The Skeptical Shaman

The 12th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast is here, and the second half of our first episode sets the tone for exploring our collective Villain Era. This season is all about embracing the reality that, despite your very best efforts and pure intentions, we will all inevitably be the villain in someone else's story as we pursue our goals, stretch ourselves spiritually and professionally, and enforce our own boundaries as we do so.

In this two-part conversation, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Patrick Anderson, aka Stella Boheme while performing in drag and, as we learn in this incredible discussion, Bishamon Boheme when triggered into goblin mode. 

Patrick is the Woo-based business owner behind Queen of Glam Tarot, LLC, the author of Read Like a Queen: Real-Life Inisghts to SLAY Your Tarot Practice, and the host of the *new*, upcoming podcast: The Business of Tarot. Stella is Patrick's drag persona, often appearing at events to read tarot cards and entertain with incredible talents (like opera-quality vocal performances). Bishamon, Patrick's so-called Villain Era alter ego, is the shadow aspect that emerges when they are feeling hurt or unheard or feel compelled to speak up for others. 

The bottom line? The Business of Woo can be harsh, and not everyone practices the love and light they preach. In this dynamic, emergent industry, people can be rude, badly behaved, and even exploitative, and it's in these contexts that Bishamon emerges to say it like it is: straight up, with no chaser. In this context, Patrick (like all of us) needs his Villain Era alter ego to ensure that they don't get subsumed by the opinions, fears and yes, even the shadow aspects of others!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Patrick's LINKS:

• Queen of Glam: www.queenofglamtarot.com
• BOOK:  https://www.amazon.com/Read-Like-Queen-Real-Life-Insights

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.

The 12th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast is here, and this first episode sets the tone for exploring our collective Villain Era. This season is all about embracing the reality that, despite your very best efforts and pure intentions, we will all inevitably be the villain in someone else's story as we pursue our goals, stretch ourselves spiritually and professionally, and enforce our own boundaries as we do so.

In this two-part conversation, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Patrick Anderson, aka Stella Boheme while performing in drag and, as we learn in this incredible discussion, Bishamon Boheme when triggered into goblin mode. 

Patrick is the Woo-based business owner behind Queen of Glam Tarot, LLC, the author of Read Like a Queen: Real-Life Inisghts to SLAY Your Tarot Practice, and the host of the *new*, upcoming podcast: The Business of Tarot. Stella is Patrick's drag persona, often appearing at events to read tarot cards and entertain with incredible talents (like opera-quality vocal performances). Bishamon, Patrick's so-called Villain Era alter ego, is the shadow aspect that emerges when they are feeling hurt or unheard or feel compelled to speak up for others. 

The bottom line? The Business of Woo can be harsh, and not everyone practices the love and light they preach. In this dynamic, emergent industry, people can be rude, badly behaved, and even exploitative, and it's in these contexts that Bishamon emerges to say it like it is: straight up, with no chaser. In this context, Patrick (like all of us) needs his Villain Era alter ego to ensure that they don't get subsumed by the opinions, fears and yes, even the shadow aspects of others!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Patrick's LINKS:

• Queen of Glam: www.queenofglamtarot.com
• BOOK:  https://www.amazon.com/Read-Like-Queen-Real-Life-Insights

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 tenth episode of the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show and fellow podcaster Cardsy B, aka Rebecca Szymczak (of Hex and the City Podcast). Not only is Rebecca a resident wellness witch in residence at a posh Manhattan hotel, but she's also a tarot deck creator, the author of the Saturn Diaries, and the creator of the INCREDIBLE new fragrance "Witch and Famous", which is made with organic, ethically-harvested herbs and flowers by a fellow female-owned business owner right here in the U.S.!

This episode is equal parts bonus gift, season finale and interim season intro, so give it a listen on your July 4th weekend (and beyond) and take in the energy!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Cardy's LINKS:

• Linktree: https://bio.cardsyb.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardsyb/

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 ninth episode of the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with client, friend, and newly-anointed psychic channel Teresa Johnson all about the strange, strange journey from being a "normal person" to becoming your true psychic self.

Teresa opens up the kimono on the good, the bad, and the cringe of what it's really like to transition from being a nurse practitioner, psychic, business owner and even corporate subject matter expert to "owning" her psychic gifts out loud and proud with the people in her life. 

Teresa is a perfect example of a Woo-based practitioner in the midst of a major transformation, and her story edifies the messy middle for those seekers (and psychics) looking for a way shower on exactly when, how and why to embrace the Woo as their life path!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

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 eighth episode of the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show and astrologer extraordinaire Sam "The SkyGuy" all about planetary magic: how to do it, when to do it, and how to customize it to your unique natal chart- and annual astrological transits!

