Podcasts about totem readings

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings), chats with the incredible Vanessa Reiser: licensed clinical social worker, narcissistic abuse survivor and author of the incredible new book Narcissistic Abuse: A Therapist's Guide to Identifying, Escaping, and Healing from Toxic and Manipulative People.Vanessa is the human embodiment of the phrase: "New levels, new devils", having been shot into the world of narcissistic abuse-- and helping others in healing from it-- after a terribly abusive romantic relationship with a...drumroll please...NARCISSIST!Vanessa is the best-- and we were so pumped to close this season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast out on the same note we brought it in: identifying narcissistic abuse, freeing ourselves of it, and recovering and healing after the trauma. Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooVanessa's LINKS:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/VanessareiserWebsite: Tellatherapist.netWebsite: Tellatherapist.orgWebsite: Tellalifecoach.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessareiserlcsw/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings), chats with the lovely Mark Phillips of The Mind's Aye: medium, psychic, and avid student of all things Woo! Not only does Mark have a beautiful Scottish brogue-- and the arcane abilities of mediumship and psychic communication-- but he has also been attending incredible classes and workshops at the real life Hogwort's: The Arthur Findlay College in Great Britain.Mark shares his awesome journey to accepting his own psychic abilities, and how he gave (and continues to give) himself permission to pursue his Woo passions. Mark is a prime example of an otherwise "normal" person with a day job and a family that also wants to help clients connect to their dearly departed-- and to the other side!Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooMark's LINKS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themindsaye/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings), chats with the incredible Cyndera Quackenbush of Story Through Stone Substack and the Archetypal Tarot podcast about the magic, wonder and spiritual power of stones.Cyndera is also the creator of the Story Through Stone Reflection Cards-- a new, 54-card deck featuring photographs of rare, billion year-old stones sourced, polished and organized by Cyndera's family. Cyndera made the unusual (and awesome) decision to NOT include a guide book for this deck, asking that the reader take this as an opportunity to trust their own intuition-- and how the images in the deck stimulate it!This episode is all about the magic of discovery, especially when that discovery is BEYOND ANCIENT-- and opens up a channel to the arcane wisdom buried beneath our feet!​Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooCyndera's Links:Archetypal Stories (my Substack with the card reveals)Website: storythroughstone.orgInstagram: @story.through.stoneCards can be purchased on my website or on Etsy          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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings), chats with Audrey Moore (of Audrey Ayurveda) all about how to leverage Ayurveda in this turbulent Wood Snake Year.While Audrey's client-facing Ayurvedic practice is relatively new-- as is her auspiciously timed snake-themed branding-- her knowledge of all things herbal, nutritional, and natural is anything but. Audrey leverages her deep educational background in the history of pharmaceuticals, hedge witchery, and Indian herbalism to work 1:1 with clients all around the country (and the world) to achieve greater harmony and balance. Many practices like Ayurveda, European herbalism and even yoga are effectively us reaching back through time to access the wisdom that came before the peak modernity (and dis-ease) in which we currently live.Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooAudrey's Links:https://www.audreyayurveda.comhttps://www.instagram.com/audreyayurvedahttps://audreyayurveda.substack.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.

In this week's episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) digs deep with The Skeptic Metaphysicians, exploring their shared love of all things Woo AND skeptical!Like Scully and Mulder from the X-Files, The Skeptic Metaphysicians Will Rodriguez and Karen Endsley are caught between two worlds—the allure of life's mystical mysteries and the grounding force of scientific scrutiny. It's a quest to peel back the layers of the 'woo,' seeking to find what's real, what's illusion, and what lies in the realm of endless possibilities.Will Rodriguez and Karen Endsley are the real-life husband and wife duo behind 'The Skeptic Metaphysicians' podcast. From unraveling metaphysical enigmas, past life regression and life after death experiences to exploring spiritual awakenings, they dive deep without making it cringy. Their contrasting views—one is a true pragmatist, and the other a wonder-filled explorer—make them the perfect guides for today's journey into the great unknown.And wait-- it gets better! The Skeptic Metaphysicians and The Skeptical Shaman herself have a special offer to WIN a gift of TOTEM products worth $300-- just for following The Skeptic Metaphysicians' podcast! check out the details here: https://station.page/skepticmetaphysician?g=RY6O3vRKJrAFPhBKTRzARachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooThe Skeptic Metaphysicians Links:https://www.skepticmetaphysician.com/https://newrealitytv.com/tv-show/skeptic-metaphysicians/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with a mysterious, underground figure whose nom de guerre shall henceforth be "Sam the Sky Guy." Why all of this cloak and dagger around a simple podcast guest's identity? Well, simply put, Sam has a real deal "big boy job" that would NOT appreciate his wading into the Woo in the bright sunlight of The Skeptical Shaman podcast. (I mean, we're not the Joe Rogan Experience in terms of numbers, but we're not doing bad, either!)What are Rachel and Sam talking about, you might be wondering? Well, Sam is a deep geek EXPERT on all things astrology, and Rachel became utterly intrigued with Sam's perspective in an unrelated discussion. This interaction was so inspiring, so memorable, and so game-changing that she (somewhat impulsively) demanded he share his unique insights on the podcast. So, to make it all make sense, Sam literally "reads Rachel's chart" live and direct in this episode, revealing just how powerful astrology can be-- with the right astrologer! It's the good, the bad and the ugly, but at the very least this human-scaled dig into Rachel's birth chart reveals the complex energies and attributes we're all harnessing-- or fighting to contain! Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooSam's Links:Email: skyguyreadings@gmail.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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Nicholas Pearson, crystal and plant medicine expert and author of Crystals for Psychic Self-Defense: 145 Gemstones for Banishing, Binding, and Magickal Protection; Crystal Basics Pocket Encyclopedia: The Energetic, Healing, and Spiritual Power of 450 Gemstones; Flower Essences from the Witch's Garden: Plant Spirits in Magickal Herbalism. Nicholas is a veritable walking encyclopedia of all things Woo and wonderful, and in this episode he dives into practical, human-scaled tips and tricks to work with our plant and crystal allies in this Wood Snake Year!Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooNicholas' Links: https://theluminouspearl.com/ https://www.innertraditions.com/author/nicholas-pearson 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with previous guest and friend of the show, Natalie Fehlner of Sidhe AND the *new* podcast: Tales from the Truth Seekers.In this episode, Natalie shares her journey from spiritual awakening (see previous episode for more details on her awesome experience) to spiritual confusion to disillusionment to her recent six month journey in the TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program-- and the new businesses, products and podcast that came out of it!Natalie creates one-of-a-kind, custom pieces of art for sale on Etsy, offers channeled messages and incredible astrology readings, and works to bring her curiosity for all things Woo to life in episodes of Tales from the Truth Seekers. The upshot? You can just DO STUFF. You don't need to ask permission or get approval or encouragement from anybody to pursue your dreams, make your art, or start a new thing that no one has ever thought of before. And, the only way to find out if it's going to work is if you actually do it!The world needs your special slice of Woo, guys-- so listen to Natalie's success story and allow yourself to dream the impossible dream. Oh, and then go DO STUFF!Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooNatalie's Links:All links: https://linktr.ee/nataliefehlnerWebsite: https://www.sidheart.comEtsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/nataliesidhePlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with the *very* handsome and dynamic host of the Lit Up Lightworker podcast, George Lizos all about the world of Greek Mysticism-- and the Greek Gods, their myths, and their alignment with astrology, ritual magic, and much, much more!George is the author of the new book Secrets of Greek Mysticism: A Modern Guide to Daily Practice with the Greek Gods and Goddesses-- and, in this episode of the pod, George shares some key insights with Rachel and her listeners-- all with a focus on these primordial powers and their potential positive impacts on our lives!The coming Year of the Wood Snake is going to be a great time to resurrect the ancient wisdom of previous civilizations-- and a great time to revivify this incredible polytheistic pantheon in our modern lives!Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooGeorge's Links:George Lizos Website: https://georgelizos.com/George Lizos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgelizos/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 Valentine's Day week episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Katie May: host of the Love Wild Podcast, founder of Embrace Yourself Whole Coaching, and creator of The Sacred Year Project and Sacred Mother Sanctuary.The upshot of their chat? Self-love and re-wilding are crucial ingredients to a happy, whole life-- never mind a loving relationship with anyone else (including our pets and children)!The Year of the Wood Snake (2025) is going to bring in more of the yin energy-- a welcome downshift from the hardcore yang of the Wood Snake Year. The potential downside of all these lady vibes? Grief. Surrender. Being instead of doing. And, while all of this might sound like a welcome change, they're generally pretty challenging to navigate IRL. After all: the map is not the territory.But here's the silver lining report: Katie and Rachel have some pragmatic tips and tricks to make the most of this molting-- and how to relearn to re-wild and "be" instead of "do". Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooKatie's Links: Website: https://www.embraceyourselfwhole.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embraceyourselfwholePlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with the inspirational Dan Reeves of the Spiritual Underground podcast all about addiction recovery, healing, and....drumroll please...emotional sobriety!Dan shares his incredible story of overcoming addiction and transforming his life, as well as what drives him to continue to talk to addicts and non-addicts all about dependency, spiritual dis-ease, and radical personal accountability. Dan's podcast, The Spiritual Underground, shares stories of recovery and of spiritual enlightenment, arming listeners with actionable insights to leverage in their own lives. Rachel and Dan deep dive into what-- and why-- stuff triggers us, and how we can overcome our inflammatory responses in pursuit of becoming truly emotionally sober. After all: what's the point of all of this Woo-based personal growth stuff if we continually react out of a place of pain, revealing our unhealed trauma? The Woo isn't all crystals and candles. In fact, some of it can be downright ugly-- but, if we're willing to look at it and work with it, we just might be able to turn this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' Links: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooDan's links:Podcast Website: https://spiritualunderground.org/index.html#/YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@spiritualundergroundpodcast?si=rkQ6OUOGv_2sKVuMPlease 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 Lunar New Year-- and Year of the Wood Snake-- is officially upon us in 2025, and with it a focus on intentions, resolutions, and manifestation efforts. But, in a veritable grifter soup of interchangeable manifestation coaches, influencers and life coaches, how can you separate fact from fiction?Sara Rae (of the Spiritually Inspired podcast) joins host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) for a discussion on this very topic, digging into the reality of manifestation-- and how it often bumps up against our shared 3D material reality.Spoiler alert: you can't just vision board your way into millions of dollars, and even a journey to abundance will be, from time to time, wrought with potholes of scarcity, fear and hardship-- and that doesn't mean you're not doing it right (or that you're a bad person)!This episode is all about the reality of manifesting while in the material world-- a challenging, rewarding and ultimately uplifting journey worth taking!Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachOur Sponsors' LINKS: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooSara's Links:Website: https://www.spirituallyinspired.coIG: https://www.instagram.com/sararae.coach/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/211-a-moral-obligation-to-thrive-with-rachel-white/id1510808815?i=1000683461314Please 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats all things Hellier with friend of the show Angela Gore. Some of you might remember Ms. Gore from a previous episode of this very podcast-- titled "Keep the Dead Close"-- digging (pun intended) into the world of archeology, anthropology, and ancestral connection. In this episode, we deep dive into the television series Hellier-- a conversation sparked by what host Rachel White has called, "literally the funniest note" she has ever received in her time doing Spiritual Transformation Coaching work. In this note, Angela gave her blow-by-blow reactions to watching Hellier, and the team dives into these hilarious bullet points in this conversation. Hits from the note that sparked this dialogue include: "Dana should stay off of neopagan subreddits" and "On the fence about Prison Amy's sanity here", to name just a few. And, while this episode is a great pairing for anyone watching or just reflecting on having watched the first two seasons of Hellier on Amazon, literally anyone can enjoy this discussion of all things supernatural and American Gothic. We've got Kentucky green goblins, The Mothman, Green Man, Thelema, human sacrifice, and even a sentient tin can!This episode is the perfect chaser to our last two episodes featuring the Chesire Cat of Hellier himself: Mr. Allen Greenfield. Stay alert for high strangeness out there, folks-- you never know when you're going to see a totally innocent and perfectly normal shiny Happy Birthday balloon out on a nature walk;)Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooPlease 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 episode, I am sitting down with Rachel White and we are having an in depth and potent conversation about grief, healing and moving forward. Rachel shares about the Lunar New Year on Jan 29th and how we can make the most of the upcoming year supported by the wood-snake in Chinese Zodiac. Rachel talks in depth about how we can recognize, process and move through the different forms of grief, especially moving into this new year.   Known as “The Skeptical Shaman”, Rachel White is making waves as an unusual spiritual practitioner. Blending more than 20 years of corporate experience with a deep knowledge of the World of Woo, Rachel's fresh, pragmatic and inherently practical take on spiritual and personal development is a hit among the “spiritually homeless”. Rachel is the host of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, the Owner of TOTEM Readings — her Austin, TX-based spiritual practice-- the author and publisher of the TOTEM Tarot Deck and the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck, and the purveyor of TOTEM Flower Essences on her TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop. She is also the author of the TOTEM Readings Substack, an engaging community that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to “be spiritual”. Rachel works with clients in-person and remotely, offering  one-on-one psychic services and tailored Spiritual Transformation Coaching and Business of Woo Mentoring programs.   — - Find Rachel - — Rachel's Instagram TOTEM Readings Website The Skeptical Shaman Podcast Rachel's Etsy Shop   — - Find Talia  - — Instagram: @taliajoymanifestation Facebook: @taliajoymanifestation Email: support@taliajoymanifestation.com

Well, well, well. This is a big one, ladies and gentlemen. So big, in fact, that we needed TWO episodes just to cover it.What what, exactly? Well, in this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down for a fireside chat with famous ritual magician, Kabbalist, and former Thelemite Allen Greenfield-- recently featured as a subject matter expert in Amazon's Hellier TV series.In a world of superficial spiritual LARPers, Allen Greenfield is a bonafide real deal-- a national treasure with all manner of arcane knowledge across his more than 60 years of hands-on esoteric experience. With legit certificates and bonafides from the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, and the World Association of Egyptian Obediences, Allen is a throwback to a time when sorcerers, magicians and practitioners dug deep into ancient, esoteric knowledge-- instead of just pulling an oracle card and issuing false profundities on Instagram.In this episode, Allen shares previously unheard insights into the unfolding Hellier magic-- an exciting behind the scenes sneak peek for listeners of The Skeptical Shaman to enjoy pending the much-anticipated Season 3 of the series.Enjoy the second half of this epic, late night marathon between two neurodivergent acolytes of the arcane and mystical. And by late night, we mean 8 PM.Join us on a magical journey into the heart of sorcery-- and hear Allen's tarot reading for Rachel (using, of course, the TOTEM Tarot Deck)!Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooAllen's links:BOOKS: https://t.ly/zkwriWEBSITE: http://thesecretcipher.com/WEBSITE (2): https://lexicon.thesecretcipher.com/PERSONAL INFO: https://bishop171.wixsite.com/allen-greenfieldPlease 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.

Rachel White is back baby!!! In this episode, we talk about: Safe practitioners Culty practitioners Spiritual integritySpirituality should feel goodWhen spiritual practices are unsafeHow do to know if you feel safe with a practitionerRachel White Bio: Rachel isn't your typical shaman—she's a former corporate powerhouse turned spiritual guide for the “spiritually homeless” (the ones who roll their eyes at crystals but secretly wonder if they work). Known as “The Skeptical Shaman,” Rachel brings over 20 years of corporate experience combined with a rich knowledge of the World of Woo. She has a passion for democratizing spirituality so that it's fully accessible while steering clear from the toxic positivity, “love and light”, crystal hippy lady stuff saturating the world of woo. Instead, her approach is fresh, pragmatic, inherently practical, and even a bit comedic, with one clear mission: to empower you to be your own guru.Rachel's goal is simple: to make Woo accessible, grounded, and genuinely helpful for everyone—no gimmicks, just growth. Whether it's helping people break free from the “Dread Machine” or reconnecting with real-life magic, she's got something new and exciting to offer.A few of Rachel's accomplishments: She's the host of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast, the Owner of TOTEM Readings—her Austin, TX-based spiritual practice that she's owned for 14 years-- the author and publisher of the TOTEM Tarot Deck and the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck, and the purveyor of TOTEM Flower Essences on her TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop. She is also the author of the TOTEM Readings Substack, an engaging community that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to “be spiritual”.

Well, well, well. This is a big one, ladies and gentlemen. So big, in fact, that we needed TWO episodes just to cover it.What what, exactly? Well, in this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down for a fireside chat with famous ritual magician, Kabbalist, and former Thelemite Allen Greenfield-- recently featured as a subject matter expert in Amazon's Hellier TV series.In a world of superficial spiritual LARPers, Allen Greenfield is a bonafide real deal-- a national treasure with all manner of arcane knowledge across his more than 60 years of hands-on esoteric experience. With legit certificates and bonafides from the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, and the World Association of Egyptian Obediences, Allen is a throwback to a time when sorcerers, magicians and practitioners dug deep into ancient, esoteric knowledge-- instead of just pulling an oracle card and issuing false profundities on Instagram.In this episode, Allen shares previously unheard insights into the unfolding Hellier magic-- an exciting behind the scenes sneak peek for listeners of The Skeptical Shaman to enjoy pending the much-anticipated Season 3 of the series. And remember: this is just the first part of this epic, late night marathon between two neurodivergent acolytes of the arcane and mystical. And by late night, we mean 8 PM. Join us on a magical journey into the heart of sorcery-- and hear Allen's tarot reading for Rachel (using, of course, the TOTEM Tarot Deck)!Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooAllen's links:BOOKS: https://t.ly/zkwriWEBSITE: http://thesecretcipher.com/WEBSITE (2): https://lexicon.thesecretcipher.com/PERSONAL INFO: https://bishop171.wixsite.com/allen-greenfieldPlease 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.

