Golden Shadow Podcast
Episodes
Ep. 74 - Parenthood
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does parenthood awaken in us beyond responsibility and care? How does raising a child activate our own inner child and call us into deep inner wo...
Ep. 73 - Burnout
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the experience of burnout like? How does it reveal the deeper resources we’re lacking? How might burnout signal the end of an old creative c...
Ep. 72 - The Wilderness
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What can the wilderness teach us about solitude, psyche, and transformation? Why is the forest such a potent symbol in fairytales and myth? How does b...
Ep. 71 - Marriage
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa got married! In this episode they reflect on their recent marriage and explore its deeper meaning through a psychological, philosophi...
Ep.70 - Alchemical Inner Work
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alchemical Inner Work is a technique created by Alyssa to support the process of re-imagining our psychological dynamics within the metaphorical langu...
Ep.69 - Internal Family Systems
08 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is "parts work"? How might we engage with the psyche by dividing it into subpersonalities? Who are the "exiles," "managers," and "firefighters" w...
Ep.68 - Nightmares and Stress Dreams
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we have dreams that are stressful, painful, or terrifying? How might tension in dreams reflect shadow integration? How can we work with bad dre...
Ep.67 - Somatic Experiencing
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What role do somatics play in the therapeutic process? In what way is trauma locked into the body? How can we incorporate a body-first mentality into ...
Ep.66 - The Creative Process
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the creative process? Why are experimentation and failure such an important part of it? In what way is the project of Golden Shadow an ever-ev...
Ep.65 – Archetype of the Band
08 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does the archetypal rock n' roll band look like? How did the Beatles serve as a mythological container for collective projections of the culture?...
Ep.64 – Hermes: Herald, Psychopomp, Trickster
01 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Hermes? What role does he play in Greek mythology? What is the "Hermes archetype" and how does it relate to liminality, trickery, and revelatio...
Ep.63 – Plato's Cave
25 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the allegory of "Plato's Cave"? How does it explore the archetypal pattern of becoming conscious? What are the social repercussions of speakin...
Ep.62 – Alchemy
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Was alchemy a scientific process, a spiritual practice, or both? What does "As Above, So Below" refer to? How might we utilize the concepts of alchemy...
Ep.61 – Murray Stein: The Jungian Revolution | Event
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Murray Stein, Ph.D, is a Jungian Analyst, author and lecturer. Dr. Stein joins the Golden Shadow to speak on the evolution of Jungian Psychology, the ...
Ep.60 – John Beebe: The Eight-Function Model of Personality | Event
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John Beebe, Jungian Analyst and author, speaks with us about the shadows of personality types, the archetypes of typology and their influence on dream...
Ep.59 – Jason Smith: Religion and the Symbolic Life | Event
27 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Smith--Jungian analyst, author of Religious but Not Religious: Living a Symbolic Life, and host of the Digital Jung Podcast--joins the Golden Sh...
Ep.58 – Bret Alderman: Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language | Event
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bret Alderman, PhD, life coach and author of Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language, joins the Golden Shadow to share a Jungian perspective on the...
Ep.57 – Michael Meade: Myth, Ritual and Rites of Passage | Event
13 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Meade, mythologist, storyteller, and host of Living Myth Podcast, speaks with us about initiation, ritual, and how the shadow is represented ...
Ep.56 – Uberboyo: The Red Book | Event
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Steafan Fox (aka Uberboyo on YouTube) joins the Golden Shadow to discuss Jung, his confrontation with the shadow, and the writings that emerged from t...
Ep.55 – Lisa Marchiano: Motherhood and Shadow | Event
30 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Marchiano, Jungian analyst, author, and host of This Jungian Life podcast, speaks with us about the emotional and symbolic journey of motherhood ...
Ep.54 – Cadell Last: Freud vs Jung | Event
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cadell Last, PhD, author of Global Brain Singularity and Sex, Masculinity, God joins the Golden Shadow to discuss the relationship between Freud and J...
Ep.53 – Sam Hinds: Psychedelic Therapy | Event
16 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Hinds, MA, is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is training in ketamine-assisted therapy at S...
Ep.52 – Anderson Todd: Alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone | Event
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anderson Todd is the Assistant Director of University of Toronto's Consciousness and Wisdom Studies Lab. He joins the Golden Shadow to discuss Jung's ...
