Superficial Spirit

Send us Fan Mail

LIVE FAST DIE YOUNG BAD GIRLS DO IT WELL. Oh lordt, how things are changing!!!  Today I am talking to my forever sister and one time partner in crime Parker McMullin aka Jane Smoker.  This is actually my 2nd interview with Parker, I lost the first one when I switched computers - oopsie. Anyway, I saw a video on Insta recently of an old interview with Lindsay Lohan on the David Letterman show. He is teasing her about her sobriety and continued stints in rehab and seeing it through a 2021 lens is pretty cringeworthy which seems to be a theme these days with former Hollywood "bad girls". First we had the Paris Hilton documentary, then Britney's and now clips are surfacing to Lindsay. The whole conversation about the toxicity of tabloid culture is a hard pill to swallow because that is the exact place I got most of my inspiration for decades of my life. Watching those women on Perez and TMZ made me crave destruction and chaos and no one understands that better than Parker. Parker and I go way back and on todays show we reminisce about working and playing together, being captivated by the illusion of fame and of course WHY THE HELL HE QUIT DRAG BEFORE WINNING CANADAS DRAG RACE. God dammnit. Anyway, its a good one! check it out! For information about Parkers brand new fragrance line check out www.heimgoods.ca and @heimgoods on insta.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

THERE ARE DRAG PERFORMERS IN CANADA WHO WERE STARS LONG BEFORE RUPAULS DRAG RACE HONEY.  Carlota embodies what it means to be a star. She commands a room whether there is one person or one thousand, she knows what she's doing on stage. She has managed to stay relevant for DECADES and stays in touch with the up and coming legendary children to keep her on her toes. I feel so privileged to be able to call her a friend and share this time with her...and you! Carlotta is a prime of example of what successfully living your dreams can look like if you let go of the obsession with fame and fortune. There are a million ways to be a star. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

Ok, I know I say this a lot but I literally could have talked to Jared for hours. We have so many stories, so much history. We meet as teenagers and became inseparable as we dove head first into nightlife and life in the big city. Jared was my first real gay best friend and he was my partner in crime has I chased my dreams. We've had some amazing experiences together and HE IS ALSO A HUGE BRITNEY FAN. Jared recently started a business called Pop Queen Cardio that is inspired by his love for pop music and the divas he loves. It's interesting because Jared is quite modest when it comes to chatting about spirituality but I find his approach to life really inspiring. The way his passions have influenced his career is the perfect example of manifesting a life you love without trying to manifest anything. JUST GET OFF YOUR ASS AND FOLLOW YOUR GOD DAMN PASSION.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

Omg, I am finally doing a Britney episode! I've been wanting to do one since I started the show and now seems like the perfect time since the release of  "Framing Britney Spears". Y'all know I love Brit Brit. I have been passionate about her for years and the recent conversations in the media about toxic tabloid culture and how problematic our consumption of all news Britney related has reignited my fire.  My guest today is Kody Christiansen. I met him in LA YEARS ago when we were both living in Hollywood and chasing that fame honey. I talk to Kody about his experience in the media as the first celebrated Britney drag impersonator (he was on Tyra, this is before Drag Race y'all - even though Ru Paul did book him in NYC and invited him on the show), acting as Britney's body double in NYC and HAVING DRINKS WITH HER DAD JAMIE SPEARS at Britney's former restaurant NYLA.  We also talk about Kody's toxic journey with Hollywood, his famous ex boyfriends and how he found sobriety in NYC. Oh, and he has a great story about buying Justin Beiber lunch! THIS IS A GOOD ONE YALL.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

As Oprah says, Louis Guarino CARRYS THE LIGHT HONEY! Louis and I used to live in the same building and one day in the elevator he introduced himself and I realized he was the nicest stranger I had ever met.  I wanted to bring him on the show for a few reasons. Firstly, his confidence and openness to new people gave me the immediate impression that he had some connection to spirituality. Secondly, he's Christian and I think he's a great example of what a good, nice, friendly Christian can be.  And finally, he's a Kanye West fan and I have been DYING to talk to a Kanye fan to see what they think about his Sunday Service antics. Kanye is such a great example of a celebrity using their platform to spread a spiritual and religious message. Where as I found spiritual inspiration from celebrities who never uttered a word about God, Kanye is shamelessly talking about his devotion for Jesus and I wonder what kind of affect that has on his fans. Also, Louis is a black, straight guy and we chat about homophobia in the black community and how he overcame stereotypes to become open minding and accepting.  ALSO LOUIS IS SINGLE LADIES SO IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE/HEAR HOLLA.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

The boys from The Spiritual Gayz are here!!!! I'm so happy I got to chat with Brandon and Angel from their home in sunny LA about their popular podcast and all the ways they fill their lives with spirituality.  They are tarot readers, astrologers, healers etc... you know the deal! They are coming on the show at an interesting time because a lot of the conversations I've had recently in regards to the new age community have been rather critical, which I think is very valuable. I also think its important to stay connected to people who continue to have a positive relationship with new age concepts and tools without it turning toxic.  It was great asking Angel and Brandon questions about the commercialization of spirituality, conspiracy theories and their advice to have a healthy relationship with this side of spirituality.  I ask them what it means to be a healer and how pop culture and social media can influence peoples spiritual growth. It was a really fun chat! I wish I lived in the same city as them so we could kiki irl!

 

The best part of having the podcast (apart from the amazing conversations) is meeting new people and expanding my network with folks who share my passion with spirituality.  

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

Omg this conversation stayed with me for DAYS! You guys know that I love celebrities and believe they've been a conduit for my spirituality which is why I was so excited to talk to my friend Dan Nordstrom about his connection to Courtney Love and how it has influenced his life.  Like me, Dan was drawn to Courtney because of her unapologetic presence in pop culture. She gave us permission to be who we were and do it shamelessly. The downside to having Courtney as an idol of course was her excessive and obvious journey with addiction. We talk about how this affected our own relationship with drugs and what it means to have such a self destructive idol. My favorite part of his conversation is how Dan opens up about how he was ARRESTED AT AN AIRPORT WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF METH AND HAD TO GO TO JAIL FOR 5 YEARS. He tells me how a group of trans women in prison kept him save and how he called his brother everyday when Britney Spears Blackout album was released just so he could hear her say IT'S BRITNEY B***H. Eventually Dan does get to meet Courtney and we talk about how the face to face meeting affected him. This is such an amazing story of self discovery and I know you'll all love it!!! 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

THIS IS A JANN ARDEN STAN EPISODE.

Ok, this is a little break from the spiritual specific conversations (EVEN THOUGH THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH YOUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS IS SPIRITUAL IN MY OPINION).

Today I am talking to drag perform Dust about all things Jann Arden. We connected over social media recently about our shared love for the Canadian Icon and took a FULL HOUR to dive deep into why we love her, our personal stories meeting her and her brand new show. Anyone who knows me knows I love Jann Arden and I feel so lucky to be able to share my joy and passion with Dust and all of you!!

CHECK IT OUT!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

This is a great conversation exploring the differences between profound spiritual/transcendental experiences and delusion and mental health crisis's.  Shawn Lucas is the manager of Spiritual Care at CAMH here in Toronto and has been at the forefront of these types of conversations for years. Many people who suffer from mental health have profound experiences that they describe as spiritual or transcendental but its not always clear if these experiences are helpful or not. It's Shawn's job to help them navigate through these and asses the best action forward.  I found it fascinating to hear about the difference between transcendental experiences and delusion and hear Shawn's take on the ways our current health care system can incorporate spirituality into the way we help people. And of course, we also discuss the commercialization of spirituality and the problem with weekend retreats centered around sacred planet medicine ceremonies that whether or not they are properly equipped to support people before, after and during such intense experiences. This is a good one!

 

If you or someone you know is struggling and would like to connect with Shawn directly you can find him HERE.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week I am talking to the author of Bridging Science and Spirit, Nisha Manek. Nisha is a medical doctor who has been fascinated by the ways our spirit can affect our overall health and well being. In her book she dives deep into the work of William A Tiller, a scientist who has dedicated his life and career to exploring evidence of how subtle energies affect physical reality aka MANIFESTATION. It was so fun talking to Nisha because she is naturally curious and optimistic about the ways we can incorporate spirituality into everyday life and current health care systems. This is a great episode for anyone interested in hearing about links between science and spirituality. 

It's important I mention that any conversations I have on the show in regards to how spirituality can affect your health, wellness and life in general is not advice but reflections and stories of peoples personal experiences. It's important to take everything with a grain of salt.  This is a conversation based on curiosity and certain scientific experiments completed by Nisha and William A Tiller. It does not offer a solution or concrete answer to major health issues or pretend to prove anything other than the work presented in Nisha's book. Please enjoy the conversation and stay critical!

For more on Nisha check out her website: https://nishamanekmd.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit superficialspirit.substack.com