Did your new year's resolutions already fizzle?  You have a second chance.   The ancient Celts called February 1st Imbolc (pronounced im-bolc, eem-olc, or eem-yolk), First Spring or the feast of the Goddess/Saint Brigid.  It represented the return or rebirth of the Goddess, after having died to the earth at Samhain. In this episode Kate muses on that quickening, lightness, restlessness from earth-bound hibernation, the darkness and cold of winter just starting to hint of lifting. As we move out of hibernation, how might we respond to those new impulse to stretch, move out and DO?  Have a listen for how this might affect both your inner and outer housekeeping, plus a bonus creative offering from the Forge of St Brigid. Check out a simple Imbolc ritual and song here: https://www.katefontana.com/blog/2018%2F1%2F30%2Fa-simple-irish-spring-ritual-for-families

Katie Spataro, CSB (she/her) is a certified somatic sex educator and sexological bodyworker, womb tender, holistic pelvic care provider, and full spectrum doula.  Katie studies and practices at the intersections of birth work and sex work, drawing upon the embodied wisdom of these two lineages to support healing of the personal and collective cultural body. In this conversation, we explore: - What do we mean by "the erotic"? - How to rewrite narratives about our sexual and erotic bodies - The relationship between eroticism and sex  - Consent, communication and negotiating the edges and boundaries of desire  - Nurturing erotic spaces and community Katie blends various modalities of somatic practice, bodywork and skilled coaching in her private practice, and facilitates classes on sexual and reproductive wellbeing, embodied consent, and erotic education through a trauma-informed and healing-centered lens. She is core faculty at the Institute for the Study of Somatic Sex Education, a Certified Facilitator through the School of Consent, and adjunct faculty at Antioch University’s Sex Therapy Certificate Program in Seattle.    Connect with Katie: www.sacredwombservices.com Institute for the Study of Somatic Sex Education: www.somaticsexeducator.com/

We are living in a time of overwhelming conflict at an unprecedented scale. It is everywhere, in our homes and in our world. In this week's podcast, I explore a unique framework and 3 essential components of engaging conflict in a conscious -- and hopefully constructive -- way.  Here's the reframe I invite us to consider: conflict is an altered state. Like love-making, deep meditation, or psychedelics, conflict does something to our bodies, minds and spirit that is different than our base-line day-to-day state.   What could this mean for how we engage conflict? In light of this, I break down the 3 essentials for conscious conflict.  Have a listen to learn what these are. Want to be a part of a sweet community of earth-loving people seeking to live in deeper harmony with life, each other and our times?  Check out Roots & Rhythms: www.katefontana.com/roots&rhythms Ready to step into your own Priestess Path to steward YOUR people through these troubled times?  Check out Priestess School, now accepting waitlisters: www.katefontana.com/priestess-school

How can Astrology help us understand and navigate the political landscape and bigger cultural and social phenomena of our time? This is a question that drives the scholarship and offerings of Hummingbird, an astrologer, content creator, and creator of Astrology for the Revolution.   In this conversation we explore some profound and provocative themes, particularly around the archetype and influence of Pluto, planet of death, destruction, the unconscious, rebirth, and transformation.  We look at:  - the manifestation and implications of the Pluto Returns of the United States - Pluto in the rise of the global military industrial complex and tech companies - Understanding the uprising for Black Lives - and its backlash - through Plutonian astrology - Plutonian themes currently unfolding in the genocide of Palestinian peoples in Gaza - what Pluto wakes up and calls forth in us, as individuals and collectively - how to use astrology as both "map" and "weather report" to navigate these times Hummingbird (she/her) is a white, half-Jewish cis woman, based in land originally stewarded by the Tutelo peoples, today known as the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwest Virginia.  She is an astrologer specializing in political analysis through an astrological lens in service to activists, movement workers and those concerned with where we find ourselves in this unique moment in history.  She is the creator of Astrology for the Revolution: "an astro-political education that will transform your relationship to our dire historical moment—and to your unique role in it." Follow Hummingbird: Website: www.astrologyfortherevolution.com IG: @astrologyfortherevolution Medium: medium.com/@astrofortherevolution   Resources referenced in this episode: The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones Resources for Orientation during Genocide by Hummingbird The Lobby - USA​

