Podcast
The Numinous Podcast
Hosted by Carmen Spagnola · EN
The Numinous Podcast is a show about intuition, spirituality and the mystery of life. The host, Carmen Spagnola, is an intersectional witch and clinical hypnotherapist who has smart, soulful conversations with interesting people. The lineup is diverse, the topics are eclectic, and the people are down-to-earth (mostly).
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
TNP318 Farm Stand News with Marianne Unger
2w ago00:45:27Tap to summarizeIf you are in the mood for something soothing, cozy, wholesome, and heartwarming, this episode is for you. If you are craving some quality time with a neighbour who is grounded, good-hearted, generous and genuinely curious about you and life in general, this episode is for you. If you need a comfort listen, this episode is for you. And so is the forthcoming book from today's guest, Marianne Unger. It's called Farm Stand News: Letters to the Neighbourhood and it's now available for pre-order from 9th House Press. It's about neighbourliness, baking, gardening, place-making, heritage and chosen family, the gift economy, and turning capitalist colonialism on its head. And most of all, it's about love. *** Check out the Power Reader Bundle! Join us in The Numinous Network to participate in more conversations like this.
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TNP317 Literature, Hip Hop and Healing with Dionne Grayman
3w ago01:00:00Tap to summarizeAuthor and educator, Dionne Grayman, is here to talk about her new book, I Call My Own Name: A Homegirl's Lyrical Memoir of Hip-Hop, Healing and Holy Reclamation, now available for pre-order from 9th House Press. In the 90s, Dionne was just 20 years old and pregnant when her baby's father was killed. Now in her late 50s, Dionne recounts how literature and music helped her "remember herself whole", her whole story, with herself as lead not victim. With a warm voice and engaging storytelling, Dionne rewrites the story of how this MC saved her own life. Pre-order I Call My Own Name from 9th House Press Best Savings: the Power Reader Bundle More show notes with links to all of Dionne's references and recommendations coming soon! Check out my next book, How to Connect: Build Strong Bonds and Deep Connections Through Contact Nutrition (No Matter Your Attachment Style, Trauma History or Neurotype) Join us in The Numinous Network
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TNP316 Matrescence in a Time of Ecological Crisis with Dr.Allie Davis
3w ago00:57:56Tap to summarizeNew from 9th House Press: Mother Juniper: On Matrescence in Ecological Crisis, by Dr.Allison Claire Davis, explores the question, What happens when a woman becomes a mother during the slow emergency of our ecological crisis? Matrescence is the developmental transition of becoming a mother. As far as I can find, this is the first book published that focuses exclusively on the unique psychoemotional context of becoming a mother during a time of climate crisis. Dr.Allie Davis is a licensed therapist, researcher, and educator who coined the term maternal ecodistress. Her research has been published in journals including Ecopsychology and Women’s Studies International. She teaches at Pacifica Graduate Institute, directs the Maternal Ecopsychology Certification program for clinicians and birth workers, serves as associate editor of the Journal of Mental Health and Climate Change, and runs Southwest Perinatal Counseling. Mother Juniper draws on the juniper’s pioneer species carework as a developmental framework for supporting the Earth-Self that awakens in matrescence. It is grounded in attachment theory, ecopsychology, feminist theory, and depth psychology. Throughout the book, Davis holds Indigenous ways of knowing and Western science in relationship with each other and reframes maternal climate distress as accurate perception rather than pathology. Along with a developmental framework for moving through ecological crisis, Mother Juniper supports mothers in building earned secure attachment to Earth during matrescence. Therapists and healthcare providers will also benefit from this book as gives clinicians language and a framework for the ecological dimensions of maternal care. ⭐️ Buy the book ⭐️ www.dralliedavis.com Follow Allie on Instagram TikTok Learn more about 9th House Press Come join us in The Numinous Network
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TNP315 Strategies to Address Caregiver Burnout with Carmen Spagnola
4w ago01:28:44Tap to summarizeProduction Note: I used a different recording program than usual without any background noise dampening so you get to hear the summer storm roll in, my dog, Mona slurping her water, my movements as I shuffle stuff on my desk, etc...So real! So high def! So intimate and interactive! Trigger warning: Discussion of suicide and brief non-specific mention of sexual assault, overall a bummer of a topic but I try to keep it moving along fairly briskly and we end with some good coping strategies. On this Mother's Day weekend, I'm taking about some grief-y things and some tough things, and also some funny things and some empowering things. If you're a caregiver nearing the end of her rope, this is for you. International Crisis Lines Quality of Life assessment: https://qli.uic.edu/ Professional Quality of Life Scale (Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue and Burnout): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vzvQVeakBzCbjDCaypwZ_dEy3vHs-37K/view?usp=drive_link https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide https://sprc.org/about-suicide/suicide-data/suicide-by-age/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3603326/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791161 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7292717/ https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/9/12/e032391.full.pdf https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/ei/Article/1003241 Come join us in The Numinous Network for some structured social interaction! 💖
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TNP314 The 14 Grandmothers and The Friendship Bench with Dr.Dixon Chibanda
