Belonging: Conversations about rites of passage, meaningful community, and seasonal living

In today’s episode, I am joined by Stevie Storck, founder of the Cross Quarter Club, a creative seasonal living community focused on gardening and nature connection. When Stevie and I first connected through my circle facilitation training Circle Craft, she introduced me to the concept of the Sharing Table, a tradition that encourages community members to share resources and foster connections. We both share our experiences with this meaningful way of community building and also explore what it means to right-size creative ambitions to fit personal responsibilities.Tune in to hear more from us on:The origins of the Cross Quarter Club and the Sharing TableWeaving ancestral traditions into modern communitiesHow the Sharing Table reflects a larger movement towards community careHow creating community involves being the kind of community you want to seeHow embracing the reality of caregiving can inform and enrich creative workThe challenges we, as millennials, face when it comes to cultivating communityHow right-sizing creative work is crucial for sustainability and fulfillmentHow simplicity and being limited in time and resources can enhance creative endeavoursStevie is an alumni of Circle Craft, my circle facilitation training, which as of now is available on demand. If you want to bring your vision of circling and facilitation to life and would like me to walk alongside you in that process, visit my website to learn more and join Circle Craft today.Resources + LinksLearn more about Circle Craft, my circle facilitation training that is now self-study!Stevie’s Sharing Table blog postBecca’s video on her sharing table experimentFind Stevie’s work on Instagram @steviestorck and her websiteMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[00:00] Introduction to Cross Quarter Club and Community Building[12:50] The Sharing Table: Origins, Intentions and Experiences[26:58] Reviving Ancestral Traditions in Modern Communities[34:17] Evolving Plans for Cross Quarter Club[41:13] Navigating Burnout and Creative Ambitions[43:58] Right-Sizing Creative Work and Responsibilities

Immersing myself deeply in the season of Summer here on the East coast has meant that I went on a little hiatus when it comes to sharing about my journey with moving my whole family across the country, purchasing land, learning farming, building community, and everything else. So, for this episode, I asked my friend Sarah Wildeman, who’s been a beloved guest on the podcast before, to interview me about what has been present in my life in this season. I’m on the cusp of the anniversary of our move from the West coast to our farm in the Hudson Valley and my relationship with this land and the community around me is ever evolving, changing, sometimes challenging and very much deepening.Tune in to hear more from us on:The importance of choosing to be present and slowing down in order to fully connect with the land and communityThe challenges and tensions that arise when building community in a new placeThe process of letting go of old identities and finding a new sense of purpose and worthThe ongoing journey of grappling with challenges and staying true to oneselfReconnecting with the land requires trust in intuition and working with the energy of the seasonsSupporting each other through transitions and embracing different roles in a relationship is essentialEmbodying generosity and celebrating differences in partnership allows for flourishingResources + LinksEpisode 118 with Sarah Wildeman: “Community Living Wherever You Are”Episode 121 with Hillarie Maddox: “WTF did I just do? A Conversation on Rewilding with Hillarie Maddox”Find Sarah’s work on Instagram @sarahwildeman and @our__common, and her websiteMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction[3:51] Longing for the East Coast and Connection to the Land[10:40] Building Community and Navigating Tensions[16:29] Slowing Down in Work and Choosing a Different Way of Life[20:29] Letting Go and Finding New Purpose[27:30] The Ongoing Journey of Grappling and Growth[32:22] Living Life Through the Lens of the Farm[34:04] Reconnecting with the Land and Trusting Intuition[37:27] Supporting Each Other Through Transitions and Embracing Different Roles in Partnership[42:47] Feeling Satiated and Accepting What Is[48:48] Embodying Generosity and Celebrating Differences in Partnership

