Bonus Sample: Poetry As Resistance & Embodied Spirituality

Summary

Conspirituality Podcast – Bonus Sample: Poetry As Resistance & Embodied Spirituality

Host: Julian Walker (with mention of co-hosts Derek Beres & Matthew Remski)
Date: May 25, 2026
Main Theme:
This bonus episode, hosted by Julian Walker, explores how poetry—specifically the works and legend of Mirabai, a 16th-century mystic poet—acts as a form of contemplative and creative resistance to oppressive systems. Walker delves into the power of embodied spirituality that resists both dogma and cultic dynamics, weaving in personal reflection, recitation, and cultural commentary.

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Episode Overview

Julian Walker takes listeners on an introspective journey examining how mystical poetry (with a focus on Mirabai) serves as a radical act of self-acceptance, defiance, and embodiment. He contrasts healthy, embodied spirituality with the co-opted, cultic forms of spirituality discussed regularly on the podcast, highlighting the transformative potential of artistic expression divorced from dogma or supernatural claims.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Mirabai’s Life and Rebellion (00:03–03:30)

• Radical Spirituality and Resistance:

  • Julian introduces Mirabai, contextualizing her as a figure whose life and poetry exemplify resistance to oppressive structures—patriarchy, religious dogma, and social hierarchy.
  • Quotes lines of hers:

    "I take the path that ecstatic human beings have taken for centuries. I don't steal money. I don't hit anyone. What will you charge me with? I have felt the swaying of the elephant's shoulders and now you want me to climb up on a jackass? Please try to be serious." (A/Julian quoting Mirabai, 00:03)

  • Notes how Mirabai rejected norms:
    • Born royal, left privilege for devotion
    • Refused an arranged marriage's consummation, claimed Krishna as her only beloved
    • Resisted the widow’s ritual of Sati; associated with marginalized ascetic circles
    • Took a low-caste, leatherworker-spiritual philosopher as her guru

• Blending of Myth and History:

  • Walker points out that Mirabai’s story is an interweaving of legend and fact, with debate over the authenticity of the poems attributed to her.

"All of this story blends together biography and mythology and scholars differ on how many of the poems and songs attributed to her are authentic and how many are more inspired by her story and her style." (A/Julian, 02:45)

2. Poetry as Embodied Spirituality (03:00–04:42)

• Celebrating the Human and Sacred:
  • Walker positions poetry, music, yoga, dance, and somatic bodywork as vehicles for experiencing the sacred and subverting dogma without supernatural claims.
  • He expresses admiration for Britt Hartley’s work in “reclaiming the nourishing, inspiring aspects of spirituality and religion, but without the metaphysical or supernatural baggage.”
  • Describes his three-decade-long relationship with embodied, non-supernatural spirituality.

"Which is exactly how I have related to poetry and music, yoga and meditation, dance and somatic bodywork for some three decades." (A/Julian, ~03:25)

• Reading Mirabai’s Poem:
  • Offers a vivid recitation of a Mirabai poem that exemplifies ecstatic devotion, self-acceptance, and scorn for societal hypocrisy.
  • Emphasizes the humor and boldness that especially resonates with women in the audience.

“The colors of the Dark One have penetrated Mira's body. All the other colors washed out. … I have felt the swaying of the elephant's shoulders beneath me. And now you want me to climb up on a jackass? Please try to be serious.” (A/Julian quoting Mirabai, 04:00)

3. Reclaiming Spirituality from Cultic Abuse (Throughout)

• Secular, Critical, and Joyful Spirituality:
  • Walker subtly contrasts Mirabai’s soulful rebellion with the topics the podcast usually explores: spiritual grift, cult dynamics, and conspiracy.
  • He frames poetry and embodied practice as a means to reconnect with what is nourishing and creative in spirituality—without falling into the traps of exploitation or extremism.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mirabai’s Defiant Wit:

  “And now you want me to climb up on a jackass? Please try to be serious.” (Julian, quoting Mirabai, 00:38, 04:15)

• On Mysticism as Resistance:

  “What I've especially been drawn to in this domain is poetry that is a radical embrace of being human, of the body, of selfhood beyond cultural conditioning, religious dogma or social pressure, indeed, of what can be described as an organic sense of the sacred…” (Julian, 00:35)

• On the Podcast’s Mission:

