Medicine Stories
Remembering what it is to be human upon the Earth- through connection to the natural world, ancestral wisdom, nourishment, story, and community. Blending thoughtful research with deeply personal conversations, the show explores herbalism, women’s metabolic health, burnout recovery, motherhood, lineage, and the practices that help us feel more resilient and alive in modern life. Hosted by Amber- a mother and herbalist who has healed from devastating midlife fatigue- Medicine Stories invites listeners into a slower, more relational way of caring for themselves, their families, and the living world around us.
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Understanding & Recovering From Life-Changing Burnout - Clara Belize Wisner
05/06/2026
Understanding & Recovering From Life-Changing Burnout - Clara Belize Wisner
Energy loss happens gradually and then suddenly, creating confusion and the fear that you might never recover. My guest and I have both spent time in the depths of overwhelming fatigue, and we have both found our way back to ourselves again. Today we share our stories- the lifetime of inputs that set us up for collapse, the precipitating event that pushed Clara over the edge, what we learned while in the abyss, and how we’ve recovered our vitality. Clara is a certified nutritionist, mineral balancing practitioner, and mother living in Montana. Not only has she nourished herself back to health, but she has helped many other women to do the same. LINKS: - bonus conversation w/ Clara The herb shop Clara’s Course Clara’s Substack Clara on Amber on Quiz: Amber’s Nov 3-8 Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes) PDF of the from 1985 The Energy Balance Podcast episode
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What Real Life Nourishment Looks Like - Ashley Wulkan
04/21/2026
What Real Life Nourishment Looks Like - Ashley Wulkan
After our recent episode together- The Epidemic of Women Undernourishing- Ashley and I received a flood of questions, so we decided to speak again and talk about what nourishment really means and what it can look like in a woman’s busy daily life. We explore the delicate balance between avoiding food fear and maintaining thoughtful discernment about what we put into our bodies. We talk through macros, how to estimate your daily calorie needs, and how to recognize when you’re truly nourished- including the question, “what if you gain weight when you start eating enough?” We also touch on the often-debated topic of fasting and whether it’s supportive for women. Over on , we continue with listener questions: what it looks like to eat enough carbohydrates at each meal, what counts as a nourishing carb, how much you might need in a day, and whether soaking or sprouting matters. We also discuss carbs and adrenal health, eating in sync (or not) with your menstrual cycle, whether sensitive or neurodivergent women need different nutritional approaches, how nourishment can affect hormones and libido, and how to think about organic choices across produce, grains, meat, and dairy. Some of these answers may surprise you- my own perspective has shifted quite a bit in recent years! LINKS: - bonus conversation answering listener questions Nov 3-8 (use code TROVAVERS200 for $200 off April 21st-23rd only) The herb shop Ashley’s Free Guide Ashley on Amber on Quiz: Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes) Jay Feldman’s post on
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The Energy To Heal: Why Metabolism Matters Most - Kaya of Fundamental Nourishment
04/01/2026
The Energy To Heal: Why Metabolism Matters Most - Kaya of Fundamental Nourishment
How well is your body turning food into fuel? At its core, every function in the body depends on cellular energy- your ability to convert carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable fuel. When that process is working well, the body has what it needs to detoxify, to sleep deeply, to regulate hormones, and to maintain resilience. When it’s not, we can find ourselves chasing symptoms- fatigue, inflammation, hormone imbalance, chronic illness-without realizing they may all trace back to impaired metabolism. In this episode, I’m joined by Kaya, an independent health researcher and the voice behind Fundamental Nourishment. Kaya has a rare gift for translating complex scientific research into clear, grounded insight, helping bridge the gap between dense primary literature and real-life healing. Together, we explore metabolism as a central lens for understanding health, why so many modern conditions may stem from low cellular energy, and how shifting our focus toward nourishment- rather than restriction- can create meaningful change. On Patreon, we take this conversation further with a bonus episode: . We unpack how the “prometabolic” label has become diluted online, the original ideas behind it, and where things have gone off track- from misinterpretations of Ray Peat’s work to the unintended consequences many experienced when trying to follow rigid versions of this approach. Kaya also shares practical guidance for getting started with nourishment in a way that’s grounded, bioindividual, and sustainable-without falling into another set of confusing food rules. If you value content created for humans, not algorithms, please consider joining Patreon to support this work. LINKS: extended conversation- What Prometabolic Influencers Get Wrong (& a Focus on Fundamental Nourishment) Nov 3-8 The herb shop Kaya on Amber on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Beyond “HRT or Not?”: Supporting the Bodies of Future Wise & Well Grandmothers - Jane Hardwicke Collings
03/18/2026