Welcome back fellow spiritually-homeless, skeptical seekers!You're in for a treat. Why? Well, the Skeptical Shaman podcast is kicking off 2025 with a real bang: no more walking on eggshells, clenching our jaws, or tip-toeing through the metaphorical tulips of cognitive dissonance, coercive control, or mass formation psychosis!Said another way? "Behold the field in which we grow our f*cks, for it is barren!"To kick off this new season of the pod, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) interviews award-winning film maker and NXIVM cult survivor/ whistleblower Mark Vicente, prominently featured in the HBO documentary series 'The Vow'. But Mark's not just a "cult survivor"-- he's actually a whole, dynamic human being that is currently leveraging his considerable talents as an author, speaker, and award-winning Writer/Director/Producer to create the film ‘Empathy Not Included' (The Narcissist's Playbook), a feature-length documentary exploring one of the most pervasive and often misunderstood mental pathologies in our culture: narcissism. Shot in seven countries and viewed through the lens of four self-confessed, self-aware malignant narcissists who openly share the secrets of how they operate with uncensored candor, 'Empathy Not Included' follows their disturbing stories, juxtaposed with the growing body of wisdom from victims, survivors, scientists, and mental health professionals.Previously, Mark unified his love of science, philosophy and film-making to create  the wildly successful independent film, “What the BLEEP do we Know?!”. He is also the host of the incredible podcast 'WTF is on my mind, with Mark Vicente"-- and the brain behind one of the funniest, sharpest Instagram accounts around.Rachel's LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The 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-wooMark's LINKS: https://www.markvicente.com/https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/https://x.com/markvicentehttps://www.empathynotincluded.com/https://www.instagram.com/empathynotincluded/Podcast: WTF is on my Mind?!Youtube ChannelPlease 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 engaging episode of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast, we meet Rachel White, a multifaceted creator who has bridged various spiritual practices. Rachel shares insights about her Totem Tarot deck, which reimagines traditional tarot archetypes with mythological figures as varied as Odin, Venus and Coyote. Rachel - who has a bit of the trickster humour herself - is lively, informed and wise. She gives the world a modern shamanistic approach that can navigate corporate conversations right along with the complexities of the inner realm. This conversation, with Archetypal Tarot Podcast host Cyndera Quackenbush, delves into Rachel's multifaceted journey, from her 23 years in the corporate world to embracing shamanism and herbalism full-time. Rachel discusses her herbalism practices, including creating flower essences and integrating them into her latest oracle deck, The Totem Flower Essence Deck, which merges plant medicine with archetypal wisdom. This episode explores how tarot, herbalism, and plant allies can guide self-reflection and manifestation, offering listeners a unique blend of mysticism, practical wisdom, and personal growth. Enjoy and check out Rachel's links below!   Graphic Designer Emma Cook created the artistic imagery for Rachel White's TOTEM Decks Bio: Known as “The Skeptical Shaman”, Rachel White is making waves as an unusual spiritual practitioner. Blending more than 20 years of corporate experience with a deep knowledge of the World of Woo, Rachel's fresh, pragmatic and inherently practical take on spiritual and personal development is a hit among the “spiritually homeless.” Rachel is the host of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, the Owner of TOTEM Readings—her Austin, TX-based spiritual practice-- the author and publisher of the TOTEM Tarot Deck and the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck, and the purveyor of TOTEM Flower Essences on her TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop. She is also the author of the TOTEM Readings Substack, an engaging community that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to “be spiritual.” Rachel works with clients in-person and remotely, offering one-on-one psychic services and tailored Spiritual Transformation Coaching and Business of Woo Mentoring programs. Important Links: Rachel's Instagram || TOTEM Readings Website || The Skeptical Shaman Podcast || Rachel's Etsy Shop

In this seventh episode of our Supernatural Stories series, Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with guest Brittney Barney all about her recent experience with none other than Jesus Christ!I know, I know. The name "Jesus" is SUCH a trigger across religious AND New Age circles, making him a hard figure to chat about as a spirit guide. So, JESUS BLESS Britt for her bravery, curiosity and, above all else, spiritual honesty. I mean, it's not like she MADE this all happen!In this episode, Rachel and Britt discuss her spontaneous vision of Jesus, as well as his seemingly very effective efforts to heal her energetically-- and possibly even physically. Britt was very pregnant at the time, and woke up the next day to an epic detox-- some might say the "detox from heaven"!We discuss how Jesus is an unusually polarizing figure in spiritual circles, despite the regular and totally accepted appearance of religious figures from other faith systems like the Buddha, Durga, Artemis, Zeus, and even the Archangels of Christianity. Even the concept of Jesus has become a serious third rail in most polite circles, which may be limiting folks from having healing contact with this loving energy.Don't worry-- Rachel isn't going full Jesus people on you like Doreen Virtue did (whoops). She's just trying to open the dialogue up and create some sacred space to chat about direct spiritual experiences without judgement or knee jerk reactions.It's in the objective, messy middle that all the magic happens...and Britt is well on her way!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 sixth episode of our Supernatural Stories series, Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with friend and client Mary Blanchard to chat all things Archangel Michael.Is Mary a professional psychic? No. Does she do angel readings with her Doreen Virtue deck? No. Is she selling some angel merch, like bless'd fanny packs or anointed oils? Certainly not.Mary is just a normal, high-functioning professional living with her husband and son in the Chicago suburbs. It's not her fault that Archangel Michael keeps saving her from harrowing car accidents and demonic attacks, but here we are;)This episode is a great example of what a human-scaled, long-term interaction with an archangel is really like. Michael's presence in Mary's life is both subtle and shocking overt-- including saving her from a very harrowing and impossible-to-survive winter car wreck! And, while it's taken her some time to navigate her bond with her feathered, angelic friend, she now has an incredibly strong connection to him-- and won't hesitate to shine the Bat Signal if she needs help in the future!This is an uplifting supernatural story-- no spooky bumps or moans in the middle of the night! Lock in, relax and enjoy with your favorite cup of chamomile tea...or maybe a stiff whisky in the winter months!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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.

Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode! I'd love to hear from you! Reach out via socials and let me know what you took away from this episode! Don't forget to hit the follow➕ button to never miss another episode!  Rachel White is known as “The Skeptical Shaman” for her no bullshit, human-centered approach to spirituality. Rachel's background is unusual: she spent several decades in high-level strategy roles in corporate America while building her shamanic practice, TOTEM Readings. Rachel's psychic experience is unmatched: she started reading tarot cards at the age of nine, and has provided thousands of one-on-one readings to clients over the last 20 years. Connect with Rachel:  TotemRach Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totemrach/ The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-skeptical-shaman/id1692028897 Rachel's Totem Offerings: https://www.totemreadings.com/about-3 Rachel's Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile Totem Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1300551334 Resources Mentioned:  Shamanism by Mircea Eliade: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRN7VYRJ?ref=KC_GS_GB_US The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+gift+of+fear+gavin+de+becker+book&hvadid=713543408539&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9013149&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16104744083632332802&hvtargid=kwd-521696621892&hydadcr=22598_13730723&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_20gnbt7ogs_e WTF Is on My Mind!? Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtf-is-on-my-mind/id1646783869 Breath Of Fire Documentary: https://www.hbo.com/breath-of-fire Work with Alyse: Book a Reading or Energy Work session!: https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=25029542 Let's Connect! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitively_alyse/ Email:  IntuitivelyAlyse@gmail.com Website:  https://www.intuitivelyalyse.com MyCrologi  (Use code ALYSE10 at checkout) https://mycrologi.com/?ref=2333 STILL REMAINS JEWELRY Https://stillreaminsjewelry.com Discount Code: Alyse10 NOVA CERAMICS Affiliate link 10% of your order! https://novaceramics.co/ALYSE10

In this third episode in our special Supernatural Stories series, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with client and friend Natalie Fehlner (of Sidhe) all about her real deal, actual, lived experience GHOST STORY.Spooky stuff, guys.But also, very funny and very cool!This story starts with a totally innocent musical theater production, which seemed to stimulate a spirit to commit great feats of spectral strength. Turns out: a notoriously cranky stage hand had passed away in that very location, and his haunting was just a continuation of his famous antics while alive!Natalie shares everything that went "thud" (literally), and shared more about how this experience kindled her curiosity about all things Woo and her still-unfolding spiritual awakening, which now includes psychic readings, astrology, and channeled art.Ghosts are super fun stuff, guys. After all: they're just people! The only difference is they don't have a physical body anymore!Wrap yourself with a cozy blanket and froth up a seasonal soup to enjoy with this very spooky season story!LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachNatalie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nataliefehlnerPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 second episode in our special Supernatural Stories series, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with client and friend Hannah Schwartz all about her recent connection with the ancient Norse God Odin-- aka "Mr. Wednesday".Hannah first encountered Odin as a person-sized raven watching over a flock of chickens in a dream, not immediately understanding just "who" the sentient being behind those massive bird eyes actually was. But she started to see more and more clues in her spiritual scavenger hunt, eventually reaching out to Rachel about an uncanny Substack post featuring chickens and eldritch terrors.As Hannah continued to follow the metaphorical rabbit down the rabbit hole-- going into deeper and more ancient layers of research and meditation-- she realized that her "Mystery Man" was, in fact, the famous Mr. Wednesday!In this episode, Hannah shares her very personal and very unexpected experience encountering and befriending this ancient deity, leveraging her burgeoning powers of prophecy and divination to continue to collaborate with her spiritual mentor. The bottom line? Odin doesn't bet on losers. He always picks a "winner winner chicken dinner", and Hannah is going to LOVE her unfolding experiences with her absolutely top shelf Spirit Guide.This is a good one, with all of the makings of a great Spooky Season share out, so bundle up, light a cozy fire, and tuck in for a real deal, human-scaled Supernatural Story from yet another practitioner that is shattering the stereotype of the crystal hippy lady!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 first episode in our special Supernatural Stories series, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with client KC Gale all about her now *infamous* visit from a Mayan Death Bat!Despite what spooky or downright terrifying images the phrase "Mayan Death Bat" might initially conjure, KC is here to flip the script-- and explain how this unusual Spirit Guide is actually a spiritual sweetheart. No, really. He's a total pussycat!Well, a pussy cat with flappy wings;)In this episode, Rachel and KC methodically walk through how KC developed a more meaningful, direct relationship with this Spirit Guide-- who initially emerged in a Channeling Session with Rachel. The weeks and months to come brought a series of undeniable events, synchronicities and symbols, all of which made KC grateful that she had a helping hand from an ancient Mayan deity.This is a great, human-scaled example of how developing and deepening relationships with Spirit Guides can make a measurable, positive impact on us in our daily lives. Consider your Spooky Season officially launched! Gather around the camp fire, get a mug of apple cider, and dig in for a binge-worthy bundle of supernatural stories this fall!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Voodoo practitioner, author and business owner Sallie Ann Glassman all about the realm of spirits, otherwise known in Voodoo as "loa".Sallie has been practicing Vodoo in New Orleans since 1976 and is the owner of the Island of Salvation Botanica, a store and gallery specializing in Vodoun religious supplies, medicinal and magical herbs, and Haitian and local artworks. She received her spiritual training in Haiti in November, and is ordained as a Manbo Asogwe, or Priestess of Vodou-- and is one of the few white Americans to have been ordained via a traditional Haitian initiation.  Sallie is also the creator of one of Rachel's favorite all-time tarot decks: The Voodoo Tarot of New Orleans, which features the various Voodoo loa, their invocations, and their special gifts and blessings for human practitioners. In this episode, Sallie and Rachel discuss just how powerful working with the world of spirit can be-- including Sallie's experience using ceremonial magic to quite literally stop crime in her New Orleans neighborhood! In fact, the crime-busting ceremony was so effective (resulting in arrests, etc.) that the New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine (among others) featured the story in their publications!Sallie and Rachel also address the ontological fallacy of "toxic positivity" within the World of Woo, urging the spiritually homeless to keep an open mind and abandon their limiting, Puritanical beliefs to receive profound-- and tangible-- insights. Voodoo and the city of New Orleans serve as powerful reminders of the need to be rooted in the material world, integrating our spiritual gifts into the here and now for the benefit of all!Links:The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/dikcLjiTOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachSallie's Website: https://www.islandofsalvationbotanica.comSallie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallieann61/?hl=enPlease 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.

Send us a Text Message.Rachel White started reading tarot cards at the age of nine and has provided thousands of readings to clients over the years. She also held high-level strategic roles in corporate America while building her shamanic practice – TOTEM Readings. Her inquisitive nature and perspectives were shared twice on A Psychic's Story in Episode 116: TOTEM Readings and Episode 188: Let's Talk about Cults.Now, Rachel takes us on a deep dive into flower essences and herbalism, explaining what they are, how they work, and their history. She shares that flower essences are a gentle, subtle form of herbal “medicine” that can shift the energy body. Rachel describes how she started growing flowers and herbs and learned to make several essences. Listen to this episode to hear how you can use flower essences and what to expect. Whether you want to connect with angels, guides or archangels, learn to scry or crystal gaze, or even enhance your psychic abilities – flower essences can help.To learn more about Rachel, you can listen to her podcast The Skeptical Shaman or visit her website, Instagram or Linktree. Get her latest deck the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck on Amazon. Don't miss her free The Business of Woo: Self-care and Energetic Hygiene on August 31, 2024.A Psychic's Story wouldn't be possible without your support so THANK YOU for listening. If you'd like to support the podcast, please:FOLLOW the podcast in your favorite podcast player.FOLLOW @apsychicsstory on Instagram.BOOK a session with Nichole.SIGN-UP to receive emails, news, alerts and more from A Psychic's Story.WRITE A PODCAST REVIEW on Amazon Music or Audible, Apple Podcasts or iTunes, Castbox, Podchaser, Podurama or Spotify.GET THE BOOK Looking for Angels online or at your local bookstore.This podcast is intended to inspire you on your personal journey toward inner peace. The podcast host, co-hosts or guests are not psychologists or medical doctors and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from any psychological or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified health professional. Support the Show.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) reconnects with "friend of the show" Abigail Kochunas, owner of of Sacred Healing Art AND an incredibly talented energy worker and animal communicator. Abigail outlines her journey discovering her natural talents with animal communication and energy work, and how she's adding these services to her otherwise human-centered spiritual healing practice--not to mention to her charity work at a variety of animal sanctuaries and equine therapy facilities. Rachel shares her recent experience with Abigail's remote animal communication and reiki work with her four backyard TOTEM Flower Essence garden chickens: Circe Lannister, Melisandre (The Red Witch), Arya Stark and Sansa Stark. Needless to say, Abigail-- the real life, psychic Dr. Doolittle-- totally tapped into issues and behaviors impossible for her to observe in real life from her home in California!Spoiler alert: Circe really is the HBIC. I know. You're shocked;)What's more: two of Rachel's chickens had major health turnarounds after their remote energy session with Abigail, laying their first eggs the next day and exuding health and happiness everyday since!Animal communication is anything but silly. When done properly-- by practitioners like Abigail-- it can be a game-changing, value add Woo service that brings your whole family (pets included) closer together!The TOTEM Tarot Deck (deck used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachAbigail's Links and Website: https://linktr.ee/sacredhealingartAbigails IG: https://www.instagram.com/sacredhealing_art/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show Roger Oney about her super-duper, not-so-fun week with an ancient Sumerian demon.Yah. You read that right.Listener beware: this episode IS spooky. So spooky, in fact, that it took Rachel more than a year to decide that it was ultimately a net positive for clients and listeners to hear about her brief, harrowing ordeal. The long and the short of it? Rachel spent a whole week handling (more like "getting handled by") a negative entity that was none-too-pleased with her efforts to empower a client. With nightly visits, Rachel found herself researching specific mentions in Milton's Paradise Lost, the Book of Exodus, and even Aleister Crowley's translation of the Lesser Key of Solomon. It was some real Hereditary shit, and was so harrowing that Rachel legitimately contemplated closing her spiritual practice and abandoning her life's work-- and soul's purpose! Spoiler alert: she didn't close anything or stop doing this work, but this vignette stands as a memorable example of the stakes of spiritual exploration-- and what creatures may dwell just beyond our vision. The good news? While negative, these experiences prove the existence of spirit beyond the shadow of a doubt. What's more: everything worked out just fine, as Rachel used her spiritual and energetic tools to intentionally and methodically cut cords and remove the sticky energy of this particular parasite.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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXRoger Oney links:Roger's substack: https://rogergoesrogue.substack.comWebsite: https://rogeroney.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 episode of the Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Britt Sandkulla-Sinclair (of Golden Thread Alchemy) to discuss the crucial need for release and surrender as we enter a new epoch on planet earth.Not only is Britt an astrologer and witch, but she's also a certified Death Doula--and very well versed in the world of letting go with grace. Rachel and Britt discuss this time of intense transition and transformation, and explore the nature of the forces converging to create this churn. They also dive into what human-scaled, daily practices we can all leverage to help us take the edge off during this very, very edgy time.The executive summary? Death is inevitable, so if something is dying in your life-- like an old job, profession, industry, relationship, habit, or location-- then all you need to do is acknowledge and accept its coming. Don't white knuckle. Don't leave claw marks. And make adjustments as you-- and the world-- evolves. You don't have to be the same person forever. Everything else changes. You can-- and should-- too!TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comBritt's IG: @goldenthreadalchemyGolden Thread Alchemy Website: www.goldenthreadalchemy.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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Rebecca Szymczak, aka Cardsy B (of The Hex and the City Podcast and The Saturn Diaries).Cardsy B returns to The Skeptical Shaman to dig deep into the turbulence hitting planet earth-- and all of the other planets, for that matter-- at the present moment. What's going on with Saturn? Uranus? Pluto? And why is it making everything and everyone so f*cking crazy?The answer? We're leaving one epoch and entering another, and the planets are conspiring to help us shake off our old skins and embrace the new 2.0 version available to us on the other side of these contractions. Cardsy and Rachel explore what this means for us as individuals and as a collective, and work to map out some tangible, next steps.The long and the short of it? "Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened, seatback and tray table in their full-upright and locked position, and all carryon items completely under the seat in front of you. We're expecting some turbulence."Said another way? We're not in control of what's happening. We ARE in control of how we react, how we live, and what we choose to cultivate. So, focus on yourself and your own, inner work! I mean, if ever there was a time to get our shit together, it's now;)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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXCardsy B's Links: Cardsy B's website: https://www.cardsyb.comCardsy B's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardsyb/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Brandon Page, an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) experiencer.Brandon and Rachel connected "randomly" on LinkedIn, learning after the fact that they both worked at the same global corporate real estate firm and are, within reason, total "normies" on paper-- with, of course, the exception of their respective intense spiritual experiences!Brandon shares his lifelong interactions with craft, orbs and lights in the sky, and how these experiences came rushing back into the fore in the last few years-- getting so intense that his young daughter has also had a few moments with these objects! He also relays the strange dissonance of being just a regular person having extraordinary experiences, and how he has navigated this tension point in his own life. The long and the short of it? He doesn't know exactly what these things are, why they're showing themselves to him and his family, but he does feel that it's significant-- and he's done hiding or withholding for fear of judgment. We're all past that at this point, and all signs point to increasing UAP activity-- and perhaps some disclosure this year!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Summer Sanders (of Sabai Studio). Summer shares her experience of owning and managing a brick and mortar healing center in Chicago's West Loop: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Things have changed for small business owners since the onset of Covid, and this is doubly (if not triply) true for those that deal in the Business of Woo. Summer details how this shift has forced her to shift as well, ultimately deciding to change her business model and move to Florida later this summer.In this episode, Rachel and Summer pull back the proverbial kimono on what the last 4-5 years have been like for your friendly neighborhood healer, and how we can all best support the sincere, knowledgable practitioners to keep on keeping on. They also dive into how best to work with a healer, maximizing your ROI while simultaneously making your practitioner's day a little bit more manageable. The bottom line? Things have changed. A lot. And with that change, healers across  modalities (from Feng Shui to Reiki to Tarot and more) are experiencing exponential change fatigue. So, be kind, rewind, and support your local practitioner if you want to continue to benefit from their offerings!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXSummer Sanders Links: Website: https://sabaistudio.orgIG: https://www.instagram.com/summersanders_official/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with SPECIAL GUEST Emma Cook, the designer and artist behind the TOTEM Tarot Deck and the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck. Rachel and Emma dig into the very strange-- and some very challenging-- spiritual experiences that came along with the production, printing and publication of the new TOTEM Flower Essence Deck. On the one hand, there were incredible, overt signs of encouragement from the Fairie realm, who seemed super pumped on our nature-oriented creation. On the other hand, there was some real Amityville Horror-level shit, too. We're talking plagues of flies, absolutely shit luck, and lurking entities bringing banged up, oppressive energy. Does it sound totally nuts? Yes. But did it totally happen? Yes it did. Oh-- and Emma and Rachel do actually share a bit of insight into he process of making a tarot or oracle deck: how to build out vision boards, front-load your text content, and then dial in design and final art at the end. They also dig into the process of self-publishing, and why this is the preference for the kids around TOTEM.This is a real peek behind the proverbial kimono. In a world dominated by influencers and coaches whose income depends on them asserting confidence and worshipping at the altar of toxic positivity, Rachel and Emma wanted to tell the real deal, behind-the-scenes story behind the new TOTEM Flower Essence Deck.It didn't all come up roses, but there are certainly some roses involved!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXEmma Cook links:Emma's Website: http://eecookdesign.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.

