Ceremony Circle

Today I am truly honored to share with you two incredibly intelligent courageous women who have forged such paths for themselves, both personally and professionally.

They are Emmy award-winning television host and executive producer, Ricki Lake, and a multiple award-winning director. Abby Epstein. 

After starring in the film Hairspray, Ricki Lake went on to solidify herself as a pop culture icon. And if you're anything like me, you grew up watching Ricki shine, hosting the Ricki Lake Show—becoming one of the youngest daily talk show hosts and history at just 24 years old. She has since published two books and been the executive producer of many different documentaries. One of which we are focusing on in today's conversation: The Business of Birth Control. Her business partner, Abby Epstein, has been a Broadway director, helming national tours of both Rent and The Vagina Monologues.

Abby has been a director of various award-winning films even before partnering with Ricki to create their award-winning critically acclaimed documentaries. The Business of Being Born, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007 and now has over 5 million views. They later released More Business of Being Born—a four part DVD series, featuring celebrities like Cindy Crawford, Alanis Morrisette. Giselle Bunchen and Christy Turton who shared their birth stories as well as an in depth discussion on the birth process. 

When I heard of their current documentary, The Business of Birth Control, it immediately struck a chord in me on an ancient level. The documentary kept knocking on my soul's door. 

After watching the documentary (and being blown away by the information countless times) I just knew I needed to have these true queens on my podcast.

Top 5 Things You’ll Learn from This Episode:

1. where and why hormonal birth control began,
2. why women were not (and are not) properly informed about what the potential effects
3. the risks, including an 80% increased risk of depression and even a potential increase for the chance of death 
4. tips on preparing yourself to go off of birth control
5. we dive into some important and powerful listener questions (which is quickly becoming one of my favorite segments)

It's my invitation for you today to join us in this very potent healing circle with an open mind and an open heart, and to allow whatever resonates to guide you.

Find more from me on IG at @IAMALYSONCHARLES or alysoncharles.com.

Find out more on social media:

Facebook: @BusinessofBirthControl

Instagram: @businessofbirthcontrol 

Twitter: @thebizoffilms

Follow Ricki: @rickilake

Follow Abby: @abbyepsteinxoxo

View the documentary “The Business of Birth Control—use the discount code CIRCLE50 for 50% off!

Find out more about Ricki and Abby’s Masterclass—use the discount CIRCLE50 for 50% off the annual plan!

This episode was made possible by Lotus Wei. Make sure to use the code MYSTIC at checkout to get a Soul Fam discount!

We’ve all heard that lightning never strikes the same place twice, but in Daniel Duron’s case, it was no coincidence.

After being struck by lightning twice, and finally having the space created from sobriety and plant teachers, Daniel was able to hear his calling and was initiated as a weather worker from central Mexico.

His work in this lineage is to sustain and raise awareness around having good relationships with the natural elements, especially the rain waters.

Top 5 Things You’ll Learn from This Episode:

1. he shares his super unique healing style with us today
2. why I call it the “zip zaps”
3. what human tuning is 
4. some unique experiences we had together saling the Caribbean
5. his power animal connections with the scarab beetle, goat and more

We obviously get into all things around him being struck by lightning, around what weather working is. We talk powerful stories and experiences of animal guide initiations. I actually do a live power animal reading with, and for Daniel—which you won’t want to miss.

Make sure to join us in our closing practice, as Daniel sings us a beautiful medicine song of the elements—allowing every part of your body to connect to an element.

Find more from me on IG at @IAMALYSONCHARLES or alysoncharles.com.

Check out Daniel’s website, Whole Sky Healing Arts. Follow him on instagram: @wholeskyrescue

This episode was made possible by Lotus Wei. Make sure to use the code MYSTIC at checkout for your Soul Fam discount!

You are in for a treat, Soul Fam—you’re about to simultaneously dive into the New Myth portal while also immersing in one of the most important interviews I've ever done! 

For more than a decade, Kristina Marie worked as a journalist and an editor at top national publications, including Travel & Leisure and The New York Times. She left all of that to truly get into her own soul's alignment—and in alignment with the new myth.

She now combines her creative talents, intuitive gifts and soul’s wisdom to mentor transformational leaders, visionaries, authors, and storytellers.

