The Cosmic Medicine Journey

In this autumnal season i interview the humble artist, and masterful musician of classical Iranian music Aida Shah-gha-semi. i’ll give you an intro of her in a second. i came across Aida because i was looking to interview someone who observed one of the ancient festivals that commemorate this portion of the year. We are well into the autumn season and there are many cultures that have observed this period with ceremony, as you can imagine.  Autumn is a time of harvest, and there are a few unbroken traditions from antiquity that continue to thrive today. One is Meh-reh-gan - which is a Persian holiday. Mehrehgan is the 7th month of the Persian calendar. In my research i found the Aida was doing a concert at the San Diego Museum of Art, to commemorate Mehrehgan. This led me into a deep dive into her work. I found myself at once mesmerized and haunted by her voice. Instead of a nihilism, there is a deep longing that presences the spirits of a nostalgic past. Her music is an extension of who she is - an artist philosopher fully in exploration of what all of this means. This quest has led her through a degree in anthropology and psychology, a masters in art and politics at NYU, and engaging with the spectrum of the arts through instruments, graphic design, theatre. She is full of profound insights and soul that she conveys through this interview, like one of her songs. Hope you enjoy! Below is a fuller biography of Aida:

Bio:

Aida Shahghasemi is a Minneapolis based musician with roots in Iran. She studied Psychology and Anthropology at University of Minnesota with a focus on the cultural aspects of Persian Classical Music and the restrictions imposed on the voices of Iranian female vocalists. She received her Masters degree from New York University in Arts Politics where she also served as an adjunct instructor teaching a course she developed on arts activism in Iran. She has worked with a number of different Art and Social Advocacy groups in New York and Minnesota as a musician, graphic designer, and developer and has served as an Assistant Program Coordinator at Hamline University’s Making Waves Social Justice Theatre Troupe. She has been a touring member of Iron and Wine and Marketa Irglova’s band while also being a recording artist on two of Glen Hansard’s albums. Her two albums are “Wind Between the Horse’s Ears”, released in 2015, and “Cypress of Abarkooh”, released in 2019. She is a McKnight Music Fellow and serves as an adjunct faculty in the MFA program at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Aida is pursuing a second Masters degree in Counseling Psychology and currently serves as the co-chair for the Growth and Sustainability pillar in the executive board for Student Affiliates of the American Psychological Association. 

This is the first video podcast!  I'd highly encourage you to check out the video version as it captures the brilliance of the shamanic visionary artist Myztico Campo. Here is a link to the video. Myztico's bio is below, as well as links to his works. I was privileged to encounter him a year ago, at the Sacred Root Kava Bar in Ithaca, NY. I was deeply shifted by his art; to the point that we ended up collaborating on a yoga experience, in which he and his love (Demaris Vasquez) painted me and in the process transported me into embodying my ancient yogi self. Myztico is more than just an artist. I was specifically drawn to him because of the medicine stories his paintings convey. Enjoy! 

"The creative process is truly a sacred gift that I do not take for granted. It heals, informs and gives me a purpose in life much more gratifying than the quest for materialism or the importance of "ego". It helps me make sense of this troubled, fragile world we are currently experiencing. I have NO trust in "govern-ments" as this entity has been responsible for murdering over 250 million people over the last century alone, while creating wage $laves. I have lost faith in "organized religion" as this entity has divided cultures for thousands of years forcing dogmas and ideologies upon millions, while plundering sovereign countries of their true identities, riches & general well being, by use of force, murder and misguided lies. I have NO faith in "bankster cartel institutions and their Wall Street minions" as they destroy international economies via deceit and market manipulations. I have NO trust in the "military industrial complex" since their agenda is and NEVER will be about peace but a constant state of wars, mayhem, false flags for short term profits and secretive dark agendas.

My "faith" in humanity lies in the infinite spirit of LOVE, creative source energies, good will, compassion, empathy, transparency of truth, humor, curiosity, respect & honor that we must have for each other. I honor the spirits of infinite possibilities within the plant, animal & interdimensional realms. Most importantly, I surrender to the infinite love of the universe and to our divine creator for the love it shares for ALL sentient beings.

Brief Bio;

Myztico is a self taught multimedia Visionary Shamanic Artist, he began drawing at the age of 5 inspired by his father's character sketches. His passion for creativity includes the sacred arts of being a musician (guitar/percussion/producer) with his current group project "Brooklyn Bonez" http://www.brooklynbonez.com     He directed the Psy-Fi psychedelic film "Rigelian Thianosferic Transmissions of the Higher Realms" which recently won best Psy-Trance film award at the annual N.Y " 2019 Psychedelic Film and Music Festival"  Watch it here:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVpiNlzQ9sY&t=33s

Myztico can be seen painting live at various festivals and clubs across the east coast . Myztico's art has been displayed at various galleries throughout the USA, Peru & the UK. His paintings are collected internationally, including The Museum of Native Americans in Washington, DC.  Myztico was born in Cuba, raised in NYC's Hell Kitchen & is currently residing in Brooklyn.

Myztico is available for art commissions, CD Cover Art, T-Shirt Design, Posters, Murals, Paintings, Video Art, Photography, Live painting @ Festivals, Creative Think Tanks. Exhibit list available on request.

Visit my Youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/WildChildAlienFilms

Official Instagram; Myztico_Campo

Facebook; www.facebook.com/myztico9

Welcome to Leo season! As we go through mid-summer, entering into what Ayurveda describes as the descent of the sun, I interview the ever ascending Cozmic Theo. As a  musician, Cozmic Theo cultivates an extraterrestrial experience with his music, while rooting us in reverence and love for our earth. 

He has described himself as a one man band live looping wizard. We explore what looping is, the way he uses his sets to create a story like experience, and essentially how this builds community. Theo emphasizes the importance of tribe. How being in community doesn't need to overshadow your individuality. 

We actually recorded this live at his house, for his facebook audience. It was a lot of fun! Besides a little intro that I do on Leo season, the rest of the show is the unedited live cut. Enjoy!!! 

In this episode I interview Lubna Abura - friend, activist, mother, and the deeply inspirational culinary artist behind "Lulu's Gourmet Crackers" and the "Zatar Child" product line. We explore the ancestral wisdom of Palestine as it comes through her path as a culinary artist and in her healing journey.

When all else seemed to be failing her, Lubna finds a way to Connect. In doing so she finds herself doing what she loves - baking and creating. She developed a unique style of zatar gourmet crackers by tapping into the culinary arts of her mother and grandmothers.  Her submission to the Will leads her in a deep exploration of the herbs spices, and medicinal wisdom of Palestine. 

We cover a lot of inspiring ground; from being in a state of struggle, to Spirituality and ancestry in engaging with Purpose. Lubna emphasizes the importance of being able to dream beyond money.   Dreams may be more than creations of the mind as they can connect us to outside forces and times beyond our lifetime.  Dreaming is both a privilege and an honoring of ancestry.  

You can learn more about Lubna and her ZatarChild product line and Lulu's Gourmet Crackers @lulusgourmetcrackers

Some of the terms we use in the interview:

alhamdulillah: all praise is due to ALLAH

subhanallah: all glory is for ALLAH

nafs: ego

shaitan: the devil

In this episode I interview Sufi Master Taoshobuddha in exploring what it means to be a healer in a degree/certificate consumer driven world. We speak on the importance of having a Guide and being spiritually Connected in doing healing work; Real education - learning to learn as a Seeker/healer, the importance of the number 9, and the mystical language. I begin with looking at this season of mid-spring, spring cleaning, Ramadhan and fasting, and reconciling the astrological zodiac with the astronomical constellations. Below are ways to follow Taosho. Also there is a link to one of my favorite qawwalli songs, as performed by the group Fana-fi-Allah. The music for the show is done by my dear friend J. Phoenix. Audio Engineering is done by David Ruraksha Katz Mire. Enjoy!

