Sophia

A special episode for y’all today. I recorded the audio from the launch party for The Yoga of Pain, which occurred on Friday, January 31 in St. John’s. This includes the majority of the launch party presentation (the only thing missing is the introduction) and the three readings from The Yoga of Pain and The Unicorn.In the presentation, I announce upcoming releases and dates from Sophic Press, including fantastical bawdy tale / epic limerick The Avalon Cycle, the rebranding of The Pleiades Remixes as Iris Ascending, my upcoming educational program called Hero Yoga, and I mention my friend Dominique Hurley’s ongoing Soul Feast online art auction (which runs until next weekend).Get your free copy of The Amaril Company at andrewmarcrowe.com!Check out Dominique’s auction at https://www.32auctions.com/soulfeast

In this episode, I sit down with my old friend, Tom Crosbie. Tom is one of the most unique men I know, with a palpable genius that manifests in many ways - not the least of which is a mordant sense of humour and a lightheartedness (though he claims this to be a facade - I might have exposed a demon or two with my probing questions, hahaha). Tom is a Twitter poet par excellence, and you can check him out at @VoiceOfHolyrood on Twitter. We discuss life, his artistic process, how he became a Twitter poet, parenthood, wisdom - the whole life shebang. A highly recommended listen.Check out Tom’s twitter feed here: http://twitter.com/VoiceOfHolyroodGet your free copy of The Amaril Company at andrewmarcrowe.com!

In this episode, I have an international chat with my friend Ana Calisto. Ana and I met at Soltara Healing Center in Costa Rica back in September - Ana was one of the facilitators who was working at the Center at the time. She and I dig into her experience with coming to spirituality, how ayahuasca changed her life, what she has learned from working with the medicine, plant dietas, life as a mother, her project Healing Beat, music - no stone was left unturned. Ana is a kind and sharing soul and she is so dedicated to helping people. A hugely inspirational podcast.You can find Ana’s Healing Beat on Facebook at facebook.com/HealingBeat.coGet your free copy of The Amaril Company at andrewmarcrowe.com!

I sat down with Dominique Hurley, intuitive artist, lightworker, master educator, and creator of the Intuition into Action treasure map, back at the beginning of December. She is a bright soul who is dedicated to healing and following her heart. We get into a discussion of intuition, her path to where she is now, the spiritual aspects of money, as well as many other topics. She even did a divine storytelling session with me on the podcast! It was a serious treat to sit down with Dominique and I hope that you take the time to listen to our conversation. You can find Dominique online at http://dominiquehurley.com Get your free copy of The Amaril Company at andrewmarcrowe.com! Pre-order your copy of The Yoga of Pain at andrewmarcrowe.com/the-yoga-of-pain

This is the end. Of my reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, of course. And hot damn, does it ever go out with a bang. Like most of us folk with a beating heart, I find redemption to be a cup overflowing with a spiritual wine sweeter than the finest vintage ever produced. Everyone loves it when arseholes cease acting the damn fool, and Scrooge does it with style. What a shift from who he was at the beginning of the story. All that it took was a decision to look inside, to wade through the wreckage of what came before and to try to gain some understanding of why we come to be the persons that we all grow into. The Ghosts of Christmas are nothing more than Scrooge’s own spirit calling to him, asking him to take scalpel to his ignorance and perform the life-saving surgery that delivers him from sorrow. Merry Christmas, you filthy animals. Be kind to each other and give, always give what you can. It’s a heart prescription with more efficacy than all of the statins in the world. And a Happy New Year, too! Get your free copy of The Amaril Company at andrewmarcrowe.com! Pre-order your copy of The Yoga of Pain at andrewmarcrowe.com/the-yoga-of-pain

Whoo, boy! This one is a chilly one. This Stave, the part of the book which deals with the Ghost of Christmas Future is not a happy one. By the time he meets this spirit, it is quite clear that Scrooge is prepared to change his ways. However, it seems like the spirits want to be extremely clear about the consequences of continuing down the despicable path of the arsehole. Scrooge dies alone, his corpse is defiled by theft, his debtors rejoice, and Tiny Tim dies. It’s almost as if the Ghost of Christmas Future is taking him by the face and saying, ‘take a good look at what you are avoiding and be grateful for the opportunity you’ve been given.’ There is wisdom, there.The hardest lessons are usually the best ones.Get your free copy of The Amaril Company at andrewmarcrowe.com!Pre-order your copy of The Yoga of Pain at andrewmarcrowe.com/the-yoga-of-pain

