Long Strange Trip Podcast

The Practice

Hello Travelers,Today’s practice falls on both the Full Moon and the pagan holiday Beltane, which marks the midway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. Can you believe it?Lately, I’ve been working on finding balance between practices that are activating and help build strength and resilience, while also moving some “fight” energy out of my body. Things like hip hop, kickboxing, and weight lifting.And on the other side, practices that bring me into a deeper sense of calm and help soothe what feels like years of pent up tension.I’ve been noticing a “lockdown” pattern my body enters that I used to try to stretch out of or push through. Now, I’m finding new ways to approach it. Cultivating more safety through breathwork, somatic practices, and EFT.These past few months have felt quite intense, with opportunities to face our fears and cultivate a deeper level of self trust and autonomy. This Full Moon feels like a continuation of that ongoing story, with connections to Pluto and Chiron.How do we access our internal power, even in the face of what we perceive as weakness?Is our weakness truly weak, or is that just the story we’ve been telling ourselves about it?What if your weakness were actually a gift?A place of connection and intimacy.A place to meet with compassion instead of judgment.What if we stopped being at war with ourselves and simply let ourselves be?A mantra I’ve been using lately comes from the late Ram Dass:“I am. Here now.”It’s so simple, yet so potent. Often, there are so many places I’m running off to. Out of my body, into my to do list, the past, the future, or the fantasies I’ve created as a form of self protection.I don’t even notice the tension I’m carrying when I’m living from the neck up. Sometimes I think I’m relaxed, but I’m really just distracted.When I think of Scorpio energy, I think of deep feeling and intimacy. There’s no small talk or surface level b******t. It likes to cut to the quick.There’s an argument I have with my partner sometimes. He wants to help me through something, so he jumps to solutions. And I don’t want them. I just want to be felt, not fixed.So the practice I’m offering this month is super simple, yet super deep. It’s not fancy. It’s just a few somatic practices for being here now.For feeling more than moving.For sitting with what’s underneath.Often hidden. Often easy to miss.Just a few minutes to get really present and be on your own side.I hope it serves you on this deep, sensual, sexy, fertile Full Moon.Keep truckin’,Holly This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hollyramey.substack.com/subscribe

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The Practice: Libra Full Moon

Apr 100:37:59Tap to summarize

Hello Travelers,Welcome to The Practice, where we take what’s moving in the sky and bring it into the body.This week, we’re working with the Full Moon in Libra - a lunation that asks us to return to balance. Not as perfection, but as relationship.Relationship to ourselves.To others.To how we give and how we receive.⚖️ The EnergyThe Full Moon in Libra arrives during Aries season, illuminating the space between independence and interdependence.Aries says: I am.Libra say: We are.This is the axis of self and other - healthy dependence and interdependence. Under this Full Moon, something within that dynamic may be coming into focus.You may notice:* Where you’ve been over giving or people pleasing* Where you’ve pulled back or shut down* Where you struggle to receive Not wrong. Just out of balance.With Venus - Libra’s ruler - grounded in Taurus, there’s support here. Venus is in its domicile in Taurus - meaning it lends an aspect of beauty, harmony and generosity to this full moon. There is also a supportive connection between the Sun and Pluto, giving us an opportunity to feel powerful and go deep. ✧ A Personal Note on ReceivingLately, I’ve been noticing something come up around receiving.In small moments - like taking my daughter to a playdate and immediately thinking about how to “pay it back.”And in bigger ones - like saying yes to a friend who offered to watch her for an entire weekend so I could go away with my partner for my birthday.Even when the offer was genuine, generous, and freely given…I felt discomfort.There was a strong part of me that wanted to make it even, to keep things balanced, to not owe anyone anything.Because the truth is, I’ve spent a long time doing everything on my own.I don’t have family I can rely on in that way, and over time I’ve become protective.Careful and self-sufficient to a fault.And when I really sat with it, I realized how quickly relationships can start to feel transactional, not because I want them to be, but because it’s a way of protecting myself.A way of staying in control, of not being hurt.Of not being put in a position where I have to give more than I can.Growing up in environments where boundaries weren’t clear, where I often had to take on more than I should have, shaped that pattern.And now, as an adult, I can feel how uncomfortable it is to simply receive.And I felt that protective element coming up in my body- tension in my neck, shoulders and back, anxiety and burning in my belly. I had to really sit with myself and offer compassion - not to “fix it” but to remind myself I’m safe, and that it’s can be safe to receive. I want to share a practice with you to help cultivate balance and safety - I hope you enjoy. 🌿 The PracticeInstead of trying to think your way into clarity, this practice brings you back into the body.We work with:* Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to calm the mind and balance the nervous system* Gentle movement to explore stability and softness* Simple balancing postures to bring the practice into our physical form✧ Work With MeIf you’re wanting support in understanding how this is showing up in your life, I offer private sessions inside Mars Hotel.* The Spiritual Check-In — tarot + energy work to clear, ground, and reconnect* Room 808 — a guided exploration of your birth chart and current transitsOr explore The Lover’s Atlas — a self-guided workbook to understand your relational patterns through astrology.→ Book a session or explore the workbook Keep truckin’ ✨Holly This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hollyramey.substack.com/subscribe

