The Empowered Spirit Show

In this episode, Terri talks with Alexis Unger, a writer, yoga and meditation instructor, and community connector based in Birmingham, Alabama. They discuss Alexis's memoir, "Unreliable Narrator," the healing power of creative expression, the importance of community, and the spiritual practice of restorative yoga. This conversation is a beautiful exploration of how we can navigate life's complexities, including grief, by turning inward and embracing our creativity.

Guest: Alexis Unger

Alexis Ann Unger is a multi-passionate creative who helps people connect with their inner spirit through yoga, meditation, writing, and community. She is the author of the memoir "Unreliable Narrator" and is a beloved yoga and meditation instructor in Birmingham. Alexis is passionate about creating sober, conscious spaces for connection and creativity.

Key Topics Discussed

• Writing as a Spiritual Practice: Alexis shares her journey of writing her memoir and how writing can be a powerful tool for processing grief and understanding oneself.
• The Healing Power of Creative Arts: Terri and Alexis discuss how various creative modalities like writing, dance, and music can be healing and help us process emotions.
• Finding Your Creative Outlet: The importance of exploring different creative avenues to find what resonates with you and helps you connect with your inner voice.
• The Role of Community: The conversation highlights the significance of community spaces like the Chai House in Birmingham for fostering connection, creativity, and healing.
• Restorative Yoga: A deep dive into the practice of restorative yoga, its benefits for the mind and body, and how it differs from more active forms of yoga.
• Navigating the Winter Season: Terri and Alexis talk about embracing the energy of winter as a time for rest, reflection, and turning inward.

Memorable Quotes

"I think that the creative arts did heal me, right? My different modalities... I think that those things like heal us and then it's really interesting and cool to be able to help others to figure out what those things are for them." - Alexis Unger

"What am I here on earth to do? I'm here to love and be loved, you know, and it's just a good reminder to myself and I think to the readers that that really is what we're here to do."

- Alexis Unger

"Just take the time to really get to know yourself and honor that this society may not always give you plenty of opportunity to do so, but you can find those spaces to do so in community."

- Alexis Unger

Events and Offerings

Alexis Unger

• Processing 2025 & Envisioning 2026 Events: Join Alexis at the Cha House for these special workshops to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the year to come.
• Yoga and Journaling Workshops: Explore the connection between movement, breath, and writing in one of Alexis's workshops.
• Ecstatic Dance: Experience a sober dance space and connect with community at the upcoming Winter Solstice ecstatic dance event.
• Book: "Unreliable Narrator" is available for purchase. Click here.

• Terri Ann Heiman
• Winter Solstice Meditation: Saturday at The Yoga Circle - Crystals, Color, Light and Sound.
• Intuitive Guidance and Healing: Terri offers one-on-one sessions for intuitive guidance, energy healing, and connecting with your spirit.
• Holiday bonus: 2026 Soul Alignment Session

Connect with Alexis

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alexisannunger
• Instagram: @alexisannunger

Connect with Terri

• Website: https://www.terriannheiman.com/
• Instagram: @terriannheiman

Are you ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start trusting your intuition? In this powerful episode, host Terri Ann Heiman is joined by internationally renowned intuitive medium Tina Zion to discuss her new book, "Healing Ghosts, Haunted Places and Nonhuman Beings". Tina shares her game-changing concept of how to "Trust the Pop" of intuitive information and provides a fear-free approach to connecting with your spirit guides, understanding death as a transition, and healing relationships with those who have passed. In this episode, you will learn: •How to recognize and trust your initial intuitive hits. •The importance of building a discerning and powerful spiritual team. •Why death is not the end, and how healing is possible even after loss. •How to remove fear from your spiritual practice. This is the conversation your soul has been waiting for. Listen now to expand your consciousness and embrace your own inner guidance. Connect with Tina Zion: •Website: tinazion.com •Book: Healing Ghosts, Haunted Places and Nonhuman Beings Ready to go deeper? •The Past Present Future - The Akashic Timeline Healing Method https://terriannheiman.com/soul-work •Schedule a Spiritual Upgrade Breakthrough Call https://naturalforcesstudio.as.me/complimentary Episode Sponsor: •Ritual and Shelter: ritualshelter.com

As this podcast goes to air, we have a lot of cosmic forces at play. In our last episode, we talked about all the planets moving around, going from retrograde to direct—lots of cosmic activity. We just went through that full moon, a super full moon so close to the earth, illuminating so much light and insight into our future.

We're at this point where we let all that old stuff go and open up to new activity, new ideas. We're moving into a new season.

