Gathering Gold
Sheryl Paul, a counselor informed by Jungian depth psychology, and co-host Victoria Russell explore the inner world and discuss actions to grow self-trust and self-love. The bi-weekly episodes offer guidance for diminishing fear and shame, embracing sensitivity and creativity, and approaching life with curiosity and compassion.
Episodes
Reclaiming Solitude
What’s the difference between being alone, feeling lonely, and experiencing solitude? Victoria and Sheryl explore the nourishing power of time spent alone, the internal and external barriers that keep us from it, and how solitude helps us reconnect with ourselves, our creativity, and the people we love.
References:
The Anger Workbook by Les Carter, PhD, and Frank Minirth, MD
Rainer Maria Rilke qu
Is There Gold in Disappointment?
Disappointment might be one of the first ways that we experience innocence lost. We hope, we expect, we desire, and then--we are let down. It doesn't happen. The ice cream cone smashes on the pavement. It rains, and we can't play outside.
Some disappointments sting like skinned knees. Other disappointments run deep like wounds, turn into scar tissue: the career or relationship that never went the
Seers, Seekers, and Radical Responsibility
Sheryl and Victoria uncover layers of nuance within the experience of being a seer, a seeker, and a highly sensitive person: these traits can be beautiful compasses pointing us towards depth, meaning, and connection, but they also have their shadow sides. Seeing can shift into blaming, seeking into endless rumination, and sensitivity into controlling behavior.
In today's episode, Sheryl and Victor
The Fear of Living a Small Life
“I’m afraid of living a small life. Of not living up to my potential. Of never being great.”
We hear this often: people wondering whether their life is enough—whether they are enough— and whether they will have regrets in the future about how they chose to lead their “one wild and precious life” (to quote Mary Oliver).
In today’s episode, we unpack the paradoxes bound up in considering whether a l
Unrequited Love
Why do we keep searching for the one thing that will finally make us feel complete?
Inspired by David Whyte's essay Unrequited Love, Sheryl and Victoria explore the universal experience of longing, and why it is especially familiar to highly sensitive people. Together, they reflect on the ache for perfect connection, the inevitability of disappointment, and the cultural messages that tell us we ar
The Lazy Hard Worker
In this solo episode, inspired by a Patreon community member, Victoria reflects on what it means to be a "lazy hard worker"—someone who swings between periods of doing "nothing" and burning the candle at both ends.
Through personal reflections, she explores the difference between moving slowly and being truly stuck, the fears that can fuel procrastination and perfectionism, and how understanding o
The Wisdom of Shared Dreams
Four years ago, we shared an episode on dream work and the gifts that emerge from remembering, recording, and reflecting on our dreams in solitude.
Today, we're returning to the subject—this time exploring the power of sharing dreams within a trusted community.
What unique wisdom can emerge when we invite others to reflect on our dreams—and when we do the same for theirs?
How can dream work expand
Showing Up Is Enough: Reflections from the Retreat
Sheryl and Victoria reflect on their experiences of Sheryl's first-ever in-person retreat: Another Way. For five days, nestled in a Colorado valley, the retreatants engaged in dream work and rituals; practiced council; moved mindfully; and connected to creativity.
Inside a circle of compassion and wisdom, tears and laughter flowed with ease. A web of deep, healing connection was woven--invisible t
Dear Highly Sensitive Parent: Patreon Bonus Episode + New Reflections
Sheryl and Victoria share a favorite bonus conversation from the Patreon library ("Dear Highly Sensitive Parent") and current reflections on why it still resonates so deeply--especially now. Sheryl shares some of her most potent, painful, and life-changing experiences in early motherhood and the practices that held and grounded her in the toughest moments. And, she and Victoria discuss Sheryl's fi
Becoming Who We Are: On Gifts, Passions & Pigeonholes
Sheryl and Victoria unpack how children—and adults—can become pigeonholed as “the smart one,” “the athlete,” “the good girl,” or “the creative one,” and what happens when those identities start to feel limiting.
Through personal stories about parenting, childhood passions, sibling dynamics, and evolving career paths, they reflect on the importance of allowing young people the freedom to grow, pivo
Snakes without Skin: The Middle School Years
In today's episode, we are exploring the emotional intensity of the middle school years, reflecting on both the pain and the “gold” of this stage—revisiting experiences of loneliness and self-consciousness alongside connection, self-discovery, and courage.
