How can we add meaning and ritual to growing older? For my 40th birthday, I hosted and experienced a Threshold Crossing: an embodied and community-led ritual that initiated me into my next decade. In today’s episode, I sit down with my dear friend Mara Glatzel, who designed and led part of the ritual with and for me. With her, I share about how my desire to claim this threshold saw me move past feelings of cringe and embarrassment and embrace the process of creating something meaningful, incorporating others in it and feeling witnessed in the process.

Tune in to hear more from me on:

• What it means to ritualize a threshold crossing and the transformational power it holds
• How I designed the celebration and what factors were involved
• The vulnerability I had to lean into throughout the whole experience
• What it looked like and meant to me to leap across the threshold
• How I have been integrating the experience and the importance of the pause of becoming
• The power of being witnessed and witnessing transformation
• How Mara celebrated her own 40s threshold crossing and how it differed to mine
• What it means to us to grow older and different ways we’re embracing that

Resources + Links

• Rooted Magic, my October 2025 retreat at the Kripalu Center
• Previous podcast episode #66 and episode #112 with Mara Glatzel
• Find Mara on Instagram @maraglatzel, her website MaraGlatzel.com and her book, Needy
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[0:00] Introducing Mara and the Threshold Crossing Ritual

[8:21] Claiming and Witnessing the Threshold of Turning 40

[19:20] The Vision and Process of the Ritual

[29:30] Leaping over the Threshold

[44:55] The Transformational Power of Ritual

[48:39] Embodying and Integrating a Threshold Ritual Experience

[52:00] Different Ways of Experiencing the 40s Threshold

[59:27] Experiencing the Joy of Being Alive and Growing Older

In this episode, I reflect on the significance of my roadside honor system farm stand on a personal, communal and environmental level. This small physical, and seasonal, structure is a prayer for community, an altar to trust, and a quiet form of resistance to disconnection and urgency. Join me in this musing on how meaning isn’t created from scale, but from depth.

Tune in to hear more from me on:

• The embodiment of rightsizing and experiencing more tactile, IRL living
• Where my love for farmstands originates
• Reclaiming a sense of enoughness and building resilience
• The farmstand as an altar for people to feel nourished and connected
• Reconnecting with the earth and local community
• The joy of simple, sacred interactions
• The farmstand as a place of reciprocity and regeneration

Resources + Links

• Episode #133 with Stevie Storck on Rightsizing Life and the Sharing Table
• Episode #136 with Carmen Spagnola on Satisfiability as a Collapse Skill
• My Substack piece on ‘The Community Economics of a Roadside Farmstand’
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

• [0:00] Introduction to my Farm Stand Journey 
• [4:26] The Origin Story of my Love for Farm Stands 
• [9:30] Rightsizing: The Intention behind my Own Farm Stand 
• [13:52] The Embodiment of Satisfiability 
• [20:10] The Farm Stand as a Sacred and Regenerative Tool of Exchange 
• [27:15] Community Identity and Neighbourliness 
• [30:25] The Farm Stand as a Place of Reciprocity

Today I am joined by my dear friend Erin Claire Jones, one of the world’s leading experts on Human Design and founder of Human Design Blueprint. Through her coaching content and digital products, Erin has empowered hundreds of thousands of people to overcome their biggest obstacles and find their flow in life, love and work. And she now has a gorgeous book out: How Do You choose? A Human Design Guide to What’s Best for You at Work, in Love and in Life.

Personally, I love Human Design as a tool to understanding myself and the people around me. In this episode, Erin and I dive deep into my own blueprint as well as my family’s to illustrate how knowing one’s Human Design can empower your relationship with yourself, as well as with your partner, children and anyone else you are close to and/or care about.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• My family’s Human Design charts and what they mean
• Understanding the gifts and challenges of each of our designs (including my 4 year old’s)
• Being seen and recognized for your soul’s unique blueprint
• The Types and Authorities in Human Design
• How your blueprint can define your relationships and ways to navigate that

Resources + Links

• Order Erin’s book How Do You Choose? A Human Design Guide to What’s Best for You at Work, in Love and in Life
• Look up your own design on Human Design Blueprint and use code ‘BELONGING’ for a 10% discount on your guide
• Study Human Design with Erin: humandesignblueprint.com
• Find Erin on Instagram @erinclairejones and @humandesignblueprint
• Listen to my first podcast episode with Erin, #105: Human Design for Parents and Partners
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

