The Laughing Mystics: Jungian Psychology, Christian Spirituality, and Laughter

Laura Lewis-Barr, Jungian Artist - Marci Madary DMin, Educator, Spiritual Director

The Laughing Mystics: Explore Christianity and Depth Psychology through weekly scripture reflections and lively conversations between friends. Each week, Marci shares her Christian perspective and infectious laughter, while Laura offers insights from Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. Together, they also explore the profound ideas of Ilia Delio, Richard Rohr, and other evolutionary thinkers of psychology and theology. This happy pair offer as many questions as answers. They invite listeners to reflect on mystery, faith, doubt, spirituality, and personal growth.

  1. Season 3 Trailer

    Thank you, what's next, thinking of season 3!

    Marci and Laura reflect on the end of season 2 and their switch to a new format. A rare chance to see them in the sound booth!

  2. 6d ago

    The End of My World and the Communion of Saints

    (91) Our Question: What's a time when my mind was blown? When a new paradigm, a new world emerged in me.   Archetype of the Apocalypse Book by Edward F. Edinger "This is a profound coincidentia oppositorum—a union of opposites. To wash a garment in blood and have it come out white is a physical impossibility, but a psychological reality. Blood represents passion, the living libido, and the raw matter of suffering. By being completely immersed in the 'red' of the emotional ordeal, the unresisting ego achieves the 'white'—the albedo—which is the state of purified, objective consciousness." The Greek word for 'purifies'(hagnizei) implies a continuous action.   Between me and God there is no between. This is a saying accredited to both Julian of Norwich and Meister Eckhart. "The poor in spirit: The thesis statement for the whole Beatitudes and entire Sermon, really, this recognizes that those who are aware of their spiritual poverty, their limitations, and dependence on others (and especially God!) are the fortunate ones, for this sensibility opens them up to the possibility of achieving spiritual wealth or wholeness." Matthew Root -- talking about Edward Edinger's look at the Beatitudes.   Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe /Potawatomi) a word that describes a deeply interconnected relationship across time rather than a strict linear timeline. [1],aanikoobijigan translates simultaneously to "great-grandparent" (ancestor) and "great-grandchild"(future child/generation).   Coming soon, Season 3 – The spiritual dimension of fairy tales and their usefulness for inner work. We hope you’ll join us!   Sunday Readings Thank you for listening! You're invited to join our FB community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like to SHARE THE MIC with you! Send an audio or video from your phone with a question, reflection, or comment to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We now have an easier way for you to leave a review or rating, using this link! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RateThisPodcast.com/thelaughingmystics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please follow us to be alerted for new episodes. We hope you'll share this passion project with others, write a review, or rate/like our podcast on your favorite platform! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/1799776273⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes now released on Thursday mornings! For more on Marci Madary visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.insideoutspirituality.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more on Laura Lewis-Barr visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://psychescinema.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (0ur show notes are always filled with many links. If your platform doesn't show them, visit the "episode webpage" or our Spotify page.) Music licensed from Artlist #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #richardrohr #progressivechristianity #jungianwisdom #mysticalchristianity #religioustext #transpersonalpsychology

  3. Oct 22

    How Empathy Is Born - 30th Sunday 2026

    (90) Our Question: What gets in my way of practicing love? Another question: How much of the Old Testament angry God have I internalized and is there a goodness to that, or not at all? American writer, poet, and farmer Wendell Berry Bishop Spong and his book The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic Sunday Readings Thank you for listening! You're invited to join our FB community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like to SHARE THE MIC with you! Send an audio or video from your phone with a question, reflection, or comment to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We now have an easier way for you to leave a review or rating, using this link! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RateThisPodcast.com/thelaughingmystics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please follow us to be alerted for new episodes. We hope you'll share this passion project with others, write a review, or rate/like our podcast on your favorite platform! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/1799776273⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes now released on Thursday mornings! For more on Marci Madary visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.insideoutspirituality.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more on Laura Lewis-Barr visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://psychescinema.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (0ur show notes are always filled with many links. If your platform doesn't show them, visit the "episode webpage" or our Spotify page.) Music licensed from Artlist #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #richardrohr #progressivechristianity #jungianwisdom #mysticalchristianity #religioustext #transpersonalpsychology

