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PODCAST
HIEROPHANT SESSIONS – with Melinda Lee Holm
Join Tarot Priestess Melinda Lee Holm as she works with real clients using Tarot readings to uncover areas of potential growth, then coaches them through one month of practical magickal tools to achieve their goals in her mystical version of personal coaching – Hierophant Sessions.
In 10 episodes, we’ll cover a wide variety of topics and issues, from creative blocks to intimacy, crystals to candle rituals and beyond.
Listen to sessions and see all the Tarot spreads and homework in episode sections below!
Subscribe and download on iTunes or from host site Here
Episode 0 - Intro
Episode 1 - Paizley
My baby is ready to meet the world! I could not be more happy to deliver this first episode to you, complete with reading photo and the exact detailed homework I sent to Paizley after our first call. I hope you find ways to expand your own spiritual practice and personal evolution through our work!
– xoxo MLH
Tarot reader Melinda Lee Holm coaches Paizley through uncovering and working through the underlying causes and practical issues of her challenges with emotional intimacy. Through a Tarot reading, the assignment of homework, and two follow up calls, find out how working with Melinda has helped Paizley evolve her emotional self.
Your crystals for this month – Whenever possible, carry one or more of the following in your pocket:
Quartz Crystal
Rhodochrosite
Aquamarine
Black Obsidian
Daily
15 minutes of free writing. Prompts change every 7 days. It’s best to do these in the morning, when you’re fresh from dream world. This is total stream of consciousness, free flow writing. Whatever comes up when you think about the prompt is perfect.
Week 1 – What do I love most about myself?
Week 2 – What do I love most about those close to me?
Week 3 – Openness
Week 4 – Vulnerability
3 times every week
Express an uncomfortable or vulnerable feeling to someone in your life. This can be simply answering the greeting “how are you?” in an honest way or texting a friend to report on your emotional state. This exercise is designed not only to get you comfortable with sharing emotions, but also to help you tap in to your own emotional states in subtle ways and get cozy in the grey area between “I am awesome” and “I am crippled by fear and doubt”
Weekly
Read through the free writing from the previous week with a detective’s eye. Make a list of themes, ideas, words, or feelings that pop out as you do. Make notes on any insights you gain being sure to stay free from judgment. This is an investigation, not a trial!
Spend at least 1 hour in a natural environment. The beach, the woods, the park – anywhere away from the chaos of the city where you can lean on the support of the natural world to feel alive and human.
Once This Month
You get two things! They go together 🙂
Make A Candle
Ideally, this is going to be a candle in a tall glass container, the classic 7-day ritual candle. If you need a container, I have plenty of empties for you 🙂
Make a white candle in the tall glass container. I’d like you to mix lavender and frankincense oil in the candle and place a quartz crystal in the bottom to be revealed when the candle burns down. This candle will be burned after you Full Moon Ritual candle is fully burned through.
Full Moon Ritual – to be performed on Sunday, April 29
Black 7 day ritual candle
Print out or drawing of Death card
Cayenne Pepper
Clove oil
Black Tourmaline
Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell
Clear your space using Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell. For sage and palo santo, you simply waft the smoke around. If using a bell, walk through the space and ring the bell in each corner
Put a drop or 2 of clove oil in the top of the candle and trace it around 3 times counterclockwise
Sprinkle a tiny amount of cayenne pepper in the top of the candle (you don’t want to interfere with the flame)
On the back of the Death Card list out 3 things you are ready to release. These can be very specific or very general. Think open-ended. You dont want to limit the working of the spell
Place the candle on top of the Death card and place the Black Tourmaline right next to it, touching the side of the candle
Light the candle
Sit and visualize your energetic body opening and releasing a thick grey smoke. As the smoke is released, golden light comes in to take its place
Let the candle burn all the way out. When it is done, take the Black Tourmaline to the beach and throw it into the ocean
When you come home from the ocean, light the white candle you made. This candle is now intent on filling all the space left by the clearing candle with openness and light and infinite possibilities
Episode 2 - Daphne
This week follows a month with Daphne and me as we develop ways she can sort through conflicting areas of her work and creative lives to find the energetic and emotional space to grow and focus her vision as a creative person. Through a Tarot reading, the assignment of homework, and two follow up calls, find out how working with me has helped Daphne fine tune her life to allow her true work to flourish!