In this SPECIAL "Emergency Transmission" episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with comedian and podcaster Robbie "The Fire" Bernstein. Robbie is the host of the Run Your Mouth Podcast and frequently co-hosts the Part of the Problem podcast with Dave Smith. He is also currently driving across the country to bring comedy and free speech to Americans right in their backyard. Like, literally. It's called the "Summer Porch Tour" and TOTEM is being graced with his presence-- and that of other, incredible comics-- this Thursday, July 11th (link to purchase tickets is below). In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, we dive into a lively discussion about free speech, creative expression, empowerment, personal agency, and even a little bit about shamanism. The executive summary? Psst-- the government, media, and other authority figures might not have your best interests at heart!The solution? Empower yourself. Start doing something you love. Being iconoclastic and embrace what the new day holds for you. No one is coming to save you, but that means that YOU can be the hero in your own story. Joseph Campbell AND Ayn Rand would be proud!LINKS:Join us this Thursday, July 11th for the Summer Porch Tour by getting your tickets here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/robbiethefire-summer-porch-tour-austin-texas-tickets-890747809677Robbie's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/run-your-mouth/id1549622417Rachel'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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show Colleen Soisson (of Feather Mountain Ayurveda).Rachel and Colleen dig into the big, ancient world of Ayurveda: the 6,000 year old Indian equivalent of Chinese Herbalism and Medicine that leverages herbs, food, massage, and oils to create balance and vitality in the energy and physical bodies. And guess what? It doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, much of what Colleen outlines is crazy simple. The catch? Just because something is simple, doesn't mean it's easy.This is especially true in a world built on the myth of "convenience"-- a myth that Colleen dismantles with expert precision. The trick? You gotta be consistent and you gotta be patient. That's the hard part, and many of us are quick to release new, healthy habits or mindfulness practice within a matter of days before they ever get a chance to take root!In a world of fads, quick fixes, cheat codes and snake oil salesmen, investing in our health in a consistent, balanced way can seem like a real buzzkill. But it's not. The buzzkill is already here in the form of exploding autoimmune disorders, a looming global health crisis, and the emergence of "dis-ease" throughout the otherwise "healthy" modern world. So, long story short: we have nothing to lose by changing our habits, slowing down, and sticking to a simple plan!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXColleen Soisson Links:Website: https://www.feathermtn.comIG: https://linktr.ee/ColleenAyurveda?utm_source=linktree_profile_sharePlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show Roger Oney about the truth and fiction of spiritual conspiracy theories.First up? The strange and very real case of Michael Aquino: a Colonel in the United States Army that literally wrote the handbook on 4th and 5th generational information warfare, titled: "Mindwar". An open Satanist, he founded the Temple of Set, the Church of Satan, and many assert he also founded the Process Church-- the official church of serial killers Son of Sam and Charles Manson. Despite being interviewed on national television many times by the likes of Oprah and Geraldo-- and showing off his ritual occult Nazi dagger in these televised appearances-- he continued to be promoted in the military, and was even knighted by the Queen of England, who also gave him land in Scotland.That all seems weird, right? Michael Aquino is just one of MANY intelligence and military officials involved in the dark side of the occult, experiments on mind control, and much, much more, and his case study can provide a map for navigating the more treacherous waters of the Woo.In this conspiracy theory-inspired episode, Rachel and Roger sift through what's fact and what's fiction...and trust us when we tell you: the truth really is stranger than fiction. Satanic Panic? Sure, there was some of that. But actual demon worship? Yah, there's was (and is) a bunch of that, too. So why are people super quick to dismiss objective reality as crazy conspiracy theory? Something about how the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXRoger Oney links:Roger's substack: https://rogergoesrogue.substack.comWebsite: https://rogeroney.comTopics discussed in this episode (with links and resources):Michael Aquino: https://youtu.be/qnM95xmLoMY?si=Ch2piIC90Bs7YXKyMK Ultra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKUltraChaos (Book About Charles Manson and MK Ultra): https://a.co/d/4Ug5EdvPoisoner in Chief (Book About MK Ultra and Bioweapons): https://a.co/d/2AbYeyeOperation Paperclip (Book about MK Ultra and Nazi Scientists): https://a.co/d/33DjsJhThe Process Church and Son(s) of Sam (Netflix Documentary): https://youtu.be/ICFZ1wS8Fuc?si=1sIC7H1ecXBMpkdvPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Damla Aktekin of A Drop of Om all about the inner child-- and how to energetically heal wounds from our early years and experiences. Damla is the host of the Conversations with Healers podcast, a forum in which she explores topics centered around the art (and the science) of energy healing-- particularly when this healing is focused on the inner child.In this episode, Rachel and Damla chat about Shamanic Soul Part Recollections, what the "wounded" inner child looks like, and how to actually, for realsies do the critical healing work required-- not just write it off as "healed" after going to a finger-painting party or weekend retreat in Bali.As we tackled in a previous episode, "Spirituality is NOT an aesthetic", and Inner Child work can be dark, grueling, and emotionally (and physically) draining. But it's also the key to unlocking a lot of our otherwise unrealized (and stifled) potential.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachDamla's Links: https://programs.adropofom.com/learn-morePlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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.

We're moving into the most powerful week of the month, housing the shift from Gemini to Cancer season, the summer solstice and the full moon in Capricorn. We dive into these energies as well as the magic of herbology with Rachel White AKA the skeptical shaman and creator of the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck. Rachel White is the owner of TOTEM Readings, the creator of the TOTEM Tarot Deck and the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck, and the host of The Skeptical Shaman podcast is with us today dive into the magic of herbology.   As a working shaman and psychic practitioner, Rachel provides various 1:1 sessions as well as Spiritual Transformation Coaching and Business of Woo Mentoring. Through TOTEM Readings, Rachel has worked with thousands of clients around the world for more than 15 years. You can learn more about Rachel, TOTEM Readings, The Skeptical Shaman podcast and the various published TOTEM Tarot and Oracle decks HERE: https://linktr.ee/totemrach   CARDSY B SOLSTICE SALE All readings will be 25% off with code SOLSTICE all giftcards and products are also 25% of checkout code SOLSTICEGIFT and a limited amount of Buy one get one hour gift cards- these always go super fast: are available with checkout code BOGOSOLSTICE readings can be booked for anytime but must be purcahsed by June 25th on www.cardsyb.com

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with the incredible mother/ daughter team of Norma and Nisha Burton, the creators of the Lucid Dreaming, Lucid Living Oracle Deck.Norma and Nisha are legitimate, bonafide experts in the space of dreamtime, vision questing, shamanic journeying, and....drumroll please...LUCID DREAMING. In this episode, we dig into:- How to lucid dream more- How to leverage insights from lucid dreaming for better living- What the meaning of lucid dreams really are- Why lucid dreaming is so important for spiritual developmentAnd, of course, we pull a very weird and very relevant TOTEM Tarot Card to sum it all up!LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe Lucid Living, Lucid Dreaming Deck on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0lVDajBLucid Living, Lucid Dreaming IG: https://www.instagram.com/lucid_dreaming_lucid_living/Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Casey St. John, fellow spiritual explorer!Casey's story follows a very well-worn path: girl goes exploring, finds a reiki studio, signs up for a session, has her mind blown by the utterly unexplainable energetic and spiritual phenomenon, and then finds herself on a quest to learn the who, what, when, why and how of it all. Much like a merry troupe of fictional Hobbits before her, she encounters some challenges and obstacles: most notably that of the absolutely decoherent noise dominating the Woo landscape. There is so much contradictory information, and the stakes feel so high, that the obvious next step is to find a mentor or guide to assist with your travels. But the quality of that guide matters. A lot. And an inexperienced, incompetent, delusional or even nefarious guide can cause a lot more harm than good.So, what's to be done? Well, Casey's working her way through it all, using discernment, common sense, intuition, best practices and lessons learned to cut a path of her own. She may not have all of the answers just yet, but she's clear on what she wants and how she's going to get it moving forward.The upshot? Give yourself permission to change your mind. Give yourself permission to leave something that isn't working for you. Give yourself permission to change and evolve and, yes, make a few "mistakes" along the way!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://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Megen Mundy, the owner of Austin's oldest and most established herbalism store, the Herb Bar.Rachel and Megen kick off this new season of the Skeptical Shaman podcast with a deep dive into the wide world of herbalism: how herbs support wellness, what issues they treat + support, and what herbs everyone should have as their "go-to's" in their pantry. This isn't hippy shit. This is human shit, and people like Megen and her team at the Herb Bar are working to bring back the old ways and reconnection shoppers and clients to the healing, plant magic all around us.And our discussion of "le milky oats" is enough to make you blush!Rachel and Megen also discuss flower essences: how they are the gentle, "gateway drug" for more intense herbalism protocols and tinctures-- not to mention witchy AF! The Herb Bar carries several TOTEM Flower Essences, and will be hosting our joint TOTEM Flower Essence Deck-themed event on the Summer Solstice. LINKSSecure your ticket (and swag bag) for the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck event at the Herb Bar on June 21st here: https://www.theherbbar.com/product/a-dark-garden-party/5235?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=72Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe Herb Bar's Website: https://www.theherbbar.comPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/3PMGghqTOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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.

Send us a Text Message.This episode briefly covers sensitive subjects such as rape, sex trafficking and cults. Listener discretion is advised.Rachel White, known as “the Skeptical Shaman” for her inherent pragmatism and intellectual curiosity,  first appeared on A Psychic's Story in Episode 116: TOTEM Readings. Rachel is back to provide her insight based on research and perspective about cults and multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes.Nichole and Rachel cover some of the basics of cults – how are they defined, what are the characteristics, what are they comprised of, how do they recruit, things to watch out for, and more. Nichole and Rachel also cover what MLM organizations look like and debate whether they are cults or not.Documentaries, shows and the movie discussed in this episode include:Love Has WonEscaping Twin Flames The VowBetting on ZeroSound of FreedomTOTEM Readings' Substack cult-related posts include:Love Has Won: Cult of Mother God The Grift is Real (Part 1)The Grift is Real (Part 2)Some cult and/or coercive control resources are:Rick Ross and the Cult Education Institute (website)A Little Bit Culty podcast on Apple or SpotifyThe above includes only a portion of the sources mentioned in this episode. For all the links discussed, visit the episode page on A Psychic's Story --> Episode 188: Listener Story Ep 17 (with Rachel White) Let's Talk about Cults.For more information about Rachel, her virtual events, coaching services, or to schedule a reading, visit her website or Instagram @totemrach. Check out her podcast the Skeptical Shaman wherever you get your podcasts. The organization Rachel volunteers at is Magdalene House.This podcast is intended to inspire you on your personal journey toward inner peace. The podcast host, co-hosts or guests are not psychologists or medical doctors and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from any psychological or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified health professional. Support the Show.

In this special, solo episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) digs a bit further into The Business of Woo: the "industry" of psychics, shamans, energy workers, and yes-- even the dreaded, mythical "life coaches".Next up on the Business of Woo myth-busting list? Self-care. If you're a full-time practitioner of the Woo, odds are: you're sensitive. Like, really sensitive. That's kind of how this whole psychic thing works. In fact, we're so sensitive that it can read as a bit high maintenance, ala the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. Now, multiply that inherent sensitivity by the variables of psychic and energetic client work against the backdrop of our overstimulating, relentless world and you've got a classic recipe for epic burnout. So, what can we do? Turns out, we can do a lot-- but we have to be consistent about it, even when we're busy or tired or a bit lazy. Salt baths, sage, grounding food, and the rest of the usual suspects really do help, but what really helps is building systems into your Business of Woo model:Group like tasks: organize dates/ times for client sessions and separate dates/ times for administrative work so you're not switching so hard between "radio stations"-- energy flows where attention goes, and this approach helps you harness natural momentum and reduce the grind on your gears!Maintain boundaries: energy and spirit go where they're allowed to go, so maintaining consistent containers for your life and time are super important! There will always be tasks to do and clients wanting urgent help, so it's up to you to build in the barriers so everyday isn't an energetic negotiation.Give yourself a break: client-facing psychic work is a real workout for your mind, body and spirit-- so planning out breaks and scheduling self-care (like massages, salt baths and more) needs to be a standard, daily part of your business model. This isn't heading into a corporate office, sending a few emails and chatting in the lunchroom!Fill your spiritual cup: as practitioners, it's vital that we set time aside for our own spiritual practice-- and not just the work we do with clients! Not only will this get you out of a pity party or stress spiral, but it's a reminder of why you started doing this in the first place-- a crucial ingredient to a long, successful Woo-based business!A lot of this stuff sounds obvious, but it's significantly harder to operationalize in the brutal day-to-day of also being a small business owner in a time of intense competition, a rapid rate of change/ churn, and economic pressures like inflation. The irony? It also matters now more than ever. So, give this episode a listen and see what elements of Energetic Hygiene you can make a consistent thread in your workday-- and then watch as a thousand flowers bloom!Interested in working with Rachel in a coaching or mentoring capacity? Here are the links to learn more and/or book a free consultation to discuss:The Business of Woo Mentoring Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingOther links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease 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, solo episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) digs a bit further into The Business of Woo: the "industry" of psychics, shamans, energy workers, and yes-- even the dreaded, mythical "life coaches".Next up on the Business of Woo myth-busting list? Sabotage! Online harassment! Intellectual property theft! Abusive clients! Para-social strangeness! Along with the new levels you reach in your Woo-based business, come along a myriad of proverbial "devils". Think Super Mario Brothers: every time you beat a level, you enter a new level with an increasingly fast and imposing Bowser.I know what you're thinking. I used to think it, too:"Who has the time to cause problems for someone with a small little business like yours?"The answer? Some people. I know. I'm just as surprised as you are. And who is usually behind the Scooby Doo mask when you pull it off? Competitors. I know. It's insane to act out of pocket and spend time or energy on a competitor. More times than not, we can all actually collaborate and help each others' Woo-based businesses. But not everybody sees it that way. And, for that matter, not everybody believes in basic civility. But never fear: new levels, new devils? Sure. But with new devils come new devil-destroying tools and tricks, and we're here to share them with you!Interested in working with Rachel in a coaching or mentoring capacity? Here are the links to learn more and/or book a free consultation to discuss:The Business of Woo Mentoring Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingOther links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease 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, solo episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) digs a bit further into The Business of Woo: the "industry" of psychics, shamans, energy workers, and yes-- even the dreaded, mythical "life coaches".Next up on the Business of Woo myth-busting list? Client retention. What is it? How do you do it? Why does it matter? And why is it actually for realsies way more important than any bullsh*t you're up to on social media. Spoiler alert: your clients are your business, so by focusing on the fundamentals of your service delivery and just being a f*cking human being, you're already ahead of the curve.After all: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. My hot take? The very best new customers come from current client referrals, so focusing on delivering exceptional services and products in the moment is the most important marketing technique you can master.Your brand is your most important asset, and as we've already covered: your brand isn't just a logo. In fact, your behaviors are the most critical, experiential aspect of your brand, and can either reinforce or erode your reputation in the marketplace. In this episode, we dig into the crucial importance of "chopping wood and carrying water" in your Woo-based business, and why focusing on the basics and getting present and focused with each client meeting, session or consultation is the real competitive advantage.Interested in working with Rachel in a coaching or mentoring capacity? Here are the links to learn more and/or book a free consultation to discuss:The Business of Woo Mentoring Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingOther links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease 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.

Head to SESAME to save 10% off the most amazing telehealth program ever with my code WITHAY for same day appts (almost always) for everything from Pediatrics, mental health, dermatology, weight loss and illness!! Especially and even if you have health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare!...Meredyth Approved! In this episode, we delve into the world of modern shamanism with Rachel White, a multi-talented spiritual practitioner based in Austin, Texas. With over 15 years of professional experience, Rachel wears many hats - from shaman and medium to herbalist, yoga instructor, meditation coach, and energy practitioner. Through her spiritual consultancy, TOTEM Readings, Rachel serves the "spiritually homeless", offering guidance and empowerment to those curious but noncommittal in their spiritual journey. Meet Rachel White: Rachel White is more than just a shaman - she's a published author, podcast host, and creator of unique spiritual tools. Her TOTEM Tarot Deck, available on Amazon and Etsy, reflects her deep understanding of ancient wisdom translated into a modern context. Rachel's journey doesn't stop there; she hosts The Skeptical Shaman Podcast, where she explores spirituality with a critical lens, and she's the mastermind behind TOTEM Flower Essences, available for purchase on Etsy. Her writing on modern shamanism can be found on her Substack, TOTEM Readings, where she shares practical applications of ancient spiritual practices.   Empowering the Curious: Rachel's work is centered around empowering those who are curious about spirituality but hesitant to commit fully. She provides a welcoming space for exploration and growth, catering to the "spiritually homeless". Modern Shamanism: Rachel's approach to shamanism is grounded in tradition but adapted for contemporary seekers. She bridges ancient wisdom with modern lifestyles, making spiritual practices accessible and relevant. Red Flags in Spiritual Practices: Rachel shares insights on identifying red flags when working with individuals claiming to be spiritual or psychic. With her years of experience, she guides listeners on discerning genuine practitioners from those who may not have their best interests at heart. Innovative Tools: From her TOTEM Tarot Deck to Flower Essences, Rachel creates innovative tools for spiritual growth and self-discovery. These resources serve as gateways for individuals to deepen their understanding and connection with themselves and the universe. Flower Essences in Everyday Life: Rachel and her husband's journey into developing Flower Essences during the COVID-19 pandemic evolved into a thriving business. She discusses how these essences have become an integral part of her everyday life, offering support and balance in times of stress or growth! Using Tools for Self-Reflection: Rachel utilizes her Flower Essences and TOTEM Tarot Deck not only for her clients but also for herself as a check-in tool. These tools provide valuable insights and clarity, allowing her and her clients to assess where they are on their spiritual journey and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their paths. Conclusion: Rachel White is a beacon of light in the realm of modern spirituality. Through her diverse skills and compassionate approach, she guides seekers on their path of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. Her work reminds us that spirituality is not confined to ancient traditions but is a living, evolving practice that can enrich our lives in profound ways. Tune in to this episode for an enlightening conversation with Rachel White as she shares insights, wisdom, and practical tips for navigating the modern shamanic path. Contact Rachel White RACHEL WHITErachel@totemreadings.com |(872) 888-6928 | totemreadings.com Buy the TOTEM Tarot Deck Listen to The Skeptical Shaman Podcast Read our Substack Newsletter Visit our Etsy Shop   Get full show notes, resources, and links on my website! Are you ready to go deeper? I am giving you the keys to the castle. If you enjoyed this podcast and want to hear more, make sure to subscribe so you'll never miss an episode! You can connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Youtube.  

