On Being Mothered Beyond Biology ft Perdita Finn

Mar 25

I am speaking with Perdita Finn, a writer and teacher working with myth, ancestry, and relational ways of knowing. She is the author of Take Back the Magic and Mothers of Magic, and her work explores how we might reconnect with the living world, our ancestors, and forms of care that extend beyond the individual.

In this conversation, we explore mothering as something far beyond biology — as a communal, ecological, and deeply relational process. Perdita shares how the modern mother has become both idealised and burdened, and how reconnecting to a wider field of “many mothers” — human and more-than-human — can reshape how we relate to ourselves, each other, and life itself.

Chapters

00:00 The Concept of Mothering

10:02 Interconnectedness and the Role of Nature
15:23 Personal Reflections on Maternal Relationships
33:29 The Impact of Therapy and Maternal Expectations
35:03 The Call for Maternal Guidance
39:30 Historical Context of Misogyny and Witch Trials
43:41 Healing the Mother-Daughter Relationship
49:59 Connecting with Nature and Animal Mothers
54:19 Reclaiming Our Animal Bodies and Desires
01:00:19 Collective Prayers for Future Generations