Nursery rhyme
POPULARITY
Categories
In this sixth episode of the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Review Raffle winner and *as luck would have it* experienced animal healer and communicator Alyson Ogimachi (of Phoenix Healing) all about her journey from being an animal groomer and "normal person" to talented animal psychic and healer.Alyson has spent years in real deal, bonafide animal communication and healing training programs, and just recently launched her own Woo-based business: Phoenix Healing! Alyson shares her rigorous training background, and chats about the very, very crucial need for ethics, boundaries, and standard operating procedures when working in the Woo- especially for fuzzy and feathered clients that can't speak up for themselves!Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmMTOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooOur guests' links:Alyson's website: https://phoenix-healing.com/Alyson's IG: @phoenixhealingcommunication Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
No doubt you've heard the cliché, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Contrary to that little couplet, words can indeed hurt and they can hurt deeply. And you know, once words are spoken, they can never be unspoken. One of the most Christ-like things we can do is to think before we speak so our words don't hurt others. I've been encouraging all of us to make it a habit to think before we speak, and to help us remember to do that, we're offering you a bracelet which simply says think. By wearing it, it is my hope we will all get better at thinking about what we're going to say before we say it. Using the acronym of think, we've seen our words should be T – true, H – helpful, I – inspiring, N – necessary, and finally: K stands for kind: We need to think about how we can say what we have to say in a kind way. How many times have words been spoken to you in an unkind manner, and while the message itself was not necessarily a problem, the words or the tone of voice used to send the message were very hurtful. Oh, how important it is for us to think before we speak. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if someone said that to me?” Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up (Proverbs 12:25). When you're getting ready to speak, ask yourself if the words you will speak will cheer someone up, encourage an anxious heart. In Proverbs 15, we read a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. It is amazing to see the difference it makes when you think before you speak, and you choose words that are gentle and kind. Those words become words of life, and they are pleasing to the Lord Jesus. What do you think? Can we get serious about thinking before we speak? It will make us more like the Lord Jesus, and we'll be a much more effective witness for him. If our think wristband will help you to think before you speak, then please contact us and we'll send it to you.
In this fifth episode of the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Caitlin Gonzales, newly spiritually awakened friend of the fae and rural Louisiana homesteader who knows all about the shift from urban conformity to the feral borderlands-- both of the Woo and of Mother Nature!Like many of us in the time since Covid disrupted, well, everything, Caitlin has dramatically changed literally every aspect of her life, leaving a "normal" job to learn to homestead and embracing all things spiritual in the process, challenging her own, previous norms and assumptions while exploring agorism, witchcraft, the fairy realms, and more.Caitlin allowed for her spiritual awakening to expand out in orders of magnitude, and her story gives hope to all of us wishing, seeking and hoping for a better day-- and a better, more Woo world!Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmMTOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooOur guests' links:Caitlin's Substack: https://substack.com/@caitlingonzalesCaitlin's IG: https://www.instagram.com/itscaitlingonzales/ Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
Sunday 5.24.2026 10:30 AM Pastor Mark Jackson Family Proverbs Sticks and Stones Towne Church
In this fourth episode of Season 11 of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with long-time client (and fellow Chicagoan) Emily P. (of House of Lir), a lifelong psychic finally making the leap into the wild unknown of client-facing readings with her new, Woo-based business House of Lir.Emily has always been psychic, but it took a real deal (and very destabilizing) spiritual awakening to put everything into focus, making her natural physical mediumship, divination, and channeling capabilities an undeniable (and very weird) reality.This episode has it all: nonconsensual demon sex attacks, speaking on behalf of ghosts in crystal shops, and what it's really like to step into the weird world of doing psychic readings for others!Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmMTOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooOur guests' links:Website: HouseOfLir.net Email: emily@houseoflir.netTik Tok: @daughteroflir Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
“I'm rubber and you're glue. Whatever you say, bounces off of me, and sticks to you.” “Sticks and Stones may ‘break my bones,' but words will never hurt me.” I'm sure we remember those sayings as kids. Though taught that with good intentions, those sayings couldn't be further from the truth. - Your words are not mere enunciations with varying degrees of decibels,… They are seeds. They are swords. They are life, and sometimes, they are death. - They plant, they cut, they uplift, and also teardown. Every word you speak is planting something—life or death, blessings or curses. In Part 3 of our series “Guard the Gates,” we're talking about the Mouth Gate—because what comes out of your mouth, reveals what's in your heart … and shapes what's ahead of you. - You yourself, listening to me right now, just maybe.. might be living in unfortunate circumstances of this present time that were constructed and planted by words that were spoken to you in the past. This Sunday we will be confronting this very issue of ‘the weapons of our words', …or… ‘affirming' the ‘sweetness of our speech.' - We will corporately and unilaterally surrender our tongue to God. Together, we will learn how to align our words with the will of God, and begin speaking life over ourselves, others, and yes, even our enemies. Email Us: info@heartofworshipchurch.com Visit Our Website: www.heartofworshipchurch.com
In this third episode of Season 11 of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Jesse James Freeman and Jennifer Hotes of the Is AI The Devil? and the Curious Cat Podcasts all about the spiritual implications of our brave new techno-feudalist world. Was Rudolf Steiner right about Ahriman? Are there really ghosts (and demons) in the machine? How can we reclaim our sovereignty, human dignity, AND spiritual independence in a time such as this?Jesse and Jen offer their insights, gleaned from both the Woo and secular research, all while giving us some much needed (and realistic) hope for the future!Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmMTOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooOur guests' links:Jesse's Substack: https://jessejamesfreeman.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chipsJennifer's Substack: https://jenniferhotes.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chipsThe Curious Cat Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/curious-cat/id1617885857Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
I believe this is a very good time to remindeveryone to pray for our military chaplains. First,pray for Dr. Steve Keith, who heads up the team of chaplains from the Liberty Baptist Fellowship.Then specifically, you can remember two chaplains we are very close to. One ismy son, Nathan Grooms, who is a U.S. Navy Chaplain and is presently deployed.Also, someone I call my adopted son, Shawn Taylor, who is an U.S. Air ForceChaplain. Shawn served as our worship leader for ten years at Rainbow ForestBaptist Church, and he is also presently deployed away from his family. Pleasedo pray for them and for all of our chaplains. Thenright here in the community where I live, in Sneads Ferry, we have the largeMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeune military base. I have two dear friends who workwith the military here. One is Justin Sterns, who does discipleship on basewith many of the Marines there. Then also Dave Mason, who has a ministry ofmilitary evangelism to the Marines here and provides a place where they cancome on Friday nights, listen to the Word of God, fellowship with one another,be encouraged, and walk as they should—not only as Marines, but as believersand followers of Christ. Both of these men are reaching others for Christ righthere in our community. Soplease pray for all our military today. Pray for our nation's leadership aswell, as we are living in a crucial time in our country especially with theconflict in the Middle East. Thank you again for your prayers. This shirtsimply reminded me to ask you to pray. Now,as we were studying Philippians chapter 2, especially verses 3 and 4, we readthese words: “Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each one ofyou not look out for his own interests only, but also for the interests ofothers.” As I read those two verses, I could not help but think again ofPsalm 15, which we have been studying together. Yesterday,we talked about what was in verse 2b: “He who speaks the truth in hisheart.” Now in verse 3, David moves to the use of our tongues: “He whodoes not backbite with his tongue.” The word “backbite” here means slanderor gossip. You know how much damage is done by careless words. We used to sayas children, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurtme.” But that is absolutely not true. Words can hurt more deeply than we canever imagine. Wordsare eternal. Once you say them, you cannot take them back. As a matter of fact,they are recorded in heaven because the Scripture says that one day we willgive an account for every idle word that comes out of our mouths (Matthew12:36). It is important what we say—and what we do not say. SoPsalm 15 says: “He who does not backbite with his tongue.” We are not tobe backbiters, slanderers, or gossipers. Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and lifeare in the power of the tongue.” A believer who walks closely with God mustguard his speech. Gossip destroys friendships, churches, and testimonies. Thatis why Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29—a passage we studied a few months ago: “Letno corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessaryedification.” Insteadof tearing people down, we should be building them up for the glory of God. Ipray that the Lord will help us do that. The way to do that is to think goodabout people—to think positively about people. As Oswald Chambers said, weshould see every person in Christ, or every person needing Christ. Then we canbecome people who encourage others and build them up rather than tear themdown, despite what they may say or do against us. We do not retaliate and saywhat we should not say. Remember,the Scripture says that when Jesus was reviled, He reviled not again (1 Peter2:23). And His last words about those who crucified Him were: “Father,forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). May the Lordhelp us to live that way.
In this second episode of Season 11 of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Renee Puvvada (of Smoking Hot Books) about the writerly window of opportunity being presented by the unique and dynamic Fire Horse Year: a year that welcomes, supports and celebrates unique voices, authentic storytelling and independent publishing.Renee Puvvada failed at four books, lost $20k, and then sold 10,283 copies in a single year with 183 Instagram followers. Now, as founder of Smokin' Hot Books, she helps soul-led entrepreneurs turn their self-published books into authority-building, business-growing assets, all while you keep full rights and royalties. Jack Canfield noticed. Your future clients will too.Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmMTOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooRenee's Links:Book a call with Renee here: https://smokin-hotbooks.com/get-in-touchConnect on Substack: https://smokinhotbooks.substack.com/On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneepuvvada/?hl=enOn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-puvvada/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
In this inaugural episode of Season 11 of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Gabrielle Celeste (of Agua Astrology), combining their superpowers to form some kind of Chinese and Western Astrology Megazord, offering listeners insights into what to expect in the dynamic Fire Horse Year (2026)...and beyond!Rachel and Gabrielle discuss the incredible spiritual awakening that cascaded over the land as a result of the global pandemic, digging into how this trend is evolving in real time in a post-pandemic landscape-- and how listeners can best navigate these novel energies and the Business of Woo (with their own discernment).Gabrielle Celeste is an Intuitive Astrologist who has conducted over 750 channeled astrology readings. She is the co-host of internationally recognized podcast, The Spiritual Sisters Podcast, and owner of Agua Astrology.Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmMTOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooGabrielle's Links:Website: www.aguaastrology.comCourses: https://aguaastrology.teachable.com/p/home-aguaastrology-teachable-comEtsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/aguaastrology/2026 Year Ahead Workshop: https://aguaastrology.myflodesk.com/wth7dkypi6Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aguaastrology/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
In this weeks episode we touch onNew Music(Iceman Coming)NBA Playoffs The new currencyStreamer Harassing the Black community
Bernie Pfelger goes head to head with an office bully who has it in for Temps. Can he win her over with his childlike charm or will sticks and stones break his bones? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bernie Pfelger goes head to head with an office bully who has it in for Temps. Can he win her over with his childlike charm or will sticks and stones break his bones? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this thought-provoking podcast, Cindy and Jeffrey explore the power of language, perception, and choice, and how to discern whether we're hearing truth or simply the voice of the ego. Cindy channels the Egyptian god Thoth who contributes his wisdom to the conversation. If you've ever questioned what words really mean, or how much power they hold, this is your invitation to listen differently!
