Today I reply my interview from February 2020 with MANDA ZAND ERVIN , Founder and Director of the Alliance of Iranian Women. We will be talking about Iran, the beautiful history of Iran, the ruling Women-Gods, the plight of women in Iran under Sharia law, and her new book, “ The Ladies’ Secret Society: History of the Courageous Women of Iran. “ During the Iranian Islamic revolution, Manda witnessed the execution of many innocent people, including her high school principal who was murdered becaus...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 260
It's the 259th EPISODE, and we slid into our 6th season last week. I think that's something to celebrate!!! Looking down memory lane has me feeling full with all of the phenomenal women that have been on this show. Today we're also celebrating Brigid and St. Brigid in preparation for Imbolc and Candlemas. Some sites that I referenced. https://folkstory.com/articles/imbolc.html https://mythopedia.com/topics/brigid https://www.myirishjeweler.com/blog/secrets-of-st-brigids-day-celtic-goddesses-cros...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 259
It wasn’t until Amanda Cassiday (she/her) lived in a rural village in Burkina Faso that she experienced the resilient power of community, and learned that positive, abundant outcomes are not possible without cultivating the conditions that allow individuals, teams, and communities to thrive. For 15 years, this approach has been a driving force in Amanda’s personal and professional life, from facilitating a woman-led microfinance group in Takaledougou that continues to operate since 2009, to lead...
Jan 24, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 258
Dr. Amy Saltzman is a holistic physician, mindfulness coach, long-time athlete, devoted student of transformation, wife, mother and occasional poet. Her passion is supporting people of all ages in achieving peak performance and finding flow. Amy has the privilege of being recognized by her peers as a visionary and pioneer in the field of mindfulness for athletes, coaches, and other high performers, as well as for kids, teens, and parents. She offers individual holistic medical care, and both ind...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 257
It's that time of the month! Marielena Ferrer returns for another conversation diving into politics and spirituality. Today on the show we talk about how we're starting out the New Year and how our relationship to TIME has an impact on how we make decisions in life. We also set the tone for our talks on politics, explaining where we're at and check in on our current feelings about the state of political affairs in the US. Today also happens to be my BIRTHDAY so Marielena kindly indulges me in a ...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 256
Happy New Year friends! Today on the show I finish up the chapter that I began reading from last week and then we shift into New Year awareness with a little exercise designed perfectly for the slow wintery introspective time that we are in. It's called the Wheel of Life and it takes us through an inventory of our life so that we can pause and reflect and live life more consciously. This exercise is perfectly aligned with this Friday's Full Moon Astrology which I share briefly from Tanaaz's blog...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 255
Today in honor of Christmas and "Jesus's Birthday," I read from the book, Jesus and the Lost Goddess: The Secret Teachings of the Ancient Christians by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. I love this book and wanted to share some of its goodness. Our show music is from Shana Falana! Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org ** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IT http://iwantwhatshehas.org/podcast ITUNES | SPOTIFY | S...
Jan 02, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 254
Today on the show, I welcome Nava Atlas, the author of many vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, with hundreds of thousands of books sold over the years. Her books went vegan at the same time she did — the early 2000s. Some include … Vegetariana (revised and updated) Plant-Powered Protein 5-Ingredient Vegan Plant Power Wild About Greens Vegan Holiday Kitchen Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for all Seasons She has been featured or contributed to several publications including The New York Times and the W...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 253
Wanting to end the year on a high note, we talk about what the end of the year means and one or two ideas on how to step into the new year. Marielena walks us through what the Tarot reveals to her in the moment as we contemplate the beginning of 2023. Inspired by my weekly chat with Warren and Manuel we revisit the subject of confidence vs. questioning. A favorite quote to sum up that part of the conversation, "Wise people are full of doubt, but the idiots are completely sure." Have a fabulous N...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 252
Adrianne Theetge moved to the Hudson Valley from Georgia after doing disaster relief in NYC for 9/11 in the AmeriCorps NCCC program. After several years working and serving our elections and our political system, she just recently went back to graduate school to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. She loves her new career as an ENL teacher serving students who are learning the English language. Experiencing grief after the loss of her brother and father she shares with us some of what has h...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 251
