Soulcruzer

SHOW NOTES (Episode 412)In this episode I take a breath, lift my head from the workbench, and catch you up on everything happening inside the Soulcruzer universe. It has been a season of creating, refining, and laying foundations for the narrative alchemy community as we move through Advent and toward the turning of the year.I open with the Gnostic Caravan, my Advent series of Instagram reels and daily contemplations inspired by the Gnostic Tarot. Each day introduces a figure from the Gnostic mythology alongside a journaling question designed to help you navigate your own inner terrain. You don’t need to be Gnostic to join in. You only need curiosity, a journal, and the desire to understand yourself a little more deeply.I invite listeners to share their reflections either privately by email, or inside the Narrative Alchemy Forums, which now include an Open Forum and soon a dedicated Podcast Forum where you can discuss episodes in a quieter, members-only space away from the noise of the public web.From there I talk about the Narrative Alchemy Journey email series. It’s not a newsletter in the traditional sense. Each weekly transmission contains one insight, one actionable practice, and one journaling prompt. It’s meant to unfold sequentially, guiding you through an accumulative journey of self-inquiry and transformation. If you’ve not joined yet, now is a good moment.I also give an update on the Narrative Alchemy Codex, the web-book evolving on Soulcruzer.com. The first four chapters are now live, with Chapter Five queued up to begin. The Codex is designed as a self-guided framework for inner alchemy, using symbolic transformation as a map for consciousness work.I talk about how this whole approach is shaped with the self-directed learner in mind. If you’re the kind of person who prefers a handful of books and the chance to explore ideas for yourself rather than being told what to think, this ecosystem is being built for you.Next, I turn toward games as transformative tools. I’ve been building several solo RPG and tarot-inspired narrative experiences such as Magus Eternal, The Infamous Masquerade, and a short-form introductory journaling game. Each one blends archetypes with storytelling to help you access deeper layers of imagination and self-understanding.Alongside those, I’m designing a mini LARP/ARG that will run between now and the New Year. Think of it as a mission woven into everyday life, using the tools you already use: email, voice notes, websites, social platforms, and ordinary environments. It’s part puzzle, part fictional mission, part adventure threaded through the world you’re already moving through.I close with a wider reflection on digital presence and creativity. If you’ve abandoned your blog, dust it off. If you’ve never had one, consider starting. WordPress, Blogger, and even NeoCities (if you're willing to hand-code) all offer free entry points. This is a gentle call to reclaim the open web and share your ideas in your own space, not just inside walled gardens.Finally, I offer an invitation to connect. Whether through email, forums, socials, or an unexpected coffee somewhere in the world, I’m always open to conversation.

Show NotesIn this episode, I explore the tension between authenticity and effectiveness in reaching people with transformative work. Recorded on a rainy Friday evening in the UK, this long-form conversation unpacks how we can work within systems we aim to subvert without losing our mission.Key Topics:The Gnostic Caravan ProjectWorking through the Gnostic Tarot deck during AdventExploring characters like Sabaoth, Simon Magus, Mary Magdalene, and SophiaUsing the deck as a tool for spiritual development and self-knowledgeOne Brain, Many PathsHow different traditions (chaos magic, Christianity, Taoism, NLP, coaching) all use the same mental toolsThe Human Potential Movement and New Thought Movement as predecessors to today's self-help culturePattern interrupts, anchors, meditation, and mindfulness across all systemsThe Authenticity ParadoxThe Purity Trap: staying so authentic you reach only seven people who already agree with youThe Efficacy Trap: smoothing out all edges until you become indistinguishable from the systemFinding the middle path: speaking enough of the system's language to be heard while delivering actual transformationStrategic Identity & Chaos MagicIdentity as fluid and tactical, not fixedUsing belief as a tool rather than an anchorThe Saboth principle: waking up inside the corrupt system and breaking freeThe Real MissionReframing authenticity as tactic, not identityThe only question that matters: "Am I helping someone move closer to sovereignty?"Trojan horse strategy: get attention, then deliver liberation technologyBlogging as Subversive ActivityWhy tech platforms suppress external linksThe attention economy and algorithmic controlReclaiming your own digital space through bloggingRSS feeds vs. doom scrollingReferenced:William Burroughs on language as virusThe Matrix and Morpheus's red pill problemRage Against the Machine - "Wake Up"Martin Luther's 95 ThesesPaul Kurtz's conscious robot conceptRobert Anton Wilson and reality tunnelsNeil Postman's "Teaching as a Subversive Activity"Call to Action:Start your own blog. Create your own space. Free your mind from algorithmic control. Join the guerrilla blogging underground.

