Spiritual Sanctuary: Wisdom for the Divine Feminine

Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky? And what does it have to do with the Knights Templar, Mary Magdalene, the number 13, and women’s lunar cycles?

In this powerful deep dive, we explore:

1. The Friday, October 13, 1307 arrest of the Knights Templar
2. The spiritual symbolism of the number 13
3. The sacred 13 moon cycles of the year
4. Mary Magdalene as a Divine Feminine leader
5. How feminine wisdom was suppressed and labeled “dangerous”
6. Why Friday — once sacred to goddess traditions — became associated with fear
7. The connection between spirituality, lunar timekeeping, and women’s cycles

This episode blends history, sociology, mysticism, and Divine Feminine theology to reveal a powerful truth:

Friday the 13th may not be unlucky.

It may be sacred.

Includes a guided meditation to reclaim the 13 moons within.

Thanks to our sponsor Cosmic Connections in Nashville you can receive 10% off any online order using the code BertenaPodcast10 and if you listen and comment below then you can be placed in a drawing for a $10 gift card to their online store.

Remember to comment below on Spotify and you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card.

And just for listening to this podcast use code Bertenapodcast10 to get 10% off of your online order at yourcosmicconnections.com

Subscribe to my newsletter here

Help Support the Sanctuary here

Mentioned in this episode:

Website

Cosmic Connections

What happens when we stop trying to “do it right” — and begin to listen?

In this deeply reflective episode, Bertena, priestess of the Divine Feminine, yoga teacher, author, and college professor, invites you into the heart of Embodying Sound — a somatic movement, voice, and ritual experience designed to support nervous system regulation, emotional release, and spiritual reconnection through the body.

This episode is a story, a remembering, and an invitation.

Rather than focusing on performance or technique, Embodying Sound weaves together somatic yoga, intuitive movement, vocal toning, chanting, breath, and ritual space to help you reconnect with your body as a place of safety, wisdom, and joy.

Bertena shares why this offering feels vulnerable and deeply aligned — as it brings together all of her training in movement, embodiment, priestess work, and spiritual teaching for the first time. You’ll hear how sound and movement have been used across ancient traditions as healing tools, how they gently support the nervous system, and why this work is especially powerful for those feeling emotionally fatigued, disconnected, or overwhelmed.

This episode is for you if:

1. You feel disconnected from your body or voice
2. Traditional meditation feels difficult or inaccessible
3. You carry stress, tension, or emotional fatigue in your body
4. You’re longing for a gentler, more embodied spiritual practice
5. You’re curious about somatic movement, sound healing, or priestess-led ritual

You’ll explore:

1. What somatic movement really is (and what it isn’t)
2. How sound, humming, and chanting support nervous system regulation
3. Why this work is spiritual, embodied, and deeply feminine
4. How ritual space creates safety without pressure
5. What it means to listen to the body rather than control it
6. How joy, rest, and expression can become spiritual practices

This is not a guided class.

This is not a performance.

This is a sacred remembering.

You are invited to listen softly — perhaps while resting, walking, or sitting with a candle — and allow your body to respond in its own way.

✨ No movement required. No sound required. Showing up is enough.

Join Bertena for Zoom and In person classes at yourcosmicconnections.com

Thanks to our sponsor Cosmic Connections in Nashville you can receive 10% off any online order using the code BertenaPodcast10 and if you listen and comment below then you can be placed in a drawing for a $10 gift card to their online store.

Remember to comment below on Spotify and you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card.

And just for listening to this podcast use code Bertenapodcast10 to get 10% off of your online order at yourcosmicconnections.com

Subscribe to my newsletter here

Help Support the Sanctuary here

Mentioned in this episode:

Cosmic Connections

Website

How do you know if what you’re hearing is your intuition, guidance from spirit guides, or just your own thoughts?

This is one of the most common questions on the spiritual path—and in this episode of The Spiritual Sanctuary: Wisdom for the Divine Feminine, we explore it gently, honestly, and without fear or pressure.

Many people worry they’re “doing it wrong” when it comes to intuition or spiritual guidance. In this episode, we soften that belief and explore how inner guidance actually works—through the body, the nervous system, intuition, and subtle awareness.

Rather than trying to label every inner message perfectly, this episode invites you into trust, discernment, and embodied listening.

1. What intuition really feels like (and what it usually doesn’t)
2. How spirit guides communicate through intuition rather than separate from it
3. Why mental chatter sounds different than intuitive knowing
4. How urgency, fear, and pressure signal the nervous system—not guidance
5. Simple ways to check in with your body to discern inner messages
6. Why trust matters more than labeling intuition vs guides
7. How to stop second-guessing yourself on the spiritual path

This episode is especially supportive if you:

1. Feel unsure whether you’re receiving intuition or guidance
2. Second-guess your inner voice
3. Want to deepen trust in your spiritual awareness
4. Are sensitive, intuitive, or empathic
5. Desire grounded, compassionate spiritual discernment

You don’t need louder signs.

You don’t need dramatic messages.

You need safety, stillness, and self-trust.

And those can be cultivated gently—one listening moment at a time.

✨ Listen to the episode and step back into trust with yourself.

Thanks to our sponsor Cosmic Connections in Nashville you can receive 10% off any online order using the code BertenaPodcast10 and if you listen and comment below then you can be placed in a drawing for a $10 gift card to their online store.

Remember to comment below on Spotify and you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card.

And just for listening to this podcast use code Bertenapodcast10 to get 10% off of your online order at yourcosmicconnections.com

Subscribe to my newsletter here

Help Support the Sanctuary here

Mentioned in this episode:

Cosmic Connections

Website

What do you do when your spiritual connection suddenly feels quiet?

In this episode of Spiritual Sanctuary: Wisdom for the Divine Feminine, we explore what it truly means when devotion feels distant, rituals feel forced, or your connection to goddesses and spirituality enters a “dry spell.”

Through storytelling and seasonal wisdom, this episode weaves together the Snow Moon, Imbolc, the final shedding of the Year of the Snake, and the fast-approaching Fire Horse energy arriving around February 17.

Rather than viewing spiritual quiet as failure, this episode reframes it as sacred preparation.

✨ In this episode, we explore:

1. Why spiritual dry spells are a natural part of devotion
2. The wisdom of winter, Imbolc, and the Snow Moon
3. How Snake energy teaches us to shed without forcing change
4. What Fire Horse energy brings — momentum, speed, and activation
5. Why slowing down now prepares you to move wisely later
6. How to stop forcing spirituality and return to embodied presence

This is an episode for anyone feeling disconnected, tired, or unsure of their spiritual path — and a reminder that silence is not absence, but integration.

As the Fire Horse approaches, this episode offers grounding guidance on how to prepare your body, energy, and spirit so you can move forward aligned rather than burned out.

🌕 Best enjoyed during winter evenings, full moon reflection, or moments of spiritual pause.

Thanks to our sponsor Cosmic Connections in Nashville you can receive 10% off any online order using the code BertenaPodcast10 and if you listen and comment below then you can be placed in a drawing for a $10 gift card to their online store.

Remember to comment below on Spotify and you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card.

And just for listening to this podcast use code Bertenapodcast10 to get 10% off of your online order at yourcosmicconnections.com

Subscribe to my newsletter here

Help Support the Sanctuary here

Mentioned in this episode:

Cosmic Connections

Website

Imbolc is the sacred turning point where the light begins to return—but quietly.

In this 2-hour devotional episode of Spiritual Sanctuary: Wisdom for the Divine Feminine, we explore the spiritual meaning of Imbolc, why it has been honored for centuries, and how it continues through Brigid, St. Brigid’s Day, and Candlemas.

Imbolc is not about rushing into spring or forcing transformation.

