Well, well, well. This is a big one, ladies and gentlemen. So big, in fact, that we needed TWO episodes just to cover it.

What what, exactly? Well, in this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down for a fireside chat with famous ritual magician, Kabbalist, and former Thelemite Allen Greenfield-- recently featured as a subject matter expert in Amazon's Hellier TV series.

In a world of superficial spiritual LARPers, Allen Greenfield is a bonafide real deal-- a national treasure with all manner of arcane knowledge across his more than 60 years of hands-on esoteric experience. With legit certificates and bonafides from the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, and the World Association of Egyptian Obediences, Allen is a throwback to a time when sorcerers, magicians and practitioners dug deep into ancient, esoteric knowledge-- instead of just pulling an oracle card and issuing false profundities on Instagram.

In this episode, Allen shares previously unheard insights into the unfolding Hellier magic-- an exciting behind the scenes sneak peek for listeners of The Skeptical Shaman to enjoy pending the much-anticipated Season 3 of the series.

And remember: this is just the first part of this epic, late night marathon between two neurodivergent acolytes of the arcane and mystical. And by late night, we mean 8 PM.

Join us on a magical journey into the heart of sorcery-- and hear Allen's tarot reading for Rachel (using, of course, the TOTEM Tarot Deck)!

Rachel's LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-woo

Allen's links:
BOOKS: https://t.ly/zkwri
WEBSITE: http://thesecretcipher.com/
WEBSITE (2): https://lexicon.thesecretcipher.com/
PERSONAL INFO: https://bishop171.wixsite.com/allen-greenfield

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

Welcome back fellow spiritually-homeless, skeptical seekers!

You're in for a treat. Why? Well, the Skeptical Shaman podcast is kicking off 2025 with a real bang: no more walking on eggshells, clenching our jaws, or tip-toeing through the metaphorical tulips of cognitive dissonance, coercive control, or mass formation psychosis!

Said another way? "Behold the field in which we grow our f*cks, for it is barren!"

To kick off this new season of the pod, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) interviews award-winning film maker and NXIVM cult survivor/ whistleblower Mark Vicente, prominently featured in the HBO documentary series 'The Vow'.

But Mark's not just a "cult survivor"-- he's actually a whole, dynamic human being that is currently leveraging his considerable talents as an author, speaker, and award-winning Writer/Director/Producer to create the film ‘Empathy Not Included’ (The Narcissist’s Playbook), a feature-length documentary exploring one of the most pervasive and often misunderstood mental pathologies in our culture: narcissism.

Shot in seven countries and viewed through the lens of four self-confessed, self-aware malignant narcissists who openly share the secrets of how they operate with uncensored candor, 'Empathy Not Included' follows their disturbing stories, juxtaposed with the growing body of wisdom from victims, survivors, scientists, and mental health professionals.

Previously, Mark unified his love of science, philosophy and film-making to create  the wildly successful independent film, “What the BLEEP do we Know?!”. He is also the host of the incredible podcast 'WTF is on my mind, with Mark Vicente"-- and the brain behind one of the funniest, sharpest Instagram accounts around.

Rachel's LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-woo

Mark's LINKS:
https://www.markvicente.com/
https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/
https://x.com/markvicente
https://www.empathynotincluded.com/
https://www.instagram.com/empathynotincluded/
Podcast: WTF is on my Mind?!
Youtube Channel

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this seventh episode of our Supernatural Stories series, Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with guest Brittney Barney all about her recent experience with none other than Jesus Christ!

I know, I know. The name "Jesus" is SUCH a trigger across religious AND New Age circles, making him a hard figure to chat about as a spirit guide. So, JESUS BLESS Britt for her bravery, curiosity and, above all else, spiritual honesty. I mean, it's not like she MADE this all happen!

In this episode, Rachel and Britt discuss her spontaneous vision of Jesus, as well as his seemingly very effective efforts to heal her energetically-- and possibly even physically. Britt was very pregnant at the time, and woke up the next day to an epic detox-- some might say the "detox from heaven"!

We discuss how Jesus is an unusually polarizing figure in spiritual circles, despite the regular and totally accepted appearance of religious figures from other faith systems like the Buddha, Durga, Artemis, Zeus, and even the Archangels of Christianity. Even the concept of Jesus has become a serious third rail in most polite circles, which may be limiting folks from having healing contact with this loving energy.

