Podcasts about dimming

“It felt like the total package. The chemistry, the deep conversations, the shared future—and then, overnight, it was gone. No reason. No explanation. Just a cold exit.”In this episode of Dimming the Gaslight, Phil and I sit down with psychologist @drj.smith to deconstruct the “Discard Phase.” We dive deep into why high-character “Givers” are targeted by “Empty Vessels” and the psychological blueprint of a relationship that has a pre-determined shelf life.In this episode, we discuss:*The Mirroring Phase: How they project your own best qualities back at you to create a “soulmate” illusion.*The Lack of Closure: Why searching for a “reason” from an empty shell is a trap.*The Recovery Blueprint: How to sit with the “maddening” discomfort and reclaim your worth through discipline and truth.*Humanism vs. The Mask: Recognizing the difference between someone who is beautiful on the outside and someone who is truly loving on the inside.You aren't “broken” because they left; you are being liberated from a fake version of reality. It's time to see your victory.

Today we're joined on the show by Jennifer Grant, a Chicago author of books for children and adults. I've loved Jennifer's work for years and was delighted to pick her brain about her newest work, Consider the Birds, a lovely picture book filled with wonder.Jennifer talks all things children's books, birds, and faith, including how her faith compelled her to take a stand against certain governmental practices in Chicago this autumn. Jennifer is a gentle soul and a wise guide, and I know you'll be just as enriched by our conversation as I was.Check out more of Jennifer's work on her website, including fabulous books for adults like my favorite, Dimming the Day. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Show Notes:Hello and welcome to Authentically ADHD – I'm Carmen, and I'm so glad you're tuning in. Today we're exploring a topic I know many of us grapple with: why you're still exhausted even after resting, especially when you're both autistic and ADHD (often called AuDHD). If you've ever wondered, “I took a break, so why do I still feel drained?” this episode is for you.We often hear about the idea of a “social battery.” The classic metaphor goes like this: social time drains you, alone time or rest recharges you, then you're good to go again. It's a handy way to explain why you might feel wiped out after a party or a day of meetings – you used up your social battery and need some quiet time to recharge. For neurotypical folks or even just introverts, that simple formula sometimes works: hang out with people (battery drains), spend a night in (battery refills), and you're refreshed.But if you're neurodivergent – and especially if you're AuDHD (autistic + ADHD) – you've probably noticed it's not that simple. You might spend a weekend resting at home only to wake up on Monday still bone-tired. Or you take a day off to recharge, and by evening you're more exhausted than before. What gives? In today's episode, we're going to answer that. We'll talk about why the one-dimensional social battery metaphor doesn't fully capture what's happening in our brains and bodies. We'll dive into the neuroscience behind exhaustion in autism and ADHD: it's not just being “peopled out” – it's also things like masking, sensory overload, executive function fatigue, chronic stress mode, and even missed signals from our own bodies.By understanding these factors, we can start to make sense of why just “resting” isn't always enough for us. Importantly, we'll discuss what real rest means for an AuDHD brain. I'll share some strategies and tips on how to recharge the right way (because if your rest isn't targeting the actual type of tired you are, it's not going to truly restore you). And be sure to stick around till the end – I have 7 reflection questions for you. These will help you apply what we talk about to your own life, so you can figure out what drains your energy and how to refill your tank more effectively.So, grab a comfy seat, maybe a notebook, and let's unpack why you're still exhausted after rest – and what we can do about it.The Classic “Social Battery” Metaphor – And Its LimitsLet's start with that “social battery” idea. It's a popular way to describe energy levels, especially for introverts. The idea is pretty straightforward: social interaction uses energy, and solitude or downtime charges you back up. For example, if you spend all day socializing with coworkers or attending events, you might feel drained – your social battery is empty. Then you recharge by being alone, watching Netflix, reading, sleeping, what have you. The next day, your battery is full again (or at least partially recharged) and you repeat the cycle.This metaphor resonates because it acknowledges that socializing can be tiring, even if it's fun. It's commonly mentioned for conditions like ADHD or just shy/introverted personalities: “I need to recharge my social battery.” For neurotypical people, often a good night's sleep or a quiet Sunday morning might indeed restore that sense of energy.But here's the catch: the social battery model assumes only one dimension of fatigue – social energy in versus out. It treats all “rest” as equal, like plugging your phone into any charger will top it off. For those of us with ADHD, autism, or both (AuDHD), our experience tells a more complex story. We don't just have a single battery that drains and refills; we have an entire panel of batteries or fuel tanks, each for different kinds of energy. Sometimes you're not even sure which battery is low – you just know you're running on fumes. And crucially, if you try to recharge in the wrong way, it's like putting the wrong fuel in a car: you don't get very far, and you might even stall out.Have you ever tried to rest – say you cleared your weekend to do nothing – and you did all the “right” restful things like sleeping in or binging a show, but you still felt wiped out on Monday? I've been there. Before I understood the multiple dimensions of burnout, I would get frustrated at myself: “I rested, why am I still tired? What's wrong with me?” The social battery idea would have me believe that rest = recharge, so if I rested and I'm still tired, I must be doing something wrong. But the truth was, my rest wasn't actually addressing the kind of exhaustion I had.The classic metaphor doesn't account for things like:Mental overload – maybe your mind was exhausted from racing thoughts or decision-making, but your “rest” didn't quiet your mind.Sensory overload – maybe your senses were still on high alert from a noisy, bright, chaotic week, and watching TV on the couch kept bombarding you with light and sound.Emotional strain – maybe you were carrying stress or anxiety (perhaps from masking your true self or holding in emotions), and “resting” by doing nothing didn't process those feelings.Physical fatigue – maybe your body needed real recovery (nutrition, hydration, movement or sleep), but your rest was just lying around without addressing those needs.Executive function fatigue – perhaps you spent all week forcing your ADHD brain to stay organized and on-task, which is extremely draining, and simply taking time off work didn't automatically replenish that mental fuel.In other words, neurodivergent exhaustion is multi-faceted, and the social battery idea is just one piece of the puzzle. For AuDHD folks, social interaction itself can be exhausting, yes, but why it's exhausting goes beyond just “I don't like being around people too long.” There are underlying factors – neurological and physiological – that make social settings or daily life in general more draining for us than for others. Let's break down those factors.Why AuDHD Exhaustion Is More Than “Just Social”When you have autism, ADHD, or both, several concurrent processes are depleting your energy throughout the day. It's like having multiple apps running on your mental phone battery. If we ignore all but one, we miss the full picture. Here are some of the big drains on an AuDHD “battery”:1. The Masking Labor – Hidden Exhaustion of “Acting Normal”Masking refers to hiding or suppressing your natural neurodivergent behaviors to fit into a neurotypical world. Think of it as a social survival strategy: you force yourself to maintain eye contact even though it's uncomfortable, you hold back your stims (like fidgeting or rocking) to seem “calm,” you laugh when you're supposed to even if you're confused, you constantly monitor your tone and words so you don't offend or seem weird. Basically, you're running a mental filter 24/7 to appear “normal.” That is hard work!For autistic people especially, masking can be an enormous cognitive and emotional load. It's not just casually wearing a “social face”; it's more like performing a play where you're the actor and the director, constantly watching yourself from the outside. For ADHD folks, masking might involve holding back your impulsive comments, forcing yourself to sit still and appear attentive, or over-preparing for conversations so you don't lose track.All this mental multitasking consumes a ton of energy. Imagine your brain as a computer running several heavy programs at once – eventually it's going to lag or overheat. When you're masking, you might be:Analyzing every social cue and your own reactions (“Am I smiling enough? Did that joke land? Do I seem interested?”).Inhibiting natural impulses (“Don't stim, don't interrupt, don't pace even though I'm restless…”).Translating your intended words into more “acceptable” phrases.Absorbing the stress of not being able to relax or be yourself.No wonder by the time you get home from work or a social gathering, you feel like you ran a marathon (even if all you did was sit in a conference room or a cafe). Masking is exhausting. It's often described as wearing a heavy costume all day; when you finally take it off, you might physically collapse. This is a huge reason your “social battery” drains so fast and stays low: you weren't just socializing, you were performing and self-censoring nonstop.2. Sensory Processing Load – When the World Overwhelms Your SensesMany autistic and ADHD individuals experience sensory sensitivities. This means ordinary environments can feel like an assault on your nervous system. The lights in a grocery store are glaring and fluorescent, the chatter at a party is a jumble of noise, the fabric of your shirt tag is scratching your neck all day – these might barely register for a neurotypical person, but for us, they can be intensely distracting or irritating.Your brain is constantly processing sensory input: sight, sound, touch, smell, movement, etc. In neurotypical brains, there's a filter – they can often tune out background noise or adapt quickly to stimuli. In an AuDHD brain, that filter may be weaker or just different. Everything comes in at full volume, so to speak. As a result, you're expending energy just to exist in what others call a “normal” environment. You might not realize how much work your brain is doing to process and cope with the sensory avalanche until you find yourself utterly drained for “no obvious reason.”It's not just mentally tiring; it activates your physiology. When you're in sensory overload, your body can go into a mild fight-or-flight state. Think about being startled by a sudden loud noise – your heart jumps, adrenaline spikes. Now imagine smaller scale but chronic versions of that throughout your day: the phone ringing, the traffic noise, the uncomfortable chair, the strong perfume in the elevator. Your body might be perpetually a little on edge. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline might be slightly elevated as your system says “too much, too much!” Even if you consciously try to ignore a chaotic environment, your nervous system is still reacting. Over time, living in that amped-up state will wear you out.So if you spend a day in a noisy, busy setting (say, an open-plan office or a crowded mall), you might come home utterly spent. And here's the kicker – if your idea of “rest” is, say, plopping on the couch with the TV on, you might not actually be giving your sensory system a break. The TV is still light and sound. Your phone screen is still input. If sensory overload was a big part of your energy drain, you need sensory rest: dim lighting, silence or calm music, maybe a weighted blanket or whatever soothes your senses. Without addressing that, a quiet night might only pause the overload without truly clearing it, leaving you still jittery or frazzled the next day.3. Executive Function Taxes – Paying the “Brain Tax” on Every TaskExecutive function is like the brain's management system – it covers things like planning, organizing, focusing, remembering details, switching tasks, and controlling impulses. Both ADHD and autism can come with executive function challenges (though they might show up differently). For ADHD in particular, things like staying focused, following steps, meeting deadlines, and making decisions can require intense conscious effort. It's not that we can't do them – we often can, but it's like driving with the parking brake on. We have to press the gas harder to go the same distance.Studies have found that adults with ADHD use up more mental energy throughout the day just managing routine tasks. One psychologist described it well: people with ADHD exert greater effort on everyday decisions and self-control, which “burns up mental fuel” at a faster rate than neurotypicals. Have you ever felt strangely tired after doing “nothing” except answer emails or make a few simple phone calls? That could be because for an ADHD brain, shifting attention between those emails, resisting the urge to check social media, remembering what you had to do next, all of that took a lot of invisible effort.Autistic folks, on the other hand, might get mentally drained from tasks like navigating transitions (shifting from one activity to another can be jarring) or dealing with unpredictability without a clear plan. Planning and adapting – those executive functions – can take a lot of conscious processing if your brain doesn't do it automatically.All day long, we're essentially paying an “executive function tax.” Every time you force yourself to concentrate on a boring task, every time you have to break down a project into steps, every time you coach yourself through procrastination or try to remember an appointment – that's a withdrawal from your cognitive energy reserves. By evening, you've been taxing that system so heavily that you might experience brain fog, trouble concentrating, or an inability to make even trivial decisions (“decision fatigue” – like staring at the fridge unable to decide on dinner).If your rest doesn't give your executive brain a break – for example, if you “rest” by doing something mentally complex like reading dense articles or doing a puzzle when your mind was what was exhausted – you may not feel recovered. Sometimes what we need is true mental rest: no complex planning, maybe even a break from screens and information intake, letting our thoughts wander or doing a mindless simple activity. Without identifying that need, you might mistakenly think “I just need more sleep,” but eight hours later you still wake up mentally exhausted, because your mind never got a break from overdrive.4. Stress-System Activation – Living in Fight-or-Flight ModeThis one underpins all the above: chronic stress. Both living with ADHD and autism can be chronically stressful, even if you love your life and manage well. There's the stress of trying to meet neurotypical expectations, the stress of sensory assault, the stress of potential social missteps or failures at work, and often a history of anxiety or trauma from not being understood. All this means our sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight responder) might be activated more often or more intensely.Physiologically, when you perceive a challenge or threat (and “challenge” can be as mundane as the boss unexpectedly asking you a question, or a sudden loud noise that startles you), your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart rate might go up, blood pressure increases, senses heighten. It's your body's way of gearing up to face something. That's fine in short bursts, but if it's happening repeatedly through the day, you don't get much time in the restorative, relaxed state (the parasympathetic “rest and digest” mode).Being constantly in a subtle fight-or-flight mode is exhausting. It also affects sleep and energy recovery. For instance, if your stress system is always a bit activated, you might have trouble winding down at night or you might not get deep, quality sleep. You could sleep a full night and still wake up tired because physiologically, your body hasn't truly relaxed. Chronic stress can also mess with things like muscle tension (ever realize you've been clenching your jaw or shoulders all day?), digestion, and immune function – which can all indirectly make you feel more fatigued and rundown.For AuDHD people, stress might be coming from multiple angles: social anxiety, ADHD-related worries (“Did I forget something important again?”), sensory stress, or just the general pressure of appearing fine while you're actually struggling. Even exciting positive things can register as stress to the body – like hyperfocus or sensory excitement can amp you up similar to anxiety. So if you're constantly running “hot” internally, you need cooling-off periods. If your rest doesn't include something that actually calms your nervous system – like deep breathing, mindfulness, gentle movement, a safe feeling environment – you might stay in a semi-stressed state even during downtime. That means your “battery” isn't recharging; at best, you're just not draining it further for a while.5. Interoception Glitches – Missing Your Body's Early Warning SignalsInteroception is a fancy word for the internal sense of your body's condition – basically, feeling your own internal signals like hunger, thirst, tiredness, pain, needing the bathroom, etc. Many autistic people (and some ADHD folks too) have differences or delays in interoception. This can mean you don't notice your needs until they're screaming at you.Think about times you suddenly realize, “Oh my gosh, I'm starving – I haven't eaten in 8 hours!” or you're shivering and only then notice you're cold. Or you're so deeply focused on a project (thanks hyperfocus) that you don't realize you're exhausted until you stand up and almost fall over. That's interoceptive unawareness – our internal “fuel gauge” is not very accurate.For an AuDHD person, this might lead to literally running on fumes. You might be extremely low on energy but not fully register it until you hit a wall (like a shutdown or a meltdown or just a sudden wave of exhaustion that knocks you out). Likewise, you might not identify what kind of rest you need. You just feel “bad” or “tired” or “crappy” but can't tell if it's because you're dehydrated, or overstimulated, or emotionally upset. So you might try the wrong fix. For example:You feel out of it, so you assume you need a nap. But maybe what you needed was actually food and water (physical need), so you wake up from the nap still feeling off.Or you feel “tired” but actually you've been sitting indoors all day and your body is under-stimulated physically and craving movement (some ADHDers know the feeling of being lethargic from lack of activity). If you just lie down more, you feel even worse, whereas a short walk or some stretches might have rejuvenated you.Or you feel mentally drained and foggy, so you try to push through with caffeine and working more, when actually your brain desperately needed a break from screens and information (mental rest).When interoception isn't giving clear signals, it's easy to mis-match our rest to our need. We also tend to wait too long to address our needs. It's like driving your car until the fuel light is not just on, but the tank is nearly empty and the car is sputtering – then you pull into a random gas station and try to fill up without knowing what type of fuel you needed. If you put diesel in a gasoline engine, the car's not going to run, right? Similarly, if you try a form of “rest” that isn't what your body or brain actually require, you won't feel better. You might get a brief pause, but not true recovery.This can become a vicious cycle: you rest ineffectively, still feel exhausted, maybe even more frustrated (“I rested and it didn't help, why bother?”), and then you push yourself further next time, edging closer to burnout.So, to sum up this section: the social battery is more complicated for AuDHD folks because multiple systems are draining your energy – social interaction plus masking, sensory processing, executive function, stress responses, and trouble noticing your needs. It's like having five batteries in parallel, and when you say “I'm drained,” it could be one or all of them that are empty. If you only recharge one, the others might still be flashing red.Now that we understand why you might still feel exhausted after what you thought was adequate rest, let's talk about the science and physiology a bit more, and then we'll move on to strategies for tackling this in real life.The Physiology Behind AuDHD ExhaustionYou might be wondering, “Okay, so these different drains make sense, but what's actually happening in my body? Is this all in my head or is there a real physical basis for why I'm so wiped out?” It's very real, and neuroscience and physiology back it up. Let's take a peek under the hood of the AuDHD body and brain when it comes to energy:Brain Energy and Cognitive Effort: The brain, even though it's just 2% of our body weight, uses a ton of energy – some estimates say about 20% of our daily calories. When you're engaging in heavy cognitive effort (like constant self-control, focus, or social navigation), you're burning through glucose (sugar energy) in the brain at a faster rate. Neurotypical brains might solve a problem or engage in small talk using X amount of energy. An ADHD or autistic brain might need 2X because it's working harder to stay on track or decode the social nuances. Over a day, that adds up. By late afternoon, you might literally be low on brain fuel, which is why you experience that heavy fatigue or brain fog. It's not just mood or laziness – it can be a sign your brain's resources are depleted.Dopamine and Neurotransmitters: ADHD is associated with differences in dopamine regulation – dopamine is a neurotransmitter important for motivation, focus, and reward. If your brain has a dopamine deficit in certain circuits, tasks don't reward your brain as much, so you have to push yourself harder to do them. It's kind of like driving a car with low battery – you can do it, but it might sputter. This not only makes tasks feel harder mentally, it also can lead to a sort of constant seeking of stimulation to get that dopamine hit (hello, checking our phones or daydreaming), which itself can be tiring. Meanwhile, autistic brains often have different connectivity patterns – some areas might be hyper-connected, leading to intense focus or sensory awareness, while other regulatory circuits might be less connected, making switching tasks or filtering input harder. The result? A brain that's either revving high or working overtime to shift gears. These neurological differences mean that an AuDHD brain is often running rich (like an engine burning a lot of fuel) all day.Hormones: Cortisol and Adrenaline: I touched on this earlier – the stress hormones. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone” that follows a circadian rhythm (should be high in morning, low at night) and spikes during stress. Chronic high cortisol from frequent stress can cause fatigue, brain fog, and even body aches. Adrenaline (epinephrine) is more immediate – it gives you that jolt in emergencies. If you're frequently anxious or overstimulated, your adrenaline might spike often, and afterwards you typically feel a crash – shaky, tired, maybe headachey. Some of us live in a pattern of mini adrenaline spikes throughout the day (panic about a task deadline, sensory shock from a siren, social anxiety spike when your phone rings…). Over time, this wears you down and can dysregulate your whole energy system. Your body might start overreacting or underreacting to stress due to burnout of the stress response system. This is why managing stress and actually engaging the relaxation response (like deep breathing to trigger the vagus nerve, which can lower heart rate and cortisol) is so key. Physically calming your body is not just woo-woo; it's helping your hormones rebalance so you can truly recharge.Muscle Tension and Physical Load: Ever notice how when you're mentally stressed, your body feels sore or tired? If you have anxiety or are masking, you might be unconsciously tensing muscles – clenching your jaw, hunching shoulders, or tapping your foot all day. Autistic folks might suppress stims which actually takes muscle control. ADHDers might be restraining their urge to move. All this can lead to physical exhaustion and even pain by day's end. Plus, conditions often co-occurring with AuDHD – like hypermobility, sleep disturbances, or digestive issues – can further sap physical energy.Sleep Quality: Many of us with ADHD or autism have sleep issues – trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or not feeling rested from sleep. Neurologically, if your brain has trouble shutting off (common with ADHD racing thoughts or autism's difficulty unwinding routines), you might not get enough deep sleep. Sleep is when the brain and body repair. It's like plugging in your phone overnight – if you only charge to 50% or keep getting unplugged, you start the day at a deficit. Over days and weeks, that compounded sleep debt can make any amount of daytime rest feel ineffective. It's like trying to fill a bucket that has a leak at the bottom.In short, there are concrete brain and body reasons for your persistent exhaustion. You're not just “bad at resting” or “lazy” or “weak.” Your system is genuinely handling more and recovering less than the average person's. Knowing this is validating – it's not in your imagination. And importantly, it points toward solutions: for example, approaches that reduce the constant load on your brain (like accommodations or assistive tools for executive function), or practices that actively help your nervous system relax (like mindfulness, therapy, or sensory decompression activities).What AuDHD Exhaustion Looks Like in Daily LifeIt might be helpful to recognize how this kind of multi-faceted exhaustion shows up, because sometimes we don't even have the words for what we're feeling. We just know we're done. Here are some common signs that your various “batteries” are drained:Brain Fog and Zoning Out: You've had a day full of interactions and tasks, and now you just can't think straight. You find yourself staring at the wall or scrolling mindlessly because your brain refuses to focus on anything else. That's mental exhaustion – your brain is literally trying to power down for a bit. Autistic folks might experience shutdowns: where you go non-verbal or withdraw because your brain says “nope, I cannot engage anymore.” ADHD folks might find their attention just ricochets around or flatlines.Physical Fatigue and Aches: Your body might feel as if you ran a marathon, even if you didn't move much. Maybe your legs feel heavy, or you have a tension headache from hours of concentrating or from sensory stress (like squinting in bright light or bracing against loud noises). Chronic muscle tension can manifest as back or neck pain. Some people get stress-related fatigue where you feel flu-like (aching, low energy) purely from the cortisol rollercoaster.Irritability or Emotional Volatility: When we're running on empty, small things become big things. You might have a shorter fuse – maybe you snap at your partner or get teary over a minor issue. For AuDHD individuals, emotional regulation can already be a challenge (ADHD is often associated with big swings of feelings or what's called “Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria,” and autistic people can feel emotions intensely too). Exhaustion strips away the buffers we normally have. So that irritability, sadness, or anxiety that creeps in after a long day might actually be a symptom of fatigue. Think of little kids – when they're overtired, they have meltdowns over nothing. We adults are the same, we just mask it better until we can't.Avoidance and Withdrawal: You might cancel plans with people you actually like, or avoid a phone call from your best friend, simply because the thought of any interaction is overwhelming. This is often labeled the “social hangover.” After too much stimulation or masking, you might need to be alone, sometimes for days, to feel normal again. You might also pull away from work or responsibilities – like ignoring emails, procrastinating important tasks – not because you don't care, but because you just can't right now. Your system is forcing a shutdown of non-critical activities to try to recover.Lack of Motivation or Pleasure: When all your energy is sapped, even things you normally enjoy can feel like chores. A hobby you love feels too demanding. Meeting a friend for a fun activity feels daunting. This can be tricky because it can start to look like depression. In fact, chronic exhaustion and burnout can lead to depression, and they share some symptoms. One distinguishing factor some people notice: if it's primarily AuDHD fatigue, when you do occasionally get a burst of energy or hyperfocus (say something really interests you or you had a very restful period), your mood and motivation bounce back. Whereas with clinical depression, even on good energy days you might not feel joy. It can co-occur though, so it's always good to be mindful of mental health – but often what we think might be “I'm depressed or lazy” is actually “I'm burnt out and my brain is desperately trying to conserve energy.”Failure to Rejuvenate: The hallmark sign – you tried to rest, and it “didn't work.” Like you slept in, but you still feel tired. Or you spent the evening doing nothing, but feel no more ready to face the next day. It might feel like you have a permanently low battery that never gets past 50%, no matter what you do. This is a big clue that something about the type of rest or the amount of rest isn't matching what you need (we'll address that soon). It can also be a sign of deeper burnout, where short-term fixes won't cut it and you might need a more significant change or longer recovery time.Frequent Illness or Pain Flare-ups: I'll mention this too – when you're chronically exhausted, your immune system can weaken. You might catch every cold that comes around, or if you have conditions like migraines or fibromyalgia (common in neurodivergent populations), they might flare when you're overtaxed. It's like your body is waving the white flag through symptoms.Does some of that feel familiar? It's not a fun list, I know. But recognizing these signs in yourself is important. It's the first step to acknowledging, “I'm not lazy, I'm not failing at self-care – there's something very real going on that I can address differently.”Now, the big question: What can we do about it? How do we recharge all these different batteries properly, so that rest actually means something and we can start to restore our energy (and maybe even prevent getting so drained in the first place)? Let's move into the practical part: strategies and tips to manage your energy as an AuDHD person.Tips and Strategies for True RechargingAlright, now that we've dissected the problem, let's talk solutions. The goal here is to help you rest smarter, not just more. We want to target the right kind of rest for the exhaustion you have, and also manage our lives in a way that prevents draining every battery to zero if possible. Here are some strategies and tips, a blend of personal experience, science-backed advice, and things that many neurodivergent folks find helpful:1. Identify What Kind of “Tired” You Are: When you feel wiped out, take a moment to do a self check-in: What exactly feels drained? Is it your brain (mental fatigue, too many thoughts)? Is it emotional (feeling numb or overly sensitive)? Sensory (craving quiet/darkness or feeling jumpy at sounds)? Physical (body is heavy, sleepy)? Social (sick of people, need solitude)? There's no one right answer – it could be “all of the above,” but try to sense which ones are strongest. This matters because the remedy depends on the cause. If your tiredness is mostly physical, then physical rest (sleep, a nap, or just gentle activity) will help most. If it's mostly sensory, then you might need low stimulation (noise-cancelling headphones, a dark room, minimal touch). If it's mental, you might need to give your brain a break from consuming info – maybe do something hands-on or take a walk in nature without your phone. Practice asking yourself “What kind of tired am I right now?” and “What would truly feel nourishing?” It might take time to figure it out, but even just pausing and naming it can prevent you from automatically doing the wrong kind of rest.2. Embrace Different Types of Rest: Building on the above, familiarize yourself with the idea that rest is not just sleep or sitting around. There are many types of rest – some experts break it down into categories like: physical, mental, sensory, social, emotional, creative, spiritual. This might sound abstract, but it's actually practical. For instance:If you've been around people all day (social drain), you likely need social rest – some time alone or with people who are “easy” to be around (like a close loved one who you don't have to put on a show for).If your senses are overloaded (sensory drain), you need sensory rest – a break from input. That could mean a quiet dim room, or closing your eyes for a bit, or a soothing sensory experience like a warm bath (which calms the system).If you've been solving problems and on the computer nonstop (mental drain), your brain needs mental rest – do something low-demand like doodling, listening to gentle music, or literally daydreaming. Let your executive brain go offline for a bit.If you've been masking and managing emotions (emotional drain), you might need emotional rest – which could look like journaling your true feelings, having a good cry, talking to someone you trust and letting out all the bottled-up stuff, or just engaging in something that makes you belly-laugh or feel comforted. It also might mean giving yourself permission to not care for a little while about others' expectations.If you have an under-stimulation fatigue (sometimes ADHDers get exhausted from boring routines), you might need creative or novelty rest – which ironically means doing something interesting that fills your tank (like a fun hobby, a new game, something that sparks joy). This is why “rest” isn't always just doing nothing; sometimes our brains are tired from monotony and need a safe kind of excitement or creativity to feel revitalized.And of course, physical rest is important if your body is tired – that means sleep, nap, or gentle movement that helps you relax (like stretching, yoga, slow walking – often called “active rest” because it helps circulation and muscle recovery without being strenuous).Mix and match these as needed. Often, we need a combo. Say you had an overstimulating workday – you might need sensory + social rest (e.g. go to a dim room alone) and mental rest (don't force yourself to tackle a big project in the evening). Or if you spent all day caregiving your kids (social + emotional + sensory drain, parents I see you!), you might need physical rest (put your feet up) plus emotional rest (vent to a friend or watch a comfort show that lets you feel something). Being intentional about the type of rest means your downtime is more likely to actually recharge the depleted battery, not just scratch some other itch.3. Schedule Targeted Recharge Time (and Protect It): We often plan our work or social events, but we don't plan our recovery, and then it either doesn't happen or gets eaten up by other things. If you know certain activities drain you, start building in counter-balances. For example:If you have a big social event on Saturday, block Sunday morning as “quiet time” for yourself in a way that addresses the expected drain. If the party will be loud and socially demanding, maybe Sunday morning is reserved for a nature walk alone (sensory calm + solitude).If weekdays drain your executive function (as they do for many of us), maybe declare one evening a week as “no-decisions evening” – prepare a simple routine meal or order takeout, and do a low-brain-power activity. Treat it like a meeting with yourself that you don't cancel.Use tools like alarms or calendar reminders to check in with yourself during the day. Sometimes we literally forget to rest. A short pause mid-day to ask “How am I feeling? Need water? Need a break from noise?” can prevent deeper depletion. I personally have a sticky note on my monitor that says “Pause: Breathe & Feel – what do you need?” because otherwise hours go by and I haven't even unclenched my shoulders.Learn to anticipate crashes: If you notice a pattern like “Every day around 3 PM I crash,” consider adding a 15-minute rest break at 2:30 – maybe a quick walk or a stretch, or listening to a calming song with eyes closed. It's like a pit stop for your brain so it can finish the day.And importantly, protect that rest time. It's tempting to give it up when someone asks a favor or an extra task pops up. But remember, without that recharge, you won't be at your best and you might pay for it double later. Treat rest as an important appointment with yourself – because it is!4. Reduce Masking and Energy Leaks Where Possible: We can't always drop the mask – the world isn't always accommodating, and in some situations you might feel it's necessary to appear “on.” But consider where you can safely be more yourself or make things easier:Communicate needs to close friends or family: Let them know that after a certain time or event, you might be quiet or need to leave early due to exhaustion. Educating the people around you that “I get overstimulated or drained and it's just how my brain works” can build understanding and reduce the need to put on a show. If your friends know you're going to be sitting in the corner petting the cat after an hour at the party, and they're cool with it, you don't have to force yourself to mingle beyond your capacity.Stim and relax, even in small ways: If you've been holding in all your fidgeting or sensory self-soothing at work, take bathroom breaks or “fresh air breaks” where you can wiggle, shake out, do some deep pressure (like a quick self-hug or wall push-ups) – basically let your body reset. These mini-releases throughout the day can prevent the massive end-of-day collapse.Delegate or use supports for executive tasks: Energy leaks happen when we spend way too long on something because our brain is struggling. If you can afford it or have the option, use tools to reduce effort: maybe that's using a grocery delivery service instead of roaming overwhelming aisles, or using a scheduling app to remember appointments instead of trying to hold it all in memory. Perhaps at work you can ask for an accommodation like written instructions or a quieter workspace or flexible hours. Finding areas where you're expending extra effort just to keep up, and finding a smarter workaround, can save precious energy for where you really need it.Learn where you can say “no”: This is tough, but are there social interactions or obligations you can limit? You don't have to attend every gathering or help every person who asks, especially if you know it will overextend you. It's perfectly okay to have a quota – like one social event per weekend, or keeping weeknights free – whatever works for you. Saying no to others is saying yes to yourself, to your rest.5. Calming the Overactive Nervous System: Since stress and sensory overload keep us in high alert, actively practicing techniques to switch into “rest mode” can be a game changer. Some approaches:Breathing exercises: Even something as simple as 3 deep slow breaths can signal your body to relax. One technique is the 4-7-8 breath (inhale for 4, hold 7, exhale 8) which can reduce anxiety. Or try diaphragmatic breathing (belly breaths). Doing this periodically, and especially before bed, can help lower that cortisol and adrenaline.Progressive muscle relaxation: Tense and release muscle groups one by one. This not only relieves physical tension but also helps you notice where you've been holding stress (like “wow, my jaw was super tight!”).Sensory comfort: Use tools that help you feel safe and calm. For some, that might be a weighted blanket or a soft hoodie. For others, it's noise-cancelling headphones or listening to white noise/rain sounds. Dimming the lights in the evening, using warm-colored bulbs instead of harsh white light, can cue your brain that it's wind-down time. Basically, create a little sensory safe space for yourself when you need to recharge.Mindfulness or meditation: I know, not everyone's into meditation, but even a few minutes of sitting and noticing your surroundings or your breath can pull you out of the racing thoughts and ground you. Mindfulness can also help with interoception – if you practice checking in with bodily sensations in a non-judgy way, you might start catching those “I'm thirsty” or “I'm anxious” cues earlier. There are apps and guided meditations specifically geared towards relaxation and body awareness, which some neurodivergent folks find useful (and if traditional meditation is hard, things like mindful walking or even a repetitive hobby can be meditative).Therapeutic supports: If anxiety or an overactive stress response is a major issue, consider professional support. Therapy (like cognitive behavioral therapy or somatic therapies) can help you develop coping strategies and address triggers. For some, certain medications or supplements that regulate sleep and anxiety (like melatonin for sleep, or as prescribed by a doctor, maybe an SSRI for anxiety) can also be part of the puzzle. There's no shame in using every tool available to help your nervous system find balance.6. Tune Into and Honor Your Body's Signals (Practice Interoception): This one is about building the skill of listening to your body. It might sound odd if interoception is an issue, but you can improve it with practice. Some ideas:Set external reminders to check internal states. For example, keep a water bottle at your desk as a visual cue to drink regularly, rather than waiting to feel thirsty. Have scheduled snack times so you don't go 10 hours without eating. Use a bedtime alarm to remind yourself to start a wind-down routine, since you might not notice you're tired until 2 AM when you're dead tired.Use tracking or journals: Sometimes writing down energy levels or what you did and how you felt can reveal patterns. Maybe you notice “Every time I have back-to-back meetings, I get a migraine in the evening.” That's a clue to insert breaks or coping strategies around meetings. Or “Whenever I skip lunch, I get really anxious by 4 PM” – aha, low blood sugar and stress might be combining. Tracking apps for mood/energy, or a simple diary, can improve your mind-body awareness.Body scan exercises: These are mindfulness exercises where you mentally scan from head to toe, noticing any sensations (tightness, hunger, discomfort, calm). Doing a short body scan once a day can train your brain to check in with places you normally ignore. You might catch “Oh, my heart is racing, maybe I'm more stressed than I realized,” or “My eyes ache, I might need to close them for a bit.”Don't wait for crisis to refuel: If you start recognizing the earlier signs of being low on a certain “battery,” try to address it then, not when you're already in meltdown or shutdown zone. This might mean proactively resting. For example, if you notice “I'm getting pretty peopled out at this gathering,” excuse yourself for a short break before you hit the wall. If you notice you're getting headachey and cranky at work, maybe step outside or to a quiet restroom for 5 minutes, rather than soldiering on until you can't function. We often override our early signals out of obligation or because we're used to pushing through. Give yourself permission to pause before you crash – it can make a world of difference in recovery time and intensity.7. Replenish the Basics: It sounds almost too basic, but when you're worn down, foundational health stuff becomes crucial: nutrition, hydration, movement, and sleep.Nutrition: A brain that's out of fuel will feel tired and foggy. Try to eat regularly and include protein and complex carbs in meals to keep your blood sugar stable (wild sugar swings can mimic anxiety and fatigue). If you're too tired to cook on bad days, no shame in keeping easy snacks or shakes around. The point is to give your body some real fuel. Also, deficiencies in things like iron, vitamin D, B12, etc., can cause fatigue – might be worth getting a check-up if you suspect it. Many ADHDers forget to eat; many autistics have limited diets – so a multivitamin or specific supplements might help if diet isn't covering bases (ask a doc or dietitian).Hydration: Even mild dehydration can cause tiredness and headaches. Keep water or something with electrolytes handy. If plain water is hard, try flavored or fizzy water. We often forget to drink when hyperfocused or out of routine.Movement: This is tricky because when you're exhausted, exercise sounds impossible. But gentle movement can actually create energy in the long run. It improves mood, reduces stress chemicals, and helps you sleep better later. The key is gentle and enjoyable: a slow stretch while watching a show, a short walk in fresh air, dancing to one song in your room – something that gets your blood flowing without feeling like a chore. It's like giving your body a little tune-up. Some days you might only manage to move from bed to couch and that's okay too; when you have the energy, try sprinkling small movement snacks into your week.Sleep hygiene: Since many of us have irregular sleep, paying attention to sleep hygiene is huge. That includes things like having a consistent-ish bedtime and wake time, making your bedroom as comfortable and low-stimulation as possible, avoiding screens right before bed if you can (blue light and information overload trick the brain into staying awake), or using tools like white noise, eye masks, or even melatonin if appropriate. Also, if racing thoughts keep you up, try keeping a notepad by the bed – jot down anything on your mind to “offload” it, or listen to a calming audiobook or podcast at low volume to focus your mind away from anxious thoughts (just not one that's too stimulating). The goal is to help your brain and body wind down enough to get quality rest. If insomnia or delayed sleep phase (night-owl syndrome) is severe, consider talking to a doctor – there are interventions that can help (like light therapy, prescription meds, etc.). Don't just accept terrible sleep as your fate – it's something worth troubleshooting, because better sleep will amplify all your other efforts to recharge.8. Be Compassionate and Adjust Expectations: This might be the most important tip: be kind to yourself. Recognize that your fatigue is not a moral failing. You're not lazy for being tired. AuDHD individuals truly do face more daily stress and effort – of course you're exhausted! Start reframing rest as productive and necessary, not a luxury. It's part of your health and effectiveness. Also, communicate and adjust expectations with those around you (and with yourself). Maybe you can't do “all the things” in one day that others can – that's okay. Quality of life improves when you stop comparing your energy output to neurotypical standards.It's fine if you need two hours of downtime for every three hours of social time, or if after work your only goal is making a simple dinner and then chilling – that might be what allows you to thrive long-term. If you plan a restful vacation and you spend the first two days just sleeping and doing nothing – perhaps you needed that. Trust that meeting your needs is the path to unlocking your best self. When you do start feeling more recharged, you'll actually be able to do the things you want to do, and enjoy them, which is the ultimate goal.Each small step – whether it's learning to identify your tiredness type, or setting a boundary, or finding a perfect snack that keeps you from crashing – is a win. Celebrate those. We often have a perfectionist streak or we've been made to feel we're not doing enough. But here you are, learning how to take care of your remarkable, unique brain and body. That's absolutely something to be proud of.Reflection QuestionsAs we come to the end of this episode, I want to leave you with some reflection questions. These are meant to help you apply what we've discussed to your own life. You might consider journaling your answers, or just ponder them quietly. There are no right or wrong answers – they're just prompts for self-discovery and practical planning.1. Which aspects of your life drain your energy the most lately? Try to name them: Is it social interactions? Sensory environments? Work-related executive function tasks? Emotional stress? Recognizing your biggest drains is the first step to addressing them.2. When you do feel recharged or have a good energy day, what helped? Think of a recent time you actually felt rested or upbeat – what had you done (or not done) leading up to that? Identifying even small things that rejuvenate you (like “I felt great after that hike” or “having a quiet morning to myself made a difference”) can give clues to the kinds of rest you need more of.3. What type of rest do you think you're not getting enough of? (Physical, mental, sensory, social, emotional, creative, spiritual, or any category that resonates with you.) How did you realize this – what signs or feelings point to that deficit? For example, “I might need more sensory rest because I've been feeling jumpy and irritable by evening,” or “I suspect I need mental rest because my mind feels overloaded and I'm forgetting things.”4. How well are you noticing your own needs in the moment? Do you catch yourself getting tired, hungry, overstimulated early, or only when you're at a breaking point? Reflect on one or two cues you might have missed recently (like “I missed that I was thirsty and got a headache”). What could you do to catch those sooner next time (maybe a reminder or a mindful pause)?5. What is one barrier that often stops you from resting or recharging properly? Is it guilt (“I feel like I should be productive”)? Is it external (too many responsibilities, lack of a quiet space)? Maybe it's not knowing how to rest effectively. Write down that barrier. Now brainstorm one or two ways you could lessen that barrier. For instance, if guilt is a barrier, how can you remind yourself that rest is necessary (perhaps repeat a mantra: “Rest is refueling, not wasting time”)? If time is a barrier, what can you delegate or drop or reschedule to carve out a bit of downtime?6. What are some small recharge rituals you could build into your day or week? Think of tiny actions that give you even a spark of energy or calm. It could be a 5-minute tea break with no phone, or doing a silly dance when nobody's watching, or stepping outside to feel the sun for a moment. Make a little list of “go-to quick rechargers” for yourself. These will be handy when you notice a specific battery running low.7. Envision your ideal restored self. Imagine that you have been taking really good care of all these different energy needs for a while. How do you think you would feel and act? Paint a mental picture: “I wake up feeling __, I go through my day feeling __, I have energy for __, I feel more __.” Describe the differences you'd notice in a well-rested, balanced version of you. This vision can be motivating – it's not a fantasy, it's something that can gradually become reality as you experiment with what works for you. What part of that vision could you start working towards now?Take your time with these questions – you might even revisit them periodically, because your needs can change over time or in different seasons of life. The purpose is to increase your self-awareness and to spark ideas for adjustments that can lead to better energy management.ConclusionWe've covered a lot in this episode, so let's briefly recap: The simple “social battery” idea doesn't quite cut it for AuDHD brains because our energy drains on multiple fronts – masking, sensory overwhelm, executive function effort, chronic stress, and missing our internal signals. Just “resting” in a generic sense often isn't enough; we need the right kind of rest for the right kind of tired. The physiology of our brains and bodies explains why this exhaustion is real and not laziness. And the good news is, there are strategies to help – from mixing up the types of rest you get, to planning recovery time, to advocating for your needs and learning to read your body's signals better.I hope you found some validation in this – you're not alone in feeling this exhaustion, and you're not failing when rest doesn't magically fix it. It's a complex issue, but you can make progress by understanding your unique energy profile. Even small tweaks – like using earplugs in a noisy place or taking a 10-minute brain break – can yield noticeable benefits. Remember, you deserve to feel restored and it is possible with patience and practice.Thank you for joining me today on Authentically ADHD. I'm proud of you for taking this time to learn about how to better care for yourself. If this episode resonated with you, feel free to share it with friends or anyone who might be running on empty and not know why. And if you have your own tips or experiences with the “social battery” and AuDHD life, I'd love to hear them – you can reach out on my socials or leave a comment.Paid subscribers get the downloadable “AuDHD Social Battery Decoder Kit” — a printable, fillable workbook that turns today's episode into actual tools you can use when you're fried.If you've ever rested and still felt exhausted, it's not because you're doing rest “wrong.” It's because your brain wasn't depleted by “socializing” alone — it was depleted by masking, sensory load, executive function taxes, stress activation, and not noticing your needs until your system was running on fumes.This kit helps you:identify what actually drained youmatch the right kind of rest to the system that's depletedbuild simple recovery ritualsuse copy/paste scripts when your brain goes blankplan your week like an AuDHD nervous system deservesIt's practical. It's kind. And it's designed for brains that hate homework.Until next time, be kind to yourself, pay attention to those batteries, and remember: rest isn't a reward, it's a necessity. Stay authentic and we will talk soon!This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Paid Bonus at end of this: Get full access to carmen_authenticallyadhd at carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe

On my own journey of connecting with myself and everything else, I find everything to seem richer and clearer and just more fulfilling. The base level pleasures of life don't satisfy as much. So when this book came across my desk, I was immediately interested. The book is, Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses For Freedom from Unwanted Habits. The author is mother, investor, advocate, and founder, Cecily Mak. Cecily says she is devoted to helping people live dimmer-free, with clarity, courage, and the freedom to change without stigma or shame. Her story started with realizing she was using alcohol to dim her life, but our focus is no alcohol. It's any number of things we engage with that dim our lives. Think of what you turn to when you have a moment of freedom. Instead of being fully present in the moment and taking in the beauties and glories and realness of life, you fill it with what? Social media? A book or podcast, whether entertainment or self-help. Just being productive and getting something done? Buying things? Food, entertainment, and even exercise can be the fillers. Anything and everything other than being fully present and clear. In this episode I dig in with Cecily on the topic. We don't even get into the specifics of her "Eight Awarenesses For Freedom from Unwanted Habits," so before we start, I want to give them to you: 1 My Life Is Better Clear 2 I Choose What I Consume 3 My Intuition Defines My Priorities 4 My Trauma Isn't My Identity  5 Forgiveness and Letting Go Are on the Path to Liberation   6 I Do Not Judge or Impose My Orientations Upon Others 7 Time Is Our Most Precious Currency 8 I Seek Ways to Support Others The book is Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses For Freedom from Unwanted Habits and you can connect with Cecily on Instagram @clearlifejourney Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheletta chats with her friends from NorthPoint Health & Wellness about their new mental health walk-in clinics.

Dimming your light to protect someone else's discomfort only keeps you small. And let's be honest — no one wins when women shrink themselves to stay relatable. Today, we dive into celebrating your wins without worrying about protecting other people's feelings. Your success doesn't take away from anyone else's. In fact, it shows what's possible. WORK WITH CHRISTINE: Buy my new book: Turn Impostor Syndrome Into Your Superpower Download: Consistent $10K Month Method Connect with Christine on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christinecorcoran_coach/ Book a Discovery Call with Christine here Join the waitlist for the next round of Unstoppable Sales HERE Join the waitlist for the next round of NEXT LEVEL Mastermind HERE Christine's website https://christinecorcoran.com.au/

This week on Dimming the Gaslight, we welcome back Jennifer — you'll remember her from Episode 113. Since then, her husband's NEx has been busy, and Jen is here to give us an unbelievable update on the chaos she's been dealing with.From the NEx stealing Jen's idea for a special Disneyland trip… to taking cheap shots about Jen's body… to even mocking a family member battling cancer — the shenanigans are somehow both shocking and painfully familiar.If you've ever found yourself screaming “OMG, ME TOO!” at this show, buckle up — Jen's story is going to hit home.Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit

The practice known as solar geoengineering, which has been discussed, and even experimented with as a way to fight alleged climate change, is back on the table.We'll discuss this topic and others in this episode of Crossroads.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Cecily Mak joins us to reveal how dimming behaviors—like overworking, numbing, or self-soothing—quiet our inner truth. As she unpacks her own journey, she shows how facing what we avoid grants clarity, emotional depth, and renewed choice. This is your invitation to learn about reclaiming presence, agency, and the vibrant edges of being fully alive.Working on Purpose is broadcast live Tuesdays at 6PM ET and Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). Working on Purpose is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).Working on Purpose Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-on-purpose--2643411/support.

Episode Title: Stop Dimming Your Light, How to Brighten Your Light – The ND Edition (Gen X Women)Host: Sonya JanisseDate: Oct 9, 2025Runtime: Approx. 25:00Note: There is about a one to two minute period of silence where my headphones needed to be recharged... just keeping it humanWatch the vidoe clip here https://youtu.be/3diruf9vXkY☕ Episode Summary: Your Light Is Not BrokenAre you a neurodivergent Gen X woman who feels utterly exhausted from constantly "performing normal"? Do you spend more energy masking than actually achieving? This episode is for the high-achieving woman who has spent decades using a dimmer switch on her own brilliance just to fit in.Join host, Sonya Janisse, for a candid, coffee-side chat where we dive into why masking is dimming your potential and, more importantly, we give you three neuro-friendly, practical actions to start turning that light back up—without burning out. Your success doesn't lie in how well you mimic others; it lies in how fully you embrace yourself.

Geoengineering isn't some far-off theory anymore—it's happening right now, and the fallout could be devastating. In this episode, we sit down with Dane Wigington, the lead researcher at GeoengineeringWatch.org, to dig into what's really going on with large-scale weather manipulation. From nanoparticle spraying to covert weather modification, Dane pulls back the curtain on practices that have been kept deliberately quiet, and forces us to ask some hard questions about who's behind it all and why. We also take a moment to honor Joyce Keller, a pioneering metaphysical teacher whose bravery and insight push us to face these tough realities. We get into the ripple effects of climate engineering—how it's affecting not just our environment but our collective psyche. The collapse of insect populations, the die-off of wildlife, the connections between geoengineering, 5G, and the chemicals flooding our food supply—it all starts to fit together. We challenge listeners to think critically about the power structures and widespread apathy that allow environmental destruction and profit-driven "disaster capitalism" to keep rolling. Later in the conversation, we explore the idea that Earth might be a living, conscious system that responds to the crises we've created. With methane levels climbing and echoes of ancient civilizations that might have crashed the same way, we wonder if we're just repeating old mistakes. Through personal stories and historical perspective, we make the case for a fundamental change in how we think—putting the planet's future ahead of short-term gains. The urgency is real. Like passengers on the Titanic, we can't ignore the warning signs: our fate is tied directly to the health of the Earth. Website Link: ------------------------------------ Standout Quotes “Climate engineering is weather warfare, but it's also biological and chemical warfare.” “We're on the planetary Titanic—plug the biggest hole in the boat or we all go down.” “Those in power are addicts—they don't care if the next fix kills them.” “Any one of us could be the final pebble to trigger the landslide of awakening.” --------------------------------- What People Can Do Wigington's key action step: Share credible data (like a link to The Dimming) with environmental writers, officials, and media. CC multiple awake activists to create “spot fires of awareness” and pressure for public acknowledgment. He quotes Mark Twain: “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” His philosophy: Even without a guaranteed happy ending, “we must fight for our children” like a parent saving a child from a burning house.  