4w ago01:04:34Tap to summarizeIf you've enjoyed discourse on this podcast about the barefoot doctor approach, community-based and culturally-relevant mental health initiatives and disability justice, as well as how ritual and spiritual literacy helps weave a stronger collective nervous system and increases community resilience, then you need to read, The Friendship Bench: How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution by Dr.Dixon Chibanda. It's about a mental health program of elder lay counsellors who deliver mental health support from neighbourhood park benches, and the 100+ published studies on its efficacy in measurable improvements to individual patients and public health. Dr.Dixon Chibanda is a medical doctor, a practicing psychiatrist, and a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, as well as at the University of Zimbabwe. He is also director of the African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI). His TEDx Talk about the Friendship Bench has over 3 million views. Referenced in this episode The Friendship Bench: How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution FriendshipBench.org Friendship Bench-in-a-Box Dixon's socials and podcasts: Instagram and FriendshipBenchGlobal Insta Facebook Twitter YouTube/Podcast TikTok LinkedIn Join us in The Numinous Network for some Contact Nutrition Sign up for my newsletter to be notified when pre-orders open for my next book: How to Connect: Build Deep Connection and a Strong Bond Through Contact Nutrition (No Matter Your Attachment Style, Trauma History or Neurotype)
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TNP313 POTS and Ehlers-Danlos Care with Dr.Diana Driscoll
4w ago01:30:14Tap to summarizeWelcome to your new hyper-niche comfort listen, my fellow disability nerds! Today we're talking with Dr.Diana Driscoll about some of the recent research on Inflammatory POTS as well as promising treatment approaches. Diana Driscoll, OD, FAAO received her Doctoral degree from The University of Houston College of Optometry, and began studying idiopathic autonomic dysfunction through the ophthalmic examination of affected patients. Her work extended into abnormal vagus nerve function, vascular endothelial health, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, premature aging associated with connective tissue disorders, the genetic traits involved, and the reversal of symptoms. She has published in The Journal of Vitreoretinal Disease and is a peer-reviewer for retinal journals. Dr. Driscoll created Genetic Disease Investigators, LLC in 2011 to conduct formalized research into autonomic dysfunction. She is the recipient of five patents to date concerning the enigmatic autonomic nervous system, including dry eye disease. She is the author of The Driscoll Theory which details the role of intracranial pressure, vagus nerve function, fibrosis, and inflammation in connective tissue patients. She also authored Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Your Eyes and EDS – the only publication of its type. Dr. Driscoll is the Clinical Director of POTS Care, the owner of TJ Nutrition, and the President of Genetic Disease Investigators. Referenced in this Episode: Download The Driscoll Theory: The cause of POTS in Ehlers-Danlos and how to reverse the process Learn more about Dr.Driscoll's work and offerings: POTS Rebels on Patreon POTS Care Clinic More on Inflammatory POTS Vagus nerve support supplement www.drdianadriscoll.com Related Past Episodes of The Numinous Podcast: TNP169 Sophie Macklin on Antifascist Folklore and Ungovernable Bodies TNP205 Sophie Strand on Mary Magdalene + Miracles TNP210 RCCX Theory of Complex Illness with Carmen Spagnola TNP215 Before Capitalism (from a European Perspective) with Sophie Macklin TNP267 The Body Is A Doorway with Sophie Strand Past episodes featuring Numinous Network Members and Guides who live with disability, chronic/temporary/dynamic or episodic disability: TNP281 23 Dates with My Dead Dad with Corey MacAuliffe TNP275 Community Building in Tough Times with Asteria Elzea TNP270 Art, Pleasure and Consent with Marisa Sullivan Join us in The Numinous Network – sliding scale rate of $50, $75 or $100USD per month for 50+ live support calls, including weekly sessions for people with Sensitive Systems & Long Covid. (Camera optional, verbal or non-verbal participation a-ok, no forced sharing, slow pacing and lots of mini breaks to reset, calibrate, and discern the goldilocks amount of connection in the moment). Notes Apologies: I misspoke in the intro of this episode and said "RCCX syndrome" which is definitely not a thing. I meant "RCCX Theory", the work of Dr.Sharon Meglathery. I also misspoke in the outro when I said that pre-orders are now available for my book, How to Connect: Build Deep Connection and a Strong Bond Through Contact Nutrition (No Matter Your Attachment Style, Trauma History or Neurotype) – PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE MAY 8! ✨🎉 Sign up for my newsletter for the announcement.
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TNP312: Assembly: A Call for Liberatory Words for Revolutionary Times with Taraneh Erfan
Apr 2100:38:07Tap to summarizeToday's episode is part announcement, part request, part inspiration, part call to action – I am delighted to welcome back my dear friend and colleague, Taraneh Erfan, in her role as Editorial Director for 9th House Press. Regular listeners will know that 9th House Press is a worker co-op founded by Taraneh, myself and our colleague, Thérèse Cator, and we are bringing you world-building books that are a response to the question, How then shall we live? We are pleased to officially announce that our debut catalogue arrives May 8, 2026! Check out our Submissions Guidelines and send us your work to be considered for our upcoming anthology of poetry and prose by marginalized and equity-denied voices, Assembly: Liberatory Words for Revolutionary Times. On November 4, 2026, our title will be on bookstore shelves, and your words could be within the pages! Sign up for accessible group or self-paced expressive arts therapy with Taraneh Erfan Become an Associate Member of the 9th House Press Co-operative today! (Entries prior to 5pm PDT on May 8, 2026 are automatically entered into our Grand Prize Giveaway.) Get a 30-day free trial of The Numinous Network when you use promo code FREE30 before April 30, 2026.
