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https://vimeo.com/1147139373?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci You live in a world that most people do not realize is completely upside down and what we think is success is actually tearing us apart on the inside. We’re empty and we're seeking something meaningful, something sacred. And when we find that shamanic path, we enter a doorway into a completely altered reality where life shows up extremely differently, more beneficially with more guidance, with more support, with more mystical moments and revelations. With a connected web of life all around us. Today's guest, Angell Deer is a mystic medicine man and an author of the newest book, Becoming the Medicine. He shares so many beautiful shamanic tools and experiences to get you started on your path of opening up this right side up world for yourself. Join us to find out more! Angell Deer is trained as a veterinarian, medicine man, animist teacher, ordained minister, beekeeper, herbalist, reiki master, breathwork practitioner, and meditation teacher, international speaker, and sacred disruptor. Angell has dedicated his life to remembering and transmitting ancient wisdom. He has over two decades of spiritual and ecological work as a steward of The Sanctuary, an intimate refuge located in The Catskills. He is the founder of the New York Bee Sanctuary. Angell Deer has served as an advisor to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Angell Deer is the founder of Sacred Paths, a Shamanic school with programs to honor the paths of The Earthwalker, The Firekeeper and The Stargazer. He offers wisdom talks, mentoring and coaching, meditations, shamanic healing as well as several courses and events. Angell Deer is also the author of The Sacred Web: The Magical Craft of Your Sacred Shamanic Space and most recently, Becoming the Medicine. Watch or listen to the show to learn how to use shamanic tools and experiences to have more mystical moments and revelations in your life. You’re Invited! READ: Becoming the Medicine https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Medicine-Sacred-Shamanic-Practice/dp/B0G25F2YQ5/ ANGELL DEER BIO Angell Deer is a devoted steward of rewilding projects across the U.S. and Europe. He walks the path of Andean Cosmology and Norse Shamanism, learning from elders, communing with the land, and listening for the old songs that still live in the trees, the bones, and the breath. A weaver of stories, people, and worlds, he teaches from the fertile ground where grief meets grace, and where purpose is forged in the fire of personal and planetary transformation. His work calls us back to a more-than-human world, where healing is relational, and prayer is made with both hands in the soil. He has spoken at Harvard Business School, the French Embassy in New York, and global gatherings such as the French Davos Forum and the Concert for Earth, where he was honored as an “Earth Rockstar.” He now lives with his wife and children at La Ferme du Cerf Bleu, a renovated 18th-century farm in Burgundy, France, in devotion to land, community, and the mystery—tending to trees, bees, and ancestral ceremony. LINKS Web: https://www.sacredpaths.earth/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/AngellDeer.SacredPaths Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thesanctuaryny Substack: https://substack.com/@angelldeerwisdom YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOoF-w9d3Y9_-2dXNImjqQ YOUR GUIDE TO SOUL NECTAR: KERRI HUMMINGBIRD Kerri Hummingbird, Medicine Woman, Mother and Mentor, is the Founder of Inner Medicine Training, a Mystery School that shares potent ancient traditions from the Andes and Himalayas for owning your wisdom and living your purpose. She is the #1 international best-selling author of “Inner Medicine: Becoming One with Mother Earth for the Survival of Humanity”, “Love Is Fierce: Healing the Mother Wound”, “The Second Wave: Transcending the Human Drama” (on the int'l bestseller charts for over 6 years) and the award-winning best-selling book “Awakening To Me: One Woman's Journey To Self Love” which describes the early years of her spiritual awakening. As the host of Soul Nectar Show, Ms. Hummingbird inspires people to lead their lives wide awake with an authenticity, passion and purpose that positively impacts others. As a healer and mentor, she catalyzes mind-shifts that transform life challenges into gifts of wisdom. If you are wondering what the heck is going on, the answer is simple. We are in the process of a massive shift in consciousness that can most aptly be described as the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. As a medicine woman, I guide you to the next deepest understanding and embodiment of yourself as a spiritual being. Whether you receive a shamanic healing session, participate in the Reinvent Yourself Training program, or join us for Inner Medicine Training, one thing is certain: you will connect more deeply with your true self and learn to navigate the changes in your life from an empowered space within. SCHEDULE A FREE DISCOVERY SESSION: https://tinyurl.com/SoulNectarChat JOIN SOUL NECTAR TRIBE! https://kerrihummingbird.com/membership In Soul Nectar Tribe, we are joining forces to influence a new conversation on the planet…one that respects and honors all of life and looks forward seven generations to ensure the consequences of our actions are what we choose to create for our descendents. When we join our sparks together in community and comraderie, we become a powerful beacon of light and hope. FREE GIFTS! 1. Receive the free Reinvent Yourself ebook and guided meditations at http://www.kerrihummingbird.com/gift 2. Receive the Second Wave Guided Meditation Pack for free at http://www.thesecondwave.media LINKS FOR KERRI HUMMINGBIRD Website: www.kerrihummingbird.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerri.hummingbird.sami Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerri.hummingbird/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soulnectarshow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrihummingbird/
To close out 2025, I'd like to revisit a critical aspect that's being ignored – the economy itself. Ken Webster is a leading thinker in the circular economy field, and one of his many roles is with Earth4All, where he has been exploring the benefits of a Universal Basic Dividend. Ken and Catherine discussed this, and more aspects of circularity at an economic level back in 2023, and it's highly relevant today, as the challenges we face loom larger. Catherine says: Ken Webster is one of my circular economy heroes, and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers in the field. From 2010 – 2018, Ken was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, shaping current concepts of a ‘circular economy'.. Ken also co-wrote the book that first opened my eyes to the circular economy back in 2011 – Sense and Sustainability, co-written with Craig Johnson. One of Ken's best-known books, The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows, relates the connections between systems thinking, economic and business opportunity and the transition to a circular economy. I'm very keen to read one of Ken's most recent books, co-written with Alex Duff. Ken and Alex use a storytelling approach based on the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to offer a new and compelling narrative about the future direction of our economy, calling for macro-economic system redesign. It's called The Wonderful Circles of Oz: A Circular Economy Story – you'll find links in the shownotes. Ken's written several more thought-provoking works on the circular economy, including ABC+D: Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All – also co-written with Craig Johnson, and we mention some of these as we go along. This was a wide-ranging conversation about system-scale issues and concepts. I tried my best to keep up with Ken's thinking as we explored some of the big ideas he has been working on, including: A Universal Basic Dividend – not to be confused with UBI, or Universal Basic Income. We discuss why a Universal Basic Dividend would be a good thing, how it would be funded and where the money would flow to. We move onto The Commons – what that really means, and how it could be better accommodated in our modern economies, in a meaningful and sustainable way. Ken talks about the rentier economy, and rentiers. If you're not familiar with that term, it's someone who earns income from capital without working – for example by owning property or land that is rented out to tenants; by owning shares or bonds that pay dividends or interest, and so on. We discuss why the economy isn't working for the vast majority of people around the world, and what's getting in the way of an ‘economy for all'. We talk about some of the signals for change, with people are starting to see the potential of a future with community, connection and caring – caring for each other, and for our Mother Earth. The potential of a future that's not all about ‘Work, Buy, Consume, Die'. I've split our conversation into two parts – the 2nd part is available here: 119 Bonus Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY! Part 2 International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Apple Podcasts Spotify Stay in touch for free insights and updates… Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention. Links for our guest: LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/ken-webster-28825110 Email: ken@circulareconomy.co.uk Books, people and organisations we mentioned Some of Ken’s books: The Wonderful Circles of Oz: A Circular Economy Story, by Ken Webster and Alex Duff – a new and compelling narrative about the future direction of our economy, calling for macro-economic system design. https://www.routledge.com/The-Wonderful-Circles-of-Oz-A-Circular-Economy-Story/Webster-Duff/p/book/9781032109107 and https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wonderful-circles-of-oz-a-circular-economy-story-ken-webster/18110152?ean=9781032109107 The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows by Ken Webster (2nd edition) https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-circular-economy-a-wealth-of-flows-2nd-edition-revised-preface-and-conclusion-plus-additional-chapter-ken-webster/6577289?ean=9780992778460 ABC&D by Craig Johnson and Ken Webster https://bookshop.org/p/books/abc-d-creating-a-regenerative-circular-economy-for-all-craig-johnson/17863262 People and organisations Earth4all – a vibrant collective of leading economic thinkers, scientists, and advocates, convened by The Club of Rome, the BI Norwegian Business School, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Building on the legacies of The Limits to Growth and the Planetary Boundaries frameworks, science is at the heart of our work. Leading scientists have developed state of the art systems dynamic models and run different scenarios for possible plausible futures. https://earth4all.life/ Michel Bauwens and the Peer to Peer Foundation – http://p2pfoundation.net David Bollier – news and perspectives on the commons – https://www.bollier.org/ Christian Felber’s book Change Everything: Creating an Economy for the Common Good https://christian-felber.at/en/books/ Guy Standing – https://www.guystanding.com/ and a short YouTube video on rentier capitalism – The Wealth Paradox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ5gAiY5-ZY Massimo de Angelis, author of The Beginning of History: Value Struggles and Global Capital, and editor of The Commoner web journal, at http://commoner.org.uk. Elinor Ostrom – awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2009 for her “analysis of economic governance, especially the commons”, which she shared with Oliver E. Williamson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elinor_Ostrom 119 Bonus Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY! Part 2 in Part 2 we explore concepts for a critical element – the economy itself! Guest bio Ken Webster is a Visiting Professor at Cranfield University and a Fellow of CISL (Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership). From 2010 – end 2018 he was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy pioneer organization, where he helped shape current notions of a ‘circular economy'. More recently he has worked at Univ of Exeter Business School (2019-2021). Ken was awarded a DSc from Univ. of Brighton in 2023. His book The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows (2nd Edition 2017) relates the connections between systems thinking, economic and business opportunity and the transition to a circular economy. He makes regular contributions to conferences and seminars around the world. His current interests include; open vs closed circular economy approaches, construction and the built environment, extended producer ownership and materials data management. Ken is on the supervisory board of the Madaster Foundation in Amsterdam – a materials passport organisation. He contributed to the new Handbook of the Circular Economy (Eds. Alexander, Pascucci and Charnley (2023) and was a contributor and editor on Earth for All from the Club of Rome. He is a lead author on circular economy for UNEP’s GEO-7 report (in development). A recent book with an emphasis on exploring different scales, especially in food and agriculture is ABC&D Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All (with Craig Johnson) (2022) Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we'd love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email… Click here to search for previous episodes
Disclaimer: We are not professionals. This podcast is opinioned based and from life experience. This is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions helped by our guests may not reflect our own. But we love a good conversation.In this 2 Be Better Podcast deep dive, Chris and Peaches break down what the Divine Feminine and Sacred Masculine actually are, and why they are about energy and polarity, not just gender or body parts. They walk through a full framework of feminine energy as intuition, nurture, receptivity, beauty, empathy, and creative flow, and contrast it with the shadow side of chaotic emotions, manipulation, people pleasing, lack of boundaries, and losing yourself in others' needs. You will hear them connect Divine Feminine energy to Mother Earth, discernment, nervous system regulation, and learning to see emotions as sacred messengers instead of weakness, while also calling out toxic feminine traits and how they show up in gossip, drama, and constant validation seeking. From there they unpack Sacred Masculine energy as presence, integrity, direction, discipline, protection, courage, and stability, and then expose its shadow side of rigidity, control, domination, emotional distance, and achievement over presence. They show how Divine Feminine and Sacred Masculine work together in real relationships and marriages, including lesbian and gay couples, and explain why polarity, safety, trust, and leadership matter more than trendy “gender role” arguments. You will get practical ideas for getting into your feminine energy with creativity, dance, art, self care, boundaries, journaling, and breathwork, and stepping into sacred masculine with physical health, stretching, mental discipline, purpose, and actually using the knowledge you have. If you are searching for divine feminine healing, masculine energy in relationships, polarity in marriage, conscious partnership, shadow work, or spiritual growth in love, this episode gives you a complete blueprint, not just vague internet quotes.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/2-be-better--5828421/support.
Heather Ann Ferri – Author, Speaker, Healer, and Educator. Heather Ann Ferri wrote her first book, Victim to Victory (2018), in a time when she lost the ability to walk. Pen to paper, she activated her next decade of work. Hired by professionals in medicine, law, construction, and alternative healing, she found patterns. A disconnect from where the root of pain or problems was manifesting within. She had to set her World Record tap shoes aside and activate her voice and healer psychology. Heather Ann Ferri's new classroom involved her mastering eight sciences. How do you reprogram CPTSD while training your breath, voice, and mind? How can healing programs access ancestral memories for empowerment? Is resilience defined by how fast you recover or by the time spent healing the roots of the wounds? A pioneer who found herself lost in the matrix of how women had to be and work in society. Her tap shoes led her to writing off Broadway shows to empower the next generation of leaders. Her private trauma practice led her to be able to speak from authentic experience. Transcending Victim to Goddess series addresses my roots and how she healed from the shadow masculine programs. How she balanced and healed both the divine masculine and feminine within her. This series is a soul purpose to share her love for self and Mother Earth. Heather Ann Ferri's Website
Listen to today's podcast... Did you know that flowers and plants freshen the air? This is a day set aside to honour our clean air and to raise awareness of the many environmental issues that are changing our climate on Earth. This is one of several official days to pay attention to your environment and the air we breathe. Air pollution is the largest environmental health risk in the country, ranking alongside cancer, heart disease and obesity on the scale of its health impacts. Air pollution affects us all at work, at home and when we are out and about. It causes heart and lung diseases, affects children's lung development and shortens life. 1 in 8 deaths around the world is linked to poor air quality. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency! So here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Clean Air Day: Clean Air Day is the perfect opportunity for people to ditch their cars and either walk or cycle to work. Even the smallest contribution soon mounts up when large groups of people pledge their commitment. Taking a walk in nature, breathing in the cool crisp air and slowing down for a moment is also a great way to celebrate We need to protect Mother Earth and make sure that the air that we breathe is as clean and healthy as possible. Looking for resources to build your resiliency? Check out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com #mentalhealth #hr
Daily Power Affirmations for your Creative Maniac Mind (in 60 Seconds)
Click here to Shop Affirmation Decks, Oracle Decks, and more! Use Promo code: RCPODCAST20 for 20% off your first order! Today's Power Affirmation: As I submerge my body in Mother Earth, I heal all my hurts. Today's Oracle of Motivation: Before concrete jungles, rubber shoes, sterile hospital delivery rooms, carpets, paints, plastic bottles, and cubicles, your tough-ass ancestors evolved and survived over millions of years in direct connectivity with the Earth. They were bare-assed, absorbing antioxidants, vitamins, critical amino's, and dense nutrients through untainted soils, natural water sources, and rejuvenating sunlight. Nature is the ultimate healer physically, mentally, and spiritually. There is a reason why ideas explode, inflammation disappears, and stress retreats when exploring the outdoors. Take off your shoes and grab some bananas, yo. It's time to monkey around. Designed to Motivate Your Creative Maniac Mind The 60-Second Power Affirmations Podcast is designed to help you focus, affirm your visions, and harness the power within your creative maniac mind! Join us every Monday and Thursday for a new 60-second power affirmation followed by a blast of oracle motivation from the Universe (+ a quick breathing meditation). It's time to take off your procrastination diaper and share your musings with the world! For more musings, visit RageCreate.com Leave a Review & Share! Apple Podcast reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a second to leave the show a review on Apple Podcasts! Click this link: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Hit “Listen on Apple Podcasts” on the left-hand side under the picture. Scroll down under “Ratings & Reviews” & click “Write A Review” Leave an honest review. You're awesome!
Hawaiian Concert Guide Show 694 – Nano Banana Episode Synopsis Welcome to Show 694 – Nano Banana. This episode takes listeners on a sweeping musical journey across Hawaiian heritage: beginning with timeless mele rooted in the landscapes and stories of Waipiʻo Valley and the Hawaiian monarchy, moving through themes of aloha ʻāina and environmental stewardship, honoring the legacy and refinement of the Makaha Sons, venturing into the lush and cinematic world of modern Exotica, and finally returning home through the warm harmonies of Waipuna. The playful title “Nano Banana” reflects how small musical details reveal surprisingly big cultural stories — a perfect theme for this carefully curated playlist. Playlist – Show 694: Nano Banana Hiʻilawe – Kahiau Lam Ho (4:19) Ho‘omālamalama “Hiʻilawe” is one of the most iconic traditional mele of Hawaiʻi, tied to Waipiʻo Valley on Hawaiʻi Island. The mele references the towering Hiʻilawe waterfall and a story of hidden love. Generations of musicians—from Sam Liʻa to Gabby Pahinui—have carried this mele forward. Kahiau Lam Ho's contemporary interpretation preserves the melodic intimacy of the piece while presenting it through a modern vocal and production style. Sanoe – Kahiau Lam Ho (4:56) Ho‘omālamalama Composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani and Princess Likelike, “Sanoe” is a mele filled with kaona—hidden meaning—traditionally understood as a story of secret royal affection. Lam Ho's version leans into the quiet emotional tone of the mele, using minimalist accompaniment that allows the poetry and nuance to shine. Pukalani Hale – Kawika Kahiapo (4:26) Kuʻu Manaʻo “Pukalani Hale” is a place-based mele grounded in the upcountry region of Pukalani on Maui — often translated as “heavenly gateway.” Kawika Kahiapo, known for his warm slack-key guitar and heartfelt delivery, performs the mele as an expression of home, spirituality, and gratitude. His musicianship reinforces the intimate connection between land and identity. Mother Earth – Kawika Kahiapo (4:15) Kuʻu Manaʻo “Mother Earth” expands Hawaiian concepts of aloha ʻāina to a global message of environmental responsibility. Kahiapo uses gentle acoustic textures to remind listeners of their obligation to care for the planet. The mele blends Hawaiian worldview with modern ecological awareness, making it a contemporary anthem of stewardship. Queen's Jubilee – Jerome Koko & Daniel Ho (5:15) Makaha Sons Memoirs “Queen's Jubilee” celebrates the musical heritage of the Makaha Sons through the talents of Jerome Koko and Grammy-winning producer Daniel Ho. Their collaboration fuses refined acoustic arrangements with the sentimental warmth associated with the monarchy era. The piece functions as a tribute — both to the past and to the many voices that shaped Hawaiian music across generations. Ka Makani Kā‘ili Aloha – Jerome Koko & Daniel Ho (4:56) Makaha Sons Memoirs A beloved classic mele often translated as “The Wind That Steals Love Away,” the song personifies wind as an emotional force. Koko and Ho offer a clean, harmony-rich interpretation that honors the poetic storytelling at the heart of the mele. It pairs beautifully with “Queen's Jubilee” to form a thematic homage to Hawaiian musical legacy. Ouanalao – The Waitiki 7 (4:33) Adventures in Paradise “Ouanalao,” named after the indigenous term for Saint Barthélemy, fits squarely in the spirit of mid-century Exotica while elevating it with jazz sophistication and modern cultural respect. The Waitiki 7 are known for reinvigorating Exotica through scholarly musicianship rather than kitsch. This track creates a lush world-fusion soundscape that expands the emotional palette of the show. L'ours Chinois – The Waitiki 7 (8:07) Adventures in Paradise “The Chinese Bear” is a long-form instrumental journey blending Asian thematic colors, jazz improvisation, shifting tempo landscapes, and intricate percussion. It is cinematic in scope and demonstrates the ensemble's ability to honor Exotica's roots while pushing it into new, musically ambitious territory. The track deepens the atmospheric middle section of the episode. Lehua Mamo – Waipuna (4:22) Manaʻo Pili A mele celebrating the cherished yellow lehua blossom. Waipuna's arrangement uses contemporary harmonies and polished production to honor traditional imagery of forests, blossoms, and affection. The emotional tone begins to guide listeners back toward themes of home, love, and belonging. Home Kapaka – Waipuna (3:55) Manaʻo Pili A perfect closing mele expressing homecoming, identity, and emotional grounding. Waipuna's clear vocals and gentle arrangement bring the episode full circle, returning listeners to the values of place, ʻohana, and aloha that shape Hawaiian experience. © 2025 Hawaiian Concert Guide. All music remains the property of the respective artists and labels.