Welcome back to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Christmas present. The warmest part of the whole book, a nice respite from the tears of the past and something much lighter than what is coming in Stave IV with the Ghost of Christmas Future. This is the chapter that really sees Scrooge open up, to become the human being that we all knew was hiding beneath the humbugs and heartlessness. I always loved this part the most, though a close contender would be the final stave, when Scrooge is redeemed. The present is all we ever have - we get so caught up in regret for the past and dark dreams of the future. Right here, right now - that is what it's all about. And why the Ghost is such a merry-go-lucky fellow! I hope that you enjoy!Get your free copy of The Amaril Company at andrewmarcrowe.com!Pre-order your copy of The Yoga of Pain at andrewmarcrowe.com/the-yoga-of-pain/

Welcome back to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. When last we left our protagonist, Scrooge was told by Marley's ghost to expect a visitation from three spirits. As we all know, it starts with the Ghost of Christmas Past. In my introduction, I speak a little bit about Christian mythology and how that plays a role in what we are reading. In the meat of the text, we start to see our man weakening as his heart is metaphorically brought out into the warmth so that he might find himself among the living again. A great chapter from a great story. Thank you to my friend Laura-Beth Smith for graciously allowing me to use her music in the intro! You can read more about Laura-Beth at her website, here: laurabeth.ca. Please buy a copy of her album - she is an incredible talent and deserves all of our support.My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.comPowered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com

Welcome to December 2019! In this special episode, I am offering my comments and reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is a spiritual classic, a tale of enlightenment - the soul's journey from hell to heaven - all dressed up like an old fashioned Christmastime ghost story. It is truly a marvel to read - and I've already watched two different film versions of the tale this year. I cannot gush enough about this story - the humour, the metaphor, the plain warmth that exudes from every inch of the words. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed reading it for you. Thank you to my friend Laura-Beth Smith for graciously allowing me to use her music in the intro! You can read more about Laura-Beth at her website, here: laurabeth.ca. Please buy a copy of her album - she is an incredible talent and deserves all of our support.My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.comPowered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com

In this episode, I sit down with Meranda Squires, founder of The Lotus Centre in St. John's, NL. Meranda weaves quite the tale about her life, from growing up in the Ferryland lighthouse, to moving to India, to returning to Newfoundland with a sacred boon to bestow upon the City of St. John's. I am talking, of course, about yoga! Meranda simply exudes wisdom, and it was a special honour to speak with her and get her take on Self-realization, or enlightenment, or the direct experience of God, and the blissful way of life that becomes the new norm after such a transformation. A very special episode - I hope that you enjoy!Check out The Lotus Centre at http://thelotuscentre.caMy website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.comPowered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com

In this episode, released today in honour of Transgender Awareness Week, I interview transgender woman Bella Ducey about her experience with spirituality and wisdom and how her understanding of her gender identity has played a role in her experience of life. Between her experience with gender reassignment, kundalini yoga, The Secret, enlightenment, different mentors, her upcoming YouTube project with friend Josh Roberts, and Bella's own take on life, there is plenty of wisdom to chew on in this episode. I hope that you enjoy.My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.comPowered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com

In this episode, I catch up with my old friend Val Gorbacheva. She and I met during my second trip to Peru, when I was a guest and she was a facilitator at the now-defunct Pulse Tours Ayahuasca Retreat Centre. I was so grateful to hear her voice again and to hear the fascinating story of her journey since last we crossed paths. Between sound healing, dance, cacao ceremonies, and yoga proper, Val is truly pursuing the healer’s route. A fascinating guest and podcast!My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/Disclaimer: This is not meant as a recommendation that anyone participate in plant medicine ceremonies nor as a means to diagnose and treat any mental illness. While I owe my life in many ways to the work I did with ayahuasca, I do not advocate for nor against its use. I suggest that if you are interested in the medicine, that you do your research and become fully informed of its risks and benefits. In spite of its legal and cherished status in the places where it is found naturally, it remains a scheduled substance under the laws of many jurisdictions. I never broke the law in taking ayahuasca where I did and encourage you to respect the rule of law if you consider pursuing this avenue of healing.