Today on the show we're talking divorce. In the first half of the show I talk about my "divorce" and then share a bit of my experience as a divorce attorney and some general thoughts on divorce and separation. Did you know that 40-50% of all marriages end in divorce? Then in the second half of the show I am joined by Nanci A. Smith, Esq., an attorney licensed to practice in Vermont and New York. She is the chair of the Collaborative Divorce section of the Vermont Bar Association, a leader in her...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 250
Today, my pal Tara Sanders returns to the show to talk Mental Health and Gratitude. An Ulster County native, Tara is a trauma-informed yoga teacher and educator. She presents for a number of county-wide agencies, schools, and nonprofit organizations. She was most recently the Director of Community Outreach and PR at YWCA Ulster County, and is working with HUDSY TV on their event series, Beyond the Screen. Our gal pal chat winds through the themes of capacity, comfort zone, grief, loss and mental...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 249
Today we begin by sharing and discussing Nikki Fogerty's weekly Tarot report . Then we're off to the races talking about racism, what it means, why it happens and what we think about how to resolve our country's racist problems. Marielena talks about what motivates people and how this affects their overall behavior including stereotyping and controlling others. This conversation was prompted by the political problems in LA with racist speech. Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radio Ki...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 248
Kevin Ann Jordan @tailoredstylist has been helping women get dressed since age three, starting with her younger sister. Growing up in a remote mountain town in California, she didn't have a lot of exposure to the fashion world but she loved the bi-annual school clothing shopping trips and reading fashion magazines. Kevin has always wanted to help people, and after a corporate career in the healthcare industry, she realized that she could help women on an individual level through styling. Startin...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 247
In honor of the season, I wanted to remind us all of the history of the "witch" and her persecution by reading from Silvia Federici's Caliban and the Witch . And here's a little Tarot reading for the week. The playlist we enjoyed throughout the show can be found here . Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radio Kingston. Our show music is from Shana Falana! Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org Leave me a voicemail with your thoughts or a few words about who has what ...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 246
PAU Quintanajornet doesn‘t paint pictures. Pau creates worlds – open invitations to a journey into the beauty of Latin American influences and into the spheres of an artist, who with brushes, paint, ink, paper and wood, playfully turns her world inside out. The cleavage between cultures loosens up. From the friction between her Chilean roots and her German home she draws her own symbolism in bright colors and shapes which grows out of the ground like plants rising to the sky. Birds also occupy a...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 245
For nearly 20 years, Lauree Ostrofsky has served as a speaker , author, coach, and communications consultant with clients including IBM, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Fodors Travel, Liz Claiborne's domestic violence awareness program Women's Work, and the Girl Scouts of the USA. I'm also founder of Hudson Valley Women in Business in upstate New York, and the #HugTour Movement . She returns to the show today to talk about taking a pause and the permission needed to do so. Sh...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 244
It's another conversation inspired by Spirituality and Politics with Marielena Ferrer. Today we are joined by Shauna Kanter for the beginning of the show to talk about her upcoming play " Art " which is running Oct. 13th-23rd in Bethany Hall at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY. We discussed themes of the play which launched us into a lively conversation in the remainder of the show around conflict, conversations, gentrification, an artists role (or not) in gentrification and valuing art in o...
Oct 12, 2022•2 hr•Ep. 243
Kissey Asplund of Generation Watts works as a creative consultant specializing in the process of generation and creative subatomic energy. Her creativity expresses itself as a music producer, generator, multi-disciplinary artist, and meditator based in New York City. Amongst other things, today we talk deeply about her unique background, how her creativity is enhanced through meditation, and we get to experience a sound meditation titled Embrace Yourself. Kissey will be at the O+ Festival this w...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 242
First off, I wanted to shout out two special happenings from past guests. First up is Romany Rose and Kat Hunt offering a night of pleasure in which they will explore the potential of healing through Medicinal Desserts and the Akashic Records. Happening Friday, September 30th, 7-9pm at Say Boo Studio in Kingston, NY. $55, includes all desserts and herbal beverages as well as Q&A with the Records. To register and secure your place, please email medicinaldesserts@gmail.com . Next, the Circle C...
