Jane Mayer and I are back to answer the questions we received from you all in February! We also get to hear about Jane’s updates at the end of her pregnancy, her move to Alabama to be closer to family, what the third trimester has been like, and how she’s being changed. Hear Jane's full story in our previous podcast, episode 133. In this episode we discussed: Approaching the birth portal and preparation for birth Ways to connect with Celtic wisdom keepers Priestess lineages that were destroyed and how to connect with lineages we trust Root causes of carrying extra weight on a spiritual level ~ how to address secondary gains ~ subconscious ways we protect ourselves and rebel against strict rules that were placed on us in the past How to address picky eating with toddlers/children Thyroid challenges in women and regulating hormones EFT Tapping and how to use it to release old stories, limiting beliefs and childhood traumas Our culture’s relationship to food and weight and finding your own normal How the lymph plays a role in hormonal balance The year of the dragon and the mysteries of dragon energies ~ did they really exist? Soul contracts and how to attract soul aligned clients and the energetics of charging for our sacred work Links in this episode: To ask a question to us on Rising Women Leaders send a voicemail or text to ‪(707) 559-8346‬ Womb Awakening book Alliance Avalonia on instagram Stay in Touch with Jane: Website Instagram Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram

Announcement: Enrollment is now open for the next cohort of the Way of the Priestess. Richard will be one of our guest teachers When I first discovered that when everyone is talking about “Full moon in Leo” the actual moon in the sky is most often in the constellation of Cancer my mouth dropped! How could this be? Ever since I was a kid I loved looking at the stars and astronomy was one of my favorite subjects in school. I’ve always asked questions like, “Why are we here? Where did we come from, and what’s the point of all of this?” So many of these questions have begun to be answered through my study of Vedic Astrology, the ancient form of astrology from India. In Vedic astrology, our chart is a printout of our karma, the lessons our soul came to experience in this life. We bring with us our beneficial and challenging karmas to be lived out and worked through. Our soul has different reasons for incarnating - for example Dharma, Artha (Money, and how we earn it), Kama (Passion, desire) and Moksha (liberation). I’ve been wowed again and again by the accuracy of Vedic Astrology, to predict dates and beneficial phases. Richard has helped me choose dates to buy a car, beneficial times to marry, has predicted certain moves I’ve had, and so much more. This episode has been a long time coming! I’ve been referencing what I’ve learned in Vedic astrology more and more in the episodes, so I wanted to sit down with guest expert, Vedic Astrologer Richard Powell. Richard has been a dear friend and teacher of mine since I began studying with him during the beginning of the pandemic. In this episode we discussed: The differences between Western and Eastern or “Vedic” astrology The “Four Aims of Life” (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) and why our souls choose to incarnate The 12 constellations, what planets they are ruled by and what are their unique energies Each of the planets and their energies Phases of life ruled by the planets and how to find out what phase of life you are in The nodes of the moon: Ketu and Rahu: And our experiences from these life phases Links in this Episode: View your unique chart: https://deva.guru/ - exact birth time does make a difference so be sure to check your birth certificate Your “sign” in vedic astrology will be the number in the top center diamond (1-12) in the chart Your “phase of life” will be the planet listed in the “Viṁśottarī Daśā” section underneath the chart Stay in Touch with Richard: Richard’s Vedic Astrology Course Begins February 19th Website - Book 1-1 Vedic readings Instagram Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram -- Richard is a NAMA-certified Doctor of Āyurveda. He is a graduate of the Āyurvedic Institute and has studied extensively under Dr. Vasant Lad in the US and India. He furthered his Ayurveda and Vedic philosophy studies under Dr. Ashwin Shastry of Arogya Niketana in Karnataka, India. Upon returning to the United States, Richard pursued advanced classical Ayurvedic studies in a clinical setting at the Arogya Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under Kashyapa Fisher for an additional four years. Since 2018, he has been employed at the Ayurvedic Center of Vermont where he gives consultations, teaches, and gives treatments. Complimenting his extensive education in Āyurveda, Richard has been studying and teaching yoga for over 20 years and is an ERYT-500. He is an avid student of Sanskrit, Jyotisha (Vedic Astrology), and Vedic philosophy. After a chance meeting with Hart DeFouw he decided to study in that lineage, most prominently under Penny Farrow, with whom he still studies. In addition to his studies in the Vedic sciences, Richard is a Reiki Master and is an avid practitioner of Aikido, the Japanese martial art. His passion for earth healing meets his devoted studies in physical, mental, and spiritual health as he was formerly a permaculture designer and educator and founded the nonprofit Orlando Permaculture in Orlando, Florida. Richard believes that by aligning with nature and the Divine we will find not only our own optimal health but also greater peace and balance in the world. He brings his comprehensive experiences and education into his consultations with his clients to empower them to find fulfillment, peace, and healing.