• [0:00] Introduction and Celebrating the Book Launch: Making Human Design Practical 
• [13:12] Understanding People’s Human Design 
• [16:46] Finding Recognition in Relationships 
• [20:17] Navigating Family Dynamics and Parenting through the Lens of Human Design 
• [33:32] A Partnership between Two Sacral Authorities and Making Gut Decisions 
• [41:32] Observing People as a Human Design Expert 
• [45:53] Growing Up in a Family with Projectors and Manifestors 
• [48:58] The Main Types and Authorities within Human Design

In today’s episode, I am joined by Julia Plevan Olianksy. Julia is the author of The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing and founder of The Forest Bathing Club. She guides nature-based healing experiences and runs Organism Thinking, a consultancy bringing ecological intelligence to brands. She recently launched placebased.org to support bioregional initiatives. Our paths first crossed in a women’s circle in 2019 and recently intertwined again through the algorithm of Substack. Julia writes the Substack The Earth Has a Mother about mothering through climate change and her essay on bioregioning nudged me to invite her on the podcast for this wonderful conversation.

We talk about the practice of reorienting one’s life personally, culturally, economically, and politically around the natural characteristics of a specific bioregion, meaning rooting deeply in place and aligning with the rhythms, ecosystems and stories of the land you inhabit.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• Finding belonging to a place through understanding its bioregion and ecosystem
• Living more locally and regeneratively
• The cultural significance of soil in shaping community and identity
• Observing, witness and partaking in the natural cycles around you
• The homogenisation of culture because of the internet
• The impact of technology on personal connections
• Transitioning from a tech career to a more localised, nature-connected lifestyle
• Embracing the healing power of nature and community engagement in a tech-driven world
• Writing as a creative process and outsourcing it to AI

Resources + Links

• Julia’s Substack The Earth Has A Mother and her essay Becoming Bioregional
• Julia’s Book The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing
• Find Julia online through The Forest Bathing Club and her bioregioning initiative Place Based Projects
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

• [0:00] Introduction to Julia Plevin Oliansky
• [10:19] The Meaning of Bioregioning
• [15:57] How to Become More Bioregional
• [20:20] Finding Identity in a Tech Driven World
• [29:21] The Cultural Significance of Soil
• [38:22] Human Connection and the Role of AI
• [51:57] Signs of Spring and Witnessing Natural Cycles

In today’s solo episode, I answer listener questions. We dive into themes of joy and challenges in seasonal living, the intricacies of rural homesteading and navigating community dynamics. I share my personal experiences of farming, motherhood, navigating eco-anxiety, land stewardship and the impact of climate change.

Tune in to hear more from me on:

• Making a joy list and how this can help during tough seasons
• What’s been challenging on the farm this Winter
• How community dynamics play a crucial role in homesteading
• What to consider and ask yourself before buying a farm or move to a rural area
• Navigating eco-anxiety and the current political climate as a parent and as a human being
• How to stay connected to oneself and the land in these times of ego-collapse

Resources + Links

• Julia Plevin Oliansky’s Substack ‘Can we make bioregioning work?’
• Pro Publica climate change maps
• My Substack, Root Shock: Micro Farmoir Tales
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[0:00] Introduction

[2:46] What is currently bringing you great joy?

[15:56] What is currently bringing you challenge?

[21:20] What are the hardest parts about rural/homestead living? Are you happy with the decision?

[28:26] What’s been the most surprising thing about your transition to farm life?

[29:50] What questions to ask myself about buying land?

[37:28] How are you managing eco-anxiety as a parent these days?

In today’s episode, I am joined by Carmen Spagnola - a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef turned trauma recovery practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, and kitchen witch. She first appeared on the Belonging podcast two years ago for the release of her first book. Now, she’s back to celebrate her second book coming out: ‘Spells for the Apocalypse: Practical Magic for Turbulent Times’, which offers practical tools for navigating turbulent times and emphasizes the importance of community and resilience in the face of overwhelming challenges. As a chef, author, and facilitator, Carmen holds space for renewal amidst turmoil. Her work is an invitation to re-enchantment, soul nourishment, and a deeper and more animistic relationship to the natural world.

