Ep. 96 - Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza - Microbiology, the Amazon, & Stingless Bees

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Hey everybody! Episode 96 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza. Rosa is a Peruvian-born and USA/Peru-based chemical biologist, storyteller, conservationist, National Geographic Explorer, and artist. It was a pleasure for me to have Rosa on and talk about her ongoing work in the Peruvian Amazon mapping the microbial life of the boiling river near the jungle city of Pucalpa. I think this is really fascinating work as the microbes that can live in such extreme conditions potentially may give rise to a better understanding of life, lead to new medicines, and help to bring balance to the climate, all issues that Rosa spoke about. Rosa is doing really good work and I think you will gain a lot from her insight and wisdom. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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“Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza is a chemical biologist, storyteller, conservationist, National Geographic Explorer, educator, and award-winning artist. Of Peruvian-Andean and Amazonian descent, Rosa grew up learning about traditional medicine from her grandmother in their backyard’s "natural pharmacy". Inspired to dive deeper, she went onto discovering new antibiotics and green chemistry tools during her PhD. Today, Rosa travels to the most extreme environments in the planet from the Amazon Rainforest to Yellowstone’s acidic, boiling waters searching for the tiniest creatures, from microbes to stingless bees, to create big changes in the world.

With her scientific-based explorative nature, Rosa is an avid communicator that connects the micro-to-macro worlds to nourish our appreciation for biodiversity in all its magnitudes. She also advocates for scientific exploration of untapped ecosystems, living more sustainably as organizations and individuals, conservation of fragile ecosystems, diversity in STEAM, equal access to education and scientist-artist collaborations.

As a researcher, Rosa focuses on deciphering the chemical and genetic diversity of our planet to facilitate the discovery of new medicines, bioremediation tools, and biotechnological solutions in collaboration with local experts. She works closely with communities to use science to empower their economies in sustainable and ethical manners.

During her Ph.D. at University of Michigan and under the mentorship of Dr. David H. Sherman and John Montgomery, Rosa created MicroAmazon, a project that explores the micro-world of the Amazon in collaboration with local experts. Currently, she investigates the Peruvian Boiling River and its heat-loving microbes, and Amazonian stingless bees and their medicinal honey.

As a scientist and award-winning artist, Rosa is driven by curiosity and the adventure of guiding others into discovering and learning about the planet through creative thinking. She collaborates closely with educators to integrate hands-on scientific exploration and conservation into the classroom.

Rosa is a compelling storyteller and has participated in international campaigns with National Geographic & Disney on the recycling of common plastics, sustainability in the beauty industry, and the power of water in science. She also appears as an expert narrator in “Secrets in the Jungle”, a new show with the Science Channel. Rosa is the recipient of the 2020 American Chemical Society CAS Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding PhD students and postdoctorate fellow that demonstrate promise as leaders in their fields. Her research has been featured in ABC Studios Tamron Hall, Science Friday “20 Top Stories of 2020”, National Association of Science Writers, ASBMB, National Geographic Magazine and Andina Perú.”

To learn more about or contact Rosa, visit her website at: https://www.rosavespinoza.com/

If you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and Like the video and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, Follow the show and leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I are guiding plant dietas in the Sacred Valley of Peru October 14-31, November 14-30, and the month of February 2023. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at:

https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

To book an integration call, visit: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.com

If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated. For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

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Ep. 50 - Julian Vayne - The Occult, Entheogens, & the Individual vs Collective Process

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Hey everybody! Episode 50 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Julian Vayne. Julian was introduced to me through a mutual friend. Julian is an independent author and scholar on esoteric traditions including shamanism and entheogens. It was a real pleasure for me to sit down with Julian and pick his brain on a number of different subjects. We got into myriad topics including the occult, esoteric traditions, plant medicines, individual versus collective processes, and optimism for the future of humanity. I find Julian to be a scholar in the true sense of the word, a student of many traditions, and he has a beautiful ability to weave them together and find through-lines that join them. He is also a natural teacher and I imagine you all will learn a lot from this episode, much as I did. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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"Julian Vayne is a British independent scholar and author with over three decades of experience within esoteric culture: from Druidry to Chaos Magic, from indigenous Shamanism through to Freemasonry and Witchcraft.

Growing up in the Britain of punk and then rave culture Julian immersed himself in the philosophy and techniques of magic. His journey into group ritual practice began within the Western Esoteric Tradition when he was 16. Since then has worked in ceremony with practitioners from many different lands and lineages. Julian is a senior member of the Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros and widely recognized as one of Britain’s leading occultists.

In the 1990s Julian edited Britain’s best selling pagan newspaper Pagan Voice and in 2001 published one of the first books of the modern psychedelic renaissance, Pharmakon: Drugs and the Imagination. In addition to exploring traditional sacred medicines, Julian’s work includes the first published accounts of the entheogenic ritual use of ketamine and several novel psychedelic sacraments.

Today Julian is the author of books, essays, journals and articles in both the academic and esoteric press. He sees his work as part of the process to help re-imagine an earth-centered, non-dogmatic, open-source spirituality. He shares his practice through mentoring, workshops, online teaching and retreats. Julian’s style is highly collaborative. With an academic background in teaching and learning, and as co-author of numerous texts, Julian’s style emphasizes curiosity, collaboration and creativity. His approach is informed by chaos magic, deep ecology and lineages within Wicca and Tantra.

