💌 I’ve a new podcast for you! (+ another update)

Hidden away at the bottom of my last museletter to you I shared a link to a “secret survey”. I wanted to hear from folks who read these musings (people like you), so that I might better glean what’s on your mind. In this museletter, I shall share a gist of what I learned.

But first...

1 // New podcast ~> foxwizard; Questing Betwixt

You can subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
You can even watch on YouTube.

Here’s the trailer. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

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This is a podcast for the already construct-aware and collapse-aware among us. It’s for those of us who find themselves questing betwixt worlds, amidst the metacrisis. It’s for the infinite players who choose to stay in the trouble,* so that we might somehow collectively cultivate a world more curious and kind (and a future less grim). It’s for wizards, witches, tricksters and more.

* Hat tip to Donna Haraway’s “Staying With The Trouble”.

In other words: the audience for this podcast is very small.
Few.

Basically you are my audience. I’m not trying to “take over the world” with this endeavour. I simply hope to light a lantern to serve as some kind of beacon for those of us questing amidst and betwixt.

In the first episode, I respond to a question from a subscriber. A question that pertains to personas.

Episode One is for the shapeshifters 🦊✨

You might find this episode affirming if you are a complex character who plays many roles in life. If you contain multitudes (you do) and yet sometimes struggle to live up to “Your True Authentic Self™️”—this episode is thy remedy.

The question that was asked—along with the full show notes, book links and more—can be found over at the episode page: 🏮 Pretend To Be Who You Really Are.

Fun fact: my friend Buster recently shared his 18th year of annual reflections, which I find personally very inspiring. Amidst this piece, Buster plays with a distinction between mask-life and gooey-life, and I love this framing. It’s a distinction that shares some coherence with this first episode on coherent pluralistic ontologies that allow for (situationally) authentic relating.

Here’s a time-stamp tease of episode one. You can skip to chapters in the video—

00:00 Whomst art thou?
02:29 This is take 78
03:20 A question of personas
07:17 The question as asked
07:46 Masks of amplified aspects of authenticity
10:00 Development as complexification
11:37 Authentic relating
12:14 Waters; disturbed
14:26 Personas; muddled
17:36 An inescapably fluid character
19:10 Only that which can change
19:45 This podcast is for the shapeshifters
20:56 Embrace thy contradictions
22:06 Oh hello, MOLOCH
23:44 Hermetic mercuriality
26:38 Playing your Part
28:15 Who’s right?
29:33 Read the room
30:52 Embrace thy personas and parts
33:12 OODA loops
36:27 Chameleons are actually pretty fkn cool
39:04 Before tending comes pre-tending
41:34 Courting contrast and contradiction
43:35 Embracing and seemingly curating
49:57 And… is it comfortable?
54:50 Lean towards complexification

There’s so much more to unpack amidst this. And, as alluded to within the podcast, the question that was asked of me pertains to a key theme of the book I am writing you. Stay tuned. ✨

By the way, I just want to acknowledge: it is incredibly challenging to write or otherwise “show up” when we have a livestreamed corporate-sponsored genocide coupled with political gaslighting and Moloch media disinformation, to the backdrop of global heating-induced climate catastrophes and ongoing ecocide.

Yet show up we must. In the myriad ways we can, with what resources we have.

I’m in a better place since the “are we beyond hope?” post I shared on the 4th of October last year. You might even say I’m post-tragic; post-doom. But that would be a half-truth. It’s an oscillation, and most often it feels like I am not doing enough.

Because there’s always so much more that can be done. But, as Gandalf says: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”. I’m not in a hurry to burn myself out and doom-spiral once again. But at the same time, I cannot simply put my head in the sand and carry on whilst genocides and ecocides rage on. And so, it shall remain an oscillation.

But, as professor Jason Hickell elucidates so clearly: a liberated Palestine is a threat to global capitalism. For those of us (basically: all of us) who participate within this paradigm, it remains a paradox. In order to live, we must perpetuate the very paradigm that renders much of life so unliveable.

As discussed in the podcast, I don’t want to totally blow my cover. There are a lot of good people working within Enterprise Land; these are the conspirators I work with to cultivate a world more curious and kind. At the same time, there are a lot of genocide/capitalism/moloch apologists, too—so we must tread somewhat carefully.

“We live in capitalism,” says Ursula Le Guin in her speech at The National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. “Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings.”

I know I’ve shared this quote before, and the full context of her speech is marvellous. Aspiring Warrior Librarian explicates wondrously:

I’ve seen the Ursula K LeGuin quote about capitalism going around, but to really appreciate it you have to know the context.

The year is 2014. She has been given a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Awards. Neil Gaiman puts it on her neck in front of a crowd of booksellers who bankrolled the event, and it’s time to make a standard “thank you for this award, insert story here, something about diversity, blah blah blah” speech. She starts off doing just that, thanking her friends and fellow authors. All is well.