This is a fan fav episode. Welcome to another power-packed episode homie! Today, we're breaking free from the 'Nice Girl' habits and stepping into the bad b*tch boots that prioritizes self-love and creating the life you want and deserve.  Award-winning singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, Dinah Jane, former member of the chart-topping group 5th Harmony, is joining us and sharing how she transformed her identity crisis into power and self-acceptance. Dinah underlines the importance of having pride in the woman you've become, without shame for the woman you were. We explore the struggle between suffering in silence to please others, or standing up for oneself. Dinah shares her painful experience of diminishing herself for the wrong partner, and reveals how she escaped an unhealthy relationship and learned to be her own woman. Ladies, are you ready to shake off expectations from your family and society? Let's stop playing the 'Nice Girl', a path that leads to self-destruction, unnecessary pain, and abuse. This is your call to rise, speak out, and become the woman everyone respects.  DINAH JANE WISDOM: “I want to fall. I want to cry. I want to be imperfect, I don't want this perfect lifestyle.” “Are you going to continue to suffer? Or are you going to officially stand up for yourself and say I want this or I deserve this and change the verbage?” “Dimming myself for someone else is something I will never do to myself.” “I love me for me, whatever era I'm in.” “Sometimes I'm going to fall, and sometimes I'm not going to be perfect, but I'm always striving to be. When I make these mistakes I just know to get myself back up.” Original air date: 9-27-23 Follow Dinah Jane: Website: ⁠https://dinahjane.shop/⁠  Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/dinahjane⁠   Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dinahjane/⁠  Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/dinahjaneofficial/⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the breadth of Scripture, humanity encounters God, not only in the bright light of day, but when the shadows fall, and the world becomes still. At night, God keeps close, and we will not be left alone.

In this heartfelt solo episode of Mirror Talk: Soulful Conversations, we explore what it truly means to shine your light in a world that often feels dark, heavy, and discouraging. Too often, we dim our brilliance to fit in, to be accepted, or to avoid making others uncomfortable. But your light — your voice, your gifts, your essence — was never meant to be hidden.Through powerful real-life stories of Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, and Mister Rogers, you'll discover the courage it takes to shine authentically, and the ripple effects it creates when you do. You'll also learn practical ways to:Stop apologising for who you are.Use your unique light to serve others.Protect your flame from negativity and burnout.Remember: even a small light has the power to break through the darkest night. It's time to step out of the shadows, stop shrinking, and embrace your brilliance unapologetically. Because the world needs your light — and it needs it now.CONFESSIONS is now available: https://mirrortalkpodcast.com/confessions-book/ Thank you for joining me on this MIRROR TALK podcast journey. Please subscribe to any platform and remember to leave a review and rating.Stay connected: https://linktr.ee/mirrortalkpodcast More inspiring episodes and show notes are here: https://mirrortalkpodcast.com/podcast-episodes/ Your opinions, thoughts, suggestions, and comments are important to us. Share them here: https://mirrortalkpodcast.com/your-opinion-matters/ Support us by becoming a Patron. Please consider subscribing to one or more of our offerings at http://patreon.com/MirrorTalk All proceeds will help enhance the quality of our work and outreach, enabling us to serve you better.We use and trust these podcasting tools, software, and gear. We've partnered with amazing platforms to give our Mirror Talk community exclusive deals and discounts: https://mirrortalkpodcast.com/mirror-talks-recommended-podcasting-tools-exclusive-discounts/ 

What does it take to bet everything on a dream? To live out of a van before it was fashionable, to commit to hard lines with no guarantee of success, and to walk away from risk when the stakes are too high?For Canadian climber Sonnie Trotter, it has always come down to conviction. From iconic ascents like Cobra Crack and The Path to bold multi-pitch routes on El Capitan, Sonnie has built a career — and a life — around the power of desire and the art of going all in.In this episode, Sonnie opens up about:The moment on Mount Stephen with Tommy Caldwell when he chose family over risk — and why that decision shaped his climbing life.What it means to reverse-engineer objectives, breaking down the impossible into repeatable steps that anyone can apply to sport, career, or life.The reality of van life with young kids — the chaos, the beauty, and the lessons in resilience.Why desire matters more than talent in chasing audacious goals.How sleep, recovery, and health now stand as his most important climbing priorities.This is not just a climbing story. It's a conversation about awe, identity, and how to keep your fire alive — whether you're chasing 5.14 cracks or simply trying to stay true to your path in midlife.Stay to the end: Sonnie shares his philosophy on legacy, why life is shorter than we think (in the most liberating sense), and how to pursue what matters with urgency and love.Sonnie's InstagramSonnie's book - Uplifted! ---

Panelists: Brian Norton, Josh Andrson, Belva Smith ATFAQ 200 – Q1. PDF Summarizer, Q2. Replace letters on keyboard, Q3. Light dimming overlays, Q4. Alternate apps for iModeling and BuzzCards, Q5. Wildcard: Most-used keyboard shortcut and what does it say about you?

Why would the air conditioning lose its strength? Solutions to key problems. Carburetor questions. Dash lights dimming. Why would an engine be shaking? The importance of fuel ventilation. Why would a car suddenly shut off at a stop sign? Differences in transmission. Do more cylinders in an engine make more noise? How to clean headlights. The ideal car for a new driver. Ask our car care expert Nick Stoffel of Lloyds Automotive. Visit lloydsautomotive.net 651-228-1316.

You don't lose people by shining too bright — you lose yourself by staying small. In today's episode, I'm sharing how I moved past the fear of being “too much” and what happened when I made one of the boldest asks of my career. Spoiler: she said YES. Here's the truth: your content isn't meant to convince the doubters. It's meant to call in the women who need your solution, your story, and your voice. The healthiest version of you is the most expressed version of you — the one who shines unapologetically and asks for more. Inside this conversation, you'll hear:✨ Why shining your light doesn't push people away — it attracts the right ones in.✨ The billion-dollar ask I made at Powerhouse Women and what it taught me.✨ Why rich women don't wait — they ASK, they DECIDE, they RECEIVE.✨ The exact reflection questions I'll be guiding you through inside The Big Ask Tapping Challenge. This is your moment to stop hiding and start asking for what you really want.

For centuries, America has been the land of opportunity for immigrants from every corner of the globe. But with our recent nativist turn on newcomers and America First agenda, recent polling from global surveys shows that America's beacon may be dimming in the eyes of others. We talk shifting opinions on America, and how China is benefitting.Then, we're bringing it back to local, with a discussion about barbershops, and more specifically, how barbershops double as spaces for many men to let down their guards. And we learn we have had a barber amidst us this whole time....Finally, we face a "not so fun" fact, which is that Neel, one of our student producers, is leaving us. We send him off in traditional Poll Hub fashion!

VIDEO PREMIERES August 11th, 2025: https://youtu.be/QAjVMSWSFKU?si=gvoczMn002NVqXtg August brings a HAUNTOMANTIK look toward a seachange for PRAGMAGICK PODCAST and https://wethehallowed.org subscribers. The first few August uploads will be re-purposed, edited, transmuted and mutated transmissions originally found through https://patreon.com/pragmagick as a way to catch this current up before brand new transmissions and major announcements... A major tide is churning, both above and below, for Revelator Rosz. Of course, it just so happens to idio-synch with Rosz's anarchic metaphysical and artistic praxis, HAUNTOMANCY, in that a forthcoming graphic primer / zine is due next month via the SOMATICK MAGICK initiative through WE THE HALLOWED. The Primer refines the years of HAUNTOMANCY work through HAUNT MANUAL into concise graphics that prelude the printed collection of writings. https://keatsross.substack.com "ALGOL," the true debut from REVELATOR ROSZ (not counting the cassette-only release of its proto-born "ROSZ AL GHUL" which you can purchase via https://wethehallowed.bandcamp.com) is also rearing its true reveal. The track used in this podcast edit is of "GHEISZT", a draft of the opening track from ALGOL. You can hear drafts, new mixes, and fleeting sonicks via soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/wdWvUNinQ1hCWarG5I REVELATOR∴ROSZ · GHEISZT ∴ Ectogaszmik Mix (Scratch Vocals / Rough Draft Lyriks) The track, "SONDER", is probably the closest to release ready and will most likely be the first single: https://on.soundcloud.com/d1qiUWbTaXoffI4wbb This first episode shares in the SPEKTRE of the sacred space, THE DIMMING ROOM, at the apex of its Cascadian iterations utility and creative fervor. Of course, three months ago didn't feel like anything outside of the normal hyper cast & conjure liminalstream for the newfound @hauntomancer imprint and "dead tech necromancy" specific media current. But now it makes perfect sense that it was the beginning of its rebirth. https://pandora.app.link/g4GL2FmAKVb PART 2 will explore the Aspektre's consistent punch of #draftmagick or the revelry outside the public eye, tinkering and toiling on the big projects that come. Largely recorded in bits and bops for patrons just 3 weeks ago... The intro and Patreon Thanks at the end was filmed and captured from VHS tape (thus intentional audio and video irregularities). HAUNT ON Consider supporting the many magicks through an upcoming heavy cosmick shift: ∴PATREON https://www.patreon.com/pragmagick ∴PAYPAL http://www.paypal.me/keatsross ∴KEATS ROSS http://keatsross.com ∴DAKOTA SLIM #audiomancy https://www.dakotaslim.bandcamp.com ∴WE THE HALLOWED #artcollective https://www.wethehallowed.org CONTACT: † E-mail praise, rewards and your government and/or employee benefits in solidarity with the struggle: PRAGMAGICK@GMAIL.COM c/o REVELATOR KEATS ROSZ

This week's archive episode focuses on the current holiday season. Enjoy!

Ever felt like you don't belong, like you're not good enough, or that you just got lucky? You're not alone; imposter syndrome is something many of us deal with, especially when stepping into new or bigger spaces. In this episode, we're breaking down what imposter syndrome is, why it shows up, and how to stop letting it hold you back. You'll walk away with practical tools to quiet that inner critic, own your achievements, and stop dimming your light.

Can we really control the weather? Are weather disasters really natural or are they engineered? What is Weather Manipulation?In this explosive interview on Resilient Times, Chad Robichaux is joined by Dane Wigington, founder of GeoEngineeringWatch.org, to expose what he calls "the elephant in the sky." From cloud seeding to climate manipulation and HAARP, this conversation dives deep into geoengineering, the hidden war being waged over our weather, and the toxic consequences we all face.Wigington shares hard data, whistleblower insights, and government documents that suggest massive weather alteration programs are not only real they're unregulated, weaponized, and already reshaping our planet.Watch "The Dimming": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf78rEAJvhYLearn More about Dane's work with GeoEngineering Watch: https://geoengineeringwatch.org/Share this video if you believe the public deserves to know the truth._________Stay up-to-date with all things Resilient by subscribing to our Resilient Times Newsletter: https://resilienttimes.substack.comCheck Out Resilient Times on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheResilientTimesRESILIENT:Follow Us On Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/TheResilientShowFollow Us On Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/resilientshow/Follow Us On Twitter:⁠ https://x.com/resilientshowFollow Us On TikTok:⁠ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@resilientshowLIVE RESILIENT STORE:https://theresilientshow.com/live-resilient-store/Follow Chad: https://www.instagram.com/chadrobo_official/⁠⁠https://x.com/ChadRobo

If you've ever felt like you're “too much” or “not enough,” you're not alone. In this live hotseat coaching session, we go deep into the root of shame, sensitivity, and why you learned to dim your light.  NEW Free course to show you how to raise your level of consciousness and heal the past with breath work ceremony and meditation practice here: https://www.theshiftexperience.com/hv-starter-kit-2

They were three adrenaline-fueled teenage boys, unleashed in the immense underground system connecting to Mammoth Cave. With them was their Uncle Frank, a veteran caver familiar with these parts. He knew the drop-offs and danger spots and continually called to the three, “Guys, this way!” Still, they ventured ever farther from him. Dimming his headlamp, Uncle Frank decided to remain silent. Soon, the boys realized they’d lost their guide. Panic-stricken, they yelled his name. No response. Finally, they saw his headlamp flicker to life in the distance. Instant relief and peace! Now they were ready to follow their guide. This true story makes an apt parable for how we can treat the gift of the Holy Spirit. Detours lure us away from the voice that calls us to follow the One who said, “Follow me” (Matthew 16:24). That voice is the Holy Spirit, who dwells inside each child of God (Acts 2:38–39). God’s Spirit will never abandon us, but we can ignore Him. The apostle Paul warns, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Instead, “Rejoice always, pray continually,” and “give thanks in all circumstances” (vv. 16–18). By doing so, we stay close to our guide, “the God of peace,” who can keep us “blameless” (v. 23). It’s not our work that does it. It’s His. As Paul reminds us, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (v. 24).

More than 170 people are missing after the floods in central Texas, and rescue workers are getting less hopeful. Sources say Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth paused weapon shipments to Ukraine without telling the White House. President Donald Trump has announced new copper tariffs. Climate change made a recent heatwave even more deadly. Plus, we'll tell you why disability advocates are praising a new Barbie doll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you feel like there is more you have to share than you've been putting out there? It was at the age of 30 that I started to come into my own awareness around this and began the long and deep journey of untangling it. Of coming back into my own essence and seeking ways to express it. To meet myself in my purpose and create the life I really want to live - which can only happen when we come home to ourselves. And that is what we're talking about today. My guest, Eva Simone is a High-Frequency Feminine Mentor & Coach and helps women connect with and embody their Divine Feminine and she is the founder of Embodiment Is Everything. She shares her own story with us about how she went from living under these layers that we've created to keep ourselves safe but that also keep us in pain and strain, and how she got curious to begin to awaken to her feminine power. We'll learn how to begin to slow down and invite ourselves back in so that we can embrace and embody the parts of us that let us shine and let us find the flow. And when we can step into flow, it opens up all the possibilities. The world is a hustled place - but we can choose another way to create our abundance and do business and bring back the lightness and joy that I know is possible. So let's dive in.In this episode, you'll learn:How Eva defines the "Divine Feminine"How to untangle learned belief systems & come back to your truthHow hustle-culture can perpetuate scarcity mentality & lead to Burn-outHow divine feminine energy can help guide us back to balanceLinks:Activate Your Passion with Podcasting Visit: https://www.boss-goddess.co IG: @boss_goddess.co IG:@bossgoddessbarsi Pinterest: @bossgoddessbarsi More From Eva Simone:Visit: https://www.embodimentiseverything.com/Listen on Spotify: Feminine Power: The She-Volution PodcastWatch on Youtube: Embodiment Is EverythingIG: @evasimonecoachingLinkedIn: @evasimoneMore episodes on this topic:Embracing Feminine Leadership: Celebrating Success & Preventing Burnout w/ Lisa Malia NormanWhy It's NEVER Too Late To Find Your Light w/ Jo Ann RichardsThe KEY To Awakening Your Soul & Power w/ Christian De La HuertaThank you so much for listening! If you loved this episode, please consider becoming a follower on Apple Podcasts by clicking the plus + sign or become a...

