The Skeptical Shaman

The 12th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast is here, and this second half of our two-part episode highlights the undeniable creative and spiritual power of a well-defined Alter Ego. Jesse James, aka Billy Purgatory, literally wrote a series of stories about his demon-fighting alter ego, breathing some very real life into a very real aspect of himself. But Billy Purgatory isn't just a literary anti-hero: he's also Jesse's Villain Era shadow aspect, offending sensibilities left, right and center as he embraces his shamanic self and fights the armies of hell.

In this two-part conversation, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Jesse James, aka Billy Purgatory, all about how he's coming to grips with a world drenched in both  some very real (and often spooky) Woo and some real-deal anti-humanism in the form of the technocratic elite seeking to replace humans, human creativity and even our connection to spirituality with dumb, derivative machines.

Jesse is dedicated to remembering the before times, building a veritable Library of Alexandria of recent, peak culture to remind us all of what we once had: freedom, fun and imagination. He's also seeking ways to resurrect his alter ego, perhaps on the pages of new stories or in his own life, as he explores the world of Woo with an eye to the pits of Hell!

Rachel's LINKS:
TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-woo
Jesse's LINKS:
Substack: https://substack.com/@jessejamesfreeman   
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@billypurgatory        
Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

The 12th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast is here, and this second, two-part episode highlights the undeniable creative and spiritual power of a well-defined Alter Ego. Jesse James, aka Billy Purgatory, literally wrote a series of stories about his demon-fighting alter ego, breathing some very real life into a very real aspect of himself. But Billy Purgatory isn't just a literary anti-hero: he's also Jesse's Villain Era shadow aspect, offending sensibilities left, right and center as he embraces his shamanic self and fights the armies of hell.

In this two-part conversation, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Jesse James, aka Billy Purgatory, all about how he's coming to grips with a world drenched in both  some very real (and often spooky) Woo and some real-deal anti-humanism in the form of the technocratic elite seeking to replace humans, human creativity and even our connection to spirituality with dumb, derivative machines.

Jesse is dedicated to remembering the before times, building a veritable Library of Alexandria of recent, peak culture to remind us all of what we once had: freedom, fun and imagination. He's also seeking ways to resurrect his alter ego, perhaps on the pages of new stories or in his own life, as he explores the world of Woo with an eye to the pits of Hell!

Rachel's LINKS:
TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-woo
Jesse's LINKS:
Substack: https://substack.com/@jessejamesfreeman   
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@billypurgatory        
Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

The 12th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast is here, and the second half of our first episode sets the tone for exploring our collective Villain Era. This season is all about embracing the reality that, despite your very best efforts and pure intentions, we will all inevitably be the villain in someone else's story as we pursue our goals, stretch ourselves spiritually and professionally, and enforce our own boundaries as we do so.
In this two-part conversation, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Patrick Anderson, aka Stella Boheme while performing in drag and, as we learn in this incredible discussion, Bishamon Boheme when triggered into goblin mode. 
Patrick is the Woo-based business owner behind Queen of Glam Tarot, LLC, the author of Read Like a Queen: Real-Life Inisghts to SLAY Your Tarot Practice, and the host of the *new*, upcoming podcast: The Business of Tarot. Stella is Patrick's drag persona, often appearing at events to read tarot cards and entertain with incredible talents (like opera-quality vocal performances). Bishamon, Patrick's so-called Villain Era alter ego, is the shadow aspect that emerges when they are feeling hurt or unheard or feel compelled to speak up for others. 
The bottom line? The Business of Woo can be harsh, and not everyone practices the love and light they preach. In this dynamic, emergent industry, people can be rude, badly behaved, and even exploitative, and it's in these contexts that Bishamon emerges to say it like it is: straight up, with no chaser. In this context, Patrick (like all of us) needs his Villain Era alter ego to ensure that they don't get subsumed by the opinions, fears and yes, even the shadow aspects of others!
Rachel's LINKS:
TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-woo
Patrick's LINKS:
Queen of Glam: www.queenofglamtarot.com
BOOK:  https://www.amazon.com/Read-Like-Queen-Real-Life-Insights
Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

The 12th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast is here, and this first episode sets the tone for exploring our collective Villain Era. This season is all about embracing the reality that, despite your very best efforts and pure intentions, we will all inevitably be the villain in someone else's story as we pursue our goals, stretch ourselves spiritually and professionally, and enforce our own boundaries as we do so.
In this two-part conversation, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Patrick Anderson, aka Stella Boheme while performing in drag and, as we learn in this incredible discussion, Bishamon Boheme when triggered into goblin mode. 
Patrick is the Woo-based business owner behind Queen of Glam Tarot, LLC, the author of Read Like a Queen: Real-Life Inisghts to SLAY Your Tarot Practice, and the host of the *new*, upcoming podcast: The Business of Tarot. Stella is Patrick's drag persona, often appearing at events to read tarot cards and entertain with incredible talents (like opera-quality vocal performances). Bishamon, Patrick's so-called Villain Era alter ego, is the shadow aspect that emerges when they are feeling hurt or unheard or feel compelled to speak up for others. 
The bottom line? The Business of Woo can be harsh, and not everyone practices the love and light they preach. In this dynamic, emergent industry, people can be rude, badly behaved, and even exploitative, and it's in these contexts that Bishamon emerges to say it like it is: straight up, with no chaser. In this context, Patrick (like all of us) needs his Villain Era alter ego to ensure that they don't get subsumed by the opinions, fears and yes, even the shadow aspects of others!
Rachel's LINKS:
TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-woo
Patrick's LINKS:
Queen of Glam: www.queenofglamtarot.com
BOOK:  https://www.amazon.com/Read-Like-Queen-Real-Life-Insights
Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

In this tenth episode of the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show and fellow podcaster Cardsy B, aka Rebecca Szymczak (of Hex and the City Podcast). Not only is Rebecca a resident wellness witch in residence at a posh Manhattan hotel, but she's also a tarot deck creator, the author of the Saturn Diaries, and the creator of the INCREDIBLE new fragrance "Witch and Famous", which is made with organic, ethically-harvested herbs and flowers by a fellow female-owned business owner right here in the U.S.!
This episode is equal parts bonus gift, season finale and interim season intro, so give it a listen on your July 4th weekend (and beyond) and take in the energy!
Rachel's LINKS:
TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.com
TOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.com
Rachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrach
Please support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:
Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmM
TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totem
The TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsG
The TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coaching
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-woo
Cardy's LINKS:
Linktree: https://bio.cardsyb.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardsyb/

Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.