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

In today’s episode, I am joined by Lara Vesta, author of ‘The Year of the Dark Goddess’ and ‘The Moon Divas Guidebook’ (among other titles). In this conversation, we explore navigating difficult rites of passage, learning its culture through myths, fairytales and other symbolism and calling in our webs of support - whether they be human, spiritual, animal, plant or otherwise.

Lara offers us tools and insights how we can empower and transform ourselves through the processes of grief and fear, drawing from ancestral traditions and the wisdom of the Dark Goddess.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• Learning the culture of rites of passage and the role of the dark goddess
• Honoring the shifts in our lives and identity with a new status or name
• Growing our internal knowing and webs of support
• Experiencing disorientation in a culture that can’t meet you
• Creating seasonal awareness and honouring the pacing of the ceremonial year
• Lara’s non-negotiable integration practices
• The time it may take to integrate a rite of passage
• Learning to create ceremony and ritual for integrating and honoring a rite of passage

Resources + Links

• Lara Vesta’s book The Year of the Dark Goddess: A Journey of Ritual, Renewal & Rebirth
• Find Lara’s work on her website laravesta.co
• 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 
[5:46] Navigating Rites of Passage 
[8:11] Learning How to Cope with Challenges through Myths and Fairytales 
[11:38] Developing our Internal Knowing and Webs of Support 
[13:16] Becoming Sovereign in your own Process 
[15:58] The Transformative Power of a Daily Ritual and Recording it 
[19:32] Introducing the Dark Goddess and her Many Forms 
[23:23] Our Culture’s Separation from Death and Discomfort with Grief
[27:26] Seasonal Awareness, Ritual and Self Care for Rites of Passage
[32:48] The Time it Takes to Integrate a Rite of Passage
[36:09] The Garden as a Mirror for Life and Navigating its Hardships
[35:37] The Purpose of Challenges

In today’s episode, I am joined by my friend Gemma Brady of ‘Sister Stories’ to explore our mutual passion of sharing circle work. One of Gemma’s mission is to make going to circle as common as going to yoga class and in this conversation, she shares how she approaches circle as a living, breathing art form. She shares vulnerably about how she experienced her second pregnancy and how circle, both as a participant and a facilitator, sustained her most through that time. Above all, this conversation is an invitation to everyone who feels the call to do circle work to explore their own unique expression and what it means to them to devote themselves to the heart of the practice.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• How to find your own unique style of circle work
• Challenging assumptions about the aesthetic, scale and framework of circle
• How circle can foster meaningful connections and compassion
• How circle is medicine, and an opportunity for personal growth, for the facilitator too
• Preserving integrity in circle work while allowing it to evolve
• Releasing the idea of hierarchy and competition within this work

Resources + Links

• Lead unforgettable circles that satisfy your soul — so you can unleash your magic in the world: join my free workshop ‘High Lady’ on May 22nd.
• Find Gemma Brady’s work on her website sisterstories.co & Instagram @sisterstoriesuk. Her Women’s Circle Facilitation Training starts again in May.
• 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 The High Lady Workshop on Facilitating the Circle of your Dreams 
[5:39] Introducing Gemma Brady and our Personal Connection 
[11:40] Gemma’s Background in Spaceholding and the Creation of ‘Sister Stories’ 
[17:23] The Power of Deep Speaking and Listening 
[19:03] The Essence of Circle Beyond the Aesthetic + Unbranding Circle 
[23:04] Circle as a Philosophy 
[24:49] Spreading the Word of Circle 
[27:44] Marketing Circle Work and Claiming your Unique Expression 
[33:41] Shifted Assumptions around Circle 
[37:57] Preserving Integrity and Allowing Evolution and Creativity in our Offerings 
[40:49] Humanity and Imperfection in Circle 
[42:39] Circle as Medicine for the Facilitator too 
[51:33] Offering Circle Facilitation

In today’s episode, I am joined by Johannah Reimer to talk about holding circle for our girls and the female-bodied youth that are in our lives. Johannah is a soulcentric educator, ceremonialist, teen mentor, and an artist of many trades. Trained as a Waldorf teacher, Johannah has been working with children of all ages for over 20 years and holds a particular passion for tweens/teens striving to meet their developmental needs for mentorship and initiation in a culture that has forgotten how to do so. Johannah founded Wakeful Nature & Girls Group as a means to fill the initiatory void for girls crossing the threshold of childhood into adolescence with guidance, ceremony, and community.