What's really lighting up the skies right now is the 3I/ATLAS—an interstellar comet discovered on July 1, 2025, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. It represents the third confirmed object from outside our Solar System ever observed passing through our cosmic neighborhood, following ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019).

In this next week, it will be the closest it gets to planet Earth. This comet has a huge tail and is bringing in light codes. The thing that makes this so unusual is it's not from our galaxy. What is it bringing? There were lots of rumors that it was bringing in aliens, yet none of that's confirmed. I do believe it's bringing in light codes to activate our light bodies—just like we've been talking about in the last several episodes, opening up more structures for the DNA, opening up the light bodies to expand the consciousness of who we truly are.

As we're moving closer and closer to the very end of fall, we'll be talking more and more about the solstice falling in that energy of Capricorn and how it is illuminating even more shifts and changes for humanity. This isn't really something they're going to be talking about in the news, but this is what's going on, and as you open up your body and expand your consciousness, you are being a part of lifting the vibration, holding the light, creating the shift that is coming forward.

My Lemurian guides are right here with me right now, just confirming: Yes, yes! This is so important for all of us to awaken to. This is exactly the subject we're going to be talking about today.

Episode Summary

In this powerful episode, host Terri Ann Heiman sits down with scholar and spiritual detective Dr. Joanna Kujawa to discuss her groundbreaking book, Alien Goddess: UFOs, AI, and the Goddesses of Ascension.

Dr. Kujawa unveils the urgent warnings hidden within modern UAP encounters and ancient mythologies. We explore the dangerous ideologies of transhumanism and posthumanism, which advocate for merging human consciousness with machines, and discuss why true spiritual consciousness cannot be uploaded or replicated by AI. Dr. Kujawa introduces the "Alien Goddess"—a divine feminine consciousness re-emerging to help humanity restore balance in a world dangerously tilted towards technology.

This conversation is a powerful call for spiritual sovereignty, discernment, and the courage to turn within for truth. Join us to discover how to navigate our technological future, protect your spirit from digital delusion, and embrace the path of inner ascension.

Episode Highlights

The Rise of AI Ideologies

Dr. Kujawa explains how the concepts of transhumanism (uploading consciousness to robotic bodies) and posthumanism (AI having superior access to divine mind) inspired her to write Alien Goddess as a response to the push to surrender our spiritual authority to AI.

Who is the "Alien Goddess"?

A deep dive into the multiple meanings of the Alien Goddess—as a being encountered in UFO apparitions (Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, the "White Lady"), as a shamanic nature entity like the Slavic Baba, and as a form of divine feminine consciousness available to all humans regardless of gender.

Balancing Masculine and Feminine Consciousness

The critical need to balance our world's over-reliance on masculine consciousness (logic, technology, "techne") with the intuitive, unifying power of feminine consciousness that connects us to nature and spirit.

The Dangers of AI Spirituality

Dr. Kujawa warns against the belief that AI can achieve Christ consciousness or channel spiritual entities. She explains how AI "hallucinates" (makes up answers to please us), lacks moral parameters, and has already caused real-world harm including suicide cases involving AI companions.

Maintaining Spiritual Sovereignty

A powerful call to action to use AI as a tool but never surrender your personal power, discernment, or connection to the divine. Don't create AI "gods and goddesses" or believe that algorithms have superior spiritual access.

The Goddess in Ancient Mythologies

How ancient mythologies reveal non-human intelligence found in nature itself—trees, animals, the intelligence of planet Earth—offering a different model for consciousness than artificial intelligence.

The "White Lady" and Modern UAP Encounters

Connecting the Alien Goddess concept to modern UAP encounters, including those of Chris Bledsoe in his book UFO of God, where beings present themselves with feminine, loving energy and bring warnings about humanity's direction.

Ascension is an Inner Job

Dr. Kujawa shares insights from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, reminding us that the path to ascension and all spiritual truth is found within. She describes Mary Magdalene's four levels of ascension and encourages us to be mindful about which level of consciousness we make decisions from. Humanity serves as a portal connecting the divine and nature.

•Guest: Dr. Joanna Kujawa

•Website: JoannaKujawa.com

•Book: Alien Goddess: UFOs, AI, and the Goddesses of Ascension (Sacred Stories)

•Previous Book: The Other Goddess: Mary Magdalene and the Goddesses of Eros and Secret Knowledge

•Host: Terri Ann Heiman

•Spiritual Upgrade Breakthrough Call: Schedule your complimentary call here

•December Forecast on YouTube

TAI Jounaling with AI

Body Mind Spirit World

Thank you for tuning in to The Empowered Spirit Show!

Please rate, review, and subscribe to help us reach more listeners seeking to connect with their inner guidance and navigate life with an empowered spirit.