In this episode, I speak with Kent Halliburton. Kent is, among other things, a Bitcoin entrepreneur and a fellow father to a young daughter. I met Kent in Costa Rica in September 2019 at Soltara Healing Centre. We soon dug deep into Bitcoin. Kent's passion, along with that of former guest John Vallis, inspired me to look deeper at the implications of Bitcoin as a revolutionary bit of technology that might very well change the face of society as we know it (for the better, it would seem). Kent and I discuss the value of family, the modern dearth of community, ayahuasca, what value actually is, and the potential for Bitcoin to revolutionize the world. A fantastic episode and a fantastic guest.My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/Disclaimer: This is not meant as a recommendation that anyone participate in plant medicine ceremonies nor as a means to diagnose and treat any mental illness. While I owe my life in many ways to the work I did with ayahuasca, I do not advocate for nor against its use. I suggest that if you are interested in the medicine, that you do your research and become fully informed of its risks and benefits. In spite of its legal and cherished status in the places where it is found naturally, it remains a scheduled substance under the laws of many jurisdictions. I never broke the law in taking ayahuasca where I did and encourage you to respect the rule of law if you consider pursuing this avenue of healing.

In this episode I sit down with Amanda Myers (AKA Dr. Amanda Campos, Psy.D), a psychotherapist who hails from Alabama. Amanda and I met years ago at Pulse Tours in Peru, where we both participated in ayahuasca ceremonies and became friends. This one was a two-fold pleasure for me: first, to catch up with Amanda, and second, to get more details about how her journey has unfolded since our time in the jungle. Amanda talks about her own experience with addiction, her approach to healing her patients, her life philosophy, her integration into the Native American Church, and how she experiences oneness from an atheistic perspective.My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/Disclaimer: This is not meant as a recommendation that anyone participate in plant medicine ceremonies nor as a means to diagnose and treat any mental illness. While I owe my life in many ways to the work I did with ayahuasca, I do not advocate for nor against its use. I suggest that if you are interested in the medicine, that you do your research and become fully informed of its risks and benefits. In spite of its legal and cherished status in the places where it is found naturally, it remains a scheduled substance under the laws of many jurisdictions. I never broke the law in taking ayahuasca where I did and encourage you to respect the rule of law if you consider pursuing this avenue of healing.

In this episode I connect with Silas Valentine, former Christian pastor and current Self-realization guru who hails from Virginia. Silas is the founder of the Ekstasis Institute, which is a web-based and in-person program focused on Self-realization.This was a great personal pleasure for me, to connect with another who has self-realized and to shoot the metaphysical shit with him. His enlightenment story is not to be missed (I can't remember laughing that hard in a long time). We also get into the effect of self-realization on a social level and the potential for alienation from one's peers, especially if we have a strongly literal religious social group.The Ekstasis Institute can be found at https://www.ekstasisinstitute.org/Silas can be found on Instagram at @guru_of_chillMy website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Alexandra Roxo, spiritual leader and kind soul shining her light across the world. Alexandra and I met in Costa Rica at Soltara Healing Center and spent a week of ceremonies on mats next to each other in the maloca. We get deep into spirituality - Alexandra's life story, how she developed spiritually, her take on life, her evolving career path, and her budding path as an author, among other topics. A very special episode - I hope that you enjoy!You can find Alexandra on Instagram (and follow her!) at @alexandraroxoMy website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/

A special episode today - in which I read 'The Cistern Brewery,' a yarn from Tales of Sight - Part II, the short story anthology set in the world of Clovir, dropping in e-book format on October 17 (print to follow shortly). This story gives us a flavour of King Janus Aquester as a boy, freshly crowned and a spoiled shitheel in the tradtion of Joffrey Baratheon. Except Joffrey did not have to answer to the Red Tradition...If you enjoy the show, you can read more of the stories at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/tales-of-sight/ as well as download and buy the first anthology, Clovir: An Overture, which was released June 2019. As always, my work is Powered by Caritas, all as free as I can make it for you guys. I hope that you enjoy.My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/

