Ceremony Circle

Earth advocate, author, and spiritual courage guide, Dr. Erin Yu-Juin McMorrow, brings us down to Earth in a wonderfully wild, untamed conversation that gives permission to invite the fertile nutrients from Mother Earth back into our bodies and work in sync with Gaia in a defiant act of revolution and reclamation of power. Today, Dr. Erin Yu-Juin McMorrow stands, a woman fully in her power as she effortlessly weaves science and spirituality into her emotional being and professional work. The path to her purpose was fraught with challenges that, eight years ago, plunged her into what she defines as a spiritual breakdown. To heal, Dr. Erin returned to nature and escaped to Bali, which would provide the medicine to rewrite her life's journey from academia to spirituality and take her where she is today.  Throughout her life, Dr. Erin has been mentally and physically tested. In today’s episode she opens up for the very first time publicly up about her personal experience with a national abuse case against a gynecologist and how pushing limiting beliefs around sexuality through an incredibly expansive orgy gave her the space to connect with sacred sexuality. Plus, the transcendental plant medicine journey that fused her with Mother Earth. We unearth every aspect of the wild woman, from goddess history, spiritual awakening, and the representation of spirituality in popular culture, to her exploration of deep, sensual waters that dismantled cultural taboos and helped her find the freedom to embody her life’s mission statement: “I own my power. I honor my healthy boundaries.” A’ho sister! The Ceremonial OfferingCall in the highest good into your space by honoring your body in whatever way you’re called to. Invite yourself back into the body, breathe, and imagine roots flowing from your spine to the fertile soil below as you integrate Dr. Erin’s empowering, grounding mantras. Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesWebsite: erinmcmorrow.comInstagram: @dr.erinmcmorrowRead: “Grounded: A Fierce, Feminine Guide to Connecting with the Soul from the Ground Up”Thanks to Star Animal Sundays for sponsoring this episode! This conscious jewelry brand is a fun and powerful way to tune into the shamanic teachings of the animal world. Head to staranimalsundays.com and use the code STARPOWER at checkout to receive three eco-friendly meditation candles (worth $80). Using this code also donates 25% of sales to The Javari Project's Alternative Livelihoods program: a registered, for-purpose organization working alongside a coalition of partners such as Cultural Sanctuaries and the indigenous communities of the Vale do Javari indigenous territory – one of the most pristine biodiverse areas in the world. ⁣It has an unparalleled diversity of plants and animals, and is home to the highest number of remote, uncontacted Indigenous Peoples known today⁣. The Javari Project and Cultural Sanctuaries identify and evaluate the current threats to the cultural and environmental assets of the Javari region to sustainably support their territorial rights, protect their livelihoods, and preserve their habitat. Ceremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

My book, Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul, is out on pre-release. It has been a release in more ways than one. Even now, as I hold the book in my hands, I am still coming up for air after being submerged in the energetic swirl of my most significant initiation of this Earth school.  I was supposed to write a book about surrender, but the animal kingdom had other ideas, which they made known during meditation in Bali. In an unexpected plot twist, I found myself co-creating with exotic fauna once again, but in a brand new way.This time, I wouldn’t be in the emotional throws of my spiritual awakening in my bathtub in Brooklyn, as I stepped into the unknown shamanic territory with only the black jaguar, frog, deer, and bear for support. I fully embodied my medicine name, Rock-Star Shaman, and role here on Earth as an educator, seer and shaman. The animals helped me arrive at this point, and now they would take me to my next destination as an author, inscribing a very alive medicine book of the animal kingdom. 25 global contributors have joined me on this spiritual safari, carving their relationship with an animal onto the pages so beautifully brought to life by the late illustrator, Willian Santiago. And today, Luke Storey, my soul partner, contributor, and interviewer for this episode, sits with me to process this manifestation that I’ve carried through lifetimes. We walk through the thick of my literary voyage, from conception to completion, connect to the animals that altered my life, and explore how you can invite their energy to transform yours. The Ceremonial OfferingI perform a mini live animal power reading for Luke, anchoring to Mother Earth, Great Spirit and the wisdom within me, to invite his current power animal forward to reveal its message to Luke. For those that feel called to meet their power animal, you will receive a video-guided shamanic journey to activate your animal’s message when you pre-order your copy of Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul here.Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesInstagram: @lukestoreyOrder a copy for you & a friend: Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your SoulCeremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