Whenever possible, carry one or more of the following in your pocket:
orange calcite
Iolite
kunzite
Daily
Find one thing in your life you do not need and get rid of it.
Examples: a pair of socks you never wear, old makeup, a book to gift to a friend, a word of phrase that is not serving your higher purpose, even a pattern you repeat over and over such as a route to work that is no longer useful. Small and steady. One thing a day. You can set one thing aside every day to get rid of at the end of the week if that is easier.
Each morning make a list of the 5 things that are most important to you to accomplish that day. 2 of them should be feelings, 2 specific tasks, and 1 is the grab bag – whatever comes up!
Each evening, look at the list and asses how you did, refraining from judgment. The idea here is to begin to see patterns and build awareness of what feeds you, not to punish yourself or reveal flaws. This is simply for gathering information.
Spend 5 minutes visualizing yourself enveloped by a glowing golden-orange orb that grows brighter with your breath.
Weekly
Set aside a good block of time (a day is great, but a few hours is too when it’s utilized, 3 hours should be the minimum block) to create by yourself. Create anything, but complete the creation in that set time. Make a sculpture or painting, sew a garment, learn a dance, choreograph a song, write an essay, do a photo shoot – anything! Anything creative that you can complete in the time you set aside for yourself.
Make at least one date each week with someone who loves you. Make it a different person each week this month. Coffe, lunch, whatever. Just set aside time to soak in the love and support of someone who truly sees you.
Once This Month
Read ‘The Hero With A Thousand Faces’ by Joseph Campbell
Perform a Full Moon Ritual on Sunday, April 29:
Orange 7 day ritual candle
Print out or drawing of Ace of Wands card
Lavender
Cedarwood oil
Rose Quartz
Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell
Clear your space using Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell. For sage and palo santo, you simply waft the smoke around. If using a bell, walk through the space and ring the bell in each corner
Put a drop or 2 of cedarwood oil in the top of the candle and trace it around 3 times counter clockwise
Sprinkle a tiny amount of crumbled lavender flower in the top of the candle
On the back of the Ace of Wands card draw a representation of what your heart has to offer the world. This can be completely abstract or a representational drawing.
Place the candle on top of the Ace of Wands card and place the Rose Quartz right next to it, touching the side of the candle
Light the candle
Sit and visualize your energetic body glowing orange, at one powerful and vulnerable, open to receiving love and to receiving the exact right messages at the eact right time
Let the candle burn all the way out. When it is done, place the Rose Quartz under your pillow when you sleep for w weeks (until the New Moon)
Keep a little dream journal next to your bed to make note of any messages that come through in dreams for those 2 weeks.
Episode 3 - Gina
This week I help my dear friend Gina grow the strength and confidence needed to make her recent career change successful. Find out how working with me helped Gina discover surprising ways her personal and work lives intersect and how she takes control of the messages she receives around both through a Tarot reading, the assignment of homework, and two follow up calls.
See Gina’s nail art and book an appointment with her on instagram @fresh.claws
Gina’s Tarot reading and homework below, plus bonus clearing ritual and the Strength card Gina references in the episode.
Your crystals for this month
Whenever possible, carry one or more of the following in your pocket:
black tourmaline
peridot
sodalite
Daily
As soon as you get up in the morning, look in the mirror and say out loud “I am successful, I am beautiful, I am powerful, I am loved”. All words are magic words! Make them count.
Eat breakfast. Anything that can be a vehicle for your magical morning ingredient – bee pollen. It is great in smoothies or on yogurt or oatmeal with a little fruit and honey. Bee pollen not only has strong motivating properties, it comes from the beautiful little traditional symbols of death and rebirth throughout the history of western art.
Keep up your journaling practice with a special added focus on what truly makes you who you are at your core. When you know that, watching other aspects fall away is more bearable. List 3 things every day that are at the core of who you are. Be free with it, experiment. These will change. By the end of the month, you will choose your final 3 from all of the previous days’ lists.