Beyond “HRT or Not?”: Supporting the Bodies of Future Wise & Well Grandmothers - Jane Hardwicke Collings
Perimenopause & menopause are often framed as a problem to fix- and the conversation quickly collapses into a single question: HRT or not? But women’s bodies are rarely that simple. In this episode, Jane Hardwicke Collings and I explore a more expansive and grounded approach to the menopause transition. Rather than asking whether hormones are the right answer for everyone, we look at a deeper question: how can we support the complex physiological process the body is already moving through? Our conversation examines the growing tendency to position hormone replacement therapy as a universal solution for perimenopause symptoms, and how that pattern echoes earlier chapters in women’s healthcare, such as when the pill was prescribed for nearly every hormonal concern or when medical intervention became the default in birth. This isn’t an anti-HRT conversation. It’s an invitation to widen the lens. We talk about the many systems that influence the menopause transition and why supporting the body’s foundations can be just as important as the hormonal conversation itself. For some women, HRT may become a meaningful part of their path. For others, it may not. But reducing the entire transition to a single intervention risks overlooking the complexity and intelligence of the female body. Just as we’ve begun shifting the conversation around menstruation and birth toward working with the body instead of overriding it, it’s time to bring that same perspective to menopause. LINKS: extended conversation- The Red Thread: Stories of Our Motherlines Nov 3-8 The herb shop Jane on Amber on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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The Epidemic of Women Undernourishing - Ashley Wulkan
03/04/2026
The Epidemic of Women Undernourishing - Ashley Wulkan
Many (if not most) women today are- often unintentionally and without realizing it- undernourishing to the point that our basic biological needs are not being met. Exhausted, anxious, and chasing down symptom after symptom, we are spending time, energy, and money on hormone testing, microbiome analysis, genetic sequencing, supplement protocols, etc. all while unknowingly not taking in enough calories and/or micronutrients for our bodies to work properly in the first place. Our culture today is awash in contradictory health information, food fear, warped wellness idealogies, and impossible beauty standards, but confusion around food and bodies goes back to at least our grandmothers' generation. We inherit nourishment beliefs and practices just as we inherit our mineral and nutrient stores. Ashley Wulkan- mother, herbalist, nutritionist, and mineral balancing practitioner- and I wish to simplify nourishment for women, not add to the noise. We do this for not only ourselves but for our collective mothers who never overcame their own food issues, and for our collective daughters who we fervently pray will adequately nourish themselves and their descendents far into the future. Let's rewrite the story. LINKS: - bonus conversation on The Imprint of Nourishment- what we inherit and what we pass down Nov 3-8 The herb shop Ashley’s Free Guide Ashley on Amber on Quiz: Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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The Liver Flush Trade-Off (Is It Right For You?) - Sena Maria & Dr. Suuzi Hazen
02/18/2026
The Liver Flush Trade-Off (Is It Right For You?) - Sena Maria & Dr. Suuzi Hazen
Thousands of people report major improvements in their health after doing the liver/gall bladder flush, but can it be harmful? The answer is- it depends, on a ton of variables, and no two people are going to experience the same physiological impact. Even when flushing is successful, there will be a cost to the body’s nutrient stores. So what can we do to ensure that liver flushing will tip more toward beneficial and less toward depleting? What symptoms might indicate that a flush could benefit you? Are there gentler ways to do a flush? I’m your host Amber and today I am joined by mineral balancing practitioner Sena Maria and Doctor of Chinese Medicine Suuzi Hazen to discuss our experiences with liver flushing alongside considerations that we feel are missing from the online conversations we see about this process. The truth is that liver flushing is a trade off, with extraordinarily beneficial results possible but real depletion and imbalance also very possible, so let’s talk about how to mitigate harmful results and tweak the protocol to fit your life and body. LINKS: - Gentle Liver Flush Protocol & an extended conversational deep dive into this topic Nov 3-8 The herb shop Suuzi’s Sena Maria’s Sena on Suuzi on Amber on Quiz: Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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The Peak Is Not the Path: The Physiology of Lasting Healing - Sena Maria
02/04/2026
The Peak Is Not the Path: The Physiology of Lasting Healing - Sena Maria
Healing is often framed through the lens of heroic breakthroughs, peak experiences, and emotional catharsis, but this episode centers a steadier path. Many modern healing trends—amplified by social media and the promise of instant transformation—can quietly deplete the body, especially for women, leading to every day burnout, long-term exhaustion, and chronic illness. Rather than bypassing the physical, we return to the essentials, recognizing that illness for modern women is often rooted in chronic stress and physiological depletion- not the lack of spiritual epiphanies or endless emotional processing. I’m joined today by women’s health expert and mineral balancing practitioner Sena Maria, who brings grounded clarity to what true, lasting healing requires, helping us understand the body’s intelligent responses to modern life and offering a vision of healing that is slow, nourishing, and sustainable. LINKS: with Amber Nov 3-8 (extended convo about the interplay of serotonin, histamine, and estrogen, plus a discount link for Sena’s membership program Radiantly Nourished) The herb shop Sena’s free 11 minute video showing her HTMA progression (discount code BB10) Ashley Wulkan’s Quiz: Amber on Sena on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Modern Midlife Hits Different (Especially for Mothers) - Jessie Harrold
