Ink Speak with Maverick Malone

If you’ve been feeling trapped in the repetitive loop of adulting, screen fatigue, or a dry spell in your creative life, consider this your official invitation to step off autopilot. I’m pulling back the curtain on what happens when we stop forcing productivity, align with the seasons, and follow our little pings of intuition.

Today’s episode will cover:

• The Fall Equinox & Mythological Descent: How I naturally follow the rhythm of the seasons, exploring what this time of year means through archetypes, mythology, and the story of Persephone.
• The North Carolina Moon-Themed Cabin: The story of how following an intuitive nudge magically led me to a celestial getaway and awakened a deep sense of wonder.
• The Alchemy of Creative Energy: Why creative dry spells aren't blocks, but reservoirs waiting to be redirected (and why I don't believe in writer's block).
• Clearing Physical Clutter to Shake Up Stagnation: How cleaning house and letting go of the old makes space for the new and resets your brain's feedback loops.
• Reclaiming Personal Sovereignty: What stepping away from the social media circus (*BIG CALM EXHALE*) does for your mental space and focus.
• Seven Practical Ways to Re-Enchant Your Life: Soulful tools to bring magic back into the everyday, from embracing "beginner energy" and shaking up routines to harnessing intentional rituals, magical talismans, and the medicine of the natural world.

This episode will help you discover how to stop waiting for your life to begin, offer practical steps to transform your environment into a sanctuary, and encourage you to start making beautiful what you can, right from where you are. And away we gooooo!!!!!!!!! *waves magic wand*

No clue who I am? COOL! Let's change that. If any of this resonated and you want to Scuba-Steve deeper, check me out around the internet-town in these spaces:

• Follow me on Instagram @mavmalone (currently not posting but the backlog is there!)
• Subscribe to my Substack, Mentally I'm Here (no paywalls!)
• Step deeper into the Wild Fantastic of my world at maverickmalone.com
• Check out my books at Tempest Studio, which run the gamut on hope, healing, and super-past-life-coded conscious love

On the day of my third book launch, I expected to feel AMAZE (no, that's not a typo). Instead, I was hit with anxiety-overload, quaking self-doubt, and an old, familiar belief that said it wasn't safe or ok to take up space and celebrate myself.

In this raw and deeply emotional episode, I take you behind the scenes of my own integration process in real time. Instead of shoving the fear down, I pulled out a chair for it and hosted a dialogue between my terrified past selves and my compassionate inner guidance. I read that transcript verbatim in this episode as an example of a lived, completely unedited example of what shadow work actually looks like when you stop trying to outrun your pain and invite it to the table instead.

We dive deep into why so many of us struggle to honor our wins, how to safely navigate internal pressure, and why celebration itself might be the best medicine.

In this episode, we explore:

• Real-Time Integration: A live reading of a therapeutic dialogue with my anxious parts on the day of my book release.
• My personal "Kombucha Theory" of Healing: Why shadow work requires titration—releasing emotional pressure a little at a time instead of blowing off the cap all at once.
• Reframing Self-Abandonment: How rushing to the "next goal" is often survival armor disguised as productivity, and why we need to stop taming down our joy.
• Archetypes of the Dark: Navigating the Persephone and Hekate energies of moving between the underworld of our trauma and the light of our expansion.
• A Corrective Experience: What actually happened at open mic night, how internal magic supersedes external sales, and why you are worthy of celebration simply because you exist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whether you're navigating a big-scary-omg-HUGE-wtf-is-going-on life transition, struggling to step into the bright spotlight of your own life, or looking for practical ways to extend compassion to your hurt parts, this episode is a great reminder that you don't have to white-knuckle your way through growth. You can do this, and I believe in you. If I can make it here, anyone can. Give this one a listen when you're tired of wandering the dark. Press play and borrow my torch. You're not alone.