Please let me know on @IAMALYSONCHARLES what this conversation awakened or activated inside of you. 

Top 5 Things You’ll Learn from This Episode:

1. What is the New Myth?
2. Exploring divine union
3. The polarity of human and divine + masculine and feminine
4. What it will take to bravely be a leader of the New Myth
5. More about Kristina’s journey

Make sure to join us in our closing practice: a guided meditation where Kristina poetically opens the doorway to honor ourselves. 

Find more from me on IG at @IAMALYSONCHARLES or alysoncharles.com.

Find Kristina on Instagram: @voyagesofthespirit or visit her website, voyagesofthespirit.com

This episode was made possible by the bestselling Animal Power Book and Card Deck. Order from my website to get a free guided shamanic journey where you can meet your power animal!

I met AshEL Seasunz during a sacred ceremony, and I knew right away I wanted to have him here as a guest—he's got an incredible background, receiving his masters in transpersonal psychology. 

AshEL is the founder of Celestial Church, a sacred activist movement, providing medicinal music, workshops, and ceremonies for healing both the people and the earth.

He is also the founder of Earth Amplified, a roots rap and reggae band, and creative multimedia organization creating art that awakens. 

In my opinion, AshEL is a master musician. I can't tell you how many instruments I witnessed him playing during the ceremony! He has toured with will.i.am, Bassnectar, Erika Badu, Damien Marley, Van Jones, Marianne Williamson, and more. 

He currently plays with the Dogan Lights, Earth Amplified and the Celestial Church band. 

Top 5 Things You’ll Learn from This Episode:

1. how he came from a family that includes preachers, Black Panthers and pimps, but he learned to follow his own calling
2. AshEL’s journey learning Sukyo Mahikari, a positive spiritual energy that is transmitted from the Palm of the hand to the receiver
3. what galactic language is
4. how galactic language showed up in his life, and how he helped others activate galactic language in their lives
5. the two main keys which allow him to create a safe space and be a trusted guide during plant medicine ceremonies 

We also discussed if he could only bring four shamanic tools, if he was sent to a deserted island, what would those four tools be?

Make sure to join us in our closing practice, where you'll get a small taste of his musicianship as he plays an instrument native to West Africa and transmits a special song to us.

Find more from me on IG at @IAMALYSONCHARLES or alysoncharles.com.

Find more about AshEL Seasunz on his website. Check out his band, Earth Amplified, on Spotify or Apple Music. You can also find him on Instagram.

This episode was made possible by Animal Power Book and Card Deck. Order from my website to get a free guided shamonic journey where you can meet your power animal!

This episode originally aired on Just Tap In with Emilio Ortiz. We'll be back with a brand new season of fresh Ceremony Circle episodes this fall!

***

• 0:00 - Alyson Charles Intro
• 4:00 - Eagle Condor Prophecy
• 9:30 - Personal Shamanic Journey
• 15:30 - Rites of Passages + Breakthroughs
• 26:15 - Bringing Ancient Wisdom to Masses
• 31:15 - Activate Your Psychic Abilities
• 42:50 - Freeing Ourselves From Religious Dogma
• 48:30 - Power Animals
• 55:22 - Discover Your Animal Guides
• 1:05:35 - Alyson Charles Animal Reading For Emilio
• 1:20:00 - Alyson Charles Animal Reading For Collective
• 1:24:45 - Animal Power Card Deck
• 1:29:40 - The Final Trio

Guest: Alyson Charles, Rock-Star Shaman

• Website
• Instagram 
• Ceremony Circle Podcast 
• Animal Power Book + Guided Shaman Journey

Host: Emilio Ortiz

• Instagram | https://bit.ly/35fkcJx
• Twitter | https://bit.ly/35hMMda
• TikTok | https://bit.ly/3lKjs3W 
• Watch Video Interviews on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/emilioortiz 

This episode originally aired on The Melissa Ambrosini Show. We'll be back with a brand new season of fresh Ceremony Circle episodes this fall!

***

Do you ever wish you could better understand the messages the Universe is trying to send you? 

That you could tap into the ancient wisdom and divine guidance of the spirit world?

