Shhh! Don't Talk About It

Astrology and tarot are two of the oldest tools for divination and developing self understanding, so why are they frequently treated as frivolous or fake? This week we are fortunate to talk with career astrologer and energy worker Cara Villareal about the complexity of astrology and what our birth charts have to teach us about our life path, intuition, relationships, self concept, and personal shadow work, as well as how astrology can be used as a tool for collective healing and harnessing the wisdom of community.

On the episode Cara provides us each with a reading, using the readings as a tool to teach listeners how to better understand their own charts. Listeners may want to have their own birth charts handy to follow along. To find your birth chart visit Cafe Astrology and enter your birth date, birth time, and birth location for access to a natal chart.

To learn more about Cara and book a reading you can visit her website, instagram, or on TikTok at CaraStateof Mind. 

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This week we are honored to join our friend Drew to talk about the impact of unhealthy or "toxic" masculinity on men's well being. The patriarchy and misogyny hurts women, trans people, and non-binary people in explicit, clear, and overt ways, which we believe are important to acknowledge and talk about. But, what isn't talked about as frequently is how misogynistic ideas about what it means to "be a man" hurts and dehumanizes men as well. Men are more likely than women to die by suicide, are more frequently diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, and are less likely to seek mental health support due to unhealthy ideas about what it means to be a man, and toxic cultural norms that equate vulnerability with weakness. 

In this episode we unpack and explore how men are impacted and harmed by patriarchal systems, why this is so damaging to people of all genders, and what we can do to push back against harmful socialization about manhood and masculinity. Thank you so much to Drew for sharing his story! 

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What happens when we die? Is there anything on the other side? Can our loved ones who have passed on contact us? These are some of life's biggest questions, and while there's no way to know for sure, many people report paranormal or experiences and contact with "the other side." This week Megan and Reyna talk about their own experiences with hauntings and spiritual contact, make their own guesses about what happens when we die, and share whether or not they're afraid to die. 

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**Disclaimer- starts at 0:31 sec. Of course the audio is messed up with THIS episode
What happens when we die? Is there anything on the other side? Can our loved ones who have passed on contact us? These are some of life's biggest questions, and while there's no way to know for sure, many people report paranormal or experiences and contact with "the other side." This week Megan and Reyna talk about their own experiences with hauntings and spiritual contact, make their own guesses about what happens when we die, and share whether or not they're afraid to die. 

Have you ever wondered what it's like to work as a stripper or in the sex industry? This week we are joined by our friend Camille to talk about her career as a dancer. We cover what it's really like to work as a stripper, club etiquette, the ins and outs of the industry, what you need to know if you're thinking about this line of work, as well as advocacy/needed on the job protections for sex workers. 

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Healthy boundaries are an essential part of self care, balance, and healthy relationships, but they are challenging to set and difficult to enforce. We believe boundaries are an invitation to connection and that setting them is a great act of love, but both of us have struggled to feel "allowed" to set them in the past. This week we dive into talking about the what boundaries are, how to figure out yours, and share tips for setting them with friends, family and loved ones from a place of kindness, self love and respect. 

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Making friends as an adult, especially in your 30s and 40s, is so hard! As we get older it's harder to meet new people, old friends drift away to start families or to focus on careers, and starting a new friendship can feel more awkward than going on a first date. 

This week we are joined by our friend Anna Parmeter to talk about keeping long term friendships connected and healthy, how to make new friends without seeming like a total creep, navigating friendships as life circumstances change, and why it's important to invest the same amount of emotional energy into keeping and supporting friendships as we do pursuing romantic partners. 

You can find Anne and her amazing artwork at @anneparmeter on all platforms and you can find us on Instagram at @shhh_donttalkaboutitpod 

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On this week's pod Megan and Reyna talk about cosmetic enhancement and procedures they've had done themselves including: Botox, Infini, microblading, micro needling, IPL, lip filler, CoolSculpting, and liposuction. They talk about what was worth it, what was so NOT worth it, and how to make decisions about cosmetic enhancement in an embodied and empowered way. 

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This week Reyna and Megan talk with Katherine H. about her choice to have an abortion. We cover difficulties in accessing abortion care, what it's like to decide to make the decision to end a pregnancy, and the unnecessary stigma and shame placed on people who choose abortion as a part of their medical care.

In light of the Supreme Court upholding Texas' restrictive abortion law we invite listeners to consider Katherine's story and donate to organizations that support bodily autonomy and the right to choose abortion as an option when pregnant:

Planned Parenthood

NARAL 

Fund Texas Choice

The Stigma Relief Fund 

Center for Reproductive Rights 

Frontera Fund

Indigenous Women Rising 

Thank you to Katherine for sharing her story and helping us remove the stigma from this topic and choice. 

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 Megan and Reyna kick off season 3 and dive right back into talking about their favorite things: self love, relationships, therapy, and healing. 

The girls share their summer time mental health journeys, including what EMDR therapy is and why it works so well for healing trauma, the work it takes to build and maintain a health romantic relationships, and why rest, relaxation, and time off are important ingredients in cultivating self love and preventing burnout. 

We're excited to be back and still talking about hard things with all of you. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share us with your friends! 

Instagram: shhh_donttalkaboutitpod 

Email: [email protected] 

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