Dive into the complete episode list for The Skeptical Shaman. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
22 May 2023
About the Skeptical Shaman
00:01:32
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.com TOTEM Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp TOTEM Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
25 Jun 2023
Ralph Sarchie vs. Old Scratch
00:45:34
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.
Ralph Sarchie's Book, Deliver Us From Evil: https://a.co/d/eukZMlt
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.
02 Jul 2023
The Emotional Entrepreneur, with Scout Sobel
00:52:36
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!
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.
11 Jun 2023
A Post-Cult Life, with Abigail Kochunas
01:25:18
In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman, host Rachel White sits down to chat with Abigail Kochunas of Sacred Healing Art. Abigail is an actress, artist, psychic and energy worker and the owner of Sacred Healing Arts in Los Angeles.
Abigail is also the author behind the "My Post Cult Life" Substack, detailing her experiences and insights across narcissistic abuse, cultivated from 14 years in a cult...within a cult. In this episode, we discuss Abigail's experience with an infamous Hollywood acting coach, her introduction to and experience of Scientology, and how Covid-19-- and reliance on Zoom-- helped break the spell and free Abigail from many unseen (but very real) prisons.
And, when we scheduled this discussion, we had no idea it was literally the two year anniversary of Abigail's jail break...and, later in the day, we would learn that famous actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson was convicted of rape after two trails that brought the dark side of Scientology out into the sunlight of public discourse.
So, the woo was strong with this one, my friends.
We wrap up this discussion by pulling a TOTEM Tarot Card for Abigail and the collective, exploring the necessity of time, space and silence in which to cultivate inspiration and psychic revelation.
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.
19 Jun 2023
Out of the Broom Closet, with Britt Sandkulla-Sinclair
01:07:00
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.
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.
09 Jul 2023
The Godessy, with Lianne Arends
00:59:28
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!
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;)
This episode is very near and dear to my heart, as it will surely be for any of you familiar with our work here at TOTEM and "friend of the program", Roger Oney.
In this episode, I sit down with my friend of more than 15 years (yes, we're very, very old) and producer of The Skeptical Shaman podcast to talk about the literal and figurative end times. We chat about the energetic and spiritual impacts of AI and the rapidly accelerating rate of change across all industries, geographies, and professions.
Will there be refugees and remnants after this technological and sociological revolution? Will these enclaves form a modern version of the ancient mystery schools, reminding society of the "before times" and what it means to be a human being? What parts of our spiritual traditions and practices need to be carried on in a kind of living time capsule?
My friend, Roger Oney, aka the High Mesa Mystic, works with clients across a variety of energy healing, spiritual coaching, and just straight up life guidance modalities-- all with a focus on navigating change in a strange, constantly-shifting world. He's a talented psychic with an open mind and even more open heart.
And, of course, we pull a TOTEM Tarot Deck card at the end of our chat so as to stave off the tyrannical abuses of our show's sponsor. And, as per usual, the card is absolutely perfect for the themes of our discussion-- and our action items moving forward!
In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White sits down to chat with real deal, actual hero and cult whistleblower Susan Dones, MA LMT.
Susan was featured in the HBO's The Vow, a docuseries detailing the rise and fall of NXIVM: an American-based "personal development" program that was, actually, a highly abusive cult. NXIVM's leader, Keith Raniere, is currently serving a 120-year sentence for his crimes, and survivors and whistleblowers like Susan are spreading the word to help mitigate future fallout from similar "high control groups", as well as help survivors heal.
Susan is a fascinating individual who's bonafides totally upend the flattened-- and horribly misinformed-- stereotype of a "cult member". Before entering NXIVM and becoming a coach, Susan was a decorated aircraft mechanic in the U.S. military, a licensed massage therapist, and a therapist-therapist with a Masters degree in psychology who had been working to help clients heal through the mind + body connection.
