Today, an announcement: after five incredible years of creativity and growth together, we have decided to close She Makes Magic.

To explain this decision, and to celebrate the immense beauty of all She Makes Magic is and was, we recorded a special podcast for you.

Katie Dean, Mindset and motivation mechanic, first dropped into my life just over a year ago when she invited me to be a guest on her website YOUR WILD LIFE.

I was instantly attracted to Katie's quirky sense of humour, her down-to-earth nature and her pure heart of gold.

As you'll hear in this interview, Katie has this unique capacity to go deep and honest in conversation while keeping things light-hearted and simple. You'll hear her talk about her journey with anxiety, what this has meant for her family life and for her business, why she ultimately decided to take anxiety medication, and how she's learnt to find the humour as she's navigated this path.

In this interview, Katie shares:

+ Her journey with anxiety, why she ultimately decided to take anxiety medication and the stigma she faced around this.

+ Redefining success after the birth of her son.

+ The reality of being a Mum while running an online business.

+ Why your outside world is a direct reflection of your internal landscape.

+ The danger of defining yourself by your job title / business.

Vienda Maria's first memory of the desire for freedom came at the age of six when her step-father cut off her beautiful long hair. From that day forward, she dreamed of living life on her own terms.

And, just like the manifesting goddess that she is, that's exactly the life she has created.

Vienda has spent the majority of her life travelling the world and choosing a path that best honours the desires of her soul. You'll hear her explain that, more often than not, this has required her to go against the status quo. But, in turn, has taught her how to deeply trust in her own inner guidance.

Here's a woman who walks her talk and is a shining example of how magical life can be when we stop looking for the answers outside ourselves and start listening to the wise voice within.

In this interview, Vienda shares:

+ Her story from psychology student, to the music festival scene, to blogger, to online biz owner and mentor.

+ Her experimentation with psychedelic drugs and how this gave her a deeper understanding of human behaviour, belief systems and thought processes.

+ How to cultivate trust in your own intuition.

+ The importance of spending time with people who are thriving examples of the kind of life you want to live.

+ Why she believes our fears are doorways to breakthroughs and how to sit with the discomfort of fear.

+ Why creating space and time to journey inwards is essential for living a life of freedom.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-032-vienda-maria

If you're here, it's likely that you have, at some point in your life, felt the nudge of your soul calling you to explore deeper and ask the bigger questions.

This soul inquiry process often starts out gentle – like a small quiet whisper – but eventually it gets louder and more urgent.

What this can often lead to is a stripping away, crumbling or destruction of all that no longer serves us. Often we drop into a period of unknown mystery. A time when we are no longer the person we once were but who we are to become is yet to make itself known to us.

I like to think of these periods as stripping for the soul. A process of removing all the layers we have outgrown. These times can be wild, erotic and empowering or they can feel awkward, uncomfortable and very vulnerable.

This interview catches Laura Anne Page three years into a period of soul stripping or, what she refers to as, journeying into the soul underworld.

Intrinsically tied to Laura's story is her former name Shakti Sunfire. A name which she used for over 10 years to promote her gifts as a hoop dancer, yoga instructor, movement educator, and mentor for women, amongst many other things.

This is the first time Laura has spoken publicly about the journey of returning to her birth name and what this has meant for her business, her intimate relationships and for her soul.

If you're in a period of mystery, if you're feeling called to strip away all the identities and labels you've placed on yourself, if you're feeling lost and confused about where to head to next, this is the interview for you.

In this interview, Laura shares:

+ Her three-year journey with exploring the unknown mysteries of her soul and why letting go of the name Shakti Sunfire has been paramount in this exploration.

+ The resistance and fears that showed up when she felt the call to explore deeper, including issues within her relationships and discomfort in her career.

+ Why the story that has come before now – however this story may look for you – is sacred and deserves to be honoured.

+ Why being in the mystery of the unknown is maginalised in our society and why it's important to honour these dark, unknown voids in our life, even when others around us might not understand.

+ Her personal inquiry process for tuning into the voice and wisdom of your soul.

+ Why she believes all of us have special soul gifts to offer the world.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-030-laura-anne-page

Nadine Lee has always had a deep connection to her spirituality and sexuality. At the age of 14, she had an intense and totally unexpected Kundalini awakening. At the time, Nadine thought she was losing her mind. With no one to turn to and no idea what was going on, she shut down her connection to spirit.