Julian is a co-organizer of the psychedelic conference Breaking Convention, and a Trustee of The Psychedelic Museum Project. A founding member of the post-prohibition think-tank Transform, Julian sits on the academic board of The Journal of Psychedelic Studies, and has been a visiting lecturer at several British universities. He is an advocate of post-prohibition culture and supporter of psychedelic prisoners through the Scales project. Julian facilitates psychedelic ceremony, as well as providing one-to-one psychedelic integration sessions and support. He is the author of the celebrated Getting Higher: The Manual of Psychedelic Ceremony. Since 2011 he has been sharing his work through The Blog of Baphomet.”

For more info about Julian and his work, visit: https://julianvayne.com/

If you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts to leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I will be running diets in upstate New York on July 10-27 and in the Sacred Valley of Peru on September 1-29. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

And finally, with the pandemic, most people doing this work have been without access to work since March of 2020 and the future is uncertain. If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated. For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

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This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Ep. 49 - Bill Park - Permaculture, Matsés and Indigenous Wisdom, & Climate Solutions

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Hey everybody! Episode 49 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with my friend Bill Park. Bill and I met in the Peruvian Amazon about a decade ago. Bill created an Amazonia superfood company that works with indigenous communities and aims to empower them and preserve and regenerate the biodiversity of the jungle. He also started an NGO, Acaté Amazon Conservation, that works with the Matses community, aimed at “preserving the Amazon Rainforest in partnership with its protectors.” I had the opportunity to visit the Matses with Bill, working on a project of creating a plant medicine encyclopedia in Matses, by the Matses, and for the Matses. I learned a lot on that trip and have a lot of respect for Bill and the projects he is working on and the knowledge that he has. I think Bill is putting real solutions into action and I always enjoy talking to him. I consider Bill a philosopher in the truest sense and he has a lot of wisdom to share. I hope and imagine you all will get a lot out of this episode. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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"Bill brings a strong understanding of sustainable agriculture and natural products to Acaté. His interest in ecological agricultural practices and agroforestry was strengthened during his years living in Perú and exploring the Amazon. Bill is co-founder of Eco Ola, a company based in Perú that is pioneering application of permaculture techniques to revitalize eroded and abandoned areas of deforestation. As Acate’s Co-Founder and Director of Acaté Perú, Bill believes that strengthening local economies and providing choices for renewable resources in conjunction with the local communities is a critical element for conservation. His relationship with the Matsés began in 2003.”

For more info about Bill and his work, visit: https://acateamazon.org/ and https://www.eco-ola.com/

This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/

This episode of the show is also sponsored by Xstatic Dance - online every Saturday at 10am Vancouver, 1pm New York, 6pm London, and 7pm Central Europe time. Join the Dance for free and make a donation after. Visit Instagram @xstaticdanceonline & Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/xstaticdanceonline. Music: Soundcloud.com/Xstaticdanceonline & mixcloud.com/xstaticdanceonline

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I will be running diets in the Sacred Valley of Peru on May 1-29 and September 1-29. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Ep. 41 - Stefan Kistler- Amazon Conservation, Indigenous Rights & NGOs

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Hey everybody! Episode 41 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with my friend Stefan Kistler. Stefan and I met about a decade ago when we both arrived in the Peruvian Amazon. Stefan has been living and working in the Amazon focusing on indigenous peoples’ rights and forest conservation. We got into a lot of topics around these issues as well as some of his personal story and how his work and thoughts have grown and shifted over the years. We also spoke about how plant medicines can play a big part in creating sustainable livelihood for indigenous peoples. Many of these topics are important issues and I think it’s wonderful to hear from people like Stefan who have been working on the ground day in and day out for many years now. I have a lot of respect for Stefan and all of the hard work he has been doing. I think you all will enjoy this conversation and hopefully learn a lot from it and from him. To view bonus material, get access to Q&A’s, and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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"Stefan is a political ecologist, holding a Bachelor degree in Development Studies from the University of Oslo and a Master of Science in International Environmental Studies from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Ås. Since 2008, and throughout his professional career, Stefan has worked at the interface of indigenous peoples’ rights and forest conservation. He worked for almost five years as Program Coordinator at the Rainforest Foundation Norway, first in the Congo Basin and afterwards in Peru, and previously also led the environmental justice program of Alianza Arkana. He thus has varied experiences with project management, indigenous peoples’ rights, intercultural education, environmental management, advocacy and civil society activism. Stefan is originally from Switzerland, but has been living most of his adult live abroad (Norway in particular). Since 2012, he has been living in Iquitos and first joined Chaikuni in early 2017 as Coordinator of the Intercultural Education Program.”

To learn more about Stefan’s work or to contact him, visit: https://chaikuni.org/

This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit:

https://templeofthewayoflight.org/

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I will be running diets in the Sacred Valley of Peru on March 3-29, May 1-29, and September 1-29. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

And finally, with the pandemic, most people doing this work have been without access to work since March and the future is uncertain. If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated. For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

https://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

Source: https://www.universewithinpodcast.com