I’m back to podcasting! I know it’s been about 8 months since my last episode and I have missed you all. I have just been navigating the reality of being ia new mother, having more limited time now, amidst navigating the identity shifts and transformations of becoming a mother. I’m so excited to share my conversation with Jane, a true voice and channel for the heart of the Holy One. You may remember Jane from earlier episodes: episode 118 - Navigating Change and the Power of Listening, and episode 128 where I shared the story of my daughter’s birth. Jane and I have also had these parallel paths, like the passing of birds in the sky, she moved to kauai the month I was getting ready to leave, being pregnant and desiring to be closer to family. And now, Jane being halfway through her pregnancy is deciding the same. In this episode we discussed: Trusting our intuition Being open to the twists and turns and mystery of life  Gender reveals and navigating surprise and difficult emotions Jane’s unsuccessful journey with IVF in a previous marriage and the journey of natural conception and pregnancy years later Jane’s decision to leave Kauai  Our stories of miscarriage from this past year Vedic astrology insights and life transitions Stay in Touch with Jane: Website Instagram Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram Jane Mayer is a medicine woman, creative, doula, and guide to the unseen realms, who delights in supporting humans and Earth in coming fully alive. Alongside supporting private clients, she writes, records and performs music, and guides a school for creativity and awakening. A keeper of song and a lover of mythos, her practice is borne of the weaving of indigenous medicine from Peru, Hawaii and Ireland, the Christian mysticism of her home in the deep South, and a depth of knowledge in the nervous system, subtle body, womb healing, and the somatic experience of awakening. She holds deep trust in the wild intelligence of nature to guide all of Creation, and orients others to their deeper nature and innate gifts with sound, myth, dreams, plant, energy medicine and somatic integration. She is devoted to the heart of all  things, sacred union, and the  liberation of all beings. To learn more, visit  iamjanemayer.com.

This Fall I participated in a weekly new parent-baby group in Sebastopol, CA with Kerry Ingram. I met Kerry years ago when she found one of my self-care guide downloads and invited me to be a wise woman to visit her mom and baby groups. I remember thinking I would love to join something like that to meet other mothers and babies if I ever had a child one day… and about six years later it happened! Kerry has been supporting new mothers, babies and families for the past decade in CA and now is sharing her curriculum to create a ripple effect of sharing more of these nourishing postpartum groups around the world. Care for the next generation really does start with the mother, and the more we can surround families with support in early postpartum the easier it will be to interrupt harmful narratives and create networks of love, care and support when we need it most. In this episode we discussed: Kerry’s experience postpartum: the surprises, challenges and ways she found the support she needed How community support impacts early parenting and is culture-making by creating space to see and interrupt harmful narratives How to be a village tender and step into leadership for new parents in your community The “Early Parenting Villains” and how these systems, for example, ‘consumerism’ ‘diet culture’ or ‘patriarchy’ come up so often in new motherhood, how to identify them and ways to shift our relationship with them Self-care in postpartum, asking for help and building community Links in this episode:  Kerry’s Course: Village Tenders Postpartum Community Care Course Stay in Touch with Kerry: IG: @villagetenders FB: Community Supported Postpartum Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram Patreon Kerry Ingram is the founder of Community Supported Postpartum whose mission is to build ecosystems of care one community at a time.  She contributes to this vision by teaching folks all over the world how to step into the role of Village Tender by creating local parent and baby groups that get parents out of isolation and into a web of support and care. Kerry is a parent (both biological and foster), an early childhood educator (20 years), a postpartum doula, with additional education in women and gender studies (SUNY Oswego), and maternal mental health care (PSI). She has been facilitating local parent and baby groups for over 10 years and teaches others around the world to step into leadership with her Village Tenders Postpartum Community Care course, curriculum and business framework.