What followed was total abandonment of her soul path. Her life became filled with self-destructive habits -  partying, alcohol, drugs, casual sex and eating disorders.

Listen in as Nadine shares her journey from a disconnected marketing and advertising guru to connected tantra yoga teacher, sacred sexuality guide, energy healer and nutritionist.

In this interview, Nadine shares:

+ Why she shut down her connection to spirit after an intense Kundalini awakening at the age of 14 and how this impacted her schooling, career and life choices.

+ What it feels like in the body to be disconnected from your soul path.

+ Using drugs, alcohol, sex and food to fill the void.

+ Her experience with sexual abuse as a young child which eventually lead her to discover Tantra.

+ How overcoming the desire for acceptance propelled her business forward.

+ Why feeling good is paramount to creating an abundant life.

+ Moving through the fear of doing your soul work by aligning back to your heart.

+ Her exploration with breaking away from labels and defining her worth through her work.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-029-nadine-lee.

Back in 2003, Michelle Marie McGrath was living in Australia in a beautiful house on the water. She was excelling in her career and winning national awards. She appeared to be happily married. For an outsider looking in, it seemed Michelle was living the dream.

On the inside, however, Michelle was miserable. She says she felt like she was living someone else’s life.

One night, while deep in meditation, Michelle found herself asking “What do I most need?”

"Self-love" was what she heard in return.

This simple yet profound question propelled her down a path of deep introspection and awakening.

As you’ll hear Michelle share in this interview, committing to self-love wasn’t easy. She suffered a miscarriage, her marriage broke-down and she battled with illness, anxiety and depression as she rediscovered her lost love for herself.

Yet, what I adore about Michelle’s story, is her unwavering commitment to herself and her trust in her own intuition. You see, even though it seemed like her entire life was crumbling around her, Michelle still followed the soft whispers of her soul. Intuitively she developed a self-love range of alchemical oils which she used on herself to release old patterns and then eventually she began offering these oils to other women, forming the foundation of her intuitive-based business, Sacred Self.

Now Michelle is a self-love mentor for other women and host of the ground-breaking podcast series Unclassified Woman. Michelle is passionate about helping other women commit to a loving relationship with themselves and create lives of purpose beyond traditional paradigms.

In this interview, Michelle shares:

+ The story of her 10-year exploration and quest for self-love.

+ How she used meditation and her intuition to create her self-love range of alchemical oils.

+ Her battle with depression and the interesting experience in brazil which helped her to move through this.

+ Why seeking love externally rather than cultivating it within yourself can create confusion and anxiety.

+ How your relationships can change as you walk the soul-path and why this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

+ Why your relationship with your parents becomes a filter through how you perceive your relationships with others and with yourself.

+ Why she created her hugely popular podcast series – Unclassified Woman – which speaks to an audience of women who don't have or don't intend to have children.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-027-michelle-marie-mcgrath.

A few years back, Bec Shann swapped her plum job as a government agricultural research scientist for a simpler life on the land. She and her husband went to live in a tiny two-bedroom cabin on an Australian organic farm, where they became solely responsible for growing an enormous veggie patch and raising chickens and pigs.

Out there in the sunshine and rain, Bec came up with a beautiful alternative theory that you need to know about if you’ve ever dreamed of embracing the simple life.

In this interview, Bec shares:

+ How she stumbled across the very thing that made her feel super passionate – despite previously having no idea what she wanted to do in life.

+ Why she describes being made redundant as one of the most fortuitous turning points in her life.

+ How honing in on how she wanted to feel created stepping stones of opportunity toward the life she craved.

+ Why she says the simple life isn’t necessary easy, but rather it’s a life of intention.

+ What growing a garden has taught her about wider life.

+ Her strategies for accessing trust when fear and doubt come a-knocking.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-026-bec-shann/.

If you've been following us for a while you'll know, a couple of years back, I hit publish on a very vulnerable post about my sexuality. To this day, it is still the most vulnerable post I have ever shared.

Funny, it was about that same time that our community really started to grow and engage. And then, the stories rolled in. Emails, Facebook messages, even conversations with my closest friends. Women opening up to me and telling me that, at some point in their life, in one way or another, they had been through the same thing.

And I thought to myself: why the hell isn't anybody talking about this?

Finally, I decided to do something about it.

Meet Juliet Allen. A straight-talking sexologist with a passion for empowering women to embrace their true sexual nature.