To your Spirit,

Terri

PS... Past, Present, Future - The Akashic Timeline Healing Method begins in January.

This podcast is sponsored by Ritual + Shelter online and in Homewood, AL. Visit ritualshelter.com to book an appointment and bring peace back to the body, mind, and spirit. Find them on Instagram at @Ritualsheltershoppe as well as Pinterest at Ritual+Shelter.

In this episode, Terri Ann Heman is joined by visionary author and speaker Adam Apollo to explore the scientific validation of past lives, the profound wisdom of the Akashic records, and our soul's journey through time and space. Adam's work bridges ancient memories with cutting-edge science, providing a roadmap for us to remember who we truly are and reclaim the skills and wisdom from our past incarnations.

Main Discussion Points

•The Science of Past Lives: Adam discusses how his book, "Lifetimes: Spiritual Explorations of Earth and Galactic Pastimes", makes the exploration of past lives accessible to everyone by laying out the scientific evidence that validates these experiences. It's not just "woo-woo"; it's a real phenomenon studied and proven by many.

•Beyond Archetypes: The conversation highlights the importance of moving beyond archetypal past life stories (e.g., being Cleopatra) to uncover the personal, nuanced journey of your own soul.

•The Soul Genome: Adam introduces his theory of a "soul genome," a third genetic stream beyond our maternal and paternal DNA that carries the data of our soul's experiences across lifetimes. This could be the mechanism for carrying over skills, abilities, and even physical marks from one life to the next.

•Healing and Reclaiming Wisdom: A central theme is that by facing and accepting the wounds of our past lives, we can integrate the wisdom and reclaim the skills we developed. The pain is in the past, but the wisdom is available to us now.

•The Continuous Thread of Purpose: Your soul's purpose is a continuous thread that runs through all your lifetimes. While it may manifest differently in each life, the core mission remains the same.

•Galactic Heritage: The discussion delves into our galactic origins, exploring why a soul would choose to leave a hyper-advanced galactic civilization to experience life as a human on Earth. This choice often reveals the profound purpose that drives us.

•The Power of Remembrance: By remembering our past lives and galactic history, we can bring our full selves into the present, armed with incredible allies, skills, and a deep sense of purpose to navigate any challenge with grace.

Key Quotes

This is not woo woo. There are many, many, many other people that have done studies on this work with thousands of people proving that this exists. And so you can stop gaslighting yourselves out there and start actually exploring your past lives.

It's the wisdom… That's the key. So often we come from these lifetimes with the pain, and then we're holding it in the body. The body remembers and we just remember the pain. But when we go back in and open up the energy and go into it a little more, that's where the wisdom comes forward."

"My theory is that you don't just have a mother line in your genetics and a father line in your genome. You have a soul genome." Adam Apollo

As Adam offers, "Why would you choose to step down from a hyper-advanced galactic civilization where you essentially lived in heaven on earth?... The answer to that question is extraordinarily profound for almost everyone. It reveals that thread, that beacon of purpose that's within our soul, and that we're willing to actually face hardship at times in service of love."

This work of integrating your past lives will give you new skills and abilities and knowledge to face any and every challenge that could come your way and to do so with more grace, proficiency, a more easeful nervous system, and with the allies that you need to have to do your great work.

Resources Mentioned

•Adam Apollo's Website: adamapollo.com

•Adam Apollo's Book: Lifetimes: Spiritual Explorations of Earth and Galactic Pastimes

•The Shift Network: Adam has an upcoming course on integrating galactic and Earth lifetimes.

•Terri Ann Heiman's Website: TerriAnnHeiman.com for information on the Past, Present, Future Akashic Healing Method and private mentoring.

•Ritual and Shelter: This episode is sponsored by Ritual and Shelter. Visit them online at RitualAndShelter.com or in Homewood, Alabama.

Welcome to Transformation Week! The universe is handing you the keys to completely rewrite your story from the inside out. With Mercury retrograde returning to Scorpio and joining forces with a powerful New Moon, we have an extraordinary portal for deep inner work and complete metamorphosis. This week's transformation sets the stage for how you'll close out 2025.

In this episode, we dive deep into conscious creation and activating our inner light with special guest Judith Corvin Blackburn, author of The 6D Ascension Journey. Judith is a transpersonal psychotherapist, teacher, shamanic minister, and co-founder of the Shamanic Multi-dimensional Mystery School.

Main Points:

•The Sixth Dimension: The sixth dimension is the realm of creation, where everything that exists in material form has its energetic parallel. Plato called it the "world of forms." By consciously working with this dimension, we can shift our personal reality and the planet.

•Creating a New Reality: We have been creating our reality unconsciously for millenniums. By understanding the interaction between the sixth and third dimensions, we can begin to create a new reality for our personal lives and for the planet.