In other words: she wasn't a slouch before entering NXIVM, but that didn't protect her from dealing with a multi-decade back-and-forth with a multi-million dollar juggernaut that launched more than 200 fake legal claims her. Susan was capable and intelligent enough to beat NXIVM's powerful lawyers across all of this "vexatious litigation", and yes: she represented herself.
I know, right? Super. F*cking. Impressive.
Now, Susan is focused on helping others heal after being in coercive control, high-demand groups or just abusive and traumatic dynamics more generally. She joined The Skeptical Shaman podcast to talk red flags when exploring personal and spiritual development, as well as why she likes to stay away from big groups and stick to a small, decentralized "pod" of good friends.
Stick to the small pod, my friends. Decentralization is the key.
Her lessons learned translate across the woo world, giving all of us line of sight into how to navigate an often nebulous, tricky landscape riddled with spiritual narcissists, abusers and con artists. And, because Susan is super f*cking cool, she indulged our very demanding and temperamental sponsor-- The TOTEM Tarot Deck-- as we pulled a tarot card to summarize our discussion and provide a bit of spiritual insight to the listeners.
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;)
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.
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!
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.
14 Oct 2023
Star Systems, with Kate Waldwick
00:54:00
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!
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.
21 Oct 2023
The Retreat To Move Forward, with Tirrell Cherry
00:56:14
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.
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.
11 Nov 2023
Shady Shit, with Casey Balsham
00:58:26
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!
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.
28 Oct 2023
Keep the Dead Close, with Angela Gore
01:10:27
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.
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.
04 Nov 2023
The Saturn Diaries, with Cardsy B
00:48:28
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!
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.
25 Nov 2023
How to be Soul-ish with Whitney Abke
00:58:57
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;)
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.
18 Nov 2023
Thank You For Coming To Our Ted Talk, with the TOTEM Coaching Roundtable
01:14:22
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 Light
This 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.
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.
09 Dec 2023
The Wise Heart, with Holly Brodt
00:53:53
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!
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.
02 Dec 2023
Feng Shui Your LIfe, with Summer Sanders
00:57:16
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.
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.
16 Dec 2023
Body Beautiful, with Gina Graham
01:14:09
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!
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.
23 Dec 2023
The Map Is Not The Territory, with Roger Oney
01:27:41
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.
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.
30 Dec 2023
The Badass Babe, with Kelly Pender
01:04:07
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.
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.
03 Feb 2024
The Year of the Dragon, with Nichole Bigley
01:00:31
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!
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.
10 Feb 2024
The Energetic Alchemist, with Yolanda Williams
00:55:49
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!
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.
17 Feb 2024
The Cards You're Dealt, with Theresa Reed
01:03:35
Fan favorite Theresa Reed, aka The Tarot Lady, is back on The Skeptical Shaman to dig into how to provide tarot readings and psychic support for clients dealing with the heavy stuff.
Theresa is the author of the new book The Cards You're Dealt: How to Deal When Life Gets Real, a look at how to navigate issues like grief, scarcity, pain, the burden of caretaking and more in a tarot setting. The true story? The vast majority of clients booking a tarot reading or psychic session are dealing with something intense, whether it be a recent layoff, a career crossroads, the loss of a loved one, a troubled romantic relationship, health issues, or other challenges.
In this episode, Rachel and Theresa dig into how to navigate such sensitive and intense topics with both professionalism and appropriate empathy, with a focused look at how to maintain boundaries and stick to your scope of services-- i.e. reading those damn cards!
The World of Woo is full of opportunities to overstep and/or step "in it", and this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast features two seasoned tarot pros sharing their best practices and lessons learned from reading for thousands of clients from all over the world. If you're a tarot card practitioner, thinking of becoming one, or are building your own "Woo business", this episode really digs into the kind of brass tacks that can make or break a spiritual practice-- and your relationships with your clients!
Theresa's Website: https://www.thetarotlady.com The Cards Your Dealt Book: https://a.co/d/163boPE There's IG: https://www.instagram.com/thetarotlady/
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.