And that you knew how to awaken the sacred, spiritual gifts that live inside you?

Alyson Charles is a shaman revered for her ability to channel messages from both the spirit world and the natural world. In particular, she’s known for her uncanny ability to communicate the messages and insights of ‘power animals’. 

What’s a ‘power animal’? Well, if you’ve ever dreamt about an animal, or kept repeatedly encountering one in your life — a butterfly, a bird, whatever — it can be a sign that there’s a deeper spiritual message trying to come through. Alyson is THE authority on decoding the messages from these ‘power animals’, and she’s walking us through her exact process in this mind blowing, heart expanding episode. 

Tune in to hear why animals are such powerful portals to the spirit world, how to tap into the wisdom of your highest self, why ‘soul retrieval’ work is one of the most powerful healing modalities on the planet, a hugely effective spiritual technique for calling in your soul mate, a new approach to inner child work for radical self growth, and what life is REALLY like as a world famous shaman.

Head to www.melissaambrosini.com/463 for the show notes.

Join my newsletter: www.melissaambrosini.com/newsletter

Follow me on Instagram: @melissaambrosini

This episode originally aired on the "Wellness + Wisdom" podcast. We'll be back with a brand new season of fresh Ceremony Circle episodes this fall!

***

Animals are present to us all of the time trying to get our attention; even when we're dreaming. You'll just hear of one or see one over and over again; take note of that when it happens. They are trying to work with you. Go into Animal Power, do the practice, and find out why they're here in your life now. They are the kind of spiritual allies who really do appreciate a good invitation into your life. Animals are such great teachers of not taking for granted the information and healing capabilities and medicines that are always around us but we have to return back to that presence and that honoring reverence of them. - Alyson Charles

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Wellness Force Radio Episode 425

Internationally renowned Shaman, Best-Selling Author, and Host of Ceremony Circle Podcast, Alyson Charles, shares how you can unleash your Animal Power with her upcoming book, unpacks her journey to becoming the Rock-Star Shaman, explains what shamanism actually is - the truths and the myths, and explores the meditative practice of candle gazing to connect with your heart center.

What if I told you that every person on this planet has a direct connection to the power of animals?

Discover how to use the wisdom and guidance of power animals over time to help you navigate your journey towards wellness, wholeness, and behavior change.

Discover Your Animal PowerClick HERE to pre-order your copy of Animal Power today

Brimming with 100 different vibrant animal illustrations, transformative practices, and captivating stories from around the world, Animal Power is an enlightening guide to the power of the animal realm and how they bring peace, healing and empowerment to your life.

In this luxe compendium, get ready to discover rituals, meditations, and visualizations to connect with 100 remarkable animals and their specific messages to share with you. Learn how to connect with the animal power of the bear for comfort and protection, the leopard for confidence, the seal for healthy relationships, and the peacock for creative inspiration, and many others.

The practices are paired with illuminating stories from spiritual teachers around the world, plus sidebars with fascinating details on ancient traditions, global mythology, and scientific trivia. Delivered in an enchanting package overflowing with insight and magic, Animal Power is a celebration of the natural world and an inspiring companion for modern mystics, nature and animal lovers, and the spiritually curious.

Listen To Episode 425 As Alyson Charles Uncovers: [1:30] Alyson's Rock-Star Shaman Origins

• Alyson Charles
• Animal Power by Alyson Charles
• Ceremony Circle Podcast
• Alyson's life journey and how it has shifted along the way.
• What the "Rock-Star Shaman" name means and why Alyson took it on after a lot of deliberation.
• 285 Luke Storey | Plants & Breathwork: Welcome To The Jungle
• 361 Luke Storey: Relationships, Consciousness, & Coming Home To Yourself
• Why Alyson believes integrity checks are important to make sure we are in alignment with ourselves.
• The reality that there is spiritual bypassing happening in our world and the different challenges Josh has been faced because of this.
• Josh's poor experience with Ayahuasca that led him on a path of intense healing.
• Alyson's advice for finding a trusted spiritual mentor and how she maintains integrity as a shaman and spiritual teacher.
• How to lean into your intuition and what you feel like you're called to do.
• The vertical line that Alyson lives from: Mother Earth (Rock), Great Spirit (Star), and from her Heart (Shaman).
• Power that comes from being open and willing for the Divine to guide you.
• Why it's easier to trust in the Divine as it takes time for us to build great trust within ourselves.
• The fact that you don't necessarily need plant medicine to go inwards and heal yourself.
• How to decide which type of medicine is going to be the most beneficial for where you're at on your wellness journey.