Sam provides listeners a crash course in the background and fundamentals of chaos magic, ritual magic, and the specifics of how (and where) planetary magic fits into the big magic picture. Sam also digs into what big planets are making big moves this year, and how to harness their energies to amplify what's working-- and mitigate what's more challenging.

Rachel's LINKS:

TOTEM Readings 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:

Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
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

Our guests' links:
Sam's Substack: https://skyguyreadings.substack.com/

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 the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show and Skeptical Shaman podcast editor Natalie Fehlner (of Sidhe) all about Natalie's strange, strange journey into weird world of online dialogue-- and what it revealed about the spiritual reality underpinning surface-level ideology.

Natalie experienced a pronounced spiritual trauma when accidentally encountering the hyper-violent images of Charlie Kirk's death online. While not a right wing Christian nationalist herself (I mean, Natalie is a fairy-channeling astrologer, poet and theater teacher, among other things!), she was gobsmacked by the reaction of "her team": the supposedly compassionate, open-minded, and ideologically consistent, spiritually-aware group to which she and many other Woo-based practitioners generally belong.

Shocked by the cognitive dissonance of it all, Natalie did the unthinkable: she entered into the online colosseum to battle it out with anonymous faces (and voices) on the inter web. What she learned from this experience has not only served as a major spiritual and societal awakening for her, but also served as her inspiration to get educated and certified in cult awareness, ultimately setting out into the world to help deprogram her fellow humans that are ready to leave their distorted, ideological prison and enter the real world.

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Our guests' links:

• Natalie's Substack: https://nataliesidhe.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search
• Natalie's IG: https://www.instagram.com/nataliesidhe/
• Natalie's Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieSidhe

 
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 the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Review Raffle winner and *as luck would have it* experienced animal healer and communicator Alyson Ogimachi (of Phoenix Healing) all about her journey from being an animal groomer and "normal person" to talented animal psychic and healer.

Alyson has spent years in real deal, bonafide animal communication and healing training programs, and just recently launched her own Woo-based business: Phoenix Healing! 

Alyson shares her rigorous training background, and chats about the very, very crucial need for ethics, boundaries, and standard operating procedures when working in the Woo- especially for fuzzy and feathered clients that can't speak up for themselves!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Our guests' links:

• Alyson's website:  https://phoenix-healing.com/
• Alyson's IG: @phoenixhealingcommunication

 
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 the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Caitlin Gonzales, newly spiritually awakened friend of the fae and rural Louisiana homesteader who knows all about the shift from urban conformity to the feral borderlands-- both of the Woo and of Mother Nature!

Like many of us in the time since Covid disrupted, well, everything, Caitlin has dramatically changed literally every aspect of her life, leaving a "normal" job to learn to homestead and embracing all things spiritual in the process, challenging her own, previous norms and assumptions while exploring agorism, witchcraft, the fairy realms, and more.

Caitlin allowed for her spiritual awakening to expand out in orders of magnitude, and her story gives hope to all of us wishing, seeking and hoping for a better day-- and a better, more Woo world!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Our guests' links:

• Caitlin's Substack: https://substack.com/@caitlingonzales
• Caitlin's IG: https://www.instagram.com/itscaitlingonzales/

 
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 Season 11 of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with long-time client (and fellow Chicagoan) Emily P. (of House of Lir), a lifelong psychic finally making the leap into the wild unknown of client-facing readings with her new, Woo-based business House of Lir.

Emily has always been psychic, but it took a real deal (and very destabilizing) spiritual awakening to put everything into focus, making her natural physical mediumship, divination, and channeling capabilities an undeniable (and very weird) reality.

This episode has it all: nonconsensual demon sex attacks, speaking on behalf of ghosts in crystal shops, and what it's really like to step into the weird world of doing psychic readings for others!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Our guests' links:

• Website: HouseOfLir.net 
• Email: [email protected]
• Tik Tok: @daughteroflir 

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 of Season 11 of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Jesse James Freeman and Jennifer Hotes of the Is AI The Devil? and the Curious Cat Podcasts all about the spiritual implications of our brave new techno-feudalist world. 

Was Rudolf Steiner right about Ahriman? Are there really ghosts (and demons) in the machine? How can we reclaim our sovereignty, human dignity, AND spiritual independence in a time such as this?

Jesse and Jen offer their insights, gleaned from both the Woo and secular research, all while giving us some much needed (and realistic) hope for the future!

Rachel's LINKS:

• TOTEM Readings 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:

• Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
• TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
• The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
• 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

Our guests' links:

• Jesse's Substack: https://jessejamesfreeman.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips
• Jennifer's Substack: https://jenniferhotes.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips
• The Curious Cat Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/curious-cat/id1617885857

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.