Wildheart

The Wild Academy
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Welcome to Wildheart, a podcast hosted by Maddy Winterbrook and Eleanor Cheetham, founders of The Wild Academy and authors of The Rewilding Yearbook. Flowing with the changing phases of the year, each episode is guided by a seasonally-inspired word: a seed of curiosity that takes our conversation from the roots of definition and etymology to the branches of meaning and story, exploring how rewilding language can help us rewild ourselves. Like Maddy and Eleanor, this is a podcast that’s slightly feral around the edges - not polished perfection, but thoughtful, wandering dialogue that invites listeners to slow down, sink in, and unearth a wilder way of being. If you’re longing to connect more deeply and gently with yourself, the seasons, and the world around you, you’re in the right place. Your wild heart is welcome here. Each series of Wildheart contains eight episodes, released weekly on Wednesdays. To receive accompanying journal prompts, plus access to online seasonal ceremonies and a monthly Cycle Oracle, become a paid subscriber to our Substack, The Seed. thewildacademy.substack.com

  1. Awaken

    1D AGO

    Awaken

    We’re back with a brand new season of the Wildheart podcast! We’ve got some new music, a new look, and we’re ready to rewild a whole new set of words with you this spring. In this first episode we explore the theme of awakening, discuss the importance of being aware of ourself and the world around us, and emphasise the need for gentle activism and an interconnected approach to life. The conversation delves into the complexities of awakening, including the challenges and heartaches that come with it, while also highlighting the beauty and potential for growth that arises from this process. We invite you to embrace your own journeys of awakening and to let us know what this process looks and feels like for you! Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘awaken’? * It feels particularly apt with the coming of spring and the awakening of the wild world. * Alongside this there is an ongoing heaviness in the world, and a desperate need for change. In these times we need to be ‘awake’ to what’s going on around us, and to the vision of the life and society that we want to be a part of. What do we talk about? * How awakening can be impacted by seasonal change and the lunar cycle. * The process of awakening: from gentle awareness, to gentle action, to gentle activism. * Why awakening through a wild lens also means challenging the system and our societal conditioning. * Why community and self-care are both crucial to support your own awakening. Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min
  2. Weather

    JAN 28

    Weather

    In this week’s episode we chat about what it means to ‘weather’ - and especially how it can help us throughout the season of winter. Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘weather’? * January can sometimes feel like a very long month, particularly for those who struggle with aspects of winter and are longing for spring to arrive. * Even though Imbolc offers the gentle promise of spring, in reality we know that we still have most of February (and perhaps even early March) to wait before we really start to notice a tangible sense of change. * This last phase of winter can therefore feel like a bit of an endurance test, and we might find ourselves thinking more frequently about the weather (our literal environmental conditions and how they impact us), but also about the idea of weathering - making it through, coping, withstanding. * In the wild world, a key focus of winter is survival, and this can feel like a skill that’s needed in our own context too, to navigate this last part of the season. What do we chat about? * Weather as emotions, and monitoring our state of being * How weather is part of the concept of wildness and the journey of untaming * Weathering as survival, transformation and becoming * Embracing weathering as evidence of a life fully lived Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m
  3. Intention

    JAN 21

    Intention

    In this week’s episode we chat about intentions, what they mean for us (especially at this time of year), and how setting intentions is perhaps more complex than we’ve been led to believe. Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘intention’? * It connects with January’s more traditional focus on plans, ideas and visions for the year ahead * It also embodies the next seasonal shift as we look ahead to spring and anticipate the rising energy, wild growth, and sowing of seeds What do we chat about? * How intentions are process-led (not driven by an end result) * Why intentions have a heartbeat, and goals do not * Being intentional - in the sense of being thoughtful, aware, considered * What it might look like to live intentionally but also get things done! Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min
  4. Seek

    JAN 14

    Seek

    In this week’s episode we chat about what it means to ‘seek’, and how taking a wilder approach can support us to navigate the January hustle. Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘seek’? * It’s our guiding word for January on the Rewilding Wheel * The concept of seeking is connected to many of our seasonal associations for this month - the wolf, the Visionary archetype, the symbol of the north star * Seeking represents both the return of the light (illumination, clarity) in the seasonal cycle, and also the call towards direction and discovery at this point in the societal calendar year What do we chat about? * The active process of seeking (without expecting an ‘end result’) * Intentionality, dedication and devotion * Honing our wolf-like instinct and intuition, and feeling our way forward * Finding a direction, and then narrowing or refining Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    36 min
  5. Retreat

