Maple and Myrrh - Queer Canadian Spirituality

Maple and Myrrh
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Queer and trans Canadians, Britt and Mr. Teri, host conversations about spirituality, meaning, and connection for people who don’t feel at home in traditional faith spaces. Drawing from different faiths, lived experiences, emotions, and ways of knowing — including mysticism, psychology, philosophy, and science — they explore what spirituality can look like when you’ve felt excluded or lost. This space invites people to reflect inward, question freely, and shape a personal, expansive spiritual life rooted in honesty and self-understanding... without giving away your power.

  1. Aug 30

    What LIES Beneath: Conspiracy Theories, Scapegoats, and The Way Out

    How can a conspiracy theory frighten you and comfort you at the same time? In this episode, Britt and Mr.Teri explore where conspiracy theories come from, why they are so persuasive, the real failures they attach themselves to, and the prejudice often hidden inside them. They approach this conversation not as experts laughing at what other people believe, but as people who were pulled in themselves. They reflect on the seduction of feeling like one of the few people who had “awakened,” the embarrassment of looking back, and the difficult questions that followed: How did I believe that? What did I repeat? Who might I have hurt? What was happening inside me that made this story feel true? Together, Britt and Teri unpack how grains of truth become harmful narratives, how algorithms and propaganda feed fear, and how queer, trans, Jewish, racialized, and other marginalized communities are turned into convenient scapegoats. Using examples involving Jeffrey Epstein, climate change, politics, and election manipulation, they examine how identity-based blame distracts us from institutional failures, systemic inequality, and abuses of power. This is a conversation about conspiracy theories, but it is also about shame, accountability, compassion, and finding a way out. The invitation is to stay curious, verify what we encounter, look beyond individual villains to the systems around them, and help people leave fear-based thinking without pushing them further into it. If this conversation feels close to home, Britt is launching Second Signal, a project offering practical tools for people trying to reconnect with someone caught in harmful online content loops. Teri also regularly publishes podcasts, articles, political education, and coming-out resources at TeriWesterby.com. You are not powerless, and you do not have to navigate these conversations alone.

  2. Aug 20

    Coming Home to Yourself: Creativity, Identity, and the Sacredness of Slowing Down

    What becomes possible when we stop measuring our lives by how much we produce... and finally give ourselves room to breathe? In this candid summer catch-up, Britt and Mr. Teri talk about parenting through change, choosing yourself, returning to creativity, and recognizing parts of your identity that were present long before you had words for them. From The Odyssey and coming home to yourself, to attachment, transition, gender-diverse kids, raising girls vs boys, and the spiritual feeling of losing yourself in art. Join them as they explore how slowing down can open space for healing and more honest self-understanding in this warm, funny, and deeply personal conversation about accepting that we are never fully healed - and discovering that creativity does not have to accomplish anything to be meaningful.

  3. Aug 2

    Self-expression is a spiritual practise.

    What if getting dressed has never been just about clothes? In this episode of Maple & Myrrh, Britt and Mr. Teri explore the powerful relationship between fashion, gender expression, queer history, and liberation. From powdered wigs and underground queer spaces to ballroom culture and today’s gender-fluid fashion movement, they examine how clothing has been used to enforce social expectations—and how LGBTQ+ people have transformed it into a tool of resistance, creativity, and self-discovery. Mr.Teri shares his own journey of experimenting with gender expression, finding community, and learning that the way we present ourselves can become an important part of understanding who we are. Together, Britt and Teri discuss chosen family, queer artists and designers, the influence of music and popular culture, and the courage it takes to live visibly during a time of growing political hostility. This is a conversation about much more than fashion. It is about the people who refused to disappear, the communities that created beauty under oppression, and the power of expressing yourself without asking permission.

    Self-expression is a spiritual practise.

  4. Jul 19

    Is evil real... or is it just another way to dehumanize others?

    Does evil actually exist? Or is it a part of being human? Can it be found only in the actions of cruel individuals, or can it also live within non-human entities like governments, corporations, institutions, and systems that allow harm to occur? In this episode of Maple and Myrrh, Britt and Mr. Teri explore the complicated nature of evil—how fear, ego, power, and dehumanization can lead ordinary people to participate in extraordinary harm. They examine the lasting violence of colonialism and residential schools, the ways institutions avoid responsibility, and the unsettling reality that good and evil can exist side by side within people and societies. But this is not simply a conversation about darkness. It is also about what becomes possible when we choose compassion, understanding, education, and collective responsibility. Britt and Mr. Teri reflect on forgiveness, personal growth, and the small actions each of us can take to interrupt harmful systems without losing sight of our shared humanity. Can compassion exist without excusing harm? Can understanding the roots of evil help us prevent it? And how do we remain human while working to change systems that have forgotten their humanity?

