Reality Rules

Dave Testa & Sarah Sekoa discuss (BS about) the unknowability of the fundamental nature of reality. Recorded at Dave Testa's home recording studio on April 16, 2023, at the end of a 10 hour marathon of conversation.

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Part 2: Dave & Sarah discuss experiences of addiction, mental illness, recovery, and learning how to care for & ground ourselves and deal with the inevitable pains of life in sustainable ways.

Recorded at Dave Testa's home recording studio in Seattle, WA on April 16th, 2023.

Intro/Outro song: "Bug Bear" by Climber, used with permission. Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2

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Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

Dave & Sarah discuss experiences of addiction, mental illness, recovery, and learning how to care for & ground ourselves and deal with the inevitable pains of life in sustainable ways.

Recorded at Dave Testa's home recording studio in Seattle, WA on April 16th, 2023.

Intro/Outro song: "River" by David Testa, used with permission. Single to be released soon. Listen to more music by David Testa at www.testamusic.com

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Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

Chuck and Sarah discuss Chuck's book: Elucidating Christianity, A Heretic's Dissent: Triangulating Dysfunctional Religion (get the Kindle book on Amazon here: https://shorturl.at/knrA7, or listen to the audio version read by Chuck on his YouTube channel at the link below), and we share about our experiences of unraveling our Christian beliefs and what it's like on the other side of leaving the religion. Chuck grew up in a highly influential Christian family and ministry, and leaving his rolls at the church wasn't easy. He shares about what that was like and about his relationship with his beloved father, with whom he shares the same name, and who is a world renowned Christian pastor, teacher, and author.

Chuck's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chuckswindoll7792

Audio Version of Elucidating Christianity: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4Qn_RpyTvVxvExk8fE2s9kSo15gH6ka

Intro/outro song: "Stop That Holy Dance" by Climber. Used with permission. 
Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2

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Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

A conversation with former Christian worship band member, David Testa, as he shares insights about his journey into and out of Christianity. The conversation touches on problems with Christian concepts of hell and salvation, connections between Christianity and codependency, childhood trauma, narcissism, addiction, etc., surviving existential+identity crises, and current spiritual beliefs. We opened more cans of worms than we could fully digest, so keep an eye out for future episodes where we will be getting together again to dive deeper into some of these topics.

Recorded at David Testa's home recording studio in Seattle, WA, on March 19, 2023.

Intro/Outro song: "River" by David Testa, used with permission. Single to be released soon. Listen to more music by David Testa at www.testamusic.com

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Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

A conversation with filmmaker, theater producer, author, astrologer, and musician, Antero Alli, on wisdom from his life as an artist. We discuss ideas around self-delusion, ego, shadow work, and the inner child, and how to live the artist's life by relinquishing our attachments to our egos, and vulnerably expressing from our deeply subjective experiences, in hopes that our creative works will cross over into universal experience and land with positive impact in the lives of those who relate and resonate.

Alli's film "Out of the Woods" will be screened at the Clinton Street Theater in Southeast Portland this Sunday, March 26th, 1pm matinee, as a benefit for the theater. Tickets: https://cstpdx.com/event/out-of-the-woods/

Intro/outro song: "I Don't Exist" by Climber, used with permission. Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2

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Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

Marcus Lawrence, a former Christian worship leader, shares his story of going from being a full-blown Christian who worked for a church and for Christian organizations, to becoming an optimistic nihilist who still wants to believe there is something out there that cares - because music and love. We talk about the Enneagram, nihilism, agnosticism, mysticism, and love that's too big for religion's boxes, and how if there is an afterlife to believe in, everybody's in, or else no thank you.

Intro/outro song:
"Foxes" by Climber, used with permission.
Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2

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Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

(Recorded live at Edgefield McMenamins) Sarah interviews Thomas Schnaars about his experience of converting to Christianity in his early twenties, becoming a church leader and teacher, and then leaving the religion in his late thirties and stepping into a more expansive spiritual cosmology.

Contact Thomas for personalized in depth astrology readings: [email protected]

This episode explores:

- issues with Christian doctrines of hell, sin, separation from God, etc., as well as with some of the abuse inherent in Christian culture and values. 

- the wisdom in pulling on threads of doubt and trusting in a higher power (if there is one) to help us follow truth (if there is truth), even and especially when it leads us away from the versions of reality with which we've been indoctrinated by religion.

- celebrating the good things about experiences in Christianity and Christian community, and taking the good things along when we leave.

- experiential love, felt Oneness, and felt eternal safety outside of religious doctrines+conditions.

- the importance of self-trust and intuitive knowing.

- enjoying the awe and wonder in the mystery of existing.

- et cetera...

Intro/outro song:

"The Simians Speak" by Climber, used with permission.

Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2

Support the show

Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

Macie LaRae and Emily Jameson and I walked closely through a season of our transitions out of marriage and out of conservative Christianity. In this episode, we explore some of the core truths we've learned on our journeys.

Subjects-

For the women going through the painful transitions of ending marriages and leaving religions- there’s a light at the end of the tunnel… it gets better.

Every relationship is a teacher and alchemical container that serves our growth, and there is no such thing as failure.

We learn through experiencing things.

Trusting inner intuitive guidance that draws us toward connections.

Choosing ourselves over and over, even when facing projections of fear and judgment from others.

Re-membering the dismembered pieces of our psyches.

Permission to take up space.

Being authentic when it might mean family rejects us.

Holding space for the losses and grief that come with the growth.

New perspectives necessitate new interpretations of our personal histories- rewriting our lives.

Grieving the energy we spent working so hard for our whole lives to be good.

Feeling better on the other side of divorce.

When anxiety and the feeling of constriction increase, expansion is right around the corner.

When our theology was too small for the experiences of life we were having.

No longer participating in our own oppression.

Permission to try different churches.

Spiritual bypassing.

Sometimes church can be a bridge.

When institutions and ideologies become idols.

Much of Christianity is not of Christ.

Making up our own Gods and religions.

Either Way beliefs, when we can’t understand the Mystery.

It is so freeing to not have to be right.

Learning to listen to the language of our bodies.

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Macie LaRae's boxing gym in Portland, OR: equipacademypdx.com, insta: @equipacademypdx

Emily Jameson trauma-aware transformational coaching - reconnecting women to their sacred and sexual sovereignty: emilyjamesoncoaching.com, insta: @theemilyjameson

Intro/outro song: "Bugbear" by Climber. Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2
used with permission.

Support the show

Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317

Sarah and Yvette get candid about personal experiences in the realms of bisexuality and polyamory, aka ethical non-monogamy and open relationships in a three part series. This is part 3.

-Experiencing group sexual energy

-How Sarah wasn’t self-aware of and was in denial of her attraction to women when younger

-Profound sexual satisfaction and expansion in long term monogamy

-A dynamic Relationship Manifesto

-Yvette’s experience of a secret sexual affair

-Commitment to honesty, truth, integrity, and foundational friendship

-Trusting each other in relationships that we want to support each other’s total joy

-Dynamic evolving personal boundaries and commitments

-Telling or not telling family of origin about evolving sexual preferences and lifestyle

-Celebrating exploration, curiosity, and following desire ethically through having more of these conversations

-The risk and reality of losing friends due to conflicting beliefs and value judgments about sex and marriage

-Willingness to be rejected for authentic self-ownership and expression

-Easing into authentic expression with caution

-Giggles 

Intro/outro song: "Stop That Holy Dance" by Climber. Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2
used with permission.

Support the show

Follow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs1317