Frank sits down with Aaron Cohen and Alex Schumacher to talk about Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special, a new comic centered on the Feynman family and their holiday misadventures. The conversation gets into how Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim shaped the book, why Ben makes such a strong lead, and how the team blends Jewish specificity with themes that feel familiar to anyone who grew up in a loud, loving family. Aaron and Alex also break down the book's comic strip DNA, the warmth behind its humor, and why this world has room to grow far beyond holiday stories. Timestamps and Topics 00:00 Introduction and welcoming Aaron Cohen and Alex Shoemaker 00:37 What Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special is about, the Feynman family, and why releasing during Passover feels right 02:12 Representation, family traditions, and how the story connects Jewish identity with universal family experiences 03:29 Visual inspiration behind the book, including Sunday newspaper strips, classic cartooning, and old-school comic energy 05:41 Family memories, Passover traditions, and how real holiday experiences shaped the tone of the story 07:37 Why Passover felt like the perfect setup for a mystery story 08:09 Comic strip storytelling, all-ages humor, and the influence of books the whole family can enjoy together 09:45 Ben's deeper motivation and why wanting a seat at the adult table gives the story emotional weight 11:09 Ben's oversized suit, kid noir energy, and how his design reflects a child trying to act bigger than he is 12:18 Why Ben became the center of the story and how his imagination drives the whole book 15:03 Expanding the Feynman family, new characters, and future story possibilities 16:26 Protecting family, immigrant community parallels, and why the book feels relatable beyond one specific culture 22:38 Ralph's coloring, visual warmth, and how the page design supports the story's emotional center 28:47 Future plans for Sticks and Stones beyond holiday stories 32:30 Final thoughts on Ben and the larger story potential of this world 32:54 Rapid fire questions, favorite characters, and what holiday the family should tackle next Key Takeaways Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special uses Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim to tell one connected family story. Ben works as a lead because he sees himself as the star of his own detective movie, which gives the book a playful inner voice. The creative team wanted the comic to feel deeply Jewish while still speaking to anyone who has experienced a big, chaotic family gathering. The visual style pulls from classic newspaper strips, animation, and old all-ages comics. Humor is treated as an act of love, not just a punchline, which gives the book its warmth. The team clearly sees this family as a long-term storytelling world, not just a one-off holiday concept. Future stories could move beyond holidays and into everyday family life, school stories, and more character-focused adventures. Memorable Quotes "There's something universal in specificity." "Ten people around a long table for two hours is a great place for a murder mystery." "What he really wants ultimately is to be respected and be a part of the family and to be at the adult table and be taken seriously." "You don't joke with someone and you don't gag with someone who you don't care about." Call to Action If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share the episode on social media using #GeekFreaksPodcast. That support helps more listeners find the show and keeps these conversations going. Links and Resources GeekFreaksPodcast.com This is the source of all news discussed during our podcast. Check out Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special Follow Us Follow Geek Freaks for more interviews, reviews, and geek culture coverage. Instagram: @geekfreakspodcast Twitter: @geekfreakspod Threads: @geekfreakspodcast Facebook: Geek Freaks Podcast Patreon: Geek Freaks Podcast Listener Questions Have a question, guest suggestion, or topic you want us to cover in a future episode? Send it our way and let us know what you want to hear next. Sticks and Stones, Holiday Special, Aaron Cohen, Alex Shoemaker, comic books, indie comics, Jewish comics, Passover, Hanukkah, Purim, family comics, all ages comics, Geek Freaks Podcast
By Edward Emery - Words are powerful. They can lift up - and they can tear down. As Christians, what words do we use when we talk to others? Where do our words come from? We examine this in this message.
Daniel and Wilbur return to the SHACK to embrace the thing we love most in this country... FREE SPEECH! We are the last country on the planet with true free speech, and those rights are dared to be infringed upon every single day in this country. Take this Afroman case for example, they dared to stop him from expressing his thoughts. Whatever happened to "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."? Did that disappear? It used to make me mad as a kid until I embraced it and I toughened up! That's what we need, more tough individuals ready to stand up for their rights and eat roller dogs at gas stations. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" is a familiar childhood chant to many from the 80's. It's also wrong. Our words can do great evil – both to us and to others. This is dangerous ground regularly exploited by the enemy. Yet our God is greater and his plans for us are good. In this passage, the One who made our mouths reminds us of the tremendous power they hold and calls us to a faith-filled, love-fueled use of the tongue.
March 29, 2026 | Proverbs 18:13; Ecclesiastes 7:9; James 1:19-21 | Speaking vs. Listening | Sticks and Stones | Wes Moore
In this eighth episode in our dude-only season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Craig Moyer, freelance copywriter, advertising expert, novelist, and all around "creative" about our post-AI (and post-human) billionaire-led world-- and how best to navigate it!Craig's recommendation? Tackle the bad guys (and evil forces) with a sharp sense of humor, like he did in his mock ad campaign for the recent World Economic Forum conference in Davos, titled: "Let them eat snake!", a hilarious riff on Marie Antoinette's famous line: "Let them eat cake!".Craig, a consummate writer of text both short and long, takes listeners through how he's using his creative gifts to speak truth to real power-- and how to resist the dread of our modern world by engaging in the ultimate act of rebellion: creating art. Rachel and Craig also discuss Rachel's favorite city, New Orleans, which also happens to be Craig's home-- and even dig into where to eat, drink, and how best to enjoy this particular spiritual center.Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooCraig's Links: Website: https://www.craigpmoyer.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-moyer-0103479/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
The Hurdle of Unforgiveness Recap – Pastor Jared has been sharing over the past few weeks about the hurdles to our faith sharing and asking to evaluate us where we are in these potential hurdles and how they are impeding us? Are we attempting to live a saved life without actually giving our life to Jesus, have we fully surrendered and received the gift of sanctification that frees us from a desire to live in the depths of sin, and then he reminded us the destruction that even a little bit of sin will bring to our lives (or our water!). This morning, we will look at another hurdle that often impedes our faith. This hurdle is one that will keep us bound, keep us stuck, cause physical illness, and even paralyze us in hopes to hurt another – the hurdle of unforgiveness. I don't want you to stop listening before we even dive in this morning so I want to speak to those of you in the room that may have suffered deep betrayal, hurt, or abuse – whatever your story – forgiveness is essential BUT is not forgetting, it is not validating a persons poor choices. Forgiveness is not an invitation to more hurt, it is an invitation in Christ for healing. It does not even require reconciliation it is an invitation to our release and restoration. And though it does not require reconciliation with those relationships that need boundaries or are no longer continued at all– I will also remind you that all relationships this side of heaven at some point will require forgiveness – even the best ones. PRAY When I heard we were going to tackle hurdles to our faith – I chuckled as I remembered in middle school being asked by a friend if I would run track with her and be on her hurdle relay team – I think that is what its called. We ran with our batons and passed it as we also ran and jumped over the hurdles. We even went home with a metal from a huge track and field event that we had the opportunity to participate in. Wow! Cant you just see me jumping over hurdles with ease? Me neither, not now. It is only a fond memory, and I can only think of the physical pain that would result if I attempted anything remotely like that now. For me it feels more like a wall than difficulty or an obstacle. Do we feel the same way about forgiving those in our lives that have wronged us. It is more than a hurdle – it's a wall, it feels impossible. You may be thinking to yourself, You don't know what I've been through, what they did, what they said – if I forgive I will give freedom to hurt me again, it will validate their behavior, or they don't deserve it. Forgiveness is a gift … a gift I just can't give them. And for those moments you carry – I am truly sorry. This is a tough message but one with deep hope on the other side. FORGIVENESS is a GIFT that we have all been given the opportunity to receive, and one we CERTAINLY don't deserve. Isaiah 53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed". We have all been given opportunity for forgiveness of our sins through his name - through his wounds. All of us simply by believing, by receiving. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. Ephesians 1:7 This is the foundation of our faith – the gift we are given through Christ. He bought our redemption by his blood, his sacrifice allows for the forgiveness of our sin according to the riches of His incredible, indescribable grace. We have (present tense) redemption as we say yes to him and invite him in. If you have not received him as your Savior – that is the most important message of forgiveness that you should hear this morning. He died to provide forgiveness for our sins, to provide redemption when we do not deserve it, when we will never deserve it. That's what makes it the greatest gift. Receiving this gift available to us is foundational to our Christian faith. As we walk out our journey, recipients of this grace, we will be faced with our own decisions to forgive. You may feel the nudge of the holy spirit in you saying okay it's your turn! You know the elbow nudge that parents give their kids when they want them to listen to what the Pastor is saying or want to spur them on to take a step of courage toward what is good? Let's take a look at scripture. Join me in Matthew 18:21-35 – key verses will be on the screen Matthew 18:21-35 New International Version The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a] 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,' he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,' he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Now, lets flip back a few chapters to Matthew 6 where we find Jesus giving his sermon on the mount – specifically in verse 9 – 13 where he gives us the Lords prayer – every line giving us a direction as to a child Its says 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]' And goes on to say: 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. This my friends is a command for those of us in Christ. It is a command and any command he gives – He will equip us and we can trust it is for our good. He does not direct us this way to harm us but to heal us. This command ultimately is for our freedom. What if we say no ? What does it look like to remain in unforgiveness? Take a look at this picture on the screen. This is a picture of Kudzu – this is an ornamental plant intended for shading porches, and later promoted in the 1930s-1950s as a crucial solution for soil erosion control. While now considered a major invasive pest in the U.S., it was initially treated as a beneficial agricultural tool. It is now known as “the vine that ate the south”. I remember as a little girl seeing this along sections of route 11 in the little town I grew up in – always fascinated at how it covered everything. It starts out as this small plant with one intended purpose to shade and protect. and then it becomes a invasive vine that overtakes forests, structures, and all the beauty around it. It overtakes the trees by smothering them, blocking sunlight, and creating excessive weight that breaks branches or uproots them. Unforgiveness is the root of bitterness and just like we see here, it takes over, it festers and it suffocates us both physically, emotionally, and spiritually – we become just like these trees… trapped. HURDLES Physically – this root – it will make us ill. Bitterness settles in as anger and resentment. It causes us to live in constant in a mode of fight or flight. Leading to constant changes in our heart rate, blood pressure, and immune response. These changes increase the effects of depression, heart disease and diabetes. Now not everyone suffering from these illnesses are the result of unforgiveness – but for many it is the very reason. Emotional bondage becomes another trap. We believe we are holding something over another for hurting us – causing them some sort of discomfort, vengeance or harm – when truly we are not at all – the only person we are hurting is ourself. It can cause us to be harsh, sarcastic, condemning – leading to nasty distorted thinking toward others…even toward those it is not intended for. Have you ever heard the quote? "Holding onto anger/unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die” And this bitter root of unforgiveness also effects our spiritual life in a crippling way– hindering our relationship with God – causing us to miss his grace. Holding on to unforgiveness depletes our ability to have peace and joy. We live in a cycle of judgement and condemnation – missing yet again out on the mercy our Savior desire to show us. James 2:12-13 says Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. And ultimately, it will hinder our connection and conversation with Jesus. These effects my friends are soul injuries. So lets revisit our Matthew text… First we saw Peter asking – how many times do I have to forgive my brother or sister if they sin against me? He asks 7x? No – replies the Lord 70 x7. Jesus is correcting Peter here – saying, “STOP! Forgiveness should not be limited by a number. Essentially, he is saying “as many times as it takes”. Limitless forgiveness. He then gave a view of what the kingdom of heaven is like – a king who forgave a servants unfathomable-crippling debt (200,000 years' worth of wages) and then when the servant had a the opportunity to forgive a debt that was 600,000 times less than the debt he was just forgiven- he refused. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,' he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” We are reminded that our Lord us expects us to forgive as he forgives – even when forgiving seems unfathomable. As we saw in the Sermon on the Mount he repeats this command to us, when he teaches us to pray… Lets pray the Lords prayer together using phrases debts and debtors. Right in the middle of the prayer where we are being taught to pray – the importance of forgiveness is reiterated. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Our release, our forgiveness matters. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 What would it look like today if the only forgiveness and grace you received was the same grace and forgiveness you gave others? You know the old adage, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" … the one we sang on the playground but along the way we discovered it was a lie. We don't have to pretend it doesn't hurt – we just don't want to hold onto the offense so it continues to hurt us more. Forgiven people, forgive people. -Dave Wilson What has a greater impact in our lives, the abundant grace of forgiveness God has given us or the root of unforgiveness living in us. Forgiveness is not a condition of our salvation, but a expectation as a result of the gift we have been given in Him. (REPEAT) If the unwillingness to forgive grips us – it begs us to ask if we fully grasp what he has done for us in Christ. This command is ultimately to our benefit because our Lord wants us to live in freedom, peace, and on a path to healing. He again will be our help through the power of his holy spirit. WE can simply begin by asking him to search our hearts. Lets watch this together. – PRODIGAL SON VIDEO Our Lord does not ask us to forgive to hurt us – he asks us to forgive for our healing and his glory. He says hang out your white sheet, pull up the roots of bitterness – I have more for you. As we sing, lean into him – pressing in trusting him to meet you here. The alters are open as we sing – there will be people in the back to pray with you.