No clue who I am? THAT'S AMAZING!!! So glad you found me. If any of this resonated and you want to Scuba-Steve deeper, check me out around the internet-town in these spaces:

• Read more about this experiences on my related article, When No One’s Consuming Your Art & Your Subscribers are Nil (with photos!)
• Follow me on Instagram @mavmalone
• Subscribe to my (paywall-free!) Substack, Mentally I'm Here
• Step deeper into the Wild Fantastic of my world at maverickmalone.com

All endings are new beginnings.

In this episode of the podcast, I share the story of my beloved dog, Leo, whose passing coincided with the clearing energy of the March lunar eclipse. But his departure went beyond loss; it became a spiritual and creative initiation.

I open up about the mystical moments that orbited his passing: a dream visitation where we spoke telepathically, giving me the peace and permission I needed to let him go, and the strange, beautiful ways grief can act as an catalyst for transformation.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Pets vs. Familiars: My thoughts on what differentiates a household pet from a spiritual familiar, why Leo was so deeply tied to my magic and spiritual practice, and how he continues to assist my creative work from the other side.
• Premonition & Preemptive Grief: The achingly beautiful essay I began writing before he passed, and the mystical experiences that unfolded as I grieved in real-time.
• The Birth of Exquisite Spells: How Leo’s passing became the ultimate catalyst for a project originally conceived in 2024, fueling the next evolution of my creative and spiritual work.
• Collaborating Beyond the Veil: Why honoring Leo's spirit through this first release feels like continuing our magical partnership, turning ending into art.
• Leo’s Message to Humanity: A channeled poem received from Leo’s perspective—his final, loving message for me, and for all of us.

I also introduce what Exquisite Spells are, what this new offering represents, and where you can find and download these digital audio and written offerings for your own practice.

If you'd like to find out more about Exquisite Spells, you can:

• Read the full article I mentioned in this episode: "My Dog Died & Something New Was Born"
• Purchase Vol. 1 of Exquisite Spells: Peace is a Pup at the Lake - On the gifts of grief & loss

If you have no idea who I am and want to read more, here are some great places to start!

• Follow me on Instagram @mavmalone
• Subscribe to my (paywall-free!) Substack, Mentally I'm Here
• Step deeper into the Wild Fantastic of my world at maverickmalone.com

In this episode, we’re tearing down the myth that love inevitably loses its luster or that you have to choose between safe, comfortable stability and wild, passionate fire.

This episode serves as a companion deep-dive and real-time context for my third book, From August to Aquarius, which chronicles this whole journey as it actually happened. Drawing from my own journey, one of staying in a 14-year codependent, survival-driven relationship to building a deeply secure, sacred partnership today, I share what happens when we step out of surviving and into thriving, by learning to save ourselves first.

Relationships are mirrors, and if we want to call in a partner who is regulated, steady, and growth-oriented, we have to first embody those qualities ourselves and become our own safe container.

Together, we'll dive into:

• The Metaphor of the Wild Horse: How healing happens incrementally when we stop running an underlying script of fear and allow a safe partner to stay present without forcing or shaming.
• The Neurochemistry of Safe Love: What actually happens in the brain and nervous system when hypervigilance turns off, cortisol drops, and oxytocin establishes a true feeling of "home."
• Growing a Garden, Not Losing Passion: Why time doesn't dull a conscious connection and how we can expand and enrich it.
• Held vs. Beheld: The spiritual evolution of love, moving from simply being supported to being witnessed with the soul in pure awe and reverence.
• Messages of Encouragement & Hope: The truth about why love is powerful and how you can tap into that to build a more fulfilling life and connection with yourself.

Magic is real, love is real, and it lives within us. Join me as we explore how clearing our internal shadows allows us to step into the radical safety of being fully seen, fully authentic, and deeply beheld.