In this special, solo episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) digs a bit further into The Business of Woo: the "industry" of psychics, shamans, energy workers, and yes-- even the dreaded, mythical "life coaches".Next up on the Business of Woo myth-busting list? Content creation. What is it? How do you do it? And, more importantly, how do you make it work for you-- instead of just turning into the "dry hump of marketing campaigns"? A simple trick? Figure out what you're going to say before you start saying it. Another trick? Don't say (or write or post) stuff unless you have something to say-- and a good reason to say it.Nothing is new under the sun, and we need look no further for proof than in the PowerPoint slide-style, rote "three things to remember" bullet-point social media posts littering the landscape. Spoiler alert: when you boil something down to the very nub of the basics, you're not actually saying anything anymore. People can handle content. They have attention spans. They read text-heavy, long-form posts-- and they're thirsting for thought leaders, business owners and spiritual practitioners that offer them value instead of constantly vying for position-- and their hard-earned money.What's more: people are getting savvy, and they're sick of the same, regurgitated, commoditized race-to-the-bottom drivel. They're starting to pick up on the soft bigotry of low expectations, and they're not too fond of the feeling of grabby hands in their pockets.There's a better, more natural way to share your thoughts and create content. And it's pretty simple: you just need to think about whether or not you would be interested in hearing or reading what you're about to communicate. And this The Business of Woo series is here to help!Interested in working with Rachel in a coaching or mentoring capacity? Here are the links to learn more and/or book a free consultation to discuss:The Business of Woo Mentoring Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingOther links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease 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, solo episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) digs a bit further into The Business of Woo: the "industry" of psychics, shamans, energy workers, and yes-- even the dreaded, mythical "life coaches".First up on the Business of Woo myth-busting list? Differentiation and branding. What is a brand? What is a differentiator? And how do these super duper corporate concepts come into play for a Woo-based business? What's more: how much should you pay someone for a "brand" or for help with you differentiating your offering in the marketplace? And what do these deliverables look like?There are a lot of children playing "office" on social media, garnishing their word salad with these words in an effort to seem knowledgable against an intensely curated (and very expensive) backdrop of lifestyle flotsam and jetsam-- but are they experts? After all, the ubiquitous focus on "authenticity" and "sincerity" is reading a bit saccharine, don't you think? Or, as the brilliant Rick Rubin put it: "Sweetness made small. A hollow rhyme in a greeting card."Don't be a hollow rhyme. Don't do what everyone else is doing. Don't indulge the urge to ugly cry on Instagram in the hopes of coming across as "sincere".  People are getting pretty good at smelling the proverbial manure from greater and greater distances. What's more: that's not a brand. That's not a differentiator. That's not a value proposition.There's a less cringe way to brand and market, and guess what? It's pretty simple. You just need to put your big kid pants on for a minute and look at things objectively. And this The Business of Woo series is here to help!Interested in working with Rachel in a coaching or mentoring capacity? Here are the links to learn more and/or book a free consultation to discuss:The Business of Woo Mentoring Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingOther links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease 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 SOLO episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) digs into The Business of Woo: the "industry" of psychics, shamans, energy workers, and yes-- even the dreaded, mythical "life coaches".With the economy and job market doing STRANGE THINGS and the rate of change and churn hitting an exponential pace, more and more folks might get the idea that they should dive into the deep waters of the Woo, perhaps even becoming a professional practitioner. And, while those that are genuinely getting pinged by the Universe should embrace their destiny, the same isn't true for the spiritual grifters, hustlers and get-rich-quick schemers that think the Business of Woo is an "easy way to make money".It's not.And you better be genuinely obsessed with it if you want to do it for a living.This episode explores the myths of "passive income", social media as a guaranteed business amplifier, and why book deals and retreats aren't all they're cracked up to be.Spoiler alert: the thoughtfully-curated world presented to you by other coaches or influencers on social media isn't the whole picture-- and, in many cases, is a purposeful (and profit-driven) misdirection.The Business of Woo SOLO series of The Skeptical Shaman harkens back to the tagline of MTV's The Real World: "This is what happens when we stop being polite, and start getting real." Interested in working with Rachel in a coaching or mentoring capacity? Here are the links to learn more and/or book a free consultation to discuss:The Business of Woo Mentoring Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingOther links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with the "Woo Woo Woman" herself: Shelly Saunier. Shelly is a holistic yoga instructor, registered nurse and the host of the Woo Woo Woman podcast, which is designed to help listers unlock their empowerment and self-improvement through tapping into the deep Woo all around us.Rachel and Shelly explore the reality of running a Woo business-- and why having something interesting to say is more important than just feeling compelled to say SOMETHING! What's also important? Keeping it really real in a world serving up a steady diet of raw bullshit from "influencers" and "content creators" that compulsively share and post without first thinking through the "why". Shelly shares her experience posting insights from the meditative temple of the toilet (as in, literally) and why she's breaking her own "rules" to pursue a more fluid, yin way of being in business-- and in the world more broadly. Life isn't perfect, and neither are practitioners. Investing all of your energy into a false, curated "persona" is a waste of critical time and energy that can otherwise be spent actually working with real life humans in meaningful, poignant ways!Of course, we pull a freakishly on point card from the TOTEM Tarot Deck!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 Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXShelly's Links: https://linktr.ee/shellysaunierThe Woo Woo Woman Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0z79EyGYVSlE9jq7J240PX?si=9b7bd9ba5cc14a85Please 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Natalie Fehlner, writer, teacher, theater artist and actual, real-deal spiritual seeker all about Natalie's spontaneous spiritual awakening-- and the good, the bad, and the ugly that followed!Rachel first stumbled upon Natalie and her story via the most unlikely of sources: a poem read aloud on Instagram! This poem, titled, "Spirituality Is Not An Aesthetic", sums up the inevitable disillusionment that comes along with any spiritual journey: first you have the incredible, paradigm-shifting experience, then you reorganize your personal belief system, and then you get super excited to venture out into the world of Woo to meet other, like-minded spiritual explorers. The upshot? A lot of spiritual teachers, gurus and "experts" are a big fat disappointment to those coming off a fresh (and genuine) spiritual experience. The let down is inevitable, as you go from healing circle to urban sweat lodge filled with performative, spiritual LARPers wearing their requisite costumes and leveraging their requisite New Age vernacular. But it's not all bad. That disappointment in outside voices redirects us back to ourselves-- and to direct revelation from and communication with spirit. F*ck all those life coaches and green juice drinkers and pashmina-wearing spiritual narcissists! We've got something better: ourselves and our spirit guides.And Natalie's unabashedly honest and vulnerable story-- very much in-progress-- gives us all line of sight into our own journeys, as well as the necessary radical self-acceptance required for the REAL journey ahead.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachNatalie's IG: https://www.instagram.com/nataliefehlner/Natalie's Substack: https://nataliefehlner.substack.comPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Matthew Gindin, freelance writer, teacher, acupuncturist and author of the Philosophy as Therapy Substack. To say that Matthew's background is eclectic is an understatement. When he was 21, he lived as a monastic Forest Monk in the Thai Buddhist tradition for three years. Since then, he has continued to explore and examine, experimenting with observant Jewish practice, Advaita Vedanta, Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, and Western Esoteric traditions while all along the way reading philosophy and science. He also taught meditation and yoga and has worked as an Ayurvedic counsellor and Chinese medical acupuncturist.Yah. It's a lot of stuff, and it's all informed his new writings on the Philosophy as Therapy Substack, which brings together his dynamic background with the philosophical teachings of the Buddha and Hellenic (particularly Stoic) philosophers-- all with the intent of offering relief from suffering through the cultivation of meaning. Rachel and Matthew also explore how true spiritual and intellectual exploration and growth will inevitably lead to ego death, the destruction of closely-held paradigms, and the exponential expansion of personal perspective, sharing their personal stories of evolution. In other words: tribalism and teams don't survive true spiritual growth OR intellectual honesty. And yes, it really pisses people off when you grow or, worse yet, "change your mind".The upshot? Your old, bad ideas and beliefs have to die so you don't have to suffer in ignorance. And, to do this, you must expand out beyond your limitations and explore new intellectual, existential and spiritual cultures and concepts. Regardless of what Becky at the lunch table has to say about it.Is it hard to face facts? Let go of your closely held beliefs? Sit in the "in between" of the messy middle?Yes. But it's also totally worth it.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachMatthew's Substack: https://matthewgindin.substack.comMatthew's Medium: https://matthewzgindin.medium.comPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Dean Newlund, CEO of Mission Facilitators and the host of The Business of Intuition podcast all about the world of intuition.What is intuition? Why is it important for business? How can we leverage it? What does intuition look like in human-scaled examples? And what's the ROI on focusing on cultivating-- and leveraging-- our intuition?  Dean is effectively a human aggregator of all things intuition, having collected metadata from hundreds of discussions on the topic with industry leaders from all walks of life, and he sheds some serious light on these and other questions.Dean and Rachel also take a typical sharp left turn into The Fourth Turning, AI, Epochs, and general End Times fun. The upshot? Cultivating our intuition during these turbulent times marked by churn and hyper-novelty could just make the difference in navigating shifting landscapes successfully. In other words? Intuition isn't just for shamans and crystal hippy ladies anymore-- consider it your competitive advantage in a really challenging marketplace.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachDean's Website: https://mfileadership.comThe Business of Intuition Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-of-intuition/id1511851813Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 magical episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Lesley Logan, founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com and the host of the Be It Till You See It podcast. Lesley is a dynamic, iconoclastic solopreneur that has broken free of her limiting beliefs to ditch perfection and pursue her dreams-- however wild they may seem or sound.And guess what? It all worked out-- and worked out in bigger and more marvelous ways than she could have ever expected!In this podcast, Lesley and Rachel share their business "origin stories", giving an unvarnished view of how the messy small business sausage gets made. Spoiler alert: there is no cheat code or life hack that lays it all out when you're creating something new out in the proverbial wilderness. What you do have at your disposal is your intuition, your common sense, and your commitment to taking the ultimate risk: betting on yourself. Besides: the old rules of working hard and staying with a company in the long term in exchange for job security just don't apply anymore. Starting your own thing might be the new hedge against a very turbulent, hyper-novel marketplace marked by churn and an ever-increasing rate of change. And, if you can create a business, practice or product that aligns with your life's purpose, all the better!It's not a perfect journey, and there are fits and starts. But, if you widen your gaze and embrace the mantra of "be it 'till you see it", you'll certainly come out the other side living your own dream.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 Tarot Deck:https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXLesley's full bio can be found at https://LesleyLogan.co/aboutLesley's links: onlinepilatesclasses.com Lesley's Free Mat Pilates series: fullbodyin15.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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with the incredible Bonnie Piesse,  host of the I Am The Sky podcast. Best known for her role as Luke Skywalker's Aunt Beru in the 'Star Wars' Universe, (Episodes II, III and Obi-Wan Kenobi), Bonnie is also a singer, songwriter, and intuitive practitioner, supporting her clients through her spiritual practice Of Soul and Sky. Bonnie was also featured prominently in the HBO documentary-series ‘The Vow', which detailed her harrowing journey with the destructive NXIVM cult. Rachel and Bonnie discuss how Bonnie's connection to her intuition--which may or may not be referred to as "The Force"-- helped to wake her up to the reality of living inside of NXIVM, empowering her to break free and ultimately extract others-- ultimately working with authorities to ensure that the abusive NXIVM "leader", Keith Raniere, got a 120-year prison sentence.Bonnie is living proof that intuition can override the often persuasive (but ultimately false) narratives intrinsic to coercive control dynamics and related thought prisons, acting as a kind of kryptonite against propaganda, group think, social pressure, financial exploitation, and more.Since leaving NXIVM, Bonnie has created a spiritual practice designed to support people in reconnecting with their intuition, awakening to their true nature and helping them to live a soul-aligned life. But, as positive and powerful as this mission is, Bonnie has had to navigate some blistering online abuse and criticism for stepping out of the "psychic closet"-- an unfortunate manifestation of the "third rail" nature of spirituality and psychic phenomenon, as well as the mob-like nature of anonymous online trolls.Bonnie is an inspiring, incredible human-- and this episode (and our TOTEM Tarot Deck card pull) highlight the indestructible light we all have within!LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachBonnie's Instagram: @bonniempiesse @ofsoulandskyBonnie's Spiritual Practice: https://www.ofsoulandsky.comBonnie's Website: https://www.bonniepiesse.comPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviewsTOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down to chat with Yolanda Williams, the "Energetic Alchemist" and host of the oldest and longest-running reiki-themed podcast, Reiki Radio.Yolanda and Rachel dig into the weird world of the "Business of Woo", spilling a bit of tea and throwing the requisite amount of shade as they dispel common myths and pull back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes. Yolanda shares tips for navigating the energy work landscape, arming listeners with key red flags (or green lights) to keep an eye out for as they seek out practitioners with whom to work.Yolanda also shares her recent move to take a pause from client work, new workshops and programs, and the overall push and grind that has dominated the last four years for small business owners, Woo and not-Woo alike.  It can be tough to go inward and focus on your own spiritual practice when you also manage a client-facing spiritual practice-- but it's also THE most essential retreat to move forward.Rachel and Yolanda even address the seemingly untouchable topic of what frequently happens to our bodies when we receive reiki attunements or reiki treatments. Here's a hint: it rhymes with "schmymeria".  Why doesn't anyone get this warning ahead of time?This episode has laughs and poignant moments in equal measure-- enjoy and please rate and review The Skeptical Shaman anywhere you get your podcasts!LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviewsTOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX?ref=seller-platform-mcnavRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachYolanda's Website: https://www.theenergeticalchemist.com/about-meReiki Radio:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reiki-radio-podcast/id725309051Yolanda IG: https://www.instagram.com/reikiradio/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.

Fan favorite Nichole Bigley is back on The Skeptical Shaman to dig into the worlds of angels, dragons, aliens and more with host Rachel White of TOTEM Readings!Nichole is the host of the A Psychic's Story podcast, and co-author of the new book (and TOTEM Book Club pick) Looking for Angels:  A Guide to Understanding and Connecting with Angels. She is also a psychic medium that offers angel readings and other intuitive sessions.In this episode, Rachel and Nichole dig into the big, strange world of woo, sharing their experiences with their "totem animal" dragons, seemingly simultaneous recent encounters with negative entities, and their shared (and very strange) feelings about those pesky aliens running around that Miami mall! The upshot? This coming year-- the Year of the Wood Dragon in Eastern Astrology-- is going to be one for the ages. Expect the veil of illusion to melt and the high strangeness actually present in our reality to emerge. It'll be a rock 'em, sock 'em good time for weirdos and psychics, with many others feeling "shook". But, sometimes, getting shook is a good thing. Especially from the perspective of a micro-dosing, anti-establishment shaman!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 Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviewsTOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX?ref=seller-platform-mcnavNichole's Website: https://www.apsychicsstory.com/about-a-psychics-storyLooking for Angels Book: https://a.co/d/hIZK2f9Nichole's IG: https://www.instagram.com/apsychicsstory/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.

Uncover the secrets of shamanism as a powerful toolkit for enhancing intuition and accessing mystical realms. Follow Rachel White on a journey of spiritual exploration, but be prepared for unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, longing for more. Are you ready to tap into the full potential of your intuition and embrace the mysterious world of shamanic practices? About  Rachel White:Known as “The Skeptical Shaman”, Rachel White is an unusual spiritual practitioner. Blending more than 25 years of high-level corporate innovation and strategy experience with a deep knowledge of the world of woo, Rachel is making waves with the “crystal hippy people” with her fresh, pragmatic take on spiritual development. Rachel is the host of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, the Owner of TOTEM Readings—her Austin, TX-based spiritual practice-- the author and publisher of the TOTEM Tarot Deck, and the purveyor of TOTEM Flower Essences on her TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop. She is also the author of the TOTEM Readings Substack, an engaging community that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to “be spiritual”.Rachel is married to her Chef husband, Bradford, and they take care of their wolf-dog in beautiful Austin, TX. In her spare time, she maintains her organic garden, “researches” micro-dosing, and writes all about the mystical and esoteric.  In this episode, Dean Newlund and  Rachel White discuss:Explore the profound impact of shamanism on intuition development.Discover the strategic advantages of integrating intuition into corporate decision-making.Uncover the transformative power of shamanic practices in nurturing intuitive abilities.Delve into the mystical dimensions of shamanism for enriching spiritual experiences.Embrace the significance of playfulness and openness in enhancing shamanic practice. "The more you learn, the less you know. There's really truth to that. ” —  Rachel White  Connect with  Rachel White:  Website URL: https://www.totemreadings.comSocial media handles: https://linktr.ee/totemrach See Dean's TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I  Connect with Dean:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkwWebsite: https://www.mfileadership.com/The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.comPhone: 1-800-926-7370 Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with yoga instructor, retreat coordinator, and manifestation coach Kelly Pender. Kelly is also the host of the Badass Babe Oracle podcast, drilling into the real deal behind all things abundance, manifestation and having-ness.In this episode, we talk sh*t and spill the tea on the “manifestation industry”, taking the time to separate what's real, what's nonsense, and what's a straight-up grift. Kelly shares her very personal and very human-scaled journey with the world of abundance gospel and manifestation doctrine, displaying a great sense of humor as she evaluates what she used to believe— and where she's at now.This episode is landing in the magical, liminal space between Christmas and the New Year, a time during which most of us are reflecting on the past year and setting our intentions— and making our resolutions— for the year to come. This discussion is designed to give us all permission to ask, believe and receive, but also offers tangible lessons learned so you don't have to fall into a multilevel marketing scheme or find yourself miles away from your goals in 2024.In a hilarious and very apt twist, Kelly has given birth to a brand new baby just as this episode is landing, a literal encapsulation of magical manifestation!And, as per usual, we pull a very aligned and very accurate card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck to sum up our discussion. TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpKelly's IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_badassbabe/The Badass Babe Oracle Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/badassbabeoracle/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with podcast producer, energy healer, coach and all-around mystic Roger Oney of Synergies Studio.In this episode, we dig into the REALITY of the world of Woo-- no spiritual bypassing or toxic positivity here! Roger and I discuss how "the map is not the territory" when it comes to implementing spiritual insights in everyday human life.  Remember: any practitioner, coach or guru that promises total certainty and black-and-white solutions is selling you a steaming satchel of cow poo poo.There is no one system, modality or practice that can live your life for you. Rather, at their best these practices are just maps designed to guide you as YOU do the hard (and real) work of navigating the actual landscape of life. If you've been curious about working with a spiritual practitioner or launching your own spiritual practice, this episode is a must listen: Roger and I get totally transparent about our collective 40+ years of on-the-ground experience in the Woo, sharing our lessons learned (so you don't have to learn them quiet as hard as we did).And, as per usual, we pull a card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck to sum up our discussion— and, as per usual, it was so on point it was creepy.TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpSynergies Studio (Roger's website):  https://synergies.studioPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Gina Graham, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and professional photographer. Gina is also the author and artist behind the book Body Beautiful: How Changing the Conversation About Our Bodies Has the Power to Change the World. Gina's mission-driven work leverages her experience as a therapist and a photographer and artist, empowering women to address their trauma around and issues with eating disorders, body image, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and hormonal changes. In this conversation, Gina and Rachel dig deep on how social media is bombarding women with unhealthy images and expectations, all while seemingly offering exploitative "coaching" packages, weight loss supplements, and other commoditized products seeking to exploit the neurosis and lack of self-love pervading our society.There is a middle ground between superficiality and entropy: we can want to be healthy and take care of ourselves and our appearance while still accepting the idiosyncrasies that make us uniquely beautiful. As always, we pull a TOTEM Tarot Card to pull together this critical dialogue, encapsulating the elevating power of real beauty!TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpGina's links: https://linktr.ee/lifelensandloveGina's IG: https://www.instagram.com/lifelensandlove/Gina's Book, Body Beautiful: https://a.co/d/eORmzMMPlease 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.

