Soulshine Momma’s Podcast

Rituals are a really integral part of the human experience - it allows us to bridge our minds and bodies with our souls. Through the act of ritualizing, you create a space of mindfulness where your focus can drift inward. It's as though the ritual itself acts as a threshold that, when crossed, our awareness can dwell in a familiar peaceful mental space allowing our mind to be in a state of receiving. In this stillness, our intuition becomes more clear. We push pause on the constant marquee of mental and emotional noise by incorporating mindfulness covered in the last episode. And in this stillness, our enrichment begins.   Musical Contributions sourced from Tunetank.com

Mindfulness or lack thereof can really shape the tone of our lived experience. It is the difference between living your life and drifting through your life. Bringing your awareness to the present moment can create the space needed for a deeper, more loving, more honest, more authentic connection with your loved ones, the people in your circle, the people around you (and last but not least) yourself This episode will delve into mindfulness. What exactly it is, why it's amazing for you, and how to apply it in easy practical ways.   musical contributions sourced from tunetank.com

This episode will explore the effects of technology, our phones, and the impulsive urge to stay connected.  Because adding a touch of intentionality when it comes to our phones can go a long long way for not only our health but also how we connect both with ourselves and with others.    Musical Contributions sourced from tunetank.com

Introduction: Some days it can feel like life is moving way faster than we can process it - which can sometimes leave us feeling…disconnected. When our calendars fill up quickly, and we are juggling so many things trying to manage it all, it can feel mentally overwhelming and energetically depleting. But when time is a factor, how can we refill our cup? How can we reconnect to our mind, body and spirit when we are constantly on the move? Introducing Stillness and Synergy. A series dedicated to ways to nourish your mind and body, find a deeper connection with your heart and soul, and create a sense of calm and renewal in little nuggets of time sprinkled throughout your day.    Music sourced from tunetank.com

Winter Solstice has always been a special time of intense reflection. But the end of December is also, for many of us, jam packed. It definitely has its moments of bliss but honestly, we all know it can and WILL also come with a large amount of stress.  We hear reminders from our friends, family, and social influencers about the importance of gathering together with our loved ones and savoring each moment. But if our minds are currently under high amounts of stress, this can feel like a truly impossible task. We all need a way to calm our minds, deactivate our nervous system, and be present in our bodies.  So for this episode, let's take a moment to reflect on the winter solstice, gather some inspiration from its ancient history, and discuss 3 methods to quickly de-stress in one of the busiest times of the calendar year. And the best part? These methods can take as little as 5 minutes sprinkled throughout your day and yield truly amazing results.    Music sourced from tunetank.com

In this episode we will delve into the story of the Moirai, also known as the Fates and what they represented - past present and future. They were believed to control one's destiny among other things - and sometimes that can feel very familiar. How often do  we feel like we need that type of control over outcomes? Over our destiny or that of our partner or children? They also offered hope. Hope is a very powerful emotion that is scientifically proven to rewire our brains. How people perceive the future greatly influences their behavior as well as how they experience their day to day life. And, as an added bonus, the presence of hope makes our bodies healthier. So in this episode we will discuss how to release the notion that we have control or that we have to have control over all aspects of our life as well as practical ways to let that feeling go, hopefulness - what it is and why it's important for our minds, and mindfulness - the key to our happiness. Music sourced from tunetank.com Visit soulshinemomma.com or follow along on instagram and facebook @soulshinemomma

The Goddess Medusa has a long history of repeated trauma of which we will be discussing today. I want to issue a trigger warning at this time as her trauma revolved around sexual assault.  Trauma can come in many forms as we will talk about later in the program. And after experiencing trauma, some experience a repeat traumatic event of victim blaming quite like our Goddess. It's no wonder Medusa has been a poster child for feminine rage - she represents a long sordid history of being blamed for being attacked. But later in her story, she retreats to an island, seeking solitude for her recovery. Alone time is so very important for many of us and our mental health. Yet there is a distinction between loneliness, isolation, and alone time. So in today's program, let's talk about trauma, victim shaming, feminine rage, and solitude through the lens of Medusa and her story.  Musical Contributions sourced from tunetank.com  

In today's episode we will dive into the hot boiling waters of anger. A very passionate emotion, much like our featured Goddess Pele. Images of Pele always seem to have depictions of erupting volcanoes sometimes with her completely immersed in them. And when we think of how our bodies feel when we are truly angry - scalding hot - this analogy makes perfect sense. Anger is a unique emotion in that it motivates positive change, causing us to engage with whatever is making us angry (in attempts to eliminate it).  And a common source of anger that we will explore today is when our boundaries get crossed or violated. But Pele is more than just an embodiment of anger. Pele's fires create and destroy the land itself, forming new volcanoes that erupt, cover the land with lava, and then begin the cycle anew. In some ways we could say the same for our boundaries. When they get crossed and we pour hot lava on it, it hardens into a bigger and more defined boundary, creating a landscape that feels increasingly more safe and secure. And as we redefine and honor our boundaries in our day to day, we are indeed working towards a new and better era of our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Musical Contributions sourced from tunetank.com

