The Skeptical Shaman

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Dean Newlund, CEO of Mission Facilitators and the host of The Business of Intuition podcast all about the world of intuition.

What is intuition? Why is it important for business? How can we leverage it? What does intuition look like in human-scaled examples? And what's the ROI on focusing on cultivating-- and leveraging-- our intuition?  Dean is effectively a human aggregator of all things intuition, having collected metadata from hundreds of discussions on the topic with industry leaders from all walks of life, and he sheds some serious light on these and other questions.

Dean and Rachel also take a typical sharp left turn into The Fourth Turning, AI, Epochs, and general End Times fun. The upshot? Cultivating our intuition during these turbulent times marked by churn and hyper-novelty could just make the difference in navigating shifting landscapes successfully. In other words? Intuition isn't just for shamans and crystal hippy ladies anymore-- consider it your competitive advantage in a really challenging marketplace.

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Dean's Website: https://mfileadership.com
The Business of Intuition Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-of-intuition/id1511851813

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviews
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.

In this magical episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Lesley Logan, founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com and the host of the Be It Till You See It podcast. Lesley is a dynamic, iconoclastic solopreneur that has broken free of her limiting beliefs to ditch perfection and pursue her dreams-- however wild they may seem or sound.

And guess what? It all worked out-- and worked out in bigger and more marvelous ways than she could have ever expected!

In this podcast, Lesley and Rachel share their business "origin stories", giving an unvarnished view of how the messy small business sausage gets made. Spoiler alert: there is no cheat code or life hack that lays it all out when you're creating something new out in the proverbial wilderness. What you do have at your disposal is your intuition, your common sense, and your commitment to taking the ultimate risk: betting on yourself.

Besides: the old rules of working hard and staying with a company in the long term in exchange for job security just don't apply anymore. Starting your own thing might be the new hedge against a very turbulent, hyper-novel marketplace marked by churn and an ever-increasing rate of change. And, if you can create a business, practice or product that aligns with your life's purpose, all the better!

It's not a perfect journey, and there are fits and starts. But, if you widen your gaze and embrace the mantra of "be it 'till you see it", you'll certainly come out the other side living your own dream.

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviews
TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Lesley's full bio can be found at https://LesleyLogan.co/about
Lesley's links: onlinepilatesclasses.com
Lesley's Free Mat Pilates series: fullbodyin15.com

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with the incredible Bonnie Piesse,  host of the I Am The Sky podcast.

Best known for her role as Luke Skywalker's Aunt Beru in the ’Star Wars’ Universe, (Episodes II, III and Obi-Wan Kenobi), Bonnie is also a singer, songwriter, and intuitive practitioner, supporting her clients through her spiritual practice Of Soul and Sky. Bonnie was also featured prominently in the HBO documentary-series ‘The Vow', which detailed her harrowing journey with the destructive NXIVM cult.

Rachel and Bonnie discuss how Bonnie's connection to her intuition--which may or may not be referred to as "The Force"-- helped to wake her up to the reality of living inside of NXIVM, empowering her to break free and ultimately extract others-- ultimately working with authorities to ensure that the abusive NXIVM "leader", Keith Raniere, got a 120-year prison sentence.

Bonnie is living proof that intuition can override the often persuasive (but ultimately false) narratives intrinsic to coercive control dynamics and related thought prisons, acting as a kind of kryptonite against propaganda, group think, social pressure, financial exploitation, and more.

Since leaving NXIVM, Bonnie has created a spiritual practice designed to support people in reconnecting with their intuition, awakening to their true nature and helping them to live a soul-aligned life. But, as positive and powerful as this mission is, Bonnie has had to navigate some blistering online abuse and criticism for stepping out of the "psychic closet"-- an unfortunate manifestation of the "third rail" nature of spirituality and psychic phenomenon, as well as the mob-like nature of anonymous online trolls.

Bonnie is an inspiring, incredible human-- and this episode (and our TOTEM Tarot Deck card pull) highlight the indestructible light we all have within!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Bonnie's Instagram: @bonniempiesse @ofsoulandsky
Bonnie's Spiritual Practice: https://www.ofsoulandsky.com
Bonnie's Website: https://www.bonniepiesse.com

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviews
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.

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!
 
LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast: 
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviews
TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

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.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down to chat with Yolanda Williams, the "Energetic Alchemist" and host of the oldest and longest-running reiki-themed podcast, Reiki Radio.

Yolanda and Rachel dig into the weird world of the "Business of Woo", spilling a bit of tea and throwing the requisite amount of shade as they dispel common myths and pull back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes. Yolanda shares tips for navigating the energy work landscape, arming listeners with key red flags (or green lights) to keep an eye out for as they seek out practitioners with whom to work.