We’re all born with a “knowing,” but few get to revel in that gift consciously as a young child like  Serena Dyer Pisoni was fortunate to. Her father, Wayne Dyer, the “Father of Motivation” and author of 40 books (including 21 New York Times bestsellers) lived out his dharma without apology and inspired his children to do the same. It’s little surprise then that Serena’s new book, The Knowing: 11 Lessons to Understand the Quiet Urges of Your Soul (which she co-authored with her sister), resonates with you well after you’ve turned the last page. In the context of Serena’s rock bottoms and challenges, The Knowing’s energy transmutes from an act of surrender to that of a true warrior. Even when everything around is pushing against you, the ability to return to love and kindness is a true testament to Serena’s depth of character and trust that the spiritual path is not always a serene one. Death should not be feared because we cannot forget to live. Her father’s death in 2015 pushed Serena and her family to embody his teachings and messages from a new place of absolute faith. To this day, he continues to express his knowing – both to Serena, her family, and even myself! In the episode, I’ll share how Wayne Dyer’s instructions came up for me during a recent meditation download.Serena’s heart-opening reflections on life, death, and the lessons we receive, from meditations at an altar, to interactions with an Uber driver, are all invitations to send love – without attachment to an outcome – out into the planet. I’m sure you’ll agree we could all do with a little extra right now. The Ceremonial OfferingLearn about the history of The Ho'oponopono Prayer and how the phrases: “I'm sorry,” “Please forgive me,” “Thank you,” and “I love you” can alter the course of your life and those around you.Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesInstagram: @serenadyerpisoniRead: The Knowing: 11 Lessons to Understand the Quiet Urges of Your SoulCeremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

Surrender. One word that holds so much rich, medicinal power and so much triggering, oftentimes due to a confusion around what it truly means. And to this week's guest, Kute Blackson, it’s the gateway that guides us to experiencing the fullest divine destinations as laid out for us by spirit.The notion of true surrender is not an act of disempowerment, but a razor-sharp expression of trust that in aligning with Divine support, you are always on the track of living your greatest life. When Kute received the download to write a book on the subject, the universe hit him with a series of tests to check if he truly could embody letting go. They further dissolved any lingering fragments of ego and threw him into the space of unconditional surrender. His offering, The Magic of Surrender: Finding the Courage to Let Go, is the distilled product of much soul searching, grief (an oftentimes integral part of the surrender process), and getting out of one's way so that one’s life purpose can manifest.This enlightening conversation intersects with so much of my own voyage – and, as you may already know, the theme of surrender is one I hold close to my heart. I live fully in devotion to the calls in life – and conversations on this very podcast – so it was wonderful to bond with someone's commitment to let go of control and expectations, to live a life in empowered freefall, and in true alignment with what's meant to be. The Ceremonial OfferingTake a moment to acknowledge what you have to release, be it a relationship, friendship, or physical element. Kute will guide this short meditation where you’ll get to the root of what you need to shed in order to step into your highest self. Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesInstagram: @kuteblacksonRead: The Magic of Surrender: Finding the Courage to Let GoThanks to Star Animal Sundays for sponsoring this episode! This conscious jewelry brand is a fun and powerful way to tune into the shamanic teachings of the animal world. Head to staranimalsundays.com and use the code "STARPOWER!” at checkout to receive three eco-friendly meditation candles (worth $80). Using this code also donates 25% of sales to The Javari Project's Alternative Livelihoods program: a registered, for-purpose organization working alongside a coalition of partners such as Cultural Sanctuaries and the indigenous communities of the Vale do Javari indigenous territory – one of the most pristine biodiverse areas in the world. ⁣It has an unparalleled diversity of plants and animals, and is home to the highest number of remote, uncontacted Indigenous Peoples known today⁣. The Javari Project and Cultural Sanctuaries identify and evaluate the current threats to the cultural and environmental assets of the Javari region to sustainably support their territorial rights, protect their livelihoods, and preserve their habitat. Ceremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

