Stoner Story Witch

Ep30: 🌕♒️Working on a Song: Unpacking the Liberation and {Hadestown} Vibes in the 🌿📖🧙‍♀️Theme

(This episode is inspired by and heavily discusses the 2019 Tony Award Winning Musical Hadestown.)
 
Why is Kristyn so obsessed with Hadestown, really? What becomes possible when we treat stories as animist beings?  What can be gleaned in reviewing the previous year of the podcast, and what are we inviting for the next year?  Can we grapple with the fact that TERFs can create meaningful art and can that practice help us navigate collapse?
 
Kristyn with a Why shares the story of creating the song for the podcast and in doing so essentially explains the entire musical of Hadestown, singing and referencing over 9 songs.
 
#hadestown songs and vibes:
-Wedding Song as Indigenous Wisdom, and the connection of creativity and spirituality.
-Wait for Me- Orpheus’ hymn cracking the wall
-Come home with me (reprise) The animism of stones who wept to Orpheus’ beautiful song
-Our Lady of the Underground The Stoner Story Witch theme, Psychopomp Persephone breaking the 4th wall
-Living it up on Top- May the World we dream about be the one we live in now
-Road To Hell- “It’s a sad song and we are gonna sing it again”
-We Raise our Cups: “To Orpheus and all of us”- Psychopomp Persephone breaking down the 4th wall again!
-Chant: How Capitalism conditions us to “keep our head low if you wanna keep your head”
-Doubt comes in: The Loneliness of the Creative/Liberatory Path
 
My early blog posts on Hadestown
 
Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!
 
Stoner Story Witch: The tattoo episode 
 
Stoner Story Witch: Secure Attachment and the Male Gaze
 
More about the sourdough practice on Asteria’s Convos Podcast
 
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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:
 
How Hadestown introduced Kristyn to the work of Carmen Spagnola?  (Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network and episode on Persephone.
 
Contrapoints’ Video on JK Rowling
 
 Sophie Strand’s “Flowering Wand” for more on Orpheus as a role/title
 
Bonus Content at the end from Kirsten- @tendingnettles
 
Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams
 
As always:----------------------------------
Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:
Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song
“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams
 
Shout out for the artistic assistance of:
Matt Schubbe (Logo)
Kevin Carlow (Music)

Ep29: 🌑♌️Witnessing the Stories Empire Tries to Hide: {Say Nothing} Northern Ireland w/Jamie

(This episode is based off the FX show “Say Nothing” that came out in 2024, based on the non-fiction book of the same name.)
 
What is it that makes stories of revolution (Les Mis, Hadestown, etc) so irresistible? How is it possible that our suburban public school education in the 90s in the USA did not properly educate us on the realities of oppressed peoples overseas?  Who benefits when we believe the narratives that empire tries to convince us are “too complicated” to understand?  Who gets to define “terrorism?” How can we do better- individually and collectively?
 
Kristyn with a Why invites her friend Jamie onto the show to share a “Story History” lesson about the time of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland and its echo in the revolution against colonist regimes in current day, specifically in Palestine, all through the 2024 FX show “Say Nothing.”
 
#Saynothing #northernireland #palestine #thetroubles 
 
Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!
 
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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:
 
Toni Cade Bambara- “The role of the artist is to make the Revolution irresistible” 
 
A classic example of “Drunk History”
 
Podcast “Millenials are killing Capitalsim” about “The Dark- Selected writings of Brendan Hughes”
 
More History on the Colonization of Northern Ireland featured in “Millenials are Killing Capitalsim” Podcast
 
Chani App for Astrology
 
Audre Lorde- “The Master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”
 
Timothy Snyder’s Book: On Tyranny
 
Book: “Let this Radicalize you” 
 
Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for more on the Ace Studies & Secure attachment.
 
Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams
 
As always:----------------------------------
Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:
Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song
“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams
 
Shout out for the artistic assistance of:
Matt Schubbe (Logo)
Kevin Carlow (Music)

Ep28: 🌕♑️ Perimenopause & Palestine: Practicing Co-Holding on the Journey of Jewish Eldership w/ Anna

(This episode is offered as a collective imagining and embodiment of better stories we can look to for guidance towards liberation)
 
How can we collectively pivot away from stories that demand converting or disposal rather than co-holding in community?  
In what ways can wounds and embodied practices be portals offering ancestral healing?  How can a practice of polyamory be a portal to an animistic practice of opening up to resourcing from energetic sources found in nature?  What if every womb-having person could reclaim the “wise power” of menopause as an initiation? 
 
Kristyn with a Why invites her anti-Zionist Jewish friend Anna Shneiderman to share her story in three acts: The Seder, Ancestral Healing, Co-Holding with Nature.
 
0: Intro to episode
5:00:  Introduce Anna
13:20: Act 1- The Seder
23:37:  Act 2- Ancestral Healing
42:00: Act 3- Coholding with Nature
1:00:00: Anna’s “Practices to Become Accident Prone”
1:12:00:  Outro
 
Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!
 