Ep.51 – Labors of Hercules
02 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Who was Hercules? How do his labors reflect a mythology of individuation? How might we use this mythology as a tool for self-inquiry? https://www.gold...
Ep.50 – Kayleen Asbo: The Heroine's Path | Event
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kayleen Asbo--cultural historian, mythologist, and scholar--joins the Golden Shadow to discuss the Heroine's Path and the emerging mythic themes of th...
Ep.49 – Dialectical Tarot: The Fool w/ MemeAnalysis + Spear of Fire Tarot | Live Event
18 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
MemeAnalysis and Spear of Fire Tarot join the Golden Shadow for our first event in the Dialectical Tarot series, where we unpack the Tarot from differ...
Ep.48 – Mythological Creatures
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In what way do animals function as mythological containers? How do legendary creatures reflect the same "raising-up" we do to humanoid deities? Why do...
Ep.47 – James Hollis: The Wounded Healer | Live Event
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
James Hollis speaks with us about the archetype of the wounded healer, the nature of cultivating one’s personal myth, and his new book Prisms. (Reco...
Ep.46 – Confession
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why is confession often the first step in a therapeutic relationship? In what ways do we keep secrets from ourselves and others? How is confession rel...
Ep.45 – Sacred Objects
21 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do magical items appear in mythology? How does that relate to the objects in our lives that take on a sacred significance? How might we distinguis...
Ep.44 – The Pantheon
14 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does the pantheon reflect a phenomenological mapping out of the world, reality, and human experience? What is the pantheon's relation to archetype...
Ep.43 – The Archetype of the Father
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does the archetype of the father appear in our lives? How is it manifested through myth, fairytale, and film? What role does it play in our journe...
Ep.42 – The Archetype of the Mother
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does the archetype of the mother appear in our lives? How is it manifested through myth, fairytale, and film? What role does it play in our journe...
Ep.41 – Sensation vs Intuition
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does the concrete immediacy of sensing compare to the theoretical depth of intuition? How do the functions interact with extraversion and introver...
Ep.40 – Memes and the Digital Shadow
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do we make sense of the phenomenon of internet memes? How do they relate to the evolutionary concept of 'mind-virus' put forth by Richard Dawkins?...
Ep.39 – The Wounded Healer
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why does being wounded often inspire a passion for healing? In what ways do healers need to balance empathy and boundary when engaging in a therapeuti...
Ep.38 – Peter Pan & Puer Aeternus
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the significance of the Peter Pan myth? What does it mean to be "spoiled" and why might one become that way? How might we find a virtuous bala...
Ep.37 – Eros & Inner Child w/ Peter Limberg
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa interview Peter Limberg about his journey to prominent creator of communal spaces, working with John Vervaeke, and having his dreams ...
Ep.36 – Art and Creation w/ Andrew Tuazon
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our very first guest, visual artist Andrew Tuazon, speaks to us about the creative process, the perplexity of judging good and bad art, and how to get...
Ep.35 – Community
10 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa discuss expanding the Golden Shadow into a community and virtual event space. What are the challenges of building a community? What m...
Ep.34 – God
03 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In what way do humans naturally anthropomorphize the objects of reality? Why would deities evolve universally across cultures? How how might the One G...
Ep.33 – Projection
27 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In what way is reality a landscape of projections? Why do we turn other people into containers for our shadow? How might we develop strategies for bri...
Ep.32 – Christmas: Light, Logos, & Rebirth
20 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is the relationship between Christmas and the Winter Solstice? In what way is Christ the son, the light, or the word? How might we take back pers...
Ep.31 – The Elephant & The Rider
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In what way does our behavior resemble that of a logical thinker negotiating with a larger, stronger, illogical animal? Why are we so often unable to ...
Ep.30 – Leaving Home
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why did we leave California? What does it mean when your home no longer feels like home? Is it better to move often or sink roots in one spot? https:/...
Ep.29 – Ritual
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In what way are rituals embodied metaphors? How do rituals reinforce a behavior, remind us of an important concept, or revitalize a cultural ethos? Ho...
Ep.28 – Personifying the Shadow
22 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the advantages of using Zoom for self-work in a group setting? How might we anthropomorphize different aspects of our personality? Why do dif...
