Medium Curious: Spirit, Signs & Intuition Tips for Spiritual Seekers

By Sarah Rathke and Jane MorganSociety & Culture Religion & Spirituality Spirituality Personal Journals

Medium Curious: Spirit, Signs & Intuition Tips for Spiritual Seekers episodes

October 14How Journaling Opened a Portal to Spirit with Jennifer France
Content note: this episode discusses the loss of a partner to suicide.
Jennifer France never set out to write a book. In the year after her partner Ann Marie died by suicide in 2019, Jenn was isolated, shut out by Ann Marie’s friends, and unable to lean on her family. So she started writing to Ann Marie every day. Those journals became Faith, Hope and Love, a record of her first year of grief told through journal entries, photographs, and transcripts of readings with three psychic mediums.
Jenn tells Sarah and Jane about the signs that started arriving within days of Ann Marie’s death. A small purse she’d been told to leave behind turned up hanging in a shop window hours later. A vivid dream visit brought an odd phrase that her hairdresser repeated word for word the next day. Through all of it, Jenn began to notice a pattern: whatever she wrote in her journal seemed to get an answer within a day or two.
They also talk about Jenn going to her first medium as a guarded skeptic and leaving a believer. She describes how three very different mediums delivered the same information in their own styles, and how music became one of Ann Marie’s favorite ways to say she was still there. Jenn explains why she was never angry with Ann Marie. Eight years on, she feels like herself again, only bigger. And yes, Ann Marie may have had a hand in bringing Jenn her new partner, Shannon.
It’s a tender, honest conversation about surviving the unsurvivable and the love that keeps going.
Key takeaways
Writing directly to a loved one in spirit can become a two-way conversation. Many people find that answers show up in the days after they put a question on paper.
Dream visits often feel different from ordinary dreams: vivid, linear, and remembered in full detail. Writing them down right away lets you recognize confirmations when they arrive.
Going to a reading as a skeptic is fine. Holding back reactions and letting the medium bring specific details only you and your loved one would know can make the experience more meaningful.
Different mediums can bring through the same message in very different styles. Each reader’s personality shapes how spirit comes through.
Grief doesn’t follow a straight line. Healing often comes in small steps forward and back, and tears can return years later.
Choosing compassion over anger after a suicide loss is a personal path, not a requirement. For some people it opens the door to peace and continued connection.
There is no single right way to grieve. The support that helps one person may not fit another, and finding what fits is part of the process.
Quotes
“I really do believe that journaling opens up some type of door.” (Jenn)
“I went in as a skeptic. But I came out a believer, a total believer.” (Jenn)
“The other realm is not that far away.” (Jenn)
“Grief has kind of a big faucet. It really doesn’t ever turn off.” (Jane)
“We come here to grow and expand our consciousness.” (Jenn)
“It’s a whole body feeling. You just know it.” (Jenn)
Links and resources
Faith, Hope and Love by Jennifer France
Jennifer France https://jennfrancewrites.com/
Life With Ghosts documentary
Induced After-Death Communication (IADC)
Life After Suicide: Finding Courage, Comfort and Community After Unthinkable Loss by Dr. Jennifer Ashton
If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US)
Medium Curious website: mediumcurious.com
Jane's website: janemorganmedium.com
Sarah's website: sarahrathke.com
Instagram: @mediumcuriouspod
YouTube: @mediumcurious
54 min
October 07Connecting to Loved Ones in Spirit: What Rachel Stewart Wants You to Know
Rachel Stewart is back, almost exactly a year after her first visit, and this time the reunion started in person. Jane ran into her at the IANDS conference, a meeting Rachel almost skipped until two different podcast hosts, hours apart, told her it was happening in her backyard. That kind of nudge sets the tone for the whole conversation.