It’s an honor to have Becca Piastrelli back on Rising Women Leaders. It’s been a few years (and a lot of transformation) since our last conversation (episode 10!). We’ve both transitioned from maiden to mother, and our lives and businesses have transformed along with us. In this conversation we share the real, the raw, and the beautiful of being initiated into mothers: Becca shares of her journey of the last 2.5 years after birthing her daughter, her journey with delayed postpartum depression (and rage) at 18 months, how she has done her best to recreate the village we all long for, what it looks like to untangle from patriarchy and letting go the need to always do more, and how we can honor and ritualize the powerful rite of passage of shifting from maiden to mother.  Stay in Touch with Becca: Becca’s book Becca's website instagram.com/beccapiastrelli belongingpodcast.com Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram Patreon Current Offerings with Meredith: 1:1 Coaching & Mentorship Womb Healing Becca Piastrelli is the author of Root & Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community & the Self and is the host of the Belonging podcast. She teaches and speaks on the nature of belonging and runs retreats to help women reconnect with their rooted sense of self. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area (soon to be Hudson Valley, NY) with her husband, child, two cats, and five chickens, where she gardens, cooks, mothers, and gathers with the ebb and flow of the seasons. 

Enrollment is now open for the Way of the Priestess Training Program with Meredith Rom. Download the program guide at risingwomenleaders.com and book a call to learn more. It’s an honor to have Renee Linnell back on Rising Women Leaders! In Renee’s latest book, Still on Fire, she shares stories of magic, miracles, travel and romance… from traveling over 50 countries, love affairs with men half her age, being rescued by angels, getting stranded at 22,000 feet in the Himalayas, Renee takes us on a wild adventure in her book, sharing soul-soothing wisdom she gained along the way. Where her first book, The Burn Zone was an exploration of what happens when we don't listen to our Inner Guidance, Still on Fire is an exposition of what happens when we do. May this conversation support you to remember who you truly are and reignite a passion for being alive on Earth at this time. “Freedom, I have discovered, is letting go and jumping into the stream of life. Being willing to be uncomfortable and trusting that divine choreography will a​l​ways lead us to the next right unfolding. It is looking for the good in everything we gaze upon or stumble upon… finding the miracles in each moment instead of the grievances.” In this episode we discussed: How Renee shifted her mindset from victim to warrior What is soul sickness? and how to realign with your soul’s truth How to survive as a sensitive being on this planet Renee’s wild and powerful stories of magic, travel, romance and miracles Why we need to shine our light and how to navigate losing people in our life who can’t resonate at the same frequency How to let go of people pleasing and caring so much of what others think of us What finding our power really means Listening to our intuition - and tips to realign with love and freedom when fear or self-doubt appears   Links in this episode:  Renee’s previous Rising Women Leaders episode 068: Your Difference is Your Destiny Buy the book: Still on Fire or The Burn Zone     Stay in Touch with Renee: Website Facebook   Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram Patreon Renee Linnell is a serial entrepreneur who has founded or cofounded five companies and has an MBA from New York University; before that she was a model and professional dancer. Having an unorthodox childhood and being surrounded by death at a young age led her on a spiritual quest that took her all over the world, culminating in her ordination as a Buddhist monk (by a bi-polar guru with delusions of grandeur so she’s not 100% sure the ordination counts.) What began as writing for catharsis in 2013—as she struggled to regain her sanity after being brainwashed in a Buddhist cult—turned into her first memoir, The Burn Zone: A Memoir (She Writes Press, 2018). Still on Fire is the sequel. Her mission is to remind people Who They Truly Are and to reignite their passion for being alive. For more information, please visit https://reneelinnell.com 