“Everyone wants to do ayahuasca but no one wants to do the dishes.” - Unknown Such is the frame for the Midwinter Mundane Magic Summit, curated by my colleagues and virtual friends Laurel Armstrong and Alyssa Allegretti. In this virtual tea-party, we talk about all things ordinarily mystical: the 'in-between' spaces, departure from dominant spiritual structures, the cycles of disillusionment often experienced on the spiritual fringe, the absence of real integration in the ocean of spiritual highs, the interplay of structure and wildness within spiritual community and formation. You'll also get a sense of the spirit and energetics of the Summit ie we are chatty, honest, and silly (make sure to listen til the VERY end for one of my favorite slightly off-topic conversational moments :) The Midwinter Mundane Magic Summit happens January 25-28, 2024. **Correction: Since the recording of this podcast, Asha Lerae (as mentioned) has withdrawn as a presenter.  Kristopher Drummond has been added to the line-up.** Check it out and register here:  ttps://buytickets.at/sevenspellsproductions/1077835

You could probably sing a dozen Christmas songs at the drop of a hat.   But do you know any Solstice songs? I didn't either, so the season and I co-authored a few, and in this week's episode I share them with you. Singing is a cultural practice worldwide, and one of the things that really enlivens me in my personal practice as well as in my priestess role in my community. How do you and yours mark this season?  Tag me in your celebratory Solstice posts! Want a whole Solstice ritual outline for your family or community?  Check out last week's podcast here or wherever you listen to podcasts: priestessofordinarythings.podbean.com/e/solstice-ritual-for-families/ Local to the South Puget Sound?  Join our Sing Up the Sun community celebration here: www.thesanctuarynorthwest.com/celebrations Ready to step into your own Priestess gifts?  Sign up for the Priestess School waitlist here: www.katefontana.com/Priestess-School

Solstice is one of those days that cultures around the world recognized as significant: a moment to dwell in the beauty and paradox of light and darkness. For us in the northern hemisphere, winter solstice can be a time to receive the gifts of deep darkness: rest, incubation of dreams, and the freedom as well as hardship of death and endings. In this week's podcast, I go over 5 components of a simple ritual that you can adapt for your own family and community.   If you try this with your family, or have other practices or resources you use with your family, please let me know in the comments! Get the ritual in written form here: https://www.thesanctuarynorthwest.com/blog/2020/12/18/a-simple-winter-solstice-ritual-for-families Join our community solstice ritual here: https://www.thesanctuarynorthwest.com/celebrations

This week's episode is a conversation with inabel Uytiepo, a queer, ilocanx-chinese-spanish-portuguese somatic forgiveness practitioner, artist, teacher, animist and forever student.  inabel's work spans many modalities and themes, only some of which we are able to explore together.  Some include: -Colonialism, Cultural Insecurity, and severance from the land -Finding our place in movement ecology -Somatic forgiveness and healing through non-linear time -Tending our victim-selves, activating our adult-selves -Forgiving White Supremacy -"we-searching" for creative culture-building -The criminalization of dance as  -Facing our world as it is: responding to ongoing genocide, war and violence in Gaza, Ukraine, and the U.S. and throughout the world   inabel Uytiepo (they/isuna/siya) is a queer, ilocanx-chinese-spanish-portuguese somatic forgiveness practitioner, artist, teacher, animist and forever student. They were born on Tongva lands within an immigrant settler family. inabel presently stays with their partner, children, dog and cat amongst the oceanside mountainous forest of the Uypi lands presently stewarded by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. inabel has been studying death and meditation since they were a child. inabel began a healing arts practice after becoming a Buddhist meditation student and teacher. inabel is a certified clinical hypnotherapist. inabel is an intuitive, trained bodyworker, contemporary and ancestral lineage holder of wholistic manual therapies for digestive and reproductive systems via neuromuscular, visceral, aura and energy presencing. With community, inabel offers sessions and holds co-creative careshops, events, circles and retreats via somatic mindfulness, quantum consciousness, expressive arts and ancestral wayfinding journeys.  inabel often works with Asian, Pilipinx, femme, gender queer and LGBTQIA+ community. inabel is also one of five co-conveners for the cross-racial solidarity grassroots organization Peoples Collective for Justice and Liberation. inabel's most recent endeavor is explorative work in a co-creative journeys called the Wayfinding Collective.  Join inabel at the next free series of seasonal Amourphous Pathways.  Connec with inabel: IG: @healingisgiving  Updates and upcoming events: linktr.ee/healingisgiving Website:healingisgiving.com ; wayfinding collective.com