This week's Goddess is Hecate, a witch and prominent leader of the occult, as well as esotericism.  In addition to magic, Hecate was also a guardian of crossroads as well as an empathetic protectress. So in this episode let's explore Hecate's story, the history of witches, how to navigate the crossroads in our own life, and lastly, how and why it is important to sit with darkness and sadness when times get rough.   Musical Contributions sourced from tunetank.com

For episode 9, we will delve into the realm of destruction and deconstruction with the African Orisha Oya, Goddess of wind, storms, lightning, tornadoes, wildfires, and hurricanes. Because she was completely intolerant of dishonesty, deceit, and injustice, she would force complete destruction, because after destruction, comes new life. After a wildfire, the ground is fertile for change. After storm winds come new growth. And as Oya cut through any debris with her swords of truth, she created the space for a new environment to flourish. Let's delve into 4 different realms: self, culture, gender, and feminism viewed through the lens of destruction and deconstruction. How just looking at a situation differently can ignite change - by exposing the deceit or injustice that has been hiding underneath the brush. Examining the language that we use that further perpetuates these constructs. And lastly, how to harness the power of Oya to cut through life's debris, and/or set that shit on fire. 

In today's program we will talk about the Jezebel tropes, sexual shaming, the history of violence against Women and LGBTQ persons, how to spot a growing Fundamentalist movement early on, and ways to heal from religious teachings that feel dissonant with our own core beliefs. But first, let's first explore fundamentalism. What it is, what it looks like, and how it turns from a strict religious doctrine to a political movement.

The expectation of Female submission and subservience are a common theme amongst many cultures, both historically and modern day. Conformity to this expectation can affect our psyche. And nonconformity can affect our relationships. Where do we fall on this spectrum? From taking up space to reflections on our own boundaries, these topics affect many of us daily. So let's continue our journey exploring these themes with the story of the Goddess  XiWangmu and her refusal to be tamed.   Musical Contributions sourced from tunetank.com

Today's Goddess is one of fire and heat. Both in the physical sense like the sun, the hearth, and blacksmithing - all of which create new life into the earth, but also the inward fire that we were all born with. The fire of vitality and health. The fire of sexual passion. The fire of creativity that lets us experience life interconnected with our humanity. This Goddess is Brigid and her story starts in the misty mountains of Ireland. Our focus today will primarily be that of Women's health - more specifically in our reproductive organs. Menstruation, the fight for the agency to decide what grows inside of our body, and sexuality are all aspects of a Feminine perspective that deserves time, reflection, and discourse.    More info on soulshinemomma.com Music sourced from tunetank.com  

The love of a Mother and how we love ourselves in turn, the legacy of heritage, and ongoing support that we need and crave will be the topic for episode 5 featuring the African Goddess Yemaya. From the powerful waves of self love to the psychological flexibility of flowing like water, let's reflect on the Mother of all mortals and how Mothering or self mothering can reshape our perspectives for the absolute better.   Music sourced from tunetank.com

For the fourth episode, let's delve into the realms of perceiving and defining beauty  through the lens of Xochiquetzal - a Goddess of beauty and desire who has inspired countless generations of admirers to embrace their inner pleasure seeking Enchantress. The concept of beauty is complex. Cultural standards have always affected our perception of what is beautiful (and what is not), from the things we learned as children to what we see on screens or ads. Although beauty has historically been a very narrow definition, things are slowly shifting. The conversation on diversifying beauty is an important one and it's gaining traction. Trend setters have been forging a bright path, paved with inclusion and celebration. They are all actively trying to portray this truth: Femininity has always been blooming all around us, in all forms, shapes and sizes, just like the flowers that adorn the head of Xochiquetzal. And femininity flows through us, in a full spectrum of sexuality, features, menstruation for some, and the things that we create. To experience humanity is to experience beauty, flowing through you and around you.  Let's explore this topic. How we perceive beauty, beauty standards and their health effects, body shaming, and ways we can be part of the solution. To celebrate how we are all shining brighter through the positive and inclusive trends that are slowly shifting the definition of beauty. Musical contributions sourced from tunetank.com

 Creating order out of the chaos of our lives and incorporating principles of Ma'at (balance, harmony, truth, to name a few) will be the topic of today's discussion.  From the obligations we take on to the way we schedule our life flow, there is an enormous opportunity for reflection. Let us absorb this inner wisdom of Ma'at to guide us through these daily choices, so that we can make the very most of our most precious asset in life - our time.  Visit Website Musical contributions sourced from tunetank.com

For the second episode we will discuss the importance of gathering with other Women. Our Goddess that inspired this topic is Bona Dea. We will talk about her story and how important she was for the Women around her, Women's Circles throughout history, psychological and emotional reasons we NEED our ladies in our life as well as barriers we may have with gathering with other Women. So if gathering with your ladies in a meaningful way is something that you would like to do more, or more intentionally, I hope you find some awesome takeaways in this episode. Musical Contributions sourced from tunetank.com

For the very first episode, let's start our journey through this series by exploring speaking up as a Woman through the lens of the first of our 13 Goddess figures: The Harpies. We will talk about their story, the Feminist leaders that embodied their spirit, and ways practice speaking up. Musical Contributions Sourced From Tunetank.com