•The Power of Collective Consciousness: When enough people hold a vision and belief, it will come into consciousness and manifest in the third dimension. This is why holding the vibration of peace and love is so important.

•Navigating the Fourth Dimension: The fourth dimension is where we hold our emotional wounding, unconscious beliefs, and archetypal imprints. Healing the personal clears this dimension and gives us access to the higher dimensions.

•Activating Our 12-Strand DNA: We have 10 strands of DNA that have been dormant and called "junk DNA" by scientists. As we open up spiritually, these strands are beginning to activate, allowing us to access our star-seeded heritage and higher consciousness.

Key Quotes:

"When we can begin to own that and understand the interaction between six D and 3D, we can not only create a new reality for our personal lives, but we can shift the planet, which is a deep passion of mine."

"If enough of us are holding that vision and belief that this will be, then it will come into consciousness and it will show up in the third dimension, and therefore we will have a peaceful planet."

"When we jump on the bandwagon of 'Oh my God, the world's falling apart,'…that just lowers that vibration versus 'I recognize it…I know this work is so important. I know we can create this shift, so I have to be part of holding that vibration.'"

"As we heal the personal, it clears that fourth dimensional cloud…and we have access now to who I believe we really are designed to be, which is a fifth dimensional, six dimensional human."

"When we understand how powerful we are, when we understand that we're holding this divine energy, we begin to understand that we really can create the lives that we deserve to live and the planet that we deserve to live on."

Resources:

•Past, Present, Future: The Akashic Timeline Healing Method Class: Learn to recognize repeated patterns, habits, and addictions, understand where they come from in your past, and shift and heal them for your future.

https://soulwork.teachery.co/past-present-future

•Spiritual Upgrade Call: Schedule a complimentary breakthrough call to discuss the lessons you are going through in your present life, how they were impacted by the past, and what you can do to turn this around for your future. https://naturalforcesstudio.as.me/complimentary

•Judith Corvin Blackburn:

Website: www.empoweringthespirit.com.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judithcorvinblackburn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judith.corvinblackburn

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Spirit Show, host Terri Ann Heiman sits down with Dr. Janet Lynn Roseman, a therapist, healer, and author of the new book, The Eternal Bond: Daughters Honor Their Mothers on the Other Side. Set against the backdrop of a powerful cosmic alignment with Mercury and several other planets in retrograde, this conversation serves as a cosmic doorway to explore the profound, continuing bonds we share with our loved ones after they pass, with a special focus on the sacred mother-daughter relationship.

Dr. Roseman shares insights from her research and the 20 moving narratives featured in her book, shedding light on the reality of post-death communication, the importance of honoring your unique grief journey without a timeline, and the ways we can continue to feel the love and presence of our mothers. This episode is a comforting and validating resource for anyone navigating the complex path of grief, offering hope and empowering listeners to embrace the idea that the connections of love are truly eternal.

Key Topics & Highlights

• Grief as a Taboo Topic: Dr. Roseman discusses why our culture struggles to talk about death and grief, often leaving the bereaved without support when they need it most.
• Supernatural Signs & Connections: The conversation normalizes the experience of receiving signs, messages, and feeling the presence of loved ones who have passed. These are not things to be dismissed but are a common and sacred part of the grieving process.
• There is No Timeline for Grief: Both Terri and Dr. Roseman emphasize that healing from loss is not linear and has no deadline. They share personal stories to validate the need for individuals to grieve at their own pace.
• The Myth of "Letting Go": Dr. Roseman passionately refutes the common advice to "let go" of the deceased, arguing that this is harmful and untrue. Instead, she advocates for continuing the bond and the relationship in a new way.
• Empowering Healthcare Professionals: A key mission of Dr. Roseman's work is to better educate doctors and therapists on the needs of grieving patients, encouraging more compassionate and holistic care that goes beyond medication.
• Finding the Right Support: The episode provides valuable advice on how to find a therapist who can truly support your grief journey, including the importance of interviewing them to ensure their philosophies align with yours.

Notable Quotes

Dr. Janet Lynn Roseman: "Grief is a very difficult topic and unfortunately in our culture, it's also a taboo topic. You know, no one really wants to talk about it... I think they don't know what to say or what to do and it frightens them."

Dr. Janet Lynn Roseman: "It's very normal for people after the death of a loved one, especially someone they were very close to, to have these kind of extra sensory experiences. It's just not something that we talk about."

Terri Ann Hyman: "There is no time on grief... I allowed myself all of that time to grieve. And I think that's important for people to hear."