Explore Rachel's unique perspective on spirituality and strategy with Lesley. Discover the role of tarot reading, using your intuition in making fulfilling life choices, and how a grounded approach to fear aids decision-making and balancing life's various pursuits. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co . And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:Rachel's journey on spirituality through tarot and shamanismWhy trust your intuition in making fulfilling career choices.How to strengthen your 'intuition muscle' with regular practice.Learn the power of 'allowing' in life's journey.Discover how digital detoxes can spur creativity.Episode References/Links:Follow Rachel on IGThe Totem Readings WebsiteThe Skeptical Shaman PodcastGuest Bio:Known as “The Skeptical Shaman”, Rachel White is an unusual spiritual practitioner. Blending more than 25 years of high-level corporate innovation and strategy experience with a deep knowledge of the world of woo, Rachel is making waves with the “crystal hippy people” with her fresh, pragmatic take on spiritual development. Rachel is the host of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, the Owner of TOTEM Readings—her Austin, TX-based spiritual practice-- the author and publisher of the TOTEM Tarot Deck, and the purveyor of TOTEM Flower Essences on her TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop. She is also the author of the TOTEM Readings Substack, an engaging community that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to “be spiritual”. Rachel is married to her Chef husband, Bradford, and they take care of their wolf-dog in beautiful Austin, TX. In her spare time, she maintains her organic garden, “researches” micro-dosing, and writes all about the mystical and esoteric.  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. Get your free Athletic Greens 1 year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 and 5 free travel packsGet your discount for some Toe Sox using the code: LESLEY Be It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipFREE Ditching Busy Webinar Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable PilatesFollow Us on Social Media:InstagramFacebook LinkedInEpisode Transcript:Rachel White 0:00 It's not get a crystal ball out and control your entire future. It's the understanding that through doing things you will learn experientially and that you'll be able to incorporate that and hone things or even if you test hypothesis and it's faulty. You've learned something that's a successful experiment.Lesley Logan 0:18 Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:00 All right, Be It Babes. I'm excited. Okay, so I really, I'll be honest, I was like, okay, a skeptical Shaman. I'm a little skeptical about a skeptical Shaman. What does that mean? Are they really skeptical? Are they and they are they being Rachel, why our guest today? I feel first of all, there are so many. There's never been anything that's random. The this the timing of this, this woman being women in our lives and your ears right now. It's really cool. And she said so many gems that have everything to apply that to your life that are not necessarily around tarot, or astrology, or any of that stuff. And so what I whether you have are like someone who's like, oh, a shaman and like that's a turn off for you. Stop, keep listening. She is awesome. She we talked about the journey for her switching careers. We talked about the journey and like being a small business owner in having to make decisions that like not everyone's gonna like, and also intuition and allowing, and there's some stuff on digital detox in there. So this is a really great episode, get your notepads out, have some fun. And then also make sure you check out all of her amazing things, if any of these things intrigue you because I am as soon as I get off this I am. So here is Rachel White. Lesley Logan 2:21 All right, Be It babe. I'm actually really excited and intrigued by today's guest. I'm not gonna lie. There are certain things I've dabbled in as a one woo girl in this world, and I do have some crystals. But I also like to think of myself as like pretty logical about some things. And I, I do have some tarot cards, but I also am like, okay, but like, and so when today's guests came across my plate I was like, oh, well, I've always been a little skeptical about a shaman. So why not have Rachel White the skeptical shaman in our, in our group today? So will you tell everyone who you are and what you do?Rachel White 2:57 Of course, yeah. And it's funny because people see skepticism as inherently in opposition to spirituality, but I don't and I think what how you just described yourself is, personally what I perceive most people are, and they're very underserved by the crystal hippie people and I also have crystals. But you know, there's a certain archetype. So yeah, I'm Rachel White. I own a spiritual practice called Totem Readings. And I have a new podcast called the skeptical Shaman. And the whole basis of the show is conversations with all different kinds of people, cynics, skeptics, true believers, different faith systems, you know, some of them seemingly quite crazy. Like I had a Catholic exorcist on, I thought that was an interesting discussion. Because to me, curiosity and skepticism are like they're two sides of the of the discernment coin. You don't get anywhere without being curious. And as a part of curiosity, you're like, and what's in that? What's this? And what really is that? And most people prefer to navigate life that way. And yet, when you enter the world of Woo, sometimes people make you feel like it's very binary. Like it's all or nothing, you know, and it's just not the case. I'm glad you're doing it the way you're doing it. Lesley Logan 4:14 Thank you. I'm always here for the affirmations. Those are my love language. But I, I think I love that you point that out because so I live in Las Vegas, which I think is a really interesting place to live. It's got lots of little there's something for everybody here for sure on any side of any coin, but I remember going to this one event, and going they were speaking in a language that I heard the words I heard them they are all words that are like in my English vocabulary, but the order in which they were coming out I was like, What are they saying? And I kind of just felt like, it's like but I I love breathwork I love my crystals. I love a new moon. I don't understand what you're saying and I was like maybe this isn't my place or I think it your to your point like sometimes some places are very it's very binary. You're all in or you're not? And I'm like, no, no, I still have to go into my world where I pay mortgage. The credit card doesn't care if Mercury's in retrograde.Rachel White 5:10 If a teacher, a spiritual teacher, a coach, anybody is working with you, but they're not empowering you to make it pragmatically actionable in your life, and making your life better, whatever that looks like, they're not really doing much for you. It's a bunch of gobbledygook and what you just described as something that's referred to as word salad, just so you know. And it's designed to make people feel kind of stupid, like maybe they don't understand. And it's a disempowering, gatekeeping mechanism a lot of the time and I spent over two decades in corporate outsourcing and real estate, by the way, as I was working on totally off the side of my desk, and this one, I'm going to say next holds true for business, for corporate, for spirituality. If someone can't explain something to you, and human scaling, words you understand it, it's a bit of a red flag, they may not understand it, they might be trying to spin you out and like snake charm you or they want to sound really smart. And they want to condescend to you, because most people that are good communicators, they just cut to the chase, you understand them. Lesley Logan 6:12 Yeah. Okay. Love you and that for all of that. So, I want to go back to like, first of all, because you just said you were in real estate, and you were doing on site. How did you get into this? Did it find you? Were you like, yeah, like, what, what was the what was like, I'm ready to leave the corporate world. How did that go?Rachel White 6:32 So I was like, most people I know who are legitimate psychics, mediums, whatever you want to call it. And by the way, don't get hung up on all that it really kind of doesn't matter. I was very psychic. And then I pushed that to the side became a pretty smug atheist. Right? So I just like logic, I like things that make sense. And a lot of what I saw in religion, so I grew up Catholic was like, very tail nonsense thinking it just, you know, they were using a lot of thought-terminating cliches, and no one was using a lot of critical thinking. So I, you kind of threw the baby out with the bathwater. And then I had an experience that sent me into exploration mode, because the whole point of like, if you're curious, and you're skeptical, you have to let in new data, even if that new data's Woo, that's a part of it. And I was like, I have to reframe things I was wrong. Right, I have to add new stuff to my repertoire. So I studied it, studied it, and then started just doing it off the side of my desk seeing clients on weekends, I'd always read tarot cards. So that was sort of the first thing I brought in, to my practice, which people don't think of is classically shamanic. But it is divination is a part of it. And then in March of 2020, transitioned to doing this work full time and it's funny, corporate real estate is not doing well. And it's one of those areas where intuition should serve you. And I just saw the writing on the wall, like and it wasn't just COVID trust me, it's not just office spaces and people working from home, there's a whole bunch of things going on. And it would have been misery the last three years, I think. And so, you know, fault like pulled tarot cards or kept getting the death card, which is not bad. By the way, it just means like, let it go. It's dead. Everybody tells you you're dead. It's time to lie down. And it's scary as a rational person to I have moments less so now. But like last year, I'd be in the backyard go like, Oh my god, I make my living. I'm a tarot card reader. Like, what did I do? You know, and you'll have those little, and they go real fast. And they leave as quickly as they came. But it's a wild experience. Yeah.Lesley Logan 8:35 Yeah, I understand that I am. There's like, certain times in my life, I can tell when I truly listened, like to the intuition to these like, like, I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. But I do feel like the more we listen to our intuition, the more psycho we all are, you know, we just often don't want to or, or a lot, we, we pull ourselves out the way we tend to talk ourselves out of that intuition. Maybe someone told you, you know, you were wrong sometimes. And but the reason why we even live in Las Vegas right now, is because of one of those moments in 2020 when someone said something, and my gut said something and I was like, oh, it's time to move. And if you hadn't, if we hadn't moved then I while I'm sure we would have done something else amazing. We would not be exactly where we are today. Because we could a month later we could not live in the neighborhood that we're in right now. We couldn't have afforded it. We couldn't have made that switch as I'm a Pilates instructor. Like, you know, when you're like when you like, strip away all the things that make us who we are, you're like, and the title of this thing that I do is not something that people would think is a reliable, right.Rachel White 9:42 But what is the reliable job now? And that was the other reason I transitioned. So most of my clients are like high functioning executives, business owners, lawyers, professionals, you know, whatever it is, and there's so much turmoil and churn in the workforce across industries. geographies I have clients all over the world. And the new thing, I had a client, she works at a very prestigious technology company and is quite high up there. She said, I understand now that the side hustle is the hedge against the market. And for her, she's an astrologer really. And she's like, it would have seemed insane to me a couple of years ago. And now I'm like, that somehow feels more steady than even where I am. Because there's no more rules. By the way, her coworker was let go via email giving birth on maternity leave, which is illegal, you know, labor law wise, they don't care anymore.Lesley Logan 10:35 They're like, well then fight us in court, because that's probably cheaper. Rachel White 10:37 And she's a top performer just won a big award. And it didn't matter. Because it's not it's not a meritocracy up is down. It's a lot of chaos. So what I would say to people is the myth of the steady, reliable, safe job, it's not safe anymore. Number one, you know, doesn't mean you have to be crazy, like me and do what I do for a living. But getting into something that is a passion, even if it's just a hobby for a while getting certifications, exploring other things, developing skills, listening to your intuition in those areas. It's it's a really smart move, actually.Lesley Logan 11:12 Yeah, yeah. I love that. Thank you for sharing that. And we don't have to go off on this tangent. But I was talking with a girlfriend of mine, we both bought a house in the same year. And the amount of proof like, I was like, buying your first house is like the hardest thing you've ever done when you work for yourself. And I'm like, I've been working for myself for 15 years, excuse me, bank. If anyone can prove they can make money and be consistent look at me, I there's no guarantee that if I had a regular job, I would still have it for all of those 15 years, no way. But every single day, the bank's like, oh, we prefer the person who's working for a company, this person who's working for themselves, and it's, it can be infuriating, and frustrating. And luckily for me on most days, it lights a fire under my ass. But like, let me just show you, let me just prove you a difference. Not that they're paying attention. But I'm like, let me just prove you that you don't know what you're talking about. Because I can bet on myself every single day, when I can't bet on an employer that I've had.Rachel White 12:10 You can't anymore and part of the work of developing intuition and getting to know yourself that way. Because I do think it's sort of a perishable skill up to a point, like my husband's a chef, right? And if he doesn't cook, if he's not doing these on plus, and practicing his knife skills they dull. And I do think like using intuition and developing that muscle memory with it throughout life so that you're ready for those moments, you're ready for like the buying of the home and that challenge or you're ready for the corporate layoff or whatever the crazy thing is that's coming. It's not the first time you're like, doing a gut check.Lesley Logan 12:50 Yeah, okay. So yeah, can I ask you? Because I'm sure our listeners, my listeners, like they're like nodding. And they're like, okay, but as the perfectionist and overachievers we tend to attract on this show, what are some signs that they is their intuition that's talking to them and not like someone else's story that they've picked up?Rachel White 13:10 Right? Yeah, the the number one thing I do, and this might not be for everybody, but there might be a version of this, anyone listening to this convert this two year thing? I pull a tarot card. And tarot doesn't tell me what to do. It doesn't tell anyone what to do. And you know, I have my own deck and all of that. And even then I go, No, it's meant to facilitate your own work. And I will pull a single card in the morning for several days at a time, if I'm handling sort of a situation or assessing options. And I go to look for the consistency in the theme. And what it triggers in me like my you know, when you take standardized tests, they always tell you their first answer you think of is usually the right one. Yeah. And I take that direction. And then the other thing, the second layer of that is how much of this is fear. And frankly, using logic. So like, let's say, let's say I stay where I'm working, right? Let's follow that thought exercise all the way through. How much am I in control? Like how much safer is this really, and getting really objective about it, even writing it down on paper, really thinking through it. And then the third layer, which is a little bit more shamanic, because we're disturbed people is, you know, one day I'm gonna die. And that's sort of it seems morose. But it's actually a great way to prioritize what you're doing and what's fear versus what is excitement and how to assess all that. And I can honestly say, I'm 40 right now. I'm gonna have, at least on my trajectory right now, probably very few regrets in terms of, you know, I don't think I'm gonna feel like I didn't take risks that were meaningful, if that makes sense. And just doing like, letting yourself do things. I know so many people go, well, I wish I could write a book, but I have a job and I'm like, everybody's got a job. I got a job. You can still write a book. You can like these things. You can do them. It It's okay. But I'm also not one of those people. You know, there's so many life coaches that say crazy shit. And one of the things I'll hear from people is they go well, I was told that if I don't quit my job, the universe won't give me my next thing. And I'm like, no, no, no make money until you figure it out. What are you talking about? Yeah, that doesn't show up when you just empty your calendar.Lesley Logan 15:21 Yeah, no.Rachel White 15:22 That's wild. Lesley Logan 15:23 Yeah. Yeah, I, I, you know, that like, leap, and the net will appear. And I was like, I like, yeah, there are some things like I do joke that like, I do a lot of things. Like I'm on a, like a roller coaster. And I'm doing it scared like I cuz yeah, I don't know, the other side of things. But I remember like, I think it was Brene Brown, or somebody she was talking to said, I hate that line. I kind of think of it like, what would I would I be willing to do this, even if the net didn't appear? And like, that's kind of an easy, because it's like, if I'm not willing to do it, if the net doesn't appear, maybe, maybe I'm not there yet. But if I'm like, you know, I gotta do it anyway, no matter what happens, that's something I have to experience, then you know, you're not going to live your life with with, with regret.Rachel White 16:07 And that's a passion. And that's intentional. But people being like, I don't know what it is yet. But as long as I got this job paying me money, I'm not going to find out. I'm like, I don't know that. That's how the scavenger hunt works. Right? So there's a happy medium. And, you know, I started a podcast, and as you know, it costs money. No, yeah. Right. You have to have a little bit of faith that something works out. The biggest predictor for me is just do I want to do it right now. It's because I touch that intuition muscle a lot. And I go, I call it like, which five, you get which five of that stuff. And every time I've just done it, and it has that almost a somatic physical feeling to it. It always works out. And so if you practice this, you'll learn and you get more comfortable. And generally speaking, people are good at something, they can recreate that success. You know, if they're successful in a relationship, and then, you know, something happens, they can have another great relationship. Same with businesses. Yeah. creative projects. Lesley Logan 17:04 Yeah, I agree. And I think like, even when I'm just hearing you say is like, you the questions you ask yourself, when you pull a card, these are things like, is, anyway, you can do it as a journaling thing, you can do it as like a talking to yourself thing, but it's kind of like it's not, it's getting like a 30,000 foot view, and being a little bit more cynical around yourself versus like, like, it's not talking to another friend to get your intuition. It's being with yourself to get your intuition muscle. Rachel White 17:34 Listening to the fear, you know, one of the gifts of like, tarot or a lot of these modalities is you'll pull a card, in my case, it was the death card. And at the time, my, my deck was a prototype deck. This is my version of the death card, which is Anubis, it's the Egyptian God of death. And I, I would tell myself, like, okay, that's really interesting, that's a big card, and you don't judge it, you just kind of sit with it. And people can journal or I always like to see how the day goes, how I'm feeling what I'm noticing around me, and there was a massive reorganization at work, they were trying to get acquired by another big company I used to work for before that. And so you'll, you'll pull the card, and it might seem silly in a vacuum, right? That little noise in your head will be like, well, it's just a random card. And then you observe what's manifesting in reality, and you okay, that's not that random writing's on the wall. And, you know, using it as, as a means of getting access to your own spiritual data, is how I look at that. And, you know, pulling a card at the beginning of the day, even when you're not in a situation, living your day, coming back and looking at it, and reflecting on how that manifested for me. So you build your own language with cards, or runes, or whatever you want to use, it doesn't really matter.Lesley Logan 18:43 I mean, I think like, it kind of goes even into the idea of like, we see evidence for which we believe to be true all the time. You know, like, if we want to our goal, our whole brain is like, Let me prove myself right. All right. And so what it sounds like you're doing is like, in a way of, like, deliberate intuition is just is like kind of putting a piece of evidence out there and then allowing the day to unfold and just seeing how we interact with evidence or how that like, what is it coming back to and then reflecting on the end of the day, I can't think of a better way to come up with your like, develop your intuition muscle or spend time with yourself. Because I feel like you get to end up being through your day more present as opposed to the day happened to you. Rachel White 19:23 And it's not a bunch of work. It's not you know, doing DMT in Bali, or like, you know, it's a minimal requirement because most of the people I work with and myself we're busy, and I'm not one of those people where you have to like give an arm and a leg and do all this crazy. It's because it's like a diet. If it's not sustainable you're gonna have a hard time. Yeah. And it's in the sustaining of it where you're really going to get that that value right. And yeah, pulling a card Carl Jung love taro and my deck is very archetypal and Yang Yin and he would use it with his clients a bit like a Rorschach but around archetypes and a way of just getting you out of your own myopic nonsense and going like, Oh, that's interesting. I don't understand that. And then living your dang going. I totally understand that now. Yeah, I understand why that showed up. Yeah. And then next time, maybe a year from then you pull a card and you go, I know what's gonna happen today. Yeah. And you have that confidence. And it's rooted in. I mean, it's not a scientific experiment, right? But it's like, a little bit of a control experiment. You can run in your own life, you have a hypothesis, and you test it.Lesley Logan 20:27 Yeah. Okay. So I'm kind of now I want to know, at what point does somebody go I need? I need a skeptical Shaman. I need it. Like, how? Why? Like, like, because because you do have cards. So I could just use your cards, like, at what point in my life? I need someone like you in my actual life regularly? Or is it? Is it just a moment in time? Rachel White 20:51 I'm sort of notorious for not wanting people that come back a lot. And so I took my time building my practice on purpose, because I set certain intentions. And one of them was I don't want to be one of those people who's like, I need to see you every week. Yeah, the cards stay the same. I had a client push on it during COVID. And finally was like, You know what, it's fine. Come back in. Because just a few months after reading, I usually tell people to wait like eight, nine, twelve months. There's other stuff you can do. There's stuff you can do on your own, right. But for a Tarot reading, it's a snapshot for quite a quite a bit. And she came in with all the same cards, and they just slightly moved and she had had a picture and she goes, now I know why you didn't want me to come in. I said, I don't want to take your money twice for the same information. And also as a practitioner, no offense, it's boring. To tell you the same story. I like to meet with people when the tectonic plates have shifted, and there's something new and that's fun work. So a lot of people reach out when they're at a bit of a crossroads. Not like an intense one always but just like I don't know, I have a job. I don't love it, or I got laid off. But I don't know what I want to do. I don't want to get back in the same industry or maybe I had a breakup but I'm meeting people it's not clicking. Some people really want to go deeper into the spiritual work like soul's purpose. You know, what's my sort of mission for being here spiritually? So I do like Akashic Record, work and some channeling work and we get their their guides in, which is a little bit more of a shamany thing versus just a straight up you know, telepathic clairvoyant, psychic thing. I always joke that I, I stay out of the way, I'm just a broker, and other people come to the meeting. That's sort of how it works. And so yeah, and from my practice, I work with what I call, it's sort of a joke, but it's accurate, the spiritually homeless, like, they know there's something going on, they've had experiences, but also they're not they're not buying everybody's bullshit all the time. And, and so they want someone who's just going to kind of talk straight to them. And who's going to say, I don't know, sometimes like my if my, just yesterday, someone asked me a question. I had a big event here at my place in Austin. And I said, I don't I don't know they go, What do you mean? You don't know. I said, I honestly, I don't know the answer to that question. It's interesting. Yeah. And she was so like, taken aback. Like was willing to say, I don't know, just honest. I love knows everything. That's crazy.Lesley Logan 23:08 I love that though. Like every, like, there are certain things you've said, I'm like, thank God she's not a cult leader, okay, okay.Rachel White 23:14 I don't ever want that kind of pressure. I'm the least likely to be a cult leader. I'm so funny. To the point of clients are like, hey, what about this? And like, I don't know, did you Google it? I get so exhausted with that. And I don't need that kind of attention. It would drive me nuts. I was a people manager in corporate. I'm good on that experience for the rest of my life. I mean, I like people as individuals. I love those little sessions, you know, the event, you know, hanging out with my friends who were practitioners was great. Yeah. But it's i that is an interesting psychology.Lesley Logan 23:47 I know. That is I but I, but I hear you because like, so I used to be a teacher trainer for like new teachers and Pilates. And I really at the time, I really wanted to be that like, I really wanted to have that experience. I saw something I mostly wanted to recreate a better experience for every other teacher, because my first time was not right. And then after about six years of that, I was like, you know, I'm good on that. Like, they ask a lot of questions. And you do need to have an answer because they are new. And they yes, they need that. And I got to a place where I'm like, I I don't I don't want to have to be that for you. I really want you to be able to like grow and bloom and so now I have a mentorship which took me I dragged my feet and I team and my coach was like you people want this from you. They want to learn from you. You've had an exposure, I decided with one of Joe's Pilates clients. So I'm one of the few people out there who is close to the source supplies that that it's out there and I'm not crazy. So and I'm kind and I'm me. So I dragged my feet because I was like, Well, I don't want it to be like it's this way. This is the answer. I really want and I really want people to be able to come and explore the infirmary question that I have and then integrate it the way they want. And that was interesting. So I feel really good about that. But sometimes people have signed up and they're like, Well, can you just tell me the answer? And I'm like, so it's not black or white. There's actually, what do you think of it? And it's so interesting, because like, people can want you to be that for them. And you're like, No, no, I'm really good. I think can be hard, because of course, I want them to get the experience that they want to have. But I can't be the control for them. They have to figure that out themselves. Rachel White 25:30 Right. And you're actually doing the ethical thing, but it is a harder stone. And it's funny, my joke all the time I sell against myself constantly, right? Yesterday, someone said, your your spiritual transformation coaching program, it sounds really fun. I said, Oh, it's it's not fun. It's spiritual transformation. And three of my clients that are in the program right now, and it's all individual work, but I do it like at the same time, we're here and they started laughing. And the woman was, well, they look really happy. I go, Yeah, but that's like, crazy happy. So that's another, you know, this is disruptive work. Ultimately, it's very good for you. But it's, it's not a spa. And you know, and what's funny is people will be intrigued by that. And then I don't have to manage weird expectations that were off pace or whatever, you know, spiritual work, you're gonna see some things and feel some things that are that are really intense, you know, and not all the time. But like, if that's you dipping your toe, and there's a bit of that at the front end. Yeah, for sure. And we're not all like vending machines, have answers, right? Like, there's a thing in our culture of like, I put the dollar bill in, and I push F-six to get theLesley Logan 26:39 twig. I do that. If you are listening to it. That means you're too young for this podcast. Rachel White 26:45 Oh, yeah. And you probably eat healthy, and I used to be a garbage. I was a raccoon I would eat out of vending machines all the time. Oh, yeah.Lesley Logan 26:53 Are you kidding? I mean, I grew up poor. And I feel likeRachel White 26:56 me too.Lesley Logan 26:59 So yeah, I love that you brought that up? Because I do. It's funny. It's not. I feel like it's just generations of like, just get the right answers so that you like because it would be embarrassing. You'd embarrass the family. If you're wrong. You're embarrassing yourself if you're wrong. It's it's a failure if you don't have it right the first time. And I feel like only in the last like, seven years of my life maybe really five have I really understood that. It's like, it's actually really cool if I get the wrong answer. And in my business, of course, I want to make money, I got bills to pay, we got this mortgage now. But we learned so much more from the things that didn't go right in a project than we do when they like, like we had an event do so fucking amazing in May of 2020. So that's why we bought this house we like literally made a downpayment in a weekend. It's what entrepreneurs dream of right? And we have never recreated it. And I in trying to recreate it, we've learned so much. But from that I'm like luck and prepper like preparation met opportunity at that time people and may have wanted the information I had. And so the timing of what I did was exactly right. I couldn't have done it. If I wasn't prepared, of course, but we couldn't, there, you can't just recreate that, that extreme moment, you have to you learn more from the mistakes. Rachel White 28:19 And it's funny because you know, coming from corporate, I was an innovation director. And, you know, when you study innovation, you realize a lot of it can never be recreated. And it doesn't mean you're failing. And sometimes you can have the best idea, and everything lines up and nobody signs up. And other times you could have kind of a throwaway thing that just boom, and then other things come from it. And it's not an indication of your personal failure or achievement one way or the other always like being prepared, being organized, being professional, that's those are the variables you can control. So those should always be controlled, but the rest of it part of it is allowing. And that's a really hard thing for high functioning driven people. And I'm one of those I'm a workaholic. Um, it what it really is, is a false illusion of control. Like if I work enough, somehow I can control things you can't like, you don't think about it consciously that way. But that's really what it is, and being honest with yourself about it. And one of the reasons we had this event, I didn't charge anyone anything, it was a party, literally like you're invited my house. We're going to feed you My husband's a chef, here's some drinks, we make drinks out of the flower essence mother's because I make flower essences and had a party. And people were like, well, why are you doing this? There's like it's Equinox. And you know, tomorrow's Yom Kippur? We're happy Yom Kippur or whatever. Like, yeah, because it needed to happen. I don't know why. Yeah, and we'll see. Right. So I'm learning to like shake, move energy, like move chi sometimes just for the sake of moving it. Lesley Logan 29:53 Okay, so I love everything you just said there. I can't wait for Brad. My husband will listen to this and then we're going to talk about you on the next episode.Rachel White 30:01 (inaudible) to Brad's, by the way.Lesley Logan 30:02 I saw that I saw that, yeah, and my loves to cook. He's not an act like not an actual chef, but like, loves to cook. And so He's a chef in our household because I'm not cooking. But I love that you brought up allowing, and I'm wondering, like, can you go into that a little bit more? Because I do think that that's something that especially the women Listen, this podcast probably need to do more of I think we all probably need to, but Rachel White 30:28 I need to do more of it, too. Lesley Logan 30:30 So yeah, what are you doing to allow more because I,Rachel White 30:34 The big thing, my big case study that gave me permission to do more of it was the flower essence project, which wasn't a flower essence project. Initially, it was COVID lockdowns in Chicago, Chef husband at home. You know, in Chicago, you're not a house, there's not a yard and you're at the time we weren't allowed to go to parks, right? You don't have a large game.Lesley Logan 30:56 was in LA at the time. There you go. 500 square foot apartment. So I know your life. And we could not go outside.Rachel White 31:03 But I had so where we lived, we had a private balcony and a private roof deck because we were on the top floor. And you got that with our unit and you paid for it. But we were busy. We never used it. And then I had a meditation center in Oak Park, like, right to the west, where we lived in the west loop that had a private roof deck. And I said to my husband, you know, I gotta get outside. I'm gonna freak, I'm gonna freak out then. So let's plant some flowers. Let's do something. And it literally just came like that attached to nothing else. So we did that. And then because I'm kind of an asshole, and I can't just have a hobbyist, like, we should make flower essences. You know, there's things that I buy and that we take and, and so he's a chef, and we're like on Google, you know, making our being busy. Did it and then I was like, you know, I wonder what it would look like if I put like a totem label, literally just pure sort of play. I kind of gave them out as gifts to my friends. They loved them. And then my husband was like, You need to make these and sell them. And so I started doing it. And then I had a client a really good friend of mine, Claire shout out to Claire was like you gotta get on Etsy. I was like, I don't know, Etsy, isn't it like macro? She's like, No, no, no, no. And she's an artist, and he's doing tremendous work on there. And so I did, and it's a huge part of my business now. And then I studied herbalism and I got certified herbalism. And then you learn all kinds of other stuff. And I'm telling you, that was just all allowing, I didn't sit down and go my body, my my body of work, my business needs another product. And here's why. And I ran the numbers and I have an Excel spreadsheet about there was none of that in and it's turned a profit the first month. And I didn't know that. I had no idea. And but you know, it's intuition matched with by the way work. You should see the house there are 10s of 1000s of bottles. My friends who stayed with me were like, are you okay? mentally? And they're like, No, people make these with yours. Like, now I listen to a lot of podcasts. Yeah, just hand bottle out and they were like, holy shit. Lesley Logan 33:06 Yeah, I love that you brought up that like, you kind of just you put like almost like one foot in front the other like, yeah, I got outside.Rachel White 33:14 I like wow, I liked learning.Lesley Logan 33:16 Yeah. And you you didn't try to control like what the flowers were going to represent before no landed them. And I think that that's something very hard for I'm I call myself a recovering perfectionist overachiever. Because i not i don't think i think recovered would mean I mean, perfect, perfect about it. But I think that the best things come from I'm just going to try this out. And yeah, too often either people in your life go well, what are you how you make money off that that'll never make any money? Or you do this? What about your kids? What about this? And it's like, you have to turn their dial off and just kind of like go okay, who am I I may have to protect my hobby or protect my curiosities for a little bit to be mine. Because we, yes, everything does cost money and everything. We do need to make more money in this world than we ever had to make to be part of it. But you're not allowing when you try to micromanage what it is before it starts.Rachel White 34:13 And don't listen to the well meaning morons. When I started totosLesley Logan 34:18 Rachel, I hope you have a shirt like that.Rachel White 34:21 I got you wouldn't believe how mean people who were who I know liked me and were supportive of me were because they thought it was a disaster. Right? And I had a friend I asked her if she wanted to design the logo, because I didn't end up going with her for obvious reasons. You'll hear in a second. She was like, you know, this is crazy. And you're never going to be successful. You're never gonna be able to do it. And literally, I'm not making that up. It was that like, specific and intense. And then I did it and then she was like, oh, and I was like, right. You know, if they couldn't do it, maybe they don't see it because they're not connected to that they're not supposed to be manifesting that stuff here. They have their own thing to do. and just giving yourself permission to do and by the way, in corporate in tech, the mantra of innovation is fail small, fail early fail often. It's not never fail. It's not get a crystal ball out and control your entire future. It's the understanding that through doing things, you will learn experientially, and that you'll be able to incorporate that and hone things. Or even if you test hypothesis, and it's faulty. You've learned something that's a successful experiment. Right? Yes, you and just converting it, whatever you learn into something of value. And the other thing I would say, though, is when you work like this, you do have to work. Yeah, there's no playing around and then not putting an elbow grease, you know? Yeah.Lesley Logan 35:43 Yeah, it's true. I mean, that's the that's the hardest part. I think a lot of people will look at other people, they'll look at you or they'll look at me and go, Oh, must be so easy. Or they just like,Rachel White 35:53 because I have I've never worked harder and I've never had a worst boss. And it's me.Lesley Logan 35:59 I do think I'm kinder than my worst worst bosses, but I can't part of myself. But it's so funny because I we have flashcards which I like, are like tarot cards for Pilates exercises, really. That's how I mean, as a classical teacher, they have an order. But I also tell people, like just pick up cards pull card out. And if you can't do that exercise, like turn it around and see what other exercises involved in there. And one of the hardest things was not creating the actual card. And I'm sure even for you with I don't know, I don't wanna put words in my mouth. But like for the taro part, is like actually getting the production of the cards like trying to get somebody in 2020 to print the cards, the way I wanted, with the quality materials I wanted, and to ship them to people. Rachel White 36:41 Yeah, I know. And someone gave me a really hard time I got invited to this book event and the lady. She's brilliant. She's a, like a writing coach, publishing coach helps people get on TED talks, stuff like that. She's very successful. And she's like, Rachel, I was on the day for self publishing, because that's what we did. And so my guess is when you publish on Amazon, they're evil. I'm like, hey, it was in the middle of COVID. I'm my only employee it was with my money. Are you kidding me? Right now? You're that's the thing you're gonna pick you with? Yeah, it was a miracle that we got it done. Yeah. Yeah. And they're not the publisher. I'm the publisher. It's just on their platform. Lesley Logan 37:21 Well, and, and also, guess what, guys, I also am on Amazon, you want to know why? Because people will trust Amazon? Over my website. Rachel White 37:25 Yeah, it's easy for them. And I knew I was going to be moving to Texas, I couldn't physically manage the inventory. Like there are pragmatic concerns. And you know, it's that whole, like, there's always something someone out there is going to be on and they, if nothing else, I will ask everyone to start if you can kindly educate people on what it's like to have a small business or to be running a p&l in another larger business there. I think sometimes people to your point, they really lack compassion for you, in a lot of ways.Lesley Logan 38:03 Yeah. Yeah. And I, I, it's so it's, it's so tricky, because you want to like pick and choose your battles, but also like, yeah, you know, we have, I think we need to get to a point where we stop judging people for the tools that they're using to get their message out there. Because unfortunately, like, when you're a small business, there are so many expenses that you don't even think about, when you get started, there are money for the newsletter you're sending money for. So it's really, you know, sometimes you have to and then you, you can, once you get things up and you get to test it, you get to see like, what is the feedback? Was this a good idea? What's this, then you can actually like, take it to another place. You know, it's so important that we just have a little bit more compassion for small businesses and also understand like, there are also avenues out there that just allow us to get our message out there faster. And sometimes we have to use it, especially when you're small. Rachel White 38:59 I mean, I wasn't going to Epstein's Island all the time I got on the flight logs. I just published something on COVID. And so yeah, nuances is important, too. Yeah.Lesley Logan 39:11 Okay, Rachel, I want to ask, like, what are you excited about right now? Like, what is something that you're really excited to be working on?Rachel White 39:18 Oh, well, the the big, big thing I have to say is the podcast. And, you know, this was another thing I did just because I wanted to have discussions with people and share them. Because so much of what I do for a living is I talked to really interesting people in a really intimate, meaningful way. Like there's no small talk in a client session. With totem, and that's not just me, that's people come they want to talk about their life's purpose or, you know, they they're just very honest and vulnerable. And so, it occurred to me like I know a lot of interesting people, and I want people to hear this. Yeah. And so I've been doing interviews for season two, and it's been really fun and I am clients do it because I'm like, You're interesting. They're like, No, I'm not. I'm really, I'm like, that's enough of this. Everybody's interesting, right then working on that. And it's funny because I don't have a producer, my best friend Roger does the audio editing and I sent him like a couple 100 bucks, every episode or something, I don't even keep track of it. And people go like, well, you must be like, making so much money. I was like, Oh, my God, no, that's not how podcasts work. And they're like, don't you have sponsors? And like, do you want to be sponsored? Be a sponsor, I'd love to talk to you about that. But it's the joy of just doing the thing and seeing that you had an idea. I'm sure you had this feeling too. And then it's actually out there. It's actually happening. People listen to it. It's so exciting. Yeah, it feels so good. So I'm really focused on that. We're going to make another deck actually a flower medicine deck, because of all the flower essences and herbalism. I just, it's the time projects like that you really need block of time. Lesley Logan 40:56 And yeah, we can we can talk offline about like the time I set up, because I have the decks that I did, there's six months total. And I really thought I could knock out to a year. And we are we're at one year, folks. And the reality is, is not because I can't make the time. I'm not even like these are not even spiritual things. These are like things I already have a lot of the content made, I just have to repurpose it. But it is it's been in that brain space and focusing and it takes now between all the man hours, when we when I stopped counting the man hours, it's usually around four or 500 man hours, like between human hours of like my time, and editors time, all this stuff. And so it's just being able to set everything else aside, which means this podcast has to be recorded in advanced so that I don't have to do podcasting. And my, my filming for my other thing, I'd have to be on that one. That's my one project at the moment. And so it does they take time, but I so I hear you, we have some systems in place that make it easier for me. And even then it shaved off like I don't know, 100 hours, which is not nothing but the (inaudible).Rachel White 42:01 Well, the other thing is while you're in pure creation on a project like that, unless you have a book deal, which I've been averse to, because of the degree of control. Yeah, I gotta have an Aquarius moon, I don't like being told what to do I have a vision I'm a little tyrannical about creativity is I'm going to I don't get paid during that time. And I have to pay to print it and publish it. And so you, you know, you can create all you want, but not you can't do that. And then expect everything else to strike along. I always say to people, when you say yes to everything without realizing you're also saying no to things you're not even thinking about. Yes, there's it's not infinite. You have to prioritize, right? Yes, yeah. So I use all of November in December for this kind of work. I don't do any coaching work. I limit client sessions, and I slow down as the world gets darker and quieter. And I just do stuff like that every year.Lesley Logan 42:58 I'm excited for your next deck. Take your time.Rachel White 43:01 Thank you. I want it to be nice. We want to make it nice.Lesley Logan 43:05 Yeah. And yeah. And also, you know, especially with things like that, they're there. You can't control the creativity either. So like, you also don't want to force it or rush it or put it on some sort of timeline. Rachel White 43:19 Every cards vision board and setup, I did that in two days, and I'm not on Adderall. This is all natural. This is just crazy. Lesley Logan 43:29 When you're in the flow, it's through. You don't need Adderall. Alright, we're gonna take a brief break, we're gonna find out where people can find you. Follow you work with you, and get your cards. Thank you. Rachel White 43:39 Yeah, so you can find me at totem, reach on Instagram. Be prepared to be disappointed. I'm passive aggressive about social media. And totem readings.com. Just send me an email. All my info is on the website.Lesley Logan 43:53 Awesome. And that's where you get your cards or everything is on to it.Rachel White 43:58 It's on Amazon. It's the totem tarot deck. And then the skeptical shaman is Apple, Spotify, Google anywhere you listen to podcasts and season two starts the first week in October here. Perfect.Lesley Logan 44:08 We will link all of that in our show notes. So make sure it's everywhere. I'm already intrigued by your higher deck of cards. We'll be heading Amazon up next. Before I let you go, you've given us like so much awesome advice. I feel like there's been some great gems in there. But I always like to ask you Well, this bold, executable intrinsic or target advice people can take to be it till they see it. What do you have for us?Rachel White 44:30 My big one that I'm doing right now because I also need help is I am taking a very strict digital detox one day a week from everything television, phone, computer screen. And for me, what that does is I get I get very clear on what matters. It lowers that cortisol. It lowers the fear and just the I'm very addicted to busyness and noise like I could listen to 18 podcasts a day. You know what I mean? I love consuming noise and Creating noise in my own way. And so I've been doing that and what happens on those days is miraculous, you'll have the big business idea. So you don't have to grind. It's like a, it's a retreat to move forward. And you know, if you have goals or anything else, just taking that time, it seems counterintuitive, but you get there faster. You really do. A lot of us when we're working, working, working, you're not thinking as deeply as you think you are. You're just not You're not seeing certain things. It's actually a business imperative. I've decided I have to do that for my business. Lesley Logan 45:35 Yeah, I love that. Oh, digital detox. I love it. I have been putting my phone on grayscale at night. And I don't take it off grayscale until I like start making it like after breakfast because then it's like, because what happens is inevitably, you open up an app and you start working. And I am like you I could just, I love what I do. I could just keep doing it. But it's like I really, I my best days I noticed are because the grayscale comes off later in the day. So as soon as comes off, and it's those beautiful colors. And you can see what app that is you start going there. So I I really like it and a whole day Lou, I'm gonna see how I can do I'm gonna challenge myself at the time this episode (inaudible). Rachel White 46:17 Intermittent fasting, it really is, it's a great way to reset. And I have better ideas. When I'm not just doing what I'm not in tactical execution. And I don't have the discipline to not tactically execute. Yeah, unless it's all shut off, so.Lesley Logan 46:33 One more thing on this when I travel internationally, like I used to, I would never pay the phone company to let me use my phone internationally. Like there's Wi-Fi if I need it, I'll get Wi Fi like it's, you know, where am I going? And a recent trip to Poland, I was annoying my husband and come with me. Another trick is helplessness they'll because they'll say he'll be the one that gets to work. And so I'm like, Of course I can be safe because like he's, he's good. Yes. But I realized that because my phone worked in between being at a hotel or the Conference Center. I was struggling to be as present as I could just walking down these beautiful streets I hadn't been in and I was like, oh, it's because my phone works. And I can get a text message and I can get this and I'm like, Okay, we're just going to go on airplane mode. Yeah, intentionally so that we can like be present. So I thank you for sharing that. Thank you for all of this. I am so excited about what you're doing. You're everything. I wanted to be in the tarot shaman world. Like it's so fun to be like, Oh, I can have some crystals and do logic. Thank you so much, Rachel. Thank you, everyone. How are you going to use these tips in your life? When are you going to go on a digital detox and also what were your favorite parts about this make sure you tag Rachel tag Viet pods we can share it and until next time, be it till you see it. That's all I got for this episode of the B until you see it podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the beat pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it help us and others be it till you see it. Have an awesome day. Lesley Logan 48:13 Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network.Brad Crowell 48:16 It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan and me, Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 48:21 It is produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo. Brad Crowell 48:25 Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music, and our branding by designer and artist Gianfranco Cioffi. Lesley Logan 48:32 Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals and Ximena Velazquez for our transcriptions. Brad Crowell 48:38 Also to Angelina Herico for adding all the content to our website. And finally to Meridith Crowell for keeping us all on point and on time. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Holly Brodt, retired St. Paul police officer, devout Buddhist, and meditation coach extraordinaire. Holly was already a Buddhist when she became a St. Paul police officer, using her spiritual toolkit— and her warrior medicine, intuition, and empathy— to not only keep the streets safe, but to support and assist all stakeholders in recovering from trauma, healing their wounds, and pulling out of negative spirals.Holly has worked directly with police unions, EMTs and more to help them recover from trauma and build resiliency among their ranks. The primary focus of her recent work with P.O.W.E.R. Resiliency Education was to use the tips and tricks from Buddhists (and modern science) to undertake adrenal fatigue and recover from traumatic experiences. Holly is a very funny and dynamic woman that defies definition, further proving that all of the good (and true) stuff lies in the messy middle of real life— not in tribal, flattened stereotypes. Holly truly has a wise heart, and in this episode she shares her unique perspective and insights with all of us.And, as per usual, we pull a card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck to sum up our discussion— and, as per usual, it was wildly on point!TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Summer Sanders, owner of Sabai Studio in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. Summer is a physical therapist, reiki practitioner, Feng Shui consultant and much, much more.In this episode, we explore the dynamic and magical world of Feng Shui: the system of laws that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi). While Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice-- much like acupuncture and Chinese medicine-- it's inherently useful for the unique challenges of our modern world, offering energetic relief from frustration, stagnation and even basic b*tch burnout.We dig into the bagua map that governs the quadrants of our homes, offices, and yes-- even energy bodies, as well as what every listener can do "on day one" to shift their own energies in the direction of their dreams. With Feng Shui, little adjustments can generate big changes-- and even wholesale transformations-- so proceed intentionally!And, of course, we pull a card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck, revealing the unique presence of Feng Shui in the realm of tarot.TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpSummer's website: https://sabaistudio.orgPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) talks to Whitney Abke, host of the Soul-ish Podcast, about navigating the odd twists and turns that come with a real deal, bonafide spiritual journey-- and, in this case, one that started out in hardcore Christianity.Whitney grew up as a non-denominational Christian pastor's daughter, even attending seminary and becoming a licensed pastor before some "heretical" skepticism set in: specifically, Whitney started to struggle with the obvious disparity between how men and women were being treated in her faith.  Her insistence on asking the tough questions resulted in her church refusing to ordain her-- a hard realization after growing up in the faith and wanting to be of service. While she still served as a volunteer in several church ministries for over two decades, it never quite felt in alignment again. In the intervening years, her spiritual journey has urged her to unbox and explore beliefs about herself, God, and her purpose, ultimately bringing her to the waters of the Woo-- and the radical self-acceptance that comes from not trying to fit into the prescribed box of organized religion.If well-behaved women seldom make history, then it's a natural conclusion to assume the witchy ones go down in the history books! To that end, we talk Old Testament, Red Tents, and looking for love in the wild!Of course, we conclude our discussion with a card pull from The Skeptical Shaman's sponsor: The TOTEM Tarot Deck. Stay tuned for it-- it's a goodie;)TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpWhitney's Links: https://linktr.ee/whitneyabkeThe Soul-Ish Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-soulish-podcastPlease 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 very special GROUP episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) facilitates an illuminating discussion with three of her incredible TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching clients-- and artists and spiritual practitioners in their own right:- Abigail Kochunas of Sacred Healing Art LA- Karen Cadiero-Kaplan of Wisdom Collective- Laura Oxendine of Thrown LightThis episode came together after a rather spontaneous-- and informal-- Ted Talk all about spirituality and spiritual growth from an authentic, human-scaled perspective. When we do long-form shamanic work-- like in the TOTEM Coaching Program-- there are all kinds of game-changing flashes of insight, shifted paradigms, and even some real-deal surprises. These bonafide proofs are often lost in the noise of the spiritual development space of Canva templates and reductionist life coaching crap, remaining untold stories of legitimate, game-changing interactions with the realm of spirit.That is, they were untold stories-- until now. The upshot of these spiritual experiences? You don't always get what you thought you wanted, but you always get what you actually need. These ladies share some incredible anecdotes about their recent (and ongoing) "spiritual scavenger hunts", revealing how they followed the bread crumb trail to greater personal, professional and artistic inspiration and expansion. They all make one simple, actionable recommendation that listeners can put into effect immediately to set them up for spiritual development success.Of course, we wrap our discussion with a card pull from our TOTEM Tarot Deck, revealing yet again that there is no such thing as coincidence when in the waters of Woo. And not even L. Ron Hubbard's ghost can stop us.Want to learn more about the TOTEM Transformation Coaching Program and our next round of coaching work in January 2024? Book a free consultation here: https://calendly.com/rachel-1061/totem-spiritual-transformation-coaching-consultationTOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Substack (newsletter): https://totemrach.substack.com/Karen's website: https://www.wisdomcollective.net/Abigail's links: https://linktr.ee/sacredhealingart/Laura's links: http://www.lauraoxendine.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.