It is about tending the first spark, protecting what is still becoming, and honoring the wisdom of patience, rest, and gentle renewal.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ What Imbolc is and its place on the Wheel of the Year

✨ The deeper meaning of Imbolc as a threshold season

✨ How Imbolc honors the return of the light without urgency

✨ The role of Brigid as guardian of hearth, healing, fire, and sacred wells

✨ How Saint Brigid Day preserves ancient Imbolc traditions

✨ The spiritual symbolism of Candlemas and blessing candles for protection and guidance

✨ Fire and water as sacred forces of balance at Imbolc

✨ Simple, meaningful ways to observe Imbolc today (without elaborate ritual)

✨ Why gentleness, rest, and protection are essential spiritual practices

✨ A guided Imbolc reflection to help you carry the light forward

This episode is especially supportive if you are:

🌿 Feeling tired, burned out, or in an in-between season

🌿 Drawn to seasonal spirituality, Goddess wisdom, or the Divine Feminine

🌿 Curious about Imbolc, Brigid, Candlemas, or earth-based spiritual traditions

🌿 Looking for spiritual practices rooted in care rather than pressure

🕯️ Imbolc reminds us:

You don’t need to become something new yet.

You need to protect what is already alive.

May the light you have welcomed grow steady, not hurried.

May Brigid walk with you as fire that warms, water that heals,

and a sacred voice that reminds you when to rest and when to rise.

🎧 Listen, reflect, and carry the light gently.

If this episode resonated with you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, or share it with someone walking a quiet threshold of their own.

Thanks to our sponsor Cosmic Connections in Nashville you can receive 10% off any online order using the code BertenaPodcast10 and if you listen and comment below then you can be placed in a drawing for a $10 gift card to their online store.

Remember to comment below on Spotify and you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card.

And just for listening to this podcast use code Bertenapodcast10 to get 10% off of your online order at yourcosmicconnections.com

Subscribe to my newsletter here

Help Support the Sanctuary here

Mentioned in this episode:

Website

Cosmic Connections

When snow falls, the world slows—and so can we.

In this episode of Spiritual Sanctuary: Wisdom for the Divine Feminine, we explore the spiritual meaning of snow, winter stillness, and what it truly means to be “snowed in” from a soul-centered perspective.

Snow is not a delay—it’s a sacred pause. A time for nervous system healing, reflection, and deep rest. In this episode, you’ll be guided into a softer rhythm aligned with winter wisdom and ancestral cycles of rest.

✨ In this episode, you’ll experience:

1. The spiritual symbolism of snow and winter stillness
2. Why rest is not laziness—but sacred preservation
3. How snow energy supports emotional and nervous system reset
4. A gentle Snow Meditation for Sleep to help you release the day and rest deeply

This episode is perfect for listening while snow falls outside—or anytime you need to recreate that quiet, insulating calm within.

The guided meditation at the end of this episode is designed to:

1. Calm racing thoughts
2. Relax the body and nervous system
3. Support deep, restorative sleep
4. Help you let go of pressure, worry, and mental noise

You’re invited to listen lying down and allow yourself to drift off if sleep comes naturally.

This episode is lovingly sponsored by Cosmic Connections, your source for sacred tools, ritual supplies, decks, crystals, and spiritual gifts.

🛍 Enjoy 25% OFF online shopping

Visit yourcosmicconnections.com

🎁 Giveaway

Listen to this episode, then comment or share it on social media and tag me for a chance to win a $10 Cosmic Connections gift certificate (valid online only).

🌙 Thank you for listening and for honoring the sacred pause of winter.

Rest deeply. The thaw will come when it’s ready.

Mentioned in this episode:

Website

Cosmic Connections

Late January can feel heavy, quiet, and uncertain—and that’s not a failure.

In this episode of Spiritual Sanctuary: Wisdom for the Divine Feminine, we explore the sacred pause at the end of January through a Priestess lens, honoring winter wisdom, rest, and gentle becoming.

This reflective episode is designed as a spiritual sanctuary—a place to slow down, breathe, and release the pressure to “be on track” as we approach the threshold of Imbolc and the returning light.

Rather than goal-setting or productivity, this episode invites you into listening, embodiment, and trust in divine timing.

1. Why January often feels emotionally heavy (and why that’s natural)
2. Priestess wisdom for winter thresholds and liminal seasons
3. Releasing New Year pressure and productivity culture
4. Understanding rest as sacred, not something to earn
5. A guided Priestess reflection to help you listen inward
6. Gentle practices for tending your inner flame before Imbolc

This episode is perfect to listen to with a candle lit, during a quiet evening, or anytime you feel called to slow down and reconnect with yourself.

Late January • Winter Wisdom • Priestess Path • Divine Feminine

Imbolc Energy • Spiritual Reflection • Sacred Rest • Inner Listening

Embodiment • Feminine Spirituality • Seasonal Cycles • Liminal Space

This episode is proudly sponsored by Cosmic Connections, a beloved metaphysical shop and spiritual community in Nashville.

🎁 Listener perks:

1. Discounts on online purchases use bertenapodcast10 for 10% off
2. Entry into a gift card drawing when you comment on the episode or share it on social media and tag @bertena11

Supporting Cosmic Connections helps sustain a heart-centered spiritual space for seekers, healers, and practitioners.

👉 Visit Cosmic Connections:

https://yourcosmicconnections.com

Find Spiritual Sanctuary: Wisdom for the Divine Feminine on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.

👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/1pNkD0FKF4TpgzcRFQQrhA

You are not behind.

You are not broken.

You are becoming—at the speed of your soul.

Thank you for being here in the Sanctuary.

Mentioned in this episode:

Website

Cosmic Connections

What happens when love doesn’t stay—but the lesson does?

In this deeply reflective and soul-centered episode of Bertena’s Spiritual Sanctuary, we explore the spiritual reality behind twin flame connections, sacred wound healing, and the reclamation of personal power through surrender rather than self-sacrifice.

Joining us is spiritual author V. C. Pitt, whose books

My Twin Flame Journey of Separation, Surrender, and Release and

Healing Sacred Wounds While Reclaiming My Power

serve as anchors for this compassionate conversation.

Together, we discuss:

1. What the twin flame journey really is—beyond social media myths and spiritual bypassing
2. How separation can be an initiation, not a failure
3. Healing emotional triggers, heartbreak, and attachment wounds without self-abandonment
4. Reclaiming power as a lightworker, empath, or spiritually sensitive woman
5. Understanding unconditional love without losing yourself
6. Why surrender is an act of spiritual maturity and sovereignty, not passivity
7. Integrating higher consciousness through embodiment, boundaries, and self-trust

This episode is especially for women navigating:

1. Spiritual heartbreak or soul-level relationships
2. Emotional triggers tied to abandonment, worth, or identity
3. The desire to heal deeply while remaining grounded and empowered

Community Invitation

This conversation is inspired by our Spiritual Book Club for Women, where we gather in a safe, supportive space to explore spiritual texts through reflection, embodiment, and shared wisdom.

🗓 Thursday, January 22 at 7 PM CT

📍 Zoom

🌀 Registration available through Cosmic Connections

➡️ yourcosmicconnections.com

Sponsor Message

Today’s episode is sponsored by Cosmic Connections in Nashville at yourcosmicconnections.com

If you’re looking for spiritual tools, books, decks, ritual items, or sacred gifts, visit Cosmic Connections online and enjoy 10% off your order with the listener code:

BERTENAPODCAST10

Supporting our sponsors helps keep these conversations accessible and community-centered.

Join the Conversation

If this episode stirred reflections or questions, you’re invited to continue the dialogue.

