Living World with Andreas Weber 50:51

28d ago50:51

50:51

Biologist, biosemiotician, philosopher, and author of Matter and Desire: An Erotic Ecology, Andreas Weber, PhD, joins Victoria Loorz for a heartfelt conversation about reality as a sacred, living process of relationship - the continual desire to give life and what the heart knows as love. Together they explore how trauma causes us to forget our who…

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Christianity as Mystery School 52:58

1M ago52:58

52:58

What if Christianity began not as a set of doctrines to believe, but as a mystery school—an initiatory path meant to awaken direct experience of the divine? In this episode, wel trace the ancient roots of the Christian story through the lost mystery traditions of the ancient world. From the Eleusinian rites to the "dying before you die" experience,…

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Healing Displacement & the Scottish Art of Holding Opposites with Alastair McIntosh 1:01:42

1M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

In this episode of The Holy Wild, Scottish author and activist Alastair McIntosh explores the spiritual, historical, and ecological roots of our collective crisis of belonging. Grounded in the history of the Highland Clearances, he offers this chapter of Scotland’s past as a lens for understanding global patterns of displacement, from the enslaveme…

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Awakening a Forest Sense: Grief, Mystery, and the Reformation of Faith with Michael Ellick 1:00:49

2M ago1:00:49

1:00:49

In this conversation, Victoria Loorz and pastor-activist Michael Ellick explore the lifelong dance between wilderness, spirit, and faith. Michael shares stories of his mystical childhood in the forests of Washington—his first teacher in wonder and interconnection—and how that early “forest sense” eventually brought him through disillusionment with …

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At the Edge of Collapse and Connection: Victoria Loorz on Wild Spirituality 1:06:11

2M ago1:06:11

1:06:11

Jeff and Michael sit down with Victoria Loorz, author of Church of the Wild, founder of the Center for Wild Spirituality, and co-founder of the Wild Church Network, for a conversation about finding the sacred beyond church walls. They talk about the experience of hearing God beneath an oak tree, encounters with owls and vultures, and why wilderness…

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When Churches Reimagine Land as Sacred Community with Forrest Inslee 1:06:31

2M ago1:06:31

1:06:31

By Victoria Loorz

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Beyond the Psychedelic Renaissance: Devotion, Birth, and Spirit with Justin Levy 1:16:18

3M ago1:16:18

1:16:18

Psychedelics are often framed today as medicines for trauma and therapy—but what if they are something more? In this episode, we sit down with Justin Levy, founder of Spirit House in Portland, Oregon, to explore psychedelics as a path of devotion, surrender, and cultural rebirth. Justin shares his journey from early rave experiences to work with ku…

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Wholeness as the Holy Work of Process Theology with Dr. Sheri Kling 59:34

3M ago59:34

59:34

In this episode of The Holy Wild, Victoria Loorz and Dr. Sheri Kling explore how personal trauma, dreamwork, and encounters with the natural world can become gateways into deeper wholeness and divine relationship. Sheri weaves process theology and Jungian psychology into lived stories of synchronicity, butterflies, and sacred encounters that remind…

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When the Earth Speaks: Synchronicity, Story, and the Sacred with Dr. Craig Chalquist 1:01:55

3M ago1:01:55

1:01:55

In this episode of The Holy Wild, Victoria Loorz speaks with Dr. Craig Chalquist as they explore how to live through collapse with open hearts, grounding in love and relationship with Earth. They speak of healing false separations between spirit and matter, human and nature, psyche and place, and how imagination, story, and synchronicity can guide …

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The Time Travel Episode 1:05:24

4M ago1:05:24

1:05:24

In this episode, Michael finally shares the wild story he's been holding back for decades: the day in 2006 when he slipped from a meditation session in his Queens apartment back through time—waking up in his 15-year-old body in 1990. Was it something like a dream, an out-of-body journey, or actual time travel? Jeff and Michael follow the thread fro…

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Remembering The World As Lover and As Self with Joanna Macy (In Memoriam) 48:58