Known as “The Skeptical Shaman”, Rachel White is an unusual spiritual practitioner. Blending 25 years of corporate experience with the “woo”, Rachel is making waves with her unique take on spirituality. She hosts The Skeptical Shaman podcast, is the owner of TOTEM Readings, the author behind the TOTEM Readings Substack, the creator of the TOTEM Tarot Deck (available on Amazon and Etsy), and the creator of TOTEM Flower Essences, available on the TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop.     In this episode of Visionary Souls, we explored... How Rachel started her business and how she got into exploring Shamanism Rachel shares what her take on ascension is How the light looks different lately Distinctions in wanting to know the truth and the balance of free will How knowing death is not the end has shifted her attitude towards reality How many changes happen if you give yourself time and space and you allow How Rachel defines Shamanism Happiness in existence looks different for different people   And SOUL much more...come play!   **All the Ways To Play** Embodied Ascension Academy courses, workshops + meditations Energy Healing and Purpose Alignment Bundles Register for the Akashic Facilitator Training Certification course 1:1 Soul Sourcing Sessions 1:1 Quantum Healing Transmissions 5D Visionary Mentorship The Empath Experience Book Visionary Souls Support New Book: “I'm Ascending, Now What?” Get your Magic Mind flow state shot here: www.magicmind.com/VISIONARY20 - use my code VISIONARY20 at checkout to save 20%.   Connect with Rachel: Website: https://www.totemreadings.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totemrach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/totemrach/ Buy the TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviews  Listen to The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5gCxjkLqdh7iszMngUprwb?si=9c8a2024cd064197 Read our Substack Newsletter: https://totemrach.substack.com  Visit our Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX 