    12/17/2025

    Retreat

    In this week’s episode we chat about what it means to retreat, and why midwinter is the ideal time to consider what a retreat (or retreating) feels like for us. Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘retreat’? * Deep rest as a winter focus - a ‘retreat’ as a restorative experience * The inward/downward pull of midwinter in the mental or emotional sense (retreating into ourselves) * But also in the physical sense - more time indoors, layering up with clothes: these things can create a sense of withdrawing or building up a protective barrier against the outside world (retreating from the cold/dark) What do we chat about? * ‘Retreat’ as a verb - as an ongoing process to prioritise * How the idea of a micro-retreat can be helpful during busy phases * Why retreats don’t have to be big, fancy or expensive * Why it’s important to create space to retreat in your own way Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    41 min
  6. Embody

    12/10/2025

    Embody

    In this week’s episode we chat about what it means to ‘embody’, and why exploring embodiment in the winter is so powerful. Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘embody’? * As we talked about last week, winter is the season of the earth element - roots, foundations, the tangible/physical world * As we look ahead, we’re approaching Capricorn season (from the Solstice), which is an earth sign - the sun is in Sagittarius at the moment (fire sign) but we’re moving towards a more grounded energy that will carry us through the heart of midwinter * The earth element (and winter) is very much associated with the body - felt perception, lived reality, rootedness, practicality/materiality What do we chat about? * The importance of nourishing our bodies in the winter * An embodied approach that doesn’t neglect soul or spirit * Embodiment as living: bringing life to an idea, making something real or true in some way * How embodiment connects with animism Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    33 min
  7. Unearth

    12/03/2025

    Unearth

    In this week’s episode we explore the process of unearthing, especially in relation to the wild self. Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘unearth’? * Winter is the season of the earth element, and autumn the season of the water element - throughout November we’ve been moving away from the swirling energy of change towards something more grounded and steady. * Now that we’ve reached December, we’re arriving into the heart of ‘earth season’ - a time to connect with our roots and our foundations. * This idea of ‘earthiness’ connects to the process of unearthing - going beneath the surface, revealing, bringing to light. What do we chat about? * Unearthing the wild self and the process of rediscovery (or remembering) * Why unearthing requires trust and faith - and how you might find both * What the unearthing process has looked like for us * Why winter is a good time for unearthing the wild self, and how you can practically begin this process Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    53 min
  8. Remember

    11/26/2025

    Remember

    In this week’s episode we explore the concept of remembrance, and discuss what it means to remember the wild within. Why have we chosen to talk about the word ‘remember’? * Remember, remember the 5th of November! We’re a long way past the 5th, but November always seems like a month of remembrance with this rhyme for Guy Fawkes night, Remembrance Sunday, and the lingering themes of Samhain (honouring the past, welcoming ancestral wisdom). * It’s finally getting colder now and the darkness has well and truly set in, and when we start to tangibly feel the return of winter in these ways there can be a sense that we need to remember how to navigate it - both in terms of our physical needs and routines, and our mental or emotional relationship with our inner and outer worlds. What do we chat about? * How remembering is an act of resistance or revolution * Why reconnecting with the past enriches our present * How connecting to ancient ways of being challenges societal norms * What it means to remember our wild self within Get full access to The Seed at thewildacademy.substack.com/subscribe

    45 min
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About

Welcome to Wildheart, a podcast hosted by Maddy Winterbrook and Eleanor Cheetham, founders of The Wild Academy and authors of The Rewilding Yearbook. Flowing with the changing phases of the year, each episode is guided by a seasonally-inspired word: a seed of curiosity that takes our conversation from the roots of definition and etymology to the branches of meaning and story, exploring how rewilding language can help us rewild ourselves. Like Maddy and Eleanor, this is a podcast that’s slightly feral around the edges - not polished perfection, but thoughtful, wandering dialogue that invites listeners to slow down, sink in, and unearth a wilder way of being. If you’re longing to connect more deeply and gently with yourself, the seasons, and the world around you, you’re in the right place. Your wild heart is welcome here. Each series of Wildheart contains eight episodes, released weekly on Wednesdays. To receive accompanying journal prompts, plus access to online seasonal ceremonies and a monthly Cycle Oracle, become a paid subscriber to our Substack, The Seed. thewildacademy.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    The Wild Academy
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Wild Academy
  • Show Website
    Wildheart