Master alchemist, green-goddess and author, Shiva Rose, was one of the first welcoming souls who embraced my fiancé Luke and me the minute we touched down in Texas. Being received by her in her home was one of the many soulful indicators that my next life chapter would occur here. Since sharing space with her in the Texan wilderness for a tea ceremony and in the podcast studio, it comes as no surprise that her soul is so intertwined with the land, and she’s a wonderful conduit for its wisdom and messages. When she heard the calling to desert the glamorous comforts of Hollywood for a natural (and wildlife-filled) life in Texas, Shiva surrendered without hesitation. For the past four years, she’s been regenerating land and communicating with the native ancestors there to bring the arid landscape back to life. Shiva is the true expression of being “wild at heart,” living a multitude of experiences that have shaped the wonderfully evolved and embodied light force you’ll hear today. Half-Iranian, half-American, she became a refugee at ten years old when her family fled Iran. She went on to  blossom into a breakthrough actress in Hollywood before getting a life-changing health diagnosis at age 25, which led her to pioneering the holistic wellness site, The Local Rose, and a beauty brand. Fast-forward to today and you’ll meet a boot-wearing, flower-loving mother who hosts tea ceremonies in the Texan wilderness. Aside from walking us through her fascinating, made-for-screen life, Shiva teaches us how to bloom from within, generously sharing a few of her go-to DIY, nature-inspired beauty recipes that you can make at home, as well as her experience using a yoni egg, to explore the power of the womb. The Ceremonial OfferingShiva provides a powerful call in and closing with honoring the four directions as a ceremonial bookend to the start and end of the episode. Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesWebsite: shivarose.comInstagram: @localroseCatch me and Luke Storey talk about the Cosmic Codes to Divine Partnership at The Modern Nirvana Conference in Austin, TX on August 14th, 2021. For more info and tickets, head to: https://www.modernnirvana.com/conferencePre-order my book, Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul from alysoncharles.com/animalpower and enter your receipt code to receive a bonus guided shamanic journey facilitated by me & a first look/sneak peek of the book!Thanks to Star Animal Sundays for sponsoring this episode! This conscious jewelry brand is a powerful and fun way to tune into the shamanic teachings of the animal world. Head to staranimalsundays.com and use the code "STARPOWER!” at checkout to receive three eco-friendly meditation candles (worth $80). Using this code also donates 25% of sales to The Javari Project's Alternative Livelihoods program: a registered, for-purpose organization working alongside a coalition of partners such as Cultural Sanctuaries and the indigenous communities of the Vale do Javari indigenous territory – one of the most pristine biodiverse areas in the world. ⁣It has an unparalleled diversity of plants and animals, and is home to the highest number of remote, uncontacted Indigenous Peoples known today⁣. The Javari Project and Cultural Sanctuaries identify and evaluate the current threats to the cultural and environmental assets of the Javari region to sustainably support their territorial rights, protect their livelihoods, and preserve their habitat. Ceremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