Weekly
Clearing bath ritual
Add all items to bath as it is filling. Sit in the bath for at least 30 mins. No screens, no books, no music with words (instrumental is fine). Try to focus on your breathing, visualizing a shimmery golden light filling you on the inhale that gets into every little part of your body and gathers the sludge and releases it as grey smoke on the exhale. Repeat until you no longer exhale grey.
black obsidian (ideally a big chunk or a few smaller)
Sea salt (1-3 cups to your liking)
lavender (whole flowers or oil)
Strengthening bath ritual:
Add all items to bath as it is filling. Sit in bath for at least 30 mins. You can read, listen to music, or watch a movie under one condition: It MUST be by or about a badass woman or women.
orange calcite
ruby
citrus peels
salt (sea or epsom)
rose water or oil
Once This Month
Read a memoir or biography of a powerful woman that inspires you. (and let me know what you choose. Maybe we can book club it! I still havent read Grace Jones’ book)
Perform a New Moon Ritual on Tuesday, May 15
Orange 7 day ritual candle
Print out or drawing of Strength card
Rosemary
Bergamot oil
Ruby
Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell
Clear your space using Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell. For sage and palo santo, you simply waft the smoke around. If using a bell, walk through the space and ring the bell in each corner
Put a drop or 2 of bergamot oil in the top of the candle and trace it around 3 times clockwise
Sprinkle a tiny amount of crumbled rosemary in the top of the candle
On the back of the Strength card write “I am successful, I am beautiful, I am powerful, I am loved”
Place the candle on top of the Strength card and place the Ruby right next to it, touching the side of the candle
Light the candle
Sit and visualize your energetic body glowing orange, at once powerful and vulnerable, open to receiving love and to receiving the exact right messages at the eact right time
Let the candle burn all the way out. When it is done, keep the card as a reminder of your daily mantra and the work you’ve done.
Clear your space using Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell. For sage and palo santo, you simply waft the smoke around. If using a bell, walk through the space and ring the bell in each corner
Place the stone next to the candle and light the candle
Let the candle burn until it goes out on its own
Once the candle is out, either throw the stone in the ocean or bury it in the ground.
Episode 4 - Kara
June 6, 2018
This week I sit down with Kara Hoppe to discuss motherhood and feminism through the lens of the Tarot. Kara is a psychotherapist who uses Tarot archetypes in her work and mother to a one and a half year old boy. Listen to find out which cards Kara sees as essential to new mothers, her favorite decks, and the universal guidance we can all take from her framework of motherhood.
FROM KARA’S WEBSITE:
An unquenchable curiosity about the human spirit has led me on my life journey. That curiosity launched my career as a writer and journalist many moons ago and still feeds me today as a therapist. I want to know more. Always. Also, I believe wholeheartedly that healing, growth, and experiencing life as a grounded, integrated person who has access to my own instincts, wisdom, and creativity is not only possible but necessary.
I have a background in art and creative expression, and a committed creative and spiritual practice that informs my clinical and educational work. I believe in the power of imagination, creativity, dream work, and free-flow writing to deepen self-knowledge and unleash fresh perspective. I also believe in using these tools to discover unrealized potential and inner resources.
Mindfulness practice and being in the here-and-now are a huge part of my work. I have had a personal meditation practice since 2008 and was formally trained in various orientations, including Vipassana.
I started my private practice in 2012, after working at Women’s Clinic and Family Counseling Center for two years. At the center, I treated individuals and couples, and ran a process psychotherapy group. In 2015, I started teaching Inner Work Workshops so I could bring Jungian depth work into a community setting.
This week, I help aspiring filmmaker Freya plot a path to migrate from the business to the creative side of the film industry, connect energetically with herself and her community as a creative, and work with the Tarot to fuel the completion of her screenplay. Find out how working with me helped Freya to expand her vision of herself and her work and move toward making her dreams into her reality!
Freya’s Homework
Your crystals for this month
Whenever possible, carry one or more of the following in your pocket or wear as jewelry if you have it:
Chrysocolla
Pyrite
Black Obsidian
Daily
Shuffle your Tarot deck and spread the cards before you. Draw one card. Write for 20 mins around the following aspects you find in the card (this can be narrative, character study, setting, anything):
Monday – interior life
Tuesday – conflict
Wednesday – communication/dialog
Thursday – public life
Friday – love
Saturday – work
Sunday – your choice!
3-4 times per week
Cook with or drink tea of fresh ginger and cayenne pepper. Both foods carry the energy of elemental Fire and will help greatly with calling in the strength and perseverance you need for that 10 of Wands energy coming up.
Weekly
Attend a small screening, performance, table read, etc. Find something going on in your creative community and go support it. Bonus points if it’s a woman-lead project!
Do a Tarot reading for a friend. You can do this! It can be any size spread you are comfortable with. Three card spreads are great for getting concise info. Bonus points it you read for another creative!