FB taoshobuddha taosho

Groups nisbet-e-naqshbandi

Taoshobuddha live

Taoshobuddha international

YouTube taoshobuddha 

Man Kunto Maula by Fanna-Fi-Allah Sufi Qawwali

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKUNZ2HJUTw&t=1170s

In this episode I interview the legendary educator, writer, and spiritual guide, Cathie Wright Lewis (there is a bio and a link tp her site below). In the intro, I discuss, circles, sowing to reap, the recommendations (as we enter upon what is referred to as the Aries season) from an Ayurvedic perspective. I also discuss one of the controversies of the zodiac seasons. 

Cathie's Bio 

http://www.cathiewrightlewis.com/

Cathie Wright-Lewis

In 2014, author and newly retired high school English teacher/Teacher-Trainer, Cathie Wright-Lewis was compelled to combine her love for writing, teaching and community. She met with curator, Miriam Robertson of The Brownsville Heritage House to propose her dream to begin a community-based writing workshop for the residents of Brownsville - her childhood neighborhood. 

As a result, she is now the director of the Power in the Pen Writer’s Workshop – a creator’s incubator space where she supports community authors as she continues to write her own novels and children’s books.

It was 2001 when Cathie first published, Maurya’s Seed – Why Hope Lives Behind Project Walls – an allegorical, Afro-futuristic tale of a family of community activists in Brownsville, Brooklyn circa1963. Not until after retiring in 2013, was the sequel, Passion’s Pride – Return to the Dawning published by Hardball Press where the descendants of Maurya further reveal the Freeman family’s history of escaping slavery and fighting injustice in New York City.

Currently, she is completing the third novel of the trilogy, Miracle where she uncovers post-slavery African-American NYC history and challenges non-believers to consider the spiritual support that never fails as our saving grace. 

Between novels, she teamed up with her daughter and illustrator, Cheyenne Angel Lewis and published, Mama Relly, her first children’s book. She is also completing, Teach Like a Revolutionary- a culturally responsive guide for teachers of urban youth.

Cathie’s most recent accomplishment is as a certified spiritual life coach through the Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development. So, when she is not writing or conducting workshops, Cathie is serving her clients as they shift from negative to positive thinking and fulfill their lifelong desires. 

In this episode I interview the legendary artist-activist- puppeteer, Aresh Javadi, to explore Nowruz - one of the most ancient observations that commemorate the vernal equinox. Below is a bio of Aresh from his website. Below this are some links to articles on Nowruz. 

Aresh's roots as an artist, educator, and community activist, grew from the fertile soil of Shiraz, Iran, a city of enchanted gardens, where Hafiz’ mystic love poems are recited by heart around the table.

Aresh uses earth-based arts and public celebration as key ingredients in his co-creating with communities in finding solutions for a just world. He is frequently found in NYC community gardens. He is an experienced organizer and direct-action facilitator, whereby his communal integration of arts has lead to the preservation and enhancement of over five hundred community gardens in NYC.

As the co-director of More Gardens! free South Bronx Summer Camp for children and their families, he has opened the door to the power of nature to strengthen community and friendship for all involved. He embraces and teaches green art education, activism, and wellbeing at many schools and universities, in the US.

Aresh loves to participate in green educational projects with children and young people at schools and universities.

Aresh’s works as a visual artist with the themes of community, nature and social justice have been shown internationally.

To learn more about Aresh: https://www.aresh.info/

Nowruz:

https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-the-iranian-new-year-nowruz-and-why-its-themes-of-renewal-and-healing-matter-156701

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz

blessings Light beings. this is a brief intro  episode of the cosmic medicine journey. the show will be on making sense of and aligning with the cosmos through ancient-wisdom cultures in rituals, spirituality and aligning with seasons in food, movement, art, as well as seasons of life. we will explore questions like - how can we connect with the planetary spheres? the show will be released at the beginning of each of the zodiac seasons. this is the beginning of pisces, a preface to the zodiac year.