01/20/2026
Modern Midlife Hits Different (Especially for Mothers) - Jessie Harrold
Midlife is a powerful threshold, one that is often misunderstood or endured in shame and solitude. In this episode, we explore the in-between terrain where old identities dissolve and new ways of being have not yet fully emerged. Jessie and I reflect on how today’s societal pressures collide with the emotional and biological realities of midlife and motherhood, creating an unprecedented landscape that calls for more compassion, more community, and more honest conversations. By naming and honoring these transitions, especially those unique to women, we open the door to self-discovery, validation, and personal and collective growth. Links: (extended convo w/ Jessie on The Freebirth Fallout) The w/ Amber, November 2026 Jessie on The herb shop Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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First Blood & Lost Rites of Passage - Kami McBride
11/04/2025
First Blood & Lost Rites of Passage - Kami McBride
Menarche- a girl’s first period- shapes how we experience womanhood for the rest of our lives, and the lack of initiation most of us experience is itself an initiation. In this culture that has fractured from the rites and wisdom of our grandmothers, where so many of us met our first period with confusion or shame, how do we begin to heal this tender threshold- for our daughters, and for the younger version of ourselves? In a conversation brimming with practical suggestions, my herb teacher Kami McBride- who has led countless women’s circles, developed and taught a class for cycling women, and even written a book on menstruation- shares her decades of experience and insight. Together, we explore how to remember what was once celebrated, and how to bring reverence and empowerment back to this profound beginning. (thank you!)- enter the giveaway & get a list of my favorite books on menstruation Kami’s free classes: & Kami’s course: Join me at the Medicine Stories in Costa Rica November 2026! herbal remedies- to be notified when our Moment Markers Bundles become available Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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TCM's 7yr Timeline of Women's Life Transitions - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
10/22/2025
TCM's 7yr Timeline of Women's Life Transitions - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
Did you notice metabolic changes around age 35 and/or 42? Does perimenopause even exist? Is there an ideal childbearing window? Why are humans one of the only species to experience menopause? Suuzi Hazen, doctor of Chinese Medicine and my closest companion in healing from midlife burnout, gives us the Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective on the 7 year framework for girls’ and womens’ life transitions. that inspired this conversation Join me & Suuzi at the Medicine Stories in Costa Rica November 2026! Related previous episodes with Suuzi- , , by Suuzi by Suuzi herbal remedies- to be notified when our Moment Markers Bundles become available Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Reshaped by Parenthood: Families, Fathers, and the First Year - Rachelle Seliga
09/15/2025
Reshaped by Parenthood: Families, Fathers, and the First Year - Rachelle Seliga
Birth opens the door, but what comes after walks you through it. Many new parents find themselves moving through the first year feeling lonely, confused, and wondering why it’s so hard. In this episode, I’m joined again by Rachelle Seliga of Innate Traditions, who has spent over 20 years teaching and gathering communities to explore postpartum, motherhood, and revillaging. Together, we open the conversation wider — into the realm of fatherhood — with Rachelle’s signature depth, wisdom, and grounded practicality. Whether you’re preparing for birth or reflecting on your own postpartum journey, this conversation offers insight, validation, and a new lens on what it means to be reshaped by parenthood. workshop with Rachelle and Dan Two bonuses: 1) extended interview w/ Rachelle giving me her hot takes on controversial wellness/spirituality topics and 2) audio recording of me giving a podcast/medicine/life/health status update Rachelle’s previous Medicine Stories appearance Take our fun quiz Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Cannabis-Induced Psychosis: A Mother’s Story of Love and Loss - Tara Couture of Slowdown Farmstead
04/09/2025
Cannabis-Induced Psychosis: A Mother’s Story of Love and Loss - Tara Couture of Slowdown Farmstead
