Left-Handed Journeys Jera Brown

My latest guest for Left-Handed Journeys is spirit, also known as spiritchild.  
We talked about:
* spirit’s spiritual roots as a Yaruba or Santerio priest.
* Traveling as a freedom artist and giving back to communities he visits.
* spirit’s work as a Somatica practitioner, helping people embrace their core desires.
* What it means to be a spiritually-rooted person and a revolutionary.
Transcript for this episode available here.
spirit is an afro-indgenía maroon (of Puerto Rican and Jamaican descent) who was born, raised and currently resides in New York City. spirit's a rEvolutionary Somatica practitioner incorporating elements of sensuality, sexuality, spirituality and the various “realities” (our society and daily practical challenges) to holistically obtain desired effects of eroticism and greater intimate relations with self and the world that surrounds us.  spirit also has 30 years of experience as a spiritual advisor and counselor along with; community organizing, mentorship, prison/school/community workshops on arts and exploration of another world for the liberation of all beings, being an international touring freedom singer (musician) who devotes songs that speak to liberation and a pedagogue that assist with the professional development with individuals as well as organizations.
Learn more about them or follow spirit on Instagram @xpiritmental.


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“I understand why self-care is important, but self-care cannot be a replacement for community care. You cannot ‘self-care’ your way out of horrible mistreatment, and mistreatment is often systemic,” explained Felicity Azura, my guest for this episode of the Left-Handed Journeys Podcast.
Felicity is a writer, professional cuddler, sex worker, and host of Pro Cuddle Hustle —the world's first podcast on the cuddle industry. We talked about the unique space that professional cuddling holds in society, how loneliness is the result of late-stage capitalism, the problems of always being the caretaker, and more.
For more, check out Pro Cuddle Hustle here and follow Felicity on Twitter.
Transcript for this episode available here.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Queer Theology is the multi-faceted brand of Brian G. Murphy and Fr. Shay Kearns — two friends who believe in spreading a progressive message about the goodness of queerness, gender fluidity, and sexuality within Christian spaces. However, the community they’ve fostered, known as the Sanctuary Collective, is open to all “seekers, doubters, and used-to-be-Christians” who are looking for a body-positive welcoming space to ask questions and just be.
In this episode of Left-Handed Journeys, we talked about how Queer Theology came to be, grieving the loss of religious communities, the sacredness of casual sex, and more.
Father Shannon TL Kearns is a graduate of the Union Theological Seminary and the first openly transgender man ordained to the Old Catholic Priesthood. His first book In The Margins. A Transgender Man's Journey With Scripture was just released from Eerdman’s Books.
Brian G. Murphy is an activist, educator and certified relationship coach who studied film production and religion at the University of Southern California. He spent time in Hollywood working on a number of television projects before turning to activism. Brian is a co-founder of a relationship coaching practice helping LGBTQ+ and polyamorous people build thriving relationships on their own terms.
For more stories and perspectives about healing from religious trauma, decolonizing spirituality, and similar topics, please follow my newsletter: Radical Soul.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

A big theme in Lenny Duncan’s story, as they told it to me for the podcast, is making space for themselves and breaking out of spaces that no longer fit. From a teen runaway who finds a home in alternative relationships in the 90s with other queer folks,  to becoming ordained in the ELCA church, to becoming initiated into Ifa, an African spiritual tradition while reparenting themselves in a loving kink community.
In this episode, we talked about The Grateful Dead, praying to our ancestors, finding queer communities and the abuse that can happen there, the moral failings of the white church, and so much more.
Lenny is a writer. speaker. scholar. media producer. Babá Awó. Check out their newsletter, a sorcerer’s notebook, about the history of magic and Lenny's journey.
For more stories and perspectives about healing from religious trauma, decolonizing spirituality, and similar topics, please follow my newsletter: Radical Soul.
Find the transcript for this episode here.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

In this episode, I talk to the wonderful Colin Bedell whose work combines queer studies and astrology. We talked how to "queer" astrology through the act of questioning and how astrology can, in turn, deepen your self-identity .  Colin explains how he came into his own as a queer individual through understanding his sign and his place in the universe and how he now grows in his spiritual being by queering astrology.
Learn more at queercosmos.com or follow Colin on Instagram @queercosmos.
Follow me on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrown.
Subscribe to my Radical Soul Newsletter for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.
Find the transcript for this episode here.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Growing up, Alex Liu didn't know it was okay to be queer. And although he's been out of the closet for decades, a shadow of shame around sex and sexual desires still follows him around.He turned his own story and questions into a documentary: A Sexplanation. The documentary takes us "from neuroscience labs to church pews, [featuring] provocative conversations with psychologists, sex researchers—and even a Jesuit priest. With humor and grit, Alex takes audiences on a playful, heartfelt journey from a shame-filled past to a happier, healthier, sexier future." You can now rent or buy the documentary on Apple TV, Amazon, and more.Alex’s passion for telling compelling stories that blend education, advocacy, and entertainment led him to found Herra Productions in 2012. Since then, he’s developed two award-winning YouTube channels focused on sex and drug education, totaling over five million views. After studying molecular toxicology at UC Berkeley and Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting at New York University, he produced video, radio, and print content for NOVA scienceNOW, CNN Health, and San Francisco NPR station KQED.
Learn more at herraproductions.com or follow Alex on Instagram @alexanderxliu and follow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrown
Check out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.
Transcript for this episode.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com