In this episode, I explore journaling as narrative alchemy, revealing how ancient alchemical stages map onto a powerful writing practice.Here's the original article: Journaling as Narrative Alchemy: Writing Your Way Into a New Self

A Sneak Preview: Chapter 1 of the Narrative Alchemy CodexThe Codex is almost here. After weeks of weaving together the framework and laying the foundations, I’m only a few days away from the official launch of the Narrative Alchemy Codex.To celebrate, I want to share a glimpse of Chapter 1. This is the opening movement in what will eventually become 15 chapters, plus a bonus for those who want to go deeper. I ran this first draft through NotebookLM to see what kind of deep-dive it could generate, and the result was a fascinating companion piece.In just 17 minutes, it explores the heart of narrative alchemy:Why narrative sovereignty matters.How story functions as actual transformation technology, not just metaphor.The imaginal realm where change truly begins.There’s even a practical exercise waiting for you at the very end.Enjoy this preview. The full Codex is coming soon—keep an eye out for the official release. If you’d like to be notified the moment it launches, you can sign up for the newsletter.

Introducing narrative alchemy.

Epicurus is often misunderstood. This episode invites you into his garden of calm, where philosophy is not about indulgence but about finding deep inner peace. We explore the true heart of Epicurean thought: the difference between momentary pleasures and lasting contentment. At the centre is ataraxia, a kind of serenity that comes when fear fades and desire quiets. You’ll hear about his Four-Part Cure for the soul, why he valued friendship above wealth, and how simplicity can free us rather than deprive us. This is not a path of renunciation. It is a way of living with less fear, more clarity, and a quiet sense of joy in being alive.

This morning, with mist on the path and a newborn soul in the family, I found myself standing in the middle of time. In this episode, I reflect on becoming a grandfather—not just as a title but as a threshold. What does it mean to witness both ends of the arc at once? To hold memory in one hand and possibility in the other?  This is a story about legacy, presence, and the quiet craft of love. About wisdom walks, lineage, and the sacred responsibility of walking ahead while leaving footprints behind.If you're navigating Act III of your own life—or simply wondering what kind of ancestor you're becoming—this one's for you. Come walk with me. Let’s find the sacred in the ordinary, the wisdom in wondering, and the story that wants to be remembered.

In this contemplative riff inspired by Michael Neill’s teaching, I explore what it means to return to the space before thought, that fertile void the Taoists speak of, where anything can grow. This piece is a reflection on presence, memory, and the quiet revolution of living from the realm of possibility. A gentle invitation to slow down, tune in, and remember the gate has always been within you.

In this contemplative morning episode, I take you along on a wisdom walk through the Southam Woods—my own modern-day Walden. After a night spent sleeping under the stars, I revisit the teachings of Henry David Thoreau and reflect on what it means to live simply, wake up to the present, and find the extraordinary in the everyday. 🛤 Listen in if you’re: – Feeling called to slow down – Curious about living more deliberately – Longing for a sense of presence in the midst of modern noise – Ready to rediscover the simple joy of being alive 💬 Quotable: “You don’t need to go somewhere to be present. You just need to stop long enough to hear what your life is saying to you.” ✨ Invitation: Where are your Walden Woods today? Take a walk. Listen with your whole body. And remember: the sacred is never far away. — 📬 Subscribe to SoulMail: Weekly reflections and journaling prompts delivered to your inbox. → soulcruzer.com/soulmail 🎧 Listen + Share: If this episode resonates, share it with a fellow seeker. And leave a review to help more storythinkers and barefoot philosophers find their way home.

Feeling like everyone else got the memo about life while you were just trying to keep your head above water? This transmission is for the wanderers, the ones who've stepped off the prescribed path and into the beautiful uncertainty of not knowing where they're going.We explore what it means to trust the journey when there's no map, why getting lost might be the most honest way to live, and how wandering can be its own form of wisdom. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit you don't know what you're doing—and do it anyway.

What happens when you stir together the essence of a poet, a peasant, and a vagabond? In this episode, I explore the alchemy of these three archetypes—and what emerges when we let them shape our lives from the inside out. This is a fireside reflection on mythic identity, soulful living, and the quiet art of becoming.Come wander with me.The Importance of Living, Lin YutangJoin the discussion on

In this intimate soul signal, I share the final reflection from my most recent journal—and the unexpected archetype who showed up to close the book: the Fool, the Jester, the Eternal Trickster. This episode is part personal essay, part mythic meditation, and part invitation to reimagine how we end and begin our inner chapters. You’ll hear how a single tarot card, drawn “by chance,” became a symbolic seal on a season of becoming—and how the Fool reminds us that every ending is a disguised threshold. This isn’t just an audio essay. It’s a ritual of remembrance for storythinkers, soulcrafters, and seekers standing at the edge of their next page.Inside this episode: The mythic power of journaling as a soulcraft practiceWhy the Fool archetype is a guide for both ending and beginningWhat it means to close a journal like you’re sealing a spellA soulful prompt to guide your next threshold crossing“Every journal is a forge. Every page, a spell.” Tune in, breathe deep, and listen for the Fool’s whisper at the edge of your own story.

In this episode, I explore the Morality card from the Osho Zen Tarot—not as a judgement, but as a mirror. What happens when morality becomes a cage instead of a compass? Join me on this morning’s walk as we unravel the difference between inherited rules and bone-deep truth. This is a contemplation for anyone ready to unbutton the collar, breathe deeper, and return to the wild knowing of the soul.