In 2021 Tara and her family got the knock on their door that every parent fears most. In the days that followed they discovered eighteen-year-old Mila’s journal and were able to piece together the shocking and devastating chain of events that led to her death. Tara’s Instagram and Substack, Slowdown Farmstead, is followed and admired by tens of thousands of people. Tara and her husband raised their three daughters on their beautiful Canadian farm, lovingly tending to and butchering their own livestock in order to nourish their family and community. Deeply acquainted with the cycles of nature, Tara has a perspective on the interconnectedness of life and death that was the daily reality for our ancestors but eludes most modern people. But that did not prepare her for what could happen when a drug that is now bred to be as strong as any pharmaceutical- and which is often misunderstood as being a benign herbal medicine- snuck its way into her daughter’s life at a vulnerable time and completely rewired her brain in a matter of months. It is our hope that sharing Mila’s story will make more people aware of the increasingly common psychosis that is a side effect of the new high-THC strains of cannabis on the market, and especially of its dangers for the developing teenage brain. Please read the articles linked below for more. Tara's essay - don't miss the dozens of resources about the risks of cannabis at the end - What We Want Our Daughter To Know: women, restriction, chronic illness & more on Tara’s metabolic journey Learn more about Tara’s book Slowdown Farmstead on and Take our fun quiz My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Women Making Medicine for Healing & Connection - Kami McBride
03/01/2025
Women Making Medicine for Healing & Connection - Kami McBride
My most beloved herbal elder and I talk about our favorite subject- women throughout time using plants for self care, family healing, and community connection. After nearly 4 decades as a practicing herbalist and teacher, and in an age of informational overabundance, Kami has seen what actually works when it comes to truly embodying herbal knowing. (including the peek at what you see when you log in to the course). Two for this episode- 1) an extended conversation with Kami where we share our stories of Mothering Without Elders 2) two free videos with Kami entitled Garden Herb Walk- meet 9 favorite garden herbs that can calm the nerves, help with digestion, heal the skin, kick a cold, and more! Let’s meet beautiful edible and medicinal flowers, weeds, leaves and seeds and find out which ones are used for what. Kami’s book Amber’s website Take our fun quiz Amber/Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Nourishment Lost: in Culty Spaces, Self Induced, & Culturewide - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
02/17/2025
Nourishment Lost: in Culty Spaces, Self Induced, & Culturewide - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
Suuzi and I continue the discussion sparked by my last episode about culty trends in the wellness space by talking about her past with Kundalini yoga- what drew her in and, eventually, how noticing the state of nourishment of those deepest into the cult precipitated her exit. We then catch listeners up on our midlife metabolic meltdown hEaLinG jOuRnEyS and what path we’re taking forward as we continue to recover our vitality and deepen our understanding of why women’s bodies are so metabolically expensive. for this episode include an extended conversation w/ Suuz about the reaction to the German New Medicine episode (114) & how it surprisingly kindled a discussion amongst patrons about a remarkably similar ideology, a 10% off coupon code for Suuzi’s grass fed, grass finished liver pills, and a chance to ask us questions. Also photos of Suuzi in turbans! Dr. Suuzi on Amber’s website Take our fun quiz Amber/Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes) Mentioned in this episode: Kimberly Ann Johnson on Kundalini cult/Guru Jagat documentary The podcast and specific episodes with Kathleen Stewart The group coaching program Suuzi is in is nutrition tracking app : a guide for switching to nourishing foods while avoiding fat gain by Kaya of Fundamental Nourishment an appeal for having context to understand the big picture by Kaya of Fundamental Nourishment
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German New Medicine: A Lot of Magical Thinking & A Little Bit Culty Too - Demetra Gray
02/05/2025
German New Medicine: A Lot of Magical Thinking & A Little Bit Culty Too - Demetra Gray
GNM is an alt health trend that has grown in popularity in recent years. It is attractive to so many (including me and my guest, once) because it acknowledges the role that emotions and trauma play in physical health and symptom manifestation, something that mainstream medicine still somehow refuses to do. But just because some aspects of an ideology are true and helpful does not mean that the entire framework is valid. Critical thinking and humility are essential tools for navigating information overload and complex frameworks, especially when it comes to health. The allure of certainty and specialized knowledge can lead people to adopt rigid belief systems that don’t hold up to critical thinking, and the the zealotry of believing that your group’s belief system will save the world only further strengthens unconscious confirmation bias (along with other logical fallacies common in GNM- loading the language, heads you lose tails I win, us v them thinking, bizarre antisemitic conspiracies, etc). But what might be most worrisome about this growing movement is the purity mindset demanded of its more extreme adherents- the belief that nothing outside of us can affect us if only we believe strongly enough in our own omnipotence and prove our righteousness and purity by attaining a total lack of symptoms. What is viewed as radical sovereignty and empowerment is really just outright magical thinking reinforced by an absence of humility, mystery, and the reality that ultimately we are not in control of what happens to us. The body is not a closed system; we are deeply embedded in overlapping