It was an honor to sit down for this heart opening conversation with a personal mentor and friend, Porsha Beed. It was just before the pandemic when I first met Porsha in a song circle in Sebastopol, CA. I was touched by the songs her and co-founder Aaron Johnson shared with our group and how effortlessly they brought us into our hearts. I attended their daylong anti-racism workshop and went on to work privately with Porsha to move through my own grief around racism, look at my own blind spots as a white woman with privilege and come into deeper alignment with how I show up for my work, friends and larger community. I think a lot of white people do end up (sadly) avoiding relationships with people of other races because of the shame and guilt that often arises. When we focus on the fear and guilt, we take the focus away from truly getting to know and caring for person of another race. Porsha is here and reaching for us to heal this divide. May this conversation open a door for us all to look within, to heal, and to create a better future for all the generations to come. In this episode we discussed: Approaching anti-racism work through song and building relationships Healing and tending to grief Letting go of perfectionism and embracing willingness Spirituality and love at the center of anti-racism and social justice movements Healing shame to let down barriers and form true relationships Stories of healing from Porsha’s work The importance of self-forgiveness All about Porsha’s upcoming deep dive series, “Can You Hear Me?” (Links below) How Porsha overcomes fear and doubt and anchors back into her roots and reasons behind this work A beautiful song to remember our connection to spirit Links in this episode:  Join Porsha for one of her upcoming deep dives: Song Power Hour with Songleader Lyndsey Scott ( September 28 5-6pm PT): https://fb.me/e/1KfDTZtFL Can you Hear me deep dive 1( October 1,  12-2 pm PT): https://fb.me/e/3QDkZhoMP Can You Feel Me? deep dive 2 (October 7,  5-7pm PT): https://fb.me/e/20vk01lUX Can You Hold Me? deep dive 3 (October 15, 12-2pm PT): https://fb.me/e/2JJSm0kRv Stay in Touch with Porsha: You can connect with Porsha, register for her offerings and learn more about her work at info.canyouhearme@gmail.com Instagram: @porshabeed Facebook: porshabeed Holistic Resistance - https://www.holisticresistance.com Grief to Action - https://www.grieftoaction.com Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders:   Website Instagram Patreon   Porsha Beed (she/her) is a co-founder of Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action. Porsha is a practitioner of love, grief work, and deep heart/soul work. She is a mentor, love prophet, poet, spiritual healer and facilitator who pulls from a spiritual ancestral lineage and the earth as guides to support and hold her as she works towards a vision of healing work that aids in the dismantling of racism and oppression. She weaves her African heritage and queer experiences into seeds that she sows in her authentic creative expressions through facilitation, ritual practices, poetry, and song.

This week I sat down with dear friend Jane Mayer to share the story of my daughter's birth. She was born March 15, 2022 at our home in Boulder, Colorado. In this story I share about everything from unexpected emotions during pregnancy, what I did to prepare for birth, practices to help baby be in the most optimal position for labor, the story of the birth itself as well as lessons from the first six weeks postpartum.  After spending years preparing for motherhood and holding space for women to heal their womb and their own birth stories it's such an honor to share our birth story with you today.  Links in this episode:  Jane's previous podcast episode Sacred Birthing book  Barbara's Sacred Birthing School Spinning Babies class Womb Healing Sessions with Meredith  Live Womb Healing Ceremony June 12th Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram  Patreon

