Rooted

Wayne McNaughton is the Owner of Equine Pathway and Andante. Wayne’s dedication to his work, his spiritual growth is something I admire so deeply.Wayne holds a special place in my heart, I call him my cosmic brother. There’s a few themes we will be discussing on this podcast - Toxic Masculinity, Breathwork, Altered States of Consciousness, and Plant Medicine/Entheogens - to name a few.Check out his work at Andante: www.andante.caTo learn more about Equine Pathway, visit: https://equinepathway.com/

Melissa Lavasani is a Ward 6 resident in Washington, DC, a mother of two, a DC Government employee, and Initiative 81 proposer (“Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020”).Melissa is the Chairwoman of Decriminalize Nature DC, the organization behind Initiative 81. Initiative 81 would make a small change: shifting enforcement of laws against natural plant medicines to be among the lowest law enforcement priorities.This change would help thousands of D.C. residents suffering from anxiety, PTSD, addiction, or depression who currently fear arrest or prosecution for pursuing healing through natural, entheogenic substances. The initiative has the support of prominent medical professionals, police officers, and D.C. residents. What Initiative 81 Does:Make entheogens among the lowest law enforcement priorities for the Metropolitan Police Department. Create a non-binding public call upon the DC Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for DC to cease prosecution of criminal charges involving entheogens.To learn more about Decriminalize Nature DC, visit their website www.decriminalizenaturedc.orgFollow them on Instagram @decriminalizenaturedc

Jennifer Rotermund is the owner of Gaiaceous Gardens. Gaiaceous Gardens represents the fusion of Spiritual Permaculture with Horticulture. Their work blends landscape gardening with the awareness that the land we work with is alive and conscious with its own intelligence. They use mostly native plants to create, enhance, restore, regenerate and support suburban or rural forest, food forests and unique wildlife habitat. Their work is completely pesticide-free and minimizes additions to all forms of the pollution stream. They honor and incorporate the natural cycles of the seasons, and the many ways that the natural elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) interact on every piece of land with which we work. They prioritize the enhancement of beneficial soil micro-organisms to promote ecological harmony. Since every plant is a living organism, they incorporate the care of each plant's own spirit and vital force into the work we do, while we tend each plant's natural anatomy and immune system.Given that healthy plants and trees are intimately connected to one another through their combined roots, interconnecting mycelium, and beneficial soil microbes, they approach each piece of land as a whole organism when considering the health, placement and cooperation of each plant.Gaiaceous Gardens is an educational company that recognizes inherent equality in all living beings on Earth and offers a variety of opportunities for the humans we work with to remember their original connections and interdependence with the other-than-human lives around us. These educational and experiential opportunities include: classes, ceremonies, artwork, and written or recorded information shared on this website's blog.To learn more about Jennifer and Gaiaceous Gardens, visit their website: https://gaiaceousgardens.com/And follow them on Facebook and Instagram, @gaiaceousgardensPhoto provided by MJ Photography - www.melissajphoto.com

Steve Haas is a local grower and wild mushroom/wild plant expert of 30 years and leads year round guided forages in the Appalachian region and around the world. His mission is to teach others how to identify and locate wild edible foods. He’s the owner of Haashrooms, growing and foraging culinary and medicinal mushroom. He's been featured in many publications. He’s one of my dear friends and I’m grateful to sit down with him today to talk about life, mushrooms, and spirituality. To learn more about Steve Haas and Haashrooms, go to www.haashrooms.com. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram: Haashrooms.