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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:
 
blacspace.coop
 
Wise Power- Menopause as Initiation
 
Choosing Clean Pain- Resmaa Menakem’s book: My Grandmother’s Hands
 
Rachel Heron Yoga
 
Land Acknowledgment Practice- Hayden King
 
Somatics with the Strozzi Institute
 
Offers and Needs Market
 
Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for more on Secure attachment.
 
Embodied Social Justice with Rev. angel Kyodo williams
 
As always:----------------------------------
Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:
Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song
“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams
 
Shout out for the artistic assistance of:
Matt Schubbe (Logo)
Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

S4E1: 🌑♋️Reality TV & Secure Attachment in {Love Island} w/ Jamie and Jason

(This episode was recorded before 2025’s “Summer of Love” & only contains spoilers for old seasons of #LoveIslandUK and #LoveIslandUSA)How do humans biologically build attachment?  How do popular reality shows (ab)use mammalian attachment to create dramatic moments for entertainment?  What happens to our nervous systems as viewers when we watch?  What are the narratives that #LoveIsland perpetuates? Who benefits when the collective believes those narratives?  In what ways are reality TV shows and their viewership a high demand group?  Can we collectively imagine something more liberated?Kristyn with a Why chats with Jamie and Jason- two of her besties from high school about Secure attachment and Love Island.0: Intro to episode9:00:  Intro to Jamie and Jason12:51: Secure Attachment and Contact Nutrition Overview29:00:  Consent, and Contact Nutrition in Love Island1:02:00: Suicidality, Racism, Patriarchy, and Casa Amor1:27:45: Favorite Moments on Love Island, and Predictions for upcoming season1:42:45: Love Village and The Boyfriend as “less culty” Love Island alternatives1:52:36:  OutroFollow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!—---------------------------------------------Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for more on Secure attachment and Contact Nutrition, her Numinous Podcast on Fascism, & previous episodes with me here and here.Alexandra Stein’s book: Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian SystemsTimothy Snyder’s Book: On Tyranny“The Boyfriend” as the antidote to Love IslandAs always:----------------------------------Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song“Hedwig’s Theme” by John WilliamsShout out for the artistic assistance of:Matt Schubbe (Logo)Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

Ep 26: 🎂🥳 “Stoner” Solstice: Animism & Plant Stories w/ Kirsten

This episode marks the podcast’s one year anniversary and to celebrate we are going to give plants some “main character energy”What might emerge if we proceeded as though plants could grow us just as much as we grow them?  In what ways can Cannabis be a competent protector, and a companion for practicing consent in times of collapse?  How is the Cannabis industry “just like the Handmaid’s Tale” (which is to say it is actually just like slavery)?Kristyn with a Why chats with her colleague, friend, and “garden witch” Kirsten about how working with plants can subvert the hyperindividualistic, human-centric narratives that are all-too-common in popular stories, and what can happen when we accept their invitation to grapple with the “cracks in the wall” they reveal to us.0: Introduction/Episode Overview9:56: Meet Kirsten31:22: Cannabis, Consent, Compassionate Witnessing, Collapse, Camp Followers56:16: Patriarchy in the Cannabis Industry1:08:04: Stoner Somatics and Confronting “saviorism” with Psilocybin 1:15:00: Outro, seeds for future pods and your own home garden!Follow Kirsten on Instagram @tendingnettles Check out her seeds at https://www.goodseedhempgarden.com/Follow the podcast on Substack & Instagram!—---------------------------------------------Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network  and Numinous podcast on Collapse Friday Things with Stacey Lee Kong: Adriana Smith Sophie Strand’s books: “The Madonna Secret” and “Body is a Doorway”Naomi KleinCannabis as a “Camp Follower” in Dale Pendell’s Pharmako/PoeiaRat Park:  How cages create addictionLiberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williamsAs always:----------------------------------Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song“Hedwig’s Theme” by John WilliamsShout out for the artistic assistance of:Matt Schubbe (Logo)Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

S3E4: 🌕♐️ Dream Place Meditation

This entire episode, not to be listened to while driving, is a guided meditation provided to help listeners practice radical rest, connection, and creativity.  In this mini-season, Kristyn discusses {Dream Productions} and offers a guided meditation practice she has done with her kids for over a year titled “Dream Place.”Follow me on Substack to read the transcript for this meditation —---------------------------------------------Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network Tricia Hersey- “Nap Ministry” Audre LordeDra Rocio Rosales Mesaadrienne maree browntoi smithPeople’s Oracle-Dayna Lynn Nuckolls Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williamsSarah Faith Gottesdiener and the Moon StudioChani NicholasLate Fragment by Raymond CarverBayo Akomolafe- The times are urgent, let’s slow downAs always:----------------------------------Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song“Hedwig’s Theme” by John WilliamsShout out for the artistic assistance of:Matt Schubbe (Logo)Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

