My guest today is Daniel Waite Penny, a journalist and cultural critic whose recent work investigates the connection between masculinity and the climate crisis.

He’s the creator of NonToxic, a podcast exploring men and sustainability, and co-creator of Carbon Bros, an investigative series made in collaboration with Drilled.

Here’s an overview of the series:

You’ve heard it from cable news pundits, Democratic strategists, and your favorite YouTuber: young men swung the last U.S. election for Trump. Understanding what’s driving “the manosphere” and how to reach the young men in its grips is on everyone’s mind right now, but we’re zooming in on a different corner of it: the intersection between male grievance culture and climate denial.

Why are men less likely than women to believe in climate change, or take personal or political actions against it? What does their reluctance to deal with the climate crisis have to do with men’s shift to the right in general? And what can be done to reverse it?

Daniel and I first connected years ago when he interviewed me about the mythopoetic men’s movement.

In our conversation today , we return to the themes of men, meaning, and the cultural forces shaping our times. We trace the strategic targeting of men by fossil fuel interests, the rise of the manosphere, and the appeal of dominance-based narratives offered by figures like Trump and Tate.

The Mythic Masculine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

We ask why so many men resist climate action, and how the deeper hunger for belonging, nobility, and story has been misdirected. We explore the absence of an inspiring masculine vision within progressive politics, and what might be possible if men were invited into a role of protection and stewardship.

Would love to hear your comments below!

For men who wish to join me in-person, I have one more Awakening the Wild Erotic weekend Aug 22-24 on Vancouver Island. Otherwise, men from all over the world can take the Deep Masculine journey.

ADDITIONAL EPISODES:

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.

The Mythic Masculine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

MATT’S LINKS

* Website

* Essay: Masculinity & The Polycrisis

ADDITIONAL EPISODES

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