Wild Water, Holy Porosity, and Becoming the Flow with Dr. Jean Golicz

In this conversation, Victoria Loorz speaks with Jean Golicz, Ed.D., retreat leader, writer, wild swimmer, and Seminary of the Wild Earth graduate whose doctoral research explores how place shapes our relationship with the holy. Raised in a Celtic family of fishermen and swimmers along the waters of Connecticut, Jean spent a lifetime near water—yet it wasn't until her year in the Seminary of the Wild Earth cohort invited her into relationship with a particular beloved that water became not simply a place to swim, but a teacher, guide, and spiritual practice.Together, they trace Jean's path from competitive swimmer to cold-water pilgrim, from bridge builder to portal, and from going with the flow to becoming it. Cold water, she discovered, made her porous—permeable to the living world in ways she hadn't expected, and to the costs of transformation: the relationships that can't survive the person you're becoming, and the grace of learning, after a lifetime of rescuing, to simply witness and hold. At its heart, this episode explores what becomes possible when we stop standing beside the flow of life and allow ourselves to become part of it.Listen to the full conversation for a special discount code for the upcoming September Seminary of the Wild Earth journey. Curious to learn more? Join Victoria for one of the final discernment calls on Wednesday, June 24 at 12pm PT and experience the pulse of the cohort for yourself, or book a 1:1 conversation with a guide here. Mentioned in the episode:Book: On the Mystery Discerning Divinity in Process by Catherine KellerPaper: Solastalgia: the distress caused by environmental change by Glenn AlbrechtConnect with the Center:Website: wildspirituality.earthVictoria's Website: victorialoorz.comEmail: hello@wildspirituality.earthLinktree: linktr.ee/ctrforwildspiritualityInstagram: @center_for_wild_spiritualityTimestamps:00:00 Introduction05:21 Interview Begins07:30 The Theological Calling09:47 Ingesting Nature As Transformative Theology12:34 Cold Water Swimming15:53 A Way Other Than Competition17:24 Interpersonal Challenge to Worldview Shift19:15 Sacred Yes and Sacred No20:06 Seminary Experience24:49 Seminary Language27:25 Bridges and Portals31:48 Flow and Feminine34:06 A Space Free of Judgment37:26 A Space Full of Safety39:15 Inherent Discomfort41:12 Routine, Ritual, and Rhythm43:49 All Ages47:15 Solastalgia49:33 The Loss Is Part of The Beauty52:16 Informed Invitation to Intervention56:04 Awakening Is Happening57:57 Wild Invitation59:20 Credits