Radical Soul

About Radical Soul

Formerly Left-Handed Journeys. Interviews with radical souls about their spiritual journeys, especially centering the stories of queer folks and sex workers. This podcast is part of the larger Radical Soul brand which centers justice, strives to help others heal from religious trauma, and rejects white and Christian supremacy. Want to be featured? Email jera@jerabrown.com. radicalsoul.substack.com (https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Jera Brown

Category

religion & spirituality · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

13 Aug 2021

Latest episode

20 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

36 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Feb 2026

   Can I Still Love Tolkien?

   Many of us raised in the church grew up idolizing Christian authors like C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, and Flannery O’Conner. And you didn’t have to grow up in the church to learn to love J.R.R. Tolkien. But looking back, these authors can be problematic. Rereading them, it’s easy to spot sexism, racism, classism that we either internalized or brushed off before. In Rebecca Bretten Weiss’s new book The Books That Made Us: Deconstructing the Modern Christian Classics (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781626986428), Weiss revisits nine classic Christian authors while taking us through her own exodus from conservative Catholicism. About so much of the literature that young adults like Rebecca and I grew up reading and idolizing, she writes, “Maybe we weren’t all gung-ho for xenophobia, antisemitism, and white supremacy from the start, but we just didn’t take them seriously enough.” In this podcast episode, we discuss the impacts of these authors on our younger selves, how to read them now, how this literature fits into someone’s deconstruction process, and the difference between propaganda and protest literature. When we love writers, we want to forgive them. We want to come up with a good explanation for why they did that thing. It couldn’t possibly have been racist … And I think we have to be really much more willing to make tentative statements versus dogmatic ones and then be willing to retract them if we realize we’re wrong. That’s kind of part of what’s involved if we’re going to be good readers who are engaging with the literate works that are happening around us right now. Rebecca Bratten Weiss during the Radical Soul Podcast About the Guest Rebecca Bratten Weiss (http://rebeccabrattenweiss.com) is a writer, editor, and scholar who studies the intersection of religion and culture, with an emphasis on the dynamics of far-right ideology. She is digital editor at U.S. Catholic magazine, co-host of the Glad You Asked podcast, and a regular contributor to the National Catholic Reporter. She is the author of The Books That Made Us: Deconstructing the Modern Christian Classics (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781626986428) (Orbis Books). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com (https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   31 Dec 2024