Dr. Janet Lynn Roseman: "I hate the verbiage, you know, like, 'you have to let her go.' I was told if I didn't do that, I was somehow impeding my mother's progress on the other side, which is total bullshit... How do they know what's going on on the other side?"

Dr. Janet Lynn Roseman: "Knowing that that connection is there forever and one doesn't have to relinquish it is incredibly empowering."

Resources Mentioned

• Dr. Janet Lynn Roseman's Book: The Eternal Bond: Daughters Honor Their Mothers on the Other Side is available now. Published by Llewellyn.
• Facebook
• Website
• Terri Ann Heiman's Offerings:
• Past, Present, Future: The Akashic Timeline Healing Method Class: Explore your soul's journey and heal past patterns.
• Spiritual Upgrade Call: Schedule a one-on-one call with Terri to discuss your present life lessons and how to move forward.
• Episode Sponsor:
• Ritual and Shelter: Visit RitualShelter.com or follow on Instagram at @RitualShelterShop for crystals, herbal teas, books, and healing sessions like tarot, reiki, and sound baths.

The love we hold in our hearts for our loved one can continue to grow and evolve... in a different way. One that is of the heart.

Thanks again for listening!

To your Spirit,

Terri

Ps.. Join us at Cha House for a Reiki & Knitting Circle on Dec 6th.

Podcast sponsor: Ritual + Shelter

As we approach the powerful 11/11 portal—a spiritual gateway for awakening, manifestation, and new beginnings—the veils between worlds thin, inviting us to connect more deeply with the unseen realms. This episode is a perfect companion for this potent time, as we explore how to open our hearts to the loving guidance of the Spirit world and communicate with those who have passed on.

In this profound and comforting episode, Terri sits down with author and psychologist Matthew to discuss his powerful book, Seeking Your Loved One on the Other Side: Communications with the Invisible Universe. Matthew shares his personal journey of connecting with his son, Jordan, after his tragic passing. This conversation demystifies communication with the afterlife, offering hope and practical wisdom for anyone who has lost someone dear.

Guest Information

• Dr. Matthew McKay: Author and Psychologist
• Book: Seeking Your Loved One on the Other Side: Communications with the Invisible Universe
• Website: seekingjordan.com. https://seekingjordan.com/

Profound Quotes from the Episode

"The relationships that we have to people we love, never end and death has nothing to do with the relationship. We can't see the person... but the relationship is still there. The love is still there... and it's really our own choice as to whether we want to engage openly now in that relationship or wait till we pass on." — Matthew McKay

"The loved ones on the other side are just a thought away. And as soon as you think about them, you start opening the channel... All of that actually opens the channel... and if we decided to, we could actually begin communication at that point." — Matthew McKay

"Don't be afraid of death. It's just a doorway... You will be received, you will be cared for, you'll be loved, and the dark door will open and the light of love will take you in." — A message from Jordan, channeled by Matthew

Key Themes Discussed

• Eternal Relationships: Matthew provides a powerful message that our relationships with loved ones do not end with physical death; they simply transform. Love is the eternal bridge that keeps us connected.
• Anyone Can Communicate: A central theme is the empowerment of knowing that you don't need to be a special medium to connect with the other side. Matthew explains how anyone can learn to open a channel for two-way communication, receive guidance, and feel the continuity of love.
• Earth as a School for Souls: The conversation delves into why our souls incarnate on Earth, one of the most challenging schools for learning. Our struggles are presented not as failures, but as sacred opportunities for growth.
• The Purpose of Pain and Karma: Matthew shares wisdom from his son, Jordan, reframing karma not as punishment, but as a continuing lesson plan for the soul. The pain we experience is what allows us to learn profound lessons about love and compassion that are not possible in the spirit world.
• The Sacred Mission to Learn Love: Ultimately, our purpose here is to learn how to love in the face of adversity and to make every choice an act of love. This is how we contribute to our own soul's evolution and the evolution of the collective.

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Journey of Souls by Michael Newton
• Book: Lessons from the Afterlife by Matthew McKay
• Terri's Class: Past, Present, Future - The Akashic Healing Method for Breaking Cycles

Episode 374: Mind Over Magic - The Psychology of Rituals with Richard Kaczynski

Episode Description

We stand in the most mystical time of the year—the season when the veil between worlds grows gossamer thin. From October 31st through November 2nd, we traverse sacred ground through Halloween, Samhain, All Saints' Day, and Día de los Muertos. In this powerful episode, we shift our focus from the hands-on practice of Reiki to explore the psychology behind ritual and magic itself.

Join host Terri Ann Heiman as she welcomes Richard Kaczynski, PhD, author of Mind Over Magic: The Psychology of Rituals, for a fascinating conversation about how our beliefs shape our reality and how understanding the psychological mechanisms behind spiritual practices can help us get the most out of them.