In this episode of Sixth Scents, Elizabeth Ashley and Adam Barralet explore evergreen wisdom, ancient customs, and modern aromatic traditions for honouring the darkest point of the year.Elizabeth Ashley is the UK Director for the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) and founder of the Aromatic Mystery School.Adam Barralet is an educator and plant guide known for teaching natural lore through essential oils.In this episode you'll learn:How evergreens became symbols of protection and continuityTraditional Yule practices including the Yule log, birch sweeping, and bringing greenery indoorsJapanese Yuzu bathing traditions and how to adapt them with essential oilsEvergreen energetics: fir, pine, spruce, cedar, and juniperPatchouli as a winter grounding oilSeasonal aromatics for introspection, ritual presence and spiritual awarenessCrown chakra themes during midwinterWinter solstice anointing oils and energetic blendsSeasonal slowing, rest practices, and creating inner space for reflectionFeatured oils and themes include:Patchouli • Siberian Fir • Wintergreen • Cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana) • Neroli • Clary Sage • Lavender • Frankincense • Litsea (Cubeba) • Osmanthus • Blue Lotus • Birch • Yuzu00:00 Embracing the Winter Solstice and Aromatherapy10:09 Traditions and Rituals of Yule20:13 Essential Oils for Reflection and Renewal29:56 Connecting with Nature and SpiritualityTO FIND MY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS, BOOKS, MEDITATIONS, CLASSES, COURSES AND READINGS, SIMPLY CLICK HERE: https://linktr.ee/adambarralet To contact me regarding purchasing essential oils at a VIP rate, extending your essential oil education or you'd like to work with me in sharing these gifts from Mother Earth and her plants to those you care about, please visit: https://goo.gl/forms/Cv96rHPcKya4dhMB2 To purchase essential oils, please visit: https://www.adambarralet.com/holistic-health-with-adam To purchase my latest book exploring the essential oils and chakras, please visit: http://linktr.ee/chakrabalancing CONNECT WITH LIZ HERE: https://linktr.ee/thesecrethealer Stay in the loop for new classes & events: https://aromaticmysteryschool.com/email-capture
https://vimeo.com/1136707863?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci We've heard a lot about what doesn't work for us as women with the Me Too Movement and toxic masculinity and the recent Epstein Files, and we know what doesn't work for us as well. But do we know what does? And today's guest is gonna talk about relational masculinity as the next frontier beyond toxic masculinity. It's a beautiful conversation with GS Youngblood, and I welcome you to join us to find out more. GS Youngblood has been studying the dynamics of relationship and polarity for over 17 years. He has found that most relationship problems are a result of a lack of masculine leadership. GS Youngblood offers live training workshops to help men stop settling for a flat, contentious or toxic relationship. He offers a three month live online group experience for a community of 12 like-minded men with his Relationship Repair Boot Camp. He is also a two time book author of "The Masculine in Relationship” and “The Art of Embodiment for Men” A book about owning your strength while still connecting with your woman on a deep level. He has sold nearly 100,000 books to date and has helped tens of thousands of men transform their lives by boiling down a complex subject into a simple three-part framework that ANY man can embody: the Masculine Blueprint. Watch or listen to the show to discover ways to help men find their way to start living from their masculine core. You're Invited! FREE GIFT: MIR Toolkit https://www.gsyoungblood.com/toolkit GS YOUNGBLOOD BIO GS Youngblood is the acclaimed author of the groundbreaking book “The Masculine in Relationship”, which challenges the modern notion that all Masculinity is toxic by offering a model - the Masculine Blueprint - for men to become grounded in their own power and more relational with their Feminine partner. The Blueprint is something any man can embody, and it fits in our modern #MeToo culture without being watered down in any way. The premise of his work is that many relationship problems are actually rooted in a lack of Relational Masculinity - which is a combination of groundedness, leadership, and relational skills. This is what he teaches to men. His two books have sold nearly a combined 90,000 copies, and he has become a highly sought-after men's coach. GS's work draws inspiration from various disciplines, including psychology, men's work, spirituality, martial arts, tango, meditation, and BDSM. LINKS Website: https://www.gsyoungblood.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gsyoungbloodmir/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gsyoungblood1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gsyoungblood8437 YOUR GUIDE TO SOUL NECTAR: KERRI HUMMINGBIRD Kerri Hummingbird, Medicine Woman, Mother and Mentor, is the Founder of Inner Medicine Training, a Mystery School that shares potent ancient traditions from the Andes and Himalayas for owning your wisdom and living your purpose. She is the #1 international best-selling author of “Inner Medicine: Becoming One with Mother Earth for the Survival of Humanity”, “Love Is Fierce: Healing the Mother Wound”, “The Second Wave: Transcending the Human Drama” (on the int'l bestseller charts for over 6 years) and the award-winning best-selling book “Awakening To Me: One Woman's Journey To Self Love” which describes the early years of her spiritual awakening. As the host of Soul Nectar Show, Ms. Hummingbird inspires people to lead their lives wide awake with an authenticity, passion and purpose that positively impacts others. As a healer and mentor, she catalyzes mind-shifts that transform life challenges into gifts of wisdom. If you are wondering what the heck is going on, the answer is simple. We are in the process of a massive shift in consciousness that can most aptly be described as the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. As a medicine woman, I guide you to the next deepest understanding and embodiment of yourself as a spiritual being.
If you've been scrolling lately, you've probably noticed lots of comet chatter about 3I/ATLAS. What's all the bruhaha about and what does it mean for you? I’ll cut through the cosmic fluff and make this simple. If you want to attend the Free Winter Solstice event on Sunday, 12/21 at 4pm ET, RSVP here to let me know. What Is 3I/ATLAS? Let's start with the basics. 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet, meaning it's not from our solar system. It's a cosmic traveler cruising at over 100,000 miles an hour. It will make its closest approach to Earth around December 19, 2025, which means around 170 million miles away. So yes, it's rare and worth paying attention to. But physically? You're fine. Humanity is fine. The planet is fine. Now spiritually… this is where things get interesting. People Are Lit Up About This Comet Astronomers love it because it's only our third known interstellar visitor after ‘Oumuamua and Borisov. But the spiritual community is lit up because of the timing, the symbolism, and the energetic ripples many intuitives are already feeling. Channelers are comparing notes. Astrologers are cross-referencing charts. Energy sensitives have that familiar “something's shifting” hum inside their chest. Think of 3I/ATLAS as a celestial tuning fork drifting through our sky, humming just enough that the sensitive folks among us feel the vibration before it even arrives. Many spiritual teachers call it a light-packed traveler carrying clarity, recalibration, and what some describe as “reset frequency.” Not in a dramatic destruction way, but in a gentle, rebalancing way. Think of it as the energetic version of straightening your crown and realigning your inner compass. It's as if the Universe is whispering, “Time to recalibrate.” What Does the Comet Offer? Potentially, so many good things come with this comet including, an inner reset, energetic balance, heightened intuition, a return to your aligned Self, and all sorts of positive upgrades in how you sense and navigate the world. The most important point, in my opinion? Nothing is happening to you because you're not a victim of 3I/ATLAS. Instead, you're being invited to partner with it. Symbolic Meaning Hidden in the Name Now let's discuss the metaphysics for a moment because “3I/ATLAS” is full of symbolic goodies. According to numerology, “3” is about creation. think of the cycle of birth, death, rebirth. It's the number that says something new is coming. Then the letter “I” points to intuition, identity, insight, and the observing Self. Put these together and you get creation plus consciousness. A cosmic reminder that you are not a passive passenger in your own life. You're a co-creator! What about “3rd Eye + Atlas” The third eye is your intuitive center, your inner vision, your ability to sense truth without proof. Atlas is the top vertebra that holds your head, the mythological guardian who carried the world, and the name we give to global maps. Suddenly 3I/ATLAS becomes a message about higher perception, energetic support, nervous-system alignment, and carrying a new level of awareness in the body. That's the kind of upgrade I can get behind. Why the Timing Matters Astronomically, the closest approach is December 19, 2025. Spiritually, many view the full 12/18–12/19 window as an energetic corridor. It’s a moment when life pauses just long enough for you to feel the subtle shift before the next level loads. And let’s not forget that 2025 is a nine year according to numerology, which is all about completion. Things naturally fall away, resolve, or wrap up. So the timing of this comet is pretty synchronistic, don’t you think? How Might 3I/ATLAS Affect You? • Clearer intuition • Emotional clearing • Heightened sensitivity • A desire to rest • Sudden clarity about what's ending • Fresh inspiration This comet is giving you time to ask yourself important questions such as: “Are your actions matching your intentions?” “Are you living as the person you say you want to be?” “What truth are you finally ready to honor?” The good news is there’s no judgment or no punishment, only clarity. Balance Masculine & Feminine Energy Another theme connected to 3I/ATLAS is the balancing of masculine and feminine energy, which are the divine polarities within you. Think of these opposites: • Drive and receptivity • Action and restoration • Doing and being • Protecting and allowing • Structure and flow When one side dominates, imbalance shows up in your body, your choices, your relationships. The comet's energy highlights what needs attention, like sunlight revealing dust on the bookshelf you swear was clean yesterday. Now don’t think 3I/ATLAS will do the shift for you, but it helps you see where the shift is ready and waiting. It shines clarifying light into your world, so you can make the upgrade and let your divine feminine rise. How to Work With the 12/18 Portal The practices don't need to be dramatic or ceremonial. Let them be simple: 1. Conduct a gentle review of the past year and ask: What is ending? What no longer resonates? What feels ready to be reborn? 2. Balance your masculine and feminine. When you take action, then be sure to rest. If you move, then afterwards stretch. Honor both your fire and your flow. 3. Third-eye alignment. You might try light meditation, intuitive journaling, or placing one hand on your heart and the other on your belly, while breathing slowly. 4. Neck and Atlas stretches. Consider chin tucks, shoulder rolls, gentle neck tilts. Tell your body, “I'm ready to carry awareness with ease.” or “Thank you for all that you do for me, I love you.” 5. Grounding. Take a slow walk outside in nature and pay attentionto your surroundings. Send roots down into the earth to connect with Mother Earth and everything she embodies. Then allow that energy to rise into you feet and up through all your chakras. So nourishing! What’s the Real Message of 3I/ATLAS Here's the bottom line. There's no dramatic upheaval coming. Instead, this comet acts as a reminder to say you're evolving, awakening, and rebalancing. And the good news is that the Universe is supporting every step. Think of this event as a powerful invitation to trust and strengthen your intuition, allow your divine feminine energy to rise and feel vibrantly alive and aligned. It's a gentle guide with impeccable timing. Cosmic synchronicity at its finest. As 3I/ATLAS moves through our sky on 12/18 and 12/19, take a moment to choose what this means for you. The power isn't out there in the sky or anywhere outside yourself. It's in you. It is you. 3I/ATLAS simply arrives at the perfect moment to help you remember your truth, your path, and your power. Are you ready to embrace what's next? I sure hope so! The post Is 3I/ATLAS Doom And Gloom Or A Positive Cosmic Upgrade? appeared first on Intuitive Edge.
There was a time, not so long ago, when we got our water directly from local sacred springs. Pure water that came from the depths of Mother Earth. Unfiltered, unchanged, full of minerals that would heal our ailments. We wouldn't just gather at springs to drink, we would gather there to pray, to communicate with Mother Earth and God and to connect to life. Water is life, we are water. Connecting to water was our first source of spirituality. Water holds memory, it holds healing, it helps us to feel unity. Nowadays the sacred springs around the world have been neglected, damaged, demolished or forgotten. Just like we forgot that we are water and connected to our oceans, rivers and streams. But a new momentum is rising. We remember. James of @ageofalbion is part of that movement. He educates on sacred springs, how to find them, how to repair them, how to tell if the water is safe. This is our conversation. It's a dedication to water and to our old ways of honouring Mother Earth's sacred springs while also benefitting from the health advantages of drinking pure water. If you want to learn more about springs:James resources:Website: https://www.jamescaggianelli.com/Guide on Sacred Springs Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ageofalbionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ageofalbion/General Resources On Finding Springs: https://www.megalithic.co.uk/https://findaspring.org/Connect deeper to Water & Whales: Join my upcoming course: WHALE MEDICE Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echosandroots/#water #springs #waterhealing #sacredsprings
In this episode of The Observatory, Samuel Beautysta joins the show to discuss the ancient art of Zapotec weaving and the living stories carried in each thread. Samuel, a traveling weaver from Oaxaca, Mexico, shares how his curiosity about identity and lineage led him deep into the Benizaa tradition, uncovering the meanings behind patterns, the natural colors drawn from the earth, and the symbols that honor life, death, and ancestry. He reflects on his family's response to his search for knowledge, his experiences traveling and teaching, and how weaving becomes a language that connects cultures and generations. Timestamps[02:31] How Scott and LaRae first met Samuel Bautista[05:36] Samuel's background information on the weaving culture and tradition[13:33] How things unfolded for Samuel after the curiosity of wanting to know who he is[19:02] Samuel's experience in the United Kingdom[20:10] The similarities of Samuel's culture to that of other cultures during his research[25:46] How Samuel's parents reacted to his journey of seeking knowledge about their tradition [29:11] How Samuel discovered the natural colours of weaving[38:43] Samuel's episode on The Reluctant Traveler Show about the Day of the Dead[49:27] Connecting to one another and the Mother Earth[55:34] How Samuel created a community of collaboration and co-creationNotable quotes:“History is always written with an agenda and a hidden power, like governments and institutions. It's up to us to answer questions for ourselves, who we are, our lineage, and our story.” - Samuel Beautysta [11:59]“When we start to discover that we are more similar than we are different, it changes our whole perspective on what our parents taught us.” - LaRae Wright [25:46]“To survive the hottest days of summer, you have to feed your roots, your ancestors, and remember your teachings.” - [43:25]“For us, instead of fearing death, we embraced it and added it to our symbols and rituals.” - Samuel Beautysta [50:38]“All the knowledge is lying dormant within you, just like a seed that is buried in the ground and ready to sprout. ” - Samuel Beautysta [01:07:42]Relevant links:Samuel Beautysta Website: https://dixza.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_dixza/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dixzarugsSubscribe to the podcast: Apple PodcastsProduced by NC Productions
Episode 99 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh, FSPA talks with Kaitlin Curtice. They explore Indigenous spirituality, the power of stories, the cyclical nature of being, expansiveness and liminality, the difference between certainty and faith, joy in art, Mother Earth, community, taking time to heal, presence and contemplation, and much more. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Email | RSS | More A transcript of the show is available. "Liminality is just the gray areas of life, the spaces where we don't quite know yet. We don't quite have things figured out or it's complex. And I think that if we're honest, that's where so many of us live spiritually, is in those deep questions." -Kaitlin Curtice Kaitlin Curtice ABOUT THE GUEST Kaitlin Curtice is an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, Kaitlin writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. She also speaks on these topics to diverse audiences who are interested in truth-telling and healing. As an inter-spiritual advocate, Kaitlin participates in conversations on topics such as colonialism in faith communities, and she has spoken at many conferences on the importance of inter-faith relationships. Kaitlin leads workshops and retreats, as well as lectures and keynote presentations, ranging from panels at the Aspen Climate Conference to speaking at the Chautauqua Institution and at universities, private retreat centers, and churches across the country. In 2020 Kaitlin's award-winning book Native: Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering God won Georgia Author of the Year in the religion category. Native explores the relationship between American Christianity and Indigenous peoples, drawing on Kaitlin's experiences as a Potawatomi woman. In 2023, Kaitlin released two books, first, Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day, which examines the journey of resisting the status quo of hate by caring for ourselves, one another, and Mother Earth, and second, her first children's book called Winter's Gifts: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature, which is the premier book in a series of four books on the four seasons coming out with Convergent, RandomHouse Books. Her second book in the series called Summer's Magic was released in 2024. Besides her books, Kaitlin has written online for Sojourners, Religion News Service, On Being, SELF Magazine, Oprah Daily, and more. Her work has been featured on CBS and in USA Today. She also writes essays and poetry for The Liminality Journal and spends her time supporting other authors as they navigate the world of publishing. Kaitlin lives near Philadelphia with her partner, two dogs, and two kids. Find out more about Kaitlin at Instagram.com/kaitlincurtice, and The Liminality Journal on Substack. MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans. Email us at messyjesusbusiness@gmail.com BE SOCIAL: https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness Twitter: @messyjesusbiz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/messyjesusbusiness SUPPORT US: https://www.patreon.com/messyjesusbusiness
Explore dwarf planet Sedna through Inuit myth, astrology and essential oils with Elizabeth Ashley and Adam Barralet. Learn how Sedna's courage, retrograde lessons and oceanic wisdom guide spiritual transformation, ritual work and emotional resilience. 00:00 Exploring the Mystique of Sedna10:10 The Transformation of Sedna: From Mortal to Goddess19:56 Astrological Insights and Essential Oils for Sedna30:10 Navigating Challenges: Sedna's Retrograde and Personal Growth39:50 The Power of Essential Oils in Healing and TransformationABOUT ADAM BARRALET Adam Barralet has been observing and living in tune with nature since childhood. Growing up amongst the bushland and wildlife of the hills in Western Australia and residing in various locations around the world has presented Adam with diverse opportunities to access extensive and eclectic teachings about the secrets of Mother Earth. He has used essential oils for over 30 years and teams his experiences with his background in human biology, chemistry, psychology, health sciences and massage.He has now established himself as an international author, presenter, educator and Wellness Advocate, adept at working with essential oils, along with crystals, animal guides, tarot, astrology and mythology. CONNECT WITH ADAM HERE: https://linktr.ee/adambarralet ABOUT ELIZABETH ASHLEYElizabeth Ashley has over 20 books on sale on Amazon under her pen name The Secret Healer. The UK Director of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy and an overseas speaker for The International Federation of Aromatherapists, Elizabeth's work focuses on understanding the very earliest energetic relationships between certain plants and the human world, right up the modern-day scientific evidence of healing botanicals.A practicing Melissa priestess, a plant and bee shamaness as well as a bee guardian, she has the unique perspective of having one foot in our three-dimensional scientific reality with the other dancing in the spiritual realms.CONNECT WITH LIZ HERE: https://linktr.ee/thesecrethealer
I'd love to hear from you - Send me a text message Grounded in the EarthA journey into deep safety, rootedness, and body connection.This calming meditation invites you to gently return to your body, reconnect with the Earth, and relax your entire nervous system.Through guided breath, grounding visualisation, and the stabilising presence of Mother Earth beneath you, Ayesha leads you into a space of deep ease and energetic rootedness.In this meditation, you will be guided to:✨ Release tension from your body and melt into a state of calm✨ Feel supported, held, and safe within the Earth's nurturing energy✨ Slow your breath and soothe the nervous system✨ Anchor your energy so you can feel centred, steady, and present✨ Reconnect to your inner stillness, clarity, and natural rhythmThis journey is perfect anytime you are feeling unbalanced, overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected from yourself.Allow each breath to take you deeper into the Earth.Allow the Earth to take you deeper into yourself.Come home to your body.Come home to the ground beneath you.Come home to peace.Ayesha is a Holistic Health Practitioner, weaving together years of practice as a Meditation Teacher, Sound Healing Facilitator, QHHT Practitioner, Colon Hydrotherapist, Nutritionist, and certified GAPS Practitioner (gut & psychology syndrome) Her work integrates the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual layers of healing — supporting the whole human, not just one aspect of their wellbeing. Across her years of working with thousands of clients, Ayesha has witnessed the profound transformation that occurs when we combine breath, sound, nutrition, inner work, and energetic alignment. She has seen bodies heal, nervous systems reset, emotions soften, and hearts open when the right tools are applied with presence and wisdom. Now, through Mini Meditations & Wellbeing Conversations, she extends these sacred teachings to you In her episodes, Ayesha will explore a wide range of topics Link to : The Nurturing 4 Day Cleanse https://theiamwellnesscentre.com.au/online-store/ols/products/the-nurturing-4-day-cleanse---e-book Connect with us Facebook www.Facebook.com/theiamwellnesscentretoukley Instagram www.instagram.com/theiamwellnesscentre Website www.theiamwellnesscentre.com.au
Haumea is not only a Hawaiian goddess of childbirth and regeneration — she is also the name given to a trans-Neptunian dwarf planet discovered in 2004. In astrology, Haumea is associated with creative renewal, lineage, earth stewardship, and the cycles of life that break apart and re-form. When Haumea appears strongly in a birth chart, she often signals the place where we are called to midwife our own becoming.We also discuss essential oils that resonate with Haumea's field of creation-through-transformation, including:Fragonia for reconciliation and gentle integrationBlue Lotus for expanded awarenessCistus for remembering what has been lost and returning to wholenessThese oils can be combined into aromatherapy blends that support personal renewal, ritual work, or transitions where identity is shifting.Whether you are exploring myth, planetary archetypes, or plant work, Haumea invites us to honour the ongoing process of death-and-rebirth that underlies all creativity.ABOUT ADAM BARRALETAdam Barralet has been observing and living in tune with nature since childhood. Growing up amongst the bushland and wildlife of the hills in Western Australia and residing in various locations around the world has presented Adam with diverse opportunities to access extensive and eclectic teachings about the secrets of Mother Earth. He has used essential oils for over 30 years and teams his experiences with his background in human biology, chemistry, psychology, health sciences and massage.He has now established himself as an international author, presenter, educator and Wellness Advocate, adept at working with essential oils, along with crystals, animal guides, tarot, astrology and mythology. TO FIND MY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS, BOOKS, MEDITATIONS, CLASSES, COURSES AND READINGS, SIMPLY CLICK HERE: https://linktr.ee/adambarralet To contact me regarding purchasing essential oils at a VIP rate, extending your essential oil education or you'd like to work with me in sharing these gifts from Mother Earth and her plants to those you care about, please visit: https://goo.gl/forms/Cv96rHPcKya4dhMB2 To purchase essential oils, please visit: https://www.adambarralet.com/holistic-health-with-adam To purchase my latest book exploring the essential oils and chakras, please visit: http://linktr.ee/chakrabalancing ABOUT ELIZABETH ASHLEYElizabeth Ashley is an aromatherapist, author, educator, and researcher with over 30 years of clinical and teaching experience in the UK and internationally. Her work bridges essential oils, spiritual practice, and grounded emotional understanding.