4M ago48:58

48:58

In memory of Joanna Macy, we offer this recording from a Seminary of the Wild gathering where she spoke with radiant clarity about living through collapse with courage and love. She outlines four ancient ways of seeing the world—battlefield, trap, lover, and self—and invites us into the radical intimacy of belonging to a living Earth as lover and s…

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The Psychedelic Renaissance with Nicholas Collura 1:08:17

4M ago1:08:17

1:08:17

In this episode, we speak with Nicholas Collura—a board-certified chaplain, spiritual director, and Enneagram teacher—about the unfolding intersection between psychedelics and contemporary spirituality. We explore what the so-called "psychedelic renaissance" means for spiritual direction, Christian practice, and the broader search for meaning in a …

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What We are Learning from the Holy Wild about Spiritual Companionship with Deb Metzger and Elizabeth Rechter 57:08

4M ago57:08

57:08

What does it mean to listen with the Holy Wild? In this episode, Victoria Loorz is joined by Elizabeth Rechter and Deb Metzger—two seasoned spiritual companions and guides in the Eco-Spiritual Direction program from Seminary of the Wild Earth. Together they reflect on the sacred practice of holy listening in partnership with the more-than-human wor…

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The City & the City by China Miéville: Seeing What We've Been Taught to Unsee 1:09:45

5M ago1:09:45

1:09:45

In this episode, we explore The City & the City by China Miéville as a powerful metaphor for cognitive blind spots, social conditioning, and spiritual perception. Drawing on Miéville's layered, dual-city setting—where citizens are trained to "unsee" an overlapping world—we reflect on what it means to overlook not just people and places, but also in…

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Spiritual Direction (in a Shattered World) 1:18:12

5M ago1:18:12

1:18:12

What is spiritual direction, really? In this episode, Jeff and Michael explore the practice not as a professional technique or spiritual luxury, but as a vital response to living in a fragmented, disenchanted world. Drawing on their own experiences as directors and directees, they talk about the invisible agreements that shape the space, the role o…

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Celtic Wisdom for Reconnecting with Place with Seán Ó Gaoithín 1:17:48

5M ago1:17:48

1:17:48

In this episode of The Holy Wild, Victoria Loorz speaks with Sean Ó Gaoithín, the lead gardener at Glenveagh National Park, Irish forest-tender and a third-level Hedge Druid, about his journey of ecological restoration, ancestral reconnection, and spiritual practice. They share how sacred relationship with land is remembered through language, biodi…

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Ask Us Anything—Live! 1:28:30

5M ago1:28:30

1:28:30

Welcome to our very first live AMA episode—unscripted and full of spirit. Listeners showed up with real questions about prayer, mystical experience, cryptids, and the strange space where the psychological meets the spiritual. We talked about what it means to pray when God no longer fits, how to trust the knowledge of the heart, why some people enco…

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What Is Church of the Wild? with Valerie Luna Serrels 1:00:55

6M ago1:00:55

1:00:55

In this episode of The Holy Wild, Victoria Loorz speaks with her sister and co-author, Valerie Luna Serrels, about the transformative movement of Wild Church. Together they explore how sacred relationship with Earth is being rekindled through embodied spiritual practice, intentional community, and the reclamation of ancient ways of knowing. They re…

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Jumping on the Bridge of Faith with Emma Mcilroy 59:07

6M ago59:07

59:07

In this powerful and personal episode, we sit down with Emma Mcilroy—queer feminist, immigrant, entrepreneur, and CEO of Wildfang—for a conversation that dives deep into faith, identity, capitalism, and surviving life's darkest valleys. Emma shares her journey of reconciling her sexuality with her faith, the near-death experience surrounding the bi…

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Re-Enchanting the World Through Relationship with Brother Coyote (Gary Paul Nabhan) 53:10

6M ago53:10

53:10

In this profound conversation, Victoria Loorz is joined by ethnobotanist, Franciscan brother, and spiritual ecologist Gary Paul Nabhan—also known as Brother Coyote—exploring themes of cultural and spiritual resistance, sacred relationship with the land, and the transformative power of remembering ancient ways. Gary shares stories of his time with I…