March 22, 2026 | Galatians 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; James 5:19-20; 1 Timothy 5:20; Luke 17:3; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Jude 22-23; Matthew 7:1-5; 2 Timothy 4:2 | Correcting without Judgmentalism | Sticks and Stones | Dale Williams
In this seventh episode in our dude-only season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Bobby Fierro of Wild Raven Tarot: a "TarotTuber" of the highest order who livestreams and posts truly incredible, engaging and very, very real tarot content for the masses to enjoy!Not only does Bobby bring the fun and joy of tarot to the masses with his 420 Tarot, Behind the Cards, and Fool's Journey YouTube series, but he also lives his personal spiritual practice in a real deal coven-- serving the coven as their resident "Black Dog": the resident "bouncer" and protector of the witches' coven, working to ensure peace and tranquility in the community.Bobby is also a devotee of Hecate and Hermes, and shares insights into their impact as Spirit Guides in his life as a person AND a practitioner-- including a funny story about what happens when you try to multitask during your daily devotions on their altars;)Bobby also shares some of the unique challenges and points of frustration with being in the Business of Woo, serving as powerful instruction for anyone considering taking the leap to become a full-time, client-facing tarot practitioner. Spoiler alert: people don't want to pay you-- and boundaries become a full-time work stream!LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooBobby's Links: YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WildRavenTarotPlease note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
March 15, 2026 | Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:10-14 | Gratitude vs. Grumbling | Sticks and Stones | Dale Williams
In this sixth episode in our dude-only season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Ryan Hurd: a dream educator, creator of the Dream Studies website (and work), and author of the incredible Archeology of Consciousness Substack!Hilarious plot twist: Rachel and Ryan actually recorded a previous episode that seems to have entered a permanent, liminal state, with multiple "tracks" still "uploading"-- for the last two months-- to the online recording studio! And, while that may just sound like a standard tech glitch, odds are: it's something more!Why? Well, because like the second conversation that all of you get to listen to and enjoy, the topic of discussion is all things liminal, transient, dreamlike, and ephemeral! The best part? Ryan doesn't even remember the first conversation, proof positive that our memory of our reality is, well, a bit fuzzy-- even to the most adept dream weaver!This discussion dives into Ryan's research into sleep, lucid dreaming, dream talismans, and how we can use the other half of our life-- spent with eyes closed, laying in bed, traveling to other realms-- to enhance and improve our waking reality.LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooRyan's Links: Website: https://dreamstudies.org/Substack: https://ryanhurd.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chipsPlease note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
'In a time of persecution of Christians, many of the faithful fled to the mountains and caves. The mother of this Codratus did so. She was pregnant at that time, and gave birth to Codratus in a forest, dying almost at once. He was kept safe and fed by the providence of God and his guardian angel. Codratus grew up in solitude with nature. He who gave manna from heaven to the Israelites in the wilderness released a sweet dew from a cloud onto the mouth of the child Codratus. When he was twelve years old, he went down to the town, and there some good people took a fancy to him and educated him. He studied medicine and then began to heal the sick, using both natural medicines and, more importantly, the spiritual power and prayer which had been with him from childhood. When a new persecution arose under Decius, Codratus was taken for trial and thrown into prison. Five of his friends stood beside him and confessed the name of Christ. They were: Cyprian, Dionysius, Anectus, Paul and Crescens. They were all dragged through the streets and struck with sticks and stones by the unbelievers, especially by the children, until they arrived at the scaffold. Here the martyrs prayed to God and were beheaded with the sword. A spring of water gushed out onto the earth at the spot, which to this day is called by Codratus' name and commemorates the heroic death for Christ of the holy six. They suffered with honour for the truth in Corinth in the year 250, in the time of the Emperor Decius and his governor Jason.' (Prologue)
Words have the power to wound or to heal. In this message from the "A Journey of Stones" series, Pastor Vicki Harrison explores the story of the woman caught in adultery and challenges us to drop the stones of judgment and embrace the grace of Jesus.
March 8, 2026 | Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 26:20-28; 1 Timothy 5:11-14 | Gossip & Good News | Sticks and Stones | Zack Yarbrough
In this fifth episode of The Skeptical Shaman's tenth, all-dude season, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with James Jude of James Jude Tarot and the LA Festival of Tarot : a client-facing tarot reader, teacher of all things tarot, and retired PR expert who worked on the Conjuring and Annabelle movie franchises (of all things)!Like Rachel, James started out as a non-believer in all things Woo, but slowly came around to the reality of the unseen world of spirit while working in PR for a series of major horror movies inspired by the real life events surrounding Ed and Lorraine Warren: the famous paranormal researchers at the center of the Annabelle, Amityville and the Enfield Poltergeist cases. James shares his on-set experiences, as well as conversations with skeptical observers, and how this evolved his perspective on all things Woo-- and supernatural.But it's not all demons, dolls or poltergeists! Rather, James found that these experiences drew him to the very supportive and not-at-all-scary world of tarot-- and he's since become a bonafide subject matter expert in all of the historical and technical aspects of this divinatory tool. James is EVERYTHING that the world of tarot needs: a perpetual student, inspired by limitless curiosity, who takes his craft-- and your tarot reading-- very, very seriously. LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooJames' Links: Website: https://www.jamesjudetarot.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamesjudetarot/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
March 1, 2026 | Mark 7:20-23; Ephesians 4:29-32 | Build Up vs. Slander | Sticks and Stones | Craig Fortunato
In this fourth episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Brian Maierhofer: a working therapist that explores myth, madness, meaning, and how our greatest wounds can become our greatest gifts with his incredible Liminal Means Substack. Rachel and Brian chat all about the myth of the Fisher King and his wound-- and how we, as a people, need to heal our collective wounds, too. But how can we heal? How can society start to right itself? Stop screaming at each other? Stop policing each others' words and thoughts or personal political or religious beliefs?Well, as Brian shares, we can start by understanding the mechanism at the root of this wound: a very particular shift in brain activity that comes along with long-term adrenal fatigue and the anxiety-inducing psychological thought reform made possible by social media and corporate news. But Brian doesn't just identify the issue-- he also walks us all through how we can do a simple, sustainable AND TOTALLY FREE exercise to put our nervous systems-- and our brain-- back into the driver's seat. We can all actually transmute our wounds into our medicine-- and our superpowers. But, first, we have to take a look at them-- and actually f*cking do something to heal them ourselves.LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooBrian's Links: Substack: http://brianmaierhofer.substack.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/brian.maierhoferPlease note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
Episode 517 / Andy WollAndy Woll was born in Los Angeles, California and received a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design. His solo exhibitions include, The First Turn of the Screw at Night Gallery in Los Angeles, California (2021); Strange Animal at Denny Dimin Gallery in New York City (2020); Passage at Night Gallery in Los Angeles, California (2018); and Western Wear at Denny Gallery in New York City (2018). he's shown in group exhibitions including Pipe Dream at Uffner Liu Gallery and Night Gallery in New York City (2016); Sticks and Stones at Night Gallery, (2016); Pairs at Monte Vista Projects in Los Angeles, (2016); and Dave Muller's Three Day Weekend at Blum and Poe in Los Angeles, (2015).In 2007, Andy was the recipient of the Saul and Sally Fifer Bernstein/Friends of Joe Mugnaini Award for works on paper.
With the awards season underway, the episode delved into the recent BAFTA Awards controversy involving racial slurs hurled at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. The hosts dissected the incident, discussing the implications of racial trauma and the responses—or lack thereof—from the event organizers. Miracle passionately elaborated on the need for accommodation and respect, especially in uncomfortable situations where disability and racial history intersect. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, was another focal point. His controversial remarks attempting to relate to the Black community were scrutinized, illustrating how political figures often misstep when addressing issues of race and intelligence. The hosts underscored the need for authentic engagement beyond performative gestures in political rhetoric. Turning the conversation toward economic policies, the hosts examined a recent Supreme Court ruling against Trump's tariffs, deemed unconstitutional. They broke down the impact of such tariffs, questioning how these financial measures truly benefit the average American, if at all. This Week In White Supremacy continues to provide a platform for insightful and critical discussions, balancing humor, and seriousness to tackle pertinent cultural and political issues. 1HOOD's vibrant conversations serve to enlighten and engage audiences, encouraging broader awareness and action against injustice. Join them next week as they continue to expose white supremacy and advocate for a more equitable society for all people.--To help us build liberated communities through arts, education, and social justice visit our website 1hood.org to purchase your official 1HOOD apparel or consider making a tax-deductible donation to 1Hood Media. --WATCH THE SHOW: youtube.com/@twiws--FOLLOW 1HOOD youtube.com/@1hoodfacebook.com/1hoodmediainstagram.com/1hoodmediax.com/1hood--DISCLAIMERS: The views and opinions expressed during this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of 1Hood Media, 1Hood Power, and or its affiliates. We do not own the copyrights to the selected songs, audios and/or videos shared in this broadcast. This Week In White Supremacy is brought to you by the 1HOOD Media NetworkExplicit LanguageParental Discretion is AdvisedTV-MA Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
February 22, 2026 | Exodus 20:16, Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:20-25 | Truth vs. Falsehood | Sticks and Stones | Zack Yarbrough
In this third episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with "Alexis Vale", aka Alan Furth-- the mind behind the incredible Hidden Frameworks Substack, sharing his own meandering explorations in the realm of synchronicity, serendipity, and the ancient concept of Wu Wei: the "invisible river" flow state that we can fall into such that it carries us along-- without us needing to force it!In this episode, Rachel and Alexis discuss the long and strange journey that comes along with following the breadcrumbs out of a life in corporate captivity-- and just how magical and disorienting it can be to listen to your intuition instead of just your logical mind. Am I going through a spiritual awakening and following my soul's purpose, or am I going through a nervous breakdown and need to check myself in somewhere?The difference between these two possibilities when you're "in the messy middle" is a lot more subtle, nuanced and fungible than you would think, so it takes a lot of courage and self-belief to keep on meandering out of the prescribed loop society set out for you and, instead, make your way to the feral borderlands of the Woo.Alexis' story is so engaging because it's still unfolding-- and publicly, on his incredible Substack and via his alter ego, named Alexis!LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooAlexis' Links: https://substack.com/@alexisvalehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alanfurth/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
February 15, 2026 | James 3:1-12, John 1:1-5 | God's Words vs. Our Words | Sticks and Stones | Wes Moore
In this second episode of our dude-only Season 10 of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Alfonso Civile of Heartsick Band: an incredible heavy metal ensemble combining hardcore and metalcore-tinged ferocity with haunting melodies and stunning atmospherics.Alfonso is not only a talented singer, musician, photographer, videographer and multimedia artist, but he generously donated his Zoolander-level Blue Steel modeling skills to our TOTEM + PUCK HCKY merch collaboration photoshoot, currently featured on PUCK's website. Rachel and Alfonso chat all things creativity and art in a time of commoditized slop. How can sincere artists, musicians and other creatives be seen and heard in a marketplace of enshittification? How can they get their fans to understand all of the invisible, unpaid work that being a creator requires? What can we all do to ensure that we still have quality culture, supporting artists in all the ways that matter the most?Alfonso embodies the incredible diversity in the dude-verse, showing up as an artist, creative and sensitive being in an unexpected world: heavy metal music.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooAlfonso's Links:Heartsick Website: https://heartsick.usHeartsick IG: https://www.instagram.com/heartsickband/Alfonso IG: https://www.instagram.com/alfonsocivile/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
Words, like sticks and stones, can be used by both Kingdoms. Are you building Eden or Babylon?