In this episode of Soulcruzer Radio, we draw a card from the Osho Zen Tarot—Change—and explore its mythic resonance as a sacred spiral of becoming. Through a poetic reflection on the wheel of life, we enter the eye of the storm, where yin and yang swirl at the center of cosmic transformation. Clay invites you to slow down, tune in, and walk with three soul-deep questions designed to help you meet change not with resistance, but with reverence.Whether you’re standing at the threshold of a new chapter or simply feeling the subtle shift of seasons within, this episode offers a soulful touchstone—a reminder that you are not outside the wheel…You are the wheel. And the wheel is turning.🎙️ Listen with your journal open, or bring it on your morning walk. 💌 For more mythic contemplations like this, subscribe at soulcruzer.com. Story. Soul. Signal.

In this episode of Soulcruzer, I take you on a Wisdom Walk sparked by the Totality card from the Osho Zen Tarot. It’s a raw, real-time reflection on what it means to stop hedging, release the past, and offer yourself fully to the path calling you. If you’ve been hanging on the swing, unsure whether to leap, this is your soul’s nudge toward wholehearted commitment. Three contemplative questions await to guide your step.

Before success is a reality, it must be a belief as small as a mustard seed, yet strong enough to split mountains. This is a reflection on guarding your deepest knowing against the slow erosion of doubt.

“At 57, I’m not winding down—I’m spiraling in. This is not the finale. This is the reclamation.”In this Wisdom Walk edition of the Soulcruzer Podcast, I step into the mythic terrain of Act III—the Reclamation Phase. Blending Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, James Hillman’s mythic imagination, and the soul-deep symbolism of the Osho Zen Tarot, this episode explores the turning of the inner wheel and the soulful integration that defines the latter chapters of life. In this episode: What it means to live in Act III—not as decline, but as the return with the elixirHow soul integration and legacy begin with letting go of split identitiesEmbodied reflections on the three Osho Zen cards drawn for this walk:The Torn One (Schizophrenia) – the inner conflict of clinging to two worldsThe Dream Gazer (Postponement) – the cost of waiting to step into the full-color lifeThe Cosmic Dancer (Change) – surrendering to the rhythm of the turning wheelA real-time mythic meditation on life, death, purpose, and legacyThe personal reckoning of letting go of the "safe structure" in order to fully serve those who’ve awakened from the MatrixThis isn’t just a podcast—it’s a soul signal for those who’ve stirred from the dream of the ordinary and now find themselves blinking into the mythic light, wondering, What now?  🌀 Mentioned in this episode: Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s JourneyJames Hillman’s Mythic ImaginationStephen Larsen’s The Mythic Imagination (book)The Osho Zen TarotThe Matrix as metaphor for awakeningThe wisdom walk as micro-hero’s journeyThe sacred tension of letting go to live fully in 8K 🧭 Walk With Me: This episode isn’t just meant to be heard—it’s meant to be walked. Consider taking your own Wisdom Walk while listening. Take a journal. Embody your own Torn One. Meet your Dream Gazer. Dance with Change.  🗣️ Let’s Continue the Conversation: Have you crossed a threshold recently?Are you holding on to two worlds that no longer coexist?What part of yourself are you ready to retire to the Museum of You?Reach out, reflect, or respond—email, voice note, or tag me in your own Wisdom Walk reflections.  🧭 Subscribe, Share, Soul-Signal Boost If this episode speaks to something ancient and alive in you, share it with a fellow storythinker or mythic seeker. This is how we find each other. 👣 More at: soulcruzer

What if your brain is less like a truth detector and more like a belief-confirming machine? In this episode, we dive into one of Robert Anton Wilson’s most potent mind-bombs: the Thinker-Prover dynamic from Prometheus Rising.Your Thinker forms beliefs. Your Prover goes out and finds the evidence. Whatever you believe—threat or magic, doom or synchronicity—your Prover will prove it. That’s not just metaphor; it’s the engine behind your reality tunnel.We explore:The brain as a bio-computer with confirmation biasReality tunnels and how they’re builtBelief as a tool—not a truthHow to practice belief engineering as a path to freedomThis isn’t about being right—it’s about being free. About wielding belief like a magician, not wearing it like a leash. Listen now and install a new lens. Reality’s more malleable than you think.

In this episode, I crack open Chapter 10 of Storythinking by Angus Fletcher—the part of the book that hit me in the gut and lit a fire in my mind. We explore the ancient roots of meaning, the limitations of happiness, and why story—not logic—may hold the real answer to life’s biggest question. If you're a rogue learner, a guerrilla thinker, or someone who's felt trapped in the cold machinery of reason, this one's for you. It’s about reclaiming your narrative brain and stepping back into the myth.

This morning I caught myself asking the same question I’ve asked a hundred times in my journal: Am I actually changing… or just looping in disguise?