Welcome back to Part 2 of our transformative conversation with April Mason on "Women of Impact." In this half, Lisa and April dive into the essential traits every woman needs to master her self-worth, set boundaries, and stop settling for less—from respecting your own time to building individuality, authenticity, and uncompromising standards in relationships. April breaks down her 24 core traits for feminine self-mastery, illustrating how deep self-respect not only influences the dating world but ripples out into parenting, career, and personal fulfillment. April unpacks the often-overlooked superpowers of sensitivity, warmth, and charisma, guiding listeners to reconnect with their bodies and heal deep-rooted trauma. There's an honest look at the struggle of putting your own name on the "building," literally and figuratively, and the ongoing work that real change requires. April and Lisa share actionable ideas for cultivating self-ownership and internal validation, putting the power back in your own hands for love, business, and life itself. If you're ready to take practical steps toward your next level, this is your blueprint. SHOWNOTES 24:05 April's 3-Step Approach to Triggers (Recap) 28:14 Respect: The #1 Trait and Why Women Struggle to Own It 29:33 Respecting Your Own Time, Commitments, and Boundaries 34:01 Individuality as the Root of Confidence and Relationship Success 35:23 Why Women Lose Their Uniqueness and How to Reclaim It 37:05 Navigating Criticism, People-Pleasing, and Staying True to Yourself 40:02 The “Dripping Effect”: Why Early Red Flags Escalate Over Time 41:53 How to Cultivate a ‘Husband-Quality' Pool—and Weed Out the Wrong Ones 43:32 The Four Pillars of Womanhood: Femininity, Spirituality, Sensuality, Wisdom 44:03 The Power and Purpose of Sensitivity (Not Unbotheredness) 46:44 Recognizing and Healing Nervous System Trauma 47:27 Daily Self-Check-Ins for Emotional Awareness 47:47 The Value of Charisma and Why Women Need It 48:43 April's Story: Putting Her Name on the Building and Overcoming Fear 54:01 The Ongoing Work of Healing and Self-Ownership 59:32 Compassion, Boundaries, and Avoiding Over-Giving 1:00:41 Where to Learn More: All Things Feminine Social Club FOLLOW APRIL MASON: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaprilmason/ Website: https://allthingsfeminine.com CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to ⁠https://www.vitalproteins.com⁠ and entering promo code WOI at check out.  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at ⁠https://shopify.com/lisa⁠ BIOptimizers: Head to⁠ https://bioptimizers.com/impact ⁠and use code IMPACT for 10% off.  OneSkin: Get 15% off with code LISA at ⁠https://oneskin.co ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Bilyeu sits down with April Mason—femininity coach, relationship strategist, and founder of the All Things Feminine Social Club—to dig deep into the art of commanding respect without losing your cool or sacrificing your dignity. April brings two decades of experience helping women and men transform their approach to love, self-worth, and personal agency. In this first half, April shares practical strategies for navigating relationship challenges, outlining how women can tune into their bodies, avoid fruitless arguments, and make empowered decisions about alignment in love and life. Lisa and April pull back the curtain on April's personal journey from self-described “man eater” to a woman comfortable in her own skin, weaving tales of hard-won lessons and transformation. April explains the importance of distinguishing between intuition and fear, how to spot red flags (and why so many of us are drawn to them), and the critical first steps women must take to get out of the pattern of negotiating their self-worth. SHOWNOTES 00:00 Commanding Respect Without Losing Your Cool 00:48 Healing, Nervous System, and Knowing When to Step Back 02:39 Why April Never Has “The Talk” About Relationships 03:53 How Men Show Their Intentions—And Why You Shouldn't Have to Ask 05:28 Subtle Techniques for Effective Communication with Men 07:13 Why April Stopped Working Primarily with Women 10:11 From “Man Eater” to Authenticity: April's Journey 13:29 Why Women Don't Ask for What They Want (April's “Steps Story”) 14:44 Chivalry and the Power of Asking for Help 14:51 Navigating Fear vs. Intuition in Relationships 16:36 The Appeal of Emotionally Unavailable Men—And How to Grow Beyond It 18:55 Recognizing Red and Green Flags (and How Inner Work Changes Your Choices) 23:21 How Childhood Wounds Get Triggered in Dating 23:29 April's 3-Step Trigger Response Model: Assess, Accept, Decide FOLLOW APRIL MASON: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaprilmason/ Website: https://allthingsfeminine.com CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to ⁠https://www.vitalproteins.com⁠ and entering promo code WOI at check out.  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at ⁠https://shopify.com/lisa⁠ BIOptimizers: Head to⁠ https://bioptimizers.com/impact ⁠and use code IMPACT for 10% off.  OneSkin: Get 15% off with code LISA at ⁠https://oneskin.co ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For those who haven't heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” by Fairport Convention, and the intertwining careers of Joe Boyd, Sandy Denny, and Richard Thompson. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a forty-one-minute bonus episode available, on Judy Collins’ version of this song. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by editing, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Erratum For about an hour this was uploaded with the wrong Elton John clip in place of “Saturday Sun”. This has now been fixed. Resources Because of the increasing problems with Mixcloud’s restrictions, I have decided to start sharing streaming playlists of the songs used in episodes instead of Mixcloud ones. This Tunemymusic link will let you listen to the playlist I created on your streaming platform of choice — however please note that not all the songs excerpted are currently available on streaming. The songs missing from the Tidal version are “Shanten Bells” by the Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” by A.L. Lloyd, two by Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, three by Elton John & Linda Peters, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow” by Sandy Denny and “You Never Know” by Charlie Drake, but the other fifty-nine are there. Other songs may be missing from other services. The main books I used on Fairport Convention as a whole were Patrick Humphries' Meet On The Ledge, Clinton Heylin's What We Did Instead of Holidays, and Kevan Furbank's Fairport Convention on Track. Rob Young's Electric Eden is the most important book on the British folk-rock movement. Information on Richard Thompson comes from Patrick Humphries' Richard Thompson: Strange Affair and Thompson's own autobiography Beeswing.  Information on Sandy Denny comes from Clinton Heylin's No More Sad Refrains and Mick Houghton's I've Always Kept a Unicorn. I also used Joe Boyd's autobiography White Bicycles and Chris Blackwell's The Islander.  And this three-CD set is the best introduction to Fairport's music currently in print. Transcript Before we begin, this episode contains reference to alcohol and cocaine abuse and medical neglect leading to death. It also starts with some discussion of the fatal car accident that ended last episode. There’s also some mention of child neglect and spousal violence. If that’s likely to upset you, you might want to skip this episode or read the transcript. One of the inspirations for this podcast when I started it back in 2018 was a project by Richard Thompson, which appears (like many things in Thompson’s life) to have started out of sheer bloody-mindedness. In 1999 Playboy magazine asked various people to list their “songs of the Millennium”, and most of them, understanding the brief, chose a handful of songs from the latter half of the twentieth century. But Thompson determined that he was going to list his favourite songs *of the millennium*. He didn’t quite manage that, but he did cover seven hundred and forty years, and when Playboy chose not to publish it, he decided to turn it into a touring show, in which he covered all his favourite songs from “Sumer Is Icumen In” from 1260: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Sumer is Icumen In”] Through numerous traditional folk songs, union songs like “Blackleg Miner”, pieces by early-modern composers, Victorian and Edwardian music hall songs, and songs by the Beatles, the Ink Spots, the Kinks, and the Who, all the way to “Oops! I Did It Again”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Oops! I Did it Again”] And to finish the show, and to show how all this music actually ties together, he would play what he described as a “medieval tune from Brittany”, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”] We have said many times in this podcast that there is no first anything, but there’s a reason that Liege and Lief, Fairport Convention’s third album of 1969, and the album other than Unhalfbricking on which their reputation largely rests, was advertised with the slogan “The first (literally) British folk rock album ever”. Folk-rock, as the term had come to be known, and as it is still usually used today, had very little to do with traditional folk music. Rather, the records of bands like The Byrds or Simon and Garfunkel were essentially taking the sounds of British beat groups of the early sixties, particularly the Searchers, and applying those sounds to material by contemporary singer-songwriters. People like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan had come up through folk clubs, and their songs were called folk music because of that, but they weren’t what folk music had meant up to that point — songs that had been collected after being handed down through the folk process, changed by each individual singer, with no single identifiable author. They were authored songs by very idiosyncratic writers. But over their last few albums, Fairport Convention had done one or two tracks per album that weren’t like that, that were instead recordings of traditional folk songs, but arranged with rock instrumentation. They were not necessarily the first band to try traditional folk music with electric instruments — around the same time that Fairport started experimenting with the idea, so did an Irish band named Sweeney’s Men, who brought in a young electric guitarist named Henry McCullough briefly. But they do seem to have been the first to have fully embraced the idea. They had done so to an extent with “A Sailor’s Life” on Unhalfbricking, but now they were going to go much further: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves” (from about 4:30)] There had been some doubt as to whether Fairport Convention would even continue to exist — by the time Unhalfbricking, their second album of the year, was released, they had been through the terrible car accident that had killed Martin Lamble, the band’s drummer, and Jeannie Franklyn, Richard Thompson’s girlfriend. Most of the rest of the band had been seriously injured, and they had made a conscious decision not to discuss the future of the band until they were all out of hospital. Ashley Hutchings was hospitalised the longest, and Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, and Sandy Denny, the other three surviving members of the band, flew over to LA with their producer and manager, Joe Boyd, to recuperate there and get to know the American music scene. When they came back, the group all met up in the flat belonging to Denny’s boyfriend Trevor Lucas, and decided that they were going to continue the band. They made a few decisions then — they needed a new drummer, and as well as a drummer they wanted to get in Dave Swarbrick. Swarbrick had played violin on several tracks on Unhalfbricking as a session player, and they had all been thrilled to work with him. Swarbrick was one of the most experienced musicians on the British folk circuit. He had started out in the fifties playing guitar with Beryl Marriott’s Ceilidh Band before switching to fiddle, and in 1963, long before Fairport had formed, he had already appeared on TV with the Ian Campbell Folk Group, led by Ian Campbell, the father of Ali and Robin Campbell, later of UB40: [Excerpt: The Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Shanten Bells (medley on Hullaballoo!)”] He’d sung with Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd: [Excerpt: A.L. Lloyd, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” ] And he’d formed his hugely successful duo with Martin Carthy, releasing records like “Byker Hill” which are often considered among the best British folk music of all time: [Excerpt: Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick, “Byker Hill”] By the time Fairport had invited him to play on Unhalfbricking, Swarbrick had already performed on twenty albums as a core band member, plus dozens more EPs, singles, and odd tracks on compilations. They had no reason to think they could actually get him to join their band. But they had three advantages. The first was that Swarbrick was sick of the traditional folk scene at the time, saying later “I didn’t like seven-eighths of the people involved in it, and it was extremely opportune to leave. I was suddenly presented with the possibilities of exploring the dramatic content of the songs to the full.” The second was that he was hugely excited to be playing with Richard Thompson, who was one of the most innovative guitarists of his generation, and Martin Carthy remembers him raving about Thompson after their initial sessions. (Carthy himself was and is no slouch on the guitar of course, and there was even talk of getting him to join the band at this point, though they decided against it — much to the relief of rhythm guitarist Simon Nicol, who is a perfectly fine player himself but didn’t want to be outclassed by *two* of the best guitarists in Britain at the same time). And the third was that Joe Boyd told him that Fairport were doing so well — they had a single just about to hit the charts with “Si Tu Dois Partir” — that he would only have to play a dozen gigs with Fairport in order to retire. As it turned out, Swarbrick would play with the group for a decade, and would never retire — I saw him on his last tour in 2015, only eight months before he died. The drummer the group picked was also a far more experienced musician than any of the rest, though in a very different genre. Dave Mattacks had no knowledge at all of the kind of music they played, having previously been a player in dance bands. When asked by Hutchings if he wanted to join the band, Mattacks’ response was “I don’t know anything about the music. I don’t understand it… I can’t tell one tune from another, they all sound the same… but if you want me to join the group, fine, because I really like it. I’m enjoying myself musically.” Mattacks brought a new level of professionalism to the band, thanks to his different background. Nicol said of him later “He was dilligent, clean, used to taking three white shirts to a gig… The application he could bring to his playing was amazing. With us, you only played well when you were feeling well.” This distinction applied to his playing as well. Nicol would later describe the difference between Mattacks’ drumming and Lamble’s by saying “Martin’s strength was as an imaginative drummer. DM came in with a strongly developed sense of rhythm, through keeping a big band of drunken saxophone players in order. A great time-keeper.” With this new line-up and a new sense of purpose, the group did as many of their contemporaries were doing and “got their heads together in the country”. Joe Boyd rented the group a mansion, Farley House, in Farley Chamberlayne, Hampshire, and they stayed there together for three months. At the start, the group seem to have thought that they were going to make another record like Unhalfbricking, with some originals, some songs by American songwriters, and a few traditional songs. Even after their stay in Farley Chamberlayne, in fact, they recorded a few of the American songs they’d rehearsed at the start of the process, Richard Farina’s “Quiet Joys of Brotherhood” and Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn’s “Ballad of Easy Rider”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Ballad of Easy Rider”] Indeed, the whole idea of “getting our heads together in the country” (as the cliche quickly became in the late sixties as half of the bands in Britain went through much the same kind of process as Fairport were doing — but usually for reasons more to do with drug burnout or trend following than recovering from serious life-changing trauma) seems to have been inspired by Bob Dylan and the Band getting together in Big Pink. But very quickly they decided to follow the lead of Ashley Hutchings, who had had something of a Damascene conversion to the cause of traditional English folk music. They were listening mostly to Music From Big Pink by the Band, and to the first album by Sweeney’s Men: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “The Handsome Cabin Boy”] And they decided that they were going to make something that was as English as those records were North American and Irish (though in the event there were also a few Scottish songs included on the record). Hutchings in particular was becoming something of a scholar of traditional music, regularly visiting Cecil Sharp House and having long conversations with A.L. Lloyd, discovering versions of different traditional songs he’d never encountered before. This was both amusing and bemusing Sandy Denny, who had joined a rock group in part to get away from traditional music; but she was comfortable singing the material, and knew a lot of it and could make a lot of suggestions herself. Swarbrick obviously knew the repertoire intimately, and Nicol was amenable, while Mattacks was utterly clueless about the folk tradition at this point but knew this was the music he wanted to make. Thompson knew very little about traditional music, and of all the band members except Denny he was the one who has shown the least interest in the genre in his subsequent career — but as we heard at the beginning, showing the least interest in the genre is a relative thing, and while Thompson was not hugely familiar with the genre, he *was* able to work with it, and was also more than capable of writing songs that fit in with the genre. Of the eleven songs on the album, which was titled Liege and Lief (which means, roughly, Lord and Loyalty), there were no cover versions of singer-songwriters. Eight were traditional songs, and three were originals, all written in the style of traditional songs. The album opened with “Come All Ye”, an introduction written by Denny and Hutchings (the only time the two would ever write together): [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Come All Ye”] The other two originals were songs where Thompson had written new lyrics to traditional melodies. On “Crazy Man Michael”, Swarbrick had said to Thompson that the tune to which he had set his new words was weaker than the lyrics, to which Thompson had replied that if Swarbrick felt that way he should feel free to write a new melody. He did, and it became the first of the small number of Thompson/Swarbrick collaborations: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Crazy Man Michael”] Thompson and Swarbrick would become a brief songwriting team, but as much as anything else it was down to proximity — the two respected each other as musicians, but never got on very well. In 1981 Swarbrick would say “Richard and I never got on in the early days of FC… we thought we did, but we never did. We composed some bloody good songs together, but it was purely on a basis of “you write that and I’ll write this, and we’ll put it together.” But we never sat down and had real good chats.” The third original on the album, and by far the most affecting, is another song where Thompson put lyrics to a traditional tune. In this case he thought he was putting the lyrics to the tune of “Willie O'Winsbury”, but he was basing it on a recording by Sweeney’s Men. The problem was that Sweeney’s Men had accidentally sung the lyrics of “Willie O'Winsbury'” to the tune of a totally different song, “Fause Foodrage”: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “Willie O’Winsbury”] Thompson took that melody, and set to it lyrics about loss and separation. Thompson has never been one to discuss the meanings of his lyrics in any great detail, and in the case of this one has said “I really don't know what it means. This song came out of a dream, and I pretty much wrote it as I dreamt it (it was the sixties), and didn't spend very long analyzing it. So interpret as you wish – or replace with your own lines.” But in the context of the traffic accident that had killed his tailor girlfriend and a bandmate, and injured most of his other bandmates, the lyrics about lonely travellers, the winding road, bruised and beaten sons, saying goodbye, and never cutting cloth, seem fairly self-explanatory: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Farewell, Farewell”] The rest of the album, though, was taken up by traditional tunes. There was a long medley of four different fiddle reels; a version of “Reynardine” (a song about a seductive man — or is he a fox? Or perhaps both — which had been recorded by Swarbrick and Carthy on their most recent album); a 19th century song about a deserter saved from the firing squad by Prince Albert; and a long take on “Tam Lin”, one of the most famous pieces in the Scottish folk music canon, a song that has been adapted in different ways by everyone from the experimental noise band Current 93 to the dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah to the comics writer Grant Morrison: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Tam Lin”] And “Matty Groves”, a song about a man killing his cheating wife and her lover, which actually has a surprisingly similar story to that of “1921” from another great concept album from that year, the Who’s Tommy. “Matty Groves” became an excuse for long solos and shows of instrumental virtuosity: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves”] The album was recorded in September 1969, after their return from their break in the country and a triumphal performance at the Royal Festival Hall, headlining over fellow Witchseason artists John and Beverly Martyn and Nick Drake. It became a classic of the traditional folk genre — arguably *the* classic of the traditional folk genre. In 2007 BBC Radio 2’s Folk Music Awards gave it an award for most influential folk album of all time, and while such things are hard to measure, I doubt there’s anyone with even the most cursory knowledge of British folk and folk-rock music who would not at least consider that a reasonable claim. But once again, by the time the album came out in November, the band had changed lineups yet again. There was a fundamental split in the band – on one side were Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, whose stance was, roughly, that Liege and Lief was a great experiment and a fun thing to do once, but really the band had two first-rate songwriters in themselves, and that they should be concentrating on their own new material, not doing these old songs, good as they were. They wanted to take the form of the traditional songs and use that form for new material — they wanted to make British folk-rock, but with the emphasis on the rock side of things. Hutchings, on the other hand, was equally sure that he wanted to make traditional music and go further down the rabbit hole of antiquity. With the zeal of the convert he had gone in a couple of years from being the leader of a band who were labelled “the British Jefferson Airplane” to becoming a serious scholar of traditional folk music. Denny was tired of touring, as well — she wanted to spend more time at home with Trevor Lucas, who was sleeping with other women when she was away and making her insecure. When the time came for the group to go on a tour of Denmark, Denny decided she couldn’t make it, and Hutchings was jubilant — he decided he was going to get A.L. Lloyd into the band in her place and become a *real* folk group. Then Denny reconsidered, and Hutchings was crushed. He realised that while he had always been the leader, he wasn’t going to be able to lead the band any further in the traditionalist direction, and quit the group — but not before he was delegated by the other band members to fire Denny. Until the publication of Richard Thompson’s autobiography in 2022, every book on the group or its members said that Denny quit the band again, which was presumably a polite fiction that the band agreed, but according to Thompson “Before we flew home, we decided to fire Sandy. I don't remember who asked her to leave – it was probably Ashley, who usually did the dirty work. She was reportedly shocked that we would take that step. She may have been fragile beneath the confident facade, but she still knew her worth.” Thompson goes on to explain that the reasons for kicking her out were that “I suppose we felt that in her mind she had already left” and that “We were probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, though there wasn't a name for it back then.” They had considered inviting Trevor Lucas to join the band to make Denny more comfortable, but came to the (probably correct) conclusion that while he was someone they got on well with personally, he would be another big ego in a band that already had several, and that being around Denny and Lucas’ volatile relationship would, in Thompson’s phrasing, “have not always given one a feeling of peace and stability.” Hutchings originally decided he was going to join Sweeney’s Men, but that group were falling apart, and their first rehearsal with Hutchings would also be their last as a group, with only Hutchings and guitarist and mandolin player Terry Woods left in the band. They added Woods’ wife Gay, and another couple, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior, and formed a group called Steeleye Span, a name given them by Martin Carthy. That group, like Fairport, went to “get their heads together in the country” for three months and recorded an album of electric versions of traditional songs, Hark the Village Wait, on which Mattacks and another drummer, Gerry Conway, guested as Steeleye Span didn’t at the time have their own drummer: [Excerpt: Steeleye Span, “Blackleg Miner”] Steeleye Span would go on to have a moderately successful chart career in the seventies, but by that time most of the original lineup, including Hutchings, had left — Hutchings stayed with them for a few albums, then went on to form the first of a series of bands, all called the Albion Band or variations on that name, which continue to this day. And this is something that needs to be pointed out at this point — it is impossible to follow every single individual in this narrative as they move between bands. There is enough material in the history of the British folk-rock scene that someone could do a 500 Songs-style podcast just on that, and every time someone left Fairport, or Steeleye Span, or the Albion Band, or Matthews’ Southern Comfort, or any of the other bands we have mentioned or will mention, they would go off and form another band which would then fission, and some of its members would often join one of those other bands. There was a point in the mid-1970s where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport Convention while Fairport Convention had none. So just in order to keep the narrative anything like wieldy, I’m going to keep the narrative concentrated on the two figures from Fairport — Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson — whose work outside the group has had the most influence on the wider world of rock music more broadly, and only deal with the other members when, as they often did, their careers intersected with those two. That doesn’t mean the other members are not themselves hugely important musicians, just that their importance has been primarily to the folk side of the folk-rock genre, and so somewhat outside the scope of this podcast. While Hutchings decided to form a band that would allow him to go deeper and deeper into traditional folk music, Sandy Denny’s next venture was rather different. For a long time she had been writing far more songs than she had ever played for her bandmates, like “Nothing More”, a song that many have suggested is about Thompson: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Nothing More”] When Joe Boyd heard that Denny was leaving Fairport Convention, he was at first elated. Fairport’s records were being distributed by A&M in the US at that point, but Island Records was in the process of opening up a new US subsidiary which would then release all future Fairport product — *but*, as far as A&M were concerned, Sandy Denny *was* Fairport Convention. They were only interested in her. Boyd, on the other hand, loved Denny’s work intensely, but from his point of view *Richard Thompson* was Fairport Convention. If he could get Denny signed directly to A&M as a solo artist before Island started its US operations, Witchseason could get a huge advance on her first solo record, while Fairport could continue making records for Island — he’d have two lucrative acts, on different labels. Boyd went over and spoke to A&M and got an agreement in principle that they would give Denny a forty-thousand-dollar advance on her first solo album — twice what they were paying for Fairport albums. The problem was that Denny didn’t want to be a solo act. She wanted to be the lead singer of a band. She gave many reasons for this — the one she gave to many journalists was that she had seen a Judy Collins show and been impressed, but noticed that Collins’ band were definitely a “backing group”, and as she put it “But that's all they were – a backing group. I suddenly thought, If you're playing together on a stage you might as well be TOGETHER.” Most other people in her life, though, say that the main reason for her wanting to be in a band was her desire to be with her boyfriend, Trevor Lucas. Partly this was due to a genuine desire to spend more time with someone with whom she was very much in love, partly it was a fear that he would cheat on her if she was away from him for long periods of time, and part of it seems to have been Lucas’ dislike of being *too* overshadowed by his talented girlfriend — he didn’t mind acknowledging that she was a major talent, but he wanted to be thought of as at least a minor one. So instead of going solo, Denny formed Fotheringay, named after the song she had written for Fairport. This new band consisted at first of Denny on vocals and occasional piano, Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Lucas’ old Eclection bandmate Gerry Conway on drums. For a lead guitarist, they asked Richard Thompson who the best guitarist in Britain was, and he told them Albert Lee. Lee in turn brought in bass player Pat Donaldson, but this lineup of the band barely survived a fortnight. Lee *was* arguably the best guitarist in Britain, certainly a reasonable candidate if you could ever have a singular best (as indeed was Thompson himself), but he was the best *country* guitarist in Britain, and his style simply didn’t fit with Fotheringay’s folk-influenced songs. He was replaced by American guitarist Jerry Donahue, who was not anything like as proficient as Lee, but who was still very good, and fit the band’s style much better. The new group rehearsed together for a few weeks, did a quick tour, and then went into the recording studio to record their debut, self-titled, album. Joe Boyd produced the album, but admitted himself that he only paid attention to those songs he considered worthwhile — the album contained one song by Lucas, “The Ballad of Ned Kelly”, and two cover versions of American singer-songwriter material with Lucas singing lead. But everyone knew that the songs that actually *mattered* were Sandy Denny’s, and Boyd was far more interested in them, particularly the songs “The Sea” and “The Pond and the Stream”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “The Pond and the Stream”] Fotheringay almost immediately hit financial problems, though. While other Witchseason acts were used to touring on the cheap, all packed together in the back of a Transit van with inexpensive equipment, Trevor Lucas had ambitions of being a rock star and wanted to put together a touring production to match, with expensive transport and equipment, including a speaker system that got nicknamed “Stonehenge” — but at the same time, Denny was unhappy being on the road, and didn’t play many gigs. As well as the band itself, the Fotheringay album also featured backing vocals from a couple of other people, including Denny’s friend Linda Peters. Peters was another singer from the folk clubs, and a good one, though less well-known than Denny — at this point she had only released a couple of singles, and those singles seemed to have been as much as anything else released as a novelty. The first of those, a version of Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” had been released as by “Paul McNeill and Linda Peters”: [Excerpt: Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”] But their second single, a version of John D. Loudermilk’s “You’re Taking My Bag”, was released on the tiny Page One label, owned by Larry Page, and was released under the name “Paul and Linda”, clearly with the intent of confusing particularly gullible members of the record-buying public into thinking this was the McCartneys: [Excerpt: Paul and Linda, “You’re Taking My Bag”] Peters was though more financially successful than almost anyone else in this story, as she was making a great deal of money as a session singer. She actually did another session involving most of Fotheringay around this time. Witchseason had a number of excellent songwriters on its roster, and had had some success getting covers by people like Judy Collins, but Joe Boyd thought that they might possibly do better at getting cover versions if they were performed in less idiosyncratic arrangements. Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway went into the studio to record backing tracks, and vocals were added by Peters and another session singer, who according to some sources also provided piano. They cut songs by Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “You Get Brighter”] Ed Carter, formerly of The New Nadir but by this time firmly ensconced in the Beach Boys’ touring band where he would remain for the next quarter-century: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “I Don’t Mind”] John and Beverly Martyn, and Nick Drake: [Excerpt: Elton John, “Saturday Sun”] There are different lineups of musicians credited for those sessions in different sources, but I tend to believe that it’s mostly Fotheringay for the simple reason that Donahue says it was him, Donaldson and Conway who talked Lucas and Denny into the mistake that destroyed Fotheringay because of these sessions. Fotheringay were in financial trouble already, spending far more money than they were bringing in, but their album made the top twenty and they were getting respect both from critics and from the public — in September, Sandy Denny was voted best British female singer by the readers of Melody Maker in their annual poll, which led to shocked headlines in the tabloids about how this “unknown” could have beaten such big names as Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black. Only a couple of weeks after that, they were due to headline at the Albert Hall. It should have been a triumph. But Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway had asked that singing pianist to be their support act. As Donahue said later “That was a terrible miscast. It was our fault. He asked if [he] could do it. Actually Pat, Gerry and I had to talk Sandy and Trevor into [it]… We'd done these demos and the way he was playing – he was a wonderful piano player – he was sensitive enough. We knew very little about his stage-show. We thought he'd be a really good opener for us.” Unfortunately, Elton John was rather *too* good. As Donahue continued “we had no idea what he had in mind, that he was going to do the most incredible rock & roll show ever. He pretty much blew us off the stage before we even got on the stage.” To make matters worse, Fotheringay’s set, which was mostly comprised of new material, was underrehearsed and sloppy, and from that point on no matter what they did people were counting the hours until the band split up. They struggled along for a while though, and started working on a second record, with Boyd again producing, though as Boyd later said “I probably shouldn't have been producing the record. My lack of respect for the group was clear, and couldn't have helped the atmosphere. We'd put out a record that had sold disappointingly, A&M was unhappy. Sandy's tracks on the first record are among the best things she ever did – the rest of it, who cares? And the artwork, Trevor's sister, was terrible. It would have been one thing if I'd been unhappy with it and it sold, and the group was working all the time, making money, but that wasn't the case … I knew what Sandy was capable of, and it was very upsetting to me.” The record would not be released for thirty-eight years: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Wild Mountain Thyme”] Witchseason was going badly into debt. Given all the fissioning of bands that we’ve already been talking about, Boyd had been stretched thin — he produced sixteen albums in 1970, and almost all of them lost money for the company. And he was getting more and more disillusioned with the people he was producing. He loved Beverly Martyn’s work, but had little time for her abusive husband John, who was dominating her recording and life more and more and would soon become a solo artist while making her stay at home (and stealing her ideas without giving her songwriting credit). The Incredible String Band were great, but they had recently converted to Scientology, which Boyd found annoying, and while he was working with all sorts of exciting artists like Vashti Bunyan and Nico, he was finding himself less and less important to the artists he mentored. Fairport Convention were a good example of this. After Denny and Hutchings had left the group, they’d decided to carry on as an electric folk group, performing an equal mix of originals by the Swarbrick and Thompson songwriting team and arrangements of traditional songs. The group were now far enough away from the “British Jefferson Airplane” label that they decided they didn’t need a female vocalist — and more realistically, while they’d been able to replace Judy Dyble, nobody was going to replace Sandy Denny. Though it’s rather surprising when one considers Thompson’s subsequent career that nobody seems to have thought of bringing in Denny’s friend Linda Peters, who was dating Joe Boyd at the time (as Denny had been before she met Lucas) as Denny’s replacement. Instead, they decided that Swarbrick and Thompson were going to share the vocals between them. They did, though, need a bass player to replace Hutchings. Swarbrick wanted to bring in Dave Pegg, with whom he had played in the Ian Campbell Folk Group, but the other band members initially thought the idea was a bad one. At the time, while they respected Swarbrick as a musician, they didn’t think he fully understood rock and roll yet, and they thought the idea of getting in a folkie who had played double bass rather than an electric rock bassist ridiculous. But they auditioned him to mollify Swarbrick, and found that he was exactly what they needed. As Joe Boyd later said “All those bass lines were great, Ashley invented them all, but he never could play them that well. He thought of them, but he was technically not a terrific bass player. He was a very inventive, melodic, bass player, but not a very powerful one technically. But having had the part explained to him once, Pegg was playing it better than Ashley had ever played it… In some rock bands, I think, ultimately, the bands that sound great, you can generally trace it to the bass player… it was at that point they became a great band, when they had Pegg.” The new lineup of Fairport decided to move in together, and found a former pub called the Angel, into which all the band members moved, along with their partners and children (Thompson was the only one who was single at this point) and their roadies. The group lived together quite happily, and one gets the impression that this was the period when they were most comfortable with each other, even though by this point they were a disparate group with disparate tastes, in music as in everything else. Several people have said that the only music all the band members could agree they liked at this point was the first two albums by The Band. With the departure of Hutchings from the band, Swarbrick and Thompson, as the strongest personalities and soloists, became in effect the joint leaders of the group, and they became collaborators as songwriters, trying to write new songs that were inspired by traditional music. Thompson described the process as “let’s take one line of this reel and slow it down and move it up a minor third and see what that does to it; let’s take one line of this ballad and make a whole song out of it. Chopping up the tradition to find new things to do… like a collage.” Generally speaking, Swarbrick and Thompson would sit by the fire and Swarbrick would play a melody he’d been working on, the two would work on it for a while, and Thompson would then go away and write the lyrics. This is how the two came up with songs like the nine-minute “Sloth”, a highlight of the next album, Full House, and one that would remain in Fairport’s live set for much of their career: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth”] “Sloth” was titled that way because Thompson and Swarbrick were working on two tunes, a slow one and a fast one, and they jokingly named them “Sloth” and “Fasth”, but the latter got renamed to “Walk Awhile”, while “Sloth” kept its working title. But by this point, Boyd and Thompson were having a lot of conflict in the studio. Boyd was never the most technical of producers — he was one of those producers whose job is to gently guide the artists in the studio and create a space for the music to flourish, rather than the Joe Meek type with an intimate technical knowledge of the studio — and as the artists he was working with gained confidence in their own work they felt they had less and less need of him. During the making of the Full House album, Thompson and Boyd, according to Boyd, clashed on everything — every time Boyd thought Thompson had done a good solo, Thompson would say to erase it and let him have another go, while every time Boyd thought Thompson could do better, Thompson would say that was the take to keep. One of their biggest clashes was over Thompson’s song “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”, which was originally intended for release on the album, and is included in current reissues of it: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”] Thompson had written that song inspired by what he thought was the unjust treatment of Alex Bramham, the driver in Fairport’s fatal car crash, by the courts — Bramham had been given a prison sentence of a few months for dangerous driving, while the group members thought he had not been at fault. Boyd thought it was one of the best things recorded for the album, but Thompson wasn’t happy with his vocal — there was one note at the top of the melody that he couldn’t quite hit — and insisted it be kept off the record, even though that meant it would be a shorter album than normal. He did this at such a late stage that early copies of the album actually had the title printed on the sleeve, but then blacked out. He now says in his autobiography “I could have persevered, double-tracked the voice, warmed up for longer – anything. It was a good track, and the record was lacking without it. When the album was re-released, the track was restored with a more confident vocal, and it has stayed there ever since.” During the sessions for Full House the group also recorded one non-album single, Thompson and Swarbrick’s “Now Be Thankful”: [Excerpt, Fairport Convention, “Now Be Thankful”] The B-side to that was a medley of two traditional tunes plus a Swarbrick original, but was given the deliberately ridiculous title “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”] The B. McKenzie in the title was a reference to the comic-strip character Barry McKenzie, a stereotype drunk Australian created for Private Eye magazine by the comedian Barry Humphries (later to become better known for his Dame Edna Everage character) but the title was chosen for one reason only — to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the song with the longest title. Which they did, though they were later displaced by the industrial band Test Dept, and their song “Long Live British Democracy Which Flourishes and Is Constantly Perfected Under the Immaculate Guidance of the Great, Honourable, Generous and Correct Margaret Hilda Thatcher. She Is the Blue Sky in the Hearts of All Nations. Our People Pay Homage and Bow in Deep Respect and Gratitude to Her. The Milk of Human Kindness”. Full House got excellent reviews in the music press, with Rolling Stone saying “The music shows that England has finally gotten her own equivalent to The Band… By calling Fairport an English equivalent of the Band, I meant that they have soaked up enough of the tradition of their countryfolk that it begins to show all over, while they maintain their roots in rock.” Off the back of this, the group went on their first US tour, culminating in a series of shows at the Troubadour in LA, on the same bill as Rick Nelson, which were recorded and later released as a live album: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth (live)”] The Troubadour was one of the hippest venues at the time, and over their residency there the group got seen by many celebrities, some of whom joined them on stage. The first was Linda Ronstadt, who initially demurred, saying she didn’t know any of their songs. On being told they knew all of hers, she joined in with a rendition of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”. Thompson was later asked to join Ronstadt’s backing band, who would go on to become the Eagles, but he said later of this offer “I would have hated it. I’d have hated being on the road with four or five miserable Americans — they always seem miserable. And if you see them now, they still look miserable on stage — like they don’t want to be there and they don’t like each other.” The group were also joined on stage at the Troubadour on one memorable night by some former bandmates of Pegg’s. Before joining the Ian Campbell Folk Group, Pegg had played around the Birmingham beat scene, and had been in bands with John Bonham and Robert Plant, who turned up to the Troubadour with their Led Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page (reports differ on whether the fourth member of Zeppelin, John Paul Jones, also came along). They all got up on stage together and jammed on songs like “Hey Joe”, “Louie Louie”, and various old Elvis tunes. The show was recorded, and the tapes are apparently still in the possession of Joe Boyd, who has said he refuses to release them in case he is murdered by the ghost of Peter Grant. According to Thompson, that night ended in a three-way drinking contest between Pegg, Bonham, and Janis Joplin, and it’s testament to how strong the drinking culture is around Fairport and the British folk scene in general that Pegg outdrank both of them. According to Thompson, Bonham was found naked by a swimming pool two days later, having missed two gigs. For all their hard rock image, Led Zeppelin were admirers of a lot of the British folk and folk-rock scene, and a few months later Sandy Denny would become the only outside vocalist ever to appear on a Led Zeppelin record when she duetted with Plant on “The Battle of Evermore” on the group’s fourth album: [Excerpt: Led Zeppelin, “The Battle of Evermore”] Denny would never actually get paid for her appearance on one of the best-selling albums of all time. That was, incidentally, not the only session that Denny was involved in around this time — she also sang on the soundtrack to a soft porn film titled Swedish Fly Girls, whose soundtrack was produced by Manfred Mann: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow?”] Shortly after Fairport’s trip to America, Joe Boyd decided he was giving up on Witchseason. The company was now losing money, and he was finding himself having to produce work for more and more acts as the various bands fissioned. The only ones he really cared about were Richard Thompson, who he was finding it more and more difficult to work with, Nick Drake, who wanted to do his next album with just an acoustic guitar anyway, Sandy Denny, who he felt was wasting her talents in Fotheringay, and Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band, who was more distant since his conversion to Scientology. Boyd did make some attempts to keep the company going. On a trip to Sweden, he negotiated an agreement with the manager and publisher of a Swedish band whose songs he’d found intriguing, the Hep Stars. Boyd was going to publish their songs in the UK, and in return that publisher, Stig Anderson, would get the rights to Witchseason’s catalogue in Scandinavia — a straight swap, with no money changing hands. But before Boyd could get round to signing the paperwork, he got a better offer from Mo Ostin of Warners — Ostin wanted Boyd to come over to LA and head up Warners’ new film music department. Boyd sold Witchseason to Island Records and moved to LA with his fiancee Linda Peters, spending the next few years working on music for films like Deliverance and A Clockwork Orange, as well as making his own documentary about Jimi Hendrix, and thus missed out on getting the UK publishing rights for ABBA, and all the income that would have brought him, for no money. And it was that decision that led to the breakup of Fotheringay. Just before Christmas 1970, Fotheringay were having a difficult session, recording the track “John the Gun”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “John the Gun”] Boyd got frustrated and kicked everyone out of the session, and went for a meal and several drinks with Denny. He kept insisting that she should dump the band and just go solo, and then something happened that the two of them would always describe differently. She asked him if he would continue to produce her records if she went solo, and he said he would. According to Boyd’s recollection of the events, he meant that he would fly back from California at some point to produce her records. According to Denny, he told her that if she went solo he would stay in Britain and not take the job in LA. This miscommunication was only discovered after Denny told the rest of Fotheringay after the Christmas break that she was splitting the band. Jerry Donahue has described that as the worst moment of his life, and Denny felt very guilty about breaking up a band with some of her closest friends in — and then when Boyd went over to the US anyway she felt a profound betrayal. Two days before Fotheringay’s final concert, in January 1971, Sandy Denny signed a solo deal with Island records, but her first solo album would not end up produced by Joe Boyd. Instead, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens was co-produced by Denny, John Wood — the engineer who had worked with Boyd on pretty much everything he’d produced, and Richard Thompson, who had just quit Fairport Convention, though he continued living with them at the Angel, at least until a truck crashed into the building in February 1971, destroying its entire front wall and forcing them to relocate. The songs chosen for The North Star Grassman and the Ravens reflected the kind of choices Denny would make on her future albums, and her eclectic taste in music. There was, of course, the obligatory Dylan cover, and the traditional folk ballad “Blackwaterside”, but there was also a cover version of Brenda Lee’s “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”] Most of the album, though, was made up of originals about various people in Denny’s life, like “Next Time Around”, about her ex-boyfriend Jackson C Frank: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Next Time Around”] The album made the top forty in the UK — Denny’s only solo album to do so — and led to her once again winning the “best female singer” award in Melody Maker’s readers’ poll that year — the male singer award was won by Rod Stewart. Both Stewart and Denny appeared the next year on the London Symphony Orchestra’s all-star version of The Who’s Tommy, which had originally been intended as a vehicle for Stewart before Roger Daltrey got involved. Stewart’s role was reduced to a single song, “Pinball Wizard”, while Denny sang on “It’s a Boy”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “It’s a Boy”] While Fotheringay had split up, all the band members play on The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Guitarists Donahue and Lucas only play on a couple of the tracks, with Richard Thompson playing most of the guitar on the record. But Fotheringay’s rhythm section of Pat Donaldson and Gerry Conway play on almost every track. Another musician on the album, Ian Whiteman, would possibly have a profound effect on the future direction of Richard Thompson’s career and life. Whiteman was the former keyboard player for the mod band The Action, having joined them just before they became the blues-rock band Mighty Baby. But Mighty Baby had split up when all of the band except the lead singer had converted to Islam. Richard Thompson was on his own spiritual journey at this point, and became a Sufi – the same branch of Islam as Whiteman – soon after the session, though Thompson has said that his conversion was independent of Whiteman’s. The two did become very close and work together a lot in the mid-seventies though. Thompson had supposedly left Fairport because he was writing material that wasn’t suited to the band, but he spent more than a year after quitting the group working on sessions rather than doing anything with his own material, and these sessions tended to involve the same core group of musicians. One of the more unusual was a folk-rock supergroup called The Bunch, put together by Trevor Lucas. Richard Branson had recently bought a recording studio, and wanted a band to test it out before opening it up for commercial customers, so with this free studio time Lucas decided to record a set of fifties rock and roll covers. He gathered together Thompson, Denny, Whiteman, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks, Pat Donaldson, Gerry Conway, pianist Tony Cox, the horn section that would later form the core of the Average White Band, and Linda Peters, who had now split up with Joe Boyd and returned to the UK, and who had started dating Thompson. They recorded an album of covers of songs by Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Johnny Otis and others: [Excerpt: The Bunch, “Willie and the Hand Jive”] The early seventies was a hugely productive time for this group of musicians, as they all continued playing on each other’s projects. One notable album was No Roses by Shirley Collins, which featured Thompson, Mattacks, Whiteman, Simon Nicol, Lal and Mike Waterson, and Ashley Hutchings, who was at that point married to Collins, as well as some more unusual musicians like the free jazz saxophonist Lol Coxhill: [Excerpt: Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band, “Claudy Banks”] Collins was at the time the most respected female singer in British traditional music, and already had a substantial career including a series of important records made with her sister Dolly, work with guitarists like Davey Graham, and time spent in the 1950s collecting folk songs in the Southern US with her then partner Alan Lomax – according to Collins she did much of the actual work, but Lomax only mentioned her in a single sentence in his book on this work. Some of the same group of musicians went on to work on an album of traditional Morris dancing tunes, titled Morris On, credited to “Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield”, with Collins singing lead on two tracks: [Excerpt: Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield with Shirley Collins, “The Willow Tree”] Thompson thought that that album was the best of the various side projects he was involved in at the time, comparing it favourably to Rock On, which he thought was rather slight, saying later “Conceptually, Fairport, Ashley and myself and Sandy were developing a more fragile style of music that nobody else was particularly interested in, a British Folk Rock idea that had a logical development to it, although we all presented it our own way. Morris On was rather more true to what we were doing. Rock On was rather a retro step. I'm not sure it was lasting enough as a record but Sandy did sing really well on the Buddy Holly songs.” Hutchings used the musicians on No Roses and Morris On as the basis for his band the Albion Band, which continues to this day. Simon Nicol and Dave Mattacks both quit Fairport to join the Albion Band, though Mattacks soon returned. Nicol would not return to Fairport for several years, though, and for a long period in the mid-seventies Fairport Convention had no original members. Unfortunately, while Collins was involved in the Albion Band early on, she and Hutchings ended up divorcing, and the stress from the divorce led to Collins developing spasmodic dysphonia, a stress-related illness which makes it impossible for the sufferer to sing. She did eventually regain her vocal ability, but between 1978 and 2016 she was unable to perform at all, and lost decades of her career. Richard Thompson occasionally performed with the Albion Band early on, but he was getting stretched a little thin with all these sessions. Linda Peters said later of him “When I came back from America, he was working in Sandy’s band, and doing sessions by the score. Always with Pat Donaldson and Dave Mattacks. Richard would turn up with his guitar, one day he went along to do a session with one of those folkie lady singers — and there were Pat and DM. They all cracked. Richard smashed his amp and said “Right! No more sessions!” In 1972 he got round to releasing his first solo album, Henry the Human Fly, which featured guest appearances by Linda Peters and Sandy Denny among others: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “The Angels Took My Racehorse Away”] Unfortunately, while that album has later become regarded as one of the classics of its genre, at the time it was absolutely slated by the music press. The review in Melody Maker, for example, read in part “Some of Richard Thompson’s ideas sound great – which is really the saving grace of this album, because most of the music doesn’t. The tragedy is that Thompson’s “British rock music” is such an unconvincing concoction… Even the songs that do integrate rock and traditional styles of electric guitar rhythms and accordion and fiddle decoration – and also include explicit, meaningful lyrics are marred by bottle-up vocals, uninspiring guitar phrases and a general lack of conviction in performance.” Henry the Human Fly was released in the US by Warners, who had a reciprocal licensing deal with Island (and for whom Joe Boyd was working at the time, which may have had something to do with that) but according to Thompson it became the lowest-selling record that Warners ever put out (though I’ve also seen that claim made about Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle, another album that has later been rediscovered). Thompson was hugely depressed by this reaction, and blamed his own singing. Happily, though, by this point he and Linda had become a couple — they would marry in 1972 — and they started playing folk clubs as a duo, or sometimes in a trio with Simon Nicol. Thompson was also playing with Sandy Denny’s backing band at this point, and played on every track on her second solo album, Sandy. This album was meant to be her big commercial breakthrough, with a glamorous cover photo by David Bailey, and with a more American sound, including steel guitar by Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Flying Burrito Brothers (whose overdubs were supervised in LA by Joe Boyd): [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Tomorrow is a Long Time”] The album was given a big marketing push by Island, and “Listen, Listen” was made single of the week on the Radio 1 Breakfast show: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Listen, Listen”] But it did even worse than the previous album, sending her into something of a depression. Linda Thompson (as the former Linda Peters now was) said of this period “After the Sandy album, it got her down that her popularity didn't suddenly increase in leaps and bounds, and that was the start of her really fretting about the way her career was going. Things only escalated after that. People like me or Martin Carthy or Norma Waterson would think, ‘What are you on about? This is folk music.'” After Sandy’s release, Denny realised she could no longer afford to tour with a band, and so went back to performing just acoustically or on piano. The only new music to be released by either of these ex-members of Fairport Convention in 1973 was, oddly, on an album by the band they were no longer members of. After Thompson had left Fairport, the group had managed to release two whole albums with the same lineup — Swarbrick, Nicol, Pegg, and Mattacks. But then Nicol and Mattacks had both quit the band to join the Albion Band with their former bandmate Ashley Hutchings, leading to a situation where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport plus their longtime drummer while Fairport Convention itself had no original members and was down to just Swarbrick and Pegg. Needing to fulfil their contracts, they then recruited three former members of Fotheringay — Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, Donahue on lead guitar, and Conway on drums. Conway was only a session player at the time, and Mattacks soon returned to the band, but Lucas and Donahue became full-time members. This new lineup of Fairport Convention released two albums in 1973, widely regarded as the group’s most inconsistent records, and on the title track of the first, “Rosie”, Richard Thompson guested on guitar, with Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson on backing vocals: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Rosie”] Neither Sandy Denny nor Richard Thompson released a record themselves in 1973, but in neither case was this through the artists’ choice. The record industry was changing in the early 1970s, as we’ll see in later episodes, and was less inclined to throw good money after bad in the pursuit of art. Island Records prided itself on being a home for great artists, but it was still a business, and needed to make money. We’ll talk about the OPEC oil crisis and its effect on the music industry much more when the podcast gets to 1973, but in brief, the production of oil by the US peaked in 1970 and started to decrease, leading to them importing more and more oil from the Middle East. As a result of this, oil prices rose slowly between 1971 and 1973, then very quickly towards the end of 1973 as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict that year. As vinyl is made of oil, suddenly producing records became much more expensive, and in this period a lot of labels decided not to release already-completed albums, until what they hoped would be a brief period of shortages passed. Both Denny and Thompson recorded albums at this point that got put to one side by Island. In the case of Thompson, it was the first album by Richard and Linda as a duo, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Today, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, and as one of the two masterpieces that bookended Richard and Linda’s career as a duo and their marriage. But when they recorded the album, full of Richard’s dark songs, it was the opposite of commercial. Even a song that’s more or less a boy-girl song, like “Has He Got a Friend for Me?” has lyrics like “He wouldn’t notice me passing by/I could be in the gutter, or dangling down from a tree” [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “Has He got a Friend For Me?”] While something like “The Calvary Cross” is oblique and haunted, and seems to cast a pall over the entire album: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “The Calvary Cross”] The album itself had been cheap to make — it had been recorded in only a week, with Thompson bringing in musicians he knew well and had worked with a lot previously to cut the tracks as-live in only a handful of takes — but Island didn’t think it was worth releasing. The record stayed on the shelf for nearly a year after recording, until Island got a new head of A&R, Richard Williams. Williams said of the album’s release “Muff Winwood had been doing A&R, but he was more interested in production… I had a conversation with Muff as soon as I got there, and he said there are a few hangovers, some outstanding problems. And one of them was Richard Thompson. He said there’s this album we gave him the money to make — which was I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight — and nobody’s very interested in it. Henry the Human Fly had been a bit of a commercial disappointment, and although Island was altruistic and independent and known for only recording good stuff, success was important… Either a record had to do well or somebody had to believe in it a lot. And it seemed as if neither of those things were true at that point of Richard.” Williams, though, was hugely impressed when he listened to the album. He compared Richard Thompson’s guitar playing to John Coltrane’s sax, and called Thompson “the folk poet of the rainy streets”, but also said “Linda brightened it, made it more commercial. and I thought that “Bright Lights” itself seemed a really commercial song.” The rest of the management at Island got caught up in Williams’ enthusiasm, and even decided to release the title track as a single: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Neither single nor album charted — indeed it would not be until 1991 that Richard Thompson would make a record that made the top forty in the UK — but the album got enough critical respect that Richard and Linda released two albums the year after. The first of these, Hokey Pokey, is a much more upbeat record than their previous one — Richard Thompson has called it “quite a music-hall influenced record” and cited the influence of George Formby and Harry Lauder. For once, the claim of music hall influence is audible in the music. Usually when a British musician is claimed to have a music ha