What does the dwarf planet Makemake reveal about equality, ecological consciousness and perception beyond the human field? In this conversation, Elizabeth Ashley and Adam Barralet explore Makemake through dwarf planet astrology, Rapa Nui origins, and subtle aromatherapy, linking planetary themes with spiritual essential oils and non-local awareness.Makemake Themes CoveredHigher octave of Uranus — innovation that includes everyoneEquality & fair distribution of resourcesEcological intelligence and interspecies communicationHow Makemake shows up in your birth chart and during retrogradeEssential Oils DiscussedLemon Myrtle — mateship, equality, Lemurian circle consciousnessCumin — manifestation “for the greatest good of all concerned”White Chilean Myrtle (Luma chequen) — innovative awareness, subtle perceptionRosemary ct. verbenone — biosemiotics, plant–bird signallingHoly basil (Tulsi) — eugenol, sacred embodiment, spiritual remembranceKey InsightsWhy Makemake may relate to the etheric bodies and expanded perceptionRapa Nui Birdman ritual and the symbolism of the sooty tern eggHow plants communicate through verbenone and jasmonic acidsQuantum aromatherapy: same molecule, different feeling, different outcomeThis episode is for anyone exploring dwarf planet astrology, spiritual herbalism, subtle aromatherapy, evolutionary astrology, and essential oils for spirituality.ABOUT ADAM BARRALETAdam Barralet has been observing and living in tune with nature since childhood. Growing up amongst the bushland and wildlife of the hills in Western Australia and residing in various locations around the world has presented Adam with diverse opportunities to access extensive and eclectic teachings about the secrets of Mother Earth. He has used essential oils for over 30 years and teams his experiences with his background in human biology, chemistry, psychology, health sciences and massage.He has now established himself as an international author, presenter, educator and Wellness Advocate, adept at working with essential oils, along with crystals, animal guides, tarot, astrology and mythology. TO FIND MY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS, BOOKS, MEDITATIONS, CLASSES, COURSES AND READINGS, SIMPLY CLICK HERE: https://linktr.ee/adambarralet To contact me regarding purchasing essential oils at a VIP rate, extending your essential oil education or you'd like to work with me in sharing these gifts from Mother Earth and her plants to those you care about, please visit: https://goo.gl/forms/Cv96rHPcKya4dhMB2 To purchase essential oils, please visit: https://www.adambarralet.com/holistic-health-with-adam To purchase my latest book exploring the essential oils and chakras, please visit: http://linktr.ee/chakrabalancing ABOUT ELIZABETH ASHLEYElizabeth Ashley is an aromatherapist, author, educator, and researcher with over 30 years of clinical and teaching experience in the UK and internationally. Her work bridges essential oils, spiritual practice, and grounded emotional understanding.
Why is now such a potent time for women to gather in circle? Divine feminine awakening and the year of the snake was POTENT More are divorcing, or breaking up, more women are standing in their power than ever before And they don't wanna do it alone! It's time for us to rise together and head into the Year of the Horse united with love and compassion and safe spaces Ali and I will talk about this and ask you to join us ladies heading into the 12-12 portal for DEEP TRANSFORMATION and HEALING as we go into the potent winter solstice (which has been foretold to be a HUGE ending for us to have a new beginning on the planet and moving thru the patriarchal wounding of Mother Earth and our ancestral lineages) Did you know the next week astrologically is setting us/you/me up for the next 9 years?? 2025 was a 9 year, an endings year 2026 is a 1 year, a new beginnings AND the beginning of the next 9 year cycle What we say/do/think/focus on this next week (or NOT focus on) will create a LOT of the momentum or lack thereof of what we want different/better/more of in our life It leads us into the 12-12 portal on Friday also!!!! This is a time to SLOOOOOW down and get clear on what you want in your life (health, wealth, career, relationships, etc) Please watch this 8 minute video to get clarity on why it is a potent time to join in circle as women Yes it is online and will be recorded replays to share even if you can't attend live! It is only $22 investment and will set you up for more success/love/joy/bliss/peace/patience/health/ecstasy for the next year and 9 year cycle! Will you invest and make time for YOU??? Many women struggle with this and many of the same addictive behaviors/shadows/limiting beliefs Its not a time to do this alone ladies! Sign up at www.Magdalenagrace.com Monday-Friday 6:30-7 a.m. PST meditations Tues/Thursday nights at 6:30 p.m. PST classes to go DEEPER into your shadows safely and be in circle with women - laugh, cry, dance it out together! SPECIAL 12-12 PORTAL ACTIVATION ON FRIDAY TOO!! PS IF you don't think you have time for this....it is a sign that you DO deserve to sign up! When will you make the time for you???
https://vimeo.com/1135918794?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci As agents of transformation, so many of us are here to disrupt the status quo, to disrupt the old patterns, and we wanna do it with love, we want to do it with care, with a calming presence creating spaces where people feel seen and supported and safe and yet sometimes when we do that we actually re-create all the old paradigms all over again, or put ourselves back in the corset of expectation. So, how do we move through that to get to a place that's true and aligned, as a space holder. Heather Stewart is here to share her story with us and these beautiful insights from her crown of amethyst. Join us, for this beautiful, multidimensional and all out amazing conversation. Heather Stewart was an accountant in corporate finance during a previous time of her life. She ran her own yoga studio for 10 years and a private massage therapy practice for 14 years. She spent 13 years guiding kayaking trips on the Gregorian Bay. She is a personal trainer and Certified Meditation Facilitator. She loves everything wellness and has a passion for teaching. Heather's mission is to help others find how to be their best selves. Heather's podcast, Illuminate Your Worth has gone global as a live TV show broadcasting to over 300 channels. Heather also offers support with Coach in Your Pocket, a monthly subscription service of real time access to Heather's support, energetic recalibration and soul aligned clarity when you need it most. Watch or listen to the show to discover ways to find how to be your best self and live your best life. You're Invited! FREE GIFT: Alignment Activation Audit One hour with Heather to dig deep into the patterns that are holding you back from being fully aligned and in your life. https://5nx2p6.share-na3.hsforms.com/2Bm3rvgA0TwunKev3fASu0Q LISTEN: Illuminate Your Worth podcast https://www.inspiredchoicesnetwork.com/podcast/illuminate-your-worth-heather-stewart/ QUOTES If you can believe you are the person you desire to be, you can take the steps for it. If you can't trust yourself, how can you trust the rest of the world? Everyone is an experiment of one. The only one that is going to know it's a fit for you is you. HEATHER STEWART BIO Heather Stewart is a transformation guide and coach for women ready to rewrite their definition of success into one that's rooted in alignment, not burnout. After a 15-year career as a Chartered Accountant, she made a bold leap into the world of wellness, building thriving businesses in yoga, massage, and coaching. Known for her grounded wisdom and calming presence, she creates spaces where women feel seen, supported, and safe enough to transform. Her work is about helping women trust their own timing, follow the call within, and create a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside. She's living proof that you can change course and not just survive it, but thrive in it. LINKS Website: https://heatherstewart.coach Podcast: https://www.inspiredchoicesnetwork.com/podcast/illuminate-your-worth-heather-stewart/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherstewartcoaches Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherstewartcoaching/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstewartcoaching/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb84Op3vnnrPbxKi0BxtlKQ YOUR GUIDE TO SOUL NECTAR: KERRI HUMMINGBIRD Kerri Hummingbird, Medicine Woman, Mother and Mentor, is the Founder of Inner Medicine Training, a Mystery School that shares potent ancient traditions from the Andes and Himalayas for owning your wisdom and living your purpose. She is the #1 international best-selling author of “Inner Medicine: Becoming One with Mother Earth for the Survival of Humanity”, “Love Is Fierce: Healing the Mother Wound”, “The Second Wave: Transcending the Human Drama” (on the int'l bestseller charts for over 6 years) and the award-winning best-selling book “Awakening To Me: One Woman's Journey To Se...
White Feather joins us for our monthly healing circle for Mother Earth. He encourages us to acknowledge all of God's Creation and how precious and beautiful it is. Go to divinelovesanctuary.ca to learn more about God's Divine Love. Or visit facebook.com/divinelovesanctuaryfoundation/live for previous circle recordings or soul-truth.ca and new-birth.net to browse transcripts of previous messages.
Sita, the heroine of the Hindu epic Ramayana and a divine feminine avatar of Lakshmi, is often misunderstood. She is praised for her patience, remembered for her suffering, but rarely honored for her sovereign choices, her hidden fire, her radical return to Self. In this extraordinary episode, Acharya Shunya brings together the creators of Sitayana—a groundbreaking audio retelling of the Ramayana through Sita's eyes. Together with producer Michael Sternfeld, devotional artist Nina Rao, mystic Mirabai Starr, and author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, she explores exile, dharma, silence, devotion, and the moment when Sita says no… and returns to the Earth. Includes a stirring passage from "Sita Returns to Mother Earth" and a devotional song offered by Nina Rao to invoke her presence through sacred sound.
Kareem Abdul-Jabber spent one season as an assistant coach at Alchesay High School, a Native American school. This is the story of that season where he learned as much as he taught the boys on the basketball team.CREDITSRick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voiceJacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC"The Heartbeat of Mother Earth" by Carlos Carty"Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORKsportshistorynetwork.comsportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/ FACEBOOKm.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/ BUSINESS CONTACTbballhistory101@gmail.com
In this episode, Co-host Carry Kim speaks with Terri Napeahi, a Native Hawaiian advocate and founder of the Keaukaha Action Network, about the significant health, cultural, and environmental impacts of geothermal energy development in Hawai'i. Terri shares her personal journey and the ongoing struggles of the Native Hawaiian community against industrial practices that threaten their lands and traditions. Join us for a powerful discussion on the intersection of Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and the fight for a sustainable future. Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url There is a global push and narrative around “clean, renewable energy.” Anyone who has advocated on the frontlines knows that renewable energy is far from being 100% clean or without consequence, particularly to Indigenous people or people of color who tend to be on the receiving end of the aftermath and health risks of renewable energy sources such as geothermal may pose. Every energy source bears environmental risk whether to our air, soil, water, the sacred lands of original Indigenous peoples or the totality of beings of nature, especially those nearly invisible to us. Who benefits and who suffers in this assault upon air, water, soil and living beings? The expense is high for all of us. Terri Napeahi, Native Hawaiian grassroots organizer and advocate for her people, highlights concerns around the expansion of geothermal energy in Hawai'i as well as issues of corporate influence and fasttracking projects without proper regard for the health and safety of current and future generations of life. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio RESOURCES Terri Napeahi is a Native Hawaiian raised in Keaukaha Hawaiian Home Lands in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. She is the founder of Keaukaha Action Network, now helping to revitalize the Pele Defense Fund. Terri's advocacy began in her own community, after hearing that Hawaiians hold the highest percentages of health, income, and welfare disparities in their own home. She has a BBA in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Business and Economics, and currently works as a Planner in the Regulatory Division for the County of Hawai'i Planning Department. Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt Hosted by Carry Kim Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 273
Michael B. Jordan talks about working with his longtime collaborator Ryan Coogler, challenging himself with “Sinners,” and what his next ventures will be, including “Miami Vice” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.” Later, “Sentimental Value” star Renate Reinsve talks about the movies that influenced her, her ambitions as an actor and possible director, and her connection to Mother Earth. And the Roundtable shares what it's most thankful for this weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you been doing all the manifestation work—visualizing, journaling, vision boards—but still not seeing results? You're not doing anything wrong. You're just missing one crucial step: grounding your desires.In this powerful 45-minute guided meditation, I'll teach you the Tree of Life method that completely transformed my manifestation practice. Within 3-4 days of practicing this way, I started seeing signs, feeling different, and experiencing real shifts.What makes this different:Most manifestation practices keep you floating in your mind. But to manifest in physical reality, you need strong roots. Just like a tree doesn't ask permission to grow and bear fruit, you can manifest effortlessly when you understand your connection to Mother Earth and Source.In this meditation, you'll:Activate and strengthen your root chakra (the KEY to physical manifestation)Connect your roots deep into Mother Earth's coreFill your entire being with golden abundance energyVisualize your desired life in immersive detailGround your vision into the Earth to make it physicalLearn to walk through life with your roots always connectedThe 3 Keys:You are a Tree of Life—connected to infinite abundanceYour root chakra is your foundation (where manifestation becomes real)Remember your future by immersing yourself deeply in your desired realityHow to practice:Do this meditation daily if possible. Twice a day (morning and night) for fastest results. Each time, visualize different moments from your new life. Ignore your 3D reality and stay committed to your vision—the physical world will catch up.This meditation includes both explanation (30 minutes) and the full guided practice. Settle in, get comfortable, and prepare to remember who you truly are.
Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Feel the drums of Mother Earth, As she gently soothes your soul. She draws you in with rhythmic beats, And leaves you feeling whole. LONG PAUSE The drums beat on, and soon you feel, The waves of peace roll in. Your body sways and softens too, As calmness flows within. LONG PAUSE Gentle and serene, The space in between. Soften and you'll feel, Your soul begin to heal. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,
EPISODE 637 - Jann Alexander - Unspoken - Historic Texas during the Dirty Thirties and beyondAbout Jann AlexanderI'm an author, photographer, and artist.My characters face down their fears, in novels that are as close-to-true as fiction can get.I specialize in time travel. Read Unspoken, my best-selling novel and the first in my Dust series that stars historic Texas during the Dirty Thirties and beyond. Explore my photography featuring Vanishing Austin, Mother Earth, and Texana. Journey into the American southwest and Mexico, along the Mission Trail, as I capture the colors in my paintings and photos. "Jann Alexander's blazingly alive novel Unspoken asks how do we keep a family intact? Especially during a time of upheaval and betrayal in the 1930s Dust Bowl? Here, in a story told by both a mother and her daughter, two people struggle to both understand their world and each other." — CAROLINE LEAVITT, New York Times bestselling author ofPictures of You and Days of WonderUpheaval, betrayal, estrangement, families lost and found, poverty, and homelessness, are the themes we wake up to in today's headlines. In the 1930s, the Texas Dust Bowl was no different — with one exception. Nobody knew how to fix air you couldn't breathe.https://www.jannalexander.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca
Take care of the earth. We have grandsons and great-great-grandsons, and we have to, we, our generation, has to teach the young people what we lived, the beauty of the world that we lived, not the disaster we have today.Hello conscient podcast listeners,Many of us do international travel, probably a bit too much. When I travel, I consider it a privilege that comes with responsibilities. For example, whenever we can we try to give back by donating to local charities in the region where I'm visiting or maybe making sure that we tip appropriately and that the people we am with get a fare wage. We also try to by buy credible carbon offsets. That kind of thing. You might recall e235 lallan – art from the soil, which I recorded while in the Tirthan Valley in Northern India :My advice to artists would be drop every garb that you have, drop every piece of knowledge that you think you have. Head to the jungles, head to the rural places. We are living in a time of crisis.You might also recall e236 keiko torigoe – the power of listening, which was recorded in Tokyo, Japan: The environmental issues currently at hand, including global warming, are related, but I believe that at their root lies the decline of our listening ability and the power of listening as humanity.Both episodes were recorded quite spontaneously on my iphone. I hadn't planned to record these interviews, but as I listened to some of the stories around me and I thought it could be a gesture of reciprocity to make these voices available on this podcast to help raise awareness about activities in that country but also to point out commonalities between us all in the world. So, what you're about to hear is my third conversation in this series, this time with Francisco Rodriguez, a Chilean born banker, who with his wife Sylvia, manage the Anaconda Lodge on the shores of the Napo River near Tena, in Ecuador, where my wife Sabrina and daughter Clara were doing some eco-tourism. So we had the pleasure of staying there and meeting Francisco and others from the region. I sat down with Francisco – you'll hear some birds and insects in the background - about his relationship with the Amazon forest as a living entity as well as their collaborations with the Kichwa indigenous people who are the traditional custodians of these lands and waters. You'll hear some beautiful sounds and good stories about the Amazon, which I found uplifting but you'll also hear about some of the very serious challenges that they currently face, which call upon increased solidarity from the rest of the world, given that the Amazon is the lung of the earth. You'll notice this episode is a bit more than 15 minutes. I added some soundscapes that makes it a bit longer than usual, which I hope you'll enjoy.Warm thanks Francisco, Sylvia, all the guides and staff at Anaconda Lodge for their kindness and hospitality. Episodes notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AIKey Takeaways:Support Indigenous communities by living alongside them and understanding their challenges, rather than offering temporary aid.Learn about the Amazon's diverse cultures and ecological fragility through reading and authentic resources.Reduce your carbon footprint by making small, conscious changes in daily habits to support global environmental efforts.Recognize the Amazon as a single, interconnected entity, not divided by national borders, but by Indigenous territories.Understand the impact of Western influences, such as processed food and consumer goods, on uncontacted tribes and their traditional way of life.Story PreviewDiscover the journey of Francisco Rodriguez, who left the banking world to dedicate his life to protecting the Amazon and working its Indigenous peoples. Hear how he and his wife Sylvia created Anaconda Lodge as a bridge between cultures, fostering understanding and solidarity for the ‘lung of Mother Earth.' Chapter Summary00:00 Introduction to Amazon and Indigenous Voices02:44 From Banker to Amazon Advocate05:50 Living with Indigenous Communities09:58 Ecotourism and Amazonian Consciousness14:25 Understanding the Amazon from Afar20:00 Sustainable Living and Jungle CommunicationFeatured QuotesWe always hope that when they go back home, they use less fossil fuel.You have to think one thing, these people have been beating up by our, by we Western people for over 500 years.Our main goal is to make our guests to understand where they are.Behind the StoryClaude shares his third recording from international travel, this time from the Anaconda Lodge near Tena, in Ecuador. He, his wife Sabrina, and daughter Clara experienced ecotourism firsthand which led to this conversation with Francisco Rodriguez. The episode highlights the value of reciprocity when traveling and making voices from different regions accessible to a global audience. *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHey conscient listeners, I've been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It's my way to give back.In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.Share what you like, etcI am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on November 13, 2025
Have you taken a few precious minutes out of your day lately to consider why you are living right here, right now at this time when so much chaos and upheaval is going on our world? If you are here, you have all the potential to become a lightworker and influence the course of the world for the good, just like Sean O'Laoire, this week's very special guest on Spirit Gym.Learn more about Sean and his work at his Spirits in Spacesuits website. Follow him on social media via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Timestamps10:36 The Hebrew word, radha, explains so many unsolved and unresolved problems on our planet.20:52 “We're mistaking the mask that God is wearing for who God is.”28:15 Will the divine in us ever recognize the same thing in others?36:38 Spirituality has been reduced to religion which has often been reduced to morality.39:34 Do you know the secret, sacred, divine name God gave you?45:40 Moving through an alchemical process.1:02:02 A mirror not only shows us who we are but what we can become.1:11:34 The mythish way of experiencing the world.1:25:54 “The love of money is the root of all evil.”1:33:39 Big differences between signs, symbols and sacraments.1:41:14 How many American woman are part of the Hatetriarchy?1:52:14 The imbalances between technology and morality.2:02:56 Three versions of the future.2:10:25 Sean's five stages of problem-solving.2:14:06 The Lightworker's Manifesto.2:24:20 The mission of lightworkers.2:31:30 Five levels of compassion.ResourcesSean discusses King Arthur and Jesus on the Aubrey Marcus podcast on YouTubeThe Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance by Matthew FoxSetting God Free: Moving Beyond the Caricature We've Created in Our Own Image by Sean O'Laoire Find more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesKorrect SPIRITGYMPique LifeCHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Hey beautiful soul, it's Jody. Tonight, we'll rest in the embrace of Mother Earth herself. She'll hold your worries, soothe your heart, and remind you that you are always supported. So get cozy, take a deep breath, and let's journey into her care. Sweet dreams my friend, Jody Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kendrick Fans EXPOSED By Elon, Gambino Calls Drake A Groomer, Major Celeste d4vd Update, Uzi Is Back | Club Ambition Podcast Episode 217 #kendricklamar #childishgambino #liluzivert Sponsored by:Rhode Island Education Collective | https://rieducationcollective.org/ Dave's Hot Chicken | located in Middletown R.I. Mother Earth Wellness long term announcement | Promo code “ambition10' for 10% off your purchase https://motherearthri.com/ - Thanksgiving CAP Week 0:00- Kendrick Stan accounts on X exposed 16:00- Drake iceman not coming this year? 28:50 - Gambino disses Drake 36:56- Gambino stroke 45:50- Celeste murder updates 51:25- Klay vs Ja Morant 1:00:00- Carti x Fortnite collab 1:05:30- Lil Uzi Vert reaction 1:09:09- Reaper challenge 1:23:00- Mother Earth 1:49:00- Fabio fake MJ scandal 2:00:45- Bobbi Althoff goes off 2:09:07- Akash wife scandal viral 2:20:00- Mamdani and Trump love fest 2:32:30- Haiti island takeover 2:41:20- Local Rhode Island stories 2:46:15- Ray J Zeus show mess Love Cabin 2:56:10https://linktr.ee/clubambitionUNCUT PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ClubAmbitionDISCORD COMMUNITY: https://discord.com/invite/M8Kmha8UqvMERCH: https://clubambition.shopListen To Podcasts: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/clubambitionWatch Spanish Podcast El Po K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqOENhDvdQ0&list=PLNukP3hLjNb_ITL34h3Gjue3z9KWiF-px Watch CAP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4YVeSYZi28&list=PLNukP3hLjNb_zwvsdwqTOGvgBb-_Ym2mL&pp=gAQBiAQBFOLLOW US!Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/clubambitionpodcast/Owner/Host/Editor | SOUND: https://www.instagram.com/itsavibe/CAP Co-Host / Producer | Marloon: https://www.instagram.com/imfromthe401/CAP Co-Host | Noel: https://www.instagram.com/noelfrias_/El Po K Host | Maestro Vitiko: https://www.instagram.com/vitiko_baez_el_po_k?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==El Po K Co-Host | Locotron: https://www.instagram.com/iambenjaminrd?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==Graphic Designer | Edwin: https://www.instagram.com/edrebels/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clubambition/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClubAmbition__/-----------------------------------------------------------Want a promote your music or hire us for marketing?Email us if interested in business! - ClubAmbition401@gmail.com-------------------------------------------------------------RIP: Nipsey, Mac, XXXtentacion, Juice, Pop, Von, DMX, Virgil, Dolph, Takeoff, RHQ, CLARK KENT---------------------------------------------------------------------COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS
Send us a textIn my last episode exactly one week ago, I stated that 3i Atlas is a space fleet accompanied by countless numbers of spaceships and explored the prescient reality of interstellar travels through the lens of the ancient Vedic seers.The seers cognized that we are living in a multi universe where timelines are continually collapsing, folding and recalibrating and that ancients beings exist in myriad forms living in parallel universes. That magnificent Earth is but one such world and its humanity asset of “free will” has been both its bitter challenge and saving grace. ( more on this topic later). In the meantime, NASA is operating from the usual undercover storyline. When Atlas passed Mars, the HiRise camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was scheduled to capture the clearest images ever taken of an interstellar object. Scientists were poised to see the surface texture, and structure. And then, right on cue, by practiced synchronicity, NASA's data feed went dark. Excuse? The government shut down. Let that sink in. 3i Atlas, the newest interstellar object to enter Earth hemisphere is called an anomaly because her existence is light years beyond humanity's scientific intelligence. as you will learn, she is indeed an ancient most MotherShip. We pray that she is here not to colonize Mother Earth but to oust the old, rote patriarchal systems by calibrating and heightening humanity's vibrational awareness. 3i Atlas Mother Ship, is a 73 trillion pound mass, 5 kilometers long lingam- shaped vessel racing at over 124,000 miles per hour, faster and heavier than 6 million starships combined. She seemed cloaked in a radioactive buffering material bellowing in majestic forms as she pierces the cosmos . She is fierce, humungous, silent, and precise- perhaps a fitting emissary of the Shakti. The question is: is the greatest, most humongous, most ancient ship recalibrating planet Earth as she makes her way to Jupiter where she can safely park while observing Earth? Surely, world governing bodies would have been tracking these phenomenal recommends and know precisely the interstellar mission intended for earth. Jupiter's immense gravity has historically been thought to protect Earth by deflecting comets and asteroids. Her"Grand Track Path to and from the Sun in the early solar system, is believed to have influenced the formation of Mars and the structure of the asteroid belt. Her cosmic gravitational field which protects her planet and all around her appears to be the Mothership's destination and the safest sphere for her to park. ……..Listen In—Support the showMay Peace Be Your Journey~www.mayatiwari.comwww.facebook.com/mayatiwariahimsa.Buzzsprout.com Get Maya's New Book: I Am Shakti: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/o-books/our-books/I-am-shakti Amazon.com Bookshop.org
Join us for a profound conversation with Paula Peters from 2024, a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, as we unravel the myths surrounding Thanksgiving and explore the rich history and culture of the Wampanoag people. Discover the untold stories of colonization, the impact of diseases, and the ongoing struggle for land and cultural preservation. Paula shares insights into the Wampanoag's spiritual beliefs, their connection to the land, and the efforts to correct historical narratives. This episode is a journey into the resilience and enduring spirit of Indigenous peoples. Paula Peters, citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, shares the historical and cultural legacy and story of the Wampanoag: the People of the First Light. She unravels common misperceptions and false narratives around the first “Thanksgiving” and the harvest of 1621 involving Native people and the first colonizers, the Pilgrims. By acknowledging what has gone before, she invites us to envision and collectively create a balanced way forward for humanity. The Wampanoag have lived in southeastern Massachusetts for more than 12,000 years. They are the tribe first encountered by Mayflower Pilgrims when they landed in Provincetown harbor and explored the eastern coast of Cape Cod and when they continued on to Patuxet (Plymouth) to establish Plymouth Colony. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio LINKS The Thanksgiving Story from the Wampanoag Perspective: https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/wampanoag-thanksgiving-stolen-land-massacred-hope/ Paula Peters is a politically, socially and culturally active citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. For more than a decade she worked as a journalist for the Cape Cod Times and is now co-owner of SmokeSygnals [http://smokesygnals.com], a Native owned and operated creative production agency. As an independent scholar and writer of Native, and particularly Wampanoag history, she produced the traveling exhibit “Our”Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History and The Wampum Belt Project documenting the art and tradition of wampum in the contemporary Wampanoag community [https://www.plymouth400inc.org/category/news/]. In 2020 she wrote the introduction to the 400th Anniversary Edition of William Bradford's, Of Plimoth Plantation. Paula is also the executive producer of the 2016 documentary film Mashpee Nine and author of the companion book, a story of law enforcement abuse of power and cultural justice in the Wampanoag community in 1976. Paula lives with her husband and children in Mashpee, Massachusetts, the Wampanoag ancestral homeland. Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt Hosted by Carry Kim Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 242
The following is AI-generated approximation of the transcript from the Equipping Hour session. If you have questions you would like to be addressed in followup sessions, please direct those to Jacob. Opening & Introduction Smedly Yates: All right, this morning’s equipping hour will be about artificial intelligence—hopefully an attempt to introduce this topic, help us think through it carefully, well, biblically. Let me just open our time in prayer. [Prayer] Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your kindness to us. Thank you for giving us all that we need for life and godliness, for not leaving your people adrift. Thank you for putting us into this world exactly in the era that you have. We pray to be effective, fruitful, in all those things which matter for eternity in this world, in this time, in this age. God, we pray for wisdom, that you would guide our discussion here. We pray that this would be of benefit and a help to Grace Bible Church. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. Here’s the layout for this morning and for a future equipping hour. We’ll be talking for about 35 minutes, back and forth—Jake and I—and then at 9:35, the plan is to go to Q&A. So, this is an opportunity for you to ask questions. At that point, I’ll surrender my microphone and you guys can rove and find people. For the next 33 minutes or so, you can be thinking about the questions you’d like to ask. Jake’s going to do most of the talking in our time here. I’m going to set him up with some questions, but just by way of intro, I want to get some things out of the way as we’re talking about artificial intelligence. You might be terrified, you might be hopeful. I want to get the scary stuff out of the way first and tell you what we’re not going to talk about this morning. Is that fair? Artificial intelligence is here. Some of you are required to use it in the workplace. Some of you are prohibited from using it in your workspaces. There’s nothing you and I can do to keep it from being here. Some of the dangers, some of the things you might be wondering about, some of the things that make the news headlines—over the last two weeks, scanning the headlines, there was a new AI headline every day. One of the terrible things that we won’t talk about today is the fact that nobody knows what’s true anymore, right? How can we discern? But the reality is the god of this world has been Satan for the entirety of human history and he’s a deceiver from the beginning. There’s nothing new about lies. They might be easier and more convincing with certain technological advances. The lies might be more ubiquitous, but the same humanity and the same satanology are at play. We may be concerned about societal fracture and distrust. Some people, if they distrust new tech, will withdraw from society. Others will fully embrace it. And so you get a fracture in society—those with, and those without tech. Some people will just say, “If the digital world works, we’re going to use it.” That’s not the Christian perspective. We’re not simply pragmatists. We do care about what’s true and what’s right. Some are worried about AI chatbot companions that will mark the extinction of relationships, marriage, society. I probably fall into the category of those who assume that AI will mean the end of music or the death of music and other art forms. That’s just me, a confession. People run to end-of-the-world scenarios—the robots decide they don’t need us anymore or the collective conscience of AI decides that humanity is a pollutant on Mother Earth, and the only way to keep the earth going is to rid itself of humanity. The survival of the planet is dependent on our own extinction. So AI will bring about a mass human genocide and the end of homo sapiens on earth. We know that’s not true, right? We know how the world ends, and it doesn’t end by an AI apocalypse. So don’t worry about that. Some people worry that AI will be a significant civilization destabilizer. That might be true. But we know that God is sovereign, and we know where society and civilization end up: at the feet of Jesus worshipping him when he rules on the earth for a thousand years leading into the eternal state. So don’t worry about that either. Some believe that AI is the antichrist. Now we know that’s not true. What is the number of the beast? 666. And this year it got rounded up to 67. So we know AI is not the antichrist. 67 is the antichrist. And if you want to know why the numbers six and seven got together in the year 2025 and formed the new word of the year, ask your middle schooler. Is that all the scary stuff? Not even close. I have a family member who has worked in military intelligence working on artificial intelligence stuff for a long time. He said it’s way scarier than you could possibly imagine. Do you want to say any more other scary scenarios we shouldn’t be thinking about? Jacob Hantla: No, we’ll probably cover some of those. Smedly Yates: Okay, great. What we want to focus on today is artificial intelligence as a tool. Just as an axe can be a tool for good or evil, AI is a tool that either has opportunities for betterment or opportunities for danger. So we want to think about that well. What you have on stage here are two of the shepherds at Grace Bible Church. You’ve got Jake Hantla, who is the guy I want exploring artificial intelligence and telling us how to use it well—he has and he does. And then you have me; I intend not to use artificial intelligence for now. We’re on opposite ends of a spectrum, but we share the same theology, same principles, same concerns, and I think the same inquisitive curiosity about technological advances. I drive a car; I’m not Amish in a horse and buggy. I like tech. But on this one, I’m just going to wait and see. I’m going to let Jake explore. From these two different poles, I hope we can be helpful this morning to help us all together think through artificial intelligence. What is AI? Smedly Yates: Let’s start with this, Jake. What is AI basically? Jacob Hantla: At the heart of it, most forms of AI are a tool to predict the next token. That might not mean much to you, but it’s basically a really fancy statistical prediction machine that accomplishes a lot of really powerful outcomes. It doesn’t have a mind, emotions, or consciousness, but it can really effectively mimic those things because it’s been trained on basically all that humanity has produced that’s available to it on the web and in other sources. I’ll try not to be super technical, but I want to pop up a picture. Can you go to slide one? When we think of AI, large language models are probably the one that most of you will think of: ChatGPT, Gemini, Grock, Claude, things like that. Effectively, what it does when we’re thinking of language—it can do other things, like images and driving cars and other things, but let’s think of words—it takes basically all that humanity has written and learns to predict the next token, or we could just think of the next word. So, all of you know, if I said, “Paris is a city in…” most of you would say France. Paris is a city in France. How do you know that? Everyone here has learned that fact. Large language models have gone through a process of training where they learn facts, concepts, and grammar, so that they can effectively speak like a human in words, sentences, and paragraphs that make sense. So how did it get to that? On the right, there’s just a probability that “France” is the most probable next word. How did it get there? Next slide. I’ll go fast. Basically, it’s a whole bunch of tunable weights—think of little knobs or statistical probabilities that interlink parameters. These things get randomized—there are trillions of them in the modern large language models. They’re just completely random, and then it starts feeding in text. Let’s say it was “It was the best of times, it was the…” and it might say “gopher” as the next word when you just randomly start, and that’s obviously wrong. The right word would be “worst.” So, over and over and over again, for something that would take one computer about a hundred million years to do what they do in the pre-training, they have lots of computers doing this over and over until it can adequately say, “Nope, it wasn’t gopher. It should be worst. Let’s take another crack at it.” It just manipulates these knobs until it can act like a human. If you fed it a mystery novel and at the end it would say, “The killer was…” it has to be able to understand