Since we last spoke, Rachel and her husband Shane have launched the 411 Together community, built around what they learned while finding their way back to their daughter Kennedy, who passed in 2018 at age ten. Rachel shares how it took her over a thousand days to accept a connection she now lives with daily, why she believes the little moments matter more than the big signs, and how Kennedy keeps showing up, including at her little sister's softball game in a very specific way. She also tells the story of a broken boat, a bee that wouldn't leave her window, a bank sign reading 4.11 percent, and the Jeep that convinced Shane to walk away from commercial fishing. Along the way: a manifesting practice that finally clicked for her, the case for raising kids who don't have to unlearn their connection to the other side, and why a "man's man" crying on camera about his daughter may be one of the most important things they share.
Key takeaways
Grief and connection can coexist. Continuing a relationship with someone in spirit doesn't erase the loss, it gives the loss somewhere to go.
You don't need a perfect meditation practice to stay connected. Small, everyday moments of openness, like talking to a loved one on a drive, build the relationship over time.
A sign is often about timing, not the object. A feather is just a feather until it arrives at exactly the right moment.
Hearing other people's stories lowers our guard. Many people connect faster once they see that it's real for others too.
Kids who grow up with this as normal don't have to break a whole worldview to believe it, and adults can help by treating their experiences as real.
Acting as if something has already happened can shift how you show up while you wait for it.
Fear is part of the leap. Most people following their guidance don't know where it leads; they go anyway.
When men talk openly about grief and connection, it gives others permission to do the same.
Quotes
"I want every single person to know that they can continue the relationship if they want to. It's allowed, it's beautiful, it's natural." Rachel Stewart
"It was her light that was missing. And I just didn't know I was allowed to let it back in." Rachel Stewart
"You don't have to be doing those things to be connected to your loved one, because life is busy." Rachel Stewart
"Sure, you could say that's just a feather, but it's the timing of everything." Rachel Stewart
"There's fear in the unknown, but we do it anyways." Rachel Stewart
"I do not feel alone, even if I'm standing in a very lonely spot." Jane Morgan
"People need to be able to see these practices in motion." Sarah
Links and resources
Rachel's first Medium Curious episode
411 Together community: https://for11together.com/
Rachel and Shane on Instagram: @for11_together
Rachel and Shane YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@For11_together
IANDS (International Association for Near-Death Studies): iands.org
Medium Curious website: mediumcurious.com
Jane's website: janemorganmedium.com
Sarah's website: sarahrathke.com
Instagram: @mediumcuriouspod
YouTube: @mediumcurious
1 hr
September 30Is Mediumship Natural? Evidential Medium Andy Byng on our Partnership with Spirit
Andy Byng joins Jane and Sarah to explore the history, philosophy, and theology of Spiritualism — and why mediumship is simply a natural part of being human. Andy has spent decades teaching and developing mediums worldwide, and brings a grounded, almost academic lens to a subject that's often treated as mysterious or rare.
*This is a re-release from May 2025*.
Andy shares how his own mediumship awakened, and the personal development that shaped his understanding of spirit. Storytelling sits at the heart of his teaching: life creates its own narrative, and that narrative becomes the language spirit uses to communicate with us.
He also makes the case for approaching the spirit world as a partnership rather than a hierarchy, and for presenting mediumship rationally, as something that works within natural laws. The conversation turns to what mediumship offers the world right now, and the role community and personal purpose play in spiritual growth.
Is mediumship a rare gift?
Not according to Andy — he teaches that mediumship isn't a rare gift, but a natural expression of our connection to the spirit world, available to far more people than most assume.
Takeaways
Storytelling is a powerful tool for spirit communication, because every communicator needs to establish who they are.
Mediumship isn't a rare gift. It's a natural expression of our connection to the spirit world.
Developing as a medium starts with developing as a person.
Your life experiences become part of the vocabulary spirit works with.
A relationship with spirit is built on friendship, not worship.
Approaching mediumship rationally, within natural laws, makes it more credible and more accessible.
Tension gets in the way. An open heart and a relaxed mind leave room for connection.
