Barbara Butcher spent 23 years in the New York City Chief Medical Examiner's Office, investigating more than 5500 deaths and working disasters including the 2004 tsunami and 9/11. In this fascinating interview, she shares What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator (her new book), how she landed the job newly sober, and how non-traditional but deeply held spiritual principles carried her through. Her website is https://BarbaraButcherAuthor.com, or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.  Big announcement from Victoria:&nb ..read more

Noted scholar of the history of religions, Elaine Pagels describes her own spiritual life as one of music, nature, friendship, and love. The author of books including The Gnostic Gospels, The Gospel of Thomas, and the memoir Why Religion? shares about her life -- why she took up the study of religion as an academic discipline, how she navigated the death of her six-year-old and her beloved husband within a single year, and how she sees life and faith today. Some tidbits: "Bach and Aretha Franklin came out of the church ... What matters to me is not what you believe, bu ..read more

Oscar buzz started for the romance/horror film based on the eponymous book by today's guest when it premiered to a standing ovation and rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival. Brimming with star power -- Taylor Russell, Timothee Chalamet, Mark Rylance -- this tale of an improbably likable teenage cannibal means much more to DeAngelis. A committed Vegan, she conceived the Bones and All concept after seeing that, in an antique Scottish cookbook, the meat section was called "Flesh." Flesh is universal in the animal kingdom, human animals included. Thus emerged a well-meaning cannibal ..read more

Unity and Interfaith minister Carol Saunders, whose podcast-based ministry, The Spiritual Forum, serves a diverse audience of spiritual seekers, hosted the first Whole Planet Spirituality Forum & Retreat at Unity's heavenly headquarters outside Kansas City, Missouri, in 2021. This year's edition, Peace Begins With Me, will happen October 19-22, 2023, and feature spiritual practice, yoga, labyrinth and trail walking, and presentations including those from keynote speaker Renee King-Sonnen, the longtime yoga practitioner who turned her husband's Texas cattle ranch into Rowdy Girl, a san ..read more

When Kristel de Groot's husband, then boyfriend, Michael Kuech, was diagnosed with cancer in his 20s, she stepped up to buoy his conventional treatments with superfood blends containing ingredients shown to bolster immunity and retard the progression of some malignancies. Michael recovered beautifully and together they started Your Super, a company that shares these high-octane edibles with the rest of us. They're also the authors of a new cookbook and lifestyle guide, Your Super Life. Website: https://yoursuper.com. IG: https://www.instagram.com/yoursuperfoods/?hl=en ..read more

Arielle Ford is a gifted writer and the author of twelve books including the international bestseller, The Soulmate Secret: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction, and her debut novel, The Love Thief, a  a roller-coaster ride of love, betrayal, and unexpected transformation with a juicy revenge sub-plot and a surprise ending. One reviewer said: "The Love Thief is an emotional journey where you’ll finish so completely satisfied, you’ll want a hypothetical cigarette.” Called “The Cupid of Consciousness” and “The Fairy Godmother ..read more

Mariquita Solis inspires clients around the world, with a special focus on Vegan Empowerment Coaching, the name of her company. Gratitude is central to Mariquita's way of healing lives and manifesting success. Whether it's self-acceptance, overcoming grief, outgrowing childhood trauma, or dealing with the angst Vegans sometimes feel that they "get it" about animal suffering and other people––really good people––simply don't, Solis infuses growth with gratitude. First step: be grateful for the miracle of life the way it is. Next step: pray and envision and work with determination, grateful ever ..read more

Founder of The Black Vegan Experience, Vonettia Calloway is a Biblical Christian, a mom, an exceptional middle school science teacher, and the wife of a U.S. Army combat veteran who suffers from PTSD. She wrote a beautiful children's coloring book, My Color Is Coconut, about biracial children, in memory of a little girl named Aniyah who was proud to say, "My color is coconut." Aniyah lost her life in a house fire and Vonettia wrote the book in memory of this child and as a gift to her parents. The proceeds go to the family and other families who have lost children. And you ..read more

Ruby Warrington is English and gorgeous and real and funny and brave -- and really good writer. She started her career in magazine journalism in London and did that whole glossy thing for several years, but her soul called her to other things, right about the time her truelove drew her to the U.S. She started The Numinous, an online zine for people interested in the Big Picture, and then wrote Material Girl, Mystical World, an exploration of all things magically alternative.  Around this time, she decided that her life might be better without alcohol, but perhaps not the sw ..read more

Join the plant based nutrition movement. Victoria talks with Kimberly Campbell, Director of Culinary Education and Development at PlantPure and the daughter in law of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the "science father of the modern plant based nutrition movement. Kimberly is the author of the book PlantPure Comfort Food: Over 100 Plant Based and Mostly Gluten-Free Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Soothe Your Soul. Discover new whole food recipes and plant based recreations of traditional family dishes with no oil, often no gluten, and lots of rich, satisfying flavor. Find out more about Victoria Moran ..read more