Queerly Beloved

Rev. Erika Allison is an author, speaker, coach and ordained interfaith minister. Her award-winning book Gay the Pray Away helps people heal their hearts from what she calls "identity harm." Erika leads people to thrive as more whole and authentic versions of themselves, using spiritual practice as the doorway.   

In this interview Erika shares her story of being a conversion therapy survivor. We hear about the identity harm it caused her and learn about her path to healing and self-love- the inspiration for her book! We also get into some juicy discussion about our shared ideas of how soul evolution works. Erika shares practical tips and tools for "building your inner compass" or cultivating more self-trust and connection to our intuitions. We also explore what it means to take back our spiritual authority and we look at the possibility that queer people are the leaders that humanity needs right now in this phase of our evolution. Hear more about her thoughts on that and in her inspiring love letter "Dear Queer People" : https://vimeo.com/liftedimagery/review/785093638/e03858f400 

To watch the full interview go here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjiYGuvOp6w&t=2s

Dr. Alex Belser has been a leader in the psychedelic research community for the last twenty years and is an editor of the new book, Queering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation in Psychedelic Medicine.  In this episode we dicuss many of the topics covered in the book that explore the cross section of queer spirituality andpsychedlics. 

Dr. Belser was an investigator on clinical trials of psilocybin and MDMA to treat depression, anxiety and other issues. He serves as a psychologist and Co-Investigator at Yale and as the Chief Clinical Officer of Cybin where he leads their clinical programs in psychedelic therapeutics. He is also part of Chacruna Institute’s Women, Gender Diversity, and Sexual Minorities Working Group.

Some of the topics covered include: the ways pychadelic experiences are inherently queer, how folks can work with psychedelics for connecting with their truth and self acceptence, and the queerness of reclaiming our pleasure. Alex also shares some wild stories from the field as an investigator in psychedelic therapy clinical trials and Wil shares personal stories about his expeirences being the only queer person in psychadelic circles. 

Have you heard of the Akashic Records? They have been described as a compendium of all universal events, thoughts, words, emotions and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future. Pretty major, right?! In this episode, Akashic Records consultant Justin Taylor tells us more and even opens my records so folks can here how they are worked with in a practical way. 

Justin is a playwright, songwriter, meditation teacher and Akashic Consultant. After many years of training (including 18 months of personal retreat) in Tibetan Buddhist practice, non-dual meditation, and later Akashic Records work, he now leads retreats and workshops in meditation and Akashic practices online and throughout the northeast. 

In the episode we talk about how he moved from suffering and extreme anxiety, into peace through the Buddhist, non dual meditation path. We cover topics ranging from the reality of the soul to the similarities of the queer path and the spiritual path. Justin gives a clear explanation of Akashic Records and goes on to open my records and do a live reading where I get to ask questions of the records and hear advice from my guides. We end with Justin sharing powerful insights that the records are offering the collective for the year 2023!

Learn more and connect with Justin at https://www.justinandersontaylor.com/

Carson is the founder of Genius Unlocked Coaching Institute and has coached over 3,500 hours, transforming hundreds of clients’ lives. He has an MA in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peace building. Carson has learned to integrate the conscious mind, the unconscious mind, and the spiritual mind with ICF effective coaching skills to support clients in long-lasting and sustainable results!

In this interview we cover a ton of personal growth and spiritual development topics. We hear Carson share personal stories describing his spiritual path toward self-acceptance and self-love. We talk about working with our intuition and higher selves, and we look at ways to be with family members who hold different viewpoints and beliefs. We also discuss the similarity of exploring and embracing our sexuality and exploring and embracing our spirituality. We cover these topics and so many more in this very insightful interview.

Ryan Wilaby is spiritual guide, channeler, mystic, and teacher of the esoterics. His mission is to help guide and usher in the New Earth. We spoke near Sanheim and channeled our inner witch and wizard as we discussed working with new and full moons. We also talked about stepping from believing and faith to knowing- yet still embracing the mystery of it all. 

We discuss how to accept people wherever they are at on their journey and release the desire to try to "fix" or :save" them, while also being a beacon of light and hope and creating possibilities for transformation.

Ryan also shares some of his personal story including how he came to be (in part) brought up by a witch and how that impacted his spiritual path as well as how his sexuality has shaped his journey of self discovery and stepping into his gifts. 