This interview is slightly different from the ones I've done before. Sure, we talk a little about Juliet's journey from coffee barista to sexologist. But the juice is in Juliet's sexual awakening.

Listen in as we take a deep dive into her sexual journey – from a teenager kissing her girlfriends in nightclubs, to the birth of her daughter, to falling in love with a woman, to her experience with homophobia, to coming out as bisexual. Juliet talks powerfully about what it means to be attracted to the same sex.

It's inspiring to hear from a woman who is willing to bravely explore and follow her sexual desires, wherever they take her.

What I love about Juliet is her cheeky, fun and no-shame approach to all things sex. And why shouldn't it be that way? We all came from sex. Most of us have sex at some point in our life.

To all the women who reached out to me with your stories of both sexual confusion and sexual awakening, thank you. I created this interview for you.

In this interview, Juliet shares:

+ How and why she became a sexologist and what a day in the life of a sexologist looks like.

+ How she struggled with putting herself "out there" as a sex coach and the practical steps she took to overcome this fear.

+ Her own journey of exploring her sexuality with both men and women and why she believes coming out as bisexual was important for herself and other women in the same position.

+ Her experience with homophobia and how she worked through the rejection and negativity associated with this experience.

+ Her advice for women who are feeling called to explore their sexuality and their sexual desires.

+ Why money and sex are intertwined and how finances can influence your sex life.

+ The importance of being open and honest with your children about sex.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-025-juliet-allen.

Last year, Amanda Sandlin discovered almost by accident that practice not only makes perfect, but can also help us unearth our elusive true voice.

An artist and graphic designer, Amanda embarked on The Year of Making and found that, after months of consistently showing up and doing the work, she began to make art that felt like an honest expression of herself – for the first time in her life.

In this interview, Amanda shares:

+ How being self-taught made her feel like an impostor, and how her Year of Making helped her shift into fully owning her creativity.

+ How she found her own aesthetic and voice simply by dutifully turning up to do the work every day for a year.

+ Why she believes totally free yet regular creative experimentation – even if you don't like what you're making – is the number one way to crack yourself open and find your true voice.

+ How she turned an internet hater into an empowering moment and a brand new art product for sale.

+ Why she's against people waiting around for the perfect business or creative idea, and how you can get started right now, even if you have no idea what your end game is.

+ Why she's so damn honest on social media. No pretending to be perfect. No showing only the great moments. And how that helps to build real human connections.

+ How she's built an online, virtual support network with people living all over the world after moving to New Zealand and away from her "in real life" community.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-024-amanda-sandlin/.

If you could do anything in the world, and you knew that you could not fail, what would you want to do?

Back in 2012, sick, stressed and tired from working in the corporate world, this was the question that Rosie Rees' good friend asked of her. Rosie, without pausing or even thinking, responded with "sex therapist".

Strangely, at the time, Rosie was working as a recruitment agent, she was in a toxic relationship with an abusive and controlling man, and her Christian upbringing had imposed on her a whole world of hidden shame and guilt around her sexuality. It felt like a sex therapist couldn't be farther from Rosie's truth.

Yet Rosie says that her friend's question sparked a fire and passion within her, giving her hope that her life could be turned around.

And, with this new-found hope, she went on to leave her corporate job and toxic relationship, start her online blog and coaching business, become a yoga instructor, quit meat, alcohol and cigarettes and, most recently, birth her Australian nude yoga tour.

Once Rosie sets her mind to something, she certainly doesn't let fear, other people's opinions or rational logic stand in her way.

If you've ever felt the pull to walk a completely different path from the one you're on now but feel like it's too scary, overwhelming or just plain irrational, this story is for you.

Enjoy.

In this interview, Rosie shares:

+ Her story from recruitment agent to relationship coach to nude yoga instructor and all the fears and challenges in between.

+ How she worked through the fear of transitioning from the corporate world to running her own business.

+ The creative and diverse methods she used to generate an income for herself when her business was in the start-up phase.

+ The methods she uses to clear pain from past relationships, overcome shame and guilt, reconnect with herself and her sexuality, lift her energy levels and increase her creativity.

+ The importance of finding balance between seeking external assistance and tuning into your own inner guidance.

+ The importance of staying true to yourself, regardless of the opinions of others.

For links to all the resources mentioned in this podcast, head to http://shemakesmagic.com/podcast-023-rosie-rees/.