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TNP311{Dispatch: March 25, 2026} Are Territorial Acknowledgements Necessary or Ritualized Awkwardness?
Mar 2601:14:47Tap to summarizeThis episode features my very special guest, Alysha! She's here for her third work-stay on the land, learning construction skills as she helps my husband, Ruben, build a livestock shelter. Alysha has been an amazing role model, resource, and thought partner for me around anti-colonialism for many years. Once again, here she is, advancing my thinking on the subject. Come grapple with us as we do morning horse chores! I know that as a settler, a Land Acknowledgement isn't for me. But as a participant in settler colonialism, it is about me in a way, and it does impact me in that it has been and continues to be a learning process. I hope that, since we're trying to have a holistic, nuanced, and relational conversation about Land Acknowledgements, I'll be forgiven for saying that I believe having moral ambition benefits me by improving my self-esteem. I believe awkward participation in Land Acknowledgements is a pro-social, collective good. I don't know where the line is where it becomes a social detriment or we become numb to it, but I do think it's important they are not limited to formal events and those involving people who move the levers of institutional power. Again, this process is of course not about making me, as a settler, feel good. But it does make me feel a lot of things, and not all of them are bad. UPDATE March 26, 2026: I'm realizing that I threw the term "moral ambition" out into the conversation via the show notes and it perhaps lands a bit out of context. I recently published an episode, TNP306 {Dispatch: Jan 30, 2026} Lively v. Baldoni, Avoidant Attachment, and Moral Ambition, in which I grapple with, and ultimately endorse, that concept. The way I feel it relates here is that I tend to think that the way we ought to address numbness to the challenges of life is not to curtail our engagement but rather to become more present, to cultivate more maturity (emotional and spiritual), to stick with the trouble. There is a risk we fail, but it's honourable to try. And that's all I have to say about that. 😅 Note: Dispatch episodes are recorded en plein air with all the sounds of farm life and chores in the background, (and sometimes a bit loud). We tried not to sniff too much but it was a cold morning, and sometimes the feed bags make a big tarp-in-the-wind-like sound. If auditory sensitivity is part of your experience, please consult your podcast player for a transcript. With gratitude for the article of note to the writer, Khelsilem: Understanding the Purpose, Limits, and Misuse of "Land Acknowledgements": On symbolism, substance, and the limits of public ritual ✨ Sign up for my newsletter to receive the reminder for Free April: Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of The Numinous Network
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TNP310 {Dispatch: March 14, 2026} How to Make Decisions in Collapse Times
Mar 1400:50:47Tap to summarizeToday we're engaging in thought partnership around critical impact ratings, mental models, and reaching for what we care about in a risk assessment framework. Note: Dispatch episodes are recorded while I'm doing farm chores and feeding the horses in the morning, so people with sensory processing challenges may not find this episode enjoyable. In this episode I'm walking in snow, jostling with metal chains, shovelling hay and packing it into hay nets. Lots of background sounds! Apologies for that – please check your podcast player for a transcript. Referenced in this episode: Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen (book/autobiography) So Sinopoulous Lloyd of Queer Nature who appeared on ep.93 of this podcast The actual 2025 StatsCan data on small business longevity in Canada: About 22% of small businesses fail in the first year and only 50% survive after five years. Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, by Laurence Gonzales (Major trigger warning: Story after story of smart, well-equipped, experienced people dying by accident because this is actually really common) ✨✨✨ Join us in The Numinous Network Sign up for my newsletter
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TNP309 {Dispatch: Feb 23, 2026} Lessons from the Barefoot Doctors
Feb 2300:41:48Tap to summarizeThis episode is actually only 24 minutes long if you subtract all the parts with me managing the fact that the horses broke the fence and got stuck in a pasture they're not supposed to be in. Skip forward to minutes 9:30 - 35:00 to hear about what we can learn from 1970s China about navigating dictatorship and collapse and orienting to a more collectivist world. Note: I record dispatch episodes while doing my horse chores in the morning so there's lots of background noise that folks with certain sensory processing issues may not appreciate. In this episode you'll hear rain, my laboured breathing, the metal bin opening and closing, scooping and pouring out feed (beet pellets), plastic bags rustling, horses chewing...I also speak with some pretty stern vocal prosody when the horses try to push me or get too assertive mouthing me. This may be slightly startling since you have no visual cues to anticipate I might do that and you might be used to me having a more soothing speaking voice – you're not the one trying to bite me, though, so it's all good! Please check your podcast player for a transcript option if this doesn't work for you. In this episode I reference: Barefoot Doctors and Western Medicine in China, by Xioping Fang my Facilitation Training (next Level 1 intake will be Fall 2026)
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