In this long-awaited episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Clay Martin, Priest of the Path of the Barbarian Spirit and author of three incredible books including: Barbarian Spirit, Prairie Fire, and Wrath of the Wendigo. Clay has taken an unusual-- but very shamanic-- road to becoming a full-time Woo Woo practitioner. He had a long and illustrious military career in active duty, having served as an infantryman, Scout Sniper, and Reconnaissance Marine and, after transitioning to the Army, he joined the 19th Special Forces Group before returning to active duty with the 3rd Special Forces Group. In 2013, Clay was medically retired, and what followed was a difficult spiral into chaos. But, in 2022, Clay underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for traumatic brain injury. Six months later, he had his first psilocybin experience. Clay now calls psilocybin "the Sacrament", and believe that true healing begins at the spiritual level. Since his use of the Sacrament, he has encountered Norse gods, channeled visions of the future, and dedicated himself to a life of healing service to other wounded warriors. He is also now an active, working priest in his pagan church, reconnecting military veterans to the old gods and the old ways. Clay upends everything The Business of Woo tells you a New Age practitioner looks, sounds, and acts like. This episode kicks off our dude-only season of the podcast for precisely this reason: men are often underrepresented and underserved by the Business of Woo, often feeling alienated and "uninvited" to this space. The result? We all suffer from the monopoly of enshittified sameness.Clay, and others like him, are challenging this paradigm. And we here at TOTEM and The Skeptical Shaman podcast sure are happy about it.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooClay's Links:Website: https://www.barbarianspirit.com/IG: https://www.barbarianspirit.com/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
Quantum Physics Proves Faith (4) Be Careful – Words Create (audio) David Eells – 2/1/26 Mar 11:23-24 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. (24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (Greek) them, and ye shall have them. Looking at it from a surface level, it would seem a ridiculous statement that Jesus made. How is it possible that spoken words would send a mountain, or a spiritual equivalent, into the sea? Mustard Seed and Quantum Physics When Jesus said in Luke 17:6, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you would say…” He was speaking of the smallest seed that could be seen in His time. If He were here today, He might say, “If you had faith as an atom…” Or even smaller, “If you had faith as a quark (which is a subatomic particle)…” The point He was making was that small things that cannot be easily seen manifest themselves and affect things in this larger world where we live. Quantum physics is the study of things so small that we cannot see them, yet everything we see is made of these subatomic particles. Remember, Hebrews 11:3 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Before God spoke and said, “Let there be light”, the substance for light was there. The sound vibration of His words caused the substance to manifest and appear. Words are energy and energy affects matter. The energy of your microwave vibrates the water molecules and heats the water. The energy of electricity flows to your washing machine and powers the motor that spins the tub and cleans your clothes. So, we can rightfully say that energy affects matter. Your words are energy and they affect the matter in your life. When you speak the words, “This is the worst car I have ever had! You stupid piece of junk!” Those words are vibrations of energy that affect the atoms that make up that car. If you speak those words long enough, your car will obey you! Scientists have performed experiments with atoms and their subatomic particles, such as electrons. If you paid attention in school, you saw the diagram of an atom with the electron orbiting it like the Earth orbits the sun. The interesting thing is that scientists have discovered that the electron that is shown orbiting the nucleus is not always there in particle form. It exists in a wave state (like a cloud, everywhere at once) until someone looks at it. When the scientist observes it, it suddenly appears as a dot (particle). What we all want to know is, “How does it know someone is looking at it?” It obviously is responding to the observer's interaction with it. One of the difficulties in quantum physics is that the particles behave somewhat differently for each observer, which leads to the question, “Does it behave according to what the scientist believes?” In any event, we can definitely conclude that Jesus was right when He taught that all matter responds to faith and words. The substance from which our world is made is influenced and manifested by words. The things that you desire are made up of atoms. They know what you believe, hear what you say and behave accordingly! The thoughts and beliefs that you carry also produce an energy around you. Have you ever noticed that when you are angry, things go wrong, and people are insulting and angry with you? Your thoughts and beliefs produce an energy that people can perceive and react to. If you believe that no one likes you, then you emit that rejecting type of energy, and people will be driven away from you. If you love people and care about them, they will feel that and be drawn to you. Have you ever been around someone who is pleasant and full of love? It is an energy you can actually feel. The energy of love is a powerful drawing card for good in your life. After all, God is Love. When you believe that God loves you and wants you to prosper, then you change your words and beliefs about money. Now, I have learned to think, believe, and say, “Things always work out for me. Everything that I do prospers and I have abundance in Jesus' name.” God is not limited to the things that you and I see. There is an infinite supply of substance waiting to be manifest according to your beliefs and words! Let me share with you portions of this video transcript on how we need to be careful, because our words create. Please remember, I only used what I agree with, but my advice in red is from a biblical perspective. It's called: This Ancient Code Reveals EXACTLY How Your Words Control Reality The Universe Obeys This Philosophical Essence - 12/1/2025 (David's notes in red) Everything is energy, including the words you speak. This deep-dive uncovers the hidden influence language has on perception, belief, emotion, and the human nervous system. You'll explore how words shape internal states, how meanings influence behavior, and why conscious speech can transform the trajectory of your life. This masterclass breaks down the roots behind commonly used terms, how repetition affects the subconscious, and why intentional language can create profound psychological shifts. You'll learn practical tools to upgrade your vocabulary, shift limiting self-talk, and reclaim the creative power hidden inside everyday speech. If you've ever felt like your potential was muted, your confidence diluted, or your reality stuck on repeat — this is the missing piece. Your words are not just expressions… they're instructions. Reclaim the code. Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Your words have a very dark secret. I'll prove they're controlling your reality. What if I told you that every word you've ever spoken was a spell? And what if the people who designed language knew this from the very beginning? (Correction: God created this from the scattering of Babel by their languages He gave them.) There's a reason they call it “spelling”. It's called that because you're literally casting spells every time you arrange letters into words. And here's what nobody tells you: the words you were taught to use were specifically chosen to keep you trapped in a mental prison you can't even see. (Correction: Jesus taught that our words bind AND loose.) But it's not your mistake. And before you dismiss this as a conspiracy theory, let me show you something. Look at the word “grammar”. Where does it come from? Grimoire. That's a book of magic spells. The structure of language grammar was originally understood as a magical system. (But it is more correctly a supernatural system.) Then there's “cursive writing.” We call it cursive because it creates curses. And “spelling”; you're casting spells. This isn't hidden. It's right there in plain sight. They just trained you to laugh it off as coincidence. (Most of what lost man says is a curse.) But here's where it gets disturbing. In 1946, something vanished from American schools. Not prayer. Not paddling. Etymology. The study of where words come from and what they actually mean. And the moment they removed it, you lost the ability to see the trap. Because when you understand what words really mean at their root, you start noticing that almost every word you use was designed to program you into accepting limitations you never agreed to. Let me prove it to you right now. There's a reason they stopped teaching etymology in 1946. Before that, every kid learned to decode words to understand the hidden programs inside language. Then it stopped. Everywhere all at once. They replaced it with memorization and standardized tests. Why? Because if you knew that, ‘understand' literally means ‘to stand under' - to submit, you might stop saying ‘I understand' in every agreement. If you knew ‘government' breaks ‘to govern,' meaning to control and ‘meant' meaning mind, you might start questioning authority differently. They gave you a corrupted vocabulary and told you words don't matter. But words are spells. And they've been casting them over you your entire life. Listen, I know how that sounds. I know you're probably thinking, OK, this is going to be some weird metaphor thing, but stay with me because what I'm about to show you isn't a metaphor at all. It's physics. It's biology. And they've (more like Satan has) systematically hidden it from you, because once you understand that your words aren't describing reality, they're creating it, you become ungovernable. (It starts with the heart. Rom 10:10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.) Here's the truth nobody's telling you. You've been doing the work right? Like positive thinking? This means you're not lazy and you're definitely not missing some secret ingredient. But here's what's happening. You've been using contaminated language that programs failure directly into your nervous system. And they did that on purpose. (It's not “they”, its unbelief in God who made the rules.) Think about it. You say, “I'm trying to lose weight.” What does your subconscious hear? “Trying. Attempting but not succeeding.” It means effort without result. You say, “I want to be successful.” Your body hears, “want, lack, desire. The state of not having.” You say, “I need more money.” Your cells receive “need, scarcity, desperation, and emergency mode.” Every single one of those statements is a spell. And you just cast limitation into your reality without even knowing it. (Jesus said, “believe you have received”.) Now here's what they don't want you to know. The elite study etymology like their lives depend on it. They teach their children Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, and Hebrew, these ancient languages that are basically frequency codes. While they're learning to program reality, they give your kids text, speak, and emojis. They dumb down the vocabulary. They remove etymology from schools, and they tell you the biggest lie ever told. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That's not protection. That's programming you to dismiss the most powerful force in your reality. Words aren't neutral. I need you to understand this. They're not just communication tools; they're technology. Frequency technology. Every word you speak creates an electromagnetic signature. Doctor Masaru Moto proved this. He exposed water to different words: written words, spoken words, and even thoughts directed at water. Then he froze it and photographed the crystals under a microscope. Water, exposed to love and gratitude, form perfect, beautiful, symmetrical crystals. Absolute geometric perfection. Water exposed to ‘hate' and ‘you make me sick' create chaos, broken, distorted, ugly formations. Now here's where it gets crazy. You are 70% water. Every cell, every organ, every system, is mostly water. And you speak, what is it like, 16,000 words a day? Every single word is creating either coherence or chaos inside your body. When you say, “I'm so stupid,” your cells hear that. When you say, “I'm broke, I'm tired; I'm stressed, I'm overwhelmed,” every water molecule in your body is reshaping around that frequency. The problem is, nobody told you that thoughts don't create reality. Words do because thoughts are made of words, right? You can't think without language. And if your language is corrupted, your thoughts are corrupted, which means your reality is corrupted. It's that simple. And get this. Spelling and casting spells aren't a coincidence. Grammar comes from Grimoire, a book of spells. Cursive comes from curse. It's all hiding in plain sight, and we laugh it off because we've been trained to dismiss it as coincidence. But once you decode even five words, you can't “unsee it”. “Mortgage” - Mort means death, like mortal mortuary. Gauge means pledge, like engage in a binding agreement. So mortgage equals “death pledge”. You're signing a death pledge, and they call it that right to your face. “Pharmacy” comes from pharmakeia, which is sorcery, witchcraft. “Government” equals governance, control, plus ‘meant, mind' equals mind control. They're telling you exactly what they're doing, and you're agreeing because nobody taught you to read the code. So here's what changes once you understand this. Once you get that language is literal reality programming technology, you gain complete linguistic sovereignty. You stop speaking unconsciously. You stop signing invisible contracts. You stop casting limitation spells over your own life. You reclaim the creative power they've deliberately hidden from you. This isn't about positive thinking. Positive thinking is surface-level. It's like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. This is about understanding that you are a frequency generator broadcasting electromagnetic signatures every second, and language is how you tune that frequency. (It's not positive thinking alone, its faith in God's thinking which we are told, “overcomes the world”.) Some people manifest easily and listen. It's not because they're more spiritual or more blessed. They just understand that every sentence is a contract with the universe. And the universe always says yes. You're about to learn what the elite know. You're about to understand why certain people seem to bend reality while others stay stuck in the same patterns year after year. And you're never going to speak the same way again. Because once you know, words are spells, every conversation becomes a conscious ritual. And you are the spellcaster. So