Welcome to Emergence Magazine's podcast.

I'm Emanuel Von Lee, executive editor of Emergence Magazine.

Our podcast features in-depth interviews, narrated essays, and stories,

exploring the threads, connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality.

Dr. Martin Shaw is a writer, teacher, and mythologist. His books include a branch from the lightning tree, snowy tower, and scatterlings. He is the founder of the School of Myth,

a learning community located on Dartmoor in the far west of the United Kingdom.

This past August, we had a chance to sit down and talk with Martin about the intelligence that lies at the heart of myths.

The best stories, he says, ought to be trailed, not trapped, an approach with discernment, an open heart, and an attuned ear.

He began our conversation by telling the story of the Lindworm,

an old Norwegian tale about a mythical creature that is part human and part snake.

So once upon a time there was a great kingdom and in the centre of the kingdom there was a king and there was a queen.

And the good news about these people is they were sweet and generous and kind.

But at night when they went to bed there was a grief that hung between the two of them.

And it was just very simple. The queen could not conceive a child. They tried everything but nothing

worked. So one day she's walking through the gardens of the castle. She's getting from the

trimmed lawn out into the deep old forest.

And from that forest came an old woman. And in a fairy tale, you know troubles coming when they had a head bobs.

So this old woman with this bobbing head turned up. And she spoke to the young woman and said, why are you grieving?

There's something melancholic in your heart. And the queen told her what the trouble was.

And the old woman said this, very simple thing to do. You need to speak your desire.

You need to speak your longing into a little cup. And tonight at dusk, in the northwest part of the garden,

walk along, breathe your desires and longings into the cup.

...