In this episode, I sit down with Jill Holden, co-founder/operator of Modo Yoga St. John's (formerly Moksha Yoga). We discuss Jill's spiritual journey, how she found yoga, her personal teachers, and the wisdom that she picked up along the way. The joys of stepping out of our comfort zones are without compare, but we also focus in on the importance of checking in with ourselves and honouring self-care.Jill is teaching a vinyasa krama class at the Wander East Yoga Festival on Friday the 25th of October! You can sign up at http://wandereastnewfoundland.com/ I am also doing a presentation called "Facing the Dragon, Finding Yourself: the Hero's Journey of Yoga" on Sunday, October 27th. We hope to see you there!My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/

In this episode, my friend Tim Warren and I sit down to have a chat about life. We have known each other since the very early days, and it is quite evident from this podcast how little that has dimmed over the years, even if we have not been living in the same city for a while now. We rap about how our lives intertwined and different bits of wisdom he’s picked up along the way. We get into Tim’s career path and the influence his family has had on his development as a human being. Heresy, illegal skateboarding, and forbidden essay topics - this podcast is definitely about rebellion.My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/

In this episode, John Vallis and I discuss plant medicine and cryptocurrency. We discuss our own experiences with ayahuasca, spirituality, religion, and the potential purpose of Bitcoin in our society. A very erudite and well-spoken individual, John and I have known each other since high school and it’s always a joy to check in and talk with him. Though his podcast is available on many providers, you can catch him on iTunes here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bitcoin-rapid-fire/id1476958861My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/Disclaimer: This is not meant as a recommendation that anyone participate in plant medicine ceremonies nor as a means to diagnose and treat any mental illness. While I owe my life in many ways to the work I did with ayahuasca, I do not advocate for nor against its use. I suggest that if you are interested in the medicine, that you do your research and become fully informed of its risks and benefits. In spite of its legal and cherished status in the places where it is found naturally, it remains a scheduled substance under the laws of many jurisdictions. I never broke the law in taking ayahuasca where I did and encourage you to respect the rule of law if you consider pursuing this avenue of healing.

In this episode, I have a conversation with Melissa Stangl, COO and co-founder of Soltara Healing Center in Costa Rica. Melissa and I go back a few years, and it was a wonderful experience to be able to reconnect with her in the paradise where she and her team have set out their shingle, inviting people from all around the world to heal with ayahuasca. We talk about her early life, how she found herself involved in ayahuasca healing work, her mission, our experiences healing our mental health and spiritual issues, and the philosophical underpinnings of what she does with her team. Thanks again to Melissa for appearing as a guest! You can find Soltara's website at http://soltara.co/ My website can be found at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/ Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.com/ Disclaimer: This is not meant as a recommendation that anyone participate in plant medicine ceremonies nor as a means to diagnose and treat any mental illness. While I owe my life in many ways to the work I did with ayahuasca, I do not advocate for nor against its use. I suggest that if you are interested in the medicine, that you do your research and become fully informed of its risks and benefits. In spite of its legal and cherished status in the places where it is found naturally, it remains a scheduled substance under the laws of many jurisdictions. I never broke the law in taking ayahuasca where I did and encourage you to respect the rule of law if you consider pursuing this avenue of healing.

In this episode, I have a conversation with local yoga teacher Linda Ivany. In addition to running her own studio in Port Rexton, called Wild Spirit Yoga Studio, Linda is the mind behind the Trinity Bight Yoga and Wellness Festival which happens in Trinity, NL every year. She also co-ordinates the Wander East Yoga Conference every October in St. John's.You can register for the Wander East Yoga Conference (October 25 - 27, 2019) at http://www.wandereastnewfoundland.comPlease note that there was an error with the video and audio tracking, so I had to upload this without the video portion. The background noise is the rustling of the leaves of a tree in my back yard. Editing this was very much a learning experience for me.My website: http://andrewmarcrowe.com/As a reminder, this podcast is Powered by Caritas - http://poweredbycaritas.comGive love away and catch the world entire.

Welcome to my new podcast, Sophia. Sophia is Greek for 'wisdom,' and that is exactly what this podcast is about. Everybody's wise, in our own ways, and I want to hear from everyday people about their life stories, the things that they have learned, and what makes them tick.In this first episode, I introduce the podcast and interview myself! I hope that you enjoy.Bear with me - the audio on the first two episodes is not perfect! It does get better by #3.Find me at http://andrewmarcrowe.com/Powered by Caritas - poweredbycaritas.comGive love away and catch the world entire.