Welcome (back) to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. After a tiny hiatus, we kick off our second “season” with an episode all about the erotic (just in time for Valentine’s Day). In this episode, we explore the multifaceted nature of an erotic that includes all sensual experience within its definition. We center Audre Lorde's ovular essay, “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic As Power” where she emphasizes the erotic as a source of empowerment, resistance, and (especially) joy–a key insight for these times.

Her/our take on the erotic includes sex, of course, but also recognizes how everyday moments can be infused with sensuality (even sticking our feet in a potted plant!). We discuss how personal challenges and societal pressures can impact our connection to pleasure and joy, as well as the crucial (and often dismissed) role of beauty as the erotic in everyday life attuning us to what feels right and good within and around us. As Adure said: “The erotic is the nurturer or nursemaid of all our deepest knowledge.”

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Thank you for being here, we value your presence. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review so we know to keep making more!

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Time stamps:

04:08 The Role of the Body in the Erotic

09:51 The Power of Sensual Awareness

25:09 The Impact of Capitalism on Well-Being

29:42 The Dismissal of the Feminine and the Erotic

31:48 Beauty as an Expression of the Erotic

34:54 The Sensuality of Everyday Activities

39:25 The Power of Words and Movement

45:22 The Flow of Love and Connection

48:14 Reframing Love Beyond Romantic Contexts

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Links & Credits

Audre Lorde reading her essay, “The Uses of the Erotic.”

adrienne marry brown on Hurry Slowly

Sense Writing

“The Tune of Things: Is consciousness God?”, Harper’s Magazine, December 2025

Kristin Wiig as Triangle Sally

Jocelyn’s Substack: radiate

Sebene’s Substack: remind me to love

Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Welcome to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. In this episode, we delve into the concept of the New Year, questioning the traditional January 1st start date and discussing the importance of aligning personal renewal with cycles of nature and spiritual systems. We explore the inward turn that winter invites and suggest that we all engage in various ways of starting anew—the new moon, the new season, the equinoxes, the solstices... This conversation also touches on the pressures of societal expectations during the holiday season and the need for each of us to experiment with rituals and practices that support our well being.

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Thank you for being here, we value your presence. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review so we know to keep making more!

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Time stamps:

00:00 KILN, Jocelyn's Creative Incubator

10:32 Reflections on the New Year and Natural Cycles

21:17 Reflecting on the Past Year

28:25 The Concept of Wintering

34:19 Navigating Holiday Pressures

40:04 Planning for the New Year

45:52 Embracing Experimentation in the New Year

52:56 Imagining New Narratives

55:35 Embracing Individuality and Idiosyncrasies

59:48 Reflecting on the Season and Future Plans

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Links & Credits

Jocelyn’s Substack: radiate

Sebene’s Substack: remind me to love

Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Welcome to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. In this episode, we share cultural experiences that moved us in 2025. We don’t need to tell you that this year has been RUFF. And, of course, we know every one of us also found moments of joy, inspiration and love in the midst of this mayhem. Today, we each offer three things—including art, film, a podcast, reporting, and live experiences—that helped us thrive in 2025. As Jocelyn mentions at the top of the episode, the etymology of the word culture means to care for the Earth. We hope our cultural sharing brings you some end of year care, connection, and comedy. Here are the links to a few of the things that moved us this year:

• Jack Whitten: The Messenger at the MOMA
• Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
• The Telepathy Tapes
• Real Men Don’t Drink Matcha
• John Beaulieu, Biosonics
• The Sound of Music Sing-a-Long

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Thank you for being here, we value your presence. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review so we know to keep making more!

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction

06:00 Framing Our Year-End Reflections on Art and Culture

07:57 Jack Whitten at the MOMA

17:49 Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat documentary

25:51 Exploring The Telepathy Tapes podcast

33:25 “Real Men Don’t Drink Matcha” article

36:32 Crystals and sound with John Beaulieu

47:23 The Sound of Music Sing-a-long

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Links & Credits

Jocelyn’s Substack: radiate

Sebene’s Substack: remind me to love

Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Welcome to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the provocative question: Do you want to be right, or do you want to be free? We discuss how asking this question can dramatically change your attitude when you’re experiencing conflict with others, what role our need for perfectionism, control, and/or certitude plays in the need to be “right,” and the power of letting go of clinging and competition in favor of deeper curiosity and connection. Join us as we explore all the ways we limit liberation when we need the present moment to be anything other than, well, the present moment.