In our conversation, we reflect on the significant life changes we both have experienced in this past two years. We re-explore the concept of collapse and its emotional and psychological impacts on individuals and communities. We discuss the importance of surrendering to change, cultivating satisfaction in the present and the art of navigating grief and beauty in life’s challenges.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• How dealing with collapse and trauma recovery is both an individual and a communal journey
• Practical tools for navigating collapse, change and crises
• The challenges of communal living and regenerative farming
• How poignance blends pain and beauty together, and enriches our lives
• Dystopian narratives and media and what they can teach us about our current societal structures
• Reimagining our relationship with plastics and sustainability
• Gardening as a reflection of empire and reciprocity
• Viewing aging as a beautiful process instead of a loss

Resources + Links

• Carmen Spagnola’s new book ‘ Spells for the Apocalypse: Practical Magic for Turbulent Times’
• Episode #107 of the Belonging podcast with Carmen, ‘Feeding & Healing Ourselves Amidst Collapse’
• Carmen’s first book ‘The Spirited Kitchen: Recipes & Rituals for the Wheel of the Year’
• Carmen’s podcast The Numinous Podcast, and her platform The Numinous Network
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction: Life Changes and New Beginnings 
[20:29] Understanding Collapse and Its Impacts 
[24:36] Navigating the Apocalypse: Tools and Practices 
[37:48] Surrendering to Change: Cultivating Resilience
[40:25] Acknowledging Poignance: Between Pain and Beauty 
[42:44] Dystopian Narratives: Reflections on Society and Collapse 
[48:22] Reimagining the Future: Plastics and Sustainability 
[50:06] Regenerative Farming in the Eye of Collapse and Gardening as a Reflection of Empire

Today’s episode is a rerelease of the beautiful conversation I had earlier this year with Becca Rich, in celebration of her hosting the 2025 ‘Living in Sync Roundtable’, during which I will be a guest speaker. You can find more details below.

Becca Rich is a trauma-sensitive, certified holistic coach with a background in engineering and mindfulness, who teaches Holistic Time Management. In this episode, she shares with us her wisdom on the meaning of time, the role of control, how we can honor the cyclical nature of our bodies within our digital calendars and so much more. She also coaches me on the part that grief plays in experiencing loss of time and freedom, especially with having a child.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• The perspective on time that it is everything and that it is short but it is long
• Time anxiety and feelings of grief at the loss of time freedom with having children
• Finding satisfaction at the end of the day and embracing a digital calendar liberation practice
• How to deal with overcommitment and overwhelm
• The importance of respecting our natural cycles and working with our bodies, minds, and spirits instead of forcing them into a rigid structure

Resources + Links

• 2025 Living in Sync Round Table by Becca Rich (with me as a guest speaker!)
• Becca Rich’s podcast Not Too Productive + website TheHolisticTimeCoach.com + Instagram @theholistictimecoach
• Becca’s Course: Digital Calendars for Humans
• Blogpost: A practical guide to applying your human design type to your schedule
• Blogpost: Top 10 ADHD Time Management Tools
• Stephanie Burg’s episode on the Belonging Podcast #21 ‘Opting out of Linear Time’ and the book It’s About Time by Leslie Keenan
• Episode #132 of the Belonging Podcast: ‘I Became Allergic To My Computer’
• Nick North’s Instagram @wethenorths
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[00:00] Introducing Becca Rich and her work

[10:56] Understanding & shifting our relationship with the concept of time

[15:10] Navigating time in different life seasons

[22:24] Finding satisfaction at the end of the day

[24:06] Chasing productivity and overcoming disappointment

[32:04] Embracing a digital calendar liberation practice

[39:00] Creating a weekly template

[41:01] Calibrating the calendar with menstrual cycle

[46:01] Dealing with overcommitment and overwhelm

[48:11] Respecting the cycle

[49:09] Different Levels of time privilege

[49:39] Divesting from productivity hustle culture

[50:26] Healing ancestral stories for the future

[52:53] Life is short, but life is also long

[53:16] The spiritual component of time

[53:35] The simplicity of taking a breath

In today’s episode, I am joined by Jessie Harrold, a coach, doula and author of ‘Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage’. A couple of years ago, I followed Jessie’s course by the same name and it held me deeply in the depths of my postpartum identity shift. This conversation dives deep in the process of matrescence, the part community plays in this and how, as mothers, we can learn to become recipients of care in ways we don’t always see portrayed online.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• The concept of Mothershift and how to navigate this identity shift postpartum
• Community as the mother power and how motherhood is shifting people away from hyper individualism
• What it means for us to be reproductively hyperburdened as humans
• Menopause and the grandmother hypothesis
• Postpartum depression and experiencing maternal rage
• Experiencing a nourishment barrier in receiving care and support and the myth of being perfectly resourced
• Performing vulnerability on social media
• The impact of having a baby on relationships and how heteronormativity plays a role in this