Johannah and I share our passion for the healing that can happen through circling and ceremony and in this conversation I get the change to get nosey about her incredible work facilitating girls groups, the impact this work has on her as a space holder and so much more. Above all, Johannah calls for the ‘village aunties’ to step up, cultivating more awareness around what today’s generation of girls is moving through and weaving together multi-generational embodied wisdom.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• Remembering how to be village aunties and engage in re-villaging work
• Creating a safe space for younger girls
• The challenges faced by girls in today’s society
• Working with the elements and ancestral remembrance
• Ritualizing the first bleed and normalizing menstrual cycle awareness through storytelling and archetypes
• Modeling imperfection and the human experience as a facilitator
• Allowing the girls to grow capacity within circle
• Experiencing grief as a facilitator whilst also carving the new path for ritual and ceremony
• Stepping into our role as matriarchal leaders and how we can move into a post-patriarchal society

Resources + Links

• Find Johannah’s work on wakefulnature.com and Instagram @wakeful.nature
• Find out more about Johannah’s Girls Group Facilitator training
• Learn how to craft a meaningful rite of passage for your daughter’s menstrual cycle with Johannah
• Book: ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt
• 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 

[09:43] Remembering How to be Village Aunties 

[12:17] Challenges Faced by Girls in Today's Society 

[18:00] Creating Safe Spaces for Girls through Long-Term and Ongoing Support 

[26:48] Social Media Use by Teens and Navigating Belonging and Connection 

[34:32] Ritualising & Normalising the First Bleed through Ceremony + Ritual 

[40:22] Being a Girls Group Facilitator 

[43:47] Moving into a Post-Patriarchal Society

In today’s episode, I am answering listener questions. Topics range from sharing my personal viewpoint on religion and spirituality, navigating different roles and jobs during my day and in my life and dive deep into circle-related questions too.

Tune in to hear more from me on:

• The role religion and spirituality played during my upbringing and today
• The journey from my old-school DIY blogging days to my online work now, and how working with my hands was the pathway to exploring community and belonging
• Navigating different jobs and roles as a human being and practicing flexibility
• Knowing when it’s time to let go and honoring the power of an ending when it comes to friendships - and also knowing when you’re witholding and taking responsibility
• Claiming the term ‘circle’ and holding space for all peoples
• How circle needs to offer the opportunity for equality and the space for consent, also in the context of sharing

Resources + Links

• Episode #125: Turning Circle Conflict into Deeper Intimacy With Ginny Muir
• Episode #123: The Meaning of Time With Becca Rich
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[01:00] Do you practice any religions or spirituality?

[06:23] Your work used to be more focused on hands on elements and literal making. How do you still integrate that into your day to day life?

[11:24] How do you juggle/hold all of your different jobs and roles? Both big picture and like a “day in the life” type thing.

[14:55] How to know when to let a friendship go or how do you do it?

[18:23] Is it possible to start a successful circle with non-circley friends?

[22:05] Does it always have to be everyone shares? Other prompts for shyer or younger?

In today’s episode, I am joined by my friend Amelia Hruby. Amelia is a feminist author, educator, podcaster and founder of Softer Sounds podcast studio (who used to edit this podcast too!). I brought her onto the podcast today specifically because of her amazing podcast ‘Off the Grid’, which is a podcast for small business owners who want to leave social media without losing their clients.

Even if you don’t identify as a small business owner - there’s something about what Amelia shares about leaving social media in this episode that transcends it all and will leave you feeling inspired to explore your virtual presence.

Amelia opens up about the impact that leaving social media has had on her life and makes the beautiful connection between her patterns of anxious attachment and how that showed up in her virtual presence too.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• The loneliness that can arrive when leaving social media
• The struggle of finding community outside of the virtual landscape and finding a sense of belonging without it
• The need of being seen in this day and age
• How personal and emotional well-being can be so attached and influenced by our online presence
• How our seasonal and hormonal cycles can impact our relationship with social media
• How the platforms are designed to lead us down a path of misinformation, toxic algorithms and capitalism

Resources + Links

• Amelia Hruby’s podcast ‘Off the Grid’, her website AmeliaHruby.com and her podcasting studio Softer Sounds
• Amelia’s membership ‘The Interweb’, dedicated to support small business owners move their business off of social media
• The Off the Grid episode with Nicole Antoinette: ‘How much is Enough: Money & Social Media’ membership ‘interweb’
• 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 [11:01] The Decision to Leave Social Media [13:16] Anxious Attachment to the Online Sphere [16:37] Life after Leaving Social Media [19:56] Creativity in Business w/o Social Media [20:56] Loneliness and Virtual Community [24:34] Running a Business outside of Social Media [27:27] Finding Community outside of Social Media [29:00] The Need to Feel Seen [36:44] Curation Online [40:40] Aggravation of Wounds of Belonging by Social Media [48:36] The Harmful Ways the Algorithm Preys Upon Vulnerabilities [52:46] The Impact of Culture and the Joy of the Internet [53:41] Bringing Intention, Awareness and Agency to the Virtual Landscape [54:16] Choosing a Different Path and Finding Liberation [54:55] Main Takeaways [56:36] Amelia’s Work and Offerings