As I am about to cross the threshold into motherhood, I sat down to speak with mother, ceremonialist, and birthkeeper Gabriella Cerince. (You can also listen to our last episode from 2020 on Ceremony, Seasons, & the Modern Witch right here). Gabriella shares her birth story (with her now 6-month old daughter,) and the fine line one walks between fear, trust & intuition in the process, and how she was invited to set boundaries both during and after birth as she stepped into her new role as Mother. Gabriella has great reverence for mothers, women and mothers-to-be and is working towards a world where our direct line of connection to our mothers and Earth mother can be healed and tended to. This conversation reminds of connecting to our innate power as women as we walk through potent initiations in a full-spectrum life… “Birth works… the more we can get out of the way, the better…” In this episode we discussed: Gabriella’s home birth story The initiations & mysteries of pregnancy What Gabriella is learning through motherhood How Birth is an opportunity to heal our lineages and the World How Gabriella is navigating her Mother Wound as a new mother You can also find this episode on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Stay in Touch with Gabriella: Website Instagram Mother Root online course Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram Patreon Gabriella is a Mother, Ceremonialist, Sovereign Birthkeeper, Freebirth Advocate, and has been initiated into the Temple of Diana as a Dianic Witch. She serves women throughout the childbearing year with an open heart, ready to bring the Village to those in need. She lives in the forests of Oregon with her husband, tending the land and raising their 5 month old daughter. Together, they hold Seasonal celebrations on their property with their local community. Gabriella leads Women's Circles, Red Tents, Village Prenatals, Blood Rites, Mother Blessings, Birth Circles, and Online Courses in the name of the Goddess, Ancestral Healing, and Womb Sovereignty. She is passionate about bringing women back to the Goddess, nourishing women's health, innate power, and protecting female spaces.

After hearing Morgan’s story of choosing to donate and redistribute 100% of her inherited family wealth, I knew I wanted to speak with her. In this conversation we discuss what it’s like to face the shadows of our ancestral lineages, ask deeper questions of what our family’s part was in injustices in our country and how we can use that knowledge to atone and repair. Morgan is one of thousands of young people feeling called to redistribute inherited wealth back into the hands of indigenous and black people and organizations across the country… Her story calls us to consider that maybe true happiness is really found when we focus on others’ happiness rather than just our own… In this episode we discuss: Morgan’s privileged upbringing and calling to activism early in life The inner journey navigating shame, guilt, and anger after learning about some of her ancestor’s involvement in slavery, moving indigenous people off their land, and fossil fuel investments - the very= The story of how Morgan began redistributing 100% of her inherited wealth and 50% of her earned income How to navigate resistance that may come up when redistributing funds How to begin the journey of looking into your own ancestral past The fears Morgan faced around being public with this work What Morgan has learned about true happiness A letter to her descendants and vision for a healed world Stay in Touch with Morgan: Coaching & Cohorts for Ancestral Repair & Redistribution: morganhcurtis.com Have money to give this season? Here are some of Morgan’s suggestions on where to begin: Ekvn Yefolecv an intentional Indigenous ecovillage community returning to their ancestral homelands in what’s known as Alabama, to reclaim and revive language, ecology, cosmology and tradition. Canticle Farm an urban farm, educational center, and intentional community, located in East Oakland, CA on Lisjan Ohlone territory. In particular, the Sister Water House of Restorative Justice at Canticle Farm is home to formerly-incarcerated Black elders and movement leaders. #Case4Reparations Fund at Liberated Capital is an example of how to cede decision making power by funding the movement for reparations through campaigns and organizations chosen by a group of Black and Indigenous leaders. Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders: Website Instagram Patreon   Guided by the call to transmute the legacy of her colonizer and enslaver ancestors, Morgan is dedicated to working with her fellow people with wealth and class privilege towards redistribution, atonement, and repair of ancestral harms. As a facilitator, money coach, organizer and ritualist, she works to catalyze the healing of relationships with self, family, ancestors, community, and the land, enabling the surrender of power and control so that resources can flow towards racial, environmental, and economic justice. She is in the process of redistributing 100% of her inherited wealth and 50% of her income to primarily Black- and Indigenous-led organizing and land projects. Morgan is a resident of Canticle Farm, a multi-racial, inter-faith, cross-class, intergenerational intentional community in Lisjan Ohlone territory (Oakland, CA). She is currently a Masters of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, focused on racial justice and healing. You can learn more at her website: morganhcurtis.com.