As the first teacher I was divinely guided to, a decade ago, Sarah Bamford Seidelmann M.D. saw my shamanism begin to take root from my apartment in Brooklyn that looked out to a healing tree – my nature anchor for my initiation into my true self and to communicating with Mother Earth. Sarah was instrumental in my spiritual growth spurt, and shortly after our sessions together, I was shot out of the shamanic cannon. Her great care, shamanic abilities and support, alongside Great spirit, Great Mother Earth and all my other spiritual allies, held me as I flew to the great unknown. It was wildly profound for me as we reunite and reflect on where our shamanic journeys have taken us thus far. For Sarah, that began with a radical sabbatical from her “day job” as a certified physician, traveling to India to bathe in the Ganges during the Kumbh Mela festival, and returning to The States to fully embody her calling as a shamanic mentor through formal studies and other avenues. Along the way, she’s authored six books and a card deck, the latter of which we will receive a reading from today. Like myself, Sarah blends her spiritual work with conscious entrepreneurship, and we discuss how we invite abundance into our lives without attachment to profit. We also discuss the wild journey of writing books.We also dive deep into various Shamanic ceremony experiences, including Sarah sharing about her very first shamanic journey and the two animal allies who revealed to support her and she also gifts us with telling one of the most honest, hilarious and humbling ones I’ve ever heard.Today’s episode is a celebration of two medicine women holding space for one another and celebrating the humbling, flawed, yet always beautiful and miraculous ways shamanism expresses itself and reminds us of our humanity and infinite magnificence. The Ceremonial OfferingSarah guides you on an extraordinary rainbow drumming journey where you will meet her and me in a beautiful yurt to meet your own creative spiritual ally: the key to unlocking your spiritual powers. Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesWebsite: followyourfeelgood.comInstagram: @sarahseidelmannPre-order my book: Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your SoulThanks to Star Animal Sundays for sponsoring this episode! This conscious jewelry brand is a powerful and fun way to tune into the shamanic teachings of the animal world. Head to staranimalsundays.com and use the code "STARPOWER!” at checkout to receive 3 eco-friendly meditation candles (worth $80). Using this code also donates 25% of sales to The Javari Project's Alternative Livelihoods program: a registered for-purpose organization working alongside a coalition of partners such as Cultural Sanctuaries and the indigenous communities of the Vale do Javari indigenous territory – one of the most pristine biodiverse areas in the world. ⁣It has an unparalleled diversity of plants and animals, and is home to the highest number of remote, uncontacted Indigenous Peoples known today⁣. The Javari Project and Cultural Sanctuaries identify and evaluate the current threats to the cultural and environmental assets of the Javari region to sustainably support their territorial rights, protect their livelihoods, and preserve their habitat. Ceremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

It has been such a long time since my last session with acupuncturist, energy healer and Daoist shaman, Paul K. Alexander, so coming together for this episode felt especially potent. We tapped into a truly organic flow and traversed so, so many layers during our conversation. Paul opens up about his literal and metaphorical journey “back home” during the pandemic and how his family reunion brought many suppressed memories to the surface. The experience soothed his ancestral wounds and threaded back to his current life, his relationship, and his martial arts practice. We also walk along his career path, exploring the many twists and turns he took along the way, from deciding to become a monk, to his time spent as a police officer before finally dedicating his heart to mastering Chinese medicine, acupuncture, energy healing and shamanism – a blended practice I’ve had the good fortune of receiving first hand. Like me, Paul is invested in the power of animals and is one of the contributors to my upcoming book, Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul. I read aloud his transformative story with the raven and how it infused Paul with purpose and helped him navigate the mystery of life, here on Earth and beyond. Sit with us until the very end, where you’ll have the opportunity to join a signature Daoist ritual that is so powerful, I now incorporate into my daily life.The Ceremonial OfferingJoin us for a microcosmic orbit meditation which will awaken your inner eye and awaken and clear your chakras. Allow yourself to be guided as Paul takes us through a traditional Daoist ritual that sends the body transformational energies to enhance your life. Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesWebsite: pkalexander.comInstagram: @paulkalexanderPre-order my book: Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your SoulCeremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