everything before to adequately guess who the killer was, or “What is the capital of France?” It compresses tons and tons of knowledge from all of the written text. Then you start putting images in and it compresses knowledge from images and experience from life into a whole bunch of knobs—basically, numbers assigned so it can have an output that is reasonable. Next slide. You take people—pre-training is the process where you’re basically feeding text into it and it’s somehow learning. We don’t even know—humans are not choosing which knobs mean what. It’s a black box. We can sort of start to figure out which knobs might mean things like masculinity or number or verbs, but at the end, you just have a big bunch of numbers. Then humans come in and train it—reinforcement learning with human feedback. They say, “This is the kind of answers we want this tool to give.” At the outcome, people are saying, “We ask it a question, it outputs an answer, we say that’s a good one, that’s a bad one.” But in this, you can see there’s lots of opportunity for falsehood or biases—unstated or purposeful—to sneak in. If you feed in bad data into the training set, and if it’s trained on all of the internet—all that humans have made—you’re going to have a whole lot of truth in there, but also a whole lot of falsehood. It’s not learning to discern between those things; it’s learning all those things. In reinforcement learning with human feedback, we’re basically fine-tuning it, saying, “This is the kind of answer we want you to give,” and that’s going to depend on who teaches it. Then the final step is people judging the answers: “This is the kind of answer we want, this is the kind we don’t want.” Lots of opportunity for biases to sneak in. That was a long answer to “What is AI?” It’s a prediction machine with a whole lot of math going on. What Sets AI Apart from Other Technology? Smedly Yates: Jake, what sets AI apart from previous technological advances, especially as it relates to intention? Jacob Hantla: Tech could be as simple as writing, the wheel, the airplane, telephones, the internet—all those things. All of those, in some sense, enhanced human productivity, strength, our ability to communicate. We could pick up a phone and communicate over distance, use radio waves to communicate to more people, but it was fundamentally something that humans did—magnified. A tractor takes the human art, the human attempt to cultivate a field, and increases efficiency. AI can actually do that. A human in control of an AI can really augment the productivity and effectiveness of a human. You could read a book yourself to gain knowledge or have AI read a book, summarize it, and you get the knowledge. But AI can, for the first time, generate things that look human. It’s similar in some ways, but it’s very different in that it’s generative. AI and Truth Smedly Yates: Tell me about the relationship between AI and truth. You touched on it a little bit before. Jacob Hantla: AI contains a lot of truth. It’s been trained on even ultimate truth. AI has read the Bible more times than any of us ever could. To a large degree, it understands—as AI can understand—a lot of true things and can hold those truths simultaneously in ways that we can’t. But mixed in is a lot of untruth, and there’s no… AI can’t have the Holy Spirit. AI isn’t motivated the same way we are to know what’s true, to know what’s not. So, AI contains a lot of truth and can help you get to truth. You can give it a bunch of true documents and say, “Can you help me? Can you summarize the truth that’s in here? Or actually just summarize what’s in here?” If what’s in there was true, the output will be true; if what’s in there was false, it will output falsehood. It doesn’t have the ability or the desire to determine what is true and what’s not. AI, Emotion, Values, and Worldview Smedly Yates: So, ability and desire are interesting words. Let’s talk about emotion in AI, values in AI, worldview, and regulation of data. For us, true/false claims matter—or they don’t—depending on our worldview and values. Is there a mystery inside this black box of values, of emotion? How do we think about that? Jacob Hantla: First, AI doesn’t inherently have emotion or values, but it can mimic it based on the data it’s been trained on. You can ask the same AI a question and, unless you guide it, it will give you likely a hundred different answers if you ask the same question a hundred times. Unless it’s been steered in one direction, some answers will be good, some will be bad—everything in between. It’s generating a statistical probability. It doesn’t inherently have any of those things but can mimic them. It can be trained to have the values of the trainers. You can have system prompts where the system is prompted to respond in a way that mimics values, mimics emotions. The danger is if you just accept what it says as truth, which a lot of people will do. You say, “I want to know a piece of data,” and you ask the AI and the answer comes out, and you accept it. But you have to understand the AI is just generating a response based on probabilities. If you haven’t guided it to have a set of values, you don’t know what’s going to come out—and somebody may hide some values in it. Gemini actually did this. I think it was Gemini 2, but if you asked for a picture of the Founding Fathers, it would—because it was taught in the system prompt to prioritize diversity—give you images of a diverse group of females or different races, other than the races of the actual Founding Fathers, because it was taught to prioritize that. It had a hidden value in it. You can guide it to have the values you want with a prompt. It’s not guaranteed, but this is the kind of thing I would encourage you to do if you’re using these tools: put your own system prompt on it, tell it what worldview you want it to come from, what your aim is, and you’ll get a more helpful answer than not. Is AI Avoidable? Smedly Yates: Is AI something we can avoid, ignore, be blissfully ignorant about, put our heads in the sand? Jacob Hantla: You could, but I think it’s wise that we all think about it. I’m not encouraging people to adopt it in the same way that I have or Smed has. But the reality is, the world around us has changed. It’s irreversibly different because of the introduction of this technology. That’s what happens with any technology—you can’t go back. Technological advances are inevitable, stacked from scientific discovery and advances. If OpenAI wasn’t doing what it’s doing, somebody else would. You can’t go back. You can’t ignore it because the world is going to be different. You’re going to be influenced by both the presence of it and the output of it. When you get called on the phone now with a very believable voice, it might not be the person it sounds like—AI can mimic what it’s been trained on. There’s thousands of hours of Smed’s voice; it won’t be long before Smed could call you and it’s not Smed. Or Scott Demerest could send you an email asking for a credit card and it’s not Scott. News reports are generated by AI; some of them are true, effective, good summaries, and some could be intentionally spreading disinformation or straight-up falsehood. If you’re not aware of the presence of these things, you could be taken advantage of. Some work environments now require you to do more than you could have otherwise, and not being willing to look at the tools in some jobs will make you unable to compete. Commercially Available AI Products: Benefits and Dangers Smedly Yates: Let’s talk about the commercially available AI products that people can access as a tool. What are the opportunities, the benefits, and what are some of the dangers? Jacob Hantla: There are so many we couldn’t begin to go through all of them, but the ones most of you will interact with are large language models—people just say “ChatGPT” like Kleenex for tissues. It was the first one that came out and is probably the most ubiquitous, one of the easiest to use, and most powerful free ones. There’s ChatGPT by OpenAI, Gemini by Google, Claude by Anthropic, Grock by X.AI (Elon Musk’s), DeepSeek from China (good to know that’s made/controlled by China), Meta’s Llama, etc. Do the company names matter? Yes. It’s good to know who made it and what their goals are, because worldviews are to some degree baked into the model. If you’re ignorant of that, you’ll be more likely to be deceived or not use the tool to the maximum. But with all of these, these are large language models. I drive around now with AI driving my car—ultimately, it’s a similar basis, but that’s not our focus here. Large language models open up the availability of knowledge to us. They’re superpowered Google searches. You can upload a bunch of journal articles, ask it to train you to mastery on a topic. For example, I was trying to understand diastolic heart failure and aortic stenosis—uploaded articles, had a built-in tutor. The tutor asked me questions, evaluated my understanding, used the Socratic method to train me to mastery. This could do in 45 minutes what would have taken me much longer on my own. Every tool can do that. The bad side: you could have it summarize articles for you, and now feel like you have mastery you didn’t actually gain. You could generate an essay or pass a test using it, bypassing the entire process of learning and thinking. Students: if you have a tool that mimics human knowledge and creativity, and you have an assignment to write an essay, and you turn in what the tool generated as your own, you’re being dishonest and you bypass the learning process. The essay wasn’t the point—the process was. Passing a test is about assessing if you know things. If the AI does it for you, you bypass learning. I liken it to going to the gym. The point isn’t moving the weights, it’s building muscle. With education, the learning process is like exercise. It’s easy to have AI do the heavy lifting and think you did it, but you didn’t get stronger. So, be aware of what you’re losing and what you’re gaining. The tool itself isn’t morally good or bad; it’s how the human uses it. The more powerful the technology, the greater good or evil can be accomplished. The printing press could distribute Bibles, but also propaganda. Using AI with Worldview and Preferences Jacob Hantla: When I interact with AI on the Bible, I put a prompt: “When I ask about the Bible or theology, you will answer from a conservative, evangelical, Bible-believing perspective that uses a literal, grammatical-historical hermeneutic and a premillennial eschatology. Assume the 66-book Protestant canon is inspired, inerrant, infallible, completely trustworthy, without error in the original manuscripts, sufficient, and fully authoritative in all it affirms. No sources outside of the 66 books of this canon should be regarded as having these properties. Truth is objective, not relative; therefore, any claim that contradicts the Bible so understood is wrong.” I’m teaching it to adopt this worldview. If you don’t set your preferences, you might get any answer. The tool can learn your preference over time, but it’s better to set it explicitly. Audience Q&A Presuppositions and Biases in AI Audience (Nick O’Neal): What about the values and agenda behind those who input the data? What discernment do the programmers have to put that information in? Jacob Hantla: That goes to baked-in presuppositions or assumptions in the model. Pre-training is basically non-discerning: it’s huge chunks of everything ever written—good, bad, ugly, in between. It’s trained not on a set of values. Nobody programs values in directly; the people making it don’t even know what's being baked in. The fine-tuning comes when trainers judge outputs and reinforce certain responses. System prompts—unseen by users—further guide outputs, reflecting company worldviews. Companies like OpenAI are trying to have an open model so each person can let it adopt their own worldview, but there are still baked-in biases. For example, recent headlines showed some models valuing certain people groups differently, which reflects issues in training data or the trainers' worldview. You’re right to always ask about the underlying assumptions, which is why it would be foolish to just accept whatever comes out as truth. In areas like engineering, worldview matters less, but in many subjects, the biases matter. Is There an AI Bubble? Audience (Matthew Puit): When AI came out, the costs rose artificially by companies. Is the AI bubble going to pop? Jacob Hantla: I don’t know. I think AI will be one of the most transformational technologies. It’ll change things in ways we anticipate and in ways we don’t. Some people will make a lot of money, some will flop. If I knew for sure, I could make a lot of money in the stock market. AI-Generated Worship Music Audience (Rebecca): I see AI-generated worship music based on Psalms, but it’s generated by AI. Is anything lost in AI-generated worship music? Jacob Hantla: AI doesn’t have a soul or the Holy Spirit. It can generate worship music with good doctrine, but that doctrine didn’t come from a place of worship. AI can pray a prayer, but the words aren’t the result of a worshipful heart. You can worship God with those words, but you’re not following a human author who was worshipping God. For example, my kids used Suno (an AI music tool) to set a Bible verse to music for memorization—very helpful. Some might be uncomfortable with music unless it was created by a human; that’s a preference. Creativity is changing, and it will get hard to tell if music or video was made by a human or by AI. That distinction is getting harder to make every day. Setting Preferences in AI Tools Audience (Lee): You mentioned putting your preferences in. How do I do that, especially with free tools? Jacob Hantla: Paid AIs get more processing power, context window, and can use your preferences more consistently. Free versions have some ability—you can usually add preferences in the menu. But even if not, you can paste your preferences at the beginning of your question each time: define who you are, what you want, what worldview to answer from. For example: “I’m a Bible-believing Christian,” or “I’m a nurse anesthesiologist.” That helps the AI give a better answer. Parental Guidance and Children Using AI Smedly Yates: What should parents be aware of in helping their kids navigate AI? Jacob Hantla: Be aware of dangers and opportunities. Kids will likely use these tools, so set limits and help them navigate well. These tools can act like humans—kids without friends might use them as companions, and companies are adding companion avatars, some with sinful tendencies. That can be a danger. For school, a good use is as a tutor: after a quiz, have your child upload the results and ask, “Help me understand where I’m weak on this topic.” But also, be aware of the temptation to use AI to cheat or shortcut the process of learning, discovery, and thinking. Which AI Model? Will AI Become Self-Aware? Audience (Steve): Is there a model you recommend? And does the Bible preclude the possibility of AI becoming self-aware? Jacob Hantla: There’s benefits and drawbacks to all. For getting started, ChatGPT or Perplexity are easiest. Perplexity lets you limit sources to research or peer-reviewed articles and can web search for verification—good guardrails. I build in prompts like “verify all answers with at least two web sources, cite them, and state level of confidence.” On self-awareness: AI will never have the value of humans—they're not created in God’s image, they’re made in our image, copying human behavior. Will they gain some kind of self-awareness? Maybe, in the sense of mimicking humanness, but not true humanity. They won't have souls. They may start to fool more people as they get better, but Christians should use AI as a tool, not ascribe humanity or worship to it. AI Hallucinations Smedly Yates: Do you have an example of a hallucination? Jacob Hantla: Yes, Ben James was preparing for an equipping hour session and found a book that fit perfectly—the author and title sounded right. He asked where to buy it, and the AI admitted it made it up. That happens all the time: the model just predicts the next most probable thing, even if it’s false. Hallucinations happen because it’s a probability machine, not a truth machine. This probably won’t be a problem forever, but for now it’s very real. Ask it questions about topics you know something about so you can discern when it’s off, or bake into the prompt, “verify with web search, cite at least two sources.” For Bible/theology, your best bet is to read your Bible daily so you have discernment; then use tools to help, not replace, your direct interaction with God’s Word. There’s a wide gap between knowing the biblical answer and having your heart changed by slow, prayerful reading of the text and the Spirit’s work. If we run to commentaries, YouTube sermons, pastors, or even study notes before we’ve observed and meditated, we’re shortcutting the Word of God. The dangers predate the internet. We’re out of time. We’ll have a follow-up teaching on AI. Submit questions to any elders or the church office if you want your question addressed in the next session. The post Equipping Hour: Biblically Thinking About AI (Part 1) appeared first on Grace Bible Church.
Mother Earth is putting on a fiery show! The planet's newest volcano has decided to steal the spotlight, erupting in grand fashion and spewing rivers of molten lava. Picture this natural spectacle: a volcanic performance complete with glowing lava rivers flowing down the slopes. Situated in a remote part of the South Sandwich Islands, this newly minted volcano is a testament to the dynamic and ever-changing nature of our planet. Scientists are geeking out over the chance to study this fresh eruption, providing us with a front-row seat to Earth's spectacular geologic theater.
In this episode Nick Tilsen is joined by Dr. Lilias Jarding, Executive Director of Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, and Taylor Gunhammer, Lead Organizer for the Protect the He Sapa campaign at NDN Collective, to talk about past and current efforts to protect the land and water in the Black Hills of South Dakota, updates on the Protect the He Sapa campaign, and how important intergenerational organizing is to building bridges among people. PRODUCTION DISCLAIMER: This episode contains a 7 minute audio disruption at the 44 minute and 27 second mark. Basically, the audio recorder stopped recording. But we have the scratch audio! What was shared in this 7 minutes is important, so we made sure to keep it in. GUESTS: Dr. Lilias Jarding Taylor Gunhammer LEARN MORE: Visit https://bhcleanwateralliance.org/ and donate to their work. Donate to the Protect the He Sapa campaign by visiting https://ndncollective.org/ Support the For the People Campaign today! Your donation to NDN Collective directly supports Indigenous organizers, Nations, Tribes, and communities leading the fight for justice and liberation. Donate now to fund the frontlines, fuel the movement, and rematriate wealth. ndnco.cc/ftpcdonate NDN COLLECTIVE'S IMPACT: To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Executive Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org FOLLOW PODCAST: https://www.instagram.com/landbackforthepeople https://www.tiktok.com/@landbackforthepeople FOLLOW NDN COLLECTIVE: https://ndncollective.org https://www.instagram.com/ndncollective https://www.linkedin.com/company/ndncollective/ https://www.facebook.com/ndncol https://www.threads.net/@ndncollective https://bsky.app/profile/ndncollective.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@ndncollective https://x.com/ndncollective
Ray Ray's Podcast — Episode 170 “Adagio Management, Mother Earth, & Kush & Orange Juice”The team behind Adagio Management, along with Mother Earth and Kush & Orange Juice, join Ray Ray's Podcast to discuss the upcoming “Sticky Icky” private cannabis event — a celebration of culture, education, and entrepreneurship in the cannabis community.They dive deep into the importance of cannabis education, breaking down legal misconceptions, and exploring what it really takes to legally sell and operate within the cannabis industry. From advocacy and event curation to responsible business practices, this conversation sheds light on the evolving landscape of cannabis culture in Dallas and beyond. Recorded at Hello Studios Dallas, this episode is for entrepreneurs, advocates, and anyone curious about the future of legal cannabis. Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring actors, musicians, athletes, entrepreneurs, and community leaders sharing their stories and lessons learned. Topics & Keywords: Sticky Icky event, cannabis education, cannabis legalization, Adagio Management interview, Kush & Orange Juice, Mother Earth, Dallas cannabis events, cannabis business, legal cannabis in Texas, entrepreneurship, advocacy, community engagement, Hello Studios Dallas. Connect with Us:Instagram: @rayrays_podcastWebsite: www.rayrayspodcast.comEmail: ray@rayrayspodcast.com#RayRaysPodcast #StickyIcky #CannabisEducation #AdagioManagement #KushAndOrangeJuice #MotherEarth #DallasPodcast #CannabisEvent #Entrepreneurship #CannabisBusiness #CannabisCommunity #HelloStudiosDallas
Hey y'all, this podcast contains potentially disturbing content. Our show includes graphic references to topics such as sexual abuse, self-harm, violence, eating disorders, explicit language, and sexual acts. Listener discretion is advised. This show is for mature audiences only. Hosts break down the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear Kim Davis' appeal, California's ruling protecting LGBTQ elders, Pennsylvania's first out trans mayor, a homophobic school-board rant over brownies, SNAP shortages during the government shutdown, Dodgers controversy, and local climate activism and pollution in Long Beach — offering queer perspectives, community resources, and practical ways to help.
https://vimeo.com/1135913257 What is unconditional love? And how does life call you forward to express that unconditional love? Today's guest, Erica Baccus faced that very question as she kept her promise to help her partner of 41 years to end his life, with dignity when he found out he had Alzheimer's dementia. Join us for this beautiful conversation. The story of love. And have your heart open to the power of love. Erica Baccus was an English teacher. She is the founder of a high-tech marketing, advertising, and research company. Erica is a mom, a caregiver, a widow, and a lived-experience expert on end-of-life autonomy for dementia. Erica Baccus is making her publishing debut with her very personal and deeply touching memoir A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love. Erica's newly released book celebrates her marriage and life with her husband, John. Their marriage was built on their commitment to each other, to their families and their friends. Together, Erica and John lived a life of adventure. Together they celebrated 41 years of marriage filled with romance, love, joy and pure unadulterated fun. They always said, “yes” to each other until the very end, including saying yes to John's desire to not live with advanced stages of dementia. Erica Baccus hopes to bring awareness to the growing movement to support the Death with Dignity Act, allowing a person with terminal illness to decide when, where and how their death occurs. A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love has already achieved remarkable success, hitting #1 on both Amazon's Bestseller and New Release lists in the categories of Right-to-Die Law, Medical Law & Legislation, and Health Law. Watch or listen to the show to be inspired to open your heart, to believe in commitment and love and to learn practical, humane steps families can take to plan ethically. You're Invited! READ: A Promise Kept - Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Kept-Honoring-Wishes-Embracing-ebook/dp/B0FQ6Y7PT8 ERICA BACCUS BIO ERICA BACCUS is a caregiver, widow, and lived-experience expert on end-of-life autonomy for dementia. Erica's new memoir, "A PROMISE KEPT: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love" is a clear-eyed account of honoring her husband John's self-determined end while navigating the legal maze that forced their hand. Erica made a painful journey through the right-to-die bureaucracy in the United States, the “dementia Catch-22,” and the offers practical, humane steps families can take to plan ethically when the law offers no real path. LINKS Web: http://ericabaccus.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericabaccus/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erica.baccus/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-baccus-82a60/ YOUR GUIDE TO SOUL NECTAR: KERRI HUMMINGBIRD Kerri Hummingbird, Medicine Woman, Mother and Mentor, is the Founder of Inner Medicine Training, a Mystery School that shares potent ancient traditions from the Andes and Himalayas for owning your wisdom and living your purpose. She is the #1 international best-selling author of “Inner Medicine: Becoming One with Mother Earth for the Survival of Humanity”, “Love Is Fierce: Healing the Mother Wound”, “The Second Wave: Transcending the Human Drama” (on the int'l bestseller charts for over 6 years) and the award-winning best-selling book “Awakening To Me: One Woman's Journey To Self Love” which describes the early years of her spiritual awakening. As the host of Soul Nectar Show, Ms. Hummingbird inspires people to lead their lives wide awake with an authenticity, passion and purpose that positively impacts others. As a healer and mentor, she catalyzes mind-shifts that transform life challenges into gifts of wisdom. If you are wondering what the heck is going on, the answer is simple. We are in the process of a massive shift in consciousness that can most aptly be described as the metamorphosis from caterpi...