We discuss how shifting attention from family to peers can deepen feelings of rejection, while also opening the door to more meaningful friends
The Spirituality of Human Connection
When the topic of spiritual practice comes up, what comes to mind?
Going to a religious service? Connecting with nature? Meditating?
There are so many ways to connect of a sense of something bigger than ourselves. There is one vital pathways that is sometimes overlooked: Connecting with each other.
In today's episode, we're exploring how connecting with other people -- both real and imaginal, in o
"I Don't Like Change"
"I don't like change."
Many highly sensitive souls have uttered these words at one time or another. Perhaps we've said them recently, as we watched neighbors move away, or babies grow into toddlers, or winter slip into spring.
Maybe we haven't dared speak them aloud since childhood, decades ago, when someone rolled their eyes in response and told us to buck up.
In today's episode, we are exploring
Career Transitions, Dreams, and the Emotional Life of Men with Daev Finn
Note: We've decided to take a pause on the topic of romantasy, but we may come back to it down the road :)
In this special episode, we are sharing our recent webinar with Daev Finn, an artist, psychotherapist, and Sheryl's loving husband.
After years working as a visual effects artist, Daev realized it was time for a change, and he made the transition to become a psychotherapist. Here, he reflect
Courts of Longing: the Archetypal Gold in ACOTAR
"Be glad of your human heart....Pity those who don't feel anything at all.”
What if the meteoric rise of the romantasy genre isn’t about fae courts and dragon riders—but about our deepest and most human longings?
Romantasy has taken the publishing world by storm. While some dismiss these stories as escapist fantasy, we believe their deeper power lies in how they illuminate the human heart.
In this
Body Shame
In today's episode, we dip a toe into the icy waters of body shame: the waters that take our breath away, that make us run for cover.
How do we anchor our bodies in the warmth of true safety, of acceptance that frees us to open up to life and all it has to offer?
Sheryl explores themes of body shame, body love, and so much more in her course Sacred Sexuality. Registration for the next round closes
To Journal or Not to Journal in 2026?
In this month of January, the beginning of the New Year, some of us may be looking at our current habits and patterns, returning to practices that have fallen away, reinvigorating activities that have lost luster, and exploring new ways of caring for and connecting with our selves. Journaling might be one of those practices that you are thinking about engaging with -- or perhaps feel like you shou
Living in the Rhythm (Re-Air)
As Sheryl and Victoria lean into the rhythm of the holiday season, resting and connecting with family at the end of the year, we invite you to return to our most-listened to episode of 2025.
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“Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance.” --Gabrielle. Roth
Our heartbe
The Joy of Small Things
In this solo episode, Sheryl explores the potency of the present moment. With personal reflections and poetry, Sheryl illuminates how much depends upon noticing, holding, and imprinting in our soul the extraordinary mystery, love, joy, and pain in the moments we wish we could extend for a bit longer, live over again, remember all of our days.
References:
Gathering Gold episode "How to Slow Down T
How to Slow Down Time
At this time of year, it can start to feel like time is speeding up.
The holidays are here already? It's almost the end of 2025? Didn't the year just begin?!
In a culture that begins celebrating Christmas before trick-or-treaters have even begun knocking on doors, this sense of rush and speed is amplified at every turn.
In today's episode, we are exploring the question: how do we slow down time? H
The Need to Nag and Control
In today's episode, Sheryl and Victoria unpack an idea explored in Sheryl's upcoming course Open Your Heart: A 30-Day Course to Feel More Love and Attraction for Your Partner: a pattern of criticizing and micromanaging your partner is a surefire way to close your heart and add bricks to a wall between you.
Sheryl and Victoria name the historical, cultural, and societal influences behind the word "
Rooting into Autumn (Re-Air)
**Today, we are practicing what we preach: slowing down and giving ourselves a little break by re-airing this episode from last year. We hope you enjoy, and we are sending you well wishes for rest, rejuvenation, and tending to your own rhythms and self-care in this season of rooting!**
Meaning making. Connecting to breath. Aligning with nature. So many actions, big and small, can help us dig a lit
Autumn, Grief, and Beauty
In today’s episode, we are slowing down and opening our hearts to the beauty and loss abundant in autumn, a season that can so poignantly reflect and hold our own grief. Sheryl shares reflections about the passage of time, her sons growing up, and the passing of her beloved soul cat Tashi. Victoria shares her recent experience of learning about the death of a friend she had lost touch with.
How d
Myths About Relationships
We pick up where we left off in our last episode to discuss a few myths about relationships, unpacking commonly-held beliefs and prescriptions regarding our romantic/sexual lives, our choices about whether we want to be parents, and experiences of parenthood. By pulling apart the threads of these myths, we hope to encourage a greater sense of acceptance, compassion, and celebration of ourselves an
Myths About Life
Have you ever felt like you should be able to figure out and answer all of life's questions--immediately?
That if you could just find the one right lifestyle and location for you, your life would be all shimmer and shine?
That you should just find life and adulthood easier? That everyone else finds it easier?
These are myths about life that have their fingerprints all over our psyches.
They weigh
The Thief of Joy
We used to try to keep up with the Joneses--the family behind the picket fence on that beautiful street the next town over.
Now it's not just the local Joneses that we're trying to measure up to, but the influencers on Instagram, high school acquaintances that we still follow on Facebook, our past selves and our future potential.
Comparison has always been the thief of joy, but in the digital med
What Makes a Safe Friendship?
There are many types of friendships, and they're all necessary. We need friends to chat with at work, neighbors to share metaphorical cups of sugar with. But we also need deep friendships built on a bedrock of safety--and those can be harder to come by.
In today's episode, we are unpacking what it means to feel truly safe in a friendship. What qualities do we look for and offer to our friends in o
Reclaiming Joy
We all want to experience joy, but sometimes it can feel out of reach. Sometimes, the more we chase joy, the faster it slips beyond our reach. And yet, as Sheryl so often teaches, what we water will grow. We can create conditions favorable to joy.
In today's episode, we discuss joy as not a luxury but a necessity; joy as an act of resistance and a fraternal twin to grief; how joy lies hidden just
The Upside of OCD with Michael Alcee
Today's very special guest, Michael Alcée, is author of the book The Upside of OCD: Flight the Script to Reclaim Your Life. In our conversation, Michael explains what he means and does not mean when he talks about the "upside" of OCD; why Michael thinks all people with OCD start out as mini-existentialists and poets; and the key missing ingredient in many of our contemporary treatments for OCD.
Ho
True Abundance
It is a common refrain these days: we live in a culture of scarcity mindset. We are bombarded with messages of never enough, implicitly and explicitly warned that there is not enough money, time, attention, or even love for all of us. These messages shift us into fearful perspectives, limiting our ability to see and receive all the goodness around us.
In a world where so many people are lacking ba
(Gently) Stretching Our Comfort Zones (Patreon Bonus)
We're sharing a Patreon exclusive to our Gathering Gold feed today!
In this episode, we're responding to our patron Jenny's question about how to deal with the discomfort and fear that comes along with stretching our comfort zones.
We talk about values-based actions, purpose and meaning, our individual window of tolerance, and the importance of self-compassion.
Visit patreon.com/gatheringgold to g
100 Hours of Gathering Gold
Welcome to the 100th episode of Gathering Gold!
Today, we take a moment to pause and reflect on what it has meant to commit to this podcast for four years and regularly make trips together to fill up from a well of nourishing waters--waters of deep listening, conversation, reflection, and compassion. We talk about how and why we have tried to make this podcast a refuge, how it has impacted our rel
Making Decisions
In contemporary society, we face more choices--and more decisions--than ever before. This can sometimes feel like a curse as much as it is also a blessing, especially for those of us struggle with indecisiveness.
In today's episode, we discuss mindsets around decision-making that can help us find more ease around the little decisions ("What should I order from the menu?") and the big decisions ("
What Could Have Been
In today's follow-up to the Escape Hatch Fantasies episode, Sheryl and Victoria discuss the double-edged allure of ruminating on what could be? and what could have been?
They discuss the difference between a fantasy and a dream for the future, how to work with the energy of regret, and what we can learn from the film Past Lives (2023) about making space for longing, mystery, and acceptance in the
Escape Hatch Fantasies (Re-Air)
In preparation for our next episode, we bring to you one of our most popular episodes to date: Escape Hatch Fantasies.
Members of our Patreon can submit questions and reflections for our follow-up conversation about escape hatch fantasies at patreon.com/gatheringgold
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We all indulge in fantasizing from time to time. Maybe you find yourself scrolling through Zillow looking at houses for sale,
A New Tool for Healing Anxiety
"You can read and listen and learn for years, but unless you take actions that create more well-being, you will remain stuck. While accurate information is important and often transformative, it's the compassionate actions we take on our own behalf that create long-lasting, deep-rooted, sustainable change."
In today's episode, we introduce a new tool for healing anxiety at the root: Sheryl's forth
Resistance to Growing Up
Some children and adolescents bound toward the future, excitedly proclaiming, "I can't wait to grow up!"
Others are a bit more unsure--some of us may resist growing up well into our 20s and beyond. Acts of resistance against adulthood can be big or small, noticeable or subtle. Even those who were excited to grow up in childhood may find that fears begin to dampen their enthusiasm as the reality o
What Does It Mean to Grow Up?
What does it mean to grow up? Is it about arriving at a destination at a specific time, after following the linear formula of job, marriage, house, baby? Or is it an ongoing process of development that happens both internally and externally, rippling through our inner world and shining forth in how we engage with the world? What does it mean to grow up on an emotional level?
In this episode, we ex
Living in the Rhythm
“Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance.” --Gabrielle. Roth
Our heartbeat. Our breath. Our steps along the sidewalk. Our life happens in rhythms--breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat, step by step. We move in and out of seasons, feel a shift in tempo as our energy
Dark Night of the Soul
Sometimes, the month of January can start to feel like one long dark night.
Many of us step off the carousel of the holiday season feeling a little dizzy and off-kilter. Some of us might even feel a sense of darkness or despair as we thud back into harsh reality (and, in certain parts of the world, deep winter). We may be teetering between hope and despair; grief and gratitude; anger and acceptan
Winter Solstice (Re-Air)
In the spirit of the season, we bring to you one of our most popular episodes to date: last year's episode about the Winter Solstice.
We are also offering a special 15% off discount for any new Patreon sign-ups with code GOLD24 and are hosting a Winter Solstice gathering for the Meet-Up Members on Sunday, December 22, at 3 pm EST. Visit patreon.com/gatheringgold to learn more.
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We are approa
Resistance to Gratitude
We all know that practicing gratitude is good for us: we've read news articles about groundbreaking research on the benefits of gratitude, purchased gratitude journals, maybe started incorporating gratitude practices into family dinners or even work meetings. So why is it still sometimes so hard to really feel and and experience gratitude in an authentic and enriching way? And what are some pathwa
The Gift of Presence
Leaves are falling from the trees. The world is shifting into hues of gray and brown, into sparseness and clarity. Meanwhile, we are entering into the holiday season.
Amidst it all--the darkness and the light, the fatigue and the excitement--how can we stay present for the gifts all around us? Not the gifts wrapped in paper and bows, but the little, everyday miracles: the maple tree still wrapped
How to Ground During Difficult Times
"There are times of heightened fear. And there are times when there is a lot of fear in the greater collective, in the culture. And I do think that one of our ultimate tasks, one of our ultimate spiritual tasks as human beings, in these bodies, is to work with fear and its opposite, which is love, but also is trust."
In today's episode, Sheryl shares wisdom about grounding ourselves during uncerta
Connecting with Ancestors
“I can tell you the names of Taylor Swift’s parents, but not my great-grandparents.”
Can you relate to Victoria’s admission in today’s episode?
Many of us have lost connection with our ancestors. Or rather, that connection was severed even before we were born, by cultural conditions that de-prioritize relationships in general, and familial bonds in particular.
And: connecting to the unseen realm
Managing Overwhelm
Sometimes, it all feels like too much: too much responsibility, too many expectations, too much sensation, too many feelings, too much hyper-vigilance. In these moments, we can be enveloped by a feeling of overwhelm.
Sometimes, things really are just too much. Some things needs to give. Systems need to change.
And, sometimes we pause for a moment to scan our inner world and find that certain minds
Rooting into Autumn
Meaning making. Connecting to breath. Aligning with nature. So many actions, big and small, can help us dig a little deeper into the soil of time, