Through The Portal

Through the Portal — with Tory StephensImagining hopeful futures through story, vision, and embodied presenceIn this episode, Maria Gehrke is joined by Tory Stephens — justice-driven storyteller and Creative Manager of Imagine 2200 at Grist — for a deep conversation on climate fiction, solarpunk futures, and the role of imagination in times of crisis.Together, they explore:Why dystopian stories dominate our cultural landscape — and what they do to our nervous systemsHow hopeful storytelling can expand collective possibility without denying complexitySolarpunk as a movement rooted in justice, community, and life-affirming technologyThe importance of slowing down to envision futures beyond survival modeThe session concludes with a guided inner-vision meditation and a live visual reflection, inviting listeners to reconnect with stillness, imagination, and long-term care for future generations.Host: Maria GehrkeGuest: Tory StephensFormat: Conversation, guided meditation, live visual reflection This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

Through the Portal — with Tylney TaylorIn this episode of Through the Portal, Maria Gehrke sits with strategist and coach Tylney Taylor for a spacious, embodied conversation on sense-making, leadership, and the courage to trust what the body already knows.Together, they explore the tension between left-brain strategy and right-brain intuition, how real clarity emerges through integration rather than analysis alone, and why meaningful decisions are often somatic before they are rational. The conversation culminates in a guided inner-vision journey, where Tylney steps through the Portal into a symbolic landscape that reveals a simple but powerful message: you’re already here—you just have to let it out.This episode is an invitation for founders, leaders, and change-makers to slow down, listen more deeply, and reconnect with the inner signals that guide aligned action.Topics explored:Strategy as uncovering, not inventingIntegrating intuition, embodiment, and analysis in leadershipSomatic decision-making and collective intelligenceFear, authenticity, and letting deeper work be seenInner vision as a source of clarity and directionGuest:Tylney Taylor — Strategist, coach, and guide for mission-led founders and leaders. Tylney blends strategy facilitation, execution empowerment, and embodied sense-making to help people build work that matters without losing themselves in the process.Host:Maria Gehrke — Visual Bard & creator of the Embodied Vision Portal This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

Through the Portal – with Joey Clifton & Solomon Mehta-SladeEpisode Theme: A journey into play, resilience, and collective tendingIn this episode, Maria is joined by Joey Clifton and Solomon Mehta-Slade, co-founders of the Change:Maker Collective, an online community supporting purpose-led people who feel overwhelmed or isolated in their mission-driven work.Together, they explore:The origins of the Change:Maker CollectiveWhy play and experimentation are essential antidotes to burnoutHow resilience grows through connection rather than isolationRhythmic, seasonal community practices that support sustainable impactA guided visualization into their inner landscapesThe meadow, the woodland, and the communal fire that emergedWhat it means to live the change together — not as a slogan, but as a lived experienceMaria also creates a live, collaborative artwork based on Joey and Sol’s visions, weaving their imagery into a shared piece that reflects their purpose, their joy, and the community they are co-creating.About the Change:Maker CollectiveThe Collective is a supportive home for freelancers, founders, solopreneurs, and mission-driven humans who want to do good and feel good while doing it. The community offers weekly sessions, somatic practices, co-working, coaching, and a steady web of connection that helps members feel resilient, rooted, and inspired. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

In this episode, Maria guides guest Adam Dickinson — a former FBI analyst turned intuitive guide — through a conversation about inner transformation, embodied intelligence, and learning to trust the signals that come from beyond logic.Adam shares how heartbreak became the doorway into meditation and deeper awareness, how the Akashic Records became a surprising tool for clarity, and why integrating intuition with rational analysis leads to more aligned decision-making.Together, Maria and Adam enter a guided visualization, exploring Adam’s inner vision space. What emerges is a vivid scene of homecoming, warmth, community, and a clear message: slow down and trust the path unfolding.This is a gentle, spacious episode for anyone navigating change, seeking clarity, or wanting to better understand the bridge between intellect and intuition. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

In this episode of Through the Portal, Maria guides guest Edward Zaydelman into an inner visioning practice that reveals the deeper currents beneath his work in regenerative land projects and community building. Together, they explore belonging, purpose, relational development, and the courage required to step into bold new possibilities. Includes a guided meditation and a rich conversation on creating both inner and outer ecosystems that support human flourishing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

Today’s Through the Portal session brings you into conversation with Rebecca Weston, a twelve-time Camino pilgrim and guide who helps people 45+ prepare for their own pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago.In this episode, we explore what makes the Camino such a powerful container for transformation — not only through its landscapes, but through its community, its rhythm, and the way it quietly rewires how we move through our lives. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

In this Through the Portal conversation, I met with Jacqueline (MamaJ) Hollows to cross the threshold between vision and embodiment.From working in UK prisons to founding The Impact Activator, Mama J shares how she learned that money is simply another expression of love and how activating others can ripple healing through entire communities.Guided by visualization, a luminous inner landscape unfolds for Mama J: a wall of smooth bright stones, a mountain, an eagle in flight, and a single message: “Be bolder.”This episode explores what it means to build belonging stone by stone, to trust the unseen resources that arise when we follow our hearts, and to remember that we are never alone in the work we are called to do.Listen if you’re longing to:Reconnect with your purpose after a season of changeBelieve again in the flow of support and divine timingFeel the courage to be bolder in your own visionConnect with Mama J:The Impact Activator on SubstackLet Them Feel It — BookWing of an Angel — Book This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

In this Through the Portal conversation, I’m joined by Carolina Wilke, co-founder of Sacred Business Flow, for a live journey into the heart of creation itself.We explore how destruction and renewal dance through every business, how embodiment anchors vision, and what it means to trust the unseen currents guiding our path.Carolina shares the luminous story behind Sacred Business Flow, and together we step through an inner visioning portal—into a world where trees and humans pulse with one radiant heart.→ Explore her work and the Harmony Map at sacredbusinessflow.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com

In this engaging conversation, Andrew Dunn, founder of the School of Wise Innovation, delves into the powerful intersection of innovation and wisdom. He discusses the journey from chasing visions to embodying them, emphasizing a right relationship with our aspirations. Andrew reveals how his programs focus on aligning human creativity with Earth's intelligence and shares insights from a guided vision journey that connects abstract ideas to tangible experiences. The discussion also highlights the shift from digital tools to grounding practices in nature.

In this Through the Portal conversation, Maria Gehrke is joined by Makenzie Darling, founder of Movement Maker, for a luminous exploration of sacred leadership, ancestral healing, and the art of birthing the new earth. Together, they journey through embodiment, weaving modern strategy with ancient wisdom, and remembering that we do not have to hold our visions alone. This episode feels less like an interview and more like a ceremony — a space where movement becomes devotion and leadership becomes love in action. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livelovemaria.substack.com