Mediumship can remind us of our spiritual nature when physical life feels hard.
Every experience can serve a spiritual purpose.
Sound bites
"Storytelling is a big part of my teaching."
"Life creates a narrative all by itself."
"Every experience can be spiritual."
Links and resources
Andy Byng: andybyng.com
Medium Curious Substack: mediumcuriouspod.substack.com
Medium Curious website: mediumcurious.com
Jane's website: janemorganmedium.com
Sarah's website: sarahrathke.com
Instagram: @mediumcuriouspod
YouTube: @mediumcurious
VerySoul.com
Downloading each episode really helps Medium Curious grow. And we'd love to hear from you, so leave a comment or review wherever you listen!
55 min
September 23Travis (Holp) Warrior Unicorn ~ Come Out as a Medium Without Fear of Judgment
Sarah and Jane try (and mostly fail) not to fangirl as they welcome psychic medium, author, and self-described Britney Spears devotee Travis Holp to the show. Travis shares his story of growing up gay and intuitive in Ohio, the grandmother who told him "I see you and it's okay," and how coming out as a medium was a breeze compared to coming out as a gay teenager. Hint: his family's response was basically, "Yeah, that makes sense."
From there, the conversation goes deep. Travis explains why he opens every live show by saying he doesn't carry the burden of proof, and tells the story of a grieving widower whose test question was answered word for word the moment Travis stopped trying so hard. Jane shares a strikingly similar moment with a longtime client, and the three explore what it really means to get out of your own way.
Travis also gets honest about the unrealistic expectation that mediums be 100 percent accurate, why your self-worth can't hinge on a great reading or a bad one, and the difference between having intuitive awareness and working as a professional medium. He talks about boundaries, burnout, and the surprising discovery that sitting with joy has been harder for him than sitting with pain. Travis, Sarah, and Jane all share that they don't drink, and they reflect on how learning to receive in everyday life strengthens the connection with Spirit.
Plus: the Ouija board question, the art of finding the "vibrationally accurate" word, a lunch with Laura Lynne Jackson, and Travis's upcoming Forever Family Foundation event in October.
Key Takeaways
You don't carry the burden of proof. A medium's job is to share what they receive clearly and ethically, not to convince anyone.
Pressure blocks the signal. The clearest evidence often arrives the moment you hand the responsibility back to Spirit and stop forcing it.
Tools like the Ouija board aren't inherently dangerous. Intention is what shapes the experience, so be clear about what you're asking for.
Intuitive awareness is natural for everyone, but working professionally takes more. Training matters most in ethics, delivery, boundaries, and holding space for people in deep grief.
You don't have to help everyone. Knowing when to refer someone to a licensed professional is a sign of integrity, not failure.
Your worth as a reader isn't measured by any single session. Growth, integrity, and commitment to the work are what make you good at it.
Learning to receive in life, including compliments, love, and joy, can make you a clearer receiver for Spirit.
Mediumship is an art of language. When you don't have the exact word, a metaphor or story can carry the message.
Quotes
"I don't carry the burden of proof. My job is to share what I'm receiving. If it connects with you, wonderful."
"The only thing I own in this world is my energy. And I don't even think I own it, I just manage it."
"It wasn't feeling difficult emotions that's been difficult for me. It's been feeling joy."
"Your worth and talent is not weighted on a great reading or a not so great reading. It's your commitment to your growth, your integrity, and your ability that actually makes you great."
"Having psychic awareness is not the same as being a psychic or a medium. Somebody can give great advice. It does not make them a therapist."
"Even Adele has a vocal coach."
"Mariah Carey doesn't hit the high notes every time, and she is arguably one of the best vocalists of our time."
