Ramon — poet, philosopher, and teacher — joins me to share the story behind his new poetry collection Drama of the Planets and the spiritual path that shaped it. From childhood stargazing to Rastafari, philosophy, and ecstatic dance, this conversation explores how art, community, and conduct ground a cosmic vision of spirituality.

Rev. Cindy Pincus shares the winding journey that led her from culturally Jewish roots to Christian ministry, Indigenous ceremony, and psychic training—all while working closely with death as a chaplain and hospice worker. We talk about spiritual conviction, empire, grief, and the mysterious grace that sometimes shows up right when everything falls apart.

This episode explores the intersection of creativity, spirituality, and sensitivity—how Aiden navigates the overwhelm of modern life while staying connected to her intuitive, dreamlike voice. We talk about art-making in the age of algorithms, spiritual recovery, and the accidental monastery retreat that broke her brain open (in the best way).

In this episode, I talk with astrologer and writer Diana Rose about how astrology can be a compassionate tool for self-understanding, healing, and deconditioning from cultural “shoulds.” We explore the power of relational healing, village life, mystical childhoods, and how Diana’s devotionally-oriented animism shapes the way she practices and lives astrology.

In this episode, Hanna and returning guest Rami Abu Sitta explore the inner terrain of running a spiritual business—where authenticity, shadow work, and self-inquiry meet marketing and visibility. Together they unpack the tension between being of service and being perceived, and reflect on what it means to show up as a whole, imperfect human in a world that often demands polish.

In this episode, Yumi Sakugawa shares the winding path of their spiritual life—from depression and disconnection to ancestral reclamation, intuitive art-making, and profound healing after a traumatic psychedelic experience. We talk about Okinawa, creative discipline as ritual, soul fragmentation, and what it means to draw the invisible.

Today, I’m joined by John Rainey—author, seeker, and explorer of unity consciousness. Once a devoted Christian, working as a youth pastor, his search for deeper truth led him beyond the walls of his religion and into the wild, uncharted expanse of direct experience of the divine. His journey to me is the perfect example of how deep questioning can lead someone to the truth — a potent question he asked himself one day changed the course of his life. But I’ll save that story for the interview. Let’s get into it.

Aidan Wachter is a self-described “mongrel animist” and magical practitioner whose path has been shaped less by systems and more by direct experience, dirt, string, and a willingness to listen deeply to the spirits that walk with him. In this conversation, Aidan shares how punk rock led him to magic, how a major breakdown clarified his role as a teacher and healer (even if those titles make him cringe), and why the tools we already have might be more than enough. We talk about animism, autonomy, spiritual hoarding, ancestor complications, embodied spirit work, and the dangers of trying to fix spiritual problems with material logic. If you’ve ever felt allergic to orthodoxy but deeply drawn to the unseen, you’re going to love this one.

We cover: Solstice's spiritual evolution from childhood Christianity, to militant atheism, to Buddhist studenthood, and finally to a grounded, non-dual, love-centered worldview. The idea that everything—yes, everything—is God, including darkness, discomfort, and so-called “evil.” A radical re-reading of the Bible through the lens of mysticism, metaphor, and personal development. How New Age material helped Solstice reconnect with the Bible in a more empowering and embodied way. The concept of “Love Your Judas”: seeing betrayal, pain, and hardship as portals to transformation. The distinction between sociological consciousness and love or God-consciousness—and why the latter is more liberatory. The limits of resistance: how being “anti-” something often recycles its energy and keeps us bound to it.

Today, I’m joined by Bob Peck—author, award-winning filmmaker, mystic, and, dare I say, spiritual comedian. Fascinated by spirituality and philosophy from a young age, Bob has approached the spiritual path like a true connoisseur of the vast wisdom smorgasbord that is world religion. His deep knowledge of many traditions makes him a grounded and insightful guide, as he has demonstrated in his book Original Sin Is a Lie. With a warm heart, Bob invites us to explore the territory beyond dogma and uncover our true selves. Let’s get into it.