If you're a highly sensitive person, even though you might LOVE the holiday season, you might also struggle with feeling: ~like it doesn't take much to make you completely overstimulated (resulting in sensory shut down, grumpiness, irritability or relational avoidance) ~guilt or disappointment for not being able to show up for or thoroughly enjoy ALL THE THINGS (which might result in trying to do so perfectly through gritted teeth OR not even wanting to try and cancelling everything) ~paralyzed or overwhelmed by options, the demands of others, OR your own desires (possibly resulting in going into full hibernation mode and watching Netfilx for the next 2 months)   If any of these sound familiar, I'm talking to you.   I'll share 3 essentials of Holiday Self-Care for Highly Sensitive People, with a bonus very simple energy medicine practice to support flexible but firm energetic boundaries for your holiday season.   Check out my seasonal offerings here: Nourish: A Winter Solstice Retreat: www.katefontana.com/nourish Holy Darkness: An Advent-Solstice Pilgrimage: www.katefontana.com/holy-darkness

What does it take to de-center whiteness and create spaces where ALL people can experience nourishment? What does it look like to nurture harmony experience healing together amidst systems of oppression that impact each of us so differently? How might spiritual practice support us in these endeavors? These are the questions I explore with my colleague and collaborator, Rhea Goodrum, in preparation for this year's winter solstice Nourish retreat. Rhea is a Chamorrita with roots from Guam in the Mariana Islands.  She is a spiritual activist, and seeks to reconnect us to the wisdom and life skills of Indigenous Peoples to nourish our personal rhythm, and the rhythms of our environment.  In this episode, Rhea shares about her eclectic spiritual journey, her experience as a participant of the Nourish retreat, and what she aims to offer to other women of color in that space. We wade into the awkward waters of ancestral access, navigating whiteness, and nurturing intercultural spaces with authenticity, equity and grace. Find out more and register for nourish here: www.katefontana.com/nourish

In this Oracle of the Ordinary I share some insights from the season on how to live in the "too muchness" of everything. From the overflow of nature's bounty to the war in Gaza and throughout the world, to the pending holidays just around the corner, it can be easy to get overwhelmed or just numb to it all. Is there another option? Let's see what the natural world might say. For your own 'too muchness' support this season, check out: Holy Darkness: An Advent-Solstice-Epiphany Pilgrimage: www.katefontana.com/holy-darkness Nourish: A Winter Solstice Retreat: www.katefontana.com/nourish

Do you feel burned or disillusioned by your faith tradition of origin? Do you long for meaningful rhythms and rituals around the holidays? Are you seeking more depth, quietude and companionship on your spiritual path? This episode is a conversation with Jessica Bittner, a participant of my winter offering: Holy Darkness - An Advent-Solstice-Epiphany Pilgrimage. She shares about her break from her Christian church and her ensuing spiritual search.  Jessica gives a glimpse of what you might experience as a participant in Holy Darkness, from uncertainty to deep insights.  We also laugh about Harry Potter bans, fear of the "woo" and all the weird things I get to do as a "priestess on the fringe". Check out and register for Holy Darkness here: www.katefontana.com/holy-darkness

Kate and Autumn Star have been long time peripheral community members with many overlapping orbits but little close contact.  In this chat, Autumn shares about their vision for re-shaping cultures through nurturing relational skills and learning in community.  We talk about navigating the tension between our dreams and 'reality,' the gifts of queerness in change-making, and what turns 'practice' into just the way we live. About Autumn Star: "I am a polyamorous, white, non-disabled, Jewish queer. I was born and raised on the traditional land of the Seneca Nation in rural New York and now live on the traditional land of the Puyallup Tribe in Tacoma, Washington. I have a deep bellied laugh and a big smile. I love to grow emotionally and intellectually, individually and with community. My passions include social responsibility, healing work, dance, gathering with community, exploring relational and group dynamics, and visiting the land I grew up on." Autumn currently practices therapy in Washington state, mostly for families and couples.  They are currently accepting new clients.  Get in touch with Autumn: www.autumncstar.com

Autumn got real real this week in the PNW. It now feels like midnight at 6pm. The wind has caused power outages. And our unusually late summer came abruptly to an end with the onset of (much needed) rain. If you live in the northern hemisphere and are going through a seasonal shift in your corner of the world, you'll want to tune into this podcast. I'll share 3 key survival tips for managing the energetic upheaval of Autumn. I'll also share WHY living seasonally has become so central to my own well-being and to what I offer. Learn more and enroll in my winter solstice retreat here: www.katefontana.com/nourish