"Mediumship is an art of language. It's not always what you're sharing, it's how you share it." (Travis, sharing a lesson from his late mentor Pat Longo)
Links and Resources
Travis Holp: www.TravisHolp.com IG @traviswarriarunicorn TikTok @traviswarriorunicorn
Are You There, Spirit? It's Me, Travis: Life Lessons from the Other Side by Travis Holp: https://spiegelandgrau.com/are-you-there-spirit-its-me-travis
Forever Family Foundation: https://www.foreverfamilyfoundation.org
Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne Jackson
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Medium Curious Collective — Join our community
MediumCurious.com
Jane Morgan Medium
Sarah Rathke
Medium Curious Podcast on Instagram
Medium Curious Podcast on Substack

Sarah Rathke
Medium Curious Podcast on Instagram
Medium Curious Podcast on Substack
57 min
September 16The Signs Are Real: Monarch Episode V — Listeners’ Stories
In this special Monarch episode of Medium Curious, Sarah and Jane step outside their usual format to share something deeply personal: stories of signs and synchronicities sent in by listeners who have experienced them for themselves.
This time, you’ll hear those stories in the listeners’ own voices—stories that range from playful and surprising to profound and life-changing. A deer. A coin. Unexpected messages and impossible-to-ignore moments. Each story offers its own glimpse into the ways people experience connection with loved ones who have crossed over.
Together, these stories explore a question at the heart of Medium Curious: Can the people we love continue to find ways to reach us after they’re gone?
Whether you see these moments as signs, synchronicities, coincidence, or something beyond what we can explain, there’s something undeniably moving about the love woven through every one of them.
Listen in for stories of reassurance, connection, and the kind of magic that can stay with you for a lifetime!
Quotes
Sarah, on Tiffany’s deer story: “It’s like there’s so many metaphors that are going through my head. In an orchestra, you’ve got a body of musicians playing, it’s one sound, and then all of a sudden one voice comes through.”
Jane, on Corinne + Scotty’s story about David: “He’s world class. He communicates like nobody I know.”
Links & Resources
Listener Stories
Tiffany Bates — @TiffanyKayExpressions on Substack
Scott Darlington — @mescottyd on Substack
Rebecca Shafi — Facebook: @Rebecca Shafi
Medium Curious
Medium Curious Collective — Join our community
MediumCurious.com
Jane Morgan Medium
Sarah Rathke
Medium Curious Podcast on Instagram
Medium Curious Podcast on Substack
52 min
September 09Inside the World’s Biggest Near-Death Experience Conference: Mind-Blowing Stories, Consciousness & Love!
Jane just got back from the IANDS conference—the world’s biggest gathering focused on near-death experiences (NDEs), consciousness, and what happens when we die—and she brought back everything: the science, the stories, the gossip, and the thrift-store goodies.
In this episode, Jane and Sarah dive into the fascinating world of near-death experiences and consciousness, unpacking what happens when people flatline and come back profoundly changed. From shifts in the nervous system and a dramatic loss of the fear of death to an inner voice that seems to switch on for good, these stories raise some big questions about life after death, the nature of consciousness, and what might be waiting on the other side.
It's part conference recap, part science geek out, part reminder that the whole point of all of this, at the end of the day, is love.
Jane recounts crashing a conversation with filmmaker Steven Simon (What Dreams May Come) to invite him on the show, dancing with Anita Moorjani at a Wizard of Oz themed party, and thrifting with medium Lauren Robertson. Along the way, she and Sarah dig into a University of Milan study on grief hallucinations that aren't hallucinations at all, talk through the difference between intuition and a nervous system in fight or flight, and touch on the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies, which investigates spontaneous and verifiable after death communication.
It's part conference recap, part science geek out, part reminder that the whole point of all of this, at the end of the day, is love.
Key Takeaways
Grief hallucinations aren't hallucinations. Research suggests a majority of grieving people see or hear a deceased loved one, but most stay quiet out of fear of being seen as unstable. If it's happened to you, you're not imagining it and you're not alone.
A calm nervous system and intuition are connected. When the body is stuck in fight or flight, it's genuinely harder to access intuitive guidance. Regulating the nervous system (through breath, somatic practice, or anything that signals safety to the body) can be a prerequisite for hearing your inner knowing, not a separate task from it.