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The Practice: EFT

Mar 300:18:02Tap to summarize

Hello Travelers,Welcome to The Practice, where we take spiritual concepts and metaphor and bring them into real life through rituals that help us feel calm, centered, and grounded in the here and now.This month’s practice is inspired by the Virgo Lunar Eclipse, a moment to release what no longer serves us, especially the shadow expressions of Virgo: perfectionism, self doubt, criticism, and overthinking.Because this is the final eclipse in a series that began in March 2023, it carries a sense of closure. A doorway that has been open for nearly two years is now ready to close. This is a potent time to consciously clear habits, narratives, and beliefs that have shaped your inner dialogue.Mercury, ruler of Virgo and this eclipse, is currently retrograde in Pisces. We are in a season of rest, review, and recalibration, particularly in how we think, communicate, and organize information. Pisces balances this energy by inviting compassion, faith and trust. I chose EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, for this month’s ritual because it beautifully coincides with these energies. We speak phrases and affirmations out loud, honoring Mercury and the power of language, while tapping on acupressure points in the body, honoring Virgo’s connection to somatic awareness and healing. This combination supports the vagus nerve, helps regulate the nervous system, and creates space for love, acceptance, and release to move through us.If you would like to skip the introduction, tapping begins at 6:57.Use this practice as often as you need. Repeat the phrases, change the words, make it your own. EFT can be incredibly supportive for shifting patterns and softening harsh inner narratives.I would love to hear how this felt for you in the comments.If this practice stirred something deeper and you feel ready for more personalized support, I invite you to work with me one on one.In private sessions, we explore your chart, your patterns, and your current season of life through astrology, tarot, and intuitive guidance. These sessions are designed to help you feel clearer, more embodied, and more confident in your next steps.You can also book a Spiritual Check-In, a focused 60 minute session. Through tarot and energy work, we clear what is not yours, clarify what is, and validate what you already know but may not fully trust. Clients often leave feeling lighter, grounded, and more aligned with themselves.Room 808 is my dedicated astrology offering. In this session, we explore your natal chart and any current or upcoming transits that are activating your life. If you are wondering how the eclipses, retrogrades, or larger collective shifts are impacting you personally, this is where we map it out. You leave with clarity about timing, themes, and how to work with the timing in your chart. If relationships are the area asking for attention right now, The Lover’s Atlas is my downloadable relational astrology guide. It walks you through understanding your elemental needs in partnership, offering prompts and insights you can return to again and again. It is a beautiful companion if you are reflecting on connection, compatibility, or your own relational patterns.Wishing you ease and abundance ✨Keep Truckin,Holly This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hollyramey.substack.com/subscribe

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The Practice: Strength

Jan 3100:30:41Tap to summarize

Hey travelers!I’m not going to lie – these past few weeks have been heavy for me to hold.Between having and recovering from a minor surgical procedure, and feeling the grief, pain, and outrage moving through our collective family, it’s been a lot to process. And while my Sagittarius Moon remains the eternal optimist, I don’t believe we can pretend or bypass what’s happening around us.I feel it in my body.And I know I need to acknowledge it – so it doesn’t take up permanent residence there.This Month’s PracticeIn this month’s edition of The Practice, I’m sharing:• Simple somatic tools I use day to day to check in and gently shift my energy• A grounding breathwork and meditation• A ritual thread connected to the symbolism of the Full Moon during Aquarius seasonThe tarot card that represents Leo is Strength, and it’s also the card I pulled for January.The Full Moon in Leo arrives on February 1st – the same day as the cross-quarter holiday Imbolc. If you’re craving a tactile way to honor this moment, I share more details on the lunation and a fun Imbolc craft/ritual in the Seasonal Edit: Aquarius Season Edit.Working With the Strength CardIn tarot, the Strength card depicts a woman and a lion – symbolizing courage, resilience, and animal instinct.This card connects to the heart chakra, our capacity for vulnerability, and our willingness to take emotional risks. Strength teaches us patience and presence – the ability to stay with discomfort rather than rush past it.Over time, this practice widens our nervous system’s capacity to hold what once felt like too much. Through devotion, discipline, and returning again and again to our intention, we build trust with ourselves.A Gentle InvitationWe can all draw on the energy of Strength to carry us through these times.If you’re reading this, I trust you’re already doing that work – showing up, feeling deeply, and choosing care even when it’s hard.My intention is that this practice offers:• A soft place to land when you feel overwhelmed• A way to release stored energy (or energy you’ve taken on)• A mind/ heart connection.And if you don’t feel immediate relief, that’s okay. I was very tight when I recorded this, and it took a few days for things to shift. Try returning anyway – even 10–15 minutes a day helps the body remember safety and equilibrium over time.On Community & ServiceAnother thing that grounds me when I feel the weight of the world is community and service.Since June, I’ve been working with Habitat for Humanity to build a home, and it has been profoundly humbling and life-giving. Watching volunteers show up week after week to build homes for people they don’t know – but who live in their community – is deeply moving.Every build day, I watch volunteers problem-solve, improvise, and adapt when things go completely haywire. And when we finished our first home, I cried tears of joy.If you’re feeling down or disconnected, I truly encourage you to explore service or volunteering in your own community. I promise it can lift your spirits while helping others in ways you may never fully see.Want Support Beyond This Practice?If this practice resonates and you’re craving personalized guidance, you can:🔗 Book a Spiritual Check-InA one-on-one session to explore what’s coming up for you right now – emotionally, energetically, or astrologically – and receive grounded, intuitive support tailored to you.🔗 Upgrade to a Paid SubscriptionPaid subscribers help sustain this work and will soon receive deeper offerings, extended practices, and behind-the-scenes insights not shared publicly.Both are beautiful ways to continue this work together and support yourself more fully.Wishing you a beautiful Full Moon,and the STRENGTH to keep truckin’.Love you! 💛PS – The intro on this video is long! I got a little carried away. I added timestamps on YouTube if you want to jump ahead, and on Substack the practice begins at 6:02 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hollyramey.substack.com/subscribe