ecologies. This episode has been years in the making, and I have been asked time and time again for my take on GNM. When I was sent Demetra’s essay on the subject I knew that I had finally found the right person to have this conversation with. Her past cult experience, and my years of deep dives into culty thinking and behavior, provide a lens through which to view this phenomenon. Though we do not claim that GNM is a cult in the traditional sense, cultishness is a spectrum and GNM is definitely on that spectrum. Also its tenets are demonstrably false, and have led to death in some cases. NBD. In our conversation Demetra shares her cult story- joining what she thought was a good thing, slowly realizing it wasn’t, leaving, being attacked by the leader and other members, and the long “deprogramming” and stabilization process that all cult survivors undergo Demetra’s essay Dr. Moss’s report Demetra’s podcast Impolite Company on and Amber’s website Take our fun quiz Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes) Mentioned in this episode: (the best!) Cult documentaries (by no means an extensive list)- The Vow (NXIVM), Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence, Breath of Fire (Kundalini yoga), The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin Steven Hassan’s Cult expert
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Women's Bodies are Metabolically Expensive (Why Things Break So Easily) - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
03/18/2024
Women's Bodies are Metabolically Expensive (Why Things Break So Easily) - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
Chinese Medicine holds that women’s bodies are 10x harder to heal than men’s, as our reproductive system is biologically much more precious and metabolically more intensive to maintain. In this conversation my good friend, third time guest, and Doctor of Chinese Medicine Suuzi and I catch up one year after we both underwent severe energy loss to share how we’ve rebuilt and healed. We talk about shifting away from the mindset of achieving “optimum human health” (an illusion that contributed to our health crises), working and mothering in a state of total burnout, how our childrens’ metabolic patterns can mirror our own & how we’ve helped our own kids heal, the link between high sensitivity and mineral depletion, why we’ve chosen a metabolically appropriate approach to weight loss even though it takes much longer, and so much more. Suuzi’s website and her (podcast bonuses!) Take our fun quiz newsletter book from the 80s Suuzi’s previous interviews- and Women whose work has helped us- Niecia Nelson- course and (my guest on episode 100 ) Sena Maria- and Jenna Hamm- and Sarah Kleiner- and (my guest on episode 104 ) My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Loving Ourselves Home: Finding Sanctuary in Herbal Medicine - Kami McBride
03/03/2024
Loving Ourselves Home: Finding Sanctuary in Herbal Medicine - Kami McBride
The times are unprecedented and there is no template for the future. We all feel this, and we feel the overwhelm of information, influence, and opinions. Herbalism, as it always has, offers us sanctuary from everything vying to take hold of our attention and life force. Not so that we can check out in an endless fog of self care, but so that we can be truly present and embodied as we navigate this time of rapid and radical change. The plants call us home to ourselves. Kami’s course (what it looks like when you log in) by Robert Green (podcast bonuses!) Take our fun quiz My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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The Mythic Hive & How Bees Heal Us - Ariella Daly
01/01/2024
The Mythic Hive & How Bees Heal Us - Ariella Daly
Nothing exemplifies the magic of nature more than honeybees. They are insects yet their colonies are akin to a mammalian being, they produce numerous healing substances from their bodies and within their hives, and they have been revered and mythologized since time immemorial by countless cultures. Beekeepers live longer than folks in any other profession, and being in relationship with bees is deep medicine for the spirit in these frazzled times. Let us relearn ancestral ways of tending and listening to bees so that we may maximize our chances of reclaiming a vibrant and thriving Earth. RESOURCES: Ariella’s website (3 bonuses for this episode- our extended conversation, 100% off coupon code for Ari’s 14 Kindred Bees classes, and a list of my & Ari’s favorite beetending resources) Take our fun quiz by Jacqueline Freeman by Jürgen Tautz Previous Medicine Stories episode w/ Ariella Check out our herbal & mushroom remedies Mythic Medicine The Medicine Stories Music by (from her song Wild Eyes)
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Death is the Great Healing: Reclaiming Ancestral Relationship w/ the Dead - Perdita Finn
12/11/2023
Death is the Great Healing: Reclaiming Ancestral Relationship w/ the Dead - Perdita Finn
“I pray to the dead to help me remember who I am while I’m still alive.” To be in relationship with those who’ve gone before us is a deeply human way of being. Our ancestors knew that the “departed” never left, and that they answer when called. The way modern Western people conceive of the dead is a deviation that discards millennia of human knowing. Let us pray to the ancestors to help us sober up from civilization, remember what we’ve always known, and reclaim the long story of the soul. RESOURCES: Perdita’s website (book giveaway & course coupon code) by Bernd Heinrich by Thomas Halliday by Clark Strand My podcast about my mother’s passing , a novel by Sophie Strand Perdita and her husband Clark Strand’s website Take our fun quiz Our website & herbal medicines Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Chronic Illness: Telling Honest Stories, Navigating the Underworld, and Tending the Roots - Sarah Ramey