02 Mar 2024
Be It 'Till You See It, with Lesley Logan
01:01:43
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.
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.
09 Mar 2024
The Business of Intuition, with Dean Newlund
00:56:35
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.
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.
16 Mar 2024
Philosophy As Therapy, with Matthew Gindin
01:02:27
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?
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.
24 Feb 2024
Of Soul And Sky, with Bonnie Piesse
00:56:47
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!
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.
23 Mar 2024
Spirituality Is Not An Aesthetic, with Natalie Fehlner
01:01:41
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.
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.
30 Mar 2024
The Woo Woo Woman, with Shelly Saunier
00:53:10
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!
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.
06 Apr 2024
The Business of Woo-- SOLO
00:42:08
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:
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.
13 Apr 2024
A Hollow Rhyme?-- SOLO
00:46:45
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:
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.
20 Apr 2024
Say What You Mean- SOLO
00:44:59
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:
Other links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White: Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
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.
27 Apr 2024
A Bird In The Hand-- SOLO
00:37:29
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:
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.
11 May 2024
The Princess and The Pea-- SOLO
00:40:31
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-woo TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
Other links to learn more about TOTEM Readings and Rachel White: Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
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.
04 May 2024
New Levels, New Devils-- SOLO
00:39:09
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:
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.
22 Jun 2024
Healing The Inner Child, with Damla Aktekin
01:02:10
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.
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
15 Jun 2024
Lucid Dreaming + Lucid Living, with Norma and Nisha Burton
00:57:17
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 development
And, of course, we pull a very weird and very relevant TOTEM Tarot Card to sum it all up!
The Lucid Living, Lucid Dreaming Deck on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0lVDajB Lucid 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/0578980126 TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
01 Jun 2024
All About Herbalism, with Megen Mundy
00:51:12
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.
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.
08 Jun 2024
The Reality of Spiritual Awakening, with Casey SJ
01:14:17
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!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
29 Jun 2024
The Tinfoil Hat 'Cast, with Roger Oney
01:32:59
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.
Chaos (Book About Charles Manson and MK Ultra): https://a.co/d/4Ug5Edv
Poisoner in Chief (Book About MK Ultra and Bioweapons): https://a.co/d/2AbYeye
Operation Paperclip (Book about MK Ultra and Nazi Scientists): https://a.co/d/33DjsJh
The Process Church and Son(s) of Sam (Netflix Documentary): https://youtu.be/ICFZ1wS8Fuc?si=1sIC7H1ecXBMpkdv
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.
06 Jul 2024
Simple... But Not Easy, with Colleen Soisson
01:13:48
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!
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.
13 Jul 2024
It's Not All Coming Up Roses, with Emma Cook
00:51:10
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!
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.
20 Jul 2024
The Reality of Being a Spiritual Healer, with Summer Sanders
01:00:55
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!
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.
10 Jul 2024
Comedy, Libertarianism and Shamanism- Oh My! with Robbie "The Fire" Bernstein
01:11:12
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:
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
27 Jul 2024
The Great UAP Awakening, with Brandon Page
01:03:23
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!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
03 Aug 2024
Your Guide to Navigating Planetary Turbulence, with Cardsy B
01:03:55
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;)
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.
10 Aug 2024
The Art Of Spiritual Molting, with Britt Sandkulla-Sinclair
01:14:45
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!
Golden Thread Alchemy Website: www.goldenthreadalchemy.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.
17 Aug 2024
Tuesdays With Moloch, with Roger Oney
01:18:26
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.
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX Roger Oney links:
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.
24 Aug 2024
A Psychic Dr. Doolittle, with Abigail Kochunas
01:12:34
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_dp TOTEM Readings Website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach Abigail's Links and Website: https://linktr.ee/sacredhealingart Abigails 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.