let me take you back to 1946. Before that year, every kid in school learned etymology. Not as some optional elective you could skip as protection. They taught you to decode words, to understand the hidden programs inside language. To recognize when someone was casting a spell over you through carefully chosen vocabulary. It was the standard curriculum everywhere. The United States, Europe, Asia, everywhere. Then 1946 hit, and it stopped globally, simultaneously. They replaced etymology with memorization, standardized testing, and regurgitation. Why decode language when you can just memorize what they tell you it means, right? Just trust us. This word means this. Don't ask where it came from, don't ask what the roots are, just memorize it and move on. Here's where it gets crazy. This wasn't a gradual shift. It's not like schools slowly phased it out over decades. This was a coordinated effort after World War II, after they saw what propaganda could do, how language could move entire nations, how words could convince people to do unspeakable things. They systematically removed linguistic literacy from education. Edward Bernays. You've got to know this name. The nephew of Sigmund Freud literally wrote the book on propaganda; “public relations,” he called it. He understood that controlling language controls populations. And his whole philosophy was this: a population that decodes language is dangerous. A population that understands etymology asks too many questions. They see through the manipulation. They recognize the spells being cast. So what did they do? They gave you dumbed-down vocabulary. They told you words are just sounds we assign meaning to. Random, arbitrary. ‘Oh, we just decided this collection of sounds means this thing.' But that's a lie. Every word carries frequency. Every route carries programming. And when you don't know what you're saying, you can't control what you're creating. Think about how many contracts you've signed in your life without understanding the etymology of the terms. How many agreements have you made using words you never decoded? You've been consenting to things you didn't understand because they removed your ability to read the fine print hidden in plain sight. I mean, when you sign a mortgage, do you know you're signing a death pledge? When you go to the pharmacy, do you know you're visiting a place whose name literally means sorcery? When you say, “I understand” in a legal agreement, do you know you're saying, “I position myself beneath your authority?” No, because they removed that knowledge in 1946. Systematically, globally. And nobody questioned it because they framed it as educational reform, progress, and modernization. But it wasn't progress. It was control, and once you see that, you can't “unsee it”. Now, let me remind you about Doctor Masaru Emoto and why his work should have changed everything. This man did something so simple and so profound that it broke through all the academic gatekeeping and hit people right in the gut. He took water, just regular water. And exposed it to different words. He'd write words on paper and tape them to containers of water. He'd play music with different emotional tones. He'd have people speak to the water with different intentions. ‘Love, gratitude, hate.' ‘You make me sick.' ‘I will kill you.' Different frequencies through language and sound. Then he froze the water and photographed the crystals under a microscope. And what he found, water exposed to ‘love and gratitude,' formed perfect, beautiful, symmetrical crystals. Sacred geometry appearing in frozen water because of a word. Water exposed to ‘hate' and ‘you make me sick' became chaotic, distorted, and broken. Now here's what you need to understand. You are 70% water. Every cell in your body, your blood, your organs, your brain, your muscles, is mostly water. And you speak 16,000 words a day. Every single word creates either coherence or chaos inside your body. When you say, “I'm so stupid,” your cells hear that. When you say, “I'm broke, I'm tired, I'm stressed, I'm overwhelmed,” every water molecule responds, shifting to match that frequency. Symatics proves this even further. Sand on a vibrating plate forms geometric patterns depending on the frequency. Your body is the plate, your words are the frequency. Your cells arrange themselves accordingly. This is why some people heal, and others don't. This is why placebo works. This is why someone who speaks life lives longer than someone who speaks negativity. The water is listening and it obeys. You've been broadcasting 16,000 reality commands a day and nobody told you your body was listening. Nobody told you that “I am sick” isn't a description, it's an instruction. Your body follows it. Now let's talk about what the elite know. Ever wonder why elite schools still teach Latin? Why their kids study Greek, Sanskrit, and Hebrew, dead languages nobody uses? Why waste time on those? Because those languages are frequency codes, not corrupted, not diluted. Sanskrit words hold precise vibrational signatures. Hebrew letters have numerical frequency structures. Latin is the root of law, medicine, government, and systems of power. They're not learning history. They're learning to program reality. While their kids study ancient frequency languages, yours get text, speak emojis. Slang that changes every few months, so you never develop deep linguistic roots. Corrupted language creates corrupted thinking. (Psa 45:1… My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Where does it write? On your soul.) Corrupted thinking creates powerless people, and powerless people are controllable. The elite know language is technology. They study etymology obsessively. They understand words like, mortgage, pharmacy, and understand, all carry hidden commands. They use these words on you while avoiding them themselves. (This is not possible because what they sow they reap and they are clearly corrupted.) Listen to how they talk privately. Precise, intentional, never casual. Every word is a contract. Every conversation is a ritual. Language is how they cast spells. They removed etymology so you wouldn't see the manipulation. They simplified your vocabulary. They told you language doesn't matter while mastering rhetoric, persuasion and linguistic magic at elite universities. The game has always been rigged. But now you know. Princeton University ran an experiment for decades called The Global Consciousness Project. They set up random number generators all over the world. Machines that should produce completely random data. No pattern. No predictability. Just pure randomness. Then they measured what happened during major global events. September 11th, massive natural disasters, Princess Diana's funeral, and the moment Obama was elected. Moments when millions of people focus their consciousness on the same thing at the same time, feeling the same emotions, thinking similar thoughts. The random number generators became less random. Significantly, measurably, statistically impossible to explain away. Human consciousness was affecting machines not through touch, not through proximity, through field, through frequency, through collective attention, creating coherence in the quantum field. (I have found this so. Machines respond to commands.) Now I heard about this, and I thought, “OK, that's interesting. But it's happening with millions of people. What about one person? What about me?” So I got a random number generator app on my phone. Simple thing. Just spits out random numbers between 1 and 100. I watched it for a week, completely random, as expected. No patterns, just chaos. Then I tried something. I focused my intention on it, not hoping, not wishing. I declared out loud, “This device now responds to my consciousness. I'm collapsing the randomness into pattern.” And I held that state. Not desperate, not forcing, just absolute certainty. Like when you know you're about to catch something someone throws to you. That kind of certainty. The numbers started clustering. At first I thought it was chance, but it kept happening. Then patterns emerged, runs of similar numbers, sequences. Then I started trying to will specific ranges, “Give me numbers above 70.” And they came. Not 100% of the time, but way above statistical chance. Enough that I couldn't explain it away, enough that I had to sit with the implications. And here's what hit me in that moment. Sitting there watching my consciousness affect electronics, “If I can do this to a random number generator, what am I doing to my body? What am I doing to my relationships? What am I doing to my bank account?” To every situation I walk into, broadcasting unconscious frequency. Your words aren't just vibrating air. They're not just sound waves that disappear. They're altering electromagnetic fields. They're collapsing quantum possibilities; their programming matter. And when you understand that, when you feel that, you can never speak carelessly again. Every word becomes a conscious act of creation. So let's get into why we call it ‘spelling.' Why not wording? Why not lettering? Think about it. When you're in school, they call it spelling tests. You have to spell words correctly. Why? Why is that the term? Because you're casting spells letter by letter, word by word. You're assembling symbols that carry frequency and when you arrange them correctly, they execute their programming. “Grammar” comes from Grimoire, and a Grimoire is a book of magic spells. “Cursive” comes from curse. It's all hiding in plain sight, but we laugh it off because we've been trained to dismiss it as coincidence. But there are no coincidences in etymology. Language evolved over thousands of years, and every word carries the memory of its origin. The frequency signature of its root. (Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.) Spelling is called spelling because assembling letters into words is literally how you cast spells over reality. Think about school. They drilled it into you. Spelling tests. You had to spell words correctly. Why was that so important? Because incorrect spelling breaks the spell. The frequency changes, the code doesn't execute properly. They were teaching you spell casting and calling it literacy. And you thought you were just learning to read and write. Every e-mail you write, every text you send, every conversation you have, you're casting spells, programming reality, creating experiences. Most people do this unconsciously, which is why most people feel powerless. They're broadcasting random frequency all day long, contradicting themselves, creating chaos, and then wondering why their life feels out of control. But once you know, once you see that language is literally magic (supernatural) disguised as communication, everything changes, you become intentional. You become sovereign. You become the conscious creator they never wanted you to be. Now, let me break down the words you've been using without knowing what you're actually saying. This is where it gets really wild. Because once I show you even 5 or 6 of these, you're going to start seeing it everywhere. Mortgage: You sign this document to buy a house, right? It's normal, everybody does it. But let's decode it. ‘Mort' equals death, like mortal, subject to death. Mortuary where they keep dead bodies. Mortality, the state of dying. ‘Gauge' equals pledge, like engage to pledge yourself. Mortgage equals “death pledge.” You're literally pledging your life force to the bank for 30 years. They're telling you exactly what it is right in the name, but nobody taught you to read the code. You're signing a death pledge and thinking you're just buying a house. The elite who own the banks know exactly what they're making you sign. They know the frequency that word carries, and they use it deliberately. Government: You hear this word every day, but let's break it down. ‘Govern' means to control, to steer, to direct, like a governor on an engine. ‘Meant' means mind, like mental or mentality. Government equals “mind control.” It's not conspiracy theory, it's etymology. They're broadcasting their function in the name itself. They govern your mind through media, education, language, and you call them your government, thinking it's about representation and democracy. Maybe it started that way, but the word tells you what it actually does. Understand: You say it all the time. ‘I understand' what you're saying. ‘I understand' the agreement. But let's look at the roots. ‘Under' equals ‘beneath, below, in a position of submission.' ‘Stand' equals ‘to take a position.' Understand equals “to stand beneath, to submit.” Every time you say, “I understand,” you're literally saying, “I submit to your authority.” (We have to be careful of legalism. Romans 13 commands us to submit to government authority.) Try saying I comprehend instead. Comprehend means to grasp. Feel the difference? Pharmacy: You go there when you're sick. You trust them. But pharmacy comes from the Greek, pharmakeia, which means sorcery, witchcraft, the use of drugs and potions for magical purposes. They're literally practicing sorcery and calling it medicine. And again, I'm not saying don't take medicine, I'm saying know what you're invoking. The word itself carries the frequency of ‘chemical sorcery'. Human: This one is beautiful. ‘Hue' equals light, color. ‘Man' equals mind. Human equals ‘light mind,' ‘light-being.' (We are men who walk in the light when we follow Christ.) You're a ‘being of light and consciousness'. Not an accident, not a meat robot. A light-being having a physical experience. They don't want you knowing that. Person: ‘Per' equals through. ‘Son' equals sound. (We are born “through” the “Son”.) “Person” equals ‘sound moving through form.' You are vibration. You are frequency. Every person is a unique frequency signature broadcasting through matter. This is quantum physics. This is string theory. This is ancient wisdom. And they hid it in a word you use every day. You're not a solid thing. You're sound moving through form, your frequency, wearing meat, and once you get that, you understand why your words matter so much. Because you're already sound. You're already frequency. Your words are consciously directing that frequency. Every one of these words is a revelation. And you've been using them your whole life without knowing what you were saying. That's not an accident, that's intentional obscurity. They don't want you to know what you are or what you're doing. Because once you know you can't be controlled, once you decode the spells, you can't be programmed anymore. Now let's talk about the Bible, because whether you're religious or not, you need to understand what it's telling you about language. The Bible isn't just a religious text. It's a frequency manual, and it tells you flat out, words create reality. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1. But in the beginning was the thought, not the feeling, not the intention, the Word. Creation happens through spoken language. God spoke, and light appeared. God said, and it was so. That's not metaphor, that's mechanics. That's the operating system of reality. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21. Not ‘kind of influenced' by the tongue, not ‘partially affected' by what you say. Life and death. Your tongue, your words, are the determining factor between creating life or creating death in your experience. You're either speaking life over yourself, your family, your finances, your health, or your speaking death. Every day, every conversation. There's no neutral. And then Exodus 3:14. This is huge, Moses asks, ‘God, Who are you? What's your name? Who should I say sent me?' And God doesn't say Steve. God doesn't give some mystical ancient name. God says, I AM that I AM. The most powerful name in the Bible, the name of God, is I AM. And then throughout Scripture, God basically says that's your name, too. You're made in the image of God, right? That means you have the same creative power every time you say, “I am.” You're invoking creator consciousness. You're declaring reality into existence. You're speaking as the source of your experience. Jesus didn't ‘think' demons out of people. He didn't wish them away. He didn't pray quietly and hope they'd leave. He spoke to them, direct command. “Come out,” and they obeyed. Not because He had special magic that you don't have. Because He understood that authority comes through words, through declaration, through command, He understood frequency disrupting frequency. When He calmed the storm, He didn't meditate on calmness. He spoke to the storm, “Peace be still,” and it obeyed. When He healed people, He spoke healing, “Rise and walk. Be made whole. Your faith has healed you.” Words, commands, frequency, altering matter. This isn't about religion. You'd be an atheist, and this still applies because it's physics. It's quantum mechanics. The Bible is just one of many ancient texts trying to tell you that you have this power you always have. They coded it into scripture, into mythology, into every wisdom tradition. Words are creative force, and you are the wielder. You are the one speaking. You are the one creating. So what are you saying? Now let's talk about your electromagnetic body. Because this is where it all comes together. You think you're solid, right? You feel solid. You look in the mirror, and you see a physical body. But that's an illusion. You're 99.9999% empty space. The atoms that make up your body are mostly electromagnetic fields. You are frequency, wearing meat. The HeartMath Institute proved something incredible. Your heart generates an electromagnetic field that extends 15 feet around you in all directions. 15 feet; that's huge! That field carries information, emotion, intention, and frequency. It affects everyone and everything nearby. You felt this. You know when you walk into a room, and someone's angry? You feel it before they say a word. You know when someone's in love. They radiate it. That's not psychic ability, that's electromagnetic field detection. You're reading frequency. Water crystals respond to words because water is a crystalline structure that holds frequency. Doctor Emoto proved that. Symatics shows that sound creates form. Different frequencies literally arrange matter into different patterns. You can watch sand form perfect geometric patterns just from sound vibration. Your voice is frequency, your words are vibration, and your body is rearranging itself in response every single second. Think about this simply. Your cells communicate through chemical signals, right? But also electrical impulses and electromagnetic fields. When you speak, you're broadcasting frequency through all three channels simultaneously. You're not just making sounds, you're programming biology. You're sending instructions through chemistry, electricity, and electromagnetism all at once. This is why negative people drain your energy. Their frequency is chaotic, discordant, low vibration. Your body has to work harder to maintain coherence around them. This is why being around certain people lights you up. Frequency matching resonance. You're synchronizing. This is why some places feel good and others feel heavy. Residual frequency in the electromagnetic field of that space. You are a walking broadcasting station. Your heart is pumping out a 15-foot field of electromagnetic information. Your brain is generating measurable frequencies. Your words are adding specific vibration to that broadcast. The question is, what are you broadcasting? Limitation or possibility? Fear or power? Submission or sovereignty? Your reality is matching your broadcast. Always. So now let's talk about how they control you with this knowledge, because they know everything I'm telling you. They've known it for centuries, and they weaponize it against you every single day. The media doesn't report news; it casts mass spells. Think about it. Every headline is a frequency broadcast. Every phrase repeated across channels is a ritual. Repetition is how you program consciousness. They're not informing you, they're programming you. And they know exactly what they're doing. “Stay safe.” You hear that everywhere now, right? Sounds caring. Sounds like they're looking out for you. But let's decode the frequency. “Stay” equals ‘remain (Remain Safe is good), don't move, don't change, don't grow.' “Safe” equals ‘protected from danger,' which implies danger is everywhere, which triggers fear, which creates contraction. “Stay safe” is a submission command. It programs fear of the world, dependence on authority, and small living. “Stay small.” “Stay controlled.” “Stay afraid.” That's what your subconscious hears every single time. (Remain in safety is a good command.) “The new normal.” Remember this phrase from 2020 repeated 10,000 times across every media outlet? Why that specific phrase? Because repetition programs reality. They're telling you this is normal now. Accept it, adapt. Don't question, don't resist. This is just how things are now. Your mind hears that phrase enough times and it becomes your operating system. You stop fighting. You comply. You adjust. Mission accomplished. Edward Bernays. You've got to understand who this guy was. The nephew of Sigmund Freud literally wrote the book on propaganda in 1928. “Public Relations,” he called it, because propaganda sounded too negative after World War I. But it's the same thing. He understood that controlling language controls populations. He understood that you don't need physical force when you can program minds through repetition, emotional manipulation, and carefully chosen words. His whole philosophy was this: “Give people the illusion of choice while controlling the language that shapes their thinking. Let them think they're free while you're actually directing their thoughts, their beliefs, their behaviors through linguistic programming.” (Not just words but their emotion and intent are also broadcast. Stay safe, be healed, be free, have emotion and intent.) He helped sell wars. He helped sell cigarettes to women by calling them ‘freedom torches'. He helped sell political candidates like products, using the same techniques. Control the language, control the people. They know language is frequency. They know repetition programs consciousness. They know fear-based words trigger survival responses that shut down critical thinking. So they weaponize it every single day on every platform. News, social media, and entertainment. It's all programming, all frequency manipulation, all spell casting at a massive scale. But here's the key. Here's what they don't want you knowing. You can't be programmed if you're aware. Once you recognize the spell being cast, it loses power over you. You start noticing, “Oh, they're using that phrase to trigger fear. (Don't leave out emotion and intent.) They're repeating this to program acceptance. They're framing this to shut down questions.” And the spell breaks. You become immune. You become sovereign, you become ungovernable. Now let's talk about the “I am” secret, because this is the most powerful thing I can teach you. “I am” are the two most powerful words in any language. Not just English, any language. Why? Because I AM is the name of God. The tetragrammaton, YHWH in Hebrew. I AM that I AM. When Moses asked God's name of the burning Bush, God didn't say Jeff. God didn't give some mystical ancient title. God said, “I AM.” That's not a name, that's a state of being, it's present tense existence, pure presence, pure creative power. And then the Bible tells you over and over. This is your name, too. You're made in the image of God. You have the same creative authority. When you say, “I am”, you're not describing yourself. You're not making an observation. You're commanding reality. You're speaking as the creator of your experience. The quantum field responds to “I am” declarations instantly. Not eventually. Not if you're good enough. Instantly. Because “I am" is the voice of Source consciousness and reality obeys Source. Here's where most people mess this up completely. They say, “I am trying to be confident.” Wrong. Trying cancels creator power. Trying means ‘attempting but not succeeding.' Its failure language. They say, “I am working on being healthy.” Wrong. Working on means, ‘not there yet.' Its future language; the quantum field only responds to now. They say, “I wish I was,” or “I want to be”, or “someday I'll be”. All wrong, all failure codes, all spells of lack. (True, we are to believe and speak that Jesus lives in us, and our old man is dead. 2Co 3:18. We are to speak the end from the beginning as the Lord said.) “I am” is present tense, absolute, declarative, not hope, not intention, command. “I am abundant,” not, “I want abundance”, not, “I'm trying to create abundance”. “I am abundant right now as I speak”, present tense, total certainty. (True) “I am healthy,” not “I'm trying to get healthy”, not “I'm working on being healthy”. I am healthy, period. No question, no doubt. “I am sovereign.” Not, “I'm working on confidence”. Not, “I wish I were more confident”. I am sovereign. Full stop. No negotiation. Whatever follows “I am” becomes your reality instruction to the universe, and the universe doesn't argue, it doesn't judge, it doesn't question whether you deserve it. It says “yes” and starts arranging circumstances, people and opportunities to match your declaration. That's how creation works. That's the operating system. This is why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life.” “I am the light of the world.” “I am the resurrection.” He was demonstrating Creator consciousness. Teaching the template, showing you how to use your divine authority. And then they diluted it. They made it about worshipping Him instead of becoming like Him. Because they don't want you knowing you have this power. They don't want 7 billion people walking around speaking with “I Am authority”. That would be the end of control. (1Pet 4:11 If any man speaks, let it be as an oracle of God.) Now let's get into quantum physics, because this is where science catches up to ancient wisdom. The famous double slit experiment broke physics; changed everything. Scientists shot particles, electrons, and photons at a screen with two slits in it. When they observed which slit the particle went through, the particles behaved like particles. They went through one slit or the other. Made two distinct bands on the back screen. But when they didn't observe, when they just let it happen without measuring, the particles behaved like waves. They went through both slits simultaneously. Created an interference pattern on the back screen, like waves in water overlapping and creating ripples. Same particles; same experiment. The only thing that changed was observation. And that changed the outcome completely, from wave to particle, from potential to actual; from possibility to reality. What does this mean? Particles, the building blocks of everything; matter, energy, and reality, don't exist in a fixed state until observed. They exist as potential, as possibility, as wave function, multiple states existing simultaneously. And observation, consciousness collapses that potential into one definite reality. You're not living in a solid, fixed reality; you're living in a fluid field of potential. And your consciousness is constantly collapsing possibility into form. Every moment, every thought, every word. You're choosing which reality manifests by where you put your attention and what you declare. Your words are observation devices. When you say, “I am broke”, you're not describing your bank account; you're collapsing the wave function of all financial possibility into the specific reality of poverty. You're taking infinite potential and forcing it into one limited outcome. When you say, “I am abundant”, you're collapsing different probabilities. You're observing a different reality into existence. This is why manifestation isn't about begging the universe. It's not about hoping and wishing and trying really hard. It's about declaring. You're not asking for reality to change. You're observing it into the form you choose. Your words are the observation device. And reality has no choice but to comply. That's quantum mechanics. That's how creation works at the subatomic level. Most people don't manifest because they're observing current reality and describing it. “I'm broke, I'm stuck, I'm tired, I'm alone.” Let's just solidifying what already exists. That's like taking a photograph of a photograph. You're not creative, you're copying. (True) Creators observe the desired reality and speak it into being. “I am abundant.” “I am free.” “I am energized.” “I am connected.” You're collapsing different probabilities. You're choosing from infinite potential. Now let's talk about victim language versus creator language. Because this is where you practically apply everything I've been teaching you. Every sentence you speak positions you as either victim or creator, and most people default to victim language without even realizing it. “I can't afford it.” You say this all the time, right? Seems harmless. But you're claiming powerlessness. You're declaring. You're positioning yourself as victim of circumstances. Replace it with, “I'm choosing to invest elsewhere right now.” Completely different frequency. You have choice. You have agency. You're the one making decisions. Create a language. “I'm so stressed.” (Say, “I cast out stress”, which can be a demon.) Victim language. Stress is happening to you, you're powerless against it, it's attacking you, and you're suffering. Replace with, “I'm processing intense energy right now.” Create a language. You're actively working with what's present. You're not helpless. You're in the process of transformation. You're handling it. “I have to work.” Victim language. You're trapped. No choice. You're a slave to circumstances. Replace with, “I choose to honor my commitments.” Create a language. Even if you don't love the job, claiming choice reclaims power. You're choosing. You have agency. You're not a victim. “I'm trying to lose weight.” Victim language. Trying means not succeeding. It's coded failure. Replace with, “I'm becoming healthier every day.” Create a language present tense, active, progressive. No failure coded in. “I'm stuck.” Victim language frozen, helpless, no movement possible. Replace with, “I'm gathering information in this chapter.” Creator language. You're in a process, there's purpose, you're learning, you're preparing for the next phase. Completely different energy. “I need more money.” Victim language. Need broadcasts lack, desperation, emergency. Your body goes into survival mode when you say need. (It's better to say, I believe I “have received” abundant provision. Php 4:19 And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.) “I can't do this.” Victim language, total powerlessness, complete defeat. (Say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.) “But I really want to.” Victim language. “But” cancels everything before it. “I love you, but…” means, “I don't love you.” (Think: Php 4:13 I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. ) “I want to succeed but…” means, “I don't believe I can succeed.” Replace with, “and I'm choosing to prioritize this.” Creator language. (Thank you, Jesus, that I am successful as I abide in your will and faith.) Every single transformation shifts you from passive receiver to active creator, from being done unto, to doing, from powerless to sovereign. And your nervous system responds immediately. Your cells respond. Your electromagnetic field responds. Your reality responds. This isn't positive thinking. This is frequency reprogramming at the cellular level. (Ask for the Lord's help. Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips.) Eliminate “Can't and try.” Every time you catch yourself saying, “I can't” or “I'm trying,” stop mid-sentence if you have to. (Say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.) Rephrase. “I can't afford that,” becomes “I'm choosing to invest elsewhere.” “I'm trying to be healthier” becomes (1Pe 2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. I thank you Lord, it's done.) Eliminate “have to” and “need to.” These program obligations and lack. Every “have to” is claiming you're trapped. Every “need to” is broadcasting desperation. Replace with, “I choose to” or “I'm ready to.” “I have to go to work,” becomes “I choose to honor my commitments.” “I need to make money” becomes “I'm ready to receive income.” Feel the difference? Your whole body shifts Eliminate “But.” This one's sneaky because you say it constantly without noticing. “But” cancels everything before it. I mean, think about it. “I love you, but…” Doesn't feel like love, right? “I want to succeed, but I'm scared” means “I don't believe I can succeed.” (Say, I cast down doubt and unbelief.) (Remember, Self works will not accomplish what Faith will. Eph 2:8 for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, that no man should glory.) Don't say, “I am so lazy.” “I am terrible with money.” “I am always anxious.” “I am not smart enough.” “I am too old.” “I am not attractive,” “I am unlucky.” Every single one is a spell you're casting over yourself multiple times a day. Those aren't descriptions. Those are instructions and your body, your energy field, your reality, they're all saying yes and arranging themselves to match. (Say, Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me. This confession will bring power.) For each limitation spell, write the power declaration, not the opposite, the truth of who you are. “I'm so lazy” becomes “I am disciplined and energized.” “I am terrible with money” becomes “I am a wise steward of resources.” “I am always anxious” becomes “I am calm and centered in my power.” “I'm not smart enough” becomes “I am intelligent and capable.” “I am too old” becomes “I am in my power at every age.” “I am not attractive” becomes “I am magnetic and radiant.” (Jesus made reconciliation, which means an exchange of His life for yours. Everything He is has been given to you, and you were crucified with Him.) Keep it present tense. Keep it declarative. No trying, no hoping, no someday. This is who I am right now. And you have to speak it out loud. Your body needs to hear it, not in your head. That's thought, that's weak. Out loud. That's creation. That's powerful. You're broadcasting frequency into your field before anything else gets in there. You're setting the tuning for your whole day. Worry comes from Old English wyrgan, to strangle, to choke. Every time you say, “I'm worried,” you're literally strangling your own life force. You're choking yourself with fear. (Php 4:6 In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you.) The linguistic shield. Listen, you're exposed to thousands of words daily. Media conversations, social media, and advertising. Not all of them are yours. Most are spells being cast at you, programming being broadcast into your field. (Stay in the Word of God and don't be distracted by the World. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind with the Word.) During media consumption, and this is big. When you notice fear language, repetitive phrases, manipulative framing, programming attempts, you say internally, “I do not accept this spell.” “I return this frequency to sender.” “I am immune to manipulation.” Every time. You don't have to say it out loud. An internal declaration is enough, but you have to catch it and actively reject it. Evening release before sleep: “I release all words not aligned with my truth.” “I release all frequency, not mine to carry.” “I reclaim my linguistic sovereignty.” “I am cleansed.” “I am clear.” “I am free.” This isn't paranoia. This is protection. You wouldn't let strangers reprogram your phone, right? Why let them reprogram your consciousness? Every word you consciously reject weakens its power over you. Every spell you refuse breaks the caster's hold. You're building immunity. Most people fall asleep scrolling, stressed, or rehearsing tomorrow's anxiety. “I gotta do this.” “I gotta do that.” “What if this goes wrong?” They're programming their subconscious to expect more stress. To scan for problems to find threats, flip it. End every day by remembering what worked. What made you feel alive? Your brain will deliver more of it. That's how the reticular activating system works. You get more of what you focus on. So focus on aliveness before sleep. (Thank the Lord for His faithfulness and meditate on all His promises.) You speak 16,000 words a day. That's 16,000 reality commands, 16,000 spells cast. The question is, what have you been creating? What are you creating right now? What will you create tomorrow? Speak life, speak power, speak sovereignty, speak abundance, speak health, speak joy, speak freedom and watch reality bend to your word. Watch circumstances shift, watch opportunities appear. Watch your body respond. Watch your life transform. Not because you got lucky. Not because you finally deserved it. Because you remembered you're the spellcaster and you started using your voice as the creative instrument it's always been. Here is a dictionary website of the history of English words, where you can search words and read the origin, read the root, and read the evolution, etc. https://www.etymonline.com/ Now, let me share with you from our book, The Tongue Conquers The Curse. Sweet waters are the words we speak in agreement with the Word of God and are a blessing to the people around us. They are a healing to the nations, and they spring forth out of our thoughts and hearts, and over our tongues to become words of life. An overwhelming majority of what we call Christianity speaks against God's benefits, which we must receive by faith. So we do what God does: we calleth the things that are not, as though they were (Rom.4:17) and we agree with God, even though we don't see it. This is God's method of bringing the promises into His physical creation. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] (Eph.1:3); but when we confess, it becomes ours in these physical places around us. But the opposite can also come to pass. (Jas.3:10) Out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (11) Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet [water] and bitter? (12) can a fig tree, my brethren yield olives, or a vine figs? neither [can] salt water yield sweet. Many times, the problem with our mouths is that we are speaking a mixture of blessings and curses. But with the increase of the lips, we should be growing with the knowledge of God in our heart, speaking and agreeing with this knowledge and denying those things that exalt themselves above the knowledge of God by casting them down (2 Corinthians 10:5). We grow into confessing God's Word and into righteousness because He imputes righteousness when we agree with His Word. We should be growing into the sweet water, the river of living water coming up from us, and not a mixture of blessing and cursing. (Jas.3:5) So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! People think that the things that they say are insignificant and that they don't count. Not so before God and, I might say, not so before the devil, because he gets his authority from you. Remember, the devil doesn't have authority, except what we give him. Jesus said that all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth (Mat.28:18). And He put that authority under His feet and gave Himself to be the head of the body, the Church. (Eph.1:20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly [places], (21) far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Every principality and power has been put under the feet of Jesus, which is the lowest member of His “body,” so we have the authority. The devil has to get us to give him authority and, of course, he works constantly to sow the seed of the world into our hearts. That is what a harlot is – a person who receives the seed of the world in their heart, rather than the seed of the Kingdom. (Jas.5:6) And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. The tongue defiles the body when our faith is in what we are told by the world and by the devil; therefore, it is what we believe and what comes out of our mouth that defiles the body. The “wheel of nature” or, as otherwise interpreted, “cycle of life,” is sowing and reaping. You speak things that are a curse and cursing comes upon you. You speak things that are a blessing, and a blessing comes upon you. There is a cycle that tends to be upward and a cycle that tends to be downward. We want to bring our tongue into submission by first repenting, that is, changing our minds and agreeing with the Word of God. (Pro.18:21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. This can be just your death and life or the death and life of the people around you. We are all going to prove whether we love death or whether we love life. We are going to eat the fruit of the one that we love. If you love life, you will obviously pay very close attention to what you say, and you will begin to train your tongue to come into agreement with the Word of God. Our minds are like computers; they need to be programmed so that what we see on the monitor reflects something beneficial and a blessing. A computer by itself is worthless without a monitor. Basically, God is saying that the monitor is the tongue. It reflects what is inside the programming. If you say that you're a believer and everything you say is contrary to what God says, then that's a lie. We need to reprogram this computer so that what comes out of our mouth is the Word of the Lord and is effectual in changing us and the world around us. The Bible says the tongue is like a rudder that is able to turn the whole body (James 3:4-8). It's a very powerful tool that God has given us. (Rom.12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service. (2) And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We must spend time in the Word of God so we can program it into our hearts, and we have to put it in there often enough so that it begins to overcome what is already there. To show forth what the perfect will of God is in your life, your mind needs to be renewed. You will never walk in perfection without the renewing of your mind. According to James, it's not just the mind, but what comes out of the mind that matters. (Jas.3:2) For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. (3) Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. (4) Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. (5) So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! How do we steer this vessel with the tongue? First, we need the will to do this. He whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36). The Lord sets us free by giving us His will. Nothing can restrain God's will. He does what He wants to in the armies of Heaven and upon the earth (Daniel 4:35). We are frustrated because we have a schizophrenic will. His will is fighting in us against our will, but as we walk by faith, He works in us both to will and to work, for his good pleasure (Php.2:13). Then, when in this way His will has overcome ours, we are free to do what we like to do. Then His will in us will steer the body with the tongue. When we hear ourselves speaking words that do not line up with the Scriptures, we can back up and say, “No, I don't like what I said there. I don't accept that, Lord. Forgive me. I'm going to agree with your Word.” (Rom.3:4) God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. We are about to come into judgment and some of you are in it and don't even know it. And God is saying that the most important tool is a renewed mind speaking out of your mouth, the Word of God. That's the powerful tool that you have. Jesus and His disciples turned the world upside down with the things that they said (Acts 17:6). The things that they said, they commanded; and the things that they said agreed with the Word of God and brought repentance and deliverance. We have to change our minds, and we must be careful about what we put in our computers. We must be anxious for nothing and let our prayers and requests be made known unto God with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). Paul tells us something about being at peace with what we put in our minds and what we program our computers with. (Php.4:8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Everything we put in our minds is still there, but recall is the problem. We don't want to be polluted by the things of the world. We want to put things in our minds that will cause us to think and speak properly in agreement with the Word of God. We don't want a leaven that leavens the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9). We don't want to fill up our minds with the television, the things of the world and the love of the world. We want to fill up our minds with the Word of God, fulfilling His will and walking as a disciple. He tells us to think on the good things, not the bad news, not the conspiracies, not studying the false doctrines. The Gospel is the Good News and the power of God unto salvation (Rom.1:16). Paul tells us that I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil (Rom.16:19). In other words, stop studying the evil in the world and start studying the good because when you sow the Word into your heart, it brings forth Jesus Christ. That's why we are told to “think on these things.” These things have the power to bring forth Christ in you and Christ in you can take care of evil, so it will no longer be a problem or temptation for us. Christ within you cannot be tempted with evil. It's the old man that can be tempted by evil; that's the part that needs to die. So think on the good things, the things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and the things of good report. (Php.4:9) The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you. We have been given awesome examples, not only in Jesus, but in the apostle Paul and many others. They've gone out before us, filled with the Word of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of God. It's a death experience of self, but it's a resurrection experience of Jesus Christ living in us. He wants to use our tongue to do the same thing that the tongue of His first body did, which brought deliverance and blessing to the world. It turned not only the body but everything around them. In order to do that, we have to fight this warfare that we're called to fight. He tells us that this warfare is not of the flesh. (2Co.10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (4) (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds). One of those weapons, the most important one, is the tongue. When you agree with the Word of God, you are accounted righteous. Then you are entitled to the benefits of the Kingdom. One of the benefits is the reconciliation, which is the exchange between you and the Cross. God has taken away your sins, your sinful life, and your sinful tongue and has nailed them on the Cross. He has taken the righteousness of Jesus Christ and has given it to you. Now He's given this to you as a benefit, but for you to receive this benefit, you must be accounted righteous. That's why you speak what the Bible says about you. You were crucified with Christ and it's no longer you who lives, but Christ Who lives in you (Galatians 2:20). Can you confess that? This is what the apostle Paul taught us to believe, think, and speak. We don't live anymore; Christ lives in us. That's the Good News, which is “the power of God unto salvation,” but if it doesn't come out of our mouth, it's not going to work. We have to agree with the Word and refuse to say anything that is contrary to the Word. (2Co.10:5) Casting down imaginations (Greek: logismos, meaning “reasoning”), and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thoug