Then this old lady from Oregon looks her audience of executives dead in the eye, and says “Developing written material to suit sales strategies in order to maximize corporate profit and advertising revenue is not the same thing as responsible book publishing or authorship.”

She rails against the reduction of her art to a commodity produced only for profit. She denounces publishers who overcharge libraries for their products and censor writers in favor of something “more profitable”. She specifically denounces Amazon and its business practices, knowing full well that her audience is filled with Amazon employees. And to cap it off, she warns them: “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words.”

Ursula K LeGuin got up in front of an audience of some of the most powerful people in publishing, was expected to give a trite and politically safe argument about literature, and instead told them directly “Your empire will fall. And I will help it along.”

I’ve come to a point in life where I’m only really interested in helping those who likewise quest for a world more curious and kind. Folks who seek to serve for the flourishing of all-of-life—not the exploitation, extraction and diminishment of it.

This is possible. There are organisations and teams who quest amidst the metacrisis, in a time betwixt worlds. Folks doing good work and providing real value, with business models that remain profitable without becoming parasitic.

The spirit in which they do their work also serves to bring about the paradigmatic shift our world needs. This is NG+ and way more challenging than default capitalism. Yet, when we pull it off, it is much more rewarding.

It would be so much easier if we didn’t care, lol. But here we are!

2 // First Principles and First Values

It seems I have a penchant for pseudonymous authors. My latest crush is the rather blandly named “David J Temple” entity—an ongoing collaborative authorship at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion,* primarily composed of Marc Gafni and Zachary Stein°—and their new book: First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on Cosmoerotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come.

* The word “religion” is one that I still have allergies, too. They are lessening, with time. But still: if, like me, you don’t warm to the word, try not to write it all off immediately.
° It is from Zach Stein that the term “between worlds” became known to me, which is an apt articulation for this time in which we are living through a liminal space where old systems, structures, and paradigms are crumbling—but new ones have not yet fully emerged.

I started reading this in the Snowy Mountain region whilst at a friend’s 40th last weekend—such is the party hoot I am—and I must say I haven’t felt a sense of trembling coherence at the scale this book tackles in quite some time.

There are plenty of professorial pundits who each posit their grand “Theory of Everything” books, yet in my experience such books often feel clinical and hollow. First Principles and First Values resists the temptation of fusing diverse contradictory elements into something neat, homogenous and bland.

The book effectively proposes “an Evolving Perennialism in which universal and eternal truths can be identified without becoming fixed”. This earnest (and so far compelling) attempt appeals to me. Particularly as this isn’t some Ivory Tower pontificating. The authors, as you’ll see from my photo below, are most assuredly aware of the metacrisis and the dire call to course-correct.

This questing betwixt worlds is not an easy gig, hoho. The Cassandra vibe is a bit of a buzzkill, I know. Besides: no one likes to have their faith (in capitalism, the market, SCIENCE!, ‘great men’, big tech, the naïve progress narrative, etc) questioned. Such heresy beckons ontological remodelling, and that’s super scary.

Still, as Arundhati Roy so elegantly says: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

But we can’t simply sit back and wait. Some of us—those of us paying attention—must find our way to whatever role we might play. To quote from First Principles and First Values:—

“Many bear the great privilege and great responsibility of having the capacity to see what is unfolding, to take a seat at the table of history, and to act for the sake of every individual human and for humanity at large—past, present and future. This obligation is hard to capture in words. All past generations count on us to complete their unfinished work. The beings currently populating Earth turn to us to transform the present to assure their survival. All the countless unborn, possibly trillions, in all possible future generations, have only us, right now, to ensure their existence and their well-being.”

No pressure lol.

3 // Collective wisdom—fellow subscribers respond to my questions

I was quite heartened by the responses (nearly 100!) to my “subscriber survey” last month. Especially given that I hid it tucked away at the bottom of a long musing.

You are all very lovely people, of such depth! It felt very warming to hear from you. My heart wants to write back to each of you, yet my mind recognises my proclivity to do things that aren’t writing my next book to you. So, allow me to share a gist-summary with you.

For context: about 30% of respondents have been subscribed for over half a decade, and 60% have been subscribed for over two years.

What are the themes of your world at the moment?

Many reported themes of change, uncertainty, liminality and flux. I guess this is no surprise as it seems to be the beacon I light. It’s heartening to know: we are not the only ones questing amidst and betwixt.

Many also reported that they were noticing signs of collapse, and that there was a pensive background sense of frustration and concern.

One person had their dog and family as their main world-theme right now. I think there is immense wisdom in that. Here’s a photo Kim took of me with my beautyboi Snörri.

What esoteric knowledge do you harbour?

And there were so many fascinating threads here. Including: someone raised in a bookstore that was also a world centre for esoteric work and practice; oneiromancy, football tactics through the lens of relationism, worm farming, saddlefitting, the effects of gelatine in canine seizures, Italian and Japanese fountain pens—and more. Many left their email with me, so that I can follow up. Which I may well do, in time.