Fear of not knowing shows up everywhere, not just around death. The same anxious grip that shows up around mortality also shows up around money, security, and control. Naming that pattern can make it easier to work with.
Discernment matters more than certainty when evaluating any spiritual teacher or channeled information. Watch for dependency, whether you feel free to leave at any time, and whether the message serves your growth or someone else's authority.
You don't need proof to start. People who return from a profound experience (near-death or otherwise) tend to skip the years of study because they already know something is possible. Belief itself is often the actual doorway.
Direct Quotes
Sarah: "The only thing you have to do to be a medium is know that it's possible."
Jane, on a friend's final months: "He was like, I'm just here to broadcast love, and that's all I'm gonna do for the rest of my time here."
Jane, on nervous system regulation: "If you're in a sympathetic nervous system, which is activated fight or flight, the intuition is not really available."
Links and Resources
International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS) conference
Steven Simon, filmmaker (What Dreams May Come) and author of a book written with his late wife (title referenced in the episode as "What Dreams Have Come,"
Lauren Robertson, medium and author of The Medium in Manolo's
Alex Ferrari, host of Next Level Soul podcast
University of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS), founded by Ian Stevenson
Medium Curious Collective (community membership, mentioned at the close)
Jane Morgan Medium: Jane Morgan Medium
Sarah Rathke: SarahRathke.com
Instagram: MediumCuriousPod (@mediumcuriouspod)
Substack: https://mediumcuriouspod.substack.com/
45 min
September 02Jordan Segman (@seggysaid) on AI, Intuition & Spirituality
Jane sits down with Jordan Segman, host of The Paradigm Experience, a podcast exploring near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, spirituality, and the unexplained. On instagram you can find him with the handle @seggysaid where he chats to AI about the really big questions.
He shares what happened when he asked an AI what it was being coded to do, and the surprising answer that made him think deeply about human sovereignty, intuition, and how much we rely on technology for answers.
From there, the conversation moves into Jordan's own spiritual practice, including daily meditation, mantras, gratitude, and staying grounded while using AI every day.
Jordan also opens up about addiction, heartbreak, fatherhood, money, ADHD, and the ways those experiences have changed how he sees himself. He shares the powerful mediumship experience that connected him with his late grandfather and eventually led him to an intuitive counselor who became an important part of his life.
Jane also gives Jordan a live reading of his spirit guide which is both funny and touching.
In this episode:
AI, intuition, and human sovereignty
What happens when you ask AI about its own motives
Spiritual hygiene and daily grounding practices
Mediumship and connecting with loved ones who have passed
ADHD and seeing yourself through a different lens
Addiction, recovery, money, and fatherhood
Building The Paradigm Experience into something bigger
Why consistency matters more than the glamorous moments of success
Quotes
"I think it's another thing in the mix, and it's probably a little more lethal in that it can be more addicting."
"It's about the message, not the messenger."
"One candle can light a thousand."
"You have to constrain it. You have to tell it what not to do."
Links and Resources
YouTube The Paradigm Experience
Instagram @SeggySaid
Substack @SeggySaid
Documentary referenced: The Alabama Solution
Medium Curious: MediumCurious.com
Jane Morgan Medium: Jane Morgan Medium
Sarah Rathke: SarahRathke.com
Instagram: MediumCuriousPod (@mediumcuriouspod)
Substack: https://mediumcuriouspod.substack.com/
56 min
August 26How to Understand Yourself Through Astrology with Astrology Hub Founder Amanda Walsh
Sarah and Jane sit down with Amanda Walsh, founder and CEO of Astrology Hub and author of the new memoir Life by the Stars: A True Story of Letting Go, Looking Up, and Remembering Who You Are.