“Every time you dim your authentic expression to avoid being a disruption to others, you instead become a disruption to your own alignment — and nothing is more painful than that in the long term.”

What abundance can you manifest when you decide to claim your divine assignment? In this inspiring spotlight, Angie Bailey, a student in Cathy's This Abundant Life program shares the remarkable wins that she's had since joining the group and deciding that 2025 will be her year. In just a few months, she went from second-guessing herself and playing small, to getting paid to speak and teach calligraphy workshops, landing the cover of an esteemed calligraphy magazine - and she manifests another dream desire live on the call! Her story is living proof that when you say yes to your gifts and align with abundance, the universe meets you with miracles. - Join This Abundant Life for just $97/month at ⁠cathyheller.com/join⁠ - Get Angie's Ink Your Inner Peace ⁠https://angiebailey.myflodesk.com/peace⁠ - Follow Angie on Instagram ⁠@calmingcalligraphy⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dane Wigington is the lead researcher and founder of GeoengineeringWatch, dedicated to exposing and halting covert climate engineering operations. With a professional background in solar energy, including work with Bechtel Power Corporation and licensure as a contractor in California and Arizona, Wigington's interest in geoengineering intensified after observing significant declines in solar energy collection at his Northern California home. This prompted extensive research into atmospheric aerosol spraying and its environmental impacts. He has since become a prominent voice in raising awareness about the potential dangers of geoengineering, contributing to documentaries like The Dimming and hosting the weekly broadcast Geoengineering Watch Global Alert News. ----- With gratitude to our sponsors: RA Optics https://raoptics.com/bttp Use Code: Nicole ----- Backyard Butchers Go to https://www.backyardbutchers.com/pages/nicole and use code “Nicole” for 20% off your steaks and tallow direct from the Texas ranch. ----- Sky Horse Publishing https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/ ----- Mama Suds https://mamasuds.com Use code 'NICOLE' ----- MASA Chips http://masachips.com/bttp Use code 'BTTP' ----- Sign Up https://shop.backtothepeople.net

Recent reports tell that the government has allowed experimentation on dimming the sun to help with environmental concerns.  This episode exposes the dangers of such experiments as well as their hidden agenda. Who is involved? What do they have to benefit? The control factor seems to be more prevelant.

