In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Ryan, Certified Senior Gemologist and jewelry appraiser, whose expertise is matched only by the richness of her personal story. We talk about:* How she was called into gemology and her path to becoming an appraiser* The magic that led her and her husband to their dream property* Her powerful journey through infertility, IVF, and embryo donation* Manifestation, intuition, and why letting go of control can open the door to what’s meant for you* The ways gems and minerals carry stories, history, and energySarah is also the organizer of the Art and Soul Festival in Lynchburg, VA — an event celebrating art, manifestation, healing, and community.🗓 Date: September 6th, 2025🕙 Time: 10 AM – 5 PM📍 Location: Downtown Lynchburg, Commerce Street📲 More info: Art and Soul Festival on Facebook🎶 Featuring “Madre Ayahuasca” by Arkawa – arkawamusic.com🙏 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/goddessintrainingpodcast🌐 More at: goddessintraining.onlineThis show wouldn’t be possible without the editing power of Riverside.fm. (paid link)When Letting Go Becomes the MedicineSeveral weeks before my recent hospitalization, I sat across from Sarah Ryan in her bright, fragrant space in downtown Lynchburg. At the time, I had no idea that the conversation we recorded that day would come back to me like medicine when I needed it most.Sarah talked about moments in her life — from her years-long journey to motherhood, to building her career as a gemologist — where she had to release the grip on what she thought should happen, and instead make space for what was trying to come through. She spoke about the heartbreak of IVF cycles that didn’t work, the surprise of an embryo donation from a stranger, and the magic that unfolds when you follow the small openings life offers.Listening back now, after my own health scare, I can hear the invitation between her words: stop trying to control every outcome.During my two-week hospital stay, I was confronted — quite literally — with the reality that my body was in charge. My carefully laid plans, my deadlines, even my sense of forward momentum… they all had to pause. I didn’t get to negotiate. And yet, somewhere inside that forced stillness, something softened.Sarah reminded me that letting go isn’t the same as giving up. It’s an act of trust — in ourselves, in the unseen patterns that are shaping our lives, and in the possibility that what arrives might be even better than what we had been gripping so tightly.Her story is a mosaic of resilience, magic, and deep listening — to the land, to intuition, to the quiet nudges that guide us toward what’s next. And in hearing it again, I’m reminded that perhaps the real work is not to push harder, but to keep clearing space for what’s meant for us to arrive.If you’ve ever found yourself in the uncomfortable gap between wanting something and knowing it’s out of your hands, I think you’ll find Sarah’s perspective as healing as I did.Much love,Sarah

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