In today’s episode, I am joined by Lara Vesta, author of ‘The Year of the Dark Goddess’ and ‘The Moon Divas Guidebook’ (among other titles). In this conversation, we explore navigating difficult rites of passage, learning its culture through myths, fairytales and other symbolism and calling in our webs of support - whether they be human, spiritual, animal, plant or otherwise.Lara offers us tools and insights how we can empower and transform ourselves through the processes of grief and fear, drawing from ancestral traditions and the wisdom of the Dark Goddess.Tune in to hear more from us on:Learning the culture of rites of passage and the role of the dark goddessHonoring the shifts in our lives and identity with a new status or nameGrowing our internal knowing and webs of supportExperiencing disorientation in a culture that can’t meet youCreating seasonal awareness and honouring the pacing of the ceremonial yearLara’s non-negotiable integration practicesThe time it may take to integrate a rite of passageLearning to create ceremony and ritual for integrating and honoring a rite of passageResources + LinksLara Vesta’s book The Year of the Dark Goddess: A Journey of Ritual, Renewal & RebirthFind Lara’s work on her website laravesta.coMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps [0:00] Introduction [5:46] Navigating Rites of Passage [8:11] Learning How to Cope with Challenges through Myths and Fairytales [11:38] Developing our Internal Knowing and Webs of Support [13:16] Becoming Sovereign in your own Process [15:58] The Transformative Power of a Daily Ritual and Recording it [19:32] Introducing the Dark Goddess and her Many Forms [23:23] Our Culture’s Separation from Death and Discomfort with Grief [27:26] Seasonal Awareness, Ritual and Self Care for Rites of Passage [32:48] The Time it Takes to Integrate a Rite of Passage [36:09] The Garden as a Mirror for Life and Navigating its Hardships [35:37] The Purpose of Challenges

In today’s episode, I am joined by my friend Gemma Brady of ‘Sister Stories’ to explore our mutual passion of sharing circle work. One of Gemma’s mission is to make going to circle as common as going to yoga class and in this conversation, she shares how she approaches circle as a living, breathing art form. She shares vulnerably about how she experienced her second pregnancy and how circle, both as a participant and a facilitator, sustained her most through that time. Above all, this conversation is an invitation to everyone who feels the call to do circle work to explore their own unique expression and what it means to them to devote themselves to the heart of the practice.Tune in to hear more from us on:How to find your own unique style of circle workChallenging assumptions about the aesthetic, scale and framework of circleHow circle can foster meaningful connections and compassionHow circle is medicine, and an opportunity for personal growth, for the facilitator tooPreserving integrity in circle work while allowing it to evolveReleasing the idea of hierarchy and competition within this workResources + LinksLead unforgettable circles that satisfy your soul — so you can unleash your magic in the world: join my free workshop ‘High Lady’ on May 22nd.Find Gemma Brady’s work on her website sisterstories.co & Instagram @sisterstoriesuk. Her Women’s Circle Facilitation Training starts again in May.My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction and The High Lady Workshop on Facilitating the Circle of your Dreams [5:39] Introducing Gemma Brady and our Personal Connection [11:40] Gemma’s Background in Spaceholding and the Creation of ‘Sister Stories’ [17:23] The Power of Deep Speaking and Listening [19:03] The Essence of Circle Beyond the Aesthetic + Unbranding Circle [23:04] Circle as a Philosophy [24:49] Spreading the Word of Circle [27:44] Marketing Circle Work and Claiming your Unique Expression [33:41] Shifted Assumptions around Circle [37:57] Preserving Integrity and Allowing Evolution and Creativity in our Offerings [40:49] Humanity and Imperfection in Circle [42:39] Circle as Medicine for the Facilitator too [51:33] Offering Circle Facilitation

In today’s episode, I am joined by Johannah Reimer to talk about holding circle for our girls and the female-bodied youth that are in our lives. Johannah is a soulcentric educator, ceremonialist, teen mentor, and an artist of many trades. Trained as a Waldorf teacher, Johannah has been working with children of all ages for over 20 years and holds a particular passion for tweens/teens striving to meet their developmental needs for mentorship and initiation in a culture that has forgotten how to do so. Johannah founded Wakeful Nature & Girls Group as a means to fill the initiatory void for girls crossing the threshold of childhood into adolescence with guidance, ceremony, and community.Johannah and I share our passion for the healing that can happen through circling and ceremony and in this conversation I get the change to get nosey about her incredible work facilitating girls groups, the impact this work has on her as a space holder and so much more. Above all, Johannah calls for the ‘village aunties’ to step up, cultivating more awareness around what today’s generation of girls is moving through and weaving together multi-generational embodied wisdom.Tune in to hear more from us on:Remembering how to be village aunties and engage in re-villaging workCreating a safe space for younger girlsThe challenges faced by girls in today’s societyWorking with the elements and ancestral remembranceRitualizing the first bleed and normalizing menstrual cycle awareness through storytelling and archetypesModeling imperfection and the human experience as a facilitatorAllowing the girls to grow capacity within circleExperiencing grief as a facilitator whilst also carving the new path for ritual and ceremonyStepping into our role as matriarchal leaders and how we can move into a post-patriarchal societyResources + LinksFind Johannah’s work on wakefulnature.com and Instagram @wakeful.natureFind out more about Johannah’s Girls Group Facilitator trainingLearn how to craft a meaningful rite of passage for your daughter’s menstrual cycle with JohannahBook: ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan HaidtMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction [09:43] Remembering How to be Village Aunties [12:17] Challenges Faced by Girls in Today's Society [18:00] Creating Safe Spaces for Girls through Long-Term and Ongoing Support [26:48] Social Media Use by Teens and Navigating Belonging and Connection [34:32] Ritualising & Normalising the First Bleed through Ceremony + Ritual [40:22] Being a Girls Group Facilitator [43:47] Moving into a Post-Patriarchal Society

