Spirit Punch

Ryan McCray Ely

Spirit Punch is a spirituality podcast for black people, brown people, indigenous people, asian people, queer people, religious people, agnostic people, disabled people, returned citizen people and all the rest of our human family.  Our values are Unitarian Universalist(ish).  We are about justice, goodness and no hateful nonsense. To be family, you just gotta show up to the cook out.

Episodes

  1. Life Death and Boats

    12/11/2025

    Life Death and Boats

    Season Finale: On this episode we talk about the value of life through a buddhist tale about crime and punishment at sea. What do you do when the ocean deities invade your dreams? Just how many years is an eon? How fast can I type? For answers to these and more, click play, To book pastoral care (1-on-1 with me): https://spiritpunch.setmore.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiritpunchpodcast/ Email us at podcast@spiritpunch.org or the care team at care@spiritpunch.org References: "The Skill in Means (Upayakausalya) Sutra.." The Free Library. 1998 American Oriental Society 10 Dec. 2025 https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Skill+in+Means+(Upayakausalya)+Sutra.-a020914060 Dr. Martin Luther King on "Thingification": https://youtu.be/2xsbt3a7K-8?si=3EAkfMPQcfcUnlSp Copyright Ryan McCray Ely 2025, all rights reserved.

    24 min
  2. Interview: Some Idiot With A Wrench

    11/20/2025

    Interview: Some Idiot With A Wrench

    Ryan sits down with @someidiotwithawrench Dalton Dreihaus. Dalton's viral content on trans inclusion, anti-bigotry, feeding children, non-toxic masculinity and nursing big v8 classics back to health has reached millions of viewers. We get real about leaving the military, religion, combating fascism and loving the powerful women in our lives. Ya'll gonna love this. Oh and there's some adult language, so be advised. SPIRIT PUNCH IS NOW OFFERING PASTORAL CARE! Sign up here: https://spiritpunch.setmore.com/ Follow someidiotwithawrench: https://www.instagram.com/someidiotwithawrench?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Music by @Baleboygeechie Additional music and sound by Panda-Beats and Sound Reality Show art by Barbara Zocal da Silva

    42 min

  3. 10/30/2025

    A Fascist Disease

    The word "fascism" has made a come back in the worst way possible to describe the American political reality. But surely fascism can't happen to us right? Join Ryan as he digs into the history of fascism here and abroad to answer that question. Watch "A Night at the Garden" here https://youtu.be/NC1MNGFHR58?si=WxjLs6gONIhG0W5G  Here are the sources directly discussed in this podcast: Andrew G. Palella. “The Black Legion: J. Edgar Hoover and Fascism in the Depression Era.” Journal for the Study of Radicalism, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 81–106. Galbraith, Alex. “‘I Condemn It in the Strongest Terms’: MAGA Congressman Responds after Swastika Flag Seen in Office.” Salon.Com, 16 Oct. 2025, https://www.salon.com/2025/10/15/i-condemn-it-in-the-strongest-terms-maga-congressman-responds-after-swastika-flag-seen-in-office/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ogshare&utm_content=og. “‘I Love Hitler’: Leaked Messages Expose Young Republicans’ Racist Chat.” POLITICO, 14 Oct. 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146. Peter H. Amann. “The Black Legion as An American Hybrid.” Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 490–524. “Platner Reshuffles Campaign and Sends out NDAs as He Struggles to Get Ahead of Controversies.” POLITICO, 23 Oct. 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/23/graham-platner-maine-campaign-shakeup-ndas-controversies-00620849. Robert O. Paxton. The Anatomy of Fascism. Penguin, 2005. You Know About the KKK, but What About the Black Legion? https://jacobin.com/2024/10/black-legion-white-supremacist-violence. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

    25 min
  4. Ogum: King of Heart

    10/03/2025

    Ogum: King of Heart

    Ogum! The warrior who became a deity. What can this eternal African spirit of iron and war teach us about feeling our feels and working through accountability? Let's journey together. Full text of Lucille Clifton's poem "won't you celebrate with me" here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50974/wont-you-celebrate-with-me

    15 min
  5. The People United: a D.C. Resistance Diary

    09/12/2025

    The People United: a D.C. Resistance Diary

    When President Donald Trump surged federal agents, military personnel and deputized police into Washington DC, home of 750,000 people, he must have forgotten that DC has no tolerance for fools or bullies. Join Ryan along side tens of thousands of protesters who took to the streets on the September 6th 2025 to free the city from occupation. "Learning from the 60s" by Audre Lorde https://old.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1982-audre-lorde-learning-60s/ *Mea Culpa: In the episode Ryan refers to the speech as "Lessons from the 60s" and that ain't it. I guess we're all learning.

    20 min

  6. 08/29/2025

    Some Folks Need Yeshua

    Aw man, now he's talking about Jesus. Yep. Sort of. Who? Let's talk about a man from Nazareth, a real one who walked, sought justice and died for it.

    32 min

  7. 08/15/2025

    Calling In Power

    Let's learn how calling people in, rather than calling people out, can be the power move in a world dominated by those willing to use state violence to enforce their will on the people.  "Calling IN: A Less Disposable Way of Holding Each Other Accountable" by Ngoc Loan Tran http://www.bgdblog.org/2013/12/calling-less-disposable-way-holding-accountable/ Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel by Loretta J. Ross. https://lorettajross.com

    20 min

  8. 08/01/2025

    Superman: Spirit Guide

    Did y'all know that Superman is actually pretty deep, spiritual even? Let's learn what the Man of Steel has to teach us about power and decency. Consider supporting Revive Gaza. No one deserves to die of starvation or dehydration. You can learn more about Revive Gaza and donate here: http://alturl.com/znacj #Superman #DCComics #Clark Kent #Golem #Supermanandspirituality #SupermanJewish

    23 min

  9. 07/15/2025

    On Dukkha: Harleys and OutKast

    Life is suffering. Life is full of joy and big Harley Davidsons. Let’s get right on suffering with two great teachers: the Buddha and OutKast…the band.  Talk back and ask questions at podcast@spiritpunch.org  Need some OutKast in your life, here's a Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/47sWmQwIHY0YIHupeQCDtj?si=Y5X7CdxbTh20OUmO7prm7Q

    26 min

  10. 06/29/2025

    The Sacred Constellation of Us

    So this is episode 1. Finally! Let's talk spiritual alignment, internal family systems theory, dogs and building trust in yourself.

    20 min
  • 10 Episodes

5
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Spirit Punch is a spirituality podcast for black people, brown people, indigenous people, asian people, queer people, religious people, agnostic people, disabled people, returned citizen people and all the rest of our human family.  Our values are Unitarian Universalist(ish).  We are about justice, goodness and no hateful nonsense. To be family, you just gotta show up to the cook out.

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan McCray Ely
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Spirit Punch
  • Show Website
    Spirit Punch

You Might Also Like