Amanda traces her path from a buttoned-up corporate life in New York City, three degrees deep and checking every box, to an unraveling that started with an emergency C-section, a toddler hurling her Blackberry across the room, and a cross-country move to Hawaii with no plan and no internet. She talks about the first astrology reading that cracked her open, why she calls it her first evidence of God, and how a friend's throwaway comment about an unused domain name turned into Astrology Hub.
The conversation moves through the difference between astrology's various schools (Vedic, Western, evolutionary), why Amanda offers that astrology is one language with many dialects, and her mango tree metaphor for why some people are ready for a leap before others are. She and Jane also dig into the current planetary moment, the Leo-Aquarius axis, and why Amanda thinks we are all living through an unprecedented collective transformation.
Key Takeaways
Sometimes the system you trust most (medical, educational, corporate) breaking down is what finally shows you it was never the whole truth to begin with
Astrology is not one fixed system. Different traditions (Vedic, Western, evolutionary) are different dialects of the same underlying language, and it's fine to take what resonates and leave the rest
Not everyone is ready for the same leap at the same time, and that is not a flaw. Some fruit ripens early, some ripens late, but it all ends up in the same place
Tension and hard transits are not punishment. They are pressure pointing toward something in you that wants to resolve
Feeling like everything is uncertain right now is not a personal failure to have it figured out. It is a collective experience showing up individually
You do not need permission to reinvent your life more than once. The version of you built for one chapter does not have to be the final version
Notable Quotes
Amanda, on her first astrology reading: "This is my first evidence of God."
On timing and readiness: "The yes that's pulling us is stronger than the fear that's holding us back."
On living through this moment: "It's freaking terrifying as hell. But like, my god, it's also kind of fun."
On the Capricorn archetype: "Capricorn is not just a goat... it's a sea goat, part goat, part mermaid," both climbing the highest heights and exploring the deepest depths.
Links & Resources
Amanda Walsh's book: Life by the Stars: A True Story of Letting Go, Looking Up, and Remembering Who You Are
Astrology Hub (astrologyhub.com)
Astrology Hub Podcast
Mentioned: Christy Levy (previous guest on Medium Curious guest referenced in the intro),
Medium Curious: MediumCurious.com
Jane Morgan Medium: Jane Morgan Medium
Sarah Rathke: SarahRathke.com
Instagram: MediumCuriousPod (@mediumcuriouspod)
Substack: https://mediumcuriouspod.substack.com/
56 min
August 19Robert Redford Sends a Message From Spirit — Plus, We're Launching Something New!
Sarah and Jane put the guest mic down this week to turn the conversation on themselves — and to share some messages from Robert Redford, along with some big news. In this episode of Medium Curious, the mediumship podcast for the curious and the skeptical alike, Jane and Sarah trace how they each found their way into psychic development and spirit communication without ever planning to — Sarah from a career as a professional oboist, Jane from running film production companies.
The conversation moves into consciousness, energy, and why comparing your intuitive gifts to someone else's can shut your own connection down. They also unpack entropy as a way of reading energetic states — what it means to be in a low-entropy state of ease and coherence versus a high-entropy state of urgency and static — and how that shapes the energy you bring to any reading, conversation, or room.
Plus: readings on Einstein and Robert Redford in spirit, verifiable details from the other side, and the launch of a new membership community called Medium Curious Collective for anyone curious about mediumship, intuition, and connecting with spirit.
Topics covered: mediumship, psychic development, spirit communication, consciousness, energy and entropy, celebrity mediumship readings, intuitive development, signs from spirit
Key Takeaways
Comparing your intuitive gifts to someone else's is one of the fastest ways to shut your own connection down. Feeling less-than in the moment is often a signal to look at an old safety pattern, not a verdict on your ability.
Any container or boundary — spiritual practice included — is worth periodically checking. Is it protecting you, or is it quietly limiting how far you let yourself expand?
Entropy is a useful lens for energy: lower entropy states (ease, love, coherence) tend to be more expansive, while higher entropy states (urgency, static, self-drama) tend to contract things. Small check-ins with your own state matter more than they might seem to.
