She will be greatly missed. Retha Wright (1957-2021) passed not long after we aired this episode. Please listen as a way to honor the spark that she shared with the world. Her jubilant laugh, her sense of curiosity and awe, and most importantly, her well of love. 

Learn about the guest, Retha Wright:

Retha Wright joins the Open Sesame Podcast to share her unique journey from English Literature, to tarot, to Sufism. Retha's knowledge of symbolism and folklore is deeply infused in her tarot practice. We absolutely loved learning from her in this episode. 

Follow Whittney Evans and Cora Kessler of the Open Sesame Podcast on:

• Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/opensesamedia/
  Cora Kessler: https://www.instagram.com/corakess/
  Whittney Evans: https://www.instagram.com/sweetteasus/
• Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenSesame
• Listen on BuzzSprout at https://opensesame.buzzsprout.com/ or wherever you listen to your podcasts (Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, and more!).

Property of Open Sesame 2018 - 2021

Learn about the guest, Reverend Lindsey Franklin:

• On Richmond Hill's website: https://www.richmondhillva.org/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lfrankli?lang=en
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseyfranklin/

Reverend Lindsey Franklin joins the Open Sesame Podcast to share her unexpected journey from the San Francisco social entrepreneurship and community organizing worlds to the southern religious space of Richmond Hill. While on paper these worlds couldn't seem further apart, Lindsey discusses similarities, important skills learned from each, and the value she feels from both community, religion, and the two together. 

Follow Whittney Evans and Cora Kessler of the Open Sesame Podcast on:

• Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/opensesamedia/
  Cora Kessler: https://www.instagram.com/corakess/
  Whittney Evans: https://www.instagram.com/sweetteasus/
• Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenSesame
• Listen on BuzzSprout at https://opensesame.buzzsprout.com/ or wherever you listen to your podcasts

Property of Open Sesame 2018 - 2021

Learn about the guest, Dr. Bruce Greyson:

• On his website: https://www.brucegreyson.com/
• Buy his book: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250792259
• UVA Division of Perceptual Studies: https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/

Dr. Bruce Greyson is the Chester Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia.  He was previously on the medical faculty at the University of Michigan and the University of Connecticut, where he was Clinical Chief of Psychiatry. Dr. Greyson has consulted with the National Institutes of Health and addressed symposia on consciousness at the United Nations and at the Dalai Lama’s compound in Dharamsala, India. He has earned awards for his medical research and was elected a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the highest honor bestowed by that organization.

Follow Whittney Evans and Cora Kessler of the Open Sesame Podcast on:

• Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/opensesamedia/
• Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenSesame
• Listen on BuzzSprout at https://opensesame.buzzsprout.com/ or wherever you listen to your podcasts

Property of Open Sesame 2021

Coach and licensed counselor, Andrea Shipley, shares how she built her own remote business in order to live and work from her converted school bus (skoolie). She shares the challenges, roadblocks, and spiritual lessons learned on this journey. 
Recorded 10/18/2020
Donate to Open Sesame to keep it going HERE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Cora

Learn about Andrea here:
Business: https://www.aliveexplorations.com/
Social: https://www.instagram.com/soulexplorations/
https://www.instagram.com/aliveexplorations/

Follow Open Sesame Here:
Social: https://www.instagram.com/opensesamedia/
Listen here: http://opensesame.buzzsprout.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenSesame

All content is property of Open Sesame Podcasting, 2020

Energetic healer and soul guide, Sepidar Misaghian, shares how she discovered her unique methods of energetic work, what she sees when she practices, and her philosophy around science and spirituality. 
Recorded 10/17/2020
Donate to Open Sesame to keep it going HERE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Cora

Learn about Sepidar here:
Website: https://www.soulserene.net/about
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesoulserene/about/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_soul_serene_/

Follow Open Sesame Here:
Social: https://www.instagram.com/opensesamedia/
Listen here: http://opensesame.buzzsprout.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenSesame

All content is property of Open Sesame Podcasting, 2020

In this episode, we interview, Rosalyn Berne, Ph. D, (https://www.rosalynberne.com/) and delve into our intuitions, the lines between science and spiritual, ethics and truth, interspecies communication, and our moral obligation to share what we know as people who experience the known world. 
Dr. Berne shows us in this episode that we must be rooted in science, and question what it is that we need to learn, simultaneously. She also encourages us to say yes to ourselves and trust our intuitions when we experience things that cannot yet be proven through scientific method. Join us for this incredible wrap up of Season 1 of the Open Sesame Podcast, and share with us how you say yes to what you know inside.

Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenSesame
Follow the Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opensesamedia/

Themes: Animals, Horse Whispering, Vegetarianism, Science, ExtraTerrestrial Life, Interspecies Communication, Spirituality, Intuition

Tiffany Hopkins is a marketing consultant and medium, living in the spiritualist community of Lily Dale, New York. She made the intentional choice to slow down her life when she moved to Lily Dale. In this interview we talk about breaking out of the box, throwing it away, and seeing what comes after. We learned so much about what happens when you take the time to slow down, be still, and be intentional with your choices. For Tiffany, that slowing led to the strengthening of her psychic abilities. We asked about how she balances her corporate clients with her mediumship. Turns out you don't have to pick just one thing, or one version, of yourself.

IG: @unknowitall ⠀ @ahh.piffany
Website: nobox.us/unseen
Podcast:  anchor.fm/ms-piff
Tarot readings: nobox.as.me/tarot

Aurora Higgs talks identity, femininity and transgender advocacy and issues in this episode. We explore topics on unmasking ourselves, the importance of trying on new personas, ignoring our fears, chaos magic (and the actual science behind why keeping your vision front and center works magically) and even the brain-gut connection in this longer episode of the Open Sesame Podcast. Sure, there's references to Harry Potter & The Awkward Yeti...because we're awesome. And we may even give you an idea or two about what to do about your toxic boss...

Mentions: Harry Potter, The Awkward Yeti, Equality Virginia, Richmond Burlesque scene, Afro Tease, Immodest Opulence

In this episode, Michelle Mercurio and Cora Kessler interview artist, writer, style-icon and Ambassador of Peace, Beatrix Ost. For this episode, we traveled to Beatrix's estate in Charlottesville and got a glipmse into her magical world, created from art and love. Join us as we talk about silence, listening, how her fashion style evolved from the aftermath of the Second World War, how the answers we seek are within us and about the power of being in the moment of NOW.

Follow Beatrix on Instagram @BeatrixOst. Check out her powerful jewelry at Article 22. Visit her collection at Second Street Gallery.

Music by the talented Travis Boozer of Wheat Penny Productions.
Original Art by the talented Courtney Allison Brown of Emotional Planes. 

Join us as we speak with Courtney Allison Brown, a data visualization artist who focuses on mental health, wellness, and healing based in Richmond, VA. Her primary work to date is a series titled “Emotional Planes," which explores the different emotional states we all experience as we journey through life.

Courtney has tracked and collected the data output from emotions (using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques) over the last 20+ years. Happiness, depression, highs and lows, stress levels, anxiety triggers and more are used to create art to be used not only for self-healing, but also to encourage and enable viewers to leave with more empathy for the human condition than they had prior to being exposed to this body of work. 

Intensity, color, peaks + valleys are intended to enlighten people to visual interpretations of what mental illness feels like... an often invisible illness.

In this episode we talk about everything from art to atheism to intuition. Come on the journey with us! Fair warning, we swear a little in this episode!