Yolanda also shares her recent move to take a pause from client work, new workshops and programs, and the overall push and grind that has dominated the last four years for small business owners, Woo and not-Woo alike.  It can be tough to go inward and focus on your own spiritual practice when you also manage a client-facing spiritual practice-- but it's also THE most essential retreat to move forward.

Rachel and Yolanda even address the seemingly untouchable topic of what frequently happens to our bodies when we receive reiki attunements or reiki treatments. Here's a hint: it rhymes with "schmymeria".  Why doesn't anyone get this warning ahead of time?

This episode has laughs and poignant moments in equal measure-- enjoy and please rate and review The Skeptical Shaman anywhere you get your podcasts!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviews
TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Yolanda's Website: https://www.theenergeticalchemist.com/about-me
Reiki Radio:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reiki-radio-podcast/id725309051
Yolanda IG: https://www.instagram.com/reikiradio/

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

Fan favorite Nichole Bigley is back on The Skeptical Shaman to dig into the worlds of angels, dragons, aliens and more with host Rachel White of TOTEM Readings!

Nichole is the host of the A Psychic's Story podcast, and co-author of the new book (and TOTEM Book Club pick) Looking for Angels:  A Guide to Understanding and Connecting with Angels. She is also a psychic medium that offers angel readings and other intuitive sessions.

In this episode, Rachel and Nichole dig into the big, strange world of woo, sharing their experiences with their "totem animal" dragons, seemingly simultaneous recent encounters with negative entities, and their shared (and very strange) feelings about those pesky aliens running around that Miami mall!

The upshot? This coming year-- the Year of the Wood Dragon in Eastern Astrology-- is going to be one for the ages. Expect the veil of illusion to melt and the high strangeness actually present in our reality to emerge. It'll be a rock 'em, sock 'em good time for weirdos and psychics, with many others feeling "shook".

But, sometimes, getting shook is a good thing. Especially from the perspective of a micro-dosing, anti-establishment shaman!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp#customerReviews
TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

Nichole's Website: https://www.apsychicsstory.com/about-a-psychics-story
Looking for Angels Book: https://a.co/d/hIZK2f9
Nichole's IG: https://www.instagram.com/apsychicsstory/

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with yoga instructor, retreat coordinator, and manifestation coach Kelly Pender. Kelly is also the host of the Badass Babe Oracle podcast, drilling into the real deal behind all things abundance, manifestation and having-ness.

In this episode, we talk sh*t and spill the tea on the “manifestation industry”, taking the time to separate what’s real, what’s nonsense, and what’s a straight-up grift. Kelly shares her very personal and very human-scaled journey with the world of abundance gospel and manifestation doctrine, displaying a great sense of humor as she evaluates what she used to believe— and where she’s at now.

This episode is landing in the magical, liminal space between Christmas and the New Year, a time during which most of us are reflecting on the past year and setting our intentions— and making our resolutions— for the year to come. This discussion is designed to give us all permission to ask, believe and receive, but also offers tangible lessons learned so you don’t have to fall into a multilevel marketing scheme or find yourself miles away from your goals in 2024.

In a hilarious and very apt twist, Kelly has given birth to a brand new baby just as this episode is landing, a literal encapsulation of magical manifestation!

And, as per usual, we pull a very aligned and very accurate card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck to sum up our discussion. 

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com

TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp

Kelly’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_badassbabe/

The Badass Babe Oracle Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/badassbabeoracle/

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with podcast producer, energy healer, coach and all-around mystic Roger Oney of Synergies Studio.

In this episode, we dig into the REALITY of the world of Woo-- no spiritual bypassing or toxic positivity here! Roger and I discuss how "the map is not the territory" when it comes to implementing spiritual insights in everyday human life.  Remember: any practitioner, coach or guru that promises total certainty and black-and-white solutions is selling you a steaming satchel of cow poo poo.

There is no one system, modality or practice that can live your life for you. Rather, at their best these practices are just maps designed to guide you as YOU do the hard (and real) work of navigating the actual landscape of life.

If you've been curious about working with a spiritual practitioner or launching your own spiritual practice, this episode is a must listen: Roger and I get totally transparent about our collective 40+ years of on-the-ground experience in the Woo, sharing our lessons learned (so you don't have to learn them quiet as hard as we did).

And, as per usual, we pull a card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck to sum up our discussion— and, as per usual, it was so on point it was creepy.

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
Synergies Studio (Roger's website):  https://synergies.studio

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Gina Graham, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and professional photographer. Gina is also the author and artist behind the book Body Beautiful: How Changing the Conversation About Our Bodies Has the Power to Change the World.