In today's episode, I'm opening up about something that so many of us face, but don't always talk about honestly: what it feels like to return to a traditional job after building something of your own. Does it mean you're giving up on your purpose? Have you failed? Or is there a deeper truth in the pivot? This one is for the entrepreneurs feeling burned out, the caretakers coming back into the workforce, and the dreamers wondering if they're losing themselves in the process. I share my own raw reflections on identity, fear, purpose, and why these decisions are so much more layered than we often give credit for.We'll also dive into:- Why purpose isn't one single path or career title- How to discern between fear-based choices and empowered decisions- The myth of “going backward” in your journey- Honoring your nervous system and well-being in every season- What it really means to live in alignmentIf you've ever questioned whether a change in direction means you're abandoning your dreams, I hope this episode reminds you that your truth can evolve. You don't have to sacrifice wellness, wholeness, or authenticity along the way.✨ Tune in for a grounded, compassionate take on transitions, purpose, and the courage to choose what's right for you, even if it looks different than you imagined.===If you're a high-achieving woman ready to step into your purpose, align with your gifts, and find clarity, the Flourish with Purpose Membership is for you! Whether you're an entrepreneur, coach, or leader, this membership offers tools, resources, and support to help you overcome limiting beliefs, build deep confidence, and create a life that feels aligned and fulfilling. Join a community of like-minded women and start flourishing in every area of your life. Learn more here: www.amandavsevilla.com/  Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://amandavsevilla.kit.com/newsletter  Connect with me for daily inspiration to live your purpose on on my socials: Instagram.com/flourishwithpurposepodcast/  Instagram.com/amandavsevilla/  Tiktok.com/@amandavsevilla/  Youtube.com/@amandavsevilla  FREE Resources: https://bit.ly/FWPfreeresources  By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Amanda Sevilla, or used by Amanda Sevilla with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of the host Amanda Sevilla, which may be requested by contacting flourishwithpurposepodcast@gmail.com.This podcast is for educational purposes only. The Flourish with Purpose Podcast host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Zach Mason, Grant Bronsdon and Anders Jorstad are here to chat Mariners as the team takes on Canada and the Toronto Blue Jays. Will newest Mariner Leody Taveras make an instant impact or be quickly forgotten? What is the deal with the insane DH/1B rotation and when on earth are we getting our prospect at the end of the rainbow (Locklear)? Are we seeing the end of Luis Castillo, ace pitcher? What's really ailing Bryce Miller? SOCIAL LINKS (Twitter/Bluesky): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/MeetattheMitt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/meetatthemitt.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/LookoutLanding⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/lookoutlanding.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/JohnTrupin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/johntrupin.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/KatePreusser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/katepreusser.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/EvanJamesAudio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/evanjamesaudio.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/AndersJorstad⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/andersjorstad.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/RealZachMason⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/zachmason.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/EllingsenMax18⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/maxellingsen.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/gbronsdon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/gbronsdon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/95coffeespoons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/95coffeespoons.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textSPIRITUAL perspectives on current events and how MANIPULATING natural systems, the importance of balancing INTELLECT with INTUITION in decision-making, and the collective sensitivity to truth and resonance in spirituality. The conversation this week emphasizes the need for awareness and discernment in navigating complex issues. In this conversation, the speaker explores themes of empowerment, timing, and the spiritual aspects of personal growth. They discuss the importance of respecting the process of change, the role of emotions like anger in healing, and the significance of service in finding fulfillment. The dialogue emphasizes the need for organization and awareness of personal boundaries while navigating group dynamics. The conversation culminates in an inspiring story of a 90-year-old woman dedicated to animal rescue, illustrating the profound impact of service and the importance of staying true to one's purpose.Season 1 Episode 19 of "...Discerning News."hosted by Teresa Shantz, Author and Podcast Host,  Tom Shantz, "The Spiritual Businessman" along with Tiger Coll, D.D., President, Wayshowers College (SM)."The thoughts and insights shared here are crafted solely to nurture your personal and spiritual evolution, serving as gentle suggestions and guiding lights.  By choosing to continue your journey with us, you embrace complete responsibility for your own growth, state of consciousness, and well being."Links to Stories:Dimming the Sunhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/block-sunlight-british-scientists-global-warming-b2740295.htmlCanadian Electionhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4jd39g8y1o90 Year Old Saves over 10,000 Animalshttps://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/90-year-old-who-has-saved-over-10000-animals-at-sanctuary-has-Join Tom and I for our monthly Intuition NOW series. There is a FREE 90 minute version and our EXPANSION Experience focusing on one of your four psychic perceptions for a small investment. Find out when the next ones are happening here! Ready to FEEL more FREEDOM within? Access the FREE video series created by The Wayshowers College here!Support the showHi! I'm Teresa. I have created this podcast to support "unseen" aspects of your life. You can call this the spiritual side. The podcast offers interviews of authors, healers, and thought leaders, for a positive higher spiritual perspective. Including ourselves! Our mission is to stimulate your inner wisdom, meaning, and enthusiasm for your unique journey. My husband Tom and I are also certified Spiritual Educators, and Consultants, who help make spirituality practical. We work spiritual awareness and sensitivity in all areas of our life for positive living. Through TNT ( Teresa n' Tom :) SpiritWorks, we can help you tap into your own Inner Guidance system on a daily basis, create a healthy balance between Thought and Feeling, and discover a stronger connection between you and your personal Spirit Guides through your Inner and Outer communication system: your Four Spiritual Gifts. Unlock ways to make the spiritual part of life practical. Connect with us at TNT SpiritWorks today! Follow us on:

Join the hosts as they take you through all the news from around the world and across the UK.  In this week's show: Ryanair winds passengers up with cheeky message to ‘favourite' travellers amid bag measurement fury, a British Airways 787 has a  window dimming failure on 14-Hour flight and it's a very happy birthday to the A380 as Airbus celebrates 20 years of service of this amazing aircraft. In the military: It's the last of the V-22 Ospreys & the RAF prepare for a Big show celebrating VE day 80. Take part in our chatroom to help shape the conversation of the show. You can get in touch with us all at : WhatsApp +447446975214 Email podcast@planetalkinguk.com or comment in our chatroom on YouTube.

This week Spain, Portugal and France experienced a huge power cut, what caused it? climate change? Solar energy? Or something else?With the UK soon to attempt to dim the sun we ask.. are they already doing it?A listener gets absolutely roasted via song.buy us a beer buymeacoffee.com/whatkastfor deep dive episodes go to patreon.com/whatkast

Why Spain went dark… What GE Vernova's (GEV) earnings say about the future of natgas… You should have exposure to one of these energy names… Breaking down the new Bitcoin SPAC, Twenty One Capital… And the financialization of Bitcoin. In this episode: Frank is on a research trip to Denver [0:25] What caused Spain to go dark for 24 hours? [1:52] The U.K.'s answer to climate change: Dimming the sun? [6:59] The irony of the new highway cutting through the Amazon [8:09] What GE Vernova's Q1 earnings say about the future of natgas [10:57] You should have exposure to one of these 4 energy names [15:50] Breaking down the new Bitcoin SPAC, Twenty One Capital [18:48] Twenty One Capital is NOT another Strategy [28:27] Proof of massive Big Money demand for Bitcoin [30:48] The financialization of Bitcoin is upon us [32:47] Did you like this episode? Get more Wall Street Unplugged FREE each week in your inbox. Sign up here: https://curzio.me/syn_wsu Find Wall Street Unplugged podcast… --Curzio Research App: https://curzio.me/syn_app --iTunes: https://curzio.me/syn_wsu_i --Stitcher: https://curzio.me/syn_wsu_s --Website: https://curzio.me/syn_wsu_cat Follow Frank… X: https://curzio.me/syn_twt Facebook: https://curzio.me/syn_fb LinkedIn: https://curzio.me/syn_li

In this episode of the Say What Again Billy Podcast, join Billy and Joey as they dive into one of the latest conspiracy theories that's starting to come true — governments around the world discussing the possibility of dimming the sun in an effort to control global warming.Are these radical ideas truly for the good of humanity, or could they end up causing more harm than good?Billy and Joey break down the newest headlines, revisit classic conspiracies like chemtrails, and, of course, keep things light with their signature humor and impersonations along the way.Tune in for a mix of serious discussion, comic relief, and everything in between — the newest episode of the Say What Again Billy Podcast is here!You can also watch this episode of the say what again Billy podcast on our youtube channel at :Swabpodcast

A little bit of a late start tonight, but it will be a good one. I invited Jim Lee (ClimateViewer.com) on to tackle some 'Earth Month' news, including a proverbial needle-in-the-haystack story coming out of UK over Sun-Dimming; Catherine Herridge's expose` on Directed Energy Weapons; and then news of massive blackouts in Spain caused by extreme 'atmospheric conditions'. Should be more than enough to sink our teeth into, as well as some input from the audience. Remember that tomorrow (Tuesday) is Lauren's birthday, so I will not be on air, but we return Wednesday with great guests and topics that'll stretch us all the way through the rest of the week! Unleash Your Brain w/ Keto Brainz Nootropic Promo code FRANKLY: https://tinyurl.com/2cess6y7 Read This Month's Newsletter: https://t.co/eMCYWuTi6p Elevation Blend Coffee & Official QF Mugs: https://www.coffeerevolution.shop/category/quite-frankly Official QF Apparel: https://tinyurl.com/f3kbkr4s Sponsor The Show and Get VIP Perks: https://www.quitefrankly.tv/sponsor One-Time Tip: http://www.paypal.me/QuiteFranklyLive Send Holiday cards, Letters, and other small gifts, to the Quite Frankly P.O. Box! 15 East Putnam Ave, #356 Greenwich, CT, 06830 Send Crypto: BTC: 1EafWUDPHY6y6HQNBjZ4kLWzQJFnE5k9PK Leave a Voice Mail: https://www.speakpipe.com/QuiteFrankly Quite Frankly Socials: Twitter/X: @QuiteFranklyTV Instagram: @QuiteFranklyOfficial Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/KCdh92Fn GUILDED Chat: https://tinyurl.com/kzrk6nxa Official Forum: https://tinyurl.com/k89p88s8 Telegram: https://t.me/quitefranklytv Truth: https://tinyurl.com/5n8x9s6f GETTR: https://tinyurl.com/2fprkyn4 MINDS: https://tinyurl.com/4p84d3cx Gab: https://tinyurl.com/mr42m2au Streaming Live On: QuiteFrankly.tv (Powered by Foxhole) Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yc2cn395 BitChute: https://tinyurl.com/46dfca5c Rumble: https://tinyurl.com/yeytwwyz Kick: https://kick.com/quitefranklytv Audio On Demand: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/301gcES iTunes: http://apple.co/2dMURMq Amazon: https://amzn.to/3afgEXZ SoundCloud: https://tinyurl.com/yc44m474

Jan 6 Thugs Got a Better Deal Than Wrongfully Deported Dad. Also Tesla is furious! BYD just unleashed new electric vehicles that can fully charge in FIVE minutes! And oh, by the way - Apple is moving to India? Not bringing our jobs home? Is Apple participating in Trump's trade war and punishing China? Plus Geeky Science. Dimming the Sun? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MONOLOGUE One Last Desperate Plea to Save Canada NEWSMAKER Small-scale Alberta egg farmer arrested for selling eggs outside quota system https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/small-scale-alberta-egg-farmer-arrested-for-selling-eggs-outside-quota-system/64263   Sheila Gunn Reid – Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News, Host of The Gunn Show, Wednesdays 9pm ET. www.rebelnews.com OPEN LINES THE SOFA CINEFILE Nick Soter reviews the 1987, Coming of Age film, Some Kind of Wonderful THE LIMRIDDLER Spy's Disguise Running for shelter to safety defend. Offer to pay for what others expend. Underground spy's Nom de guerre or disguise. Rock band whose playlists on others depend. MONOLOGUE Rage Against the Dimming of the Light NEWSMAKER The Privy Council “Dystopia” Report on 2040 https://ca.news.yahoo.com/warmington-poilievre-addresses-dystopia-predicted-224424106.html Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun Columnist OPEN LINES THERE'S SOMETHINGHAPPENING HERE Greg Carrassco – Host of The Greg Carrassco Show – Saturday Mornings9-11am on SAUGA 960 and Holy Shift a Christian Ministry Radio Show 11 to 12pm Saturday and Sunday Mornings LIMRIDDLE ANSWER AND WINNERS The Answer to this week's Limriddle was: Cover The first 5 to answer correctly were: 1. Michael Dibblee, Vancouver, British Columbia 2. Amy Lou Hoo, East York, Ontario 3. Thomas LeBaron, Haliburton, Ontario 4. Christopher Dube, Toronto, Ontario 5. Christine De Cevita, Stoney Creek, Ontario Running for shelter to safety defend. We “run for cover” when we're under attack from thunderstorms, gunfire, or malicious criticism. Offer to pay for what others expend. Isn't it great when someone else (or your employer) decides to cover your expenses? Underground spy's Nom de guerre or disguise. A spy tries to remain under cover or incognito by using an alias or a secret agent number or a nom de guerre or maybe eyeglasses and a fake nose and moustache. Rock band whose playlists on others depend. A cover band relies on a repertoire of songs by other artists rather than original material. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

042425 2nd HR Really Graceful Sun Dimming And Fall Of Rome and Disney by Kate Dalley

On this episode of Bongino Report: Early Edition, Evita exposes the UK's scheme to dim the sun, AOC's phony populist rebrand, and Spain's leftists erasing history. Check out our amazing Sponsors Blackout Coffee - Support an America First coffee company that actually shares your values. Visit BlackoutCoffee.com/Evita and use code EVITA for 20% off your first order. Byrna - Don't wait for an emergency to think about your safety. Visit Byrna.com/evita…That's BYRNA.com/EVITA to get 10% off on my custom curated bundles created just for you. Navy Scraps Biden-Era ‘Climate Action' Plan, Returns Focus To Warfighting DNI Releases Secret Biden Plan Raising Serious Civil Liberties Concerns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My links here:https://alliecasazza.com/tpslinks  In this episode of The Purpose Show, I get real about what happens when we dim our light to make others comfortable. I explore how suppressing our true selves can dim our own happiness and limit our self-expression—not just for us, but for everyone around us. I'm sharing actionable steps to help you spot when you're holding back, and practical strategies to reclaim your authenticity. It's time to shine unapologetically and inspire others to do the same. Let's step into our full light together!   https://alliecasazza.com/collective Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Gratitude 02:06 Dimming Your Light: What It Means 12:48 The Consequences of Dimming Your Light 18:43 Teaching by Example: The Impact on Others 20:39 Steps to Stop Dimming Your Light

Welcome back to this week's Friday Review where I can't wait to share with you the best of the week!     I'm looking forward to reviewing:     Practitioner Accounts Light Dimming Tape (product review) EquiLife Blue Blockers (product review) Nasal Breathing (quick tip) Alcohol & Cancer (research) Alzheimer's Treatment (research)     For all the details tune into this week's Cabral Concept 3267 – Enjoy the show and let me know what you thought!   - - - For Everything Mentioned In Today's Show: StephenCabral.com/3276 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!