S3E3: 🌑♊️Dream Place Meditation: Intention, Introduction, & Overview

In this mini-season, Kristyn will be discussing {Dream Productions} and offering a guided meditation practice she has done with her kids for over a year titled “Dream Place.”How can we practice opening ourselves up to accidental spiritual encounters?  What is a witch if not someone who can shift their consciousness at will?  What becomes possible when we offer our bodies rest and our spirits a sense of security?In this episode, Kristyn provides an overview of the psychoeducation of trance journeys, sharing her experiences and offering insights before giving an overview of the upcoming episode’s meditation.Follow me on Substack, where I share the transcript for next episode’s meditation It is FREE WEEK on Carmen Spagnola’s ⁠Numinous Network⁠ from May 24th-30th 2025.—---------------------------------------------Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:Tricia Hersey- “Nap Ministry” Audre LordeDra Rocio Rosales Mesaadrienne maree browntoi smithPeople’s Oracle-Dayna Lynn Nuckolls Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williamsSarah Faith Gottesdiener and the Moon StudioChani NicholasLate Fragment by Raymond CarverBayo Akomolafe- The times are urgent, let’s slow downCarmen Spagnola’s ⁠⁠Numinous Network⁠⁠ As always:----------------------------------Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song“Hedwig’s Theme” by John WilliamsShout out for the artistic assistance of:Matt Schubbe (Logo)Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

S3E2: 🌕♏️{Dream Productions} Competent Protectors, Creativity, & Value-Aligned Community

In this mini-season, Kristyn will be discussing {Dream Productions} and offering a guided meditation practice she has done with her kids for over a year titled “Dream Place.”This episode provides a synopsis and discussion of the 2024 animated series “Dream Productions” that takes place between the events of “Inside Out” and “Inside Out 2” on Disney/Pixar.Why do all the stories on this podcast have characters that are a personification of capitalism’s impact on the creative process?  How can stories and intentional altered states of consciousness help us to connect with what matters most to us, and practice embodying it?  If Riley deserves better dreams, can we also demand better stories?In this episode, Kristyn discusses Dream Productions and the connection to the upcoming Dream Place meditation with her co-parent and partner Kevin.  Kevin also provides a testimonial of his experience of Kristyn leading him through a trance journey similar to the Dream Place.Follow me on Substack! #dreamproductions #insideout #insideout2—---------------------------------------------Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:Carmen Spagnola’s various hypnotherapy offerings on the Numinous Network SaffanaBanana on IG “Is this true? Who benefits from me believing this?”Sophie Strand’s “Sexy Inventory” on Substack Roadmap to Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williamsAs always:----------------------------------Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song“Hedwig’s Theme” by John WilliamsShout out for the artistic assistance of:Matt Schubbe (Logo)Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

S3E1: 🌑♉️*Dream Place* and the Memento Mori of Motherhood

In this season, Kristyn will be discussing {Dream Productions} and offering a guided meditation practice she has done with her kids titled “Dream Place.”In the words of Sophie Strand, inspired by Octavia Butler, what is sexy?  How can the tropes we love in stories be the roadmaps for what liberation looks like for us, here, now?  How can intentional changes of consciousness be a magical practice to enable our senses to feel the presence of loved ones after they pass on?In this episode, Kristyn shares some more context of how the vision of this podcast came to be- by watching the stories her kids loved *with* them and provides her personal reasons for this season of dreams: her desire to leave behind batons and breadcrumbs for her kids in the event she dies before they grow up.Follow me on Substack! —---------------------------------------------Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:Carmen Spagnola and the Numinous Network Sophie Strand’s Substack Roadmap to Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williamsAs always:----------------------------------Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song“Hedwig’s Theme” by John WilliamsShout out for the artistic assistance of:Matt Schubbe (Logo)Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

Ep21: 🌕♎️{Severance} Numinous Reactions to Season 2- w/ Carmen Spagnola

(This season contains spoilers for the show “Severance”- season 2 aired in 2025 on Apple)How can shows, like Severance, hijack our nervous systems into dysregulation so that we will accept the same-old stories, confusing coherence with liberation? In what ways is Severance a part of the same propaganda it warns about?  How can we use stories as a way to locate ourselves in the larger story of our own lives- to see what gaps there might be in where we really are and who we aspire to be?  If every white person were just a little more like Irv could we be closer to collective liberation?!? Pretty please!!?Kristyn with a Why uses the three questions she learned from teacher and mentor Carmen Spagnola on the Numinous Network to engage in a trauma-informed and attachment-oriented friendly chat to settle their nervous systems as they shared their reactions to Severance Season 2. Thanks again, Carmen Spagnola and The Numinous Network (Happy 4 year Anniversary!)You can check out our earlier podcast together here!Follow me on Substack! —---------------------------------------------Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:Carmen’s Learning to See in the Dark Podcast and the work of Marija Gimutas and Charlene SpretnakGeorgia Nicols AstrologyBayo AkomolafeRachael Rice & Personal DiminishmentLow Value Men by Zawn VillinesKristyn on the Asteria’s Convos PodcastSophie Strand’s Substack for all the Romantasy Roadmap to Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williamsAs always:----------------------------------Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song“Hedwig’s Theme” by John WilliamsShout out for the artistic assistance of:Matt Schubbe (Logo)Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)