    Is evil real... or is it just another way to dehumanize others?

  5. Jul 5

    What Did Jesus Actually Teach? Part 2

    Most of us inherit a version of Jesus shaped by tradition, politics, church culture, family stories, and what we were told to believe. But what happens when we look more closely at what Jesus actually taught? In Part 1, Britt looks at the Jesus behind the familiar image: the storyteller, the disruptor, the healer, and the teacher who challenged status, religious performance, social hierarchy, and the abuse of power. This episode explores how the earliest stories about Jesus were shaped through oral tradition and community memory before becoming the Gospel texts many people know today. Through Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, and the broader world around these writings, this episode looks at Jesus’ uncomfortable and often radical teachings on mercy, justice, humility, service, forgiveness, enemy love, and the kingdom of God. It also asks why so many of these teachings have been softened, misunderstood, or used as weapons in modern religious and political life. For skeptics, seekers, former church kids, spiritual outsiders, and anyone trying to understand Jesus outside of institutional control, this episode offers a more honest look at the teacher whose message still challenges power, certainty, and the way we treat each other. Join the conversation: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/groups/maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/Maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠maplemyrrhpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    What Did Jesus Actually Teach? Part 2

  6. Jun 21

    What Did Jesus Actually Teach? Part 1

    Most of us inherit a version of Jesus shaped by tradition, politics, church culture, family stories, and what we were told to believe. But what happens when we look more closely at what Jesus actually taught? In Part 1, Britt looks at the Jesus behind the familiar image: the storyteller, the disruptor, the healer, and the teacher who challenged status, religious performance, social hierarchy, and the abuse of power. This episode explores how the earliest stories about Jesus were shaped through oral tradition and community memory before becoming the Gospel texts many people know today. Through Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, and the broader world around these writings, this episode looks at Jesus’ uncomfortable and often radical teachings on mercy, justice, humility, service, forgiveness, enemy love, and the kingdom of God. It also asks why so many of these teachings have been softened, misunderstood, or used as weapons in modern religious and political life. For skeptics, seekers, former church kids, spiritual outsiders, and anyone trying to understand Jesus outside of institutional control, this episode offers a more honest look at the teacher whose message still challenges power, certainty, and the way we treat each other. Join the conversation: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/groups/maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/Maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠maplemyrrhpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

    What Did Jesus Actually Teach? Part 1

  7. Jun 6

    Viktor Frankl: Man's Search for Meaning, but Make it Queer.

    In this episode of Maple and Myrrh, Britt and Mr.Teri explore what it means to make meaning, claim freedom, and become yourself when life has brought suffering, shame, rejection, or oppression. Beginning with Teri’s experience reading Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning during recovery from gender-affirming surgery, the conversation opens into a deeper reflection on queer spirituality, survival, and responsibility. Through Viktor Frankl's work and experiences, this episode looks at three connected questions: How do we find meaning after suffering? What does it mean to be free when no one else gets to define us? And how do power, gender, bodies, and social conditions shape the choices available to us? This is a thoughtful, personal, and accessible conversation about existentialism, trauma, queer becoming, and the sacred work of building a life that is truly our own. It honours suffering without glorifying it, challenges shallow ideas of “just be yourself,” and asks what liberation requires beyond personal courage. At its heart, this episode is about queer people as meaning-makers: not only surviving what tried to erase us, but creating beauty, community, responsibility, and new ways of being. Join the conversation: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/groups/maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/Maplemyrrhpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠maplemyrrhpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

  8. May 21

    It's Worth the Risk to Find Happiness.

    In this candid interview, Mr. Teri Westerby shares his personal journey through gender-affirming surgery, recovery, and the importance of self-care and advocacy. Discover insights on medical systems, societal perceptions, and the power of authenticity. Resources: Transcare BC - https://transcarebc.caPhalloplasty Procedure - https://www.phallo.net/Gender-Affirming Surgery Overview - https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gender-affirmation-surgeriesReddit - https://www.reddit.com

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About

Queer and trans Canadians, Britt and Mr. Teri, host conversations about spirituality, meaning, and connection for people who don’t feel at home in traditional faith spaces. Drawing from different faiths, lived experiences, emotions, and ways of knowing — including mysticism, psychology, philosophy, and science — they explore what spirituality can look like when you’ve felt excluded or lost. This space invites people to reflect inward, question freely, and shape a personal, expansive spiritual life rooted in honesty and self-understanding... without giving away your power.

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