Faith, Chemistry and the Divine Feminine with Garrie Steels

Broadcasting warts-and-all from a boat on the Norfolk Broads, I welcome returning guest  Garrie Steels  for a free‑flowing conversation that picks up where we left off on superstition, manifestation and the “divine feminine” — including Asherah’s place in ancient belief. We explore  Garrie's  contention that religion can hijack our neurobiology, comparing ritual highs to other addictions via dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin, and how group dynamics and suggestibility can tip into extremism. From faith versus fear, to self‑flagellation, rainbow body lore and whether spirituality is best sought within, we range across Buddhism, Daoist philosophy and the I Ching, even detouring into alchemy’s metaphor of turning lead to gold. Despite some drop‑outs (live radio on a river!), we keep the flow — pausing for Phil Zimmerman’s “Freedom Flower” — and close on why personal conscience may matter more than labels when it comes to living well.Wrinkly Rockers Club (Phil Zimmerman features): https://www.wrinklyrockersclub.com/Phil Zimmerman and the Freedom Flowers – “Freedom Flower” (Apple Music): https://music.apple.com/gb/album/freedom-flower-single/1773633993Black Lives Matter (official site): https://blacklivesmatter.com/The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (official): https://www.dalailama.com/Asherah – overview (Britannica): https://www.britannica.com/topic/Asherah-Semitic-goddessSelf‑flagellation – religious practice (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-flagellationRainbow body – Tibetan Buddhism (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_bodyDaoism – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/daoism/I Ching (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_ChingOxytocin – overview (Britannica): https://www.britannica.com/science/oxytocinNucleus accumbens – reward pathway (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleus_accumbensSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – NHS Inform: https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/medicines-and-medical-aids/types-of-medicine/selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors-ssris/Neuro‑linguistic programming (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programmingAnunnaki – background (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AnunnakiThe Handmaid’s Tale – novel (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Handmaid%27s_TaleNorfolk Broads – Broads Authority (official): https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/Academia.edu (research platform mentioned): https://www.academia.edu/