  “A journalist, a cult researcher, and a philosophical skeptic discuss the stories, cognitive dissonances, and cultic dynamics tearing through the yoga, wellness, and new spirituality worlds.” (Description/Introduction)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:03 — Introduction to Mirabai and opening lines; context for poetic resistance
• 01:00 — Discussion of Mirabai’s radical choices and their social/religious implications
• 02:45 — Blending of Mirabai’s legend and historical fact
• 03:25 — Julian relates his own spiritual journey and approach
• 03:57 — Recitation of Mirabai’s poem (key moment)
• 04:42 — Segment ends; transition to subscription and promotional content

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Tone & Style

Julian’s narration is personal, passionate, erudite, and gently irreverent—very much in keeping with the podcast’s critical, contemplative, and humanist ethos. There’s an explicit effort to reclaim spiritual practices as sources of nourishment and resistance, free of the exploitative dynamics the podcast critiques.

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For listeners seeking nourishment outside of dogma and manipulation, this episode offers a poetic window into embodied, radical spirituality, reminding us of the power of creative acts as forms of both self-expression and subtle, profound resistance.

Transcript

[A]

I take the path that ecstatic human beings have taken for centuries. I don't steal money. I don't hit anyone. What will you charge me with? I have felt the swaying of the elephant's shoulders and now you want me to climb up on a jackass? Please try to be serious. These were the lines that first introduced me to Mirabai, a mystic poet from the 16th century in Rajasthan in India. Her passionate intelligence and sarcastic humor grabbed me right away, and anytime I recite it, that last line gets a good laugh, usually from the women in the room. Today I want to share my experience of poetry as a form of contemplative and creative resistance. To do that, I will draw on some excerpts from some of my favorite poets. What I've especially been drawn to in this domain is poetry that is a radical embrace of being human, of the body, of selfhood beyond cultural conditioning, religious dogma or social pressure, indeed, of what can be described as an organic sense of the sacred, discovered, celebrated and even fought for within the natural world. In line with that theme, it helps to know that Mirabai was born into a royal family, but eschewed a life of comfortable privilege for a devotional spiritual path usually only followed by lower caste people, and those were usually men. She had an arranged marriage which she refused to consummate, saying that only Krishna was her true beloved. And when her husband was then killed in battle, she refused the custom of that time of Sati, in which widows were supposed to throw themselves onto their dead husband's funeral pyre and die with him. She associated with Sadhus, you know, those ascetics with the dreadlocks who are covered in ashes from the funeral pyres and have very few possessions and just wear a loincloth. And she even took a low caste spiritual philosopher with a leather working day job as her guru. I should add that all of this story blends together biography and mythology and scholars differ on how many of the poems and songs attributed to her are authentic and how many are more inspired by her story and her style. Her disapproving in laws apparently persecuted her and even tried to kill her with poison. So in that context, let's hear the whole poem. But first I should tell you I'm Julian Walker. I hope you'll stick around for this special bonus episode. That's a bit of a departure from my usual exploration of how the history of cults, conspiracies, pseudoscience and authoritarian extremism repeats itself. Now shout out here to Britt Hartley of no Nonsense Spirituality. I interviewed her last week for my brief. She's a spiritual atheist who writes and posts about reclaiming the nourishing, inspiring aspects of spirituality and religion, but without the metaphysical or supernatural baggage, which is exactly how I have related to poetry and music, yoga and meditation, dance and somatic bodywork for some three decades. If you're not yet a [e-mail] conspirituality or via Apple Subscriptions, please join us now to hear all of this installment, as well as all of our now huge archive of lovingly created and sometimes controversial bonus episodes. Here's Mirabai. The colors of the Dark One have penetrated Mira's body. All the other colors washed out. Making love with the Dark One and eating little. Those are my pearls and my Carnelians meditation beads and the forehead streak. Those are my scarves and my rings. That's enough feminine wiles for me. My teacher taught me this. Approve of me or disapprove of me. I praise the mountain energy night and day. I take the path that ecstatic human beings have taken for centuries. I don't steal money. I don't hit anyone. What will you charge me with? I have felt the swaying of the elephant's shoulders beneath me. And now you want me to climb up on a jackass? Please try to be serious.

[B]

You've been listening to a Conspirituality bonus episode sample. To continue listening, please head over to patreon.com conspirituality where you can access all of our main feed episodes ad free, as well as four years of bonus content that we've been producing. You can also subscribe to our bonus episodes via Apple Subscriptions. As independent media creators, we really appreciate your support.

[C]

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[D]

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[D]

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[C]

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[D]

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