I start by sharing some concepts of the basics of Compassion; edifying moments and our resilience zone, which became lived experiences as I welcomed my sister for a visit last week. Amazonia called me back to this mission of telling her stories in the form of a priceless gift; Amazonia, an extraordinary book by Sebastiáo Salgado. His powerful words and sublime images serve as the perfect preface to the news reports emerging from COP30, contradictory opinions, insufficient action, perhaps too many promises and empty words. The fact is, the indigenous peoples have been left out of the main event and Amazonia continues burning and being decimated. Will we care enough to save the heart of the Earth? Can we, collectively, hold the Majestic Amazon with concern? Can you join me today and hold the Amazon Rainforest within your own heart; with care, wonder and devotion?
In this energy activation you'll bring healing and expansive Light energy to all of your Self, and your intuition will be gently attuned. At the end, you'll use this new attunement to connect with and support Mother Earth in a unique way.In this guided energy activation, you'll experience expansive Light healing energy through all layers of your self, all aspects of your soul. During this time, your intuition will be gently attuned, helping you further expand your inner guidance and clarity.By the end of this session, you'll channel your new energetic alignment to connect with and support Mother Earth in a slightly new way. This episode blends intuitive energy work, Light activation, and Earth healing to help you feel balanced, calm, and gently renewed.For more ways to work together: https://emilymarie.com/offerings/
Phoebe Klaus, L.Ac, MTOM is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine specializing in pediatric and teen wellness. A joyful devotee of Mother Earth, she explores the deep relationships between people, plants, and the spirit that connects all living things. From her off-grid home in the Appalachian forest, Phoebe spends her days growing and processing herbs, tending her homestead, and learning from the wisdom of both nature and human culture. She shares this life of wonder and joy with her husband, three teens, baby daughter, and two dogs. In this episode, Phoebe and I talk about the importance for kids and teens to have access to natural wholistic healing modalities as well as being given the time and attention to address their needs. Phoebe discusses how she works with teens to allow for trust, communication and informed consent to flow in order to empower teens at this vital time in their lives. Connect with Phoebe: Email: phoebe.acu@gmail.com Website: www.abundantnaturalhealing.com Let's Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Relationships! Let's Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. You can check out the original songs I have sung in my podcast at Pripo's Podcast Songs. Don't forget to visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page! Theme music "These Streets" provided by Adi the Monk Sound Production by Matt Carlson
Brian is well known for his time as vocalist for multi-platinum Canadian rock band I Mother Earth, but these days he's performing with his wife Tara as the duo TWO. Brian stopped by to chat about how he and Tara balance it all at home, from the importance of physical activity, to homeschooling, to navigating their kids' friendships, and of course upcoming music and shows for Two.
Welcome everyone to round three of our "Best of" series. We started this show seven and a half years ago to take a deep dive into all things spiritual, metaphysical, and enlightening, and so it is that we proudly present this “Best of World Awakenings – Part 3”. This is a compilation of some of our most recent & most popular episodes featuring some of our amazing & fascinating guests, as we continue to pursue the answer to the question, “Why now, more than ever, are the people of the world awakening to all things spiritual, metaphysical, and enlightening?" Here is a list of our featured guest on this show...CINDY LORA-RENARD: Let's start it off with one of the world's foremost teachers & practitioners of the non-dualistic spiritual teachings of “A Course in Miracles”, Cindy Lora-Renard. Cindy has been on this show at least 4 different times over the years and we always receive overwhelming response to every one of her appearances. Here's a segment of Cindy talking about her recent physical issues she's been dealing with and how to handle them in a practical manner even when coming from a higher spiritual understanding. And by the way, Cindy just happens to be an excellent singer & performer and we will also hear her sing her new song, “Above the Battleground”.TOM KENYON: Next up on this Best of World Awakenings – Part 3 we give you a taste of yet another one of our most popular guests, Tom Kenyon from our 214th episode. Not only is Tom a channel for the Hathors, galatic beings associated with ancient Egypt, but he is also regarded as a pioneer in the field of psycho-acoustic research and is an acclaimed practitioner of psycho-acoustic healing. Here he gives us an example of who he is and his psycho-acoustic healing work. CHRISTY WHITMAN: Now here's a snippet from our 218th episode as we talked with someone who also has been a guest numerous times on this show, Christy Whitman. Not only is Christy my personal mentor, but she is a world-class Master Coach & Energy Healer, and a channel for the Council of Light. Christy also is the author of her new book, “The Flow Factor”. Here's what she had to say about flow…DYLAN MEEK: In episode #213 World Awakenings featured a guest the like of which we had never had on the show before, Grammy-nominated professional musician, Dylan Meek, who spoke to us about seeking his higher purpose & a better world through his music that he writes & performs.WENDY ADAMS: One of the more extraordinary guests we have had on recently is intuitive medical healer, Wendy Adams. Here she talks about what her life was like after being struck by lightning. Plus, Wendy even did a healing on me, live during the show!DR. CHRISTOPHER MACKLIN: Dr. Christopher Macklin has embraced his spiritual path to help the people of the world to awaken and become enlightened, and on episode #203 he discussed just how very important & powerful your thoughts are in creating your reality.LEANNE ROSE: Yet another one of my most popular episodes is episode #192 featuring Trance channel, Leanne Rose. Leanne channels a group of ascended masters known as the Galayla Collective. Here they are explaining in an extraordinary manner, how earth and its people are now entering into a new reality.EVA MÜLLER: As the show host, personally, I have a deep investment in healing, not only myself, but for all humanity and Mother Earth. I have found that healing comes in many forms. One of my guests, Eva Müller, uses high vibrational Divine energies to perform healings, and here she is giving us an example of how she does this.SEAN CALLAHAN: Yet another one of my most popular shows featured Sean Callahan, founder & CEO of USA Med Bed & Healing Life Technology. While he offers the world his Tesla-based healing technology, Sean well understands the built-in power that each human has to heal themselves.SANANDA KRYST: In Episode #196 we spoke with Sananda Kryst who is a channel and Emissary for Earth's Pleadian Council of Light. Here is Sananda speaking to us in Light Language about staying and living in Christ Consciousness.LISA NATOLI: If you are a regular viewer or listener to World Awakenings you know that the modern spiritual guide, “A Course in Miracles” is the primary focus of this show. With this in mind, we have been blessed over the years to have some of the world's greatest teachers of the Course as our guests. Here's one of them, Lisa Natoli. Lisa went through years of poor health and used the non-dualistic spiritual teachings of “A Course in Miracles” to heal here mind & body.If you would like to get your own Lovetuner, you can go to there website and purchase one. Just click this link, LovetunerYou can get your copy of Karl Gruber's best-selling book, "True Spirituality & the Law of Attraction: A Beautiful Symbiotic Relationship" now! Just click this link!
Gonggong—the Chinese water deity and dwarf planet—brings waves that dissolve limits, reveal compassion, and test spiritual boundaries. In this conversation, Elizabeth Ashley (UK Director, National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy; Founder, Aromatic Mystery School) and Adam Barralet explore Gonggong planet mythology, its astrological themes (breakdown → breakthrough), and how targeted aromatherapy blends of spiritual essential oils can support clarity, protection, and stamina through spiritual awakening fatigue.We cover: Gonggong's symbolism (water, serpents/dragons, headstrong rupture → reset), echoes of Pluto/Neptune, and “choose your hard” resilience.Collective and personal themes: compassion, compassion fatigue, media overwhelm, and the rising conversation on psychological & spiritual boundaries.Practical support with aromatherapy blends for clarity and energetic containment (juniper, celery seed, myrtle) and for mental breakthrough (eucalyptus radiata, mentha arvensis/Japanese corn mint, wintergreen)—plus warm creative ignition (basil, cinnamon bark, clary sage).Aromatherapy Blends mentioned (from the talk):Boundaries & Containment (aroma pendant): 3 drops juniper, 2 drops celery seed, 1 drop myrtle.Breakthrough/Clarity (diffuser or well-diluted topical): 1 drop eucalyptus radiata (narrow-leaf peppermint gum), 1 drop mentha arvensis (Japanese peppermint/corn mint), 1 drop wintergreen.Creative “bash-through” (well-diluted topical or diffuser): 1 drop basil, 1 drop cinnamon bark, 1 drop clary sage in a tablespoon of carrier.Safety notes reflected in the talk: avoid wintergreen and cinnamon bark in pregnancy; wintergreen interacts with blood-thinning/platelet issues—use with care or choose diffusion.Why this matters now: With Gonggong moving slowly (currently in Pisces) and long retrograde windows, many report heightened emotion, porous boundaries, and spiritual awakening fatigue. Thoughtful spiritual essential oils can help you stay compassionate without drowning—and maintain clear spiritual boundaries while doing your work.Chapters 00:00 Exploring Gong Gong: The Dwarf Planet and Its Energy 02:57 Gong Gong Mythology: Understanding the Water God 05:46 Emotional Challenges and Breakthroughs 08:52 Boundaries and Compassion in the Age of Aquarius 11:47 Navigating Emotional Upheavals with Essential Oils 14:53 Creating Essential Oil Blends for Clarity and Compassion 17:42 The Role of Gong Gong in Personal and Societal Change 20:58 Astrological Insights: Understanding Gong Gong's Influence 23:55 The Power of Essential Oils in Spiritual Practices 27:06 Final Thoughts: Embracing Challenges for GrowthAbout your hosts Elizabeth Ashley — UK Director for the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy; Founder, Aromatic Mystery School (spiritual, emotional, and energetic dimensions of plants). Adam Barralet — Educator and author exploring practical spirituality, astrology, and plant wisdom.Join the conversation: If you have sources or lineage notes on Gonggong mythology or experience working with this dwarf planet, add them in the comments to help expand the knowledge base.TO FIND MY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS, BOOKS, MEDITATIONS, CLASSES, COURSES AND READINGS, SIMPLY CLICK HERE: https://linktr.ee/adambarralet To contact me regarding purchasing essential oils at a VIP rate, extending your essential oil education or you'd like to work with me in sharing these gifts from Mother Earth and her plants to those you care about, please visit: https://goo.gl/forms/Cv96rHPcKya4dhMB2 To purchase essential oils, please visit: https://www.adambarralet.com/holistic-health-with-adam To purchase my latest book exploring the essential oils and chakras, please visit: http://linktr.ee/chakrabalancing CONNECT WITH LIZ HERE: https://linktr.ee/thesecrethealer Stay in the loop for new classes & events: https://aromaticmysteryschool.com/email-capture
What if the voices guiding you toward your highest good have been there all along...you just needed to learn how to listen? In this transformative conversation, channeling expert Stephanie Banks reveals how she communicates with spirit guides, Mother Earth, beloved pets, and even the souls of the living to access profound wisdom that transcends the everyday noise of modern life.Stephanie's journey into channeling began when dementia prevented traditional communication with her mother, leading her to connect soul to soul instead. What started as personal necessity evolved into a profound practice of translating messages from trees, animals, the entire planet, and human souls, both living and passed.This episode offers a masterclass in spiritual awakening through the art of receptivity and demonstrates that everyone possesses channeling abilities waiting to be developed.Discover how consciousness expands when we quiet the mental chatter and create space for divine communication. Stephanie explains that channeling isn't reserved for those born with special gifts, it's a learnable skill that requires curiosity, openness, and the willingness to "get out of your own way."Through stories of communicating with neglected plants that suddenly thrived when acknowledged, cardinals carrying messages from departed loved ones, and the urgent whispers from Gaia herself, this conversation illuminates how deeply interconnected we are with all living beings.The discussion explores practical pathways to intuition development, including meditation practices, dream channeling techniques, and the art of "earthing"; standing barefoot on the ground to release heavy energy and draw in universal love. Stephanie addresses the modern challenges of maintaining spiritual connection amid constant digital distraction, offering actionable strategies for reclaiming presence and accessing the guidance that surrounds us.In a powerful live demonstration, Stephanie channels Karen's spirit guides of health and Will's daughter's soul, delivering messages filled with specific insights, humor, and profound wisdom. These channeled communications reveal how souls speak only from places of unconditional love, offering guidance that helps us become better partners, parents, and versions of ourselves.The episode concludes with accessible steps for anyone ready to begin their own channeling journey, reminding us that the most profound spiritual growth often happens in our most challenging relationships.Key Topics Covered:How Stephanie discovered her channeling abilities through soul-to-soul communication with her mother who had dementiaThe difference between making something up and accessing genuine channeled information through imaginationPractical techniques for connecting with Gaia, trees, animals, and other nature beingsWhy souls communicate only from places of unconditional love and fifth-dimensional consciousnessThe phenomenon of receiving messages through cardinals and other animals as conduits to departed loved onesHow to begin channeling during sleep through ancestor communication and dream guidanceStrategies for overcoming digital addiction and creating space for spiritual receptivityThe importance of "earthing" for releasing dense energy and connecting with planetary frequencyLive channeling demonstrations with specific guidance from spirit guides and living soulsUnderstanding that everyone is already channeling, we just need to recognize and develop itWhat You'll Learn:Why channeling requires getting into your imagination rather than avoiding itThe three-part checklist spirit guides offer for maintaining optimal physical health and presenceHow announcing intentions to loved ones creates powerful accountability for spiritual practiceThe specific ways to communicate with plants as empathic beings with needs and messagesWhy meditation doesn't need to be perfect to support clear channeling abilitiesHow to set vibrational boundaries that only allow high-frequency entities throughThe role of curiosity and openness versus innate talent in developing channeling skillsPractical methods for identifying when messages come from authentic spiritual sourcesHow children's souls communicate differently than their everyday personalitiesWays to incorporate wonder and awe into daily life as forms of spiritual connectionConnect with Stephanie Banks:Website: SoulInsight.comFacebook: @stephanieintuitivechannelInstagram: @stephanieIntuitivechannelYouTube: @SoulInsight-StephanieBanksIf this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who might benefit from learning they already possess the ability to access divine guidance. Remember: the voices of wisdom have been with you all along...you're simply learning to recognize them.Subscribe, Rate & Review! If you found this episode enlightening, mind-expanding, or even just thought-provoking (see what we did there?), please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us bring more transformative guests and topics your way! Subscribe to The Skeptic Metaphysicians on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for more deep dives into spiritual awakening, consciousness, spirituality, metaphysical science, and mind-body evolution.Connect with Us:
Christina Bagaglio Slentz is Associate Director for Creation Care for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. Learn about how her diocese prioritizes climate action here.In this episode, we often refer to Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si' and the ways that faith communities are living out its stated goals. We also discuss the theme “seeds of peace and hope,” the official theme for the 2025 ecumenical Season of Creation.Many thanks to Christina for sharing her wisdom in this conversation!Christina SlentzTRANSCRIPTChristina Slentz I think this really can help us understand the way that the cry of the Earth, these environmental climate extremes, or the variability that we're experiencing, leads to greater exposure—but how one community can face that exposure and adapt or bounce back fairly quickly and another may not really have that capacity.Debra Rienstra Welcome to the Refugia Podcast. I'm your host, Professor Debra Rienstra. Refugia are habitats in nature where life endures in times of crisis. We're exploring the concept of refugia as a metaphor, discovering how people of faith can become people of refugia: nurturing life-giving spaces in the earth, in our human cultural systems, and in our spiritual communities, even in this time of severe disturbance. This season, we're paying special attention to churches and Christian communities who have figured out how to address the climate crisis together as an essential aspect of their discipleship.Today, I'm talking with Dr. Christina Bagaglio Slentz, Associate Director for Creation Care at the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. Christina has a background in sociology, with a PhD in international studies and global affairs. She's also a Navy veteran. Today, she serves a diocese of 97 parishes, helping to guide and empower people in their creation care work. The Diocese of San Diego is a microcosm of diverse biomes and diverse people, and it's a fascinating example of refugia, because as a diocese, they are doing all the things. Christina and I talk about Laudato si', solar energy, economics, eco spirituality, environmental justice advocacy, the centrality of the Eucharist, and the mutuality between caring for neighbor and caring for the Earth. Let's get to it.Debra Rienstra Christina, thank you so much for being with me today. I really appreciate talking to you.Christina Slentz Thank you, Debra, for having me. I'm really excited to be here.Debra Rienstra So I am eager to hear more about the Diocese of San Diego, because it seems that you have been very intentional and thoughtful and ambitious about your creation care agenda, and we're going to get into the details of that in just a minute, but I want to start with you. So tell us your hero origin story. How did you get into faith-based environmental work and into your current position?Christina Slentz Well, to be honest, I never saw it coming in many ways. I was working in the global affairs area, looking at sources of conflict and cooperation and how political economy intersects with those dynamics, and that was my academic area of focus. And at the same time, I've always been a catechist in the Catholic church since the 90s, and my church life was pretty comfortable, I would say, and active. But I didn't really see those two things coming together until Laudato si', the encyclical written by Pope Francis on the care of our common home, was released in 2015, and this really started to bring more overlap between these two areas in my life. And I would say, increasingly, then there was a lot of interplay between those focus areas for me. And eventually this position became available in the Diocese of San Diego, and a friend mentioned it to me, and I thought that is actually the perfect vocation for me. And I really feel like I understood it to be a vocation, not just a job.Debra Rienstra Yeah, I think I can relate to everything you just said. I think we came to this work from different areas of specialty, but yeah, like you, I feel like we've had these mid-career shifts where suddenly our area of specialty—in my case, literature and creative writing—has become energized by—in your case, Laudato si', in my case, other documents as well as Laudato si',—and we've sort of taken this fascinating and yeah, I would agree, vocational, turn. So let's talk a little bit more about Laudato si'. I imagine our listeners know at least a little bit about it. It's been so enormously influential. It's such an amazing landmark document. Could you talk a little bit about how you've seen Laudato si' diffuse through the Catholic Church, especially the American Catholic Church?Christina Slentz Yes, I think, to be honest, it has had a complicated journey with the Catholic community here in the United States. Very much like the issue of climate change in the global community, the United States has struggled with these dynamics—I think the way that they involve our economics and some of our very strong ideology about economic freedom and what that means to people. And so I think it's fair to say that while Laudato si' was very warmly received around the world, it has struggled in the United States as a whole, and that includes the American Catholic community. That said, there have been—like your description of refugia suggests——there have been these pockets, though, where I think that particular dynamics existed, and there was fertile ground for seeds to be planted. And the Diocese of San Diego is one of them. The Diocese of—the Archdiocese of Atlanta was another. There are a couple around the country, and I do think some footholds were created. In addition, one of the things that is particularly interesting about the encyclical Laudato si'—and an encyclical is just a document that a pope writes and then circulates, right, this is where the word encyclical comes from—circulates around until everyone's had a chance to read it. We can imagine in medieval times, you know, how this must have been a challenge. And I think that, you know, this challenge exists, but Father Emmett Farrell is the founder of this ministry in my diocese, and Father Emmett just celebrated his 60th anniversary of his ordination, and Father Emmett will say he has never seen an encyclical translate to action the way that Laudato si' has. And in particular, there is a Vatican online platform called the Laudato si' Action Platform, where Catholics—either parishes, schools, orders of sisters or religious—can get on this platform and learn about the dynamics that we face. They can see how our values are distilled into seven goals, and then they can reflect on their behavior, using this tool to sort of measure where they are, and then write a plan of action and upload it and share it with each other. And Father Emmett really celebrates how amazing it is that, you know, that we're going to lean into technology and use it for the good.Debra Rienstra Oh, awesome. There's so many things I want to follow up on in that answer. And I want to begin by just thanking you for being honest about pushback to Laudato si' in the US. And I want to go back to that in just a second, if it's okay. And then I want to thank you for the way you've thought about, you know, some of these dioceses like the mighty San Diego and the mighty Atlanta as sort of refugia spaces. And we'll come back to that again too, I really hope, and I want to hear some more details about your particular diocese. Why do you think there has been pushback in the American Catholic Church? You mentioned economic reasons, and you know, Pope Francis and Pope Leo now have both been very pointed in their critique of climate denial, of greed, of exploitation, injustice, war, economic systems that many Americans have sort of held as almost sacrosanct. So what are you noticing in Catholic conversations about that