In this episode I interview two experts in the field of recovery for queer folks about the ways queerness, spirituality and recovery intersect. Casey Cannizzaro  has held numerous positions working with queer folks around issues with substance use and mental health. He’s currently works as a recovery coach. Amy C. Willis is a Sobriety & Mindset Coach and founder of HOL + WELL. She supports women and LGBTQ+ folks in reclaiming their power and freedom through sobriety and designing alcohol-free lives they don’t want to escape from. Amy comes to this work after struggling with alcohol addiction for 15+ years and losing her dad to his alcohol addiction. You can learn more about her and her work on Instagram at @msamycwillis.

In this insightful conversation wee explore the cause of the disportportionate amount of LGBTQ folks who struggle with drug and alchohol abuse. We also talk about the ways spirituality can play a role in supporting queer folks on the recovery path. We highlight the distinction betwean religion and spirituality aknowledging the many wounds orgaized religions have inflicted on LGBTQ folks and how that relates to addition. Casey and Amy both share their own personal stories about addition, recovery and their thoughts on spirituality and the role it can play on the recovery path. This episode can serve as an excellent resource for LGBTQ folks in recovery or interested in learning more about recovery. It also offers insights and ideas about the intersection of spirituality, queerness and recover. Enjoy!

Finn Schubert (he/him), a speaker, writer and consultant who writes weekly essays about what it's like to be a transman who is pregnant. Finn is the author of Even the Cemeteries Have Space Here, an essay collection exploring his move from NYC to a small town to grieve his infertility. (In a weird twist, he got pregnant as soon as the book came out.)  He is a Moth StorySlam-winning storyteller, a former director of HIV services for a health center network, and currently works as a writer, speaker, and consultant. In his weekly essays newsletter, The Menstruant, in addition to writing about his pregnancy, he also explores the broader question: "What does it mean to be a gay man who loves having a uterus?" 

In this interview Finn talks about what it means to him to be a "menrtuant" and discusses the importance of connecting to cycles, and also the value of linear journeys. We also talk about Finn's challenges as transman living in a Zen Bhuddist community. We discuss his current spiritual practices connecting to queer ancestry and explore what can be difficult about that and what can be rewarding about that. We even talk about our idealised approach to parenting from a spiritually queer perspective. Check out his weekly essays and learn more about Finn's work at https://finnschubert.substack.com/. 

Clyde M. Hall is an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Metis tribe and is an acknowledged authority, writer, and lecturer of Native American culture, tribal arts and folkways. OUT Magazine named Hall one of the OUT 100 recognizing him as one of he most influential gay individuals in the U.S. in the 20th century.As you’ll hear on the episode, he was instrumental in the early days the two spirit movement. He is also the Executive & Cultural Director of the NCPC, dedicating his life to the preservation of traditional ceremonies and knowledge. In this episode Clyde talks about the importance of honoring your sibling's vision for spirituality; he discusses the origin story of the term two spirit term (a term for LGBTQ indigenous folks) and how they have always held an important vision and role within their tribes. We also get to hear about his adventures with bringing together the Gay American Indians and teh gay cowboys at a gay rodeo! We talk about colonialism and the impact of the introduction of the Christian concept of sin into Indigenous communities and we end by breathing life into the idea of queer folks as sleeping spiritual giants.

It was such an honor and joy to interview Eli Ramer, an important queer spiritual elder. In this interview you'll get to hear about his fascinating story connecting with spirit and recalling past lives at a very young age. Eli writes under the name Andrew Ramer and is the author of five books including Two Flutes Playing, first published in 1991, which been called “an underground gay classic." More recently he wrote a companion volume, Two Hearts Dancing, published in 2021. I first discovered his work in the book Gay Soul, where he was interviewed by Mark Thompson along with fifteen other elders in the gay spirituality movement. We chat about past lives and how they come into play with our current lives; the energy of queer people and the spiritual roles we've historically played in communities; and practices for managing and/or cultivating spiritual gifts. Eli also shares what he predicts will be the future role of LGBTQ folks when society is confronted by the dire impacts of climate change. 

In this podcast launch-off interview I chat with my dear friend and colleague Nathan Serrato (he, they), the founder of Queer Conscious. We dive in deep and explore thoughts on challenges queer folks face; connecting with the divine within instead of seeking it from outside ourselves; navigating dichotomies; moving with gender identity and expression in a seasonal way; the transformational power of drag; the spiritual gifts of queer folx; and much more! Nathan is a life coach, yoga instructor, and trainer in NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnotherapy. Nathan's work with the LGBTQ+ community supports people to find more life purpose, deeper intimacy and spiritual reclamation. Check out their work at https://www.queerconscious.com/.