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. 5d ago

    Innocence - 14th Sunday

    (74) 14th Sunday Where am I young and innocent in a good way? We talk about the baggage and burdens that we lug around all the time and the importance of play. Zechariah's story More about yokes More about James Finley Song from Rent about baggage 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 from your phone with a question 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/⁠⁠⁠ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products⁠⁠⁠ (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

    31 min

  2. Jun 25

    Unexpected Rewards in my Life - 13th Sunday

    (73) 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time When have I been rewarded for doing the right thing, when I didn’t expect a reward? What is the rock and hard place that I’m in (or have been in?)   In the Bible there are seven stories of barren women: three of the four matriarchs, Sarah (Genesis 11:30), Rebekah (25:21), and Rachel (29:31); Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2); the anonymous wife of Manoah, mother of Samson (Judges 13); and the “great woman of Shunem,” also called the Shunammite, an acolyte of the prophet Elisha and Elizabeth.   In the Bible, barrenness refers to the physical inability to conceive, but spiritually, it symbolizes a woman who experiences waiting, disgrace, and unrequited longing. To be a barren woman is to be forced to wait for a deliverance that only the Lord can provide. It is a powerful metaphor.    Ilia Delio, her book about Jung-- The Not Yet God, Carl Jung, Teilhard de Chardin and the Relational Whole   More about Death cafes   More about Marie Louise Von Franz  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 from your phone with a question 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/⁠⁠⁠ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products⁠⁠⁠ (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

    41 min

  3. Jun 18

    Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed - 12th Sunday

    (72) 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time "What is something in my life that was concealed, then later revealed?" "How have I been tested by God?" "How have I been betrayed?" Spiritual bypassing is a term coined by John Welwood. “Although most of us were sincerely trying to work on ourselves, I noticed a widespread tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks." When we are spiritually bypassing, we often use the goal of awakening or liberation to rationalize what I call premature transcendence: trying to rise above the raw and messy side of our humanness before we have fully faced and made peace with it. And then we tend to use absolute truth to disparage or dismiss relative human needs, feelings, psychological problems, relational difficulties, and developmental deficits. I see this as an “occupational hazard” of the spiritual path...." This great graphic and more on this topic can be found at https://members.soulsandhearts.com/blog/spiritual-bypassing-catholic-style   In Maya cosmology and healing tradition, the womb is not merely a reproductive organ but a sacred seat of life, power, and spiritual connection. It is central to the cycles of birth, fertility, and transformation, and is deeply intertwined with the Maya worldview. Sacred and Spiritual RoleThe Maya viewed the womb as the dwelling place of the soul and a conduit to the spiritual realm Ananda. It is linked to the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, often symbolizing a passage from one state to another—pregnancy, for example, was sometimes described in Nahuatl (related to Maya culture) with words rooted in death, signifying a transformation Yucatán Magazine. The goddess Ixchel, patron of childbirth, midwifery, and fertility, was central to this understanding, with her sanctuary on Isla Mujeres becoming a pilgrimage site Yucatán Magazine. Omega PointHome | Center for Christogenesis 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 from your phone with a question 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/⁠⁠ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠⁠⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products⁠⁠ (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

    37 min

  4. Jun 11

    Imploding Exploding Images of God

    (71) How have your experience and beliefs about God changed? We share the mic with Chelley Gardner-Smith. Thank you Chelly! Saint Simeon Stylites (circa 390–459 AD), the famous Syrian Christian ascetic who lived for 37 years atop a pillar.  He pioneered a unique form of asceticism known as the stylites (from the Greek word stylos, meaning "pillar"). To escape the massive crowds of pilgrims and followers seeking his counsel, he retreated to a small platform on top of a giant column in the Syrian desert, living there until his death.   Eagle Poem | The Poetry Foundation by Joy Harjo  Why More Americans Are Seeking Religion - The New York Times https://share.google/h3BzKx8oDhkql6COS   The 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 from your phone with a question 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/⁠ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products⁠ (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