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 241
Joining me today are two highly talented women, Maryline Damour and Jennifer Salvemini. Maryline is a seasoned interior designer, entrepreneur, and home expert based in the Hudson Valley. She founded the design/construction firm Damour Drake with partner Fred Drake, and then developed Kingston Design Connection and the annual Kingston Design Showhouse to help connect designers, makers, artists, contractors and design/build businesses in the region. I’m honored to have her return to the show this...
Sep 21, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 240
Today, Marielena and I are joined by two women from the Waterfall Unity Alliance to talk about the land buy back project for the Kanien’kehá:ka people . Kawenniiosta Jock, Kanien’kehá:ka Wolf Clan, is an activist, land protector, master seamstress and artist. Kawenniiosta has helped develop traditional support, cultural teachings and language preservation within the tribe and is a traditional full-spectrum doula who uses indigenous methods and medicines. Kawenniiosta is an alumna of the Akwesasn...
Sep 16, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 239
Today's episode is a collage of sorts, checking in on the New Moon vibes, this week's astrology and the wisdom of Ora Nadrich, a pioneering Mindfulness expert, international keynote speaker and coach, and the founder and president of the Institute for Transformational Thinking . A sought-after expert in the fields of Mindfulness, transformational thinking and self-discovery, she is the author of Says Who? How One Simple Question Can Change the Way You Think Forever , and Live True: A Mindfulness...
Sep 16, 2022•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 238
I'm still in newborn land so playing an oldie but goodie in honor of Olivia Newton John and this weekend's Summer Hoot with Olivia super fan and musician Gail Ann Dorsey and Hoot founder and musician Ruth Ungar Merenda . These interviews originally aired in January 2018 when Shana and I were hosting together. It was our second episode! I could listen to these women speak for days... P.S. Gail says to see the movie Network ! And here's such a profound example of her talent. We also heard these so...
Aug 23, 2022•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 237
Today, Marielena steers the ship and is joined by artist and art historian/historian Mya Bailey for this month's installment of Politics and Spirituality. Theresa and baby Aiden do make a guest appearance. Today's conversation approaches reproductive freedom from the perspective of justice and equity and where it's lacking in the health care system. Mya has focused much of her art on the idea of race and how it's both impacted her internally as well as externally. Marielena brings themes from th...
Aug 09, 2022•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 236
Karen Ranney taught Early Grade Science, Kindergarten, and Pre-K for more than 20 years. She now maintains a little woods in the Hudson Valley. She gardens, photographs and writes for children every day. She thanks all the young children who observe nature, show curiosity, ask questions, and inspire everyone in their world. She's written All About Leaves and My Hear Your Heart under her pen name Lea Utsira. Today we learn about and visit Karen's garden, and she shares about how and why she's cul...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 235
It's the return of Therese Shechter, Founder of Trixie Films , Author, Speaker and Director of the compelling documentary film, My So-Called Selfish Life, and she's brought with her LeNora Faye, a childfree lifestyle advocate, speaker, and moderator who creates global platforms, both public and private, for people who are choosing not to have, birth, or raise children. She is a co-host of the international podcast and web series, Childfree Girls and a co-founder of Childfree Convention , where s...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 234
Shauna Kanter has taught CNN announcers, as well as speakers and singers of all backgrounds for over thirty years; from teachers, lawyers, Broadway actors, and Royal Shakespeare Company members, to folks who just cringe at the sound of their own voice. She has served as a New York Foundation for the Arts mentor for immigrant artists and is the Artistic Director of Voice Theatre in NYC and Kingston, NY. She has taught voice and served on the faculty of: NYU Tisch School of the Arts, T. Schreiber ...
Jul 18, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 233
It's the second Mo(o)nday of the Month and that means the return of Marielena to talk Spirituality and Politics. Marielena Ferrer is a socially engaged visual artist who serves as the chair of the Kingston City Arts Commission. She also chairs the Alianza Cultural de Kingston, an advisory board for the promotion, connection and celebration of the arts and cultures of the diverse Hispanic communities, and is the Executive Director of Humanamente, a diversity and inclusion consulting organization....
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 232
It's the 4th of July which means it's my old roomie and pal Mary's Birthday. Now that's worth celebrating!!! Today I teach Con Law 101. Okay, not really, but I wanted to deepen my understanding of the 14th Amendment which I haven't thought about in detail since law school. While the language, "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due p...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 231