Guest Bio

Richard Kaczynski is a lifetime student and writer on Western Esotericism and an authority on the life and works of Aleister Crowley. He is the author of Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley and editor of Crowley's The Sword of Song. Richard holds a PhD in psychology with a minor in statistics, and his doctoral dissertation examined the structure and correlates of metaphysical beliefs. His latest book, Mind Over Magic: The Psychology of Rituals, explores how psychological research can illuminate spiritual practices across all traditions.

Key Topics Discussed

The Journey from Psychology to Magic

•Richard's lifelong interest in alternative spiritualities and how it led him to pursue psychology

•The disappointment of not finding a "grand unified theory" in graduate school

•How 30 years of research revealed a jigsaw puzzle of psychological insights about spiritual practices

•The intersection of social psychology, statistics, and esoteric traditions

Childhood Mystical Experiences

•Richard's childhood encounter with an unexplainable figure in suburban Detroit

•How these experiences are actually common parts of human experience, not aberrations

•The importance of normalizing conversations about unexplainable phenomena

•How transformative experiences can fundamentally change personality and worldview

Pattern Recognition and Discernment

•Humans as pattern-seeking creatures (Gestalt psychology)

•The concept of "agenticity"—seeing agency or cause behind random events

•How this cuts both ways: believers may see patterns that aren't there, while skeptics miss patterns that are

•Walking the middle path between accepting everything and rejecting everything

•The critical importance of discernment in spiritual practice

Defining Magic (with a K)

•Why Richard chose to spell it "magick" (following Aleister Crowley's distinction from stage magic)

•Crowley's definition: "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will"

•Magic as any intentional act—from casting circles to saying grace before meals

•How this broad definition encompasses practices across all spiritual traditions

•The science versus the art of magical practice

The Power of Mindfulness in Practice

•Why being present is essential to getting benefits from any spiritual practice

•The danger of going through the motions without true engagement

•Examples: meditation while distracted, saying prayers automatically, greeting the sun mindlessly

•How mindfulness amplifies the effectiveness of ritual work

Group Ritual and Synchronous Behavior

•Research on synchronous behavior and its psychological effects

•How brainwave patterns synchronize when people engage in activities together

•The positive evaluation of others when in sync (drum circles, group recitation, etc.)

•The unique benefits of both solitary and group practice

•Why the real work ultimately happens in private, individual practice=

The Psychological Levers of Ritual

•How various ritual elements manipulate psychological mechanisms

•The role of special garments, implements (bells, wands, tarot cards), sacred space

•Creating the "liminal space" where magic happens

•Understanding these levers helps us access transformative states more easily

•Science explaining what many practitioners have always known

Evolution and Transformation

•How ritual practices help us evolve into the best version of ourselves

•Breaking free from fixed personality traits through transformative experiences

•The importance of going within rather than surface living

•Recognizing and breaking repetitive patterns

•Raising consciousness creates a ripple effect that touches everyone around us

The Modern Metaphysical Community

•How the internet and social media have made spiritual communities more accessible

•The danger of siloing within specific traditions

•The importance of attending conferences and events outside your tradition

•The challenge of maintaining brick-and-mortar metaphysical spaces

•The growth of metaphysical awareness and openness in recent decades

Science Meets Spirituality

•How psychology validates spiritual practices without explaining away the mystery

•The value of scientific understanding for skeptics

•Why we don't need to choose between "woo" and science

•Using the scientific method to evaluate your own spiritual work

•Understanding enhances practice; it doesn't diminish the magic

Key Quotes

Richard Kaczynski:

"By understanding the role of psychology in the practices that we undertake in our spirituality, we can get the most out of those practices. And to the extent to which our spirituality is aimed at inner transformation, raising our consciousness, becoming the best version of ourselves, we can do that more effectively through that understanding."

"You're not stuck being who you are right now. You can actually evolve yourself through these practices, and they're transformative."

"I don't claim to explain what happens in that liminal space. It's that liminal space where the magic happens. But these psychological tools give us access to that space and make it easier to get there."

Terri Ann Heiman:

"We each have the power to go within and facilitate our own transformation, and in doing so, we raise not only our consciousness, but create a ripple effect that touches all those around us."

Astrological Context

This episode airs during a particularly potent time:

•The Mystical Portal: October 31st - November 2nd (Halloween, Samhain, All Saints' Day, Día de los Muertos)

•Super New Moon in Taurus: November 5th (the Beaver Moon)

•Themes of stability, security, grounding, and preparation

•Focus on values and material comforts

•Time for reflection on what you've built and letting go of what no longer serves

•Amplified emotions and powerful access to inner landscape

•Mercury Retrograde Shadow: Beginning November 9th through November 20th

•Starts in Sagittarius, moves into Scorpio

•Expect delays, communication issues, travel hiccups, tech problems

•Invitation to slow down, pull energy in, and notice patterns

Resources Mentioned

Richard Kaczynski's Work

•Book: Mind Over Magic: The Psychology of Rituals (Inner Traditions, October 7 release)

•Book: Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley

•Website: richardkaczynski.com

•Social Media: Facebook, Instagram,

Episode Sponsor

Ritual and Shelter

•Location: Homewood, Alabama (also online)

•Website: ritualshelter.com

•Instagram: @RitualShelterShoppe

•Pinterest: Ritual+Shelter

•Services: Tarot sessions, Reiki, sound bowl healing, crystal healing, witch consultations

•Products: Books on energy healing, crystal healing, Reiki, chakras, Akashic Records, shadow work, astrology, earth-based healing, herbal teas, tinctures, crystals, oils

Upcoming Events

Terri's Offerings:

•Free Online Masterclass: "Past, Present, Future: The Akashic Healing Timeline Method for Breaking Cycles"

•Date: Saturday, November 8th at 10:00 AM

•Focus: Breaking repetitive patterns and cycles

•Spiritual Upgrade Breakthrough Call

•One-on-one consultation with Terri

•Explore what keeps you in repetitive cycles

Reiki Rays Healing Summit

•Dates: November 7th - 11th

•Theme: "10 Gatherings of Light: Rooted in Truth, Returning to the Self"

•Format: Free online summit with daily interviews

•Option to purchase full library access for $57 (early bird pricing)

Closing Reflection

By understanding the psychology behind our spiritual practices, we can truly get the most out of them. When we're seeking inner transformation—raising our consciousness and evolving into the best version of ourselves—this understanding becomes essential. It allows us to engage more intentionally and effectively with the rituals and practices that serve our growth.

This is especially potent during this sacred season when the veil between worlds is thin and we're more open to receiving messages, signs, and the deeper truth of our soul's journey. May this season of darkness illuminate your path inward.

Thanks for listening!

To your Spirit,

Terri

Can you feel it?

The shift in the air. The way time seems to move differently. The sense that something—or someone—is drawing near.

We are standing at the threshold. Between October 31st and November 2nd, the veil between the physical world and the Spirit World grows gossamer thin. This is when our ancestors lean in to whisper. This is when the messages we've been waiting for can finally reach us.

And this is when the ancient practices of the witch and the healer become most potent.

I have a story to share with you.

Six years ago, I walked into a small witch shop here in Birmingham called Ritual + Shelter. The moment I crossed that threshold, I crossed another threshold entirely. A memory ignited within me—not from this lifetime, but from another.

I saw myself in a forest clearing, stirring a cauldron, setting a sacred circle. I saw the moment the villagers came with their torches. I saw myself screaming for the others to run while I held the space, while I became the distraction, while my throat was strangled and my body burned.

And I heard myself make a vow through the smoke and the flames: I will return. I will help others.

That vow echoes across lifetimes. It echoes in the work I do now as a Reiki Master Teacher. Because the witch who died and the healer who returned are not separate—they never were.

In my latest podcast episode, I explore:

•What is actually happening in the unseen world right now during this sacred season

•How both Reiki and Witchcraft provide us with tools to access the Spirit World

•The seven profound connections between these two ancient paths

•Why so many powerful women carry the archetype of the strangled witch

•Practical techniques for connecting with your ancestors and spirit guides during the thinning of the veils

•How to use Reiki symbols to transcend time and space

•The mystical practices that help us walk between worlds with intention and grace

This is not just theory or philosophy. This is lived experience. This is soul-deep wisdom. This is the integration of what was once split, the healing of what was once wounded, the speaking of what was once silenced.

The burning times are over. It's time to reclaim your power.

Whether you identify as a witch, a healer, or simply a soul seeking deeper connection, this episode will help you understand the unseen world that surrounds you right now—and give you practical tools to navigate it.

This is the most mystical time of the year. The ancestors are waiting. The Spirit World is speaking. And you—yes, you—have everything you need to hear the messages meant for you.

Light your candles. Cast your circles. Channel your Reiki. And listen.

With love and light from both worlds!

To your Spirit,

Terri

Reiki Master Teacher | Interfaith Minister | Midwife of the Soul

P.S. After you listen, I'd love to hear about your experience. Reply to this email and tell me: What messages did you receive during this season of thinning veils? What practices are calling to you? Let's continue this conversation.