Karena Dawn is a warrior. In the public realm, she’s a globally renowned (rebel) fitness superstar, co-founder of Tone it Up, an empowering fitness collective helping women look and feel their best. Beyond business, she’s a champion for mental health awareness: a truly embodied light force who radiates love, resilience, and empathy. Her powerful story is one I wanted to share today as an ally for her profound mission here on the planet. Karena courageously shares her life backstory and experience growing up with a mom suffering from schizophrenia, as well as the impact of the diagnosis on her own mental wellbeing as a teenager and family dynamic. After numbing her pain with drugs and partying through to her early 20s, Karena found soul redemption through fitness, working her body, healing her mind, and eventually building a business platform where she could help thousands of women do the same. We discuss her convoluted pain-to-purpose journey and how her upbringing has shaped her business goals moving forward. This conversation is a testament to both the spirited 7-year-old girl who would make $300 at a yard sale and the bold, inspirational business owner who stands before me today. I have so much love and respect for both souls. The Ceremonial OfferingKarena offers us a moment to check in with ourselves through a special poetry reading, before asking us to sit and ask four profound life questions: “Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? What am I grateful for?”Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesInstagram: @karenadawnWebsite: karenadawn.com & toneitup.comCeremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

Karena Dawn is a warrior. In the public realm, she’s a globally renowned (rebel) fitness superstar, co-founder of Tone it Up, an empowering fitness collective helping women look and feel their best. Beyond business, she’s a champion for mental health awareness: a truly embodied light force who radiates love, resilience, and empathy. Her powerful story is one I wanted to share today as an ally for her profound mission here on the planet. Karena courageously shares her life backstory and experience growing up with a mom suffering from schizophrenia, as well as the impact of the diagnosis on her own mental wellbeing as a teenager and family dynamic. After numbing her pain with drugs and partying through to her early 20s, Karena found soul redemption through fitness, working her body, healing her mind, and eventually building a business platform where she could help thousands of women do the same. We discuss her convoluted pain-to-purpose journey and how her upbringing has shaped her business goals moving forward. This conversation is a testament to both the spirited 7-year-old girl who would make $300 at a yard sale and the bold, inspirational business owner who stands before me today. I have so much love and respect for both souls. The Ceremonial OfferingKarena offers us a moment to check in with ourselves through a special poetry reading, before asking us to sit and ask four profound life questions: “Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? What am I grateful for?”Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesInstagram: @karenadawnWebsite: karenadawn.com & toneitup.comCeremony Circle is a production of Crate Media

Today’s guest, Santiago Roa Duque (aka ‘Santy’), transports us to the cloud forests of the Sierra Nevada: a sacred land located on the northern coast of Colombia. He extracts some of the wisdom he learned during his pilgrimages with the Mamos: the spiritual leaders of the Kogi, Wiwa, Arhuaco, and Kankuamo tribes.He explains the ancestral ethics and mission of the different tribes to protect the natural world, from the long and laborious time it takes to become a Mamo and the indigenous adornments they use to how they’ve evolved to interact with modern civilization through trusted connections. These include himself and the incredible message he received during a life-changing encounter in the depths of the jungle which took two years to decode and relay to the rest of the world. As we weave together our individual stories and interactions with the Mamos, Santiago also shares his current mission to bring the earth back to ecological homeostasis through planting trees, cultivating specialty coffee and cacao, and documentary film-making.One key takeaway from this episode is that everyone can connect to Mother Earth with intentionality and heightened awareness. He brings this idea full circle at the end when he gives everyone spiritual homework to honor the divine transaction between humanity and this glorious planet. The Ceremonial OfferingSanty gives us the task, in alignment with Mamos traditions & sacred ways, of finding a moment to immerse in nature so that we can visualize our heart as gold and give spiritual payment of the gold energy to the ancient beings and Mother Earth. Resources:Alyson on IG: @iamalysoncharlesInstagram: @jaguarsiembraWebsite: jaguarsiembra.comSupport Santy’s to empower Colombian indigenous farmers Ceremony Circle is a production of Crate Media