Did your new year's resolutions already fizzle?  You have a second chance.   The ancient Celts called February 1st Imbolc (pronounced im-bolc, eem-olc, or eem-yolk), First Spring or the feast of the Goddess/Saint Brigid.  It represented the return or rebirth of the Goddess, after having died to the earth at Samhain. In this episode Kate muses on that quickening, lightness, restlessness from earth-bound hibernation, the darkness and cold of winter just starting to hint of lifting. As we move out of hibernation, how might we respond to those new impulse to stretch, move out a ..read more

Katie Spataro, CSB (she/her) is a certified somatic sex educator and sexological bodyworker, womb tender, holistic pelvic care provider, and full spectrum doula.  Katie studies and practices at the intersections of birth work and sex work, drawing upon the embodied wisdom of these two lineages to support healing of the personal and collective cultural body. In this conversation, we explore: - What do we mean by "the erotic"? - How to rewrite narratives about our sexual and erotic bodies - The relationship between eroticism and sex  - Consent, communication and negotiating the ed ..read more

We are living in a time of overwhelming conflict at an unprecedented scale. It is everywhere, in our homes and in our world. In this week's podcast, I explore a unique framework and 3 essential components of engaging conflict in a conscious -- and hopefully constructive -- way.  Here's the reframe I invite us to consider: conflict is an altered state. Like love-making, deep meditation, or psychedelics, conflict does something to our bodies, minds and spirit that is different than our base-line day-to-day state.   What could this mean for how we engage conflict? In light of this ..read more

How can Astrology help us understand and navigate the political landscape and bigger cultural and social phenomena of our time? This is a question that drives the scholarship and offerings of Hummingbird, an astrologer, content creator, and creator of Astrology for the Revolution.   In this conversation we explore some profound and provocative themes, particularly around the archetype and influence of Pluto, planet of death, destruction, the unconscious, rebirth, and transformation.  We look at:  - the manifestation and implications of the Pluto Returns of the United States ..read more

“Everyone wants to do ayahuasca but no one wants to do the dishes.” - Unknown Such is the frame for the Midwinter Mundane Magic Summit, curated by my colleagues and virtual friends Laurel Armstrong and Alyssa Allegretti. In this virtual tea-party, we talk about all things ordinarily mystical: the 'in-between' spaces, departure from dominant spiritual structures, the cycles of disillusionment often experienced on the spiritual fringe, the absence of real integration in the ocean of spiritual highs, the interplay of structure and wildness within spiritual community and formation. You'll also get ..read more

Solstice is one of those days that cultures around the world recognized as significant: a moment to dwell in the beauty and paradox of light and darkness. For us in the northern hemisphere, winter solstice can be a time to receive the gifts of deep darkness: rest, incubation of dreams, and the freedom as well as hardship of death and endings. In this week's podcast, I go over 5 components of a simple ritual that you can adapt for your own family and community.   If you try this with your family, or have other practices or resources you use with your family, please let me know in the ..read more

This week's episode is a conversation with inabel Uytiepo, a queer, ilocanx-chinese-spanish-portuguese somatic forgiveness practitioner, artist, teacher, animist and forever student.  inabel's work spans many modalities and themes, only some of which we are able to explore together.  Some include: -Colonialism, Cultural Insecurity, and severance from the land -Finding our place in movement ecology -Somatic forgiveness and healing through non-linear time -Tending our victim-selves, activating our adult-selves -Forgiving White Supremacy -"we-searching" for creative culture-building -Th ..read more

If you're a highly sensitive person, even though you might LOVE the holiday season, you might also struggle with feeling: ~like it doesn't take much to make you completely overstimulated (resulting in sensory shut down, grumpiness, irritability or relational avoidance) ~guilt or disappointment for not being able to show up for or thoroughly enjoy ALL THE THINGS (which might result in trying to do so perfectly through gritted teeth OR not even wanting to try and cancelling everything) ~paralyzed or overwhelmed by options, the demands of others, OR your own desires (possibly resulting in going i ..read more

What does it take to de-center whiteness and create spaces where ALL people can experience nourishment? What does it look like to nurture harmony experience healing together amidst systems of oppression that impact each of us so differently? How might spiritual practice support us in these endeavors? These are the questions I explore with my colleague and collaborator, Rhea Goodrum, in preparation for this year's winter solstice Nourish retreat. Rhea is a Chamorrita with roots from Guam in the Mariana Islands.  She is a spiritual activist, and seeks to reconnect us to the wisdom and life ..read more

In this Oracle of the Ordinary I share some insights from the season on how to live in the "too muchness" of everything. From the overflow of nature's bounty to the war in Gaza and throughout the world, to the pending holidays just around the corner, it can be easy to get overwhelmed or just numb to it all. Is there another option? Let's see what the natural world might say. For your own 'too muchness' support this season, check out: Holy Darkness: An Advent-Solstice-Epiphany Pilgrimage: www.katefontana.com/holy-darkness Nourish: A Winter Solstice Retreat: www.katefontana.com/nourish ..read more