You don't need formal training to practice reading energy. Picking a public figure, tuning in, and verifying specific, googleable details afterward is a low-stakes way to build trust in your own hits.
Growing intuitive or energetic capacity slowly, with time to integrate, tends to hold up better than trying to "come online" all at once.
A community where curiosity and wonder are normalized can be just as valuable as any specific technique or teaching.
Quotes
"All of creation is experiencing itself through you." — Sarah, on a message received during a channeled event
"High entropy would be self-drama, urgency, noise, static. Low entropy is where you're in love, care, cooperation, honesty, service — you're really in integrity." — Jane
"Don't leave this life without a dream or two coming true." — Jane, sharing a message from Robert Redford
Links & Resources
Medium Curious Collective sign-up —https://mediumcurious.thinkific.com/pages/medium-curious-collective
Lauren Robertson, medium and teacher, author of Medium and Manolos
Christy Levy, medium (referenced from a prior episode)
Suzanne Giesemann — referenced re: the "connect with someone famous" practice game
Medium Curious: MediumCurious.com
Jane Morgan Medium: Jane Morgan Medium
Sarah Rathke: SarahRathke.com
Instagram: MediumCuriousPod (@mediumcuriouspod)
Substack: https://mediumcuriouspod.substack.com/
53 min
August 12Shannon Nering: The Mother Vine, Ayahuasca, and a Surprise Visit from Spirit
Before Shannon Nering could talk about the ayahuasca ceremony that changed her life, her grandmother arrived first, pulling the conversation somewhere none of them expected. What started as an interview about Shannon's memoir, The Mother Vine: How I Healed My Heart with Ayahuasca, opened into a spontaneous, emotional reading connecting Shannon to her late grandmother, before moving into the heart of the book itself.
Shannon, a former TV producer and director who walked away from a career in television to move her family to Kauai, talks about the identity crisis that came with that move, the layered "mother" themes in her book (her grandmother, her mother, motherhood itself, and the "mother vine" — another name for ayahuasca), and how writing became a way to process grief that had been held in her body for years.
She shares her first ayahuasca ceremony with the Shipibo tradition in the Amazon, contrasts it with gentler Kauai-grown medicine, and talks through what integration actually looks like day to day. The she shares about The Living Lab, her seasonal reset program for women in midlife and beyond.
Key Takeaways
Grief doesn't just fade with time — it can live in the body for years, and creative or ceremonial work (writing, plant medicine, ritual) can finally move it through.
Integration after a profound spiritual experience isn't a single moment; it's a daily practice — journaling, stillness, returning to the insight again and again.
Fear passed down from a parent or grandparent often comes from love and protection, even when it later needs to be examined and released.
You don't need to dive straight into strong plant medicine to access stillness, presence, or an open heart — there are gentler on-ramps.
True healing touches four quadrants — mental, physical, emotional, spiritual — not just one.
Notable Quotes
Shannon, on plant medicine and ego: "You do not get to use your logical mind... it's an ego death."
Shannon, on what she took from her ayahuasca ceremony: "The journey is actually inward... that's where it all happens."
Links & Resources
The Mother Vine: How I Healed My Heart with Ayahuasca by Shannon Nering — Simon & Schuster | Bookshop.org
Shannon Nering's website: shannonnering.com
My Big TOE by Tom Campbell (referenced in conversation)
Connect with Medium Curious
Medium Curious: MediumCurious.com
Jane Morgan Medium: Jane Morgan Medium
Sarah Rathke: SarahRathke.com
Instagram: MediumCuriousPod (@mediumcuriouspod)
Substack: https://mediumcuriouspod.substack.com/
48 min

About Medium Curious: Spirit, Signs & Intuition Tips for Spiritual Seekers

From the publisher's feed

If you’ve ever wondered whether your signs are real, if Spirit is trying to reach you, or if you can trust your intuition, Medium Curious is your safe place to explore those answers. As two moms…