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Thank you for being here, we value your presence. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review so we know to keep making more!

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Time stamps:

00:00 Being Right vs. Being Free

14:18 The Tyranny of Certitude

25:06 "Rightness" and Unsolicited Advice

28:24 Letting Go of Control and Embracing Uncertainty

34:08 Understanding Mana and the Comparing Mind

41:19 Relaxation as a Path to Freedom

46:33 Not Being in Contention with Reality

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Links & Resources mentioned:

Jocelyn’s Substack: radiate

Sebene’s Substack: remind me to love

Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Welcome to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. In this episode, we explore the concept of coming out, not just in the context of sexual orientation but as a broader metaphor for revealing hidden aspects of our identities. We discuss the complexities of coming out, who defines the closet or coming out, how sometimes we can go back in the closet, and the shadow or shameful parts of self that end up in the closet. We also explore different types of closets, including artistic and spiritual closets. Join us as we explore how maybe everyone is in the closet about something.

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Thank you for being here, we value your presence. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review so we know to keep making more!

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Timestamps:

00:34 Exploring the Concept of Coming Out

09:19 Queerness and Identity

18:48 The Broader Meaning of Coming Out

28:58 The Masks We Wear

38:53 Coming Out: Layers of Identity

47:51 Exploring the Closet and the Shadow

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Jocelyn’s Substack radiate

Sebene’s Substack remind me to love

Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Welcome to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. In this episode, we discuss the role of fear in spiritual development by looking at two words with one letter difference: scared and sacred (the “c” moves). We talk about how scarcity can drive anxiety and the ways new perspectives, caring community, and spiritual practices (practices, practices, practices!) can help transform the scaries into sacred presence. There’s a lot of fear in the world right now. There are also people who profit greatly from us being scared. Let’s follow that “c” into the conscious, the compassionate, the curious, and the cosmic. Also, did we mention spiritual practices? Join us as we delve into being scared into the sacred!

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Thank you for being here, we value your presence. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review so we know to keep making more!

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Timestamps:

00:00 Cultural Perspectives on Sacredness

13:26 Fear, Anxiety, and the Sacred

17:35 Energy Systems and Emotional Regulation

30:36 The Role of Fear in Creativity

37:11 Consciousness and Presence

46:18 Creating Sacred Boundaries

51:27 Finding Joy and Lightness

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Jocelyn’s Substack radiate

Sebene’s Substack remind me to love

Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Welcome to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. In this inaugural episode, we, your hosts Sebene Selassie and Jocelyn K. Glei, explore our intention for this show as an intersection of spirituality & humor. We discuss how we became creative collaborators, the power of the cosmic perspective, the role of clowning as a transformative practice, and how comedy can challenge oppression.

If you too are upset by what’s happening in our world right now and are sick of the war–mongering, chaos–wreaking bozos-in-charge giving clowns a bad name, you will definitely dig this episode where we talk about laughter as medicine, vulnerability as creative power, and clowning as a tool for freedom. Join us as we celebrate the connection between laughter & liberation.

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Thank you for being here, we value your attention. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review so we know to keep making more!

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Cosmic Clowns

01:14 The Cosmic Perspective

09:14 Exploring Clowning and Comedy

26:48 The Role of Humor in Challenging Power

49:19 The Importance of Finding Lightness in Dark Times

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Links & resources mentioned:

Jocelyn’s Substack radiate

Sebene’s Substack remind me to love

Sebene’s post on clowning

Trevor Noah’s clip on YouTube

"[The clown is the] one who tries to alchemize the terror and sorrow of being human into something ridiculous and delightful." —Alex Tatarsky

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Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Welcome to Cosmic Clowns, a podcast about exploring consciousness, surviving chaos, and finding the comedy in it all. Make sure to follow the show so you’ll be in the loop when our first episode drops on Friday, October 24th.

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Podcast website: www.cosmicclowns.me

Theme music: “Wow” by Charm School

Clown quote from Alex Tatarsky: "[The clown is the] one who tries to alchemize the terror and sorrow of being human into something ridiculous and delightful."