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When You Make the Two One: Gnosis & Healing the Duality 1:04:52

6M ago1:04:52

1:04:52

What if the path to salvation isn't belief—but integration? Building off our last episode, Jeff and Michael unpack a mysterious saying from the Gospel of Thomas about making "the two one," and explore how ancient Gnostic wisdom speaks to our divided modern selves. Jeff shares a concluding dream that becomes a portal into the deeper meaning of inner…

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Life After Doom with Brian McLaren 53:30

7M ago53:30

53:30

In this episode of The Holy Wild, Victoria Loorz speaks with author and public theologian Brian McLaren about how to live with love, courage, and imagination in the midst of ecological and societal collapse. Rooted in McLaren’s latest book, Life After Doom, their conversation invites us into a deeper spirituality that faces reality without losing h…

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When You Know Yourself: Gnostic Revelations from Nag Hammadi 1:12:00

7M ago1:12:00

1:12:00

What if the spiritual texts we grew up with only told part of the story? In this episode, Jeff and Michael explore the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library—a collection of ancient, long-buried texts that include radically different teachings attributed to Jesus, including the enigmatic Gospel of Thomas. These writings challenge many assumptions of …

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Kincentric Leadership: The Unlearning And Emergence Of A New Kind Of Spiritual Leader with Justine Afra Huxley 49:44

7M ago49:44

49:44

In this moving conversation, Victoria Loorz and Justine Afra Huxley explore kincentric leadership as both an unlearning and an emergence — a return to sacred relationship with Earth and a new way of living as spiritual leaders. Drawing from Sufi tradition, spiritual ecology, and deep listening to the more-than-human world, Justine invites us into a…

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Knowledge Must Bow to Spirit: A Journey with George Inness 47:46

7M ago47:46

47:46

What if a long-dead painter could reach across time to guide your spiritual awakening? In this episode, Jeff shares the astonishing true story of how George Inness—a 19th-century landscape artist and mystic—emerged as a living spirit guide in his life. From a chance encounter at a museum to a series of visionary dreams filled with barns, handprints…

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Indigenous Worldview Can Preserve Our Existence with Four Arrows (Don Trent Jacobs) 52:25

8M ago52:25

52:25

In this moving episode of The Holy Wild, Victoria Loorz is joined by Four Arrows (Don Trent Jacobs)—Cherokee author, scholar, and Lakota pipe carrier—for a profound conversation centered on reclaiming a kinship-based worldview. Drawing from Indigenous wisdom, never-before-told personal vision stories, and decades of advocacy, Four Arrows shares how…

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Waking Up: Dreams, Enlightenment, and the Space Between 1:07:13

8M ago1:07:13

1:07:13

What if waking up isn't a single breakthrough moment—but a layered, looping journey through insight, fear, wonder, and mystery? In this episode, we explore the complex terrain of spiritual awakening through dreams, false awakenings, mystical encounters, and moments of terrifying clarity. From Michael's lucid Spirit Train dream to Jeff's powerful vi…

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Mapping The Holy Wild 51:31

8M ago51:31

51:31

On our first episode of the Holy Wild, Victoria speaks with producer Stephen about the vision for the podcast. Victoria shares her answers to the questions we intend to ask every guest, including "tell me about the land that raised you?" and "what's a recent experience you've had with the holy and wild?" They also introduce elements of the podcast …

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Searching for a God We Will Never Find with John Hamilton 1:12:51

8M ago1:12:51

1:12:51

What happens when the walls of traditional religion crumble, and all that's left is raw, unfiltered awe? In this episode we sit down with John Hamilton—UCC minister, musician, and author of the excellent theological memoir Honest to God. Guided by the book, the three of us dive into the chaos and beauty of spiritual awakening in an era of collapsin…

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The Homa & the Chapel Perilous 1:15:11

9M ago1:15:11

1:15:11

What happens when you call on Jesus in an ancient Vedic fire ritual? Will he show up? How? In this episode, Michael shares his experience with Homa, a Vedic fire ceremony, and what happened when he decided to dedicate it to Jesus. The result was an unfolding series of synchronicities—stretching across years, continents, and eventually even into the…

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Awaken in the Dream with Paul Levy 1:25:08

9M ago1:25:08

1:25:08

What if everything we've been taught to believe about reality is wrong? What if we're not just living in the world, but dreaming it—and the dream is sick? In this episode of the Gospel of Direct Experience, we welcome Paul Levy, a writer, mystic, and self-described "wounded healer," who has spent decades exposing the insidious mind-virus known as W…

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The Holy Wild Trailer 5:38

9M ago5:38

5:38

From the Center For Wild Spirituality, The Holy Wild, hosted by Victoria Loorz. Connect with the Center: Website: wildspirituality.earth Victoria's Website: victorialoorz.com Email: [email protected] Linktree: linktr.ee/ctrforwildspirituality Instagram: @center_for_wild_spiritualityBy Victoria Loorz

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All Aboard the Spirit Train: Dreams, Discernment, and Anxiety 1:01:32

9M ago1:01:32

1:01:32

What if your anxieties weren't obstacles but doorways? What if your dreams aren't nonsense, but portals to deeper wisdom, hidden truths, and paths yet unseen? What if the very fears that keep you up at night are the same forces trying to wake you up? In this episode Michael recounts a dream of cosmic proportions—one that begins in the disorienting …

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Star Wars, Hidden Histories, and the Stories That Shape Us with AJ Musewe 1:04:25

10M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Why do Star Wars, Harry Potter, and other sci-fi/fantasy stories resonate so deeply with us? What do they reveal about power, identity, and spirituality? In this episode of we sit down with historian and educator AJ Musewe to explore the power of myth, the narratives we inherit, and how reclaiming lost stories shapes our understanding of ourselves …

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Consciousness & the Cross (D.B.Y.D. Pt. 2) 53:19

10M ago53:19

53:19

Is the self an illusion—or something real and necessary? If we must die before we die, what is it that actually dies? In this follow-up to Dying Before You Die, hosts Michael Ellick and Jeff Mansfield wrestle with the paradox of selfhood, consciousness, and crucifixion. Does awakening mean dissolving the ego, or is there something essential about o…

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Dying Before You Die (Part 1) 1:08:02

11M ago1:08:02

1:08:02

Have you ever felt like every path you turn down leads to hell? In this episode, we explore the idea of dying before you die, a concept central to many of the world's religions and mystery traditions. Is it possible to face the terror of our own fragility and emerge transformed? What if the self you cling to is the very thing keeping you from true …

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Rewilding the Soul: Wilderness, Apocalypse, Practice 1:15:57

11M ago1:15:57

1:15:57

What if our deepest spiritual experiences aren't found in churches or meditation halls, but in lonely wilderness and abandoned subway tunnels? In this week's episode, Michael and Jeff explore how their earliest encounters with the divine came through wandering in the woods, which later developed into seeking out the "in-between spaces" of disused u…

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Abducted by Direct Experience 53:03

11M ago53:03

53:03

Is it possible to encounter something beyond the boundaries of our everyday reality? From mysterious UFO phenomena to encounters with supernatural beings, this episode explores the uncanny, the unexplained, and the power of the paranormal to transform us. What do these experiences mean, and what happens when they disrupt our tidy worldviews and saf…

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The Gospel of Direct Experience 1:12:55

11M ago1:12:55

1:12:55

Episode Summary What happens when orthodoxy meets heresy, when mystery collides with gnosis, and when the physical and psychic worlds intertwine? In this inaugural episode of The Gospel of Direct Experience, we explore the transformative power of direct spiritual encounter. Through stories of our own life-altering moments—both mystical and terrifyi…

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Teaser (What Is This Podcast Like?) 11:48

1y ago11:48

11:48

By Michael Ellick & Jeff Mansfield