1. Share this episode with someone who may need it
2. Leave a comment or review
3. Submit questions or reflections directly to Carol at:
4. 👉 https://www.healingsacredwounds.com/

Healing is not meant to happen alone.

This podcast episode is intended for educational, spiritual, and reflective purposes only.

We do not promote or endorse the use of plant medicine, substances, or alternative therapies discussed or referenced in spiritual contexts.

This episode is not a substitute for professional mental health care.

If you are experiencing emotional distress, trauma responses, or mental health challenges, we strongly encourage you to seek support from a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional in your area.

If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a trusted mental health hotline immediately.

Your well-being matters.

Spiritual healing is not about chasing connection—it’s about remembering yourself.

Thank you for listening to Bertena’s Spiritual Sanctuary. Remember to subscribe to my email by going to my website and scrolling down to the bottom and click join my website

May this conversation support your healing, sovereignty, and return to wholeness.

Mentioned in this episode:

Website

Cosmic Connections

Thanks to our sponsor Cosmic Connections in Nashville you can receive 10% off any online order using the code BertenaPodcast10 and if you listen and comment below then you can be placed in a drawing for a $10 gift card to their online store.

There comes a moment on the spiritual path when the old language stops working.

Words like self-improvement, manifestation, or even awakening begin to feel too small for what is actually unfolding. Something deeper is stirring — something ancient, embodied, and rooted in remembrance rather than optimization.

In this episode, Bertena explores the Divine Feminine, goddess wisdom, and the priestess path as three expressions of the same living lineage — a way of knowing, naming, and embodying the sacred within ordinary life.

This is not a discussion of trends or spiritual identities. It is an invitation into embodied wisdom, cyclical living, archetypal understanding, and ethical spiritual maturity.

You’ll learn:

1. What the Divine Feminine truly represents as a way of knowing
2. Why goddesses appear across cultures as archetypal mirrors
3. How the priestess path is lived through responsibility, integrity, and embodiment
4. What it means to walk a sacred path in the modern world without hierarchy or performance

This episode is for those who feel called beyond surface spirituality — into remembrance, alignment, and lived devotion.

Remember to comment below on Spotify and you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card.

And just for listening to this podcast use code Bertenapodcast10 to get 10% off of your online order at yourcosmicconnections.com

Subscribe to my newsletter here

Help Support the Sanctuary here

Mentioned in this episode:

Cosmic Connections

Website

Are you tired of forcing goals, resolutions, and productivity every January?

In this episode, we explore a gentler, more intuitive way to prepare for 2026 by aligning your planning with the Wheel of the Year, journaling, and tarot.

Instead of rigid timelines and constant pressure, this approach honors natural cycles of rest, growth, expansion, harvest, and release—the same rhythms humans lived by long before modern planners existed.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why traditional New Year planning often leads to burnout
2. How the Wheel of the Year creates sustainable, intuitive structure
3. How to journal as a form of sacred reflection rather than self-fixing
4. How to map your year using:
5. Oracle cards for monthly themes
6. Major Arcana for weekly spiritual lessons
7. Minor Arcana for daily energy awareness
8. How to live in rhythm with nature instead of constant expectation

This is not predictive tarot.

It’s conscious, cyclical living—learning when to act, when to rest, and when to listen.

🌿 Read the companion blog post on Substack:

https://open.substack.com/pub/bertena/p/mapping-2026-with-the-wheel-of-the?r=3lbcwy&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

🎧 Explore more episodes of the podcast:

https://www.bertena.org/podcast

✨ Join me in person on January 11 for Mapping 2026 with the Wheel of the Year — a hands-on workshop where I teach you how to do this step by step.

✨ Private in-person & remote sessions available January 10–11:

https://yourcosmicconnections.com/pages/bertena-varney

You don’t need to push harder to create a meaningful year.

You need a rhythm that honors who you are—and when you are.

Mentioned in this episode:

Website

Cosmic Connections