[21:00] How to Follow Your Internal Guiding System

• Abraham Hicks
• What the internal guiding system is and how we can stop thought loops to really tune into it.
• Simple practices including a hand to heart morning ritual you can do every day to check-in and focus on yourself.
• How you can build a better relationship with yourself to build greater trust within.
• What Alyson did to help connect the dots and understand the truth of her traumas: being willing to do the work.
• Why doing the work, no matter how hard it is, is always worth it because you learn how to navigate the full spectrum of your emotions and feelings.
• Her Seer abilities and mentality that would turn on while she trained for long-distance running when she was young but she didn't know what to do with it with pressure from her dad.
• The ability she has to see people's blind spots, shadows, limitations, and how they're holding themselves back.

[26:00] The Most Powerful Teachers In Life

• Alyson's process for really honing in and listening to her divine intuition.
• Why facing challenges and knowing who you are will help build your intuitive skills.
• How to know if past projections or experiences are clouding your judgment.
• Why pain isn't the only teacher that can help us; joy can also provide us with many life lessons.
• The Hero's Journey we all face and why we're always students for life while on this planet.
• How Alyson helps people tune in and find their purpose.
• The practice of candle gazing meditation and how she uses it to connect with her heart center and connect with Sacred Grand Fire.
• How Alyson's experience as a competitive runner, athletics trainer, and talk show co-host were all part of her journey to where she is today.
• The moment she willingly opened herself up to the path The Universe wanted her to go on to serve her purpose.

[49:30] What is Shamanism?

• The fact that no one knows what they're doing and that's completely okay; it's all about doing your best.
• What steps you can take when you get trapped in a pain body or several at once.
• How you can view difficult situations as a teaching moment for yourself and those involved.
• Different definitions of shamanism including a direct translation of "I don't know" in a foreign language.
• How to make sense of shamanism and what it means to Alyson.
• Why she believes shamanism is a planetary practice that connects us with Gaia and one another.
• Soul Callings & Earthly Initiations: The Path of the Woman Shaman with Marie Mbouni
• Different forms of shamanism and why each shaman is completely unique.
• The importance of each shaman to go into that place of allness and totality with themselves in order to hold a sacred, pure safe space for others.
• What Alyson does before performing a shaman journey with people.
• The powerful transcendence and clearing that happens during a journey including one specific event she recently experienced.
• What people should know about the beautiful wisdom of shamanism if they truly feel called to work with someone like Alyson.

[1:11:00] Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul

• Honoring the artist, Willian Santiago, who created the artwork for her book, Animal Power, and why finding the right person was so important for her.
• Why they decided to put the black panther on the cover of Animal Power and the fact that it is actually Alyson's core power animal.
• The training that Alyson has done with her aunt and how her power animals revealed themselves during that time: the black panther, frog, bear, and deer.
• Specific examples of how her power animals help guide Alyson.
• The moment the black panther revealed itself to Alyson and what it symbolizes in one's life.
• Why Alyson chose 100 power animals to feature in her book when there are more.
• How her personal clothing style has evolved with the upcoming release of Animal Power.
• Her thoughts on someday putting out a second volume of Animal Power.

[1:28:00] What's Your Animal Power?

• How we can decipher what our power animals are and how they specifically help.
• Alyson's gift to you when you pre-order her book: A guided shamanic journey she facilitates to help you find out your animal animal.
• Other ways to speak to your core power animal: sit in meditation and call to the animal that wants to speak to you now in your life.
• How Animal Power works as a reference guidebook to help you learn more about your animal including power practices and energy medicine messages.
• The importance of being present to the animals that come into your life frequently while you're both awake and asleep.
• Why these spiritual allies do appreciate an invitation into your life on Earth.
• The fact that the power animals that are present in our lives will shift over the course of our lifetime.
• How this book can be used to help you check in with your alignment.
• Alyson's invitation to shamans and spiritual teachers from all over the world to share a story in the book of how an animal has changed their life.
• Boyd Varty
• The powerful lesson that the snake taught Alyson one day when she found herself struggling.