Resources + Links

• Episode 78 of the Belonging podcast with Jessie Harold on Non-Linear Reciprocity
• Jessie’s book ‘Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage’
• Jessie’s podcast Becoming, season 6 episode 7, with Mara Glatzel and myself on Mothershift
• Mara Glatzel’s book ‘Needy: How to Advocate for Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty’
• Episode 101 of the Belonging podcast on Delayed Postpartum Depression + Rage
• Episode 127 of the Beloning podcast with Amelia Hruby on Social Media for the Anxiously Attached
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[0:00] The Mothershift and Matrescence

[16:14] Navigating Postpartum Emotions: Rage and Acceptance

[19:10] Social Media's Role in Motherhood Narratives

[20:11] Cultural Expectations and the Reality of Motherhood

[30:37] The Importance of Community in Motherhood

[44:42] Navigating Under-Resourced Care & The Nourishment Barrier

[50:10] The Impact of Parenthood on Relationships

In today’s episode, I am joined by Stevie Storck, founder of the Cross Quarter Club, a creative seasonal living community focused on gardening and nature connection. When Stevie and I first connected through my circle facilitation training Circle Craft, she introduced me to the concept of the Sharing Table, a tradition that encourages community members to share resources and foster connections. We both share our experiences with this meaningful way of community building and also explore what it means to right-size creative ambitions to fit personal responsibilities.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• The origins of the Cross Quarter Club and the Sharing Table
• Weaving ancestral traditions into modern communities
• How the Sharing Table reflects a larger movement towards community care
• How creating community involves being the kind of community you want to see
• How embracing the reality of caregiving can inform and enrich creative work
• The challenges we, as millennials, face when it comes to cultivating community
• How right-sizing creative work is crucial for sustainability and fulfillment
• How simplicity and being limited in time and resources can enhance creative endeavours

Stevie is an alumni of Circle Craft, my circle facilitation training, which as of now is available on demand. If you want to bring your vision of circling and facilitation to life and would like me to walk alongside you in that process, visit my website to learn more and join Circle Craft today.

Resources + Links

• Learn more about Circle Craft, my circle facilitation training that is now self-study!
• Stevie’s Sharing Table blog post
• Becca’s video on her sharing table experiment
• Find Stevie’s work on Instagram @steviestorck and her website
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction to Cross Quarter Club and Community Building

[12:50] The Sharing Table: Origins, Intentions and Experiences

[26:58] Reviving Ancestral Traditions in Modern Communities

[34:17] Evolving Plans for Cross Quarter Club

[41:13] Navigating Burnout and Creative Ambitions

[43:58] Right-Sizing Creative Work and Responsibilities

Immersing myself deeply in the season of Summer here on the East coast has meant that I went on a little hiatus when it comes to sharing about my journey with moving my whole family across the country, purchasing land, learning farming, building community, and everything else. So, for this episode, I asked my friend Sarah Wildeman, who’s been a beloved guest on the podcast before, to interview me about what has been present in my life in this season. I’m on the cusp of the anniversary of our move from the West coast to our farm in the Hudson Valley and my relationship with this land and the community around me is ever evolving, changing, sometimes challenging and very much deepening.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• The importance of choosing to be present and slowing down in order to fully connect with the land and community
• The challenges and tensions that arise when building community in a new place
• The process of letting go of old identities and finding a new sense of purpose and worth
• The ongoing journey of grappling with challenges and staying true to oneself
• Reconnecting with the land requires trust in intuition and working with the energy of the seasons
• Supporting each other through transitions and embracing different roles in a relationship is essential
• Embodying generosity and celebrating differences in partnership allows for flourishing

Resources + Links

• Episode 118 with Sarah Wildeman: “Community Living Wherever You Are”
• Episode 121 with Hillarie Maddox: “WTF did I just do? A Conversation on Rewilding with Hillarie Maddox”
• Find Sarah’s work on Instagram @sarahwildeman and @our__common, and her website
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[0:00] Introduction

[3:51] Longing for the East Coast and Connection to the Land

[10:40] Building Community and Navigating Tensions

[16:29] Slowing Down in Work and Choosing a Different Way of Life

[20:29] Letting Go and Finding New Purpose

[27:30] The Ongoing Journey of Grappling and Growth

[32:22] Living Life Through the Lens of the Farm

[34:04] Reconnecting with the Land and Trusting Intuition

[37:27] Supporting Each Other Through Transitions and Embracing Different Roles in Partnership

[42:47] Feeling Satiated and Accepting What Is

[48:48] Embodying Generosity and Celebrating Differences in Partnership