Ep.27 – Active Imagination
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What practices can we employ to allow the unconscious to express itself? How is active imagination related to journeying, dreams, and creativity? How ...
Ep.26 – The Flood: Chaos, Catastrophe, & Rebirth
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does the Flood reflect a universal experience, both materially and metaphorically? How does the world inevitably creep towards decrepitude and dis...
Ep.25 – Wheel of Fortune: Fate and Free Will
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How much control do we have over our lives? Can we really hold others responsible for their actions when they've been forced onto their path by extern...
Ep.24 – Halloween: Mischief, Monsters, and the Shadow
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How might Halloween be a manifestation of banished energy? What are the different ways in which people express their naughty, evil, or dark side? How ...
Ep.23 – Collective Shadow & The Psychology of Conflict
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was submitted to the 2020 Jungian Conference at the Institute For Conflict (hence the unusual format). How is conflict foundational to ou...
Ep.22 – Complexes & Neurosis
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do archetypes and complexes reflect nature and nurture, respectively? How does a complex fall into shadow? In what way are neuroses the product of...
Ep.21 – Higher Self and the Structure of Becoming
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean when someone doesn't know who they are? How do complexes form the building blocks of self? What structures guide the process of beco...
Ep.20 – Arran Dream Series
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we have bad dreams? How does each individual's dreamscape reflect their personal experience, perception, and worldview? What is the archetypal ...
Ep.19 – Alyssa Dream Series
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What does the imagery of dreams represent? How does examining multiple dreams reveal an evolving landscape of the unconscious? Why does Alyssa hate ch...
Ep.18 – Masculine & Feminine
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does the feminine/masculine duality map onto the notions of yin and yang, chaos and order, disintegration and integration? How are feminine and ma...
Ep.17 – Synchronicity
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are meaningful coincidences an act of fate, a push from the unseen hand of the unconscious, confirmation bias, or some combination? How might we be ov...
Ep.16 – Religious Instinct
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do our daily behaviors reflect a religious orientation towards the world? Why do we seek out a shared myth? Should we adapt major religions over t...
Ep.15 – Extraversion vs Introversion
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do we regulate our energy boundaries? How does our internal world mingle with the external? How might we bring into awareness the underdeveloped e...
Ep.14 – Personal Myth
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How is our psychology defined by narrative? How do we derive meaning from a personal story? What happens when that story is destroyed? How can we expl...
Ep.13 – Love
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is romantic love? How do our self-preservation instincts prevent us from loving? How does a relationship develop its own Shadow? How do relations...
Ep.12 – Music
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is music? How did our musical minds evolve? What does one's musical preference say about their experience, personality, and relationship with rea...
Ep.11 – Tarot
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa discuss the tarot: a powerful tool for self-reflection and a gateway into the unconscious.
Ep.10 – Virtue and Vice
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alyssa and Arran explore the concepts of virtue and vice, the golden mean, and the light/shadow attributes of archetypes.
Ep.9 – Big Five Traits
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa explore the Big Five Personality Traits, a system by which we can better understand ourselves and how we relate to others and the wor...
Ep.8 – Individuation
14 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa discuss individuation, the journey of becoming a person, and why we shy away from who we're meant to be.
Ep.7 – Trauma
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa explore the nature of trauma, how it relates to the shadow, and how we can approach working with it.
Ep.6 – Dreams
31 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa discuss the nature of dreams and their significance as a gateway into the realm of the unconscious.
Ep.5 – Conscious vs Unconscious
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa explore the conscious and unconscious aspects of the psyche.
Ep.4 – Archetypes
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arran and Alyssa discuss archetypes. Archetypes are organizing principles of experience, which are distilled down into the characters, stories, and mo...
Ep.3 – Thinking vs Feeling
10 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a thinker or a feeler? Arran and Alyssa discuss the thinking/feeling aspect of personality typology.
Ep.2 – The Fool's Journey
03 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Arran and Alyssa explore the character of the Fool as it appears in the Tarot, how it relates to the Hero’s Journey, and how the ar...
Ep.1 – Introduction
26 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the Golden Shadow Podcast. In this episode we discuss the concept of the shadow and the untapped potential that lies within.