11/20/2023
Chronic Illness: Telling Honest Stories, Navigating the Underworld, and Tending the Roots - Sarah Ramey
It is estimated that half of all Americans have chronic health issues, and yet these conditions are new to the human species. What has happened? And how does an afflicted individual navigate a medical system that dismisses them and offers little help, embedded within a culture obsessed with self improvement and the hero’s journey of triumph? Sarah and I talk about the multifactorial nature of chronic illness and what has changed between generations, walking the fine line between self-responsibility and acknowledging that we’re all embedded in toxic systems that are out of our control, navigating the mythic underworld of autoimmune and chronic illness, and telling our stories without the need for a heroic ending. (enter the book giveaway by 12/14) Take our fun quiz Medicine Stories episode w/ Sophie Strand by Maureen Murdock My post about My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Synchronicity Reveals Our Ecological Niche - Sophie Strand
07/28/2023
Synchronicity Reveals Our Ecological Niche - Sophie Strand
Healing is communal. Settle in softly for this wide-ranging conversation with my most requested guest. Sophie and I talk chronic illness and trauma, diagnosis as blessing and as hex, the theater of medicine, the aquatic nature of memory, and the entanglements of time. RESOURCES: Sophie on Sophie’s newsletter by Sarah Ramey ACE- by Bessel van den Kolk (giant trigger warning; read the book below instead) by Rupa Marya and Raj Patel by Erik Wargo by Julia Cameron by Barbara Ehrenreich (a podcast beloved by both me & Sophie) Read by Ursula K Le Guin by Karen Barad by Joanna Newsom () My blog post (podcast bonuses!) Take our fun quiz My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Your Body is Not a Closed System: The Sun, Cell Signaling, & Metabolic Wellness - Sarah Kleiner
05/30/2023
Your Body is Not a Closed System: The Sun, Cell Signaling, & Metabolic Wellness - Sarah Kleiner
The sun rules the rhythms and the well-being of all life on Earth, and humans are no exception to this rule. With the very recent (evolutionarily speaking) advent of indoor living and the even more recent advent of indoor lighting, we have inadvertently shut down the vital communication between sunlight and our cells. This is as upstream as it gets when it comes to health, and when we come back into relationship with the sun all manner of issues (insomnia, obesity, infertility, and so much more) can resolve. Let’s talk about the science behind circadian rhythm and practical ways to heal with sunlight. (podcast bonuses!) Sarah's links- Free Guide: Building Your Perfect Quantum Day - FAQ Guide - Courses - (code PODCAST for 10% off any course!) Instagram - Podcast - Website - YouTube - More links- by Jo Marchant Take our fun quiz My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes) Related Medicine Stories episodes: w/ Nadine Artemis w/ Dr. Carly Nuday w/ Isabel Friend w/ Lindsay Courcelle
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Midlife Burnout for Women & Why Healing Work Can Make Us Worse - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
04/07/2023
Midlife Burnout for Women & Why Healing Work Can Make Us Worse - Dr. Suuzi Hazen
Suuzi has been one of my best friends for 15 years, and our lives have taken parallel tracks recently- deeply interested in health & natural living for decades, we have nevertheless both found ourselves in total burnout at the edge of collapse in our early 40s. We share what got us here (and the irony that so much of it is doing things we truly believed were making us healthy), the current state of our metabolic/thyroid/mineral health, and our paths going forward. We hope this inspires others feeling stuck and confused- despite tremendous effort to be healthy- to quiet the outside noise, self attune, and more deeply understand your own biochemistry. Dr. Suuzi Hazen is a wife, mother, farmer and founder of Mother's Best Liver Pills. She holds a doctoral degree in TCM, graduating in 2009 from ICTCM Vancouver. Suuzi completed extensive internships in Anhui Hospital of TCM in Hefei, China. She also interned with Dr. Katrine Heigelmann (Victoria), and Dr. David Li Lam (Vancouver). She brings a grounded yet radical, no-nonsense perspective to ancestral health and wellness. Dr. Suuzi Sena Maria’s post on on Instagram Niecia’s post of Take our fun quiz Related previous episodes: My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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The Living Matrix of Fascia & the Resonance of the Heart - Lindsay Courcelle
03/20/2023
The Living Matrix of Fascia & the Resonance of the Heart - Lindsay Courcelle