[1:34:30] How to Transcend Your Personal Limitations

• What guidance Alyson and these animals can give you if you're holding yourself back from something like a career change or just stepping into your personal power.
• How we can become victimized by our own intellect at times.
• Solocast | A Victim of Intellectualization & The Wisdom of The Heart
• How we can sometimes become addicted to the process.
• Why we are our own teachers and people like Alyson are just there to guide us and bring us back to ourselves.
• How we can get easily hooked into cycles of seeking programs of personal development one after the next without really sitting and integrating with what we're taking in.
• Why it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about our journeys; we are following them and listening to Great Spirit for ourselves.
• The importance of actually taking the time to do the real inner work instead of looking for a quick answer.

[1:43:00] What Trauma and Obstacles Can Teach Us

• How Alyson navigates difficult situations in her own life.
• Unexpected challenging conversations and relationship dynamics that recently came into her life.
• The space and support Luke and her friends gave her during this difficult moment.
• What Alyson had to let go of and allow to die off during a shamanic transition process.
• Difficult moments and feelings of sadness both Alyson and Josh sometimes face because of what is happening in the collective in this moment.
• Why Alyson sometimes feels alone with the unique gifts that she has been given.
• The power of facing our traumas, teachings, and initiations so that we can hold a stronger, all-encompassing space.
• Why she believes that willingness and vulnerability play an

This episode originally aired on "The Spread Love Movement" podcast. We'll be back with a brand new season of fresh Ceremony Circle episodes this fall!

***

IG: @iamalysoncharles

Site: https://www.alysoncharles.com/

Buy her book, Animal Power: https://www.alysoncharles.com/animalpower

Ceremony Circle Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qY8CXLnY0xDnpxgOolaIY?si=L

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceremony-circle/id1553091721

Alyson Charles is a Rock-Star Shaman, Author, and Podcast Host. Alyson opens herself up which allows her to more clearly receive guidance and messages from god/source/the divine. It’s important to know we all have this deep connection, it’s just about being open to receive.

Some other things we explore during our conversation:

- Alyson shares her spiritual awakening which came through years of trauma and heartache

- Ego vs alignment with your higher self

- The purpose of a Shamanic journey and what to expect

- Children’s connection to the divine while helping keep them tethered to it but also integrating them in this world

Alyson is such a beautiful light on this earth and I’m beyond grateful to share our conversation with all of you.

Today marks a big milestone, not just in my career, but for my entire life, as today, my very first card deck is released into the world. It’s called Animal Power Deck: 75 Animals to Awaken Your Personal Magic. 

If you’ve listened before, you’ve almost certainly heard me share about my best selling book called Animal Power—and now today, August 16th, I’m officially releasing the accompanying Animal Power Deck. 

To commemorate all of this and to celebrate and to also be of service for all of you listening,  today's episode is a very special card deck reading!

Follow me on Instagram: @Iamalysoncharles

Get Animal Power Deck: 75 Animals to Awaken Your Personal Magic by visiting alysoncharles.com/animalpower or anywhere books are sold!

This episode originally aired on the "Over It and On With It" podcast. We'll be back with a brand new season of fresh Ceremony Circle episodes this fall!

***

Another dear friend of mine joins me on the podcast today to discuss how to tap into and trust your intuition, the importance of leaving unhealthy relationships and the magic and power of animals. Alyson Charles is a shaman and spiritual teacher who is devoted to living by the calls of inner wisdom, mysticism, energy medicine, and shamanic practices she has mastered through her studies with spiritual teachers, both of and beyond this world. She leads global courses, events, and talks to reconnect people to their fullest power and confidence through sacred practices and rituals. Alyson's power animal shamanic journey was named a top meditation to try by O, The Oprah Magazine, and she has collaborated with a range of media outlets and brands, including the New York Times, HBO, National Geographic, Well + Good, mindbodygreen, Forbes, Elle, and Self. You can pre-order her beautiful new book here: https://www.alysoncharles.com/animalpower