  4. Oct 15

    Who Do I Serve? -- 29th Sunday 2026

    (89) Our question: What is an early childhood memory of the Divine? Laura reads a quote from The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by  Iain McGilchrist Sunday Readings Thank you for listening! You're invited to join our FB community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need more poetry in your life? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Marci's blog ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and/or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to Laura's new substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and receive one of her fresh poems delivered to you periodically. Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like to SHARE THE MIC with you! Send an audio or video from your phone with a question, reflection, or comment to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We now have an easier way for you to leave a review or rating, using this link! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RateThisPodcast.com/thelaughingmystics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please follow us to be alerted for new episodes. We hope you'll share this passion project with others, write a review, or rate/like our podcast on your favorite platform! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/1799776273⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes now released on Thursday mornings! For more on Marci Madary visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.insideoutspirituality.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more on Laura Lewis-Barr visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://psychescinema.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (0ur show notes are always filled with many links. If your platform doesn't show them, visit the "episode webpage" or our Spotify page.) Music licensed from Artlist #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #richardrohr #progressivechristianity #jungianwisdom #mysticalchristianity #religioustext #transpersonalpsychology

  5. Oct 8

    Choosing Abundance - 28th Sunday 2026

    (88) Our Question: What are my associations to the word “Abundance.”  Three books about how Old Testament writers used the metaphor of mountain peaks in the distance The Cosmic Mountain in Canaan and the Old Testament Written by Richard J. Clifford, this seminal academic work is the gold standard for understanding mountain symbolism. It explores the ancient concept of the Weltberg (cosmic mountain) across Ugaritic texts and directly traces how Genesis, the Sinai covenant, and the Zion traditions treat mountains as the overlapping space between heaven and earth. _____ The Cosmic Mountain: A Narrative Expedition Through the Bible Written by J. Leavitt Pearl and Joe D. Smith, this narrative study tracks how sacred mountains structurally form the bedrock of the entire biblical plotline. It breaks down how Old Testament writers used locations like Mount Moriah and Mount Sinai to signal moments where the divine realm disrupts the terrestrial realm. _____ The Descent from the Mountain: Narrative Patterns in Exodus 19-40 Written by Martin Ravndal Hauge, this deep literary analysis focuses entirely on the "encounter on the mountain" motif within the Torah. It explores the heavy symbolic weight Old Testament writers placed on Moses ascending and descending the divine mountain, contrasting it with the physical tabernacle tent built below.   The Donut Man - children's Christian video   Christopher Nolan’s the Odyssey   Sunday Readings Thank you for listening! You're invited to join our FB community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need more poetry in your life? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Marci's blog ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and/or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to Laura's new substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and receive one of her fresh poems delivered to you periodically. Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like to SHARE THE MIC with you! Send an audio or video from your phone with a question, reflection, or comment to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We now have an easier way for you to leave a review or rating, using this link! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RateThisPodcast.com/thelaughingmystics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please follow us to be alerted for new episodes. We hope you'll share this passion project with others, write a review, or rate/like our podcast on your favorite platform! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/1799776273⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes now released on Thursday mornings! For more on Marci Madary visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.insideoutspirituality.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more on Laura Lewis-Barr visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://psychescinema.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (0ur show notes are always filled with many links. If your platform doesn't show them, visit the "episode webpage" or our Spotify page.) Music licensed from Artlist #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #richardrohr #progressivechristianity #jungianwisdom #mysticalchristianity #religioustext #transpersonalpsychology

  6. Oct 1

    My Inner Vineyard - 27th Sunday 2026

    (87) Our Question: What does my inner vineyard look like? Marci and Laura grapple with the idea of being “cultivated.” In the phrase "whatever is pure" (ὅσα ἁγνά), Paul uses the Greek word hagnos. [1, 2]Directly before this verse, Paul is addressing a public rift in the Philippian church between two female leaders, Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3) Romero Prayer Sunday Readings Thank you for listening! You're invited to join our FB community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need more poetry in your life? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Marci's blog ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and/or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to Laura's new substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and receive one of her fresh poems delivered to you periodically. Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like to SHARE THE MIC with you! Send an audio or video from your phone with a question, reflection, or comment to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We now have an easier way for you to leave a review or rating, using this link! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RateThisPodcast.com/thelaughingmystics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please follow us to be alerted for new episodes. We hope you'll share this passion project with others, write a review, or rate/like our podcast on your favorite platform! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/1799776273⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes now released on Thursday mornings! For more on Marci Madary visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.insideoutspirituality.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more on Laura Lewis-Barr visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://psychescinema.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (0ur show notes are always filled with many links. If your platform doesn't show them, visit the "episode webpage" or our Spotify page.) Music licensed from Artlist #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #richardrohr #progressivechristianity #jungianwisdom #mysticalchristianity #religioustext #transpersonalpsychology