“Some people say my museletters are too long, and contain too many fancy words. Is this true??”

Interestingly, a few people responded to my survey within 10 minutes of the museletter going out. This means they would have skimmed all the way to the bottom, then opened the survey to respond, written their responses, and submitted. All within 10 minutes!

And, generally speaking, the few who responded with relative swiftness did say that the museletters I write to you are, in fact, too long. And that they do contain too many fancy words. Some samples:

Yes. They're long. Too long? Sometimes, yes. I'm impatient at times, or otherwise preoccupied, meaning I think, "I won't read this now". And, then, I never do.

Yes indeed its true I would say lots of people

tbh I used to find you a little tiring - my working life as a leadership and management consultant and instructional designer of considerable prowess imho (with a tonne of years experience) but there is something that draws me to you nonetheless - The arcane? I am fascinated by your musings whether or not I agree with them, they expand my word view. I look up the fancy words, they encourage learning.

yes - your obtuse phrasing creates distance between you and the reader. In a dumbed-down world I think you make yourself less accessible, less relatable.

Yes 100%. But please don’t change that. It allows me to suffer healthily

However, the slight majority seemed to relish in the baroque magniloquence I oft bring to thee. And, generally speaking, a lot of survey responses came back to me a week or so after my ravens delivered the museletter.

Some samples:

I feel like I'm going on a journey with every museletter. Always delighted by scenery along the way. And always a surprise discovery of something I didn't know existed before. It's what keeps me reading right to the end every time!

I appreciate the length - allows me to process, and thank you for not talking like a McKinsey consultant

? Nooooooooooooo. I can honestly say I love seeing the museletter pop up in my email - I save it for the end of the day and read every word. I love exploring all the links, and you always spark new ideas and thoughts for me. Please do not dumb it down!!!!

No - they can copy-paste into ChatGPT if they need it shorter or simpler

Some people enjoy reading the Herald Sun; I don't...

No - If I am not on tight timeframes - I like to read to the end. When I am under pressure, sometimes I start and then come back to it. I can't get the full meaning if it's in a short blurb.

Long is good with me. I prefer depth and words and ideas that challenge me. You definitely provide that.

There are more responses, of course, but at this point in time—as this museletter breaches 2,500 words, I am beginning to become a little self-conscious of my word count.

Whomst would you like to hear more from?

• 52% of respondents said they wanted to hear more from foxwizard, enigmatic advisor-friend to all who quest.
• 42% said they wanted to hear more from jason.
• Only 6% said they wanted to hear more from Dr. Fox, Archwizard of Ambiguity (most fantastic)

This was incredibly heartening to hear, as I am pretty tired of the Dr. Fox persona. More foxwizard and jason to come! (or maybe I just merge them all again? who knows. Nothing is fixed; all is flux.)

Is there anything you would like me to know...

And mostly I received warm encouragement. Which is very much appreciated. It sometimes feels like I am out on the edge typing out soliloquies to the void. An amusing madman who pretends to be a wizard, politely indulged by civil society.

But it’s been really lovely hearing from you, and it’s left me conjuring Plans to have more avenues of interaction with you.

I’m thinking of something like a reading club and more regular online meetups through 2025. I’m also working on a couple of courses, and am updating The Ritual of Becoming.

Anyway, here’s what one reader shared:

“I've been fascinated watching you resist the pull of Linkedin, only to submit from time to time.”

I’ve been baking a museletter for you, for a long time, on the notion of “platform larping”. Of relating to corporate network slash social media platforms as campaign settings within which you bring an amplified-authentic persona as an avatar (of you) that you roleplay.

Except these days I mostly show up on LinkedIn in career-limiting fashion. Whilst I ought be promulgating selfies-with-clients and palatably normative thought leadership that fits within the Overton Window, the LinkedIn algorithm still manages to remind me, hourly, of the horrors of the genocide that Israel (and much of the West) is currently committing, and of the ecocide that we are collectively perpetuating. And so I find that how I usually show up on LinkedIn is oft reactive and rarely ‘effective’.

Sometimes I think of simply conjuring an avatar of Dr. Fox—much like a wizard might construct a golem (tasked with basic instructions)—and then to load it up with content to drip-feed to the platform, hitting on all the right buzzwords, with the right frequency, so as to appease The Algorithm and attain the boon of “reach”—which might then, somehow, translate into a meaningful working relationship. I still may...

I still may.

“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.” – Rainier Maria Rilke

A reader shared this quote. And I can never pass up a good Rilke quote. This pertains very aptly to the tilted perspective on “pre-tending” I share in episode 1 of the foxwizard questing betwixt podcast.

Thank you for reading this ~3.3k word epistle. I don’t know why I am particularly obsessed with word count these days. Perhaps it is because I recognise that these are not words towards my next book for you, hoho.

Let’s see how this podcast concept goes; I hope you enjoy it. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can respond privately via drjasonfox.com/questions

Warmth,
fw/j