What it’s really like to need help and receive care The tension between hyper-independence and community support Advocating for yourself in broken systems (like healthcare) The messy, unglamorous reality of “the village” How crisis can reveal — and reshape — our relationships

Today, I’m joined by Nataraj Chaitanya—a seasoned yogi, philosopher, and teacher with over two decades of experience in classical Tantra, Mantra, Bhakti, and Yoga philosophy. Beginning his meditation and yoga practice at the age of 13, Nataraj has dedicated his life to sharing his embodiment of the transformative teachings of tantra, leading retreats, workshops, and teacher training programs worldwide. Now, as you’ll hear, Nataraj is my spiritual brother. We share a lineage — both of our gurus were disciples of Swami Muktananda, so we both have been influenced quite strongly by the flavor of his unique transmission. In future episodes, we want to speak more about the guru disciple relationship and how interesting and transformative it can be to hold a teacher in both their holiness and their humanity. But for now, we can all be blessed by the nectar of Nataraj’s presence. Sometimes when I speak with him my mind goes completely blank — but in a blissful way. I only ever have this experience with my own guru. So, that’s just to say that the Grace he radiates is not only palpable, but poppin. Enjoy!

Today, I’m joined by Meredith Graves—musician, writer, and lifelong student of not only magic and all things western esotericism, but a deep devotee of awe and wonder. Known for her fierce presence in punk music and independent media, Meredith’s life has always been centered around her spirituality — like a nymph leaping from one career to another, it’s not about her role in the world. It’s about the way she engages with life, what she courts in all of her actions. A true, esoteric householder, if you ask me. As a dedicated magician, she weaves together art, ritual, history, and the hidden currents of the mystical traditions that penetrate every aspect of our lives. Like, no joke. Western civilization is quite literally a magical working. Now, Meredith is the epitome of a one line in human design, an encyclopedia of occult knowledge. We always have so much fun talking to each other — and so, this episode is actually part two because the first interview ended up getting published on my patreon. That one is a bit more biographical if you want to hear more about Meredith’s story. This one is a bit more like two nerds bouncing ideas off of each other for like two hours. So buckle up! Let’s dive in.

Today, I’m joined by Jory Pryor—inter-spiritual scholar-practitioner rooted in Advaita Vedanta and shakta tantra, with a background in the Christian tradition and a deep appreciation for global expressions of non-duality. As the host of the Methods of Contemplation podcast, Jory engages in thoughtful dialogues exploring diverse spiritual paths and contemplative practices. He’s also the author of Becoming All Light: The Non-Dual Heart of Christianity, inviting readers to awaken to their true, luminous nature. I’ve often sent my own students to Jory whenever they’ve expressed an interest in returning to Christianity after exploring tantra with me. I can think of no better guide! This conversation was especially fun for me because it’s not often I get to talk with someone who has experienced the guru / disciple relationship in a similar way to me! So, let’s get right into it.

Erina’s life has been an unfolding through the kind of darkness that strips everything away. In the midst of it all, a series of divine encounters shifted her path, revealing the divinity within her. Through a process of surrender, curiosity and sincerity she stopped resisting and started seeing, understanding. Now, she moves with life as a dance, finding rhythm in the ebb and flow, and strength in the stillness between. And through all of it, she’s become a powerful healer and practitioner, utilizing several modalities—Quantum Touch, sound therapy with tuning forks, aromatherapy, and yin yoga. But more than anything, by merely being herself she offers us a way of being: rooted, honest, and deeply attuned to what’s true.