  7. Sep 24

    Actions Speak Louder -- 26th Sunday 2026

    (86) 26th Sunday 2026 Our Question: What is a central “cross” in my life? A cross that I bear. Online research says: The Talmud features a famous passage stating that Ezekiel "annulled" a harsh decree made by Moses. Moses stated in Exodus that God "visits the sins of the fathers upon the children." The Talmud explains that Ezekiel came along and declared a more merciful standard: "The soul that sins, it [alone] shall die." Quoted here. what is the “one thing” that Paul is talking about?   “Throughout the biblical story, from Genesis to Revelation, every radical challenge from the biblical God is both asserted and then subverted by its receiving communities—be they earliest Israelites or latest Christians. That pattern of assertion-and-subversion, that rhythm of expansion-and-contraction, is like the systole-and-diastole cycle of the human heart. In other words, the heartbeat of the Christian Bible is a recurrent cardiac cycle in which the asserted radicality of God’s nonviolent distributive justice is subverted by the normalcy of civilization’s violent retributive justice. And, of course, the most profound annulment is that both assertion and subversion are attributed to the same God or the same Christ. Think of this example. In the Bible, prophet sare those who speak for God. On one hand, the prophets Isaiah and Micah agree on this as God’s vision: “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, / and their spears into pruning hooks; / nation shall not lift up sword against nation, / neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:4 = Mic. 4:3). On the other hand, the prophet Joel suggests the opposite vision: “Beat your plowshares into swords, / and your pruning hooks into spears; / let the weakling say, ‘I am a warrior’” (3:10). Is this simply an example of assertion-and-subversion between prophets, or between God’s radicality and civilization’s normalcy? That proposal might also answer how, as noted in Chapter 1, Jesus the Christ of the Sermon on the Mount preferred loving enemies and praying for persecutors while Jesus the Christ of the book of Revelation preferred killing enemies and slaughtering persecutors. It is not that Jesus the Christ changed his mind, but that in standard biblical assertion-and-subversion strategy, Christianity changed its Jesus.” ― John Dominic Crossan, How toRead the Bible and Still Be a Christian: Struggling with Divine Violence fromGenesis Through Revelation   Deconstructing Christianity Facebook Page Dignity USA Sunday Readings Thank you for listening! You're invited to join our FB community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need more poetry in your life? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Marci's blog ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and/or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to Laura's new substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and receive one of her fresh poems delivered to you periodically. Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like to SHARE THE MIC with you! Send an audio or video from your phone with a question, reflection, or comment to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We now have an easier way for you to leave a review or rating, using this link! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RateThisPodcast.com/thelaughingmystics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please follow us to be alerted for new episodes. We hope you'll share this passion project with others, write a review, or rate/like our podcast on your favorite platform! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/1799776273⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes now released on Thursday mornings! For more on Marci Madary visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.insideoutspirituality.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more on Laura Lewis-Barr visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://psychescinema.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (0ur show notes are always filled with many links. If your platform doesn't show them, visit the "episode webpage" or our Spotify page.) Music licensed from Artlist #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #richardrohr #progressivechristianity #jungianwisdom #mysticalchristianity #religioustext #transpersonalpsychology

  8. Sep 17

    My Ways Are Not Your Ways - 25th Sunday 2026

    (85) Our Question: How do I react when life seems "unfair?" A World Appears by Michael Pollan "The ego is a master of accounting. It keeps a record of every slight, every debt, and every favor. To awaken is to burn the ledger." Anthony de Mello   "When you stop judging, evaluating, and keeping score of how people treat you or how life unfolds, you step out of the illusion of time. The ego demands fair transactions; the soul breathes in absolute freedom."Deepak Chopra fairness vs. justice image  Sunday Readings Thank you for listening! You're invited to join our FB community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need more poetry in your life? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Marci's blog ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and/or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to Laura's new substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and receive one of her fresh poems delivered to you periodically. Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like to SHARE THE MIC with you! Send an audio or video from your phone with a question, reflection, or comment to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We now have an easier way for you to leave a review or rating, using this link! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RateThisPodcast.com/thelaughingmystics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please follow us to be alerted for new episodes. We hope you'll share this passion project with others, write a review, or rate/like our podcast on your favorite platform! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/1799776273⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes now released on Thursday mornings! For more on Marci Madary visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.insideoutspirituality.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more on Laura Lewis-Barr visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://psychescinema.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (0ur show notes are always filled with many links. If your platform doesn't show them, visit the "episode webpage" or our Spotify page.) Music licensed from Artlist #jungianpsychology #depthpsychology #richardrohr #progressivechristianity #jungianwisdom #mysticalchristianity #religioustext #transpersonalpsychology

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About

The Laughing Mystics: Explore Christianity and Depth Psychology through weekly scripture reflections and lively conversations between friends. Each week, Marci shares her Christian perspective and infectious laughter, while Laura offers insights from Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. Together, they also explore the profound ideas of Ilia Delio, Richard Rohr, and other evolutionary thinkers of psychology and theology. This happy pair offer as many questions as answers. They invite listeners to reflect on mystery, faith, doubt, spirituality, and personal growth.

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