If you'd like to learn more about From August to Aquarius, you can check out these articles, grab a copy, or follow me on my other platforms:

• Read the companion article here - ⁠Unlearning Survival: How Relationships Evolve from Suspicious to Safe⁠
• From August to Aquarius Cover Reveal: Poetry, Memoir, and a Journey of Conscious Love
• Order a copy of the book here
• Follow me on Instagram @mavmalone
• Subscribe to my (paywall-free!) Substack, Mentally I'm Here
• Step deeper into the Wild Fantastic of my world at maverickmalone.com

If you’ve ever been told that “your thoughts create your reality,” you’ve probably also felt the toxic underbelly of that phrase. Does an intrusive thought mean you're manifesting a catastrophe? “NOOOOOOO!” (I say with the fierceness of a Michael Scott meme).

In this episode, we’re dismantling the sanitized, bypass-heavy narratives of mainstream manifestation to look at what actually happens when our internal world meets our external life. Instead of forcing a choice between cold logic and ungrounded "woo," we’re stepping directly into the gray area where the intersection of mechanism and meaning thrives and where real magic is made.

What We Dive Into:

• Trauma-Informed Manifestation: Why thought alone doesn't create reality, and why your intrusive thoughts aren't punishing you (taking systemic reality into account).
• Science Meets the Unseen: Where neuroscience and spirituality agree, where they clash, and why human expansion requires integrating both without exiling either.
• Radical Discernment: The vital importance of remaining your own ultimate authority, even when receiving profound guidance from mysterious sources.
• The Voice Note from Beyond: A raw look at a literal voice note I recorded months ago, capturing a moment of loving, unexplainable guidance that neuroscience can't fully explain.
• Redefining Real Magic: The beauty of paradox, living in the gray area, and turning down the absolutes so you can claim your discernment.

Links & Resources:

• Read the referenced Substack article: You are not your Output & You Don’t Owe Substack or Social Media Anything
• Tune in to Maviverse 311.8FM on Substack: Mentally I'm Here
• Website: maverickmalone.com
• Instagram: @mavmalone

Have you ever re-read your old writing or listened to your own audio and felt a big wave of cringe?

In a digital culture optimized for fast validation, we are conditioned to believe that loving our own creations is a symptom of a massive ego. But WHAT IF the inverse is true? WHAT IF refusing to witness and appreciate your own expression is the ultimate act of self-fragmentation?

In this episode, we break down the difference between Ego Love (performative, hyper-vigilant, and dependent on an external mirror) and Sovereign Love (devotional, self-contained, and internally generated). We explore why a "big ego" is actually a muted radio station and how to finally turn up your own unique soul's frequency.

What We Dive Into:

• The Physics of Sound: How speaking devotional love to yourself operates like a literal tuning fork, physically organizing the 60% of water inside your cells into harmonious, coherent symmetry.
• The Ego Mirror: Why ego requires validation to sustain identity and how to orient internally so the external mirror becomes like guac: extra!
• The "Cringe" Reframe: A powerful inner-child visualization technique to neutralize harsh self-critique.
• The Importance of Being Your Own Audience: What this does on an energetic level and how it can shift your reality.

The creative energy that hit you chose you to give it form. It’s time to throw down the welcome mat, serve up the umbrella drinks, and turn the volume all the way up on your own song.

Want to stay tuned to the Maviverse 311.8FM? Follow me on Substack at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mentally I'm Here,⁠⁠⁠⁠ my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠maverickmalone.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on Instagram (for now) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@mavmalone⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Today's episode is a Listen When minisode in a series of sound bytes, of (what I hope will be) inspirational and motivational poetic mini-speeches or spoken word pieces set to music for helpful, hopeful reminders. Reach for these episodes when you need them.

This one is "Pep Talk From An Angel", something that I wrote in one fell swoop last summer at the beach when I was struggling with self worth, self love, and connection. I felt distant from myself and the way in which I was perceiving myself in that phase of my life was heavily distorted.

When I wrote/channeled this, it brought tears to my eyes because it felt like a hug and a pep talk from whoever is on the other side of this life, looking out for me. And I hope it will do the same for you - but I encourage you to listen from the point of view OF YOU.