Hey guys… we’ve got something a little bit different today. This is a yapcast episode. These yapcasts will be peppered into this first season to just uh…. break up the rhythm a bit? Here’s what to expect: casual conversation between me and my best friend Monica about like… whatever we want to talk about. Today, we’re talking about the idea of the inner child for like… almost two hours LOL. so get ready for that… but first, I think you need to know a bit more about her. How can I explain monica? she’s like if an artist, poet, and visionary thinker had the integrity of a saint. she’s funny, witty, and deeply deeply curious and compassionate. in fact, she’s like, ten times more curious and compassionate than me. another thing to know about monica is that she and i are basically the same person. we’re both splenic projectors with the channel of struggle and wide, gaping open solar plexuses. we’ve both got a lot of openness in our charts, but monica even more — i’ve got the defined head center and ajna in addition to the root and spleen. so when we’re together — the mental energy pops off in the best ways… she inspires me, i ground her thinking. i’m annoyingly individual circuitry, she’s got the tribal circuitry… so together we’re able to look with openness at the vastness of the human experience, covering all of the bases so we can stay grounded and connected with not only reality, but the needs of people around us. so, to say the least… it’s a blessing to be her friend because i don’t have to explain myself at all to her because we are SO similar. infact, we tend to go through similar things at the same time… our birthdays are less than a month apart. so, you’ll be hearing more from both of us over the course of not only this podcast, but also this year because she and i are teaching a 4 week course about interpersonal conflict in June! so, monica and i are the same person. and yet… i don’t want to minimize her by talking about our similarities. she in her own individual being… she’s a multi media artist, a writer, a grief and conflict mentor, and a somatic teacher. she helps people make sense of life’s messiest moments. she roots everything she does in her peace education, her emphasis on transformative conflict, and restorative justice. she brings emotional depth and practicality into her world, helping people to communicate better, mend what’s been broken, and move through change with intention. she’s a coach and founder of Rooted Relating and also the voice behind Salt & Quill, where she explores the alchemy of healing, storytelling, and self expression. She is quite literally known as a sense maker, a poet in motion, and the one who will gently — but firmly — encourage you to run straight towards the hard shit. So of course, we are in GOOD company. Now, here’s some context for this conversation. We recorded this late 2024 just weeks before Monica broke her LEG. she slipped and fell and BROKE HER LEG last year which has been wildly painful AND transformative. that channel of struggle simply won’t let up. so, our NEXT yapcast is actually going to be about her broken leg. so it’s interesting to hear her speaking on the cusp of this major life shift.

Today, I’m joined by Amelia—multidisciplinary artist, astrologer, and traveler, rooted in mythos, beauty, and deep curiosity. She creates as a form of devotion, drawing inspiration from ritual, magic, and alchemy. Her work blends oil painting with electional astrology to produce talismanic pieces that are both stunning and spellbinding. With a background in studio art and religious studies, Amelia brings thoughtful attention to both craft and mysticism—her art lives in that liminal space between knowing and wondering. And right now, she’s channeling all of that into The Astro Magician’s Tarot—a deck four years in the making that weaves together astrology, mythos, Hermeticism, and Kabbalah. It’s live on Kickstarter, and it’s not just gorgeous—it’s potent. Let’s get into it.

Today, we’re in for a real treat. We’re joined by Rami Abu-Sitta—a coach, healer, and teacher of ancestral energy medicine. Spurred or… dare I say, forced onto the spiritual path at a young age by chronic pain, Rami has spent years deepening his practice and transmuting his own struggles into wisdom. Now, he empowers others to capture their dreams, turn fear into gold, and shape their deepest callings into reality. There’s truly no substitute for a guide who’s been dragged through the fire and come out the other side stronger, wiser—and funnier. We laughed our asses off in this conversation. So buckle up—let’s get into it.

Today, I’m joined by the one and only Emilia Fart—YouTuber, artist, and visual poet. She is a purely, consistently, and fearlessly unapologetic presence on the internet. A lighthouse. Someone so attuned to their own compass, they in turn attune you to yours. So, if you already know her, you know. And if you don’t, you’re in for a ride. Let’s get into it.

Today, I’m joined by Sevan Mercy—healer, ritualist, and devoted student of the mystical traditions. Their path weaves through Peruvian curanderismo, Bacchic Orphism, Tibetan Chöd, Shakta Tantra, and Ancestral Lineage Healing, making them a true bridge between worlds. With deep initiations and transmissions across multiple sacred lineages, Sevan brings a rich perspective on healing, ritual, the unseen realms and… parenting! We speak a lot about the transformative path of being a parent in this episode. Sev has been a long time internet friend of mine — let’s get into it.