Gina's mission-driven work leverages her experience as a therapist and a photographer and artist, empowering women to address their trauma around and issues with eating disorders, body image, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and hormonal changes.

In this conversation, Gina and Rachel dig deep on how social media is bombarding women with unhealthy images and expectations, all while seemingly offering exploitative "coaching" packages, weight loss supplements, and other commoditized products seeking to exploit the neurosis and lack of self-love pervading our society.

There is a middle ground between superficiality and entropy: we can want to be healthy and take care of ourselves and our appearance while still accepting the idiosyncrasies that make us uniquely beautiful.

As always, we pull a TOTEM Tarot Card to pull together this critical dialogue, encapsulating the elevating power of real beauty!

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
Gina's links: https://linktr.ee/lifelensandlove
Gina's IG: https://www.instagram.com/lifelensandlove/
Gina's Book, Body Beautiful: https://a.co/d/eORmzMM

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Holly Brodt, retired St. Paul police officer, devout Buddhist, and meditation coach extraordinaire. 

Holly was already a Buddhist when she became a St. Paul police officer, using her spiritual toolkit— and her warrior medicine, intuition, and empathy— to not only keep the streets safe, but to support and assist all stakeholders in recovering from trauma, healing their wounds, and pulling out of negative spirals.

Holly has worked directly with police unions, EMTs and more to help them recover from trauma and build resiliency among their ranks. The primary focus of her recent work with P.O.W.E.R. Resiliency Education was to use the tips and tricks from Buddhists (and modern science) to undertake adrenal fatigue and recover from traumatic experiences. 

Holly is a very funny and dynamic woman that defies definition, further proving that all of the good (and true) stuff lies in the messy middle of real life— not in tribal, flattened stereotypes. Holly truly has a wise heart, and in this episode she shares her unique perspective and insights with all of us.

And, as per usual, we pull a card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck to sum up our discussion— and, as per usual, it was wildly on point!

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com

TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): 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.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Summer Sanders, owner of Sabai Studio in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. Summer is a physical therapist, reiki practitioner, Feng Shui consultant and much, much more.

In this episode, we explore the dynamic and magical world of Feng Shui: the system of laws that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi). While Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice-- much like acupuncture and Chinese medicine-- it's inherently useful for the unique challenges of our modern world, offering energetic relief from frustration, stagnation and even basic b*tch burnout.

We dig into the bagua map that governs the quadrants of our homes, offices, and yes-- even energy bodies, as well as what every listener can do "on day one" to shift their own energies in the direction of their dreams. With Feng Shui, little adjustments can generate big changes-- and even wholesale transformations-- so proceed intentionally!

And, of course, we pull a card from our TOTEM Tarot Deck, revealing the unique presence of Feng Shui in the realm of tarot.

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
Summer's website: https://sabaistudio.org

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) talks to Whitney Abke, host of the Soul-ish Podcast, about navigating the odd twists and turns that come with a real deal, bonafide spiritual journey-- and, in this case, one that started out in hardcore Christianity.

Whitney grew up as a non-denominational Christian pastor’s daughter, even attending seminary and becoming a licensed pastor before some "heretical" skepticism set in: specifically, Whitney started to struggle with the obvious disparity between how men and women were being treated in her faith.  Her insistence on asking the tough questions resulted in her church refusing to ordain her-- a hard realization after growing up in the faith and wanting to be of service.

While she still served as a volunteer in several church ministries for over two decades, it never quite felt in alignment again. In the intervening years, her spiritual journey has urged her to unbox and explore beliefs about herself, God, and her purpose, ultimately bringing her to the waters of the Woo-- and the radical self-acceptance that comes from not trying to fit into the prescribed box of organized religion.

If well-behaved women seldom make history, then it's a natural conclusion to assume the witchy ones go down in the history books! To that end, we talk Old Testament, Red Tents, and looking for love in the wild!

Of course, we conclude our discussion with a card pull from The Skeptical Shaman's sponsor: The TOTEM Tarot Deck. Stay tuned for it-- it's a goodie;)

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com

TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp

Whitney's Links: https://linktr.ee/whitneyabke

The Soul-Ish Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-soulish-podcast

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this very special 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.

Want to learn more about the TOTEM Transformation Coaching Program and our next round of coaching work in January 2024? Book a free consultation here: https://calendly.com/rachel-1061/totem-spiritual-transformation-coaching-consultation

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
TOTEM Readings Substack (newsletter): https://totemrach.substack.com/
Karen's website: https://www.wisdomcollective.net/
Abigail's links: https://linktr.ee/sacredhealingart/
Laura's links: http://www.lauraoxendine.com

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Casey Balsham, stand-up comedian and host of the Never Not Tired and Shady Shit podcasts.