Listen to this as if your OWN spirit, your OWN self, your OWN guardian angel or loved one there on the other side is lifting you to your feet, sheltering you in their wings, and helping you to reminder who you are.

It's love, speaking directly to you.

Want to stay tuned to the Maviverse 311.8FM? Follow me on Substack at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mentally I'm Here,⁠⁠⁠⁠ my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠maverickmalone.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on Instagram (for now) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@ma

In this expansion of Episode 54 Failure is Success Part I, I take you with me as I Goldilocks my way through my various publishing experiences, trying and "failing" as I searched for the right fit for my books, and how I discovered that every so-called failure was actually refining me and leading me to sovereignty with Tempest Press & Tempest Studio.

We'll explore how setbacks in business can become catalysts for reinvention, the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and why we can never see the full story at the beginning. I share how each “failed” opportunity clarified my needs, sharpened my skills, and ultimately led me to create something fully my own. Plus, I break down the top 5 actionable methods I personally used to build a growth mindset, cultivate resilience, and turn life’s contrast into gold.

If you’ve ever felt discouraged by failure, rejection, or things not going according to plan, this episode will help you reframe setbacks as redirection and start using every experience for you instead of against you.

Want to stay tuned to the Maviverse 311.8FM? Follow me on Substack at ⁠⁠⁠Mentally I'm Here,⁠⁠⁠ my website ⁠⁠maverickmalone.com⁠⁠ or on Instagram (for now) - ⁠⁠⁠@mavmalone⁠⁠⁠.

3What if nothing was ever truly a failure?

In this episode, I explore the idea that failure is not something fixed but something we ourselves define. And if we’re the ones defining it...we can also choose to redefine it.

I share a personal story of something that happened at a bookstore, something a past version of me would have judged as failure. But instead, it became a growth moment of self compassion and a win by a new definition.

This episode is a psychological and reflective deep dive into belief systems, the power of choice, and the stories we’ve inherited about success, failure and worth.

We’ll explore what it means to:

• expand your definition of failure and success
• see choice itself as a win
• and get curious about whether your beliefs are truly yours

When you bring awareness to what was once unconscious, you gain the power to shift it.

This is Part I—Part II will move into business, publishing, and tangible ways to rewrite the beliefs that shape your reality.

Want to stay tuned to the Maviverse 311.8FM? Catch me on Substack at ⁠Mentally I'm Here,⁠ my website maverickmalone.com or on Instagram (for now) - ⁠@mavmalone⁠.

I ghosted social media for months, but I couldn't stay away forever.

In this season 3 premiere, I’m sitting in my backyard with an iced coffee, talking to you the way I would like two friends catching up after months apart. This episode is a laundry list of so many things I haven't said. It's where I've been and what's happened in the in-between, in all its messy, unraveling, void glory. And yet through so many changes, shifts and endings, I found unexpected magic along the way.

In this episode, we move through endings and beginnings together, both in my life and in the world around us. I talk about where I’ve been, what the “spiritual void” actually feels like, and why it’s not something to fear, but something that completely reshapes you. We get into perspective, hope, 2026 as the Age of Discernment, and why so many of us have felt unseen or out of place lately.

I also share something I’ve been holding onto for years, including a first (cinematic!) glimpse into my third book, From August to Aquarius.

This is not a polished episode. It's just me, sitting in my backyard, recording straight from my iPhone (clinking iced coffee & singing birds included). It’s real and raw, and these are my favorite kinds of episodes to record because of what I intend: to invite you into my world and to really connect.

If you’ve been moving through change, feeling a little lost, or just missing a place where you can take a beat & breathe for a minute, this is the place, my friend. Welcome.

Want to stay tuned to the Maviverse 311.8FM? Catch me on Substack at Mentally I'm Here or on Instagram (for now) - @mavmalone.

If you're curious about preordering From August to Aquarius, you can do so here.