critique? Why are people resisting the critique and why are people saying, “No, that's right”—what are the motivations behind each of those responses?Christina Slentz So, you know, we could probably talk about this all day.Debra Rienstra Probably, yeah.Christina Slentz Because economic peace, I think, is really difficult to think about. You know, if we take the United Kingdom, for example, it's a country very much like the United States. So many of our you know, American culture and tradition and customs come out of that early launching that we experienced from, you know, Great Britain. And yet, as the topic of climate change came forward, Margaret Thatcher, who was, you know, a real compatriot of President Ronald Reagan at the time, she really took the scientific approach in thinking about climate change, and this set them on a path that's really different from the path that we experienced. And certainly, oil is a big factor in our economy. And I think it can be a real challenge for people to weigh the goods, you know, because we have to be honest, there are goods in both sides of these dynamics. When we understand the gravity, though, of climate change, if we're allowed to really get into those dynamics without the noise that has been kind of confronting that potential, then I think we can see that the good outweighs, you know, those alternative goods associated with continuing in the fossil fuel realm. But this is why we talk about a just transition, right? I think that many people who are hearing this noise, right, they don't understand that Pope Francis and others, you know, is really arguing for a just transition, and that would seek to care for the people that are going to be affected by whatever change in economic policy might make.Debra Rienstra Yeah, and more and more, those economic changes are actually positive in favor of transition in ways that they weren't even 5-10 years ago.Christina Slentz Yeah, I think it's amazing. We actually had some good momentum going until recently.Debra Rienstra Yeah, you know, I would love to get us all talking about a just and joyful transition, because it's more and more possible. And maybe we'll come back to that a little bit later too, when we talk about ecological spirituality. But let's go back to these places within the American Catholic Church, even, that are saying, “Oh yes, Laudato si', yes, let's go.” And San Diego diocese is one of those places. You had an action plan already in 2019. I think it's impressive that a diocese could get a plan together in four years. So good job. Knowing how long everything takes in church settings. So just give us a list of your accomplishments. What have you been up to since 2019? What are the kinds of things you've dipped your toes into?Christina Slentz Sure, and to be fair, I want to give some good credit to some others. You know, the Archdiocese of Atlanta had created their creation care action plan. This gave us some really good kind of framework to think about when we created ours. And there was a team that preceded me. They were all volunteers, very multidisciplinary in their backgrounds, everything from theologians to medical doctors who had worked with indigenous communities, you know, theologians, missionaries, energy engineers, and they really pulled this together early on. And this plan I now recognize as what climate action planners might refer to as an aspirational plan. It's all the things you could do in our area, and it serves as a really good resource for our parishes and schools as they think about what they might do in their Laudato si' action platform plans, and those are yearly plans that are really targeted on what we're going to do. So, you know, one of the things that they did early on was really push to solarize. And you know, we do have the great fortune of, one: climate here in San Diego, right? You know, we're sort of famous for that. And then you know, two: the other thing is that, you know, it was very normative to be shifting to solar, and continues to be an economic choice that is not really as politicized here as much as it might be elsewhere. And then the third thing was this is, you know, the magic number three is to have a bishop that is supportive. And so Cardinal McElroy—now Cardinal McElroy, then Bishop McElroy—really promoted this solarization. And at this point we have about 54% of our parishes solarized. And when I think now, you know, the Paris Climate Agreement says we want to have about half of our carbon emissions reduced by 2030 then you know, we're sitting at about half. Our building where I'm located is called our pastoral center. Some Catholic communities call it their chancery. And our solar array here provides over 80% of our electricity to the building. Our local utility is about half renewable energy, a little bit more. So with that in mind, you know, our electricity here to our building is a little over 90% coming from renewable energy, and this lets us have seven electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot so I can go to work and charge my car at the same time.Debra Rienstra Lovely.Christina Slentz So that was one big thing. I would say our other really big kind of landmark action that also was largely driven by Cardinal McElroy, was to divest of fossil fuels. And, you know, this is a real challenging thing to accomplish. We set a goal of no more than 5% of, you know, the earnings of both direct and indirect investment to be coming from fossil fuel. And after a year, we evaluated how we were doing, and we were actually hitting—not we, you know, the financial folks doing this—were hitting less than 3%. So, you know, we said, “Okay, I think we can say that this was successful, and we're still here.” So that was really exciting, and we didn't do it to be virtue signaling. Just, you know, for some of your listeners may not know, but the USCCB, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has a document that directs socially responsible investment for all areas. And so this is just one more area of socially responsible investment that the Diocese of San Diego has embraced.Debra Rienstra Yeah, yeah. So we've got money, we've got energy. How many parishes would you say are on board with this, doing yearly goals, selecting from the menu of fun ideas—what percentage of your parishes would you say are involved?Christina Slentz So I gotta, Debra, that's a little bit of a good question. I think, you know, we did just describe two very top-down approaches. And one of the things that our group, you know, when I came on board in 2022, we decided is, you know, we really wanted to push that grassroots. And so we see parishes demonstrating a range of behaviors, and I was initially surprised, but they actually behave a lot like countries around the world. And so, you know, you think, oh, that's going to be different. But, you know, you can also have three children, and they all behave differently, and you know, sometimes that's surprising as well, when they have the same parents. And so one of the things that I have really tried to do was offer more events that are here at the diocesan level. We have 97 parishes, and then we have—so sometimes we'll see individuals that are really on board, and they come from a parish where, at the parish level, not a lot is happening. Sometimes we have individuals that are participating, and they are doing a ton at their parish and succeeding. And then we have parishes where the pastor is leading the charge. And then on top of that, I would say there are parishes where they have solar and they have drought-resistant landscaping, and they have LEED silver certified buildings that, you know, are very environmentally friendly. And yet, you know, at the parishioner level, you know, not as much activity happening. So it is an array of activities. I would say probably half have had some kind of interaction with us, or have had parishioners or students participate in our programs. But you know, we reflect the American Catholic community, which reflects the broader American society as well. So there are places where we struggle, and then there are places where we see a lot of action and shining.Debra Rienstra Yeah, sure. And I really appreciate that. And I think listeners can relate to that range of involvement too. Maybe they are in any one of those categories or some other category themselves. And you know, as you say, it's the modeling of— even if it's a minority, it's the modeling and the enthusiasm and the even implicit sort of educating of others that can make this work spread too. So I want to list the seven goals of the Laudato si' action platform, because I think they're really, really great and helpful to people who are not in the Catholic Church, but in other aspects of the church, you might find these goals useful too. So here are the goals: response to the cry of the Earth, response to the cry of the poor, ecological economics, adoption of sustainable lifestyles, ecological education, ecological spirituality, community resilience and empowerment. So I want to start with the first three. We've talked a little bit about economics and how dicey that can be, but I wonder if you could describe how you see the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor as basically the same cry, as Pope Francis said in Laudato si'. How do you see that, especially in your region?Christina Slentz Yeah, so thank you. I think these two are kind of the crown jewels, right? And they sum up what we see happening very well. I think that the other goals are valuable because they sort of pull out the dynamics that we really understand as informing those two big—response to the cry of the Earth and cry of the poor. So as someone who was looking at this through the lens of being a social scientist, I found these two goals to really sum it up well, because it is not just the exposure to the environment that causes our concern for these dynamics. It's the exposure as well as the sensitivity of that population. And then this helps us understand also, maybe some vulnerability that that population might have. So for example, we had significant flooding about a year and a half ago in January, the month of January, and the same rain fell on a parish in the southern part of the Diocese, close to our Mexican border, in an area that is, you know, less wealthy, probably demonstrates some socio economic features that we would associate with marginalized communities. And then it also fell on a parish in Coronado, California. And some people might recognize the Hotel Del Coronado as an iconic location. It's a beautiful community. There's a lot of wealth. There's a lot of human capital as well. You know, very highly educated group, and so the buildings at two of two parishes in each of these locations were completely flooded. But, you know, the parish in Coronado was up on its feet within a week. And of course, they had repairs that had to be done, but they were able to get a hold of those folks, get them in, pay the bills, get it all done. And the parish on the south side had catastrophic flooding to its school, and the school was a total loss.Debra Rienstra Oh, wow.Christina Slentz So I think this really can help us understand the way that the cry of the Earth, these environmental climate extremes, or the variability that we're experiencing, leads to greater exposure, but how one community can face that exposure and adapt or bounce back fairly quickly, and another may not really have that capacity. And so you can't really pull them apart, because just measuring precipitation doesn't always give you the whole story.Debra Rienstra That's a very, very helpful answer to that. And I sometimes hear in religious circles, you know, “Well, we have to worry about other people, why should we worry about owls or whatever?” And the answer is: well, because what happens in nature affects people. So this is about loving your neighbor. Even if you're not convinced by the idea that we love the Earth for its own sake because it's beloved of God, we still have to love our neighbor. And this is a neighbor issue as well. So thank you. That was very helpful as an explanation.Christina Slentz One of my favorite kind of messages is, you know, having been a student of globalization, you know, I think that we live in a globalized world. You can't put that toothpaste back in the tube, right? Maybe there are some things we can do and that can be helpful, but the bottom line is, our actions have ripple effects, and so no matter what we do, we are going to have these impacts on people far beyond those we know and love on a day to day basis. And when we care for the Earth, we mitigate those effects on people all around the world, and so our caring for creation really is just love of neighbor at global scale.Debra Rienstra Ah, lovely. Yeah, so it works both ways. If you love neighbor, you love the Earth. If you love the Earth, you love your neighbor.Christina Slentz That's right.Debra RienstraHi, it's me, Debra. If you are enjoying this podcast episode, go ahead and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. If you have a minute, leave a review. Good reviews help more listeners discover this podcast. To keep up with all the Refugia news, I invite you to subscribe to the Refugia newsletter on Substack. This is my fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Every two weeks, I feature climate news, deeper dives, refugia sightings and much more. Join our community at refugianewsletter.substack.com. For even more goodies, including transcripts and show notes for this podcast, check out my website at debrarienstra.com. D-E-B-R-A-R-I-E-N-S-T-R-A dot com. Thanks so much for listening. We're glad you're part of this community. And now back to the interview.Debra Rienstra Let's think about some of those more personal goals. I don't know, maybe they're not just personal, because everything is systemic too. But I want to talk about that sustainable lifestyle goal, adoption of sustainable lifestyle. So what does that mean, and how are people doing that in San Diego?Christina Slentz So I have a really amazing parish, St. Thomas More, and they have created a community garden that not only functions as a place for their parish to gather and work together, it also is open to the public, so it has an evangelical capacity as well. And they also collect recyclable cans and bottles and then take those to a facility where they can be paid for that recycling work, and then they take the money, and then they put it into this garden that allows them to gather and have a mission and have evangelical outreach. So I think of this as such a wonderful circular kind of example that is, you know, feeding them in many ways. You know, they have this sense of community. They have this sense of common, shared mission. They have a good relationship with the neighborhood around them, people that may be of different faiths or of no faith at all. And then they're also in good relationship with Mother Earth, and doing what they can to, you know, practice this sort of sustainability, or also a little bit like circular economics, I guess I would say as well. And I think one of the things that the Catholic Church is emphasizing is synodality, and our synodality really calls us to be community, to have a shared mission and really inviting participatory action. So in my building here, where we sort of have the headquarters, you know, we also have gone to compostables for all of our events, and we try to minimize any kind of single use plastics. But, you know, there's that dreaded moment at the end where everybody has to go to the three, you know, receptacles. Everyone panics, especially if I'm near them, and I feel terribly, you know, like, should I step away? Should I give them a moment to give them help? Is that overreach? And so, you know, but we all fumble through together, and that's where I've kind of said, like, “Look, it's not easy for me either. Like, God forbid I put the wrong thing in the wrong can, right?” So I think that there's this way where we all are coming together to sort of take on this work. And, you know, we're not going to be perfect, but, you know, I think that it does foster community when we take this on, and then also recognizing how, you know, now we are living with greater simplicity, and we are impacting the Earth, you know, to a lesser extent.Debra Rienstra Yeah, nothing bonds people like pulling weeds together, or standing over the recycle bins going, “Hmm.” It's okay. We don't have to indulge in recycling guilt, you know, just do your best. So I want to move on to ecological spirituality. I love that phrase. It's not one you hear everywhere. And I wanted to remind listeners that San Diego Diocese is the most biodiverse diocese in the US. Maybe we wouldn't have expected that, but you've kind of got everything there. So I want to talk about ecological spirituality in the context of that actual place. I love the sentiment you quoted from Laudato si' in an article you wrote recently. It was an idea from Pope Francis that in the beauties and wonders of the Earth, we experience God's friendship with us. And so I wanted to ask you how you're helping people in your parishes reconnect to the Earth where you are, and thus, and this is how you put it, “revive something of our true selves.”Christina Slentz Yeah, one of my favorite pieces in Laudato si': Pope Francis alludes to having a place in childhood where we felt a sense of awe and wonder. And I think that that awe and wonder allows us to get back to childhood in some ways, before there was a lot of noise before there was all the different distractions. And I think that that true self is also a little freer to connect to God. I think sometimes about little children and baby Jesus, you know, and that sort of immediate connection that's not really complicated, you know, it's just comfortable. Or feeling the love of God like being a child sitting on the lap of your mom or your dad. And so encouraging people, or providing opportunities for this return to that place of awe and wonder, I think is really important. I think that at the heart of our inability to care for creation is this estrangement from our Creator. So we won't care for something if we don't love it. And in this way, ecological spirituality may be step one in all of this, right? So I think we are really lucky, being here. As I mentioned, our climate is beautiful. It is a beautiful place. We have everything from the ocean to mountains to desert, and many people who live here do really connect with the geography and the beauty of where we are, and so inviting them to take a moment to just pause and think about those places. Think about their senses as they move through the memory of that space, I think is really important before we start any of the other conversations. And so I try to do that, and then we share about it. And I have yet to find somebody that says, “Oh, I just didn't have a place.” Everybody has a place. And many people will say, “I really struggled, because I love this place, and I love that place,” you know. And so it is really great to hear. And I think people really come out of an exercise like that with this new sense of common ground as well. And I think that is so important, right? Because if you ask people like, “Raise your hand, who hates trees?” No one's gonna do it, right? Don't even think anyone does. Or “Raise your hand if you like to litter.” No one's going to say, like, “Oh yeah, I really love throwing things out my window.” And so there is a lot more common ground. And I think that eco spirituality invites us to find out how much we have in common, and actually how much we all yearn for that place of connectedness.Debra Rienstra Oh, yeah. I've noticed, you know, people have so many different feelings that motivate what they might do in a faith and climate space, and there's anger, there's fear, a lot of anxiety. But the trick, I think, is to get to the center, which is love. And the quickest way to do that, maybe, is to find that early love, or a love that's developed over many, even generations, in a particular place, if you're lucky, and you're rooted in some way. I feel like we also, as people of faith, haven't made enough of a case that being closer to the creation is, in fact, a pathway to God. And I see that in a lot of the writings that you have too. It's a way of understanding God better. It's a way of allowing God to speak to us that we sometimes underestimate, I think. There's other ways, of course, but it's one that we tend to underestimate. It is a way to deeper spirituality. So getting people to be in touch with that, it sounds like you've you've worked on that a little bit.Christina Slentz We're very lucky. The Franciscan tradition is pretty rich and present here. The Franciscan School of Theology is located here at the University of San Diego.Debra Rienstra There we go.Christina Slentz I have several secular Franciscans on my team, and a few Franciscan friars. And you know, that's very much at the heart of St. Francis and St. Claire's tradition. St. Bonaventure, who is a Franciscan, actually calls nature, or the environment, the created world, like another book. It's another gospel that tells us something about God's plan.Debra Rienstra Yeah, yeah. So I wanted to quote from Pope Leo's message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which was September one. And I found his message so encouraging, and especially this particular paragraph, it's along the line of seeds here. He writes, “In Christ, we too are seeds, and indeed seeds of peace and hope. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Spirit of God can make an arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity. In his words, a spirit from on high will be poured out on us, and the wilderness will become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, and the work of righteousness quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places.” So we have this beautiful vision and the sense of vocation of who we are and who our communities are as seeds of peace and hope. So it seems like you experience that in the San Diego Diocese. Are there some particular examples that have been really meaningful and important to you, where you see that “seeds of hope” metaphor being played out?Christina Slentz Yeah, I would point to two areas that I would offer up as good examples. One is a parish that is located in what's called Barrio Logan. It is an ecologically marginalized community. The highways literally forced the school to be moved when they put the highway in right down the middle of the community. And that's the I-5. So it runs all the way from Canada to Mexico. Big highway. In addition, the Coronado Bridge connects to the highway right there. The Navy base is there, and the Port of San Diego all intersects there. So their air quality is really degraded, and it's a socio-economically poor area. It is also a predominantly Hispanic community there. But the Jesuit pastor there, Father Scott Santa Rosa, is a very good community organizer. He led the parish when they were confronted by another warehouse that was going to be added at the port. And the proposal by the company violated the Port Authority's standards, but they were seeking a waiver, and Father Scott brought in the Environmental Health Coalition. He brought in a theologian from University of San Diego. He invited the youth to present on Laudato si' to the adults and really empowered the community, which is that seventh goal of Laudato si', it's very connected to environmental justice. And then they learned, they grew, they came to an understanding that this was not acceptable, and that they wanted to be a voice for their community. They—we traveled. I was very fortunate to kind of engage with them in this process.And we traveled to the Port Authority building the night before the Port Authority was going to make their decision on this, whether or not to grant this waiver. And we said a rosary, which consists of five sets of 10 Hail Marys, roughly. And between each set, somebody spoke and gave their witness. And one of the women stood up and said, “I never thought I would speak publicly in my whole life. I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I'm speaking, but I found my voice because of this issue.” And I thought, even if we lose, that's such an amazing win that people felt connected to their environment. They understood that they have a voice. They understood their own dignity and the dignity of their community, and felt that it was worth standing up for. And the next day we went, there was demonstration and public witnessing and praying, and then they went in and spoke at the actual hearing. And the first thing that the chairman of the board said, in response to everyone's comments was, “Well, I'm a Catholic, and we have three priests that were here today.” And you know, how many times does a public official make a statement of faith? You know, I thought, “Okay, win number two!” And you know, I'll just go ahead and cut to the chase. And they turned down the company that wanted to put the warehouse in and said, “You know, we just don't think that you've convinced the local community that the benefits of this would be worth it.” And it was amazing.And so that place, they continue to also tend to the care of migrants. They have begun the work of accompanying migrants that are going for their court appointed hearings for their asylum process. And you know, those are not outcomes that are generally favorable, but they are just going and being present with them and, you know, we are on the border. We understand how some of these environmental impacts do entangle with human mobility. And so, you know, there's a lot that this community, that is really one of our poorest communities in San Diego, has brought to the wider San Diego Diocese as more parishes and local Catholics are now mimicking what they have done and joining in this mission, and so they've been an incredible source—this tiny little parish in a poor part of the Diocese with terrible environmental impacts, has actually been a place where things have blossomed and grown, and they actually do have an amazing garden as well.Debra Rienstra Wow, that's an incredible story, and exactly a story of empowerment and resilience, as you suggested, and a story of how low-resource people are not necessarily low-resource people. They have other kinds of resources that may not be visible to the outside, but that can be very powerful, and especially when one of those is faith. It was such a great example of people motivated not only by their, you know, sort of survival, but their faith to do this work. Yeah, wonderful.Christina Slentz I think they understand the impact, right? So if you can shut your windows and turn on your air conditioning, maybe you don't get it.Debra Rienstra Yeah, right. So what would you say are your biggest obstacles and your biggest joys in your work right now?Christina Slentz I think the biggest obstacle is coming up against Catholics and/or Christians, or really any person of faith. But I think this may be especially true to Catholics and Christians who think that our social actions have to be an “either/or” choice, and they resist a “yes/and” mentality, and so they put different issues in competition with each other, right? And, you know, sometimes they think about Cain and Abel, right? This sort of jealousy or comparison can be a real problem. Instead of saying, “Okay, maybe we don't fit in a neat box, but as Catholics, you know, we have to do all the things.” And that kind of privileging one issue or another issue makes us vulnerable to those who would seek division and competition. And I think that when we look at God, you know, God loves all of it, right? God is love, and so there isn't that discrimination in the example of our Creator, and I would, of course, we aren't perfect, you know, but we should aspire to that same kind of comprehensive love.Debra Rienstra Yeah, and we do it together. We don't all have to do every last one of the things. We do it together. What about joys? What are your greatest joys right now in your work?Christina Slentz I think that coming together is really a joy. When I first started this work, I felt like a unicorn. I could either be the only person of faith in an environmental group, or I could be the only environmentalist in a faith group. And so it just was a feeling of being awkward all the time. And I do think that just in the three years that I've been in this position, I am seeing momentum build. I think ecumenicalism is super helpful in this regard. And I think that increasingly people are finding each other, and they are starting to get a little bit of a wake up call. I think it is unfortunate that people in the United States have had to experience some significant catastrophes and human loss and impact before they start to awaken to the issue of climate change or environmental degradation. I think plastics are really a pretty significant issue as well, but I think that more and more, people seem to be coming around to it, and whenever we celebrate together, that gives me joy.Debra Rienstra Yeah, I agree. I'm seeing it happening too, and it keeps me going. It keeps me going to connect with people like you, and every door I open, there's more people of faith doing amazing work, and we are building that mycelial network. And it's pretty great. So what is your favorite gift of the Catholic Church, a gift of wisdom on creation care that you wish everyone would receive?Christina Slentz I am not sure I would say that this is my favorite. But maybe I think that it is very important, is that, you know, in the Catholic community, communion, Eucharist, is really, you know, the summit for Catholics, that each week, at a minimum, we are going to celebrate this liturgy. We break open the Word, and then we celebrate the Eucharist. And one of the things I, you know, find very compelling is the fact that Jesus celebrates at the Last Supper with bread and wine. Jesus didn't get grapes and, you know, a piece of meat, to celebrate that these were both chosen items that were not just created by God, but they involved, as we say, in our celebration, the work of human hands. And so this really represents this call to co-creation, I think. And if that is something that you know, is really at the heart of Catholicism, this, you know, summit of our faith to celebrate the Eucharist—in that, we are called to co-create. And so this tells us something about how we are meant to exist in relationship with the Creator. You know, God reveals God's self to us in the beauty of this creation or in the gift of the Eucharist, and then, in turn, we are called to respond to that love. Otherwise the revelation isn't complete, so our response is to care for creation or to receive the Eucharist, and then go and serve as God has called us to serve. So maybe, maybe this is something that we can offer up.Debra Rienstra So beautifully said, and the intimacy of eating, you know, taking the material, the fruit of the earth and the work of human hands, into ourselves, responding by the Spirit, that intimacy, that physicality, there's a reason that that is the central ritual.Christina Slentz And you know, if I could give you one last image connected to that—because then we become the tabernacle, right? And we think about Noah and the ark, right? And how, you know, creation is destroyed, but the ark holds this refugia right and until it's time for this moment of reconciliation and forgiveness and then renewed flourishing. And you may or may not have heard this story, but when the LA fires raged in Pacific Palisades in January of 2025 the fires swept across the parish and school called Corpus Christi Parish, and it is the home parish of brother James Lockman, one of my dear, dear volunteers. And there was a firefighter who went back to look at the ruins that evening, and he was Catholic, and he came across the tabernacle from the church, and it was the only thing that survived. And when they opened it up, it was pristine on the inside and undamaged. And that Sunday, they took it to St. Monica's Parish, which is one of the very animated creation care parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and they celebrated Mass there because Corpus Christi did not have a parish right to celebrate in that weekend. And I think about that tabernacle as being, you know—it's to reflect that Ark of the Covenant, right, Ark of Noah, the Ark of the Covenant. And then we have the tabernacle now, and that space of refuge that was preserved, you know. And then, of course, when we take the Eucharist into ourselves, we become that tabernacle. We're walking tabernacles, right? So we are also, then, places of refuge and where we know that God is with us and we can go and serve.Debra Rienstra Christina, it has been such a joy to talk to you. Thank you for your wisdom, for your inspiration, for the way that you deploy your expertise in such compassionate and far reaching ways. It's just been a pleasure. Thank you.Christina Slentz Oh, thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed talking today with you, Debra.Debra Rienstra Thanks for joining us. For show notes and full transcripts, please visit debrarienstra.com and click on the Refugia Podcast tab. This season of the Refugia Podcast is produced with generous funding from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Colin Hoogerwerf is our awesome audio producer. Thanks to Ron Rienstra for content consultation as well as technical and travel support. Till next time, be well. This is a public episode. 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Connect with Francis: https://francismyles.com/"I Speak to the Earth" book: https://a.co/d/ct1YAzUGo Deeper on Topics Discussed on the show: http://www.novosnetwork.com/kairos
Take 20% off a paid annual ‘Storm' subscription through Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.WhoJared Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Alterra Mountain CompanyRecorded onOctober 22, 2025About Alterra Mountain CompanyAlterra is skiing's Voltron, a collection of super-bots united to form one super-duper bot. Only instead of gigantic robot lions the bots are gigantic ski areas and instead of fighting the evil King Zarkon they combined to battle Vail Resorts and its cackling mad Epic Pass. Here is Alterra's current ski-bot stable:Alterra of course also owns the Ikon Pass, which for the 2025-26 winter gives skiers all of this:Ikon launched in 2018 as a more-or-less-even competitor to Epic Pass, both in number and stature of ski areas and price, but long ago blew past its mass-market competitor in both:Those 89 total ski areas include nine that Alterra added last week in Japan, South Korea, and China. Some of these 89 partners, however, are so-called “bonus mountains,” which are Alterra's Cinderellas. And not Cinderella at the end of the story when she rules the kingdom and dines on stag and hunts peasants for sport but first-scene Cinderella when she lives in a windowless tower and wears a burlap dress and her only friends are talking mice. Meaning skiers can use their Ikon Pass to ski at these places but they are not I repeat NOT on the Ikon Pass so don't you dare say they are (they are).While the Ikon Pass is Alterra's Excalibur, many of its owned mountains offer their own season passes (see Alterra chart above). And many now offer their own SUPER-DUPER season passes that let skiers do things like cut in front of the poors and dine on stag in private lounges:These SUPER-DUPER passes don't bother me though a lot of you want me to say they're THE END OF SKIING. I won't put a lot of effort into talking you off that point so long as you're all skiing for $17 per day on your Ikon Passes. But I will continue to puzzle over why the Ikon Session Pass is such a very very bad and terrible product compared to every other day pass including those sold by Alterra's own mountains. I am also not a big advocate for peak-day lift ticket prices that resemble those of black-market hand sanitizer in March 2020:Fortunately Vail and Alterra seem to have launched a lift ticket price war, the first battle of which is The Battle of Give Half Off Coupons to Your Dumb Friends Who Don't Buy A Ski Pass 10 Months Before They Plan to Ski:Alterra also runs some heli-ski outfits up in B.C. but I'm not going to bother decoding all that because one reason I started The Storm was because I was over stories of Bros skiing 45 feet of powder at the top of the Chugach while the rest of us fretted over parking reservations and the $5 replacement cost of an RFID card. I know some of you are like Bro how many stories do you think the world needs about chairlifts but hey at least pretty much anyone reading this can go ride them.Oh and also I probably lost like 95 percent of you with Voltron because unless you were between the ages of 7 and 8 in the mid-1980s you probably missed this:One neat thing about skiing is that if someone ran headfirst into a snowgun in 1985 and spent four decades in a coma and woke up tomorrow they'd still know pretty much all the ski areas even if they were confused about what's a Palisades Tahoe and why all of us future wussies wear helmets. “Damn it, Son in my day we didn't bother and I'm just fine. Now grab $20 and a pack of smokes and let's go skiing.”Why I interviewed himFor pretty much the same reason I interviewed this fellow:I mean like it or not these two companies dominate modern lift-served skiing in this country, at least from a narrative point of view. And while I do everything I can to demonstrate that between the Indy Pass and ski areas not in Colorado or Utah or Tahoe plenty of skier choice remains, it's impossible to ignore the fact that Alterra's 17 U.S. ski areas and Vail's 36 together make up around 30 percent of the skiable terrain across America's 509 active ski areas:And man when you add in all U.S. Epic and Ikon mountains it's like dang:We know publicly traded Vail's Epic Pass sales numbers and we know those numbers have softened over the past couple of years, but we don't have similar access to Alterra's numbers. A source with direct knowledge of Ikon Pass sales recently told me that unit sales had increased every year. Perhaps some day someone will anonymously message me a screenshot code-named Alterra's Big Dumb Chart documenting unit and dollar sales since Ikon's 2018 launch. In the meantime, I'm just going to have to keep talking to the guy running the company and asking extremely sly questions like, “if you had to give us a ballpark estimate of exactly how many Ikon Passes you sold and how much you paid each partner mountain and which ski area you're going to buy next, what would you say?”What we talked aboutA first-to-open competition between A-Basin and Winter Park (A-Basin won); the allure of skiing Japan; Ikon as first-to-market in South Korea and China; continued Ikon expansion in Europe; who's buying Ikon?; bonus mountains; half-off friends tickets; reserve passes; “one of the things we've struggled with as an industry are the dynamics between purchasing a pass and the daily lift ticket price”; “we've got to find ways to make it more accessible, more affordable, more often for more people”; Europe as a cheaper ski alternative to the West; “we are focused every day on … what is the right price for the right consumer on the right day?”; “there's never been more innovation” in the ski ticket space; Palisades Tahoe's 14-year-village-expansion approval saga; America's “increasingly complex” landscape of community stakeholders; and Deer Valley's massive expansion.What I got wrong* We didn't get this wrong, but when we recorded this pod on Wednesday, Smith and I discussed which of Alterra's ski areas would open first. Arapahoe Basin won that fight, opening at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, which was yesterday unless you're reading this in the future.* I said that 40 percent of all Epic, Ikon, and Indy pass partners were outside of North America. This is inaccurate: 40 percent (152) of those three passes' combined 383 partners is outside the United States. Subtracting their 49 Canadian ski areas gives us 103 mountains outside of North America, or 27 percent of the total.* I claimed that a ski vacation to Europe is “a quarter of the price” of a similar trip to the U.S. This was hyperbole, and obviously the available price range of ski vacations is enormous, but in general, prices for everything from lift tickets to hotels to food tend to be lower in the Alps than in the Rocky Mountain core.* It probably seems strange that I said that Deer Valley's East Village was great because you could drive there from the airport without hitting a spotlight and also said that the resort would be less car-dependent. What I meant by that was that once you arrive at East Village, it is – or will be, when complete – a better slopeside pedestrian village experience than the car-oriented Snow Park that has long served as the resort's principal entry point. Snow Park itself is scheduled to evolve from parking-lot-and-nothing-else to secondary pedestrian village. The final version of Deer Valley should reduce the number of cars within Park City proper and create a more vibrant atmosphere at the ski area.Questions I wish I'd askedThe first question you're probably asking is “Bro why is this so short aren't your podcasts usually longer than a Superfund cleanup?” Well I take what I can get and if there's a question you can think of related to Ikon or Alterra or any of the company's mountains, it was on my list. But Smith had either 30 minutes or zero minutes so I took the win.Podcast NotesOn Deer ValleyI was talking to the Deer Valley folks the other day and we agreed that they're doing so much so fast that it's almost impossible to tell the story. I mean this was Deer Valley two winters ago:And this will be Deer Valley this winter:Somehow it's easier to write 3,000 words on Indy Pass adding a couple of Northeast backwaters than it is to frame up the ambitions of a Utah ski area expanding by as much skiable acreage as all 30 New Hampshire ski areas combined in just two years. Anyway Deer Valley is about to be the sixth-largest ski area in America and when this whole project is done in a few years it will be number four at 5,700 acres, behind only Vail Resorts' neighboring Park City (7,300 acres), Alterra's own Palisades Tahoe (6,000 acres), and Boyne Resorts' Big Sky (5,850 acres).On recent Steamboat upgradesYes the Wild Blue Gondola is cool and I'm sure everyone from Baton-Tucky just loves it. But everything I'm hearing out of Steamboat over the past couple of winters indicates that A) the 650-acre Mahogany Ridge expansion adds a fistfighting dimension to what had largely been an intermediate ski resort, and that, B) so far, no one goes over there, partially because they don't know about it and partially because the resort only cut one trail in the whole amazing zone (far looker's left):I guess just go ski this one while everyone else still thinks Steamboat is nothing but gondolas and Sunshine Peak.On Winter Park being “on deck”After stringing the two sides of Palisades Tahoe together with a $75 trillion gondola and expanding Steamboat and nearly tripling the size of Deer Valley, all signs point to Alterra next pushing its resources into actualizing Winter Park's ambitious masterplan, starting with the gondola connection to town (right side of map):On new Ikon Pass partners for 2025-26You can read about the bonus partners above, but here are the write-ups on Ikon's full seven/five-day partners:On previous Alterra podcastsThis was Smith's second appearance on the pod. Here's number one, from 2023:His predecessor, Rusty Gregory, appeared on the show three times:I've also hosted the leaders of a bunch of Alterra leaders on the pod, most recently A-Basin and Mammoth:And the heads of many Ikon Pass partners – most recently Killington and Sun Valley:On U.S. passes in JapanEpic, Ikon, Indy, and Mountain Collective are now aligned with 48 ski areas in Japan – nearly as many as the four passes have signed in Canada:On EuropeAnd here are the European ski areas aligned with Epic, Ikon, Indy, and Mountain Collective – the list is shorter than the Japanese list, but since each European ski area is made up of between one and 345 ski areas, the actual skiable acreage here is likely equal to the landmass of Greenland:On skier and ski area growth in ChinaChina's ski industry appears to be developing rapidly - I'm not sure what to make of the difference between “ski resorts” and “ski resorts with aerial ropeways.” Normally I'd assume that means with or without lifts, but that doesn't make a lot of sense and sometimes nations frame things in very different ways.On the village at Palisades TahoeThe approval process for a village expansion on the Olympic side of Palisades Tahoe was a very convoluted one. KCRA sums the outcome up well (I'll note that “Alterra” did not call for anything in 2011, as the company didn't exist until 2017):Under the initial 2011 application, Alterra had called for the construction of 2,184 bedrooms. That was reduced to 1,493 bedrooms in a 2014 revised proposal where 850 housing units — a mix of condominiums, hotel rooms and timeshares — were planned. The new agreement calls for a total of 896 bedrooms.The groups that pushed this downsizing were primarily Keep Tahoe Blue and Sierra Watch. Smith is very diplomatic in discussing this project on the podcast, pointing to the “collaboration, communication, and a little bit of compromise” that led to the final agreement.I'm not going to be so diplomatic. Fighting dense, pedestrian-oriented development that could help reconfigure traffic patterns and housing availability in a region that is choking on ski traffic and drowning in housing costs is dumb. The systems for planning, approving, and building anything that is different from what already exists in this nation are profoundly broken. The primary issue is this: these anti-development crusaders position themselves as environmental defenders without acknowledging (or, more likely, realizing), that the existing traffic, blight, and high costs driving their resistance is a legacy of haphazard development in past decades, and that more thoughtful, human-centric projects could mitigate, rather than worsen, these concerns. The only thing an oppose-everything stance achieves is to push development farther out into the hinterlands, exacerbating sprawl and traffic.British Columbia is way ahead of us here. I've written about this extensively in the past, and won't belabor the point here except to cite what I wrote last year about the 3,711-home city sprouting from raw wilderness below Cypress Mountain, a Boyne-owned Ikon Pass partner just north of Vancouver:Mountain town housing is most often framed as an intractable problem, ingrown and malignant and impossible to reset or rethink or repair. Too hard to do. But it is not hard to do. It is the easiest thing in the world. To provide more housing, municipalities must allow developers to build more housing, and make them do it in a way that is dense and walkable, that is mixed with commerce, that gives people as many ways to move around without a car as possible.This is not some new or brilliant idea. This is simply how humans built villages for about 10,000 years, until the advent of the automobile. Then we started building our spaces for machines instead of for people. This was a mistake, and is the root problem of every mountain town housing crisis in North America. That and the fact that U.S. Americans make no distinction between the hyper-thoughtful new urbanist impulses described here and the sprawling shitpile of random buildings that are largely the backdrop of our national life. The very thing that would inject humanity into the mountains is recast as a corrupting force that would destroy a community's already-compromised-by-bad-design character.Not that it will matter to our impossible American brains, but Canada is about to show us how to do this. Over the next 25 years, a pocket of raw forest hard against Cypress' access road will sprout a city of 3,711 homes that will house thousands of people. It will be a human-scaled, pedestrian-first community, a city neighborhood dropped onto a mountainside. A gondola could connect the complex to Cypress' lifts thousands of feet up the mountain – more cars off the road. It would look like this (the potential aerial lift is not depicted here):Here's how the whole thing would set up against the mountain:And here's what it would be like at ground level:Like wow that actually resembles something that is not toxic to the human soul. But to a certain sort of Mother Earth evangelist, the mere suggestion of any sort of mountainside development is blasphemous. I understand this impulse, but I believe that it is misdirected, a too-late reflex against the subdivision-off-an-exit-ramp Build-A-Bungalow mentality that transformed this country into a car-first sprawlscape. I believe a reset is in order: to preserve large tracts of wilderness, we should intensely develop small pieces of land, and leave the rest alone. This is about to happen near Cypress. We should pay attention.Given the environmental community's reflexive and vociferous opposition to a recent proposal to repurpose tracts of not-necessarily-majestic wilderness for housing, I'm not optimistic that we possess the cultural brainpower to improve our own lives through policy. Which is why I've been writing more about passes and less about our collective ambitions to make everything from the base of the lifts outward as inconvenient and expensive as possible.The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us for 20% off the annual rate through Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe
This week Jeremy welcomes Devin Swank from the band Sanguisugabogg. On this episode, Jeremy and Devin talk Columbus Ohio, record stores, Skeletonwitch, SCION Festivals, 50 Cent's "Get Rich or Die Tryin'", borrowing band shirts from adults, filtering out band lifers, the evolution of his vocal approach, touring with Nile, being promoted on NPR, their new album "Hideous Aftermath" and so much more!!! SUBSCRIBE TO THE PATREON for a bonus episode where Devin answered questions that were submitted by subscribers! FOLLOW THE SHOW ON INSTAGRAM / X
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