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Casey Balsham, stand-up comedian and host of the Never Not Tired and Shady Shit podcasts. Not only is Casey a new mother and busy, working comedian, she's also obsessed with all things shady: serial killers, true crime, scam artists, cults and more! Rachel and Casey spill some major tea, digging into the scandal of “Scamanda”—and the podcast of the same name—and how covert narcissists and con artists are finding a warm, protective home within spiritual communities. Rachel and Casey dig into the tangible red flags to keep an eye out for in a very, very shady world. Guess what? People actually fake cancer to raise money, get attention and garner sympathy, and oftentimes these cons are unbelievably elaborate and involve a spiritual dimension. Just when you think humans couldn't get any worse…In this podcast, we explore the potential, latent narcissism behind the archetype of the perpetual victim, especially when that victim overshares their “struggle” online. Many, many spiritual narcissists (and other species of exploitative psychos) will wrap themselves in sheep's clothing to disarm and disorient you. Never forget: those big eyes and ears and teeth belong to a wolf, no matter how nice the sheep's clothing is!And, as per usual, we wrap our revelatory discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck that threads the themes of our discussion together!TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpCasey's Links: https://linktr.ee/CasefacebCasey's IG: https://www.instagram.com/casefaceb/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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Cardsy B, aka Rebecca Szymczak, the host of the Hex and the City podcast and author of The Saturn Diaries. Cardsy B is a working witch, tarot card reader, and intuitive coach that has published her own tarot deck-- a bit like our host here at The Skeptical Shaman. In this episode, we explore the question: "What happens when the planets stop being polite, and start getting real?"We go deep on the impact crater of our Saturn Return astrological phases, exploring the dark turns our lives can take as the planets wreak havoc. But it isn't all breakups and breakdowns-- sometimes, it's a really big breakthrough, and one that transforms our lives and sets us up for success long into the future. The power of Cardsy's message lies in her "Zero F*cks" policy and radical honesty, laying bare her biggest struggles with a sense of humor, perspective and desire to help others avoid the pitfalls she stepped into along the way.Of course, we satisfy the bloodthirsty, Sumerian gods-- *ahem*-- I mean our sponsor, the TOTEM Tarot Deck, by pulling a card to tie the whole damn dynamic chat together. The upshot of this episode? Just because you're psychic and smart and powerful doesn't mean you're not a human having a human experience, so be kind and rewind!TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpCardsy B's website: https://www.cardsyb.comCardsy B's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardsyb/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 very special Halloween-themed episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Angela Gore—a real deal working archeologist that specializes in Beringian archaeology: the study of the earliest humans in North America.In this episode, we pivot from the usual, cliché Halloween content, opting instead for a deeper dialogue around our connection to the dead—and what that means for the health of our modern culture. We discuss the Indonesian tradition of digging up their dead to invite them back into the world of the living, how ancient proto-Americans interred their loved ones beneath their homes, and how the Japanese honor and “keep the dead close”—all a stark contrast to our death-phobic modern cultural norms.From an archeological and anthropological perspective—Angela's academic wheelhouse—the dead are all around us all of time, their remains enriching the terroir and becoming a part of the nature all around us. From a shamanic perspective—the foundation of Rachel's spiritual practice-- the dead are all around us all the time in spirit, ready to interact and affirm through dreams, mediumship appointments, and other signs and symbols.Halloween, The Day of the Dead, Samhain, All Saints Day and more are all late-October/ early November holidays that share a critical theme: take advantage of the thinning of the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead to make contact with our dearly departed. This episode is equal parts Discovery Channel and Beetlejuice, briding the realms of science and spirituality through the common ground of the dead. Despite the macabre topic, we wrap our discussion with an unusually uplifting and positive tarot card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck. Just goes to show you: the realm of spirit is full of paradigm-shifting surprises, even when it's from our tyrannical sponsor: The TOTEM Tarot Deck.TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpPlease 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 episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Tirrell Cherry, certified hypnotist, coach and the host of the Magic Meets Mind podcast. Tirrell has had an extraordinary adventure through the world of new age coaching, recently taking a crucial break to reset, recalibrate, and get back to center. Why was this "retreat" for Tirrell so necessary to "move forward"? Well, the coaching ecosystem is a strange place, wrought with unexpected hurdles, strange pressures to poke at latent pain, and majorly mixed messages-- not to mention the palpable presence of the unscrupulous used car salesmen archetype.Tirrell found himself at a critical crossroads: How does a coach know if they're in alignment with their soul's purpose? When does a coach push to grow their business and when do they chill to get back to human-scaled, ethical basics? How do you know if you're acting out of sincerity and not scarcity?It's really hard to hit "pause" on your business, and it's even harder to ask yourself the tough questions...but it's also TOTALLY necessary when operating as a spiritual practitioner in our modern world of woo. And, as per usual, we wrap our revelatory discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck. I would say it didn't disappoint, but when does it ever? Shout out to our tyrannical sponsors: The TOTEM Tarot Deck and TOTEM Readings.TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpElisha's IG: @tirrellcherryTerrell's Website: https://tirrellcherry.lifePlease 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 episode of the Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Kate Waldwick of Cronos Astrology to chat all things astrology…and SYSTEMS!!!Kate is a pretty smart lady, especially when it comes to complex systems: their functionality, interdependencies, and behaviors. Not only is Kate an MIT grad and current high-level employee at a giant tech company, but she's also an astrologer—a practice that leverages her systems thinking in fresh and innovative ways. Kate's differentiated approach to astrology is a fresh take on an old classic, and in this chat we explore our very modern and (very) dystopian landscape through the filter of the cosmic bodies and their movements. In this episode, we dig into how the stars and planets aligned during the French and American Revolutions…and how those very same objects are aligning right now.Halfway through, we realize we're saying “systems” so much that we really should have announced a drinking game at the outset of the interview, so if you're listening during downtime, feel free to take a shot every time you hear the magic word: systems.We wrap up our discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck, further reinforcing the interconnected nature of our reality. You know: systems!TOTEM Readings website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comKate's IG: IG @cronos.astrologyPlease 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.