Not only is Casey a new mother and busy, working comedian, she’s also obsessed with all things shady: serial killers, true crime, scam artists, cults and more! Rachel and Casey spill some major tea, digging into the scandal of “Scamanda”—and the podcast of the same name—and how covert narcissists and con artists are finding a warm, protective home within spiritual communities.

Rachel and Casey dig into the tangible red flags to keep an eye out for in a very, very shady world. Guess what? People actually fake cancer to raise money, get attention and garner sympathy, and oftentimes these cons are unbelievably elaborate and involve a spiritual dimension. Just when you think humans couldn’t get any worse…

In this podcast, we explore the potential, latent narcissism behind the archetype of the perpetual victim, especially when that victim overshares their “struggle” online. Many, many spiritual narcissists (and other species of exploitative psychos) will wrap themselves in sheep’s clothing to disarm and disorient you. Never forget: those big eyes and ears and teeth belong to a wolf, no matter how nice the sheep’s clothing is!

And, as per usual, we wrap our revelatory discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck that threads the themes of our discussion together!

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp

Casey's Links: https://linktr.ee/Casefaceb
Casey's IG: https://www.instagram.com/casefaceb/

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Cardsy B, aka Rebecca Szymczak, the host of the Hex and the City podcast and author of The Saturn Diaries. Cardsy B is a working witch, tarot card reader, and intuitive coach that has published her own tarot deck-- a bit like our host here at The Skeptical Shaman.

In this episode, we explore the question: "What happens when the planets stop being polite, and start getting real?"

We go deep on the impact crater of our Saturn Return astrological phases, exploring the dark turns our lives can take as the planets wreak havoc. But it isn't all breakups and breakdowns-- sometimes, it's a really big breakthrough, and one that transforms our lives and sets us up for success long into the future.

The power of Cardsy's message lies in her "Zero F*cks" policy and radical honesty, laying bare her biggest struggles with a sense of humor, perspective and desire to help others avoid the pitfalls she stepped into along the way.

Of course, we satisfy the bloodthirsty, Sumerian gods-- *ahem*-- I mean our sponsor, the TOTEM Tarot Deck, by pulling a card to tie the whole damn dynamic chat together.

The upshot of this episode? Just because you're psychic and smart and powerful doesn't mean you're not a human having a human experience, so be kind and rewind!

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
Cardsy B's website: https://www.cardsyb.com
Cardsy B's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardsyb/

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this very special Halloween-themed episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Angela Gore—a real deal working archeologist that specializes in Beringian archaeology: the study of the earliest humans in North America.

In this episode, we pivot from the usual, cliché Halloween content, opting instead for a deeper dialogue around our connection to the dead—and what that means for the health of our modern culture. We discuss the Indonesian tradition of digging up their dead to invite them back into the world of the living, how ancient proto-Americans interred their loved ones beneath their homes, and how the Japanese honor and “keep the dead close”—all a stark contrast to our death-phobic modern cultural norms.

From an archeological and anthropological perspective—Angela’s academic wheelhouse—the dead are all around us all of time, their remains enriching the terroir and becoming a part of the nature all around us. From a shamanic perspective—the foundation of Rachel’s spiritual practice-- the dead are all around us all the time in spirit, ready to interact and affirm through dreams, mediumship appointments, and other signs and symbols.

Halloween, The Day of the Dead, Samhain, All Saints Day and more are all late-October/ early November holidays that share a critical theme: take advantage of the thinning of the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead to make contact with our dearly departed.

This episode is equal parts Discovery Channel and Beetlejuice, briding the realms of science and spirituality through the common ground of the dead.

Despite the macabre topic, we wrap our discussion with an unusually uplifting and positive tarot card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck. Just goes to show you: the realm of spirit is full of paradigm-shifting surprises, even when it’s from our tyrannical sponsor: The TOTEM Tarot Deck.

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): 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.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Tirrell Cherry, certified hypnotist, coach and the host of the Magic Meets Mind podcast. 

Tirrell has had an extraordinary adventure through the world of new age coaching, recently taking a crucial break to reset, recalibrate, and get back to center. Why was this "retreat" for Tirrell so necessary to "move forward"? 

Well, the coaching ecosystem is a strange place, wrought with unexpected hurdles, strange pressures to poke at latent pain, and majorly mixed messages-- not to mention the palpable presence of the unscrupulous used car salesmen archetype.

