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Once a month, at the close of each lunar chapter, Cassidy and Susan pull cards from Dixit, a storytelling party game, and read what's showing up on the stage of life. Unscripted, unedited, unhurried.
More about the podcast
Robes of Light is a living experiment in what becomes possible when the spiritual life is no longer a side quest but the main story from which everything else is lived.
Cassidy Dawn and Susan Reardon are ordained ministers and everyday alchemists who organize each year as a Solar Story — a cyclical heroic journey mapped to seasonal thresholds and lunar cycles. Rather than deliver sermons, they sit down once a month at the close of each lunar chapter to pull cards and read what's showing up on the stage of life — seeking to break the fourth wall between the ordinary and the highest dimensions, to find the mystical in the mundane, and experience the Divine directly.
Tune in for warmth, humor, and practical wisdom that makes complex spiritual concepts feel like revelations shared between close friends.
If you're new here, this is not a talking-head podcast. There are no prepared talking points, expert interviews, or tidy conclusions. This is two longtime practitioners following the threads of symbolic intelligence together in real time. Sometimes the conversation moves slowly. That's intentional. This is a practice, not a performance.
Show notes
9Latest episodeFinal Tests (Tantrums and Do-overs)Sep 6, 2026 · 1 hr 55 min
“Even a year — you’ll be amazed at how much can happen and how much you can change.”
A horse's tantrum, a toddler's growl, and a mother's morning meltdown. Chapter 9 makes the case that anger is a sign of healing, not a problem to be managed. Susan and Cassidy talk final tests, a family culture of do-overs, and why they traded a monthly practice for an annual one.
In this episode:
- What the climax stage asks of us — and why it isn't a new test
- Susan's final tests: a trip she almost didn't take, and staying present for Odin's rage
- Cassidy's final tests: the school transition and the morning she lost her temper
- Building a family culture of do-overs
- Anger as a sign of healing, not a problem to be managed
- Growling, kicking, and what a safe container actually requires
- Why we moved from a monthly to an annual heroic journey
Mentions
- Family/Systemic Constellations work — the modality Susan used to explore ancestral history during a workshop discussion on depression.
- Fists of Anger — the 120-day Kundalini practice Cassidy used to clear what she calls "cold depression."
- Flower essences: Kinder Garden + First Day of School blend—what Cassidy gave her daughter to help with the transition to school.
8The CallbackAug 10 · 1 hr 23 min
We've reached the turning point of the Solar Story, the moment the clock hand begins curving back around toward home. This is the climax of the heroic journey, just before the falling action. We're calling it The Callback stage.
In this Chapter 8 retrospective, Cassidy and Susan read their Dixit storytelling cards, posit whether Tarot is actually a tool of Christian mysticism, and ask what separates a mature spiritual path from a mere aesthetic. Plus: a snail shows up three times across two card decks and a nature center visit, and leads into a conversation about the pace of love — and what it means to always carry your home with you.
Dixit cards and show notes on the Tune In page at RobesofLight.com.
Mentions
- Saturn-Neptune conjunction, ballet & the relationship between discipline and structure and the fantastical, phantasmagoric—The Astrology Podcast April Forecast, timestamp ~1:14:00-1:16:00
- Meditations on the Tarot — Valentin Tomburg
- Heather Plett, Let's Be Their Elders — Center for Holding Space
Let's be their elders (so they don't have to turn to the AI version)
- Emily Catalano comedy special
- Moana — "We Know the Way"
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i - We Know The Way (From "Moana")
7In Filth It Will Be Found (The Reward is Being Human)Jul 12 · 1 hr 20 min
We've crossed the midpoint of the 2026 Solar Story and landed in the reward stage of our annual heroic journey. In this chapter's retrospective, Cassidy and Susan reflect on a lunation that moved from intense pressure into unexpected grace — exploring what it means when the reward isn't an external prize, but simply the freedom to be fully, messily human.
In this episode:
- A rare planetary alignment (Barbeau's Basket) unfolding in the skies right now, and what it may mean for collective transformation
- Whether the World Cup's heartwarming viral moments could be an early sign of a new golden age for humanity
- Cassidy's Dixit card: a death-defying juggler balancing four flames atop a mountain of bombs, and what it reveals about the freedom found beyond over-responsibility
- Susan's Dixit card: a mysterious robed figure crossing a threshold, and its ties to purification, embodiment, and coming home to oneself
- The Longma (dragon-horse)
- A muddy, joyful afternoon that became an unexpected teacher in finding the reward in the filth
- Two and a half years of quiet presence finally rewarded — a tender update on Susan's work with the horse Odin
🔗 See the full cards and show notes on the Tune In page at robesoflight.com
🎥 Catch the replay of our Summer Solstice live show, also on the site
🎵 Music: Markotopa / “A Call to the Soul / courtesy of Lesfm
Mentions
- The Pagemaster (1994 film)
- Atiye (The Gift)
- Barbeau's Basket
- Primary Activation Window: July 15–24, 2026
- Peak Alignment: July 19–21, 2026 (when Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are all locked at exactly 4 degrees in their respective signs)
THE WORLD WE HAVE KNOWN ENDS THIS JULY. A NEW ONE BEGINS. THE BARBAULT BASKET
- World Cup 2026 reactions
- 1980 "Miracle on Ice"
- Sonam's Substack article on saliva/chewing/digestion
- Paul Selig, The Book of Love and Creation passage
“Now we will talk about something else for a minute. And this is about knowing in terms of who you are with. There are signals being approached between two people in any interaction. And when one person is speaking their truth, and another person is navigating from a place of self- deception or deception of others, you have an incongruence in the merging of the energies. If one person is saying, “I love you,” and another person is saying, “I love you too,” but really they want to run for the hills, that’s not a very healthy situation. If someone saying, “I love you but . . .” and the “but” goes unexpressed, it’s going to create a new energy. And this is an energy that will build until it is addressed directly.
So the point we want to make right now is, how you learn to talk with your partner, with your friend, with those close to you must now be informed by the proposal we gift you with:
“I am now choosing to stand in my knowing and to speak only truth in my interactions. I am now choosing to know my truth and to honor my truth in all of my relationships. I am no longer willing to compromise my integrity for the sake of making someone else feel safe in their illusions, or feel better about themselves at the cost of a truth that needs to be told. I am learning now to heal the requirement to engage in deception on any level that presents itself in my life, and I am doing this through this intention: I am Word through my honesty. Word I am Word through this intention. Word I am Word.”
- Carl Jung quote "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."
- Ann Mortifee quote, In Love with the Mystery
“When a sword is tempered, it is first heated to melting point then hammered into a desired shape. It is plunged into cold water. Once cooled, it is fired and hammered again until it grows sharp and strong. This tempering makes the sword worthy of being carried by a king. As we learn to endure and surrender to the fire, the hammer, and the cold, we grow strong and uncomplaining. We are able to face whatever comes, holding our temper, while we ourselves are being tempered. We accept the paradox of joy and sorrow, justice and injustice, abundance and scarcity with true temperance and grace. Temperance is our ability to endure with sobriety and equanimity the transforming fires of experience and the dowsing waters of disappointment. Temperance is the ability to allow ourselves to be molded into the being we are intended to be.”
- Alchemical maxim: In Sterquilinis Invenitur, "In filth it will be found"
- Susan & Odin
6The Belly of the IguanaJun 11 · 1 hr 26 min
We're looking back at Chapter 6 of our annual Solar Story — The Crucible — and talking on: the art of the audible, why staying can be a radical new movement, the (cat) life-saving art of trusting feminine intuition, and what it really means to be pulled out of the belly of the beast (or iguana) — even if all you can do is picture yourself as a tiny golden boat floating in the cosmos.
Mentions
- Abraham Hicks — "pre-paving" and cooperative components
- Iguana — power animal/animal medicine
- Reptar — Rugrats character
- Ron Young — spiritual teacher, quoted on transformation as "taking a new movement"
- Human Design — alpha channel
- FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)
- Qigong
- Caitlin Matthews — author, excerpt on the rhythmic regulator, emptying (kenosis) and filling (plerosis), of the divine feminine consciousness of Sophia and the black goddess:
5The Broom, The Bucket, & the AnchoressMay 13 · 1 hr 17 min
We've entered the Crucible, the mid-spring threshold of the annual Solar Story where the heat and pressure burn away what no longer serves.
In this lunation retrospective, Cassidy and Susan dive into their Dixit storytelling cards: a weary bucket and a bossy broom, a child sailing alone through a storm, an astronaut monkey glimpsing multidimensional reality.
Listen in to their conversation about the inner work of this season.
In this episode:
- The value of slowing down to navigate consciously
- The inner masculine/feminine dialogue with six months of tracking the animus through dreams
- The paradox of creativity: why we must take play seriously
- Real-time synchronicities caught live on recording
- The 13th century anchoress tradition, and what it reframes about "public life"
📷 See the Dixit card images in the show notes at RobesofLight.com
✉️ Send us your speech bubbles for the broom and the bucket
🎟️ Spring Show replay now available — 35% off with code MIDSPRING26
Robes of Light is a podcast for the serious spiritual practitioner — tracking the symbolic language of the soul through an annual heroic journey.
Mentions
- Celtic Wheel of the Year — Beltane / Bull's Gate
- Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey
- Dixit cards — illustrated storytelling/imagination card game
- Lenormand oracle system
- Joanna Pitt — astrologer
- Interstellar — film
- Julia Cameron — The Artist's Way and supplemental card deck
- Argentine tango—”Make your Tango a conversation” from Tango Space
- Temple of Dance — Tulsa, OK
- I Spy picture riddle books — Scholastic
- Highlights magazine
- Epictetus — Stoic philosopher; "One must not tie a ship to a single anchor, nor life to a single hope"
- Gnosticism and Christian Mysticism
- Desert Mothers and Desert Fathers
- The Anchoress tradition — 13th century female religious recluses
- "Return to Innocence" — Enigma (see our Spring 2026 playlist!)
4Questing! Slowly.Apr 16 · 1 hr 29 min
Today's conversation finds us in the approach to the inmost cave—the charged midpoint between spring equinox and May 1st where the quest gets real.
In this episode we look back on chapter four of our annual heroic journey, unpacking our Dixit storytelling cards and the themes that surfaced along the way. We explore ancestral karma clearing, the integration of suppressed rage, and what it means to be both the seeker and the sought after—the hero climbing the cliffside and the red-eyed monster waiting in the cave.
We talk about how surprisingly simple practices—an Altoids tin prayer box, three minutes of breathwork—can become unexpected keys to unlocking inherited patterns that go back generations, or lifetimes.
We also zoom out to bigger threads: the archetype of Emergence, the return of the priestess, and how our Lunar Cartomancy praxis helps us attune to the soul's evolutionary intentions, one chapter at a time.
Mentions
- Geomagnetic Forecast App: Magnetology (Apple & Android)
- Fists of Anger:
3 Minute Meditation for Releasing Anger & Stress | Kundalini Yoga Fists of Anger
- Deva Green — evolutionary astrology
- Maëlis Mittig — joy challenge inspiration
- Tashi Powers— evolutionary astrology chart reading
- Sylvia Linsteadt, The Pythia:
https://youtu.be/XkhsKh-UQSQ?si=G_51mlm9RiNN370b
- Robes of Light Spring equinox seasonal show — available for purchase and replay on homepage
- Free MVP Challenge (start anytime!) — www.RobesofLight.com
3On Exigency, or The Things that Crinkle Your HeartMar 16 · 1 hr 28 min
In this conversation, Susan and Cassidy explore exigency—that which you cannot remain silent about—and discover why following your inner compass matters more than any external tool.
In this episode:
- How Western astrology often reads like you'll be "clobbered" by your chart (and what changes when you've done your psycho-spiritual work)
- The difference between fate (cards you're dealt) and destiny (how you play your game)
- Cassidy's unexpected open mic poetry performance at Gypsy Coffee House
- Susan's Substack writing about "things that crinkle my heart"
- Why women speaking from the heart is as revolutionary as political activism
- Quest questions emerging: wild medicine, divine romance, and the postmodern priestess
- Red balloons, Bodhisattva prayers, and the truth that we're not healed until everyone is healed
Core teaching: Don't mistake the tool for the goal. Stay in liminal space long enough for emergence. Recognize when experiences arise to serve—even when they're not what you expected.
We're nearing the end of Question season in our Heroic Journey framework.
📣 Announcements:
- Spring Equinox approaches with our 3-hour Collective Cartomancy Field Reading (March 20; recording available).
- Robes of Light Membership doors are open only for 2 weeks before equinox/solstice.
- Free MVP Challenge (120-day spiritual practice) starts April 1
- Find out more at www.RobesofLight.com
Mentions
- Susan's Substack (link to be added)
🎤 Cassidy's open-mic poems
#1
What do angels feel
Without fingers to caress a face,
Or tongues to taste
The grit of the fall apple?
How would an angel
Take her coffee?
When I was a child,
I didn’t want to go to Heaven,
That world beyond
The stained glass window of a church.
A place with golden streets,
Where we sing all day
About God’s grace
And there’s no lunch break
Because there’s no hunger in Heaven.
Did no one see the irony
That there’s no food
In the land of Milk and Honey?
#2
Too
I am too.
The extra O at the end,
The infinite circle,
The womb, the egg.
How many years have I hid
From the wide-eyed gaze of
Those double Os -
Too.
Laugh, too loud -
Shotgun and snort.
Thighs - too flesh, too muscle,
Ripped hole in jeans.
Too.
Too sentimental -
Message in a bottle.
Too bright - 1,000 watt smile.
Too quick to fall
for stranger in small cafe,
Too slow to say, I love you,
In just this way.
Too educated for a New Age hippy,
Too esoteric for an Ivy graduate.
Too much a dreamer
Because I’m too awake, I guess.
But all my ladies, goddesses,
We’ve tolerated this too
For far too long.
Say it, not with shame,
But with heart ablaze:
I am, too!
I am fire. I am air -
The river, the dirt,
The stars in my hair.
I am slow like honey,
Sweet like dew.
I am bread of body,
Blood of wine,
And Mother Mary, too.
And when I am too,
I become two.
I hold the key to union.
The lovers: Adam, Eve,
Eden - even the snake too.
Me. You.
#3
Today I invited a poem
Out to coffee -
Nothing too committal,
You know how it goes.
Make the plan open,
Simple, and easy
To walk away from.
Enough time to sip its presence
But nothing too intense.
I haven’t made the poem dinner,
Left the candles in the box.
I haven’t even thought of
Introducing the poem to my father.
He might not appreciate
The free verse, or
The innuendo.
No, poetry and I
Aren’t going steady -
It’s like that with words.
At once hot and heavy,
Then your tongue is numb
And tastes like lead.
Usually I meet poetry at night.
It crawls in through my window
And comes into my bed.
Every time is like the first
Time we’ve ever met.
Today I tried something different
And met poetry in a public place.
But now my coffee's cold -
I guess poetry isn’t coming, after all.
Inspirations:
- The Inklings (Tolkien & C.S. Lewis writing group)
- Black Arts Movement, Nikki Giovanni
- Dr. Paul Heilker (Cassidy’s Rhetoric mentor)
- Term “exigence” is from rhetorician Lloyd Bitzer’s Rhetorical Situation:
- Bitzer describes an exigence as “an imperfection marked by urgency; it is a defect, an obstacle, something waiting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be” (6).
- Term “exigence” is from rhetorician Lloyd Bitzer’s Rhetorical Situation:
2From the Deep Freeze to Creative EmergenceFeb 16 · 1 hr 22 min
Join us as we transition from winter's stillness into early spring's creative stirrings.
We geek out on our Visionary New Year collage breakthroughs, the surprising journey of making a sacred talking stick, and how creative collaboration feels like—or maybe even better than—winning the lottery.
We explore how tools like collages and cards train attention toward the sacred, and what happens when the inner voice that will not be silenced finally picks up the pen.
Mentions
- Visionary Boards
- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- Gene Keys
- National Association of Mothers Centers
- “Rapid Action Lesson- Making a Talking Stick” by Pauline Vachon
- “Talking Circles: More than a Technique” by Shannon Perez
- Rainer Marie Rilke, from "Letters to a Young Poet”:
- “I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Perhaps you do carry within you the possibility of creating and forming, as an especially blessed and pure way of living; train yourself for that -- but take whatever comes, with great trust, and as long as it comes out of your will, out of some need of your innermost self, then take it upon yourself.”
1“Hi, Shadow!” or, the Art of IncarnationJan 18 · 1 hr 38 min
Happy New Year—or as we say, Happy New Solar Story! We're back kicking off our 4th season!
In this episode:
- Why we measure success by showing up authentically and consistently
- How our Solar Story framework has evolved through years of experimentation
- The profound difference between surviving challenges and dancing with them consciously
- A toddler's wisdom that might be the best teaching on shadow work we've ever heard
- Why rest is actually productive
- The sacred art of transitions, endings, and holding space for what's liminal
- How your life is literally a work of art—shadows and all
We also get into Dixit cards as tools for spiritual initiation, the belly of the whale, and why normalizing conversations about death might be one of the most loving things we can do.
Whether you've been with us since Season 1 or you're just finding us now, welcome. Pour yourself something warm, settle in, and join the conversation. This is what spiritual wisdom sounds like between friends.
Mentions
- 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Report: “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation”
- Caitlin Matthews Celtic Devotional: Daily Prayer for People of Spirit
Celtic Devotional: Daily Prayer For... book by Caitlín Matthews
- Winter TCM Article by Dr. Reliaz: “Winter is Here: Where to Put Your Energy Now”
- Stewart Pearce, Archangel Zaphkiel
- Stewart Pearce, Archangel Hanael
- Little Bear’s Shadow
https://youtu.be/JttSeDmXXZQ?si=HJKNpzfEp9xoZq7u
- Toni Morrison speech, “Cinderella’s Stepsisters”:
- Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation’s (CAC) podcast series
- AUM - The 3 Forces of Creation:
- The Children’s Bible (correction: print date 1965, not 1971)
Dixit is a storytelling game by Libellud; its cards appear here with no affiliation. Dixit card art © Libellud and its illustrators.
Music for the season we are in
Curated by The Luminaries and open to everyone, turning with the year.
Earlier Solar Stories
Every episode since the 2023 pilot, one Solar Story per year.
Solar Story 2025Show notes12 episodes
12Rethinking Christmas Time & Time-BendingDec 21 · 1 hr 51 min
We've reached the end of another year—another Solar Story. Perhaps you can sense it's not just the end of a year, but the end of an era. Some are doubling down on American "Christmas," while others are choosing less, choosing peace, quiet, stillness.
In this episode we discuss Time—from the mundane ("holiday time") to the metaphysical ("time-bending"). We offer a message of hope with the return of light on winter Solstice: when you move from linear to cyclical time, living during "end times" means a new beginning.
Note: We discuss Santa and how we're navigating that with our kids—if this is a sensitive topic for your family, consider listening without little ears around.
🎁 Holiday Special Bundle: Two beloved online courses—Beautiful Resolution (journal your 2025 story) and Visionary New Year (revelations & visionary board collaging).
See the top banner at www.RobesofLight.com!
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- On “The Birthdate of The Holy Child”; Chapter 7, The Mystical Life of Jesus, by Rosicrucian H. Spencer Lewis p.70-77
- 🎵 “Free, free…Set them free”:
- 🔥 Bonfire metaphor from Star-Borne: A Remembrance for the Awakened Ones by Solara
Disclaimer From Robes of Light full Terms of Service: ”The information presented on or through the Services is made available solely for general information purposes and should not be construed to be any form of advice or guidance regarding decisions, behaviors, or actions taken regarding life or lifestyle choices including but not limited to personal, professional, medical, psychological, emotional or financial choices. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and your participation in said services is completely voluntary, which you may opt out of at any time. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk.”
11Princesses and the Peas in a PodNov 24 · 1 hr 37 min
Cassidy and Susan explore what it means to be "hypersensitives" who've become more comfortable with discomfort than ease, examining shared patterns of self-criticism and the surprising ways their bodies intervene when they refuse to slow down. They are landing in the rest they've been seeking all year-- trusting that they're truly safe and embracing comfort.
This episode marks our transition into the "Status Quo" phase of our annual Solar Story offering a tender and honest look at what comes after the quest ends and the real integration begins.
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
Hot Cacao ☕ 💖
Ingredients
Bring liquid to 180* (do not boil) turn off heat.
Add shaved cacao and whisk until cacao is melted.
Add other ingredients you’ll be using, whisk until well blended.
- Embue Ceremonial Cacao
Ceremonial Cacao, Organic, 100% Semuliki Forest, Uganda, 8oz Flakes
- Young Living Dietary-grade Peppermint Essential Oil
- Simply Organic Vanilla Bean Paste
- Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste for Baking and Cooking, 4 Ounce Jar
10Tracing Thoughts Back to their LairsOct 27 · 1 hr 51 min
Cassidy and Susan explore the "return" phase of their annual Solar Story - that final stretch where you expect smooth sailing but encounter unexpected boulders. They discuss practical approaches to working with challenging mental patterns, the power of living in "not knowing," and how to honor both personal truth and others' spiritual paths. A raw, honest conversation about the unexpected challenges that can arise just when you think you're reaching the finish line.
Key topics include:
- Different types of negative (”parasitic”) thinking: inherited/conditioned patterns, self-limiting beliefs, & intrusive thoughts
- The difference between replacing negative thoughts with positive ones vs. sending them "back to the light"
- Victory and grief existing simultaneously
- An incredible dream synchronicity involving a song Susan had never heard
- Navigating misunderstandings about their spiritual work
- Creating space for diverse beliefs and perspectives
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- I Am the Word, Chapter 5: Boulders
- Yogananda quotation:
Thoughts are universally and not individually rooted; a truth cannot be created, but only perceived. Any erroneous thought of man is a result of an imperfection, large or small, in his discernment.
- Synchronistic/Dream song: Give Me Your Strength (See also our Seasonal Soundtrack on the “Tune In” page)
https://open.spotify.com/track/1mpcFxXDlG6he8ViW4Z60f?si=saOxEnY9QYqLk0YbPxYx1w
- Matt Kahn on intention:
“You could use your imagination to give the most positive meanings of things to your life and all you would do is get closer to the truth that no form of spiritual perfectionism can ever understand or comprehend.”
“Even if you were overwhelmed in disbelief or negative beliefs, all you would have to do is say, ‘May all these negative beliefs represent the salvation of all souls that are freed every time I have a negative thought,’ and the minute you give different meaning to the symbol, it goes away.”
9Beyond Left FieldSep 28 · 1 hr 28 min
Starting with the ancient symbol of the caduceus, this episode weaves through breathing techniques, the Wise Woman Tradition (a la Susan Weed), and the magic of following your heart.
What we explore:
• The caduceus as a symbol of balance
• Practical breathing techniques for anxiety and nervous system regulation
• Susan Weed's "wise woman" approach: asking "How is this my ally?" instead of "Why is this happening to me?"
• Susan's "blanket technique" for gently exploring what lies beneath surface emotions
• Mind-body healing approaches for pre-verbal trauma and emotional integration
• The intersection of improv, creativity, and transformative healing arts
• Following your intuition in academia and creative pursuits
• Navigating eclipse season with presence + two new kitten family members
From bibliomancy as a study superpower to envisioning the future of collaborative healing arts, this conversation is perfect for anyone interested in alternative wellness, creative process, or simply eavesdropping on two friends exploring life's mysteries with curiosity and heart, stirring up wisdom for anyone ready to meet us in that field beyond right and wrong.
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- Caduceus, Power of Symbols Deck
- Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Sula by Toni Morrison
- Edgar Cayce, the ‘Sleeping Prophet’
8Human AgainAug 23 · 1 hr 18 min
In this conversation, we explore what happens when the ordinary world feels impossible to return to during times of extraordinary change, and how we might reconnect to our human nature, and Nature herself.
We discuss:
• How online connection has become more natural than in-person interaction (and what that means for community)
• Practical ways to reconnect with nature, even in modern urban life
• Alternative wellness approaches like grounding for mental health
• Why following your "bliss" might be the most practical thing you can do right now
Perfect for anyone seeking authentic community or curious about living more intentionally. We get real about caring for ourselves, in relationship to the Earth, and why following your heart might be the most practical thing you can do to navigate through chaotic times.
Reminder: doors open to register for our Autumn Equinox live show on Sept. 8! Learn more on our website--www.robesoflight.com--and find today's show notes on our "Tune In" page.
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- Quotations:
- Gandhi
- “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change,” wrote Gandhi. “As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.” According to:
FACT CHECK: Did Gandhi Say, ‘You Must Be The Change You Wish To See In The World’?
- “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change,” wrote Gandhi. “As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.” According to:
- Einstein
- 'We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.'
Did Einstein say "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them"?
- 'We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.'
- Yogiraj Satgurunath Siddhanath
"The ripples of thought in the minds lake prevent the mind from seeing the complete picture of the divine moon. [...] If in a still pond, in a full moon night, you can see the moon, right? Your thoughts are like ripples. Throw a pebble in the pond. What happens to the image of the moon? It’s shattered into a thousand fragments, right? So also you must still your mind. Still the ripples of mind, ripples of thought, in your minds lake. Still the ripples of thought in your minds lake and then behold your Divine Self, the full moon of your Self."
- Campbell
- “Follow your bliss”
- Gandhi
- Grounding Mat/Blanket (recommended by Dr. Sonam Bhimbra)
- Animas Valley
- Netflix Movie
- Susan’s Dixit Card
- “Human Again”
- Wim Hof
7(Probably) The Greatest Episode in the UniverseJul 28 · 1 hr 41 min
As the world enters revolutionary times (Pluto in Aquarius, Uranus in Gemini--IYKYK)--and it feels like we've collectively stepped into the Twilight Zone--Cassidy and Susan explore how to remain deeply human through unprecedented technological advancement.
This casual conversation between friends updating each other on their personal lives captures how today's conscious seekers are navigating everything from AI technology to electromagnetic frequency awareness, while stepping courageously outside their comfort zones (and onto the dance floor).
Heads up! We’ve recently launched a bold, fun redesign of our website—feel free to check it out at RobesofLight.com. You can find the show notes for today’s episode on our “Tune in” page.
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- Virginia Rosenberg—Uranus in Gemini: Schism as Bridge
- Dr. David Hawkins, Power vs Force
- Cassidy’s hip-hop dance, as promised:
- EMF Meter
- HaraPad
- What is Neurofeedback
- Jung Empath Youtube Video:
Carl Jung: Empaths Aren’t Born to Heal—They’re Born to Awaken the Collective Shadow | Jung Original
6A New Round TableJun 28 · 1 hr 57 min
In this heart-to-heart, we touch on themes of sovereignty, stillness, and authenticity, specifically while in the crucible of personal and collective pain.
We reflect on the format of our latest workshop as a model of mirror-reflecting wisdom and the power of spiritual community, relating this to the recent astrological transit of Jupiter entering Cancer.
From Knights of the Round Table to whales and the Sirian star system, we explore how ancient myth and cosmic allies can guide modern spiritual work.
We wrap up this episode with a prayer for reconciliation—for families and friends, for humanity and the planet—at this time.
Remember, you can find our show notes and our seasonal playlist on our website www.RobesofLight.com under “Tune In.”
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- A quick footnote on Cassidy’s “Better than Church” Joke: Obviously many people find value in going to church, especially if it’s a church that encourages fellowship (over gossip) and invokes the Holy Spirit (rather than sanctimony). Robes of Light welcomes all seekers, including church/temple/mosque/synagogue/etc goers. We want to encourage interfaith membership for spiritual coalition building.
- Linda Lantieri
- The Lost Book of the Grail: The Sevenfold Path of the Grail and the Restoration of the Faery Accord by Caitlin and John Matthews
- Virginia Rosenberg’s free Jupiter in Cancer Round Table
- “Ancient Rhythms” by Christian Reese Lassen:
- Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World by Bill Plotkin
5Travel LightlyJun 1 · 1 hr 46 min
As May draws to a close, we find ourselves in the seasonal in-between—late spring or early summer, depending on your perspective. In this episode, we reflect on where we are in our 2025 journeys and how themes of the season—purification, flexibility, and power—are showing up in our lives.
We explore:
- The spiritual value of sensible risk-taking—and the surrender it often requires
- What it means to travel lightly, both physically and emotionally
- How a change in wardrobe can mirror deep inner transformation
- A multidimensional, alternative model of feminine empowerment—bold, sensitive, and expansive
Plus, a quick announcement: Registration for our Summer Solstice live show and card ceremony opens soon! Join us Saturday, June 21 live or via recording.
Details, membership options, and show notes for this episode are at RobesofLight.com.
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- Lady Master Nada
- Little Bear | What Will Little Bear Wear? / Hide and Seek / Little Bear Goes to the Moon
- Silly Boobies - Audio Book - Grandma Heather Reads
- Barn Cat - Prairie Loft
- Dr. Steve Polenz, Greenlake Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing; Dr. Steve’s Healing Space
- NET Remedies mentioned: ER 911, Visceral Polarity, Para Solve; Energetix remedy: Amoeba-Chord
- Virginia Rosenberg, Intuitive Astrologer
- Saturn in Aries: Becoming Self-Made (cosmic ceremony recording; PDF guide)
4Clearing the AirApr 26 · 1 hr 50 min
This episode opens with the spirit of air. We discuss how this relates to where we are in this stormy season of spring, specifically with the process of “clearing the air,” i.e., purifying our thoughts and emotions. We dive in to the mechanics of emotional processing, including how to engage in honest self-reflection while also maintaining self-compassion. This leads into a discussion about the challenges of parenting, and an invitation to join us at Robes of Light in honoring Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year a little differently through ancestral healing work—with details forthcoming on our website.
Detailed show notes available at RobesofLight.com on our "Tune In" page.
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- Medicine Woman deck
- Remington & Jeana Donovan’s The Mystical Arts Mystery School
- Mercedes Kirkel’s Magdalene Heart Path
- Byron Katie
- Yogananda Quotation:
“Train the mind to remain neutral to every condition. Mind is just like blotting paper, which readily takes on the color of any dye you apply to it.
- Warwick Schiller quotes Rick Rubin: “Being impatient is just denying reality.”
3The Fool’s Journey & The Inner LandscapeApr 8 · 1 hr 46 min
It’s springtime, and our annual quest is underway here at Robes of Light! Journey with us through this conversation in which we explore our concept of a “minimum viable practice,” as in a daily spiritual practice. We discuss how connecting with your soul every day can help you build a solid personal foundation which supports entering and navigating the inner landscape.
Join in our MVP Challenge on your own, with a friend, or in community with us by signing up at robesoflight.com. Code: 25FOR2025 for 25% off!
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- Lisa Renee 12D shielding video
- The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk
- Byron Gentry
- I Am the Word
- Caitlin Matthews interview on Oracle Soup: “Singing the Landscape of the Soul”
- Dunning-Kruger effect
- The Emerald Podcast: “Let Us Sing of the Syncretic Gods of Outcasts and Wanderers”
2A Pause to Rest--Preparing for the (Inner) QuestFeb 18 · 1 hr 34 min
We’re halfway through winter, which means it’s time for Exciting Incidents to appear on the stage of life that will lead into our annual (inner) quests. Inspired by our own fatigue, and the invitation to pause this season, Cassidy and Susan enjoy a slow, nourishing conversation about how we practice self-care and about self-compassion as the key for healing.
1Stayin' Alive in '25Jan 22 · 1 hr 28 min
Cassidy and Susan are back, kicking off the first episode of their 2025 Solar Story! Both have been prioritizing inner stillness in winter (or “The Status Quo” in their heroic journey lingo), even with disruptive outer events on the world stage. Topics include: Cassidy's latest hand injury as a metaphor for spiritual healing; Susan's tips for supporting a Vata imbalance in winter time; the wisdom of syncing with the lunar cycle; and how both Susan and Cassidy anticipate working deeper with ancestors and Nature towards creative self-actualization in the annual quest ahead.
Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Mentions
- Podcast conversation: “Metabolic Health & The Embodiment of Femininity, Parris Hodges & Niecia Nelson”
- Apps:
- Lively & Stardust cycle trackers
- ClearSpace to manage digital distraction
- Ancestral Oracle of the Celts by Caitlin Matthews
- Vata article: “10 Signs You Have a Vata Imbalance and How to Help”
- YouTube video essay by Dasia Sade, “The Tragic Optimist’s Guide to Surviving Capitalistic Nihilism”
Solar Story 202413 episodes
13What's On The HorizonDec 20 · 31 min
In this episode we share some information that we are super excited about regarding the new programs that are on the horizon for you in 2025. We had a super time with this one not only because we’re excited about our new programs but because we broadcasted this episode together from Virginia.
12Beautiful EndingsNov 29 · 1 hr 45 min
It’s never too late to make a beautiful ending. In this episode we discuss how ancestral work can provide deeper context and meaning for our individual stories, beyond the level of personal drama, as well as how we can hold for ourselves and others a vision or blueprint of the highest potential and live into it. Susan and Cassidy share anecdotes of how they’ve brought their 2024 Solar Stories full circle. And, disclaimer, a few words on 🎅 😂
11The ReturnNov 6 · 1 hr 40 min
In this episode we discuss the pitfalls of separating our work from our joy and the need for our youth to come to understand in an embodied way humanity’s purpose here while actively tying that in to personal purpose and career goals. We suggest the chakra system as a foundation for this understanding and path toward healing. And, as we near holiday season, we offer some tips for how to gather with family, even dysfunctional ones, with ease and grace. We also touch on the power of Bert Hellinger’s family constellation work as a healing tool for improving family dynamics as well as the reasons why healing the family field is so important for us personally. And of course, we can’t mention family constellations without again recommending the Turkish TV show Another Self.
10The Road BackOct 4 · 1 hr 35 min
Today’s conversation is inspired by The Road Back or Return Phase of the Heroic Journey, the trials that occur at the climax of the story and how this months' trials have affected us personally, in our communities, and globally. We also discussed the mystical path of active love, a new model of heroism, as opposed to “quietism.”
9Recovering the Holy GrailSep 2 · 1 hr 38 min
In this episode we reflect upon the question: What does it take to change? We also reflect on blessings in disguise, the balancing of the masculine, and then were led into a larger discussion of the quest and the holy grail.
8Mid-SummerAug 3 · 1 hr 38 min
It's mid-summer and we're beginning to look at our Ordeals through the rearview mirror. Yes, we've corrected the skid and are beginning to glean some wisdom from all that began to go sideways on us. The pace of this conversation even exemplified a sneak peak of our reward...a "well digested life."
In this episode, we talk about a favorite TV show we’ve been watching that delves into the world of family constellations and the impact of our ancestral DNA and roots, we also discuss the virtues of rootedness and rootlessness, as well as the concept of living viscerally vs. vicariously.
7The CrucibleJul 5 · 1 hr 17 min
We just hit the midpoint of the yearly Solar Story. We're in the heat of summer, stepped into the crucible and entered the fire.
6Mastering Our ApproachJun 8 · 1 hr 48 min
Today’s conversation is inspired by the closing and integration of the spring season and the challenges faced during The New Approach.
5The New ApproachMay 7 · 1 hr 36 min
We’re at the point in our Quest where we are beginning to meet challenges along the way. These challenges can be viewed as opportunities to respond differently to sometimes all too familiar experiences. In this episode we some share valuable new moves.
4A Slow Defrost--Spring ArrivesApr 5 · 1 hr 50 min
This episode is inspired by the change of seasons. We've entered Spring, been guided into a a slow defrost, and are contemplating what lies ahead.
3Golden Seeds Inspiring a QuestMar 9 · 1 hr 34 min
As we integrate and complete the winter season, we are at the point in our Solar Story where we are investigating and formulating the questions that will inform our year long soul quest. We also speak briefly about refusing the call of soul.
2Unexpected VisitorsFeb 11 · 1 hr 47 min
It's mid-winter, the point in the heroic solar story arc when we find inciting incidents begin to arrive in our lives. Inciting incidents can show up as circumstances beyond our control, a call or invitation, a provocation, an interruption or upset. Incidents can arrive in either our inner or outer lives. In this show, we discuss how the Gallbladder has arrived for each of us as an unexpected visitor and share how we use that symbology to inform our lives. We also explore how we might use relationship as part of a quest and lastly Cassidy gets specific on how she would like to engage with others as she quests this year and offers us an invitation to join her in this quest.
1Shhh, All's QuietJan 9 · 1 hr 45 min
This is the first podcast of our new 2023-24 annual Solar Story. In this episode we continue our discussion on authenticity, begin to reveal the A's of spiritual ascension, and discuss the impact of values and ideals on creative solutions.
Solar Story 20233 episodes · pilot
3Conversation as IntegrationDec 8 · 1 hr 47 min
This is the last Podcast of the 2022-23 Solar Story and in this episode we follow the threads of our own personal story lines for the year in a wandering reflective conversation as a form of informal integration.
As always we want to give a big thank you to Markotopa for our Intro Music: A Call to Soul
2Life's a Story, So Make it a Good OneNov 14 · 1 hr 29 min
We are entering the final stage of the 2023 Solar Story as we begin to close out the Autumn season. Today we discuss some of the foundational concepts of the Solar Story as well as a current theme both Cassidy and I are working with; the idea, as Kelly Sullivan Walden writes, that "Life's A Story, So Make It A Good One."
As always we want to give a big thank you to Markotopa for our Intro Music: A Call to Soul
1The Balancing ActOct 14 · 1 hr 28 min
Today’s conversation is inspired by the new moon solar eclipse occurring on Saturday, October 14th and one of our seasonal themes which is balancing compassion with integrity. In this episode, we'll discuss how this affects personal relationships.
As always we want to give a big thank you to Markotopa for our Intro Music: A Call to Soul
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