Bringing us into his world of nature, awe, and magical poetry, guest Jarod K. Anderson reminds us that our human journey is worthy of just as much love and affection as the natural world around us. When we come to nature with intention, how might it guide us towards love and inspiration? 

In a time where so many of us are feeling lost, confused, and not connected to a purpose, we often abdicate our power to make meaning in favor of buying prepackaged narratives about who we are based on what we consume. Tapping into the beauty of telling our own stories and making our own meaning, Jarod and Ayana counter what we have been taught about worth. The supposedly boundless expansion that capitalism tells us is possible is not what will heal us. As Jarod reminds us, limits are nourishing within poetry, and can be a virtue in life. If we accept the messy, twisted, and gnarled realities of life, we can escape the cold and dead store bought narratives about who we are supposed to be and instead lean into real freedom.  

This episode highlights the power of the humble in the face of the grandiose and attention seeking. We are people of a place, Jarod reminds us, and the intimate, internal, and local work we do matters, just as our small bodies in this vast universe matter infinitely.

Writer, Poet, and podcaster Jarod K. Anderson (creator of The CryptoNaturalist Podcast) has built a large audience of readers and listeners with his strange, vibrant appreciations of nature. Ranging from optimistic contemplations of mortality to appreciations of single-celled organisms, Jarod is forever writing love letters to the natural world. 

♫ The music in this episode is “Pine Chant” by Sara Fraker and Lachlan Skipworth. “Inspired by tree-ring growth data from the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Pine Chant is a sonic embodiment of twelve Arizona trees and an emotional response to climate crisis. Dr. Margaret Evans, a UArizona dendroecologist, provided scientific direction on the project. The commissioning project for Pine Chant was designed to incorporate principles of dendroecology, deep ecology, and deep listening through an artistic lens. Learn more. Composer: Lachlan Skipworth Performers: Sara Fraker, cor anglais; Jackie Glazier, clarinet; Marissa Olegario, bassoon Produced by Lachlan Skipworth, Sara Fraker, and Alexander Lipay. Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Wiley Ross at the Haskell Recording Studio at The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music in Tucson, Arizona University of Arizona press.

Episode References

Podcast Website: CryptoNaturalist.com

Author Website: JarodKAnderson.com

Field Guide to the Haunted Forest by Jarod K. Anderson 

Love Notes from the Hollow Tree by Jarod K. Anderson

Seeking Peace while the Work is Unfinished by Jarod K. Anderson 

Support: Patreon.com/CryptoNaturalist

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