   Inclusive Heathenry with Siri Vincent Plouff

   As early as the mid-19th century, white supremacists started using Norse mythology in an attempt to legitimize ideas that people with Scandinavian or Germanic heritage were of a superior race. Later, the Nazis used Nordic symbols, often the runes, as part of their party. To this day, white supremacists often claim Norse paganism, also known as heathenry, perverting the true meaning of the myths and symbols in order to fit their twisted ideology. But many modern Norse pagans are taking a stand: actively creating inclusive communities and stating exactly what they stand for (https://thetroth.org/declaration-127/). We can also find Nordic witches like Siri Vincent Plouff (https://www.sirivincentplouff.com), my guest for today’s episode, who are teaching and practicing heathenry from an inclusive lens. For white folks with Nordic or Germanic ancestry (which includes me), there’s power in researching (and potentially even adopting) the beliefs of our ancestors. Yes, we need to confront the fact that many of our ancestors would have been colonizers, as well. And we have a responsibility to do better. But go back far enough, and our ancestors were also impacted by the forceful spread of Christianity, which turned their native practices into a crime. For me, the beauty of researching Nordic and Celtic stories and traditions is to understand a little of what my ancestors would have practiced before many of them were forced to convert. What gods or goddesses might they have prayed to? What animals or seasons did they find sacred? What herbs or trees did they have a special connection to or use to heal their families? What can I claim for myself to root myself in the traditions of my ancestors?[I need to add that heathenry isn’t just for white folks or for people with Nordic or Germanic heritage. That’s kinda the whole point: it should be for anyone for whom the stories, rituals, and the runes resonate.] For this newest episode of the Radical Soul podcast, I spoke to Siri, author of the newly released, Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578638376). During our conversation, Siri offers a high-level overview of heathenry. We also chatted about how it was appropriated by the Nazis and continues to be misused by white supremacist groups, and how modern heathens are creating a more inclusive practice. As Siri mentions in the episode, “it can’t just be that we aren’t racist. It can’t just be we’re an inclusive group because we exclude the bad guys. It has to be like: then what are you actually doing? What are the good things that you are trying to spread in the world? What do you actually stand for?”For folks interested in learning more, Siri offers many anti-racist heathen resources (https://www.sirivincentplouff.com/antiracist-heathen-resources) on their website. You can also join us on Sunday January 19th 1-3pm ET for an introduction to queering the runes. This is a donation-based event. RSVP here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-queering-the-runes-tickets-1127152085229?aff=oddtdtcreator). About the Book Siri’s new book, Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578638376), is an inclusive guide to Nordic paganism and rune divination. In the first chapters, it covers some of what we discussed in the podcast in more detail. But the majority of the book is dedicated to understanding and working with the runes through a queer lens. Siri offers their own take on each rune, as well as recommendations for using a specific rune for ancestral work. Their recommendations are often queer- or nature-oriented. For instance, Siri associates the Jera rune, the rune of the harvest and summer, with Pride: “a moment of being celebrated by and among your chosen family and friends for being exactly who you are.” To use Jera energy to work with your ancestors, they recommend asking what the growing season might’ve looked like for your ancestors and how you might “pay tribute to your ancestors on specific harvest festivals.” About the Guest Siri Vincent Plouff (https://www.sirivincentplouff.com/) (they/them) is a Nordic witch, rune reader, and tarot reader. They are the author of Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578638376) and coauthor with Cassandra Snow of Lessons from the Empress: A Tarot Workbook for Self-care and Creative Growth (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781578637935). As an unabashedly queer person, they are constantly interrogating runes and Nordic practices through a unique lens of sexual and gender identity. They see witchcraft as a way to break out of expectations and live outside of society. Siri is the brain behind the radical heathenry podcast The Heathen's Journey (https://open.spotify.com/show/6zbltAVOz1Sjv3t7Rjpupq?si=a74d15faf5e64237). They teach about runes, tarot, and witchcraft. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com (https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   4 Dec 2024

   Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde: Full Interview

   This is the longer of two episodes featuring author, pastoral counselor, and Dharma Leader Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde. In this full 90-minute interview, you’ll hear about Ayo’s experiences being a part of the school integration initiative in the 60s and 70s and being bussed to a mostly White school. You’ll hear about her transformative experience with Sister Soulah, her work as an asylum officer, and a lot more.In the 30-minute version (https://open.substack.com/pub/radicalsoul/p/is-it-a-small-j-or-big-j-justice?r=13el7b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web), I pulled together moments from our interview that highlight Ayo’s insights about justice with a small j — which is justice on a personal level — versus justice with a Large J — which is systemic change — and how she makes sometimes daily decisions about which to focus on. About Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde Dr. Yetunde, JD, MA, ThD, is pastoral counselor, spiritual director, chaplain, and Community Dharma Leader in the Insight Meditation Community. She is coeditor of the Nautilus Gold Award-winning Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781611808650); and the author of Songbird Birdsong: The Story (https://www.amazon.com/Songbird-Birdsong-Story-Transform-Book-ebook/dp/B0CW3F5KYY/), Casting Indra’s Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9781645470922), Object Relations, Buddhism, and Relationality in Womanist Practical Theology (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9783319944531), and the Frederick J. Streng Award-winning Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, U.S. Law, and Womanist Theology for Transgender Spiritual Care (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9783030425593). Ayo is the cofounder of Center of the Heart (https://www.centeroftheheart.org), and Buddhist Justice Reporter (https://www.buddhistjustice.com). Her upcoming book Dearly Beloved: Prince, Spirituality, and This Thing Called Life (https://bookshop.org/a/107881/9798889831600) will be published in April 2025. Learn more at pamelaayoyetunde.com (https://www.pamelaayoyetunde.com). This is part of a series honoring queer elders and ancestors (https://radicalsoul.substack.com/t/queer-elders-and-ancestors). If a queer ancestor or elder has made a difference in your life, nominate them to be featured on Radical Soul (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0_p21UTSa6b02pFo8rXzfTnyeG3pUrRx6O5vxRDFuMTmPIg/viewform?usp=sf_link). For other radical souls that aren’t queer or not quite an elder: nominate them here. (https://forms.gle/4aKzsUjC2orvUr488) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com (https://radicalsoul.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.