Tirrell found himself at a critical crossroads: How does a coach know if they're in alignment with their soul's purpose? When does a coach push to grow their business and when do they chill to get back to human-scaled, ethical basics? How do you know if you're acting out of sincerity and not scarcity?

It's really hard to hit "pause" on your business, and it's even harder to ask yourself the tough questions...but it's also TOTALLY necessary when operating as a spiritual practitioner in our modern world of woo. 

And, as per usual, we wrap our revelatory discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck. I would say it didn't disappoint, but when does it ever? Shout out to our tyrannical sponsors: The TOTEM Tarot Deck and TOTEM Readings.

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
Elisha’s IG: @tirrellcherry
Terrell's Website: https://tirrellcherry.life

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of the Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Kate Waldwick of Cronos Astrology to chat all things astrology…and SYSTEMS!!!

Kate is a pretty smart lady, especially when it comes to complex systems: their functionality, interdependencies, and behaviors. Not only is Kate an MIT grad and current high-level employee at a giant tech company, but she’s also an astrologer—a practice that leverages her systems thinking in fresh and innovative ways. 

Kate’s differentiated approach to astrology is a fresh take on an old classic, and in this chat we explore our very modern and (very) dystopian landscape through the filter of the cosmic bodies and their movements. In this episode, we dig into how the stars and planets aligned during the French and American Revolutions…and how those very same objects are aligning right now.

Halfway through, we realize we’re saying “systems” so much that we really should have announced a drinking game at the outset of the interview, so if you’re listening during downtime, feel free to take a shot every time you hear the magic word: systems.

We wrap up our discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck, further reinforcing the interconnected nature of our reality. You know: systems!

TOTEM Readings website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com

Kate’s IG: IG @cronos.astrology

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of the Skeptical Shaman Podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Elisha Halpin, a nervous system-training coach that works with individuals wanting to get out of adrenal fatigue, effectively retraining their brains to not freak the f*ck out all the damn time.

Elisha calls herself an ‘awakened academic’, having extracted herself from the grind of higher education to work with clients to heal trauma through meditation, somatic therapy, and much, much more. She works with clients to achieve better nervous system regulation—no small feat in our nervous system-destroying world.

In this discussion, we explore the hyperstimulation of the simulacra in which we live: a world obsessed with the “viral”, the hyper-novel, and the increasingly depraved and intense as we hunt for the illusive brain chemicals that generate the happy feels.

 Long story short: there are no cheat codes are hacks to mental health or spiritual development, so stop treating this stuff like a vending machine. There is no short cut. 

The bottom line? Chasing the dragon of dopamine while fighting off the monster of cortisol is no way to go through life. Sometimes, we all just need to get back to the somatic and cerebral version of the missionary position. With socks on. And lights off.

I realize this is a daring and risqué metaphor, but it’s also apt.  I mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Join Elisha and I in our crusade to empower others to chop wood and carry water: i.e. embrace the meditation of the mundane and the recalibration to normal that our nervous systems are dying to experience again. All of life is sacred—not just the neon, smell-o-vision stuff!

We wrap up our discussion with a card pull from the TOTEM Tarot Deck, and it does not disappoint!

TOTEM Readings website (Rachel's practice): https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Tarot Deck (card used in episode): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Elisha’s IG: @elisha_halpin
Elisha’s Website: https://elishahalpin.com 

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with Nichole Bigley of the incredible podcasts A Psychic's Story, Supernatural Matters, and A Psychic Story: Kids' Edition.

Nichole is also a psychic intuitive that has been I’ve been talking to angels her whole life. It started at a very early age when her memories of before being born on Earth suddenly returned. She is currently cowriting the book Looking for Angels: A Guide to Connecting with Angels in the hopes of putting more people in touch with their own angelic guides.

In this episode, we dispel the myths of the angelic realm and help folks figure out what angels are-- and what they're NOT (hint: it has a little something to do with toxic positivity and Precious Moments dolls).

Rachel and Nichole both share their early and very personal first encounters with angels, and how these experiences have shaped their psychic client work and broader lives. Long story short: angels are pretty high impact and basically change the trajectory of your whole life!

And, of course, we pull a card from the TOTEM Tarot Deck and it does NOT let us down! So, stay to the end-- that's where the good stuff is in any case;)

Nicole's links:
Main podcast: https://www.apsychicsstory.com/
Book: https://www.lookingforangelsbook.com/
Supernatural podcast: https://www.supernaturalmatters.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apsychicsstory
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apsychicsstory/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APsychicsStory/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/APsychicsStory
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCHwljl03uxjvTUWQW8weQ

Rachel's links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp