Magic, Medicine and Mayhem

The first episode of this year is all about renewal and magic: from Italy's beloved Christmas Witch (La Befana) to the enchantment of the great outdoors--even in winter! Join me as we take a bewitching journey through the historic and modern celebrations and traditions surrounding La Befana and learn why it is that my 2025 work year started on January 7th. Afterwards, we'll head out together into the wilds immerse ourselves in a rainy January day in my beloved Tuscany. As always, there will be a pause in the middle of the episode so you can simple relax, or close your eyes and imagine that you're right along side me in the rain-soaked olive groves.

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
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The year 2024 is about to blow out of here, like the last of the fall leaves in a gust of icy wind. Join me for one last walk in the Tuscan hills before we say goodbye to this year--but this time, we're not in the hills above where I live. We're somewhere completely new and different! This time, I'm exploring right along with you as I take in the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the forest on the side of a mountain outside of Reggello, Tuscany. This will be the last episode of 2024, after which I will be resting and reposing like the forest in winter until early January. Blessings and warm wishes for whatever the end of this year and the beginning of the next brings your way!

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
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As a child, I believed 100 percent that mermaids roamed the oceans, unicorns thundered through the forests and fairies hid behind trees just a second before we saw them. Thankfully, adulthood never convinced me to leave behind the belief that if I looked at things just so, something magical might happen.

Throughout years of transforming and adapting to new workplaces, living spaces, roommates and cultures, two elements intertwined through it all: magic and writing. Writing has always been my way of ruminating on and making sense of everything; magic is what connects me to something deeper and more mysterious. Something that could be scary, or just miraculous.

The same number would appear everywhere, and then finally it would be the address of my new apartment. A name would come to me in a dream, and months later that person would be the one who would help me with my never-ending work permit problems in Italy. I would ask the universe for a collaborator and I would find her in a conversation on Instagram.

This magical collaborator is Catarina Esteves. As I am, she is a witch, healer and expat who traded her native Portugal for England. If you're a regular listener, you may recognize Catarina's name or voice, as I interviewed her in episode 39 about her journey from the corporate world to teaching yoga and being a witch. If you haven't tuned in already, be prepared to be inspired!

This time, I'm joining Catarina for an intimate conversation about our expat experiences. We'll talk about the dreams that prompted us to move abroad, the challenges we faced and the reality checks that shook our foundations. Join us for the last interview of 2024, a window into our respective--and dare I say magical--journeys of transformation.

⟢Connect With Sylva:
Instagram:
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⁠@magicmedicineandmayhem⁠
Website:
⁠Transform with me: https://sylvaflorence.com/
Get more Magic: https://magicmedicineandmayhem.com/
---
⟢ Connect with Catarina:
⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠
⟢ Heal with me:
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bio.site/catarinaesteves.co⁠⁠⁠⁠
⟢ Learn more about my witchy community:
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pages.thecoven.community/the-coven-community⁠⁠⁠⁠
⟢ Get a FREE month off The Cauldron with the code LGO
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pages.thecoven.community/the-cauldron⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
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No man is an island. No witch, either. And that's what my guest today--fellow witch, yoga teacher and MUCH more--Caterina Esteves, are here to talk about. Well, not only--we'll touch on what it means to be truly authentic, the self-sabotaging behaviors that keep us from that end, what blocked Catarina for so long, and how she both overcame crippling anxiety and societal pressures.

Whether you are on your own journey of self-discovery and actualization, if you're wondering how to start it, or if you've gotten stuck along the way, this one's for you! Listening to Catarina's tales of switching careers, swapping countries and stepping into own her power as a woman and a witch, you'll no doubt be inspired to walk your own path towards authenticity.

We'll also talk about dismantling our limiting beliefs, re-remembering our original soul agreements and and forming community--as Catarina and I have. Keep an open mind in regards to how it all could happen... After all, our rich and delightful collaboration sprang from a magical conversation on Instagram!

This convo is, therefore, also a blessed reminder that magic is everywhere, even if modernity says otherwise. Catarina and I are here to remind you that not only is the world more enchanting than you've been taught to believe, but so are you!

You can find Caterina on Instagram at @thecoven.community and @catarinaesteves.co and find more about her services here.

Keep updated on future writing events and episodes by signing up for the free Crescent Newsletter--and receive a welcome gift!

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
www.sylvaflorence.com
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November is kind of a sad month, isn't it? Yet--even as the days shorten and the temperatures drop--it doesn't have to be so melancholy. For ancient Celtic people and the Ireland of yore, the month of November is the start of the Celtic new year, which began on October 31st. The Celts called it Samhain (pronounced Sah-win).
 
 The Celtic day also began at sundown instead of at sunrise. So, Samhain commenced at twilight on October 31st. Picture it in your mind: as the last sun of the year slipped beneath the horizon, the old year was seen to die. At the same time, out of the darkness, a new year was born.
 
 Celts celebrated with feasting, dancing, fortune telling and divination by reading apple skins and hazelnuts (representing wisdom in Celtic culture). And of course, fires. Large bonfires sprung up everywhere only to be doused at midnight, plunging the Celtic world into darkness. 
 
 The fires were then re-lit from a great ceremonial bonfire at Tlaghtgha in County Meath. The High King's fire at Tara was lit first and then, in a sort of domino effect, the blazes moved out across the country until every hearth glowed anew. These fires were lit for warmth and to ward off the evil spirits residing in the darkness. Perhaps they were also a beacon of hope in the pre-electricity darkness and a symbol of the eventual return of the light.
 
 Let's focus on this last bit. As we are plunged into the darkness of winter, we are also that much closer to spring. Out in nature, as you walk with me in Tuscany, the leaves are falling, the frost has arrived, and nature is preparing itself for the inevitable. For Celts, November's full moon was the Seed Fall Moon, honoring the moment in which seeds drifted from dying plants to the humid ground. The moment in which the earth received them and embraced them, keeping them safe until spring.
 
 So as you walk in nature with me today, take time to reflect on what should lie sallow, and what should burst forth with new life come spring.

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
www.sylvaflorence.com
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The day of the election was a week ago now, but the repercussions will be felt for some time. As Trump's supporters continue to celebrate, those of us that were hoping for a fresh new take on America that would have included a colored woman president grieve and wonder how to move forward. Speaking with others who voted for Kamala, I sense the despair, the angst, the "What now??" 

If we were shocked and perplexed the first time, this time we are even more so. It's easy to sink into despair, or even to just give up. I don't blame you if you're thinking, what's the point?

Yet, I would also implore you not to give up, for it really is always darkest before the dawn. Your light and kindness is more needed than ever in these turbulent times--and I've got a few ideas on what we CAN do. What YOU can do, each and every day.

Join me for the latest episode, where we'll dive into an ancient grieving practice called "telling the bees." From the Celtic roots of this tradition and its particularities to my own personal message to the bees themselves, this episode is all about not giving into despair in turbulent times. Instead, we touch on how you can stand up for goodness in the big and little acts of daily life to sow seeds of positive change.

Take part in a necessary conversation on how to start your own personal  revolution of peace and compassion. We'll also hear a poignant and utterly timely message on this exact topic written by Vietnamese peace activist and prolific author Thich Nhat Hanh back in 2012.

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
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Black cats, witches dancing around a bonfire under a full moon, the dark, misty forest, mysterious caves guarded by Jack-o-lanterns, ghosts--this extra special episode has all the spooky stuff this season demands! But not only...

Start in ordinary reality and embark on a wondrous journey--or, as the Celts and my ancestors say, an Imramma. You can learn more about the concept and history of Imramma, and my personal connection to them, ​in episode #35​. 

As you explore, you'll not only be immersed in a hauntingly magical setting, but you'll have the chance to meet a beloved ancestor. You can speak with them, ask their name and receive a unique and helpful gift which you can "bring back" to your normal life. 

Come along on this extraordinary journey inspired by the Egyptian goddess Bastet and Black Cat (whom you'll learn more about at the end of the episode). 

Note: This episode is best enjoyed in a quiet place with a journal and a pen in hand. 

Happy journeying and a blessed Halloween or Samhain to you all.

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
www.sylvaflorence.com
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When I take my clients back to their roots, I mean two things: I mean, some of my ancestors came from Ireland, England, Wales, Germany and France–where did yours come from? Let’s learn about them, and from them. And then let’s go even deeper and see if we can pick up where some of those ancestors left off. It’s the start of a journey both of remembering and of choosing a new, sustainable and compassionate way of living our current lives.

This journey is what the Celtic people would call imram (im-rum). In Gaelic, it translates to “wonder voyage.” This week on the podcast, I'm going to introduce you more deeply to the concept of imramma, as well as:
-What Shamanism is, where it came from and how it got lost
-Why we need it back again in our modern world
-How it all directly pertains to YOU (and your ancestors)
-What I have discovered about my own ancestry and what it's teaching me
-What the new and ongoing series I'm calling Imramma will entail and why you're going to want to explore these fantastical worlds

P.S. There will be a very SPECIAL EPISODE on October, 31st (aka Halloween). I'll tell you in this episode why I decided to move up the next one so it would come out on this wonderfully spooky day.

Links mentioned in this episode:
https://www.ijpr.org/show/as-it-was/2016-03-02/irish-fleeing-famine-settle-in-lake-county-ore

https://www.thisiskatemurphy.com/post/what-is-an-imrama-or-imram

https://www.celticmysteryschool.com/full-moon-imramma/

https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/you-know-youre-irish-when-20-tell-tale-signs-that-you-truly-belong-to-the-emerald-isle/40181283.html 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12110-016-9260-0

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/who-are-the-1-the-answer-might-surprise-you/ 

Three Raven’s College: Introduction to Therapeutic Shamanism

"By Oak, Ash and Thorn" (DJ Conway, p.81-91).

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
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Join me for a new, immersive kind of walk in the Tuscan hills above where I live. This time, it's YOU having a wander in the foggy Tuscan hills. Feel the mist on your skin. Hear the rain as it falls on your umbrella. Gaze upon the olive trees laden with fruit. Feel that you are really and truly in Tuscany, having a stroll in the autumn weather.

In this episode, you'll also learn why I've decided to tweak this episode from the more narrative third person to the immersive second person. Together, we'll take a journey that blurs the line between real and fantasy. Along the way, we'll discover how a simple but powerful change in perspective can change just about everything--even your everyday reality.

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
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Perhaps you feel at home where you were born--or perhaps you never have. Maybe you've finally found a place to put down roots, after ages of wandering... Or it could be that you're still on the move, seeking that place whose heart calls to yours. It could also be that home is exactly where you are, and you're happy to follow the call of the road wherever it leads you.

In any case, finding one's home is a very natural act--and not only for humans.  All of us, at some point, will have the need and desire to establish a nest, be it temporary or permanent. But what is it that suddenly or eventually makes a place just feel yours? What is it that calls you to stay, or pulls you to leave?

Come with me on a thought-provoking wander down the trail that leads to home. Along the way, we'll meander through the Tuscan territory that finally inspired me to put down roots, unearthing the historic truths under modern-day traditions. We'll also discover what it was that finally charmed me into staying put. Our journey together ends with a magical and meditative stroll towards whatever home means to you--or might mean someday.

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 @magicmedicineandmayhem 
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