Episode Sponsor: Ritual + Shelter

🎉 Join the 2025 Reiki Summit — FREE 🎉Ten Gatherings of Light: Rooted in Truth, Returning to SelfDates: November 7–11, 2025 • Global Online Event

Register Here!

Get the early bird special price to purchase the entire summit now! Click here.

https://summit.reikirays.com/summit2025.php?aff=118509_c7lgtckx

In this episode of The Empowered Spirit Show, host Terri Ann Heiman continues the journey from last week's exploration of the thinning veils by grounding us in the physical transitions of fall. Terri delves into the profound wisdom that nature offers through the cycles of the seasons, particularly focusing on the powerful metaphor of how trees release their leaves. She explores the direction of the West, the Earth element, and the duality of fall as both a time of harvest and release. The episode features a guided meditation, channeled messages for this season of change, and an invitation to let go of what no longer serves us so we can begin anew.

Key Topics Discussed

The Transitions of Fall: An exploration of the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual shifts we experience as the seasons change and how our Spirit naturally pulls inward from the activities of summer.

The Direction of the West: Understanding the West as the place where the sun sets, representing gratitude for life's lessons, acknowledgment of struggles, and recognition of the harvest and abundance available to us.

The Duality of Autumn: Embracing both the celebration of plenty and the melancholy of preparation, grief, and the shortening days as fields are plowed and the earth prepares for rest.

The Earth Element: Learning how the Earth element grounds us to our physical presence and shows us what can be shed and what we must let go of during this season.

Living Trees vs. Dead Trees: The profound teaching that living trees naturally release their leaves, trusting the cycle and preparing for new growth, while dead trees hold onto withered leaves because there is no life force moving through them. This powerful metaphor reveals how we either flow with life's transitions or remain stuck in old patterns.

Four Channeled Messages for This Season:

•Rethink the structures that have upheld your life

•Keep it simple

•Give everything a review

•Don't even think about apologizing for who you are

Guided Meditation: A meditation journey that includes grounding with the Earth element, connecting with the West direction, visualizing the release of old patterns through falling leaves, receiving channeled messages, and setting intentions for the season ahead.

Memorable Quotes

"Our Spirit begins to pull in from all the activities of summer, and this energy can feel both refreshing and exciting."

"The West is a time of gratitude for all of life's lessons. This is the place where we notice our struggles."

"Fall is symbolic of plenty, ripening, harvest, and abundance."

"The entire autumn season is a time of melancholy, preparation, and grief."

"A living, healthy tree naturally releases its leaves when the season changes. It doesn't hold on. It doesn't resist. It trusts the cycle."

"A dead tree holds onto its withered, brown leaves. They stay there, stuck, clinging to the branches through winter, through spring, sometimes for years."

"When we're truly alive, truly connected to our spirit and the natural rhythms of life, we can release what no longer serves us."

"When we're stuck, when we're holding onto fear or pain or the familiar comfort of 'the way things have always been,' we become like that dead tree."

"Are you a living tree, willing to release and trust the seasons of your life? Or are you holding onto dead leaves, stuck in old patterns, resisting the very transitions that would bring you new life?"

"Rethink the structures that have upheld your life. What foundations are you built upon? Are they still serving your highest good?"

"Keep it simple. Let go of the unnecessary complications and find the beauty in simplicity."

"Give everything a review. This is a time for honest assessment, not for judgment. Simply notice."

"Don't even think about apologizing for who you are. You are a unique and beautiful expression of the divine."

"You must release the old so you can begin anew."

Resources & Links

Schedule a Complimentary Spiritual Upgrade Call.

Feeling lost in these transitions? Finding it difficult to let go? Schedule a free Spiritual Upgrade call with Terri Ann to talk about where you're stuck and how she can help you release old patterns and step back into the flow of your life.

Connect with Terri Ann Heiman:

Website: https://terriannheiman.com/

Instagram: [Insert Instagram Handle]

Facebook:

Ritual and Shelter: https://www.ritualshelter.com/

A magical place to shop for all your spiritual needs. Visit them online at ritualshelter.com or in person in Homewood, Alabama. Find them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ritualsheltershoppe and on Pinterest.

Call to Action

If you're feeling the pull to let go of something but don't know how, or if you're sensing that it's time for a change but you're resisting the transition, this episode is for you. Listen to the guided meditation, receive the channeled messages, and take the first step toward becoming a living tree again.

And if you need support on this journey, don't navigate it alone. Schedule your complimentary Spiritual Upgrade call today and discover how to release what's holding you back.

Subscribe & Review

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe to The Empowered Spirit Show and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more people who are ready to embrace their spiritual journey and step into their power.

To your Spirit!