Don't worry-- Rachel isn't going full Jesus people on you like Doreen Virtue did (whoops). She's just trying to open the dialogue up and create some sacred space to chat about direct spiritual experiences without judgement or knee jerk reactions.

It's in the objective, messy middle that all the magic happens...and Britt is well on her way!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this sixth episode of our Supernatural Stories series, Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) sits down with friend and client Mary Blanchard to chat all things Archangel Michael.

Is Mary a professional psychic? No. Does she do angel readings with her Doreen Virtue deck? No. Is she selling some angel merch, like bless'd fanny packs or anointed oils? Certainly not.

Mary is just a normal, high-functioning professional living with her husband and son in the Chicago suburbs. It's not her fault that Archangel Michael keeps saving her from harrowing car accidents and demonic attacks, but here we are;)

This episode is a great example of what a human-scaled, long-term interaction with an archangel is really like. Michael's presence in Mary's life is both subtle and shocking overt-- including saving her from a very harrowing and impossible-to-survive winter car wreck! And, while it's taken her some time to navigate her bond with her feathered, angelic friend, she now has an incredibly strong connection to him-- and won't hesitate to shine the Bat Signal if she needs help in the future!

This is an uplifting supernatural story-- no spooky bumps or moans in the middle of the night! Lock in, relax and enjoy with your favorite cup of chamomile tea...or maybe a stiff whisky in the winter months!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this fifth episode of our Supernatural Stories series, guest Laura Oxendine breaks down what it's like to get a bear hug from the great "beyond"-- courtesy of Bear as a TOTEM Animal! 

This one's a bit softer and warmer and, well, Teddy Bear-adjacent. Well, except for the scenes of fiery vengeance and Lord of the Rings-level violence. Which, for the record, was totally justified (trust me-- just listen to the episode)!

Working with TOTEM Animals and Spirit Guides is often frustrating, challenging spiritual work, but in the case of Laura (and everyone else that does this work consistently and within the proper framework), it ABSOLUTELY delivers a significant return on investment.

What is this ROI, you might be wondering? Well, self-healing, soul part recollection, clarity, life's purpose, and recovery after trauma (just to name a few key bullet points off of the top of the dome).

Laura's story is sweet, personal, and deeply meaningful, and her journey from "WTF?" to bonafide spiritual practitioner is inspirational to us all.

Besides: fall is the season of Bear Medicine. So, warm up a bowl of autumnal soup and lock in for yet another real deal, bonafide supernatural story that an actual person has lived to tell the tale of it!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Laura's Website: https://phosphorus.ink

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this fourth episode of our Supernatural Stories series, guest Christine McLaughlin shares her incredible experience with Oscar Wilde's ghost. Yah. Read that last bit again.

Wild, isn't it?

Not only was Oscar Wilde an iconoclastic, singular literary talent, but apparently he's a large orb hanging out in Canada, too!

Christine shares her experience with bringing this famous author home as a "spiritual hitchhiker" from a trip to a beautiful (and old, and haunted, and magical) inn! Thankfully, her trip did not take a hard left turn into The Shining territory, and there weren't terrifying topiaries or homicidal interludes...but there was more than a splash of magic and a vignette that sounds an awful lot like astral travel.

It's not everyday we get a real deal, lived, human-scaled story about a famous ghost, but thanks to Christine we can all have line of sight into this incredible tale.

It's a good one, guys. Light the candle on your altar, bust out your favorite glass of scotch, wine or kombucha, and tuck in for a heartening, uplifting tale from beyond the veil!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this third episode in our special Supernatural Stories series, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with client and friend Natalie Fehlner (of Sidhe) all about her real deal, actual, lived experience GHOST STORY.

Spooky stuff, guys.

But also, very funny and very cool!

This story starts with a totally innocent musical theater production, which seemed to stimulate a spirit to commit great feats of spectral strength. Turns out: a notoriously cranky stage hand had passed away in that very location, and his haunting was just a continuation of his famous antics while alive!

Natalie shares everything that went "thud" (literally), and shared more about how this experience kindled her curiosity about all things Woo and her still-unfolding spiritual awakening, which now includes psychic readings, astrology, and channeled art.

Ghosts are super fun stuff, guys. After all: they're just people! The only difference is they don't have a physical body anymore!

