Introducing My Other 2024 Media Project, "The Daily Bryan Podcast"
And Sharing My Four-Part Podcast Series on the 4/8 Total Solar Eclipse
As of the time of writing this post, the Total Solar Eclipse that will cross Mexico and America is just a few hours away and I’ve not written anything about it for this blog.
Considering everyone from the local tanuki tribe to a colony of cryonically frozen felines on Venus have weighed in on the eclipse, you might wonder if I feel like I let the readers of this blog down.
The short answer is: No.
Wait, wait, let me explain!
You see, I have been creating media about the eclipse. It’s just not here. Instead, it’s over on my podcast, The Daily Bryan. You can find four episodes about the eclipse over there. I’ve worked hard on them and think you’ll enjoy them. (Scroll down a bit, and you’ll find links and a brief description to each show).
Before I share about those episodes, here’s a brief rundown of what my podcast is about.
While “The Archetypal Lens” blog will be a steady media project for the rest of 2024, my original media project for this eventful year has been publishing the podcast. Every. Single. Day. (Thus the name, The Daily Bryan, d’uh!)
And just as we are about to cross through the portal of this eclipse, the podcast is also about to cross a milestone of its own: Tomorrow will be Episode 100. That’s right, through health and sickness, traveling to staying in, being super busy to just being sorta busy, I’ve fulfilled my goal of creating an episode every day of the year. Only 266 to go!
I’ll share more about the podcast after I share the original purpose of this post: sharing my four episodes about the Total Solar Eclipse of 4/8.
My Four Podcast Episodes on The 4/8 Total Solar Eclipse
Definitely my least favorite of the four, the first one is episode 96, “On The Total Solar Eclipse (Personal Reflections From a Solar Eclipse Baby).” In it, I took a walk in a pretty charged-up mood and did my best to share how, as someone born on the day of a solar eclipse, I am very familiar with eclipse energies and how sharing my experience might help you.
Second, I’ve been consuming a ton of media about the solar eclipse and wanted to share some that I found very useful so in episode 97, “4/8 Eclipse Ep. #2, The Take of Eric Francis, AKA Your Friendly Neighborhood Astrologer,” I read an article from the fascinating Eric Francis Coppolino and included some links to other great media on the topic.
By now, I was cooking, and I believe it shows in what might be my favorite episode of the series: episode 98, “April 8th Eclipse Episode #3, America, The Wounded (On Chiron and the Wound at the US Border).”
In that one, my focus was “mundane astrology,” i.e., current events and history through an astrological lens. I used that lens to examine my native America, particularly the heart-breaking situation on the US border. I read from a book by a former US Border Agent and an essay by a Latina professor in Texas. The book author argues that he’d likely not agree with the professor on much, but he agrees with her that the border is an open wound, a violent and cruel place to just about everyone who engages with it.
Because this Total Solar Eclipse has the Sun and Moon exactly conjunct—to the minute—of the centaur “planet” Chiron, aka The Wounded Healer archetype, I talk about this massive wound at the US border and wonder if America can, if not heal it, at least address it and learn from it. For episode #100, I will pick my Top 10 episodes so far, and this one will likely make it to that list. Don’t miss it!
And last but not least—-this one is 1A to the previous episode, it’s also very good—on Episode 99, “4/8 Eclipse Ep. #4 (Gene Keys #51, Finding Your Courage Amidst the Agitation),” I used the profound mirror of the Gene Keys system to speak about what this eclipse may mean for you and for us. The eclipse meets in Gene Key #51, the path from agitation through initiation to awakening.
This key is in my Gene Keys profile, so it speaks to me, but with the eclipse occurring there, it’s useful for everyone who wants to co-create their lives to give it some thought. I also talk about evolving out of the tired-old Karpman Drama Triangle and into the Ted Empowerment Dynamic, a personal favorite topic!
Concluding With Some Thoughts About the Podcast (And This Blog)
Folks, as I wrote about in my two-part introduction to this blog, I’m on a path of exploration, and doing this podcast every day has definitely taken me to places I didn’t expect to go. And I’m sure that the final 266 episodes of 2024 will send me onto exciting journeys that I can’t conceive of here in early spring.
Publishing a podcast every single day is not easy. Some days, I allow myself to just do a basic audio journal, talking about what I’ve been up to that day or what I’ve been thinking about. In fact, when I came up with the idea to do this podcast, I told myself the only way I’d commit to it was if I could produce an episode from start to finish in 30 minutes or less.
Having said that, over the past several weeks, the vast majority of the podcasts have taken more time than that, often as much as three hours of work, usually closer to two.
My topics are, of course, astrology and archetypes, but I’ve also explored politics, some of my Big Picture ponderings, and issues regarding media, especially what it means to create media that has heart and integrity in an age of irresponsible click-bait and increasing authoritarian crackdowns.
I also shared one of my core beliefs—-that we are all courageous, beautiful spiritual beings in this challenging but wondrous Earth School. That one still makes me tear up thinking about it.
And a whole lot more—-including a hilarious one—to me at least—where I was admittedly high as a kite, chatting with my childhood stuffed animal friends; a book review of a book that let me down; a movie review that picked me up and an experiment in sensemaking that was quite a trip (that’s one of my favorites!).
Last—most of January was more of an audio journal, but you get to experience America through the eyes of a native son who hadn’t been home for six years and who was their to celebrate the life of my father, who passed away last summer, as well as enjoying a tour down to Lake Tahoe and the Bay Area with my favorite band, the Disco Biscuits.
In conclusion, doing the podcast has been a blessing and a blast, and while its main goal has always been focusing on the personal growth one can achieve by doing a daily project and not gathering a big audience, I’d certainly be happy if some of you occasionally joined me over there.
While I try to keep the episodes no more than 20 minutes long, this ain’t an everyday listen—-unless you want to—-it’s more of a podcast you see appear in your feed every day, check the topic, marvel at how every day I have different cover art, often showing you areas of Japan, and engage if you feel so called.
Okay, that’s it—the self-promotional post is over. I’ll be back later this week with the regular post. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you on The Daily Bryan Podcast!
Thanks for reading! You can support me simply by sharing my stuff, by buying me a coffee, by linking to me on Twitter or Facebook , or by listening to my 2024 podcast, The Daily Bryan Podcast. I’m having a good time over there and hope to “see” you!
You can also check out my epic novel of magical realism set in the momentous years following 9-11, “The Teacher and the Tree Man.” You can find that book in full here, or broken down into four shorter books (book 1, book 2, book 3 and book 4) or you can listen to it for free.
Last, I have two old works of media: a blog from 2011--2018 and a podcast that was active from 2020-2023.