Once This Month
For the whole month, switch to using honey as a sweetener instead of sugar. Honey is a symbol of immortality and Divine Feminine energy. It will help you really feel that Star card energy around you.
For the New Moon on Tuesday, May 15 either attend a group guided meditation or do a guided meditation at home with the intention of opening to the vast possibilities of creation. Jessica Snow is a great resource. She has a ton of wonderful meditations on her website youaremagicla.com
Perform a Full Moon Ritual on Tuesday, May 29
You will need:
Black 7 day ritual candle
Print out or drawing of Judgment card
Dried rose petals
Cedarwood oil
Fluorite
Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell
Clear your space using Sage, Palo Santo, or a bell. For sage and palo santo, you simply waft the smoke around. If using a bell, walk through the space and ring the bell in each corner
Put a drop or 2 of cedarwood oil in the top of the candle and trace it around 3 times clockwise
Sprinkle a tiny amount of crumbled rose petals in the top of the candle
On the back of the Judgment card write “I am ready to release all that is holding me back and I call in the clarity to discern the influences all around me”
Place the candle on top of the Judgment card and place the Fluorite right next to it, touching the side of the candle
Light the candle
Sit and visualize your energetic body dissolving into a mist that holds its shape even as a Divine breeze blows through it, removing any burdensome particles.
Let the candle burn all the way out. When it is done, clear your home once more to ensure that all that was released by your spell is gone.
Episode 6 - Alex
It’s a special episode this week!
I teamed up with songwriter Alex Greenwald for an experiment in metaphysical inspiration. In addition to his work in bands Phases, JJAMZ, and Phantom Planet, Alex has scored film and produced records – never before with guidance from the Tarot. Listen in as I interpret a Tarot reading for a song and find out how Alex resonated with the reading musically and personally. Plus, hear the song!
Episode 7 - Cristina
June 27th, 2018
This week I conduct a full, hour-long Tarot reading for content creator Cristina Black, the very woman who wrote the copy on THIS VERY WEBSITE! Hear how the cards pulled for career and for overcoming a personal challenge overlap and inform each other, learn how I read relationally within a spread and across a full session, and get VERY familiar with The Hermit, the King of Pentacles, and more figures from the major and minor Arcana.
Career – how to grow the business in line with personal values and attract like-minded clients
Employees – what to look for in a potential hire
Relationship with travel – how to expand and evolve in this area
Episode 8 - Christine
To celebrate personal freedom on this Independence Day, I spoke with educator Christine Petrich (who also happened to be one of my oldest and dearest friends) about her work teaching wellness and stress management to supermax prison inmates. It’s an incredibly moving conversation around the justice system, personal power, decoupling the emotional from the physiological, and how these techniques can be related to magickal concepts and used in our daily lives. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me!
TRY THIS ELEMENTAL APPROACH TO STRESS MANAGEMENT:
Water
Open an emotionally safe space for yourself allow yourself to sink into your feelings
Air
Come up for breath and begin to observe and take note of how you react to stressful situations
Fire
In your mind’s eye, imagine what it would be like to react differently, what it would look, sound, and feel like
Earth
The next time you encounter a stressful situation, put one of your hypothetical alternate reactions into practice
Spirit
The greatest rebellion against oppression is living well. Maintaining emotional and spiritual health is a radical act.
THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU FEEL STRESSED:
You always have control over something, even if it only your personal reaction
Stress response is a physiological reaction, not a personal shortcoming
RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PRISON SYSTEM AND PRISON REFORM
It’s the last episode of the first season of Hierophant Sessions and it couldn’t be more appropriate. It took me a miiiiiiiinute to get this last one out and there was a point in that interim where I decided to stop beating myself up about bit and to instead treat myself to a little kindness and understanding and let it happen when the timing was exactly right. And then my dear friend Mereki agreed to come on and talk to me about kindness and her Be Kind organization and I about fainted it was all so perfect.
On this episode, you’ll hear Mereki and me discuss her Be Kind organization and experiences we’ve had with choosing (and not choosing) to lead with kindness, then you’ll get to listen in as I interpret the cards we draw for guidance personally and for the collective – that’s you!
Follow Mereki on Instagram @mereki and her organization @bekind
This week I used the Otherworlds Pagan Tarot Deck by Uusi Design Collective. I was recently gifted this gorgeous deck and am LOVING it. You can buy it here.