31 Aug 2024
That Voodoo That You Do, with Sallie Ann Glassman
01:00:45
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_dp
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.
02 Nov 2024
The Mayan Death Bat, with KC Gale
00:39:23
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!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
09 Nov 2024
Hanging Out With Mr. Wednesday, with Hannah Schwartz
00:41:29
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!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
16 Nov 2024
A Ghost Story, with Natalie Fehlner
00:35:01
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!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
23 Nov 2024
Oscar Wilde's Ghost, with Christine McLaughlin
00:45:35
In this fourth episode of our Supernatural Stories series, guest Christine McLaughlin shares her incredible experience with Oscar Wilde's ghost. Yah. Read that last bit again.
Wild, isn't it?
Not only was Oscar Wilde an iconoclastic, singular literary talent, but apparently he's a large orb hanging out in Canada, too!
Christine shares her experience with bringing this famous author home as a "spiritual hitchhiker" from a trip to a beautiful (and old, and haunted, and magical) inn! Thankfully, her trip did not take a hard left turn into The Shining territory, and there weren't terrifying topiaries or homicidal interludes...but there was more than a splash of magic and a vignette that sounds an awful lot like astral travel.
It's not everyday we get a real deal, lived, human-scaled story about a famous ghost, but thanks to Christine we can all have line of sight into this incredible tale.
It's a good one, guys. Light the candle on your altar, bust out your favorite glass of scotch, wine or kombucha, and tuck in for a heartening, uplifting tale from beyond the veil!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
30 Nov 2024
A Bear Hug From Beyond, with Laura Oxendine
00:53:09
In this fifth episode of our Supernatural Stories series, guest Laura Oxendine breaks down what it's like to get a bear hug from the great "beyond"-- courtesy of Bear as a TOTEM Animal!
This one's a bit softer and warmer and, well, Teddy Bear-adjacent. Well, except for the scenes of fiery vengeance and Lord of the Rings-level violence. Which, for the record, was totally justified (trust me-- just listen to the episode)!
Working with TOTEM Animals and Spirit Guides is often frustrating, challenging spiritual work, but in the case of Laura (and everyone else that does this work consistently and within the proper framework), it ABSOLUTELY delivers a significant return on investment.
What is this ROI, you might be wondering? Well, self-healing, soul part recollection, clarity, life's purpose, and recovery after trauma (just to name a few key bullet points off of the top of the dome).
Laura's story is sweet, personal, and deeply meaningful, and her journey from "WTF?" to bonafide spiritual practitioner is inspirational to us all.
Besides: fall is the season of Bear Medicine. So, warm up a bowl of autumnal soup and lock in for yet another real deal, bonafide supernatural story that an actual person has lived to tell the tale of it!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
14 Dec 2024
Jesus Walks-- Right Into Shamanic Meditations!, with Brittney Barney
00:33:39
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!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
07 Dec 2024
"Archangel Michael, please protect us in traffic", with Mary Blanchard
00:43:13
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!
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126 The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
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.
04 Jan 2025
Empathy Not Included, with Mark Vicente
01:14:31
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.
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.
11 Jan 2025
An Evening with the Sorcerer (Part 1), with Allen Greenfield
01:09:24
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)!
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.
18 Jan 2025
An Evening with the Sorcerer (Part 2), with Allen Greenfield
00:59:37
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)!
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.
01 Feb 2025
Manifesting in the Matterium, with Sarah Rae
01:12:01
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!
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.
25 Jan 2025
Unboxing Hellier, with Angela Gore
01:15:11
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;)
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.
22 Feb 2025
Secrets of Greek Mysticism, with George Lizos
00:57:03
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!
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.
08 Feb 2025
Emotional Sobriety, with Dan Reeves
00:59:32
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.
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.
15 Feb 2025
Love Wild, with Katie May
01:06:00
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".
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.
01 Mar 2025
Tales From The Truth Seekers, with Natalie Fehlner
01:03:59
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!
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.
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