How women can draw out masculine virtues in men - Arthur Haines

This week’s show is with Arthur Haines. Arthur is a Maine hunting, fishing, and recreation guide, forager, ancestral skills mentor, author, public speaker, and botanical researcher.  He grew up in the western mountains of Maine, a rural area that was home to swift streams known for their trout fishing. He spent most of his childhood in the Sandy River Valley hiking, tracking, and foraging.

Arthur now runs the Delta Institute of Natural History in Canton, Maine, where he teaches human ecology, focusing on the values of foraging, wildcrafting medicine, and primitive living skills.  He continues to spend a great deal of his free time practicing his skills as a modern hunter-gatherer.  

In 2017, he authored “A New Path”, a comprehensive work on nature connection and rewilding, detailing how to incorporate ancestral practices into modern living. 

As a research botanist for the Native Plant Trust, he completed an inclusive flora of the New England region titled “Flora Novae Angliae” and has authored over twenty publications in peer-reviewed journals and books, including naming species of plants new to science.  His series of YouTube videos has inspired thousands of people interested in foraging wild edible and medicinal plants.

In this show, Lian and Arthur explore the foundational principles of masculinity - strength, bravery, mastery, and honour - not as outdated relics, but as essential qualities for men navigating modern life. Arthur brings a rare, embodied perspective to this discussion, having lived as a hunter, forager, and practitioner of ancestral skills. His insights are not theoretical - they are drawn from direct experience of what it means to provide, protect, and live in alignment with primal masculine virtues.

This isn’t just about men. If a woman desires a man who embodies these virtues, her role in allowing and encouraging them is crucial. Arthur and Lian discuss how trust, receptivity, and honouring polarity create space for masculinity to thrive, while competition and control can diminish it. They explore the challenges modern culture presents and the ways women can either stifle or inspire the best in men.

Together, they unpack why masculinity and femininity are complementary forces, not opposing ones. From the importance of honour to the role of provision and protection, this episode offers a rich exploration of how men and women can create stronger, more aligned relationships, families and communities.

We’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Masculine virtues are amoral - honour defines their application. Strength, bravery, mastery, and honour are essential masculine traits, but without an honour code, they can be misused. True masculinity is about how these virtues are wielded for the good of family, community, and the land.

• Women shape the masculine through trust and receptivity. If a woman wants a man who embodies these virtues, she must create space for them. Trust is essential - without it, masculinity cannot emerge. Relinquishing unnecessary control allows men to provide, protect, and lead, while women refine and steer the vision.

• The primal masculine thrives in purpose and action. Arthur’s experience as a hunter and provider highlights how men are wired for challenge, risk, and responsibility. These qualities are not obsolete but deeply ingrained, and when honoured, they allow men to show up fully in relationships, family, and community.

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