Goats, Scarification & Sacred Rebellion with Gage.

A culty childhood, a goat ranch, face scars, suspension hooks—and somehow, one of the most grounded people you’ll ever meet.

Gage looks intimidating… until he opens his mouth and completely rewrites the story you had in your head.

Summary

This episode of Ducking Realitea, Siobhan sits down with Gage, whose appearance might stop you in your tracks, but whose perspective will absolutely make you stay. What starts as a conversation about style and first impressions quickly unfolds into a deeply layered story about identity, survival, and self-determination.

Gage shares his upbringing in a strict, almost cult-like religious environment, his eventual escape, and the contrasting experience of being raised on a Texas ranch by grandparents who encouraged curiosity, independence, and critical thinking. From there, life takes some hard turns, family instability, running away, surviving systems that didn’t support him, and ultimately finding chosen family and purpose in unexpected places.

They dive into body modification, not for shock, but as a tool for reclaiming identity and coping with body dysmorphia. The conversation expands into suspension culture, the misunderstood reality behind it, and the intense level of trust, engineering, and safety that goes into something most people only see at surface level.

At its core, this episode is about not judging a book by its cover, and understanding that the people who seem the most intimidating are often the most grounded, thoughtful, and self-aware.

Gage

Gage is an engineer, performer, and body modification practitioner with a deeply analytical and philosophical approach to identity and self-expression. With no formal academic background, he built his career through hands-on learning, mentorship, and curiosity.

His work and life sit at the intersection of engineering, alternative culture, and personal exploration, challenging assumptions while emphasizing safety, intention, and growth.

💡 Key Takeaways

  • Personal transformation: how rebellion and chosen communities can reframe identity.

  • Religion and departure: leaving institutional faith can be a formal and emotional process.

  • Body modification as expression and coping: tattoos, scarification, implants used to process body image and identity.

  • Suspension & safety: rigorous technical, medical, and ethical practices underpin what looks like spectacle.

  • Maker/DIY ethos: curiosity, repair culture, and intergenerational mentoring shaped Gage’s engineering path.

“I didn’t have the spine to tell him… so I tattooed my throat instead.”

– Gage

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