#78 | The Hydra, Hercules & the Polycrisis - Matt Sturm

My guest today is Matt Sturm, a guide and writer dedicated to the evolution of masculinity. His offerings include psychotherapy, psychedelic-assisted work, sacred sexuality, and men’s retreats. He is the author of two books—The Organic Masculine and Primal Drives—and the creator of the Living Kosmos tarot deck.

(You might also remember Matt from when he joined Deus and I to discuss eros & intimacy in men’s ritual space).

After a decade working in the corporate climate sector, Matt left his dream job to embark on a spiritual path that led him deep into yoga, tantra, and the mythic roots of masculine identity. His work bridges archetypal psychology, developmental theory, and sacred embodiment, inviting men into a more integrated and life-affirming expression of their power.

In this conversation, we explore the crisis and rebirth of masculinity in a time of global unraveling. Matt shares his framework of the "organic masculine," and how the primal drives of aggression and sexuality—when unintegrated—fuel much of the world’s destruction. We look at the role of rites of passage, the death-rebirth journey of the hero, and the challenge of moving from domination to deep relationality.

We discuss the symbolic power of myths like Hercules and the Hydra, the collective adolescent psyche behind our social and environmental collapse, and how reclaiming the warrior archetype can support a shift from violence to sacred protection.

Together, we ask: How might men transform their primal drives into devotion? What kind of masculine presence is needed to meet the polycrisis of our time? And how do we embrace the monster within so that it becomes an ally rather than an adversary?

This episode is a call to enter the depths—where masculinity is not conquered or discarded, but composted, reimagined, and reborn in service to life.

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MATT’S LINKS

* Website

* Essay: Masculinity & The Polycrisis

ADDITIONAL EPISODES

If you like our conversation, check out my earlier complimentary conversations:

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