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The Practice: Metta

Jan 700:15:50Tap to summarize

Hello, and Happy New Year✨I can’t quite believe the holiday season has come and gone - winter break felt both endless and impossibly quick. Time, as ever, is an illusion.We began the year with a potent Full Moon in Cancer on January 3rd - the sign of home, family, emotional safety, care, and belonging.A few nights ago, I had a vivid dream. I was on a large bus filled with people on their way to a dance competition. It felt reminiscent of the cheerleading competitions I attended as a teenager or perhaps the result of watching a bit too much Dancing with the Stars this year. The bus was packed with people in spandex, buzzing with anticipation.In the dream, I felt stressed and unsettled - unsure where to sit, who to sit with, or what to do with myself. When we arrived, I was immediately overwhelmed. I recognized people everywhere, yet I couldn’t relax. I kept worrying about where to put my things, where I belonged, where I should set up. I couldn’t enjoy the experience because I wasn’t sure where, or if, I fit in.When I reflected on the dream, one word kept surfacing: belonging. I realized that if I had allowed myself to soften and enjoy the ride, I might have felt that sense of belonging naturally, rather than searching for it anxiously the entire time. Which feels especially poignant, given that this newsletter is called Long Strange Trip - the journey itself is the point.Cancer teaches us that belonging is cultivated through care and compassion. Through acts of self-nurturing, we create safety within. We all long to feel accepted but is belonging something we must seek outside ourselves, or something we can grow from within?This question led me back to a practice that began my spiritual journey: Metta, or Lovingkindness meditation. I first encountered this practice through Sharon Salzberg at the Open Center in New York City, and later through teachers like Tara Brach, Pema Chödrön, and Jillian Pransky -each offering their own doorway into this heart-centered work.At its core, the practice is simple. We cultivate compassion and acceptance by offering phrases of loving intention to ourselves and to others. This practice helped open my heart when I was young, lost, and uncertain in New York. It has carried me through seasons of grief, separation, fear, and change - again and again, returning me to myself.In the wake of this first Full Moon of the year, this feels like the perfect moment to revisit Lovingkindness. It’s how I want to step into 2026: with more courage, more compassion, and greater steadiness of heart.I’m offering this meditation as the first installment of The Practice - a monthly space where I’ll share rituals, meditations, and reflective tools drawn from my spiritual work. If you feel called, I invite you to practice alongside me.And if you’re craving deeper, personalized guidance as you begin this year - whether around relationships, purpose, or a transition you’re navigating, you’re welcome to book a Spiritual Check-In . These sessions are a space to slow down, reflect, and receive insight attuned specifically to you.Sending you love, blessings, and peace as we begin this new cycle 🕊️Keep truckin’,Holly This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hollyramey.substack.com/subscribe

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Grounding Meditation

Sep 2, 202200:00:16Tap to summarize

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit hollyramey.substack.comThank you so much for supporting my work in this way! I hope you can use this meditation as a grounding anchor for your day throughout the month.If you would like to request any specific offerings, please share in the comments✨

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All episodes

The Practice

The Practice: Libra Full Moon

The Practice: EFT

The Practice: Strength

The Practice: Metta

Grounding Meditation