Michelle Thompson, J.D., Ph.D. is the CEO of Resistant Vision Coaching and Consulting.  She helps women lawyers who work extreme hours to prove their prowess, build sustainable careers and earn promotions and raises. In this genuinely delightful conversation, Michelle and I break down the (simple but not easy) way of pleasure practice, the neuroscience of Emotional Freedom Technique, 'back-door' magic, and connecting self-care with collective care. Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge as a scholar, lawyer, and coach, as well as someone who has been on her own journey of self-discovery. ABOUT MICHELLE: Michelle's approach is based on the belief that if you never set boundaries for yourself, you will always be overworking, stuck on the hamster wheel of producing more results, and losing sleep because you're always worried about clients, jobs, or the next deadline (never mind tenure or making partner!) and therefore not enjoying your life and building the community and connection you seek. With almost 3 decades in law and academia and over 5 years of experience as a professional coach, Michelle helps her clients achieve professional sanity with a variety of embodied techniques that combine left and right brain strategies, from emotional freedom technique (tapping) to strategic planning. Get in touch with Michelle here: https://resistantvision.com  Join her upcoming summit here:  https://resistantvision.com/summit/ Podcast References Landback: https://landback.org/ Drawdown Project: https://drawdown.org/ Kiss the Ground (film about draw down): https://kissthegroundmovie.com/

Have you felt bound to a "roller coaster" of a person or situation that you knew wasn't working but you just couldn't get off the ride? That's how long-time client, community member and friend Heather describes her experience receiving a psychic reading. "It was really powerful. It was real." Have a listen to hear about: ~what kind of life situations can really benefit from a reading ~what you DON'T need in order to benefit from one (this might surprise you!) ~some possible immediate and long lasting effects For more info on psychic readings and to book a session, go here: www.katefontana.com/sessions

This is a rich and emergent conversation with Priestess School Teaching Team: Najeea Leslie, Nathali Arostegui, and Kate Fontana. We explore the lessons of container-building, what it means to hold power and co-create community differently, the hazards of embodiment (no one makes it out alive...) and how the yin/feminine is moving through our time. This is an exploration of many of the themes of Priestess School, and what makes it a different kind of learning space.  You also get a glimpse of us preparing some of our content 'live' -- which may seem a little mundane, but which we've included so you can see an example of how our collaboration is unfolding and how the space is designing itself. You can still join Priestess School through Friday, Sept 22nd (Equinox!).  Get complete details and register here: www.katefontana.com/Priestess-School

In this short and sweet chat with Rebuilding the Temple and Priestess School student Mara Eaton, she shares candidly about her relationship with her Christian faith tradition of origin and the season of exploration she finds herself in.  She also shares why she's felt such resonance with these offerings.  You also get an unexpected real-life glimpse into the lives of real people doing the humble work of tending the sacred in ordinary life- which is exactly what a priestess is. Where do you feel/hear yourself in her story?  Is Priestess School right for you? Get complete details and enroll here: www.katefontana.com/Priestess-School

In honor of late summer, this episode is a tribute to our sometimes friend sometimes adversary: the Fire Element.   Kate chats about: - how to recognize Fire element in the body, mind, nature, and collective - what Fire looks like in and out of balance - what Fire means for these times we are living in - what to do if you're 'going through the fire'   If you need a little extra support balancing fire element this season, join Kate for her upcoming free 5-day live experience: How Not to Burn Out (while the world burns down), happening Sept 5-9.   Join here: www.katefontana.com/how-not-to-burn-out

Today's episode is for big-hearted people who care about the world, who are always holding it together, who believe you have a purpose here, who other people go to for ALL THE THINGS... ...and who just might be on the brink of BURNOUT. This might look like: you chronically over-give–that is, give more than actually feels good to do--and then end up feeling resentful and depletedyou feel guilty or find it difficult to rest and enjoy life while so much suffering is present in our world.you are finding that your ‘normal calm, cool and collected’ has recently been interrupted by low-grade irritability, anxiety or discontent – or bigger inexplicable feelings of grief, anger, irritability and rage. Kate shares about her own chronic savior pattern and how she's worked to sustain a life of service without burning out (to be clear, though it's taken a few burnout cycles to get here...) She also shares about a cool upcoming (and free!) offering, so tune or check the link below in for the details. How Not to Burn Out (while the world burns down): https://www.katefontana.com/how-not-to-burn-out