We can’t talk about fascia, the connective tissue that touches every single cell in the body, without talking about water, memory, and the quantum information that travels along this network at speeds 1000x faster than biochemical/neuronal signaling. When we bring tactile witnessing to our fascia through presence and touch, mountains move. Get ready to have your mind blown and, if you’re anything like me, to spend the rest of your life diving deeper into these subjects. Lindsay on Amber on Lindsay’s - Two bonuses for this episode: 1. Singing w/ the Ancestors- an extended conversation w/ Lindsay about the resonance of the human voice, making pilgrimage to ancestral lands, connecting with the Earth by breathing with plants, calling in our dreams, and the landscapes that our bodies recognize. 2. Holy Witness: The Story of My 101 Year Old Grandmother's Beautiful Death- My sister and I were touching our grandmother as she left her body on my mom’s, her daughter's, birthday. My six year old daughter was in the room as well. It was peaceful, sacred, and offered healing in light of how my mom died in such a shocking and unexpected way. Plus 5 years of podcast bonuses & resources related to herbalism, ancestry, health, and much more! Take our fun quiz w/ Leah Levitan on Instagram video w/ Dr. Emily Splichal - visceral surgery fascia video on Instagram by Jerry Tennant on Instagram by Pam Montgomery by Stephen Buhner by Carolyn McMakin on Instagram My website Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Healing Wounded Lineages by Reclaiming Physiologic Birth - Aimee Aroha
02/13/2023
Healing Wounded Lineages by Reclaiming Physiologic Birth - Aimee Aroha
Our modern disconnection from land and lineage mirrors the culturally normal- but biologically abnormal- separation between mother and baby, parents and children. The consequences of these intertwined attachment wounds are vast. But many of us are dreaming into a different way forward. Let us speak truthfully about what isn’t working, divest from the systems that break our sacred bonds to the Earth and to one another, and heal into the wholeness that is our ancestral inheritance. Aimee’s website Aimee on (podcast bonuses!) Take our fun quiz by Rachel Reed Related Medicine Stories episodes- My website Mythic Medicine on Instagram Medicine Stories Facebook group Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Parenting Sensitive/Spirited/Neurodivergent Children, Leaving Schools, and Proudly Engaging in Wrongthink - Teva Johnstone
12/20/2022
Parenting Sensitive/Spirited/Neurodivergent Children, Leaving Schools, and Proudly Engaging in Wrongthink - Teva Johnstone
Kids today face more challenges- and are showing more signs of distress- than ever before. Parents must learn to effectively co-regulate, repair when things go awry, and create the right environments for our children (be they dandelions, orchids, or somewhere in between). When trending cultural ideologies come to replace ancient biological reality, we must refuse to check our brains at the door and do all that we can to protect childhood. It is the only compassionate, fair, and kind thing to do. Wrongthink: Beliefs or opinions that run contrary to the prevailing orthodoxy; related to thoughtcrime, doublespeak, and other Orwellian concepts. RESOURCES: (tools for neurodivergent kids) (podcast bonuses!) My website Take our fun quiz Medicine Stories Mythic Medicine on Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Apprentice Yourself to the Earth: Plant Wisdom & Embodied Knowing - Kami McBride
10/03/2022
Apprentice Yourself to the Earth: Plant Wisdom & Embodied Knowing - Kami McBride
The plants have so much more to teach us than what has been written down by others; there is another level of wisdom that can only be accessed by direct communication with the living Earth. When we cultivate an embodied knowing of the natural world we realize that we don’t need any special gifts or gurus or long lists of memorized plant constituents to mediate our relationship with our more-than-human kin. A nervous system and an open heart are all that’s needed. Let us open our channels of perception and reclaim our ancestral birthright to be in direct communication with our mother planet and those we share it with. RESOURCES: Kami’s free workshop: Kami’s webinar: Kami’s online course: (podcast bonuses!) Take our fun quiz My website Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes) Stephen Buhner’s about entering hospice Previous episode with Stephen Buhner Previous episode with Sajah Popham Previous episode with Sajah Popham
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Self Remembrance & the Non-Stop Nurturance of the Natural World - Asia Suler
07/26/2022
Self Remembrance & the Non-Stop Nurturance of the Natural World - Asia Suler
Earth-centered cultures have always held that each person is born into this world with their own unique gifts and strengths, but this knowing has been put aside by our modern, disconnected overculture. The consequences of this mass self forgetting are profound. But nature is always there to remind us of who we are, where we come from, and why we’re here. Let us come back into relationship with the earth- the truest mirror of our most sacred inner selves. TOPICS: Naming babies & birthing books How spaces live inside us: ancestral pilgrimage to sacred sites When you’re connected to your deep self you can most powerfully serve others Self compassion is a force for healing in the world It is through the non-stop nurturance of the natural world that we remember who we are Rewiring our neurology through relationship with the earth can create the space the body needs to heal Reflections on our inherent goodness & the original beauty of being Musings on narcissism, ancestral humans, & our toxic overculture There’s nothing self-centered about seeking self knowledge and cultivating self love The truth about magic You can choose peace and still grow LINKS: Asia’s website Asia’s book Asia on Podcast Bonuses! Mythic Medicinals Previous episode with Asia- Previous episode with Asia- by Tyson Yunkaporta on Instagram Cartoon Saloon’s Our herbal & mushroom medicines Take our fun quiz Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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The Mineral Matrix & the Motherline That Made You - Hamid Jabbar
06/13/2022
The Mineral Matrix & the Motherline That Made You - Hamid Jabbar