Happy Monday, Alchemist! Today we sit down for a no BS conversation about various aspects explored within the journey of healing. Known as “The Skeptical Shaman”, Rachel White is an unusual spiritual practitioner. Blending more than 25 years of high-level corporate innovation and strategy experience with a deep knowledge of the world of spirituality, Rachel is making waves with her fresh, pragmatic take on spiritual development. “We don't have to agree to get along…” Rachel is the host of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, Owner of TOTEM Readings, her Austin, TX-based spiritual practice, author and publisher of the TOTEM Tarot Deck, and the purveyor of TOTEM Flower Essences on her TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop. She is also the author of the TOTEM Readings Substack, an engaging community that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to be spiritual. Learn more about Rachel and her work at http://totemreadings.com If you enjoy the episode, subscribe to this channel and share with your community. Then download The Energetic Alchemist app! Learn more at http://theenergeticalchemist.com, and get your limited-edition of The Energetic Alchemist Oracle while you're there! xo ACCESS THE REIKI RAYS GLOBAL HEALING SUMMIT: http://theenergeticalchemist.com  

In this episode of the Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Elisha Halpin, a nervous system-training coach that works with individuals wanting to get out of adrenal fatigue, effectively retraining their brains to not freak the f*ck out all the damn time.Elisha calls herself an ‘awakened academic', having extracted herself from the grind of higher education to work with clients to heal trauma through meditation, somatic therapy, and much, much more. She works with clients to achieve better nervous system regulation—no small feat in our nervous system-destroying world.In this discussion, we explore the hyperstimulation of the simulacra in which we live: a world obsessed with the “viral”, the hyper-novel, and the increasingly depraved and intense as we hunt for the illusive brain chemicals that generate the happy feels. Long story short: there are no cheat codes are hacks to mental health or spiritual development, so stop treating this stuff like a vending machine. There is no short cut. The bottom line? Chasing the dragon of dopamine while fighting off the monster of cortisol is no way to go through life. Sometimes, we all just need to get back to the somatic and cerebral version of the missionary position. With socks on. And lights off.I realize this is a daring and risqué metaphor, but it's also apt.  I mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!Join Elisha and I in our crusade to empower others to chop wood and carry water: i.e. embrace the meditation of the mundane and the recalibration to normal that our nervous systems are dying to experience again. All of life is sacred—not just the neon, smell-o-vision stuff!We wrap up our discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck, and it does not disappoint!TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comElisha's IG: @elisha_halpinElisha's Website: https://elishahalpin.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.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Nichole Bigley of the incredible podcasts A Psychic's Story, Supernatural Matters, and A Psychic Story: Kids' Edition. Nichole is also a psychic intuitive that has been I've been talking to angels her whole life. It started at a very early age when her memories of before being born on Earth suddenly returned. She is currently cowriting the book Looking for Angels: A Guide to Connecting with Angels in the hopes of putting more people in touch with their own angelic guides.In this episode, we dispel the myths of the angelic realm and help folks figure out what angels are-- and what they're NOT (hint: it has a little something to do with toxic positivity and Precious Moments dolls).Rachel and Nichole both share their early and very personal first encounters with angels, and how these experiences have shaped their psychic client work and broader lives. Long story short: angels are pretty high impact and basically change the trajectory of your whole life!And, of course, we pull a card from the TOTEM Tarot Deck and it does NOT let us down! So, stay to the end-- that's where the good stuff is in any case;)Nicole's links:Main podcast: https://www.apsychicsstory.com/Book: https://www.lookingforangelsbook.com/Supernatural podcast: https://www.supernaturalmatters.com/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apsychicsstoryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/apsychicsstory/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APsychicsStory/Twitter: https://twitter.com/APsychicsStoryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCHwljl03uxjvTUWQW8weQRachel's links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White of TOTEM Readings sits down with The Tarot Lady herself: Theresa Reed.Not only has Theresa been a professional tarot card reader for her entire adult life, she's translated her arcane know-how into success as an author, having created a multitude of published works: The Tarot Coloring Book, Tarot For Troubled Times, Astrology For Real Life, Twist Your Fate – Manifest Success with Astrology and Tarot, and Tarot: No Questions Asked – Mastering the Art of Intuitive Tarot Reading.Theresa boasts a LARGE social media and Patreon following, so she knows a thing or two about converting tarot into professional success. But this means she ALSO knows all about the flip side of making it big: from con artists to impersonators to people with poor boundaries. In this episode, Rachel and Theresa chat about red flags for folks to look out for when seeking a tarot card reader or psychic practitioner and, conversely, what GOOD attributes to keep an eye out for in the ethical-- and talent-rich-- world of woo.Theresa is not only a tremendous talent, but a gracious, generous and insightful human being-- so listen to her words of wisdom before leap into the wild unknown!Of course, we wrap up with pulling a TOTEM Tarot Card and, as per usual, it just doesn't disappoint. Theresa's links: https://linktr.ee/thetarotladyRachel's links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Colleen Soisson, Ayurvedic Practitioner and actual wellness expert to discuss the tension inherent to getting healthy and embodied in a world built on convenience and time-scarcity. Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old form of holistic medicine from India, mirroring much of what makes Chinese medicine (and functional medicine) tick. In this discussion, Rachel and Colleen debate the answer to this perennial existential question: what feeds your soul?But like, literally.We play the hits: why is everyone so unhealthy? Why is everything in our world literal poison? How can we survive, thrive, and not go nuts in the process?The long and short of it? We're on our own, kids. Time to take accountability for our own well-being, happiness, diet and lifestyle because there is NO knight on a white horse rolling up to save our asses!What's more: a lot of this comes down to personal accountability. Are we addicted to the very thing that's bad for us? Are we in a cycle of simply being drawn to what we know, like a kind of personal gravity that pulls us into what we've been eating, doing and thinking? ENTROPY?!?F*ck. No one told me being a grown up was going to be like this. It's actually a lot of work to survive and thrive in this world!!!What's more: we discover that Rachel is addicted to her fire dosha, that Colleen's dosha doesn't love air travel, and that both shamans and Ayurvedic practitioners can spit fire when they're tired or overworked.It's not all light and love;)Of course, we pull a TOTEM Tarot Card to wrap up our dynamic chat, revealing a not-so-subtle message from spirit;)Colleen's website: Website: colleensoisson.comColleen's IG: @colleen_ayurvedaRachel's links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachThe TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) interviews Lianne Arends, researcher and author of the in-progress book series titled “The Godessy”. Lianne's life's work is all about researching and understanding the origins of the Ancient Mystery Teachings, which have been shrouded in secrecy for millennia. The Godessy is historical fiction, detailing the story of a very real scientist that got swept up in a very real ancient mystery school that emerged in the wake of World War 2. The Godessy—and Lianne's research—is all about how the ancient world worshipped the goddess alongside the god, and how our society might just benefit mightily from bringing a little bit of yin back into the mystical (and pragmatic) mix.Lianne and I bond over our love of all things ancient (and dorky), including the hieroglyphic nature of the ancient Hebrew language, it's meaning in the study of the ancient mystery schools, and what the true nature of our origins as a species might be. Hint: the clues are right in front of our face (and in our genome)!We dig into the incredible work of Graham Hancock, the world of Ancient Egypt, and how what we may be going through now as a species—including with the emergence of AI—might actually be part of a much older, repeating pattern. To this end, digging into the mystical past (and our own spiritual birthrights) may just give us the map for this new (and often scary) terrain.Interesting in ancient wisdom and mystery schools? Kabbalah? Hebrew? Goddess worship? The severely misunderstood figure of Lilith? This episode has the high strangeness and occult goodies you've been craving!As always, we pull a TOTEM Tarot Card…and it's so on point, creepy doesn't quite cover it! Links:•The TOTEM Tarot Deck (used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp•TOTEM Readings (Rachel's website): https://www.totemreadings.com•Rachel's IG: @totemrach•Liane's Website: www.liannearends.com•Liane's IG: @arends_lianne

In this episode of the Skeptical Shaman, host Rachel White chats with "The Emotional Entrepreneur": Scout Sobel. Not only is this the title of Scout's book, but it's also her life's mission statement. As the owner of Scout's Agency and the cohost of the "Okay, Sis" podcast, Scout is upending every pre-conceived "rule" of what it means to be a woman, a mother, and a business owner, harnessing the power of her emotions and intuitions instead of fighting them at every step.Scout's Agency has a simple but powerful mission: to get women as guests on podcasts, and through delivering this incredible product Scout has absolutely gained invaluable lessons learned across business, personal development, and spirituality more broadly.In this chat, Rachel and Scout dig into the crucial importance of the chakras, how to radically accept your nature and your soul's purpose, and how to navigate the "shadow aspect" of your incredible super powers...you know, because we all have them!Scout credits her bipolar disorder with many of her own superpowers, market differentiators and--frankly speaking-- her competitive edge, but also acknowledges that "with great power comes great responsibility".  Scout shares her own best practices for self-care, how to manage the instinct to "fawn" in a society obsessed with customer service, and what she needs to fill her tank up after an exhausting workday.We end our discussion with Rachel pulling a TOTEM Tarot Card for Scout, who reflected a totally awesome, totally curious open mind when faced with an often misunderstood mythical character!TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's spiritual practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (deck used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comScout's Agency website: https://www.scoutsobel.comScout's IG: https://www.instagram.com/scoutsobel/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.

Ralph Sarchie is a retired NYPD Sargent and an active Traditionalist Catholic Demonologist and Exorcist. Ralph's story can be found in the book Deliver Us From Evil, which was also converted into a film of the same name. Ralph refers to his efforts as a police officer as “the Job”, calling his work as a Demonologist and Exorcist “the Work”.Ralph joins me, Rachel White, host of the Skeptical Shaman and owner of TOTEM Readings, to discuss the phenomenon of evil: what it is, why it matters, and why we should care in a woo world intent on ignoring the dark side. Ralph describes his journey with demonology, exorcism and traditional Catholicism more broadly. He mentions several key mentors and teachers, including Ed and Loraine Warren (of Amityville fame) and Father Malachi Martin, a Jesuit priest that translated portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Ralph also explains the difference between his Catholic Church and the one headquartered in Rome. At which point, of course, Rachel just had to make her standard joke about the Papal Audience Hall being designed in the shape of a giant snake with a snakey, firey statue flanking a bunch of dudes dressed up as evil Nazi wizards from some yet-to-be-screened Star Wars movie.  It's a classic.Whether you're a hard core Catholic or spiritually-homeless agnostic, this discussion is all about the importance of prioritizing your spiritual life…and what happens when you put material concerns above all others.Ralph is a legitimate kind soul and open-minded guy, and we're grateful he spent some time with us at The Skeptical Shaman.TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRalph Sarchie's Book, Deliver Us From Evil: https://a.co/d/eukZMltPlease 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 episode of the Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Britt Sandkulla-Sinclair of Golden Thread Alchemy to discuss what it's like to "come out of the broom closet" as a witch. Britt is a witch, astrologer and integral coach. She's been a practicing witch for 20 years, mainly as an individual practitioner. Through her practice, Britt's offers includes coaching, astrology readings and in-person New Moon women's circles in her area. In this discussion, Rachel and Britt get into the definitions-- and differences-- of witchcraft, Wicca and paganism, as well as how listeners can harness a bit of witch woo for themselves (book recommendations from Britt are included with links below). We also explore the upcoming Summer Solstice (aka Midsummer) and what this special celestial event-- and pagan holiday-- mean for us mere mortals.Britt and Rachel also discuss the very modern urge to "outsource" spirituality to practitioners, along with our society's "perpetual summer" problem, exploring potential nature-based (and very yin) solutions. Emotional sobriety? Embracing archetypes? The Year of the Witch? Yes, yes and yes!We wrap up with a particularly poignant TOTEM Tarot Card pull, giving Britt a very powerful spiritual "wink" from the other side. TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comBritt's IG: IG @goldenthreadalchemyGolden Thread Alchemy Website: www.goldenthreadalchemy.comBritt's recommended readings: Modern Guide to Witchcraft by Skye Alexander: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440580022?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_thcv_0&storeType=ebooks&qid=1685921369&sr=8-1Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting By: Judika Illes: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pure+magic+judika+illes&sprefix=pure+magic+%2Caps%2C162&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_11Please 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.

We're about to start an incredible journey, exploring the world of woo and addressing the burning questions for the “spiritually homeless”. In the Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White will talk to everyone: the cynics, the skeptics, the curious, and the true believers. Why? Well, the truth is always somewhere in the messy middle.Rachel White is the owner of TOTEM Readings and a trained shaman, medium, energy worker and herbalist. Rachel is the co-creator of the TOTEM Tarot Deck, available for sale on Amazon. Rachel is also the owner of the TOTEM Readings ATX Etsy Shop, making hand-made flower essences available to the market. Rachel updates clients every week on the world of woo via her TOTEM Readings Substack. Interviews and new episodes to come, so keep your eyes peeled to listen, like, share and subscribe!Links for Rachel White and TOTEM Readings of the Skeptical Shaman:TOTEM Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comTOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dpTOTEM Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Rachel White is known as “The Skeptical Shaman” for her inherent pragmatism and intellectual curiosity. Her career took a different path than most  – she spent several decades in high-level strategy roles in corporate America as she created her shamanic practice. Today, Rachel takes a no-BS approach to spirituality and encourages people to maintain a healthy sense of skepticism, while keeping an open mind – ultimately using spiritual tools and technologies that have tangible, real-world value. In this episode of A Psychic's Story, Rachel shares how her spiritual journey began as a child with psychic experiences. Yet later in her younger adult life, after leaving organized religion, she considered herself an atheist. Fast forward to a transformative experience that occurred over a three-day period and changed the course of her life. This incident was a catalyst to study, research, seminars, and meditation. Not being able to find a mentor, Rachel discovered the best way to learn was to do it. She started TOTEM Readings to help make the spiritual connections she found so valuable.For more information about Rachel, her virtual events, spiritual transformation coaching services, or to schedule a reading, visit her website or Instagram @totemrach. You can also visit her Esty shop to see her hand-made TOTEM Flower Essences, or Amazon to purchase her TOTEM Tarot Deck.A Psychic's Story wouldn't be possible without your support so THANK YOU for listening. And if you would like to help out, please:Subscribe in your favorite podcast player.FOLLOW @apsychicsstory on Instagram. BOOK a session with Nichole.SIGN-UP to receive emails, news, alerts and more from A Psychic's Story.This podcast is intended to inspire you on your personal journey toward inner peace. The podcast host, co-hosts or guests are not psychologists or medical doctors and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from any psychological or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified health professional.Support the show

A beautifully packed episode with Rachel White, where we go to so many beautiful places talking about connection, quieting the noise, getting into the spiritual journey and her own story going from corporate career to a woman helping others to step into their own power. She is passionate about getting people into the doing and practice of. Rachel dives into how the doing helps build your confidence and opens your power. We talk about the art of learning in the experience of doing. She shares about her fun new adventure with powerful flower essences.  Rachel White is a trained shaman, medium and energy practitioner with more than a decade of professional experience through her spiritual consultancy: TOTEM Readings. Rachel's approach to spirituality is unique: she uses ancient tools and techniques in a modern way, empowering her clients and, ultimately, working to democratize spirituality. TOTEM is a place for the spiritually-curious but noncommittal, and for those who may self-identify as “spiritually homeless”. Rachel provides approachable, pragmatic insights and easy-to-implement solutions for everyday life. ​ Rachel's practice draws from rigorous continued education, lessons learned from working one-on-one with thousands of clients, and ongoing training and certification across various spiritual modalities and areas of expertise. She has built TOTEM “from the basement to the attic", deliberately and thoughtfully refining TOTEM's service offerings to deliver an ethical spiritual solution for clients. At the beginning of 2022, Rachel will start offering Spiritual Transformation Coaching for clients interested in tailored, personalized in-depth support along their personal spiritual journey.   Rachel has also recently self-published the TOTEM Tarot Deck on Amazon, a pure expression of her life-long love of Tarot and spirituality. The TOTEM Tarot Deck embodies the energy (and look and feel) of TOTEM Readings. Website: https://www.totemreadings.com Are you looking for someone to guide you as you step deeper into your own purpose and spiritual journey? If you've been doing all of the things and you're still feeling that tug, knowing that something more is for you and what you've been doing isn't working, it may be time to find the guide who is willing to support you, shine the light and walk with you on your journey. I'm currently taking on new 1:1 clients who are ready to dive deeper into themselves through the use of spiritual practices and tools. If you're feeling called to do this work - send me an email to set up some time to talk. You can email me over at katrina@katrinalelli.co   Also, did you know there are THREE ways you can connect with me outside of the show? #1 - Over on my fave social media platform - Instagram @katrinaalelli    #2 - Want more inspiration dropped to you throughout the week? Grab my weekly Love Notes dropped to you right to your inbox!     #3 - Join the Sacred Roots Collective Facebook group with other like-hearted women.   **Be sure to Subscribe to the show to get updates on new episodes and head on over to ITunes and leave me a 5 star review to help me spread the message*

Episode 230. Can you be both skeptical and spiritual? GOOD QUESTION. The answer: yes. Rachel White aka The Skeptical Shaman is both (psst...so am I). In this episode, we talk about skepticism, spirituality, and how the two can go together - and should. Learn more about Rachel at her site: Totem Readings. 

This is going to be one conversation you won't want to miss! Today Julia brings on a very special guest, Rachel White aka “The Skeptical Shaman” and founder of TOTEM Readings. Rachel combines her pragmatism, bluntness & sense of humor, with ancient tools & techniques to help her clients gain actionable insights about themselves and their lives & purpose. Rachel is a trained shaman, medium, energy practitioner, self-published author, and flower essence maker! A truly unique spiritual guide and leader, she will wow you with her knowledge, honesty and deep wisdom. Today Julia & Rachel talk about: What it means to be a Shaman & how they can support you on your own life journey The power and energy of crystals (plus how to use them!) How to become aware of the psychic/Shaman “phoneys” - and what to look out for Using Tarot for guidance and manifestation Finding your purpose through the lens of Shamanism …and so much more! ---- Connect with Rachel: Totem Tarot Deck Website: www.totemreadings.com IG: @totemrach Connect with Julia: Sign up for Julia's Group Program, Dream Your Purpose, staring June 1st! --> dreamyourlifenow.com/dreamyourpurpose IG: @dreamyourlifenow Email: julia@dreamyourlifenow.com Website (details on 1:1 coaching): dreamyourlifenow.com

Ok this one is major! Rachel White is a trained shaman, medium and energy practitioner with more than a decade of professional experience through her spiritual consultancy: TOTEM Readings. Rachel's approach to spirituality is unique: she uses ancient tools and techniques in a modern way, empowering her clients and, ultimately, working to democratize spirituality. we take about magic, Rachel's tarot card, her crazy & scary dark energy experience from the past and so much more! We even touch on destructive ways of our world and why the world is in the shape it is. Simply fascinating! Rachel's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totemrach/ Totem site: https://www.totemreadings.com/copy-of-home Totem Tarot Cards: shorturl.at/osvzF Book a reading w/Rachel: https://www.totemreadings.com/my-services Book recommended by Rachel: "Eye of a Lotus - Psychology of the chakras" Richard Jelusich  shorturl.at/elwS8 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/inthegoodcompany/support

Get ready for an epic conversation on developing your intuition, connecting with your Guides, and using tarot cards to build a business you love. Rachel White is the founder of Totem Readings, is a trained Shaman, medium, and energy practitioner who has been a guide for Jess in how she approaches her business and life. Rachel shares how she left the corporate world to be an entrepreneur, and her transformational journey going from atheism to spirituality. She gives grounded insight into building the muscle of your intuition, how to tap out of scarcity and into abundance mindset, and using these to create a truly fulfilling work life.Today on The SimplyBe. Podcast:Building the muscle of your intuition & connecting to your GuidesGoing from atheism to spirituality & corporate to entrepreneurship Having your business work for you vs. you working for itTips for changing your mindset around moneyMeditating on how you want your daily life to beFinding your own voice & developing discernmentLive tarot reading for Jess Follow Rachel:Totem Tarot DeckWebsite: www.totemreadings.com IG: @totemrach Connect with Jessica:Buy Jessica's Book “Be.” hereSign-up for The SimplyBe. Society hereJessica's Website: jessicazweig.comJessica's IG: @jessicazweigSimplyBe.'s Website: simplybeagency.comSimplyBe.'s IG: @simplybeagencyJoin the Facebook Group: SimplyBe. SocietyThis show is produced by Soulfire Productions