In today’s episode, I am answering listener questions. Topics range from sharing my personal viewpoint on religion and spirituality, navigating different roles and jobs during my day and in my life and dive deep into circle-related questions too.Tune in to hear more from me on:The role religion and spirituality played during my upbringing and todayThe journey from my old-school DIY blogging days to my online work now, and how working with my hands was the pathway to exploring community and belongingNavigating different jobs and roles as a human being and practicing flexibilityKnowing when it’s time to let go and honoring the power of an ending when it comes to friendships - and also knowing when you’re witholding and taking responsibilityClaiming the term ‘circle’ and holding space for all peoplesHow circle needs to offer the opportunity for equality and the space for consent, also in the context of sharingResources + LinksEpisode #125: Turning Circle Conflict into Deeper Intimacy With Ginny MuirEpisode #123: The Meaning of Time With Becca RichMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[01:00] Do you practice any religions or spirituality?[06:23] Your work used to be more focused on hands on elements and literal making. How do you still integrate that into your day to day life?[11:24] How do you juggle/hold all of your different jobs and roles? Both big picture and like a “day in the life” type thing.[14:55] How to know when to let a friendship go or how do you do it?[18:23] Is it possible to start a successful circle with non-circley friends?[22:05] Does it always have to be everyone shares? Other prompts for shyer or younger?

In today’s episode, I am joined by my friend Amelia Hruby. Amelia is a feminist author, educator, podcaster and founder of Softer Sounds podcast studio (who used to edit this podcast too!). I brought her onto the podcast today specifically because of her amazing podcast ‘Off the Grid’, which is a podcast for small business owners who want to leave social media without losing their clients.Even if you don’t identify as a small business owner - there’s something about what Amelia shares about leaving social media in this episode that transcends it all and will leave you feeling inspired to explore your virtual presence.Amelia opens up about the impact that leaving social media has had on her life and makes the beautiful connection between her patterns of anxious attachment and how that showed up in her virtual presence too.Tune in to hear more from us on:The loneliness that can arrive when leaving social mediaThe struggle of finding community outside of the virtual landscape and finding a sense of belonging without itThe need of being seen in this day and ageHow personal and emotional well-being can be so attached and influenced by our online presenceHow our seasonal and hormonal cycles can impact our relationship with social mediaHow the platforms are designed to lead us down a path of misinformation, toxic algorithms and capitalismResources + LinksAmelia Hruby’s podcast ‘Off the Grid’, her website AmeliaHruby.com and her podcasting studio Softer SoundsAmelia’s membership ‘The Interweb’, dedicated to support small business owners move their business off of social mediaThe Off the Grid episode with Nicole Antoinette: ‘How much is Enough: Money & Social Media’ membership ‘interweb’My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction [11:01] The Decision to Leave Social Media [13:16] Anxious Attachment to the Online Sphere [16:37] Life after Leaving Social Media [19:56] Creativity in Business w/o Social Media [20:56] Loneliness and Virtual Community [24:34] Running a Business outside of Social Media [27:27] Finding Community outside of Social Media [29:00] The Need to Feel Seen [36:44] Curation Online [40:40] Aggravation of Wounds of Belonging by Social Media [48:36] The Harmful Ways the Algorithm Preys Upon Vulnerabilities [52:46] The Impact of Culture and the Joy of the Internet [53:41] Bringing Intention, Awareness and Agency to the Virtual Landscape [54:16] Choosing a Different Path and Finding Liberation [54:55] Main Takeaways [56:36] Amelia’s Work and Offerings

It takes a deep initiation of need for care to get you to shed the layers of hyper individualism and show up as the village. In today’s episode, I get fired up about why the ones who are showing up and arriving on the doorstep with the soup are often the caregivers with a limited capacity themselves. I talk about my own journey with asking for and receiving support, experiencing the power of circle and council and navigating anger and cynicism along the way.Tune in to hear more from me on:– Caregivers with less capacity being the ones who show upHow it takes a deep initiation of need, usually having a child or experiencing a major loss or illness, to get you to this placeReleasing the fog of hyper individualismHow we need to replenish as keepers of the wellResisting the urge to become cynicalWeaving yourself into the missionResources + LinksFind out more about BEHELD, an intimate council of space holdersMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction[5:41] Initiation into Caregiving and Kinkeeping[7:35] The Myth of Hyper Individualism[8:36] Those Who Show Up for the Village are the Ones with the Least Capacity[9:56] The Bottomless Pit of Need[12:12] Creating Community and Circle[16:48] Replenishing Yourself as Keeper of the Well[18:26] Navigating Cynicism and Anger when Feeling Unsupported[20:52] Weaving Yourself into the Mission[21:20] Beheld Council Invitation[23:05] Next Episode Preview

In today’s episode, I am joined by my dear friend Ginny Muir to talk about the longing for deep intimacy, the importance of healing in relationships, navigating rupture and repair in community and circle specifically. Ginny is an incredible spaceholder, medicine woman, witch, tantrika and so much more. Specifically, she has an incredible way of supporting relational conflict.Rupture and repair is an innate way of being in community, and yet to so many of us this is absolutely terrifying. In this conversation, Ginny shows her amazing skills at supporting others through navigating conflict and we give real-life examples as to how we navigated conflict in circle before - and the tools that helped us work though it.Tune in to hear more from us on:How deep intimacy requires healing in relationships and a willingness to navigate conflictHow rupture and repair are essential for fostering deeper intimacy and growthHow conflict in friendship should be approached with the same openness and willingness to repair as conflict in romantic relationshipExamples of circle technologies, how they can help navigate moments of rupture and create a safe space for healingResources + LinksFind Ginny Muir on Instagram @ginnymuirFind out more about BEHELD, an intimate council of space holdersMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[00:00]  Introducing Ginny Muir[07:25] Longing for Deep Intimacy[09:45] Healing in Relationships[11:33] Wounds and Attachment[14:29] The Process of Rupture and Repair[15:55] Conflict in Friendship vs Romantic Relationships[19:55] Embracing Polarity and Diversity in All Relationships[24:37] Triggers as an Opportunity for Self Love[25:51] Turning Conflict into Deeper Intimacy[27:07] Navigating conflict through the Lens of the Nervous System[28:11] Rupture and Repair in a Retreat[38:29] Finding Safety in Circle[41:35] Consciously created circles and communities[43:05] The experience of Holding Space and Trusting the Unfolding of Ceremony[46:40] Using Circle Technologies[52:49] Learning from Experienced Teachers[54:32] Receiving Support through Microdosing 🍄[56:17] Journey to Scotland & Reconnecting with the Earth Ways on the Ancestral Land

A year ago, I almost completely gave up on my work. Emerging from the early years of motherhood and feeling my creative spark again, I felt motivated to get back into the deeper aspects of my sacred work.So, in a flash of creative impulse, I announced a new program to the world in the place we announce things these days: on Instagram. It was received mostly with a good deal of excitement and interest, and…it was also received with some intense criticism - primarily in the form of snarky comments and DMs from complete strangers who were making a lot of assumptions about me. Assumptions without curiosity. Assumptions wrapped in judgment. Over a period of 72 hours, I received wave after wave of comments that felt challenging to hold on my own.In this episode, I tell the story of grief, shame and how being in sacred council helped me heal and grow through this experience.Tune in to hear more from me on:The grief of feeling misunderstood and shamed in a parasocial format, which left me raw and confused.The divine timing of an in-person retreat with an intimate council of women space holders, and the cacao ceremony that held me at my most vulnerable.Emerging lighter and less bothered and leaving that retreat weekend with a renewed vision in the purpose and power of this work I do.Everything I learned from that rupture and the gratitude I feel now for what happened.The one thing that had me not throw in the towel and heal from this experience: being held in a sacred council.My own council BEHELD which is now open for enrollment again.Resources + LinksFind out more about BEHELD, an intimate council of space holdersMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction [2:45] Sharing the story of almost giving up my sacred work after receiving criticism [9:23] The divine timing of an in-person retreat weekend [9:50] Unfurling during the cacao ceremony [12:06] The power of sacred councils [15:31] Continuing despite challenges and feeling tender [16:02] The offering it all started with and hosting it again [17:16] Join BEHELD - a sacred council for space holders