Wrap yourself with a cozy blanket and froth up a seasonal soup to enjoy with this very spooky season story!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Natalie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nataliefehlner

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this second episode in our special Supernatural Stories series, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with client and friend Hannah Schwartz all about her recent connection with the ancient Norse God Odin-- aka "Mr. Wednesday".

Hannah first encountered Odin as a person-sized raven watching over a flock of chickens in a dream, not immediately understanding just "who" the sentient being behind those massive bird eyes actually was. But she started to see more and more clues in her spiritual scavenger hunt, eventually reaching out to Rachel about an uncanny Substack post featuring chickens and eldritch terrors.

As Hannah continued to follow the metaphorical rabbit down the rabbit hole-- going into deeper and more ancient layers of research and meditation-- she realized that her "Mystery Man" was, in fact, the famous Mr. Wednesday!

In this episode, Hannah shares her very personal and very unexpected experience encountering and befriending this ancient deity, leveraging her burgeoning powers of prophecy and divination to continue to collaborate with her spiritual mentor. 

The bottom line? Odin doesn't bet on losers. He always picks a "winner winner chicken dinner", and Hannah is going to LOVE her unfolding experiences with her absolutely top shelf Spirit Guide.

This is a good one, with all of the makings of a great Spooky Season share out, so bundle up, light a cozy fire, and tuck in for a real deal, human-scaled Supernatural Story from yet another practitioner that is shattering the stereotype of the crystal hippy lady!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this first episode in our special Supernatural Stories series, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with client KC Gale all about her now *infamous* visit from a Mayan Death Bat!

Despite what spooky or downright terrifying images the phrase "Mayan Death Bat" might initially conjure, KC is here to flip the script-- and explain how this unusual Spirit Guide is actually a spiritual sweetheart. No, really. He's a total pussycat!

Well, a pussy cat with flappy wings;)

In this episode, Rachel and KC methodically walk through how KC developed a more meaningful, direct relationship with this Spirit Guide-- who initially emerged in a Channeling Session with Rachel. The weeks and months to come brought a series of undeniable events, synchronicities and symbols, all of which made KC grateful that she had a helping hand from an ancient Mayan deity.

This is a great, human-scaled example of how developing and deepening relationships with Spirit Guides can make a measurable, positive impact on us in our daily lives.

Consider your Spooky Season officially launched! Gather around the camp fire, get a mug of apple cider, and dig in for a binge-worthy bundle of supernatural stories this fall!

LINKS:
Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach

Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/TOTEM-Tarot-Deck-Rachel-White/dp/0578980126
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Voodoo practitioner, author and business owner Sallie Ann Glassman all about the realm of spirits, otherwise known in Voodoo as "loa".

Sallie has been practicing Vodoo in New Orleans since 1976 and is the owner of the Island of Salvation Botanica, a store and gallery specializing in Vodoun religious supplies, medicinal and magical herbs, and Haitian and local artworks. She received her spiritual training in Haiti in November, and is ordained as a Manbo Asogwe, or Priestess of Vodou-- and is one of the few white Americans to have been ordained via a traditional Haitian initiation.  

Sallie is also the creator of one of Rachel's favorite all-time tarot decks: The Voodoo Tarot of New Orleans, which features the various Voodoo loa, their invocations, and their special gifts and blessings for human practitioners. 

In this episode, Sallie and Rachel discuss just how powerful working with the world of spirit can be-- including Sallie's experience using ceremonial magic to quite literally stop crime in her New Orleans neighborhood! In fact, the crime-busting ceremony was so effective (resulting in arrests, etc.) that the New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine (among others) featured the story in their publications!

Sallie and Rachel also address the ontological fallacy of "toxic positivity" within the World of Woo, urging the spiritually homeless to keep an open mind and abandon their limiting, Puritanical beliefs to receive profound-- and tangible-- insights. Voodoo and the city of New Orleans serve as powerful reminders of the need to be rooted in the material world, integrating our spiritual gifts into the here and now for the benefit of all!

Links:

• The TOTEM Tarot Deck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578980126?ref=myi_title_dp
• TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/dikcLji
• TOTEM Flower Essences on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
• TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
• TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
• Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
• Sallie's Website: https://www.islandofsalvationbotanica.com
• Sallie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallieann61/?hl=en

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.