    43 min

  5. Jun 4

    God as Food - Corpus Christi - June 7

    (70) What has feed me? Where has manna come from when i didn't expect it? The historical ritual or concept of "eating God"—known anthropologically and psychologically as theophagy—isa widespread cross-cultural archetype. Torah as Bread: In rabbinic literature, the Torah is explicitly called the true bread of life. The physical act of eating bread is mirrored by the spiritual act of consuming, digesting, and studying scripture.  https://www.wisdomlib.org/concept/bread-of-life Wisdom Library The Showbread (Lechem HaPanim): In the ancient Tabernacle, twelve loaves of bread (literally & Bread of the Presence) sat constantly before God. This bread symbolized continuous spiritual fellowship between the divine and humanity, representing a spiritual food that never spoiled The historical ritual or concept of eating god—known anthropologically and psychologically as theophagy—is a widespread cross-cultural archetype.  The Aztec Sacrament of Teocualo One of the most striking, highly documented non-Christian historical examples of theophagy comes from the Aztecs, who practiced a ritual literally called Teocualo, meaning god-eating. The Tzoalli Statues: Prior to major festivals honoring deities like Huitzilopochtli (the sun and war god) or Ometochtli (the pulque god), priests molded human-sized statues of the god using ground amaranth seeds, toasted maize, and honey or human sacrificial blood. The Ritual Execution: The statue was treated as a living entity. At the climax of the ceremony, priests performed a symbolic sacrifice, killing the dough statue by driving a wooden stake or flint knife through its heart. Distribution to the Public: The statue was then broken into small pieces and distributed to the entire community, starting with the rulers and warriors down to commoners. The Aztecs believed that eating these fragments filled them with the physical strength, cosmic power, and divine protection of the deity. Marie-Louise von Franz - Wikipedia 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 from your phone with a question 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/⁠ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products⁠ (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

    50 min

  6. May 28

    The Dance of God in my Life - Trinity Sunday - May 31, 2026

    (69) Our Question: How do I experience the reality of "The Trinity" in my daily life? The Greek word translated believe is pisteuō (πιστεύω). And it carries a much richer meaning than simple mental agreement.  It means to trust, rely upon, entrust oneself to, and align one’s life with someone. And from Marcus Borg - Thus in John, this verse is not about believing a set of statements about Jesus now for the sake of heaven later. It is about beloving Jesus and beloving God as known in Jesus, in the incarnation, and entering into "the life of the age to come" now. It is not about people going to hell because they don't believe. It is about the path into life with God now. Full article here. The book Laura was trying to remember - Death by Suburb: How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your Soul. The 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 from your phone with a question 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/⁠ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products⁠ (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

    39 min

  7. May 21

    On Fire with God - Pentecost - May 24, 2026

    (68) Pentecost – Our question: When have I had a "fiery" experience of God?   Marci is in a singing mood. Laura offers a quote from Marcus Borg: Before Christianity became the civil religion of Rome in 337 CE, to name Jesus as Lord was to challenge the empire. It was a revolutionary statement. The “proclamation of Jesus as Son of God, Lord, and Savior directly countered Roman Imperial theology…. Jesus was Lord and the emperor was not! “Jesus is Lord” was high treason!… (The )message challenged the normalcy of civilization, then and now, with an alternative vision of how life on earth can and should be. “Jesus is Lord” offers fundamental opposition… Who is our Lord: Jesus or an empire? Jesus Christ as Lord led to resistance to the imperial vision, and advocacy of a different vision of the way the world can be”. (Marcus Borg- The First Paul)  We both share some of our interpersonal challenges and explore the idea of “being one Body” and what that means in daily life and how does that relate to having healthy boundaries.   We ask ourselves and you: what question does the story of my life ask me to answer, for myself and the world? The 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/ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products (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

    47 min

  8. May 14

    The Angels Say, "Stop Looking Up." (Look Within)

    (67) Ascension Sunday. Our Question: How do I experience God? Join us today for our lengthy discussion of the story of the Ascension. What do you make of it? We struggle with the second reading and the Gospel. After our recording Laura found this great quote from Richard Rohr re: the "Great Commision" at the end of Matthew's gospel. In our discussion Marci got us there anyway but it would have been nice to have had this then! " If I wanted to create a great people, what I’ve got to do is get them outside of their country, their religion, their nationality, by saying: “Go give the message to everybody else,” and then you will find yourself converted by the people you thought you were supposed to convert. We call it “reverse mission.” https://cac.org/podcasts/reframing-the-great-commission/ The 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 reflection, question 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/ Want to support The Laughing Mystics? We now have MERCH! Visit ⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/laughing_mystics/products (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

    38 min
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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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