Listen to today's podcast... Words Hurt. Name Calling is a form of Emotional Abuse. Many of us have worked for or with someone who was emotionally abusive. According to research from Employment Law Alliance, 45% of us reported being abused in the office. People who are the target of emotional abuse are made to feel insignificant and incapable. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency! So here are Today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Bringing Awareness To No Name Calling Week: There is a thin line between joking around and causing harm to each other in the office. Nicknames are bound to pop up in the office. But once the name calling is unwanted and based on gender, sexuality, or ability, it's no longer a friendly exchange. If we are bullied, we might think it's because we are not a good worker, or perhaps not a good person. In other words, we start to believe what the bully is saying about us. We start to blame ourselves. Don't give in to the lie. Document your experience. If you don't keep track of what is happening, then, in the eyes of the law, it didn't happen. One of the bully's tactics will be to isolate you from fellow workers. Keep your relationships with co-workers as strong as you can. Let them know what is going on and let them know that you need support during this time. Looking for resources to build your healthy workplace? Check out my top 10 tips under Resources and Courses at worksmartlivesmart.com #mentalhealth #hr
https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 This title was released in December 2025. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 28 February 2026, and on general sale after this date. Something or someone is playing truth or dare with the people on the Powell Estate. And it's dangerous to play games with a Time Lord. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can REALLY hurt you. **THIS TITLE IS NOW OUT OF PRINT ON CD**
Sticks and Stones Lied to You by Faith Promise Church
In this special holiday shopping Business of Woo-themed episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend and fellow e-commerce small business owner Amy Steffek (of Puck Hcky) all about the trials and tribulations of selling stuff online. In the Business of Woo, the pressure to produce and sell products online is fierce, coming along with phrases like "passive income" and "scale". And, while it's good to diversify and sell real, high-quality products online for any Woo-based or other small business owner, it's not the panacea that online influencers and spiritual grifters tell you it is. Just ask Amy! Sure, she may not be in the Business of Woo, but her small, online, cult following apparel business has taught her a lot about the difference between how things look from the outside-- and what the reality is on the inside.Take, for instance, Amy's 7-figure year. Yes, her online business literally pierced a MILLION DOLLARS (said in Dr. Evil voice) one year, but that's just revenue, guys. What was her profit, you might be asking? $0. Yep, that's right. In one year, she made more money than ever before-- and wasn't able to pay herself a dime for it. And this is NOT unusual in the business world and, in particular, the Business of Woo. The key? Constant tweaks and adjustments in the face of shifting economic and industrial factors is crucial-- and never mistake revenue for margin.What's more: turns out, our fellow humans aren't really doing great, and the mental health crisis affecting our nation is bubbling up for anyone interacting with the general public-- especially if those interactions are online. Anyone that runs an online business gets near-daily abuse and, in spite of all of our love and light tools, trust me when I tell you: it has an aggregate negative impact on anyone on the receiving end.This episode is hitting just as we're all heading out into the interwebs to start holiday shopping for friends, family and loved ones, arming us with a heightened awareness of how best to interact with our fellow human beings. Business owners are people, too. And no, they're not always rich. Often, they're tired and just trying to make their cool thing work so others can enjoy it.Proceed accordingly!LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://totemreadingsatx.etsy.com/listing/1492934343The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooAmy's Links:https://puckhcky.com/https://www.instagram.com/puckhcky/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
In this special Business of Woo-themed episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend Kristen Pavle (of Relational and Ember) all about her work in creating and managing community, both online and in-person, for various businesses, nonprofits and community organizations.The crux of this episode? How can we-- either in the Business of Woo, at our "normal" day jobs, or just in society in general-- identify, build and maintain community? Kristen breaks down the definition of community, why it matters for small businesses (and for us as human beings!), and how it's changed in the strange last five years. She also gets into the nitty gritty of what makes a community work or NOT work, and Rachel and Kristen dig into the nuances within the realm of "spiritual community" and its classic pitfalls: spiritual narcissists, grifters, unstable Cluster-B types, and those suffering from "Main Character Syndrome". In a post-Covid, work-from-home, gig economy world, creating community has never been harder-- but it's also never been more important! Thankfully, Kristen shares incredible insights, practical solutions, and the all-important dose of hope to get us going.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://totemreadingsatx.etsy.com/listing/1492934343The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooKristen's Links:Website: https://www.emberconsulting.co/Email: kristen@relational.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kpavle/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
In this special Business of Woo-themed episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show and world-famous Tarot Lady: Theresa Reed. Theresa is an award-winning author of MANY Woo-based books-- not to mention an illustrious content creator providing live weekly readings on Instagram. In this episode, Rachel and Theresa dive into the tricky para-social dynamics created by social media, podcasting, YouTubing and content creation as a whole, and how Woo-based business owners can (and should) maintain appropriate boundaries with clients, subscribers and listeners. Theresa does a great job explaining how enforcing these boundaries CAN come across as bitchy, rude or even a downstream effect of believing your own myth. But she also explains that we in the Business of Woo can't always manage the perceptions or reactions of others, so it's best to just stay focused and in our lanes-- and within our healthy, appropriate "container".The summary? Modernity is bringing an increasing rate of change, particularly with regard to technology and its downstream effects-- particularly as it relates to near-constant, 24/7 access and stimulation. As psychics, energy workers and Woo-centric content creators, we need our downtime-- and our space and silence! So, don't feel bad about holding the line in the war of constant communication. You don't always have to respond right away-- and, sometimes, you don't have to respond at all! LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachKasia's TOTEM Deck(s) Review: https://youtu.be/Ba7Mi7HaEO8?si=X2IVEQrxj_jqPi3rTOTEM + Tarot Map Interview: https://youtu.be/yCOOjzGY0Yo?si=xV5UOtGdayTJgl4pPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://totemreadingsatx.etsy.com/listing/1492934343The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooTheresa's Links:All links: https://linktr.ee/thetarotladyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetarotlady/Website: https://www.thetarotlady.comPlease note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
In this special Business of Woo-themed episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with the world-famous star of YouTube's Tarot Map channel: Kasia Kulbaska. Kasia, an astrologer and tarot card reader, has been on what she calls "TarotTube" for many years, sharing incredible deck reviews and facilitating fascinating discussions about the world-- and Business-- of Woo. Kasia and Rachel chat about the misconceptions and myths surrounding Woo-based YouTube, particularly with regard to monetizing video content. Spoiler alert: it's hard, and just because someone has tens of thousands of subscribers (or followers), it doesn't necessarily mean that's translating into a direct payment business model.Kasia explains how she uses YouTube's platform to get the word out about her private practice, acting as a kind of evergreen (and authentic) marketing tool. Kasia and Rachel also chat about how great podcasting and YouTubing are for Woo-based practitioners, helping to introduce yourself to your potential client base while also offering up legitimate Woo-based insights-- not to mention your unique point of view!And, unlike print or video advertising or social media marketing, YouTube videos and podcast episodes are forever-- and when someone finds out about you, they can go search and "binge" your content to really dig into your vibe (and unique slice of the Business of Woo). The key to it all? Well, there's a few.First, you have to be completely obsessed and inspired with the "thing" you're exploring in this emergent media platforms. Why? Well, because the second requirement is consistency over a long period of time, which can only be achieved by someone that genuinely, actually loves the nerdy Woo of it all.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachKasia's TOTEM Deck(s) Review: https://youtu.be/Ba7Mi7HaEO8?si=X2IVEQrxj_jqPi3rTOTEM + Tarot Map Interview: https://youtu.be/yCOOjzGY0Yo?si=xV5UOtGdayTJgl4pPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://totemreadingsatx.etsy.com/listing/1492934343The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooKasia's Links: Website: www.tarotmap.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarotmap/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarotmap/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
MUSICPerry Farrell has formally responded to the $10-million suit Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Eric Avery filed in the wake of Jane's Addiction's on stage fight and break up last year. https://people.com/perry-farrell-files-answer-to-dave-navarro-assault-battery-lawsuit-11807584The 30th anniversary of Deftones first album, Adrenaline, is coming up next month and in a new interview Chino Moreno spoke about what it was like signing for their initial record deal by Madonna's label Maverick. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2025/09/06/deftones-i-definitely-think-weve-followed-the-madonna-model/ Another Pink Floyd album has reached the 50-year milestone. Wish You Were Here, their ninth studio album and first on Columbia Records in the U.S., was released on this day in 1975.Limp Bizkit has a new single with a funny title. “Making Love to Morgan Wallen” is part of the soundtrack for the upcoming Battlefront 6 video game, which drops on October 10th.While their first new single in 16 years, "Hurt People Hurt People" has already racked up more than a million streams on Spotify, Mudvayne just dropped another new song called "Sticks and Stones". https://blabbermouth.net/news/mudvayne-releases-second-new-single-sticks-and-stonesJohn Lennon's killer Mark David Chapman has been denied parole for the 14th time. Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment building in December 1980. https://people.com/john-lennon-killer-mark-david-chapman-denied-parole-for-14th-time-11808267TVSunday at 8:00 p.m. on CBS: Nate Bargatze hosts "The 77th Emmy Awards". Nate will personally give $100,000 to charity at the end of the show, but will deduct $1,000 for every second that speeches go too long. (Nominees) MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS:IN THEATERS:Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Fran Drescher, lots of cameos)Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern)The Long Walk (Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson) Josh Gad won't confirm or deny that Rick Moranis is returning for "Spaceballs 2" . . . but it's pretty obvious that he is. https://deadline.com/2025/09/josh-gad-making-spaceballs-2-worthy-rick-moranis-return-1236529415/Henry Cavill has been injured during the pre-production on the upcoming Highlander reboot. https://people.com/henry-cavill-sustains-injury-highlander-reports-11808594AND FINALLY A list of movies where a main character is actually the worst includes https://screencrush.com/movie-main-characters-secretly-villains/ AND THAT IS YOUR CRAP ON CELEBRITIES!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.