We were made from our mothers, who were made from the earth, which is made of stardust, which is made of minerals. A well mineralized body heals itself by providing our cellular metabolism what it needs to create energy and clear exhaust. Our ancestors didn’t give their mineral status a second thought, but modern humans are almost all imbalanced (with the ill health to prove it), and minerals are wildly misunderstood. Let us remember the elemental interbeing that gives us life, understand the complex tapestry that is our individual mineral balance, and give our mitochondria what it needs to help us thrive. TOPICS: You can’t microdose (or heroic dose) your way out of a mineral deficiency- how years of working with entheogenic plant medicines negatively affected Hamid’s health The interplay of trauma symptoms, depression, anxiety, physical health issues, and mineral status The many reasons we’re all mineral deficient Iron toxicity and why anemia is dangerously misunderstood We inherit our mitochondria from our mothers, and what your maternal grandmother ate while pregnant with your mom programmed epigenetic changes into the egg that became you, so your biology- on a metabolic level- is looking for the foods your grandmother consumed Much of what we attribute to good (or bad) genes is actually the result of the mineral status of our mothers early in our lives For childbearing women, there are consequences to trying to maintain a figure instead of trying to nourish ourselves Human beings are deeply resilient- even when our genetic and epigenetic inheritance is lacking, even when our minerals are depleted- we can heal and thrive The exquisitely choreographed transfer of minerals from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding (and how modern childbearing practices disrupt these) Mother nature doesn’t make mistakes & the human mind will never outsmart the life force Healing from healing- much of what is recommended in the “alternative” health space makes people worse by depleting minerals (including many supplements) Hamid’s mineral mentor Morely Robbins and the Root Cause Protocol Addressing the underlying mineral deficiency v attacking the disease or diagnosis Iron carries the frequency of [fe]ar, and copper stimulates [cu]riosity- the correlation between mineral status & reactivity to the world Iron (which is magnetic) embodies archetypal masculine energy, and needs the feminine archetype of copper (which is electric) to balance it The whole system relaxes when toxic iron buildup starts to leave the body Considerations around blood donation Healing. Takes Time. The myth of copper toxicity (which rivals the myth of anemia) The dance between oxygen, iron, copper, magnesium, and ceruloplasmin Oxygen + iron = rust inside the body Flower pollen, copper, and fertility Why the adrenal cocktail is needed if you are supplementing magnesium Thirst is a cry for minerals, not water Our bodies were designed to make water and our ancestors did not drink 8 glasses a day If you’re drinking unmineralized water you’re irrigating, not hydrating Why hair grays and/or thins, and the possibility of reversal The interplay between light, sound, cells, and minerals Implications of cannabis overuse The dangers of hapé (tobacco snuff) (also spelled rapé) Mineral deficiency is involved in all stages of addiction Just because it’s a plant medicine doesn’t mean it’s good for you RESOURCES: Hamid’s Instagram account for deeper dives & to schedule a consultation (2 bonuses for this episode!) Take our fun quiz Hamid’s on Instagram Hamid’s essay on the A very helpful Wise Traditions podcast interview with Morley Robbins by Morley Robbins by Catherine Shanahan by Lily Nichols with Kymber Maulden Our herbal medicines Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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Cervix is Self: Reconnecting to Your Inner Oracle & Record Keeper - Denell Barbara Randall (Cervical Wellness)
05/23/2022
Cervix is Self: Reconnecting to Your Inner Oracle & Record Keeper - Denell Barbara Randall (Cervical Wellness)
The women’s embodiment movement tends to stop at the womb, but cervix lies even deeper and contains an abundance of information about where we’ve been and what is needed now. From healing abnormalities and infections to connecting with the deep self for guidance and healing, let us peel back the layers and remember our innermost knowing. TOPICS: How Denell healed her cervical dysplasia and completely got rid of both strains of cancer causing HPV (without the LEEP procedure or other Western medical interventions) The anatomy of cervix and what our culture has gotten wrong about it Asking yourself the question- what is my cervix telling me? Cervix asks us to face ourselves How alcohol, bad food, and bad sex affect cervical well being Healing the past in the present- closing timeline loops by revisiting where we fragmented to reclaim ourselves Cervix is your inner oracle How the current trend of feminine embodiment misses cervix How to connect to your cervix The medical myth that the cervix has no nerves and therefore you can’t feel it Denell shares a powerful & very vulnerable story about realizing that she had gotten lost in “sensual Instagram boss babe” culture and finding her way back to the devotion to women and cervix that first called her The connection between pelvic and dental health All the ways we abandon or even abuse ourselves to conform to the overculture The power of softness RESOURCES: The website Denell on (3 bonuses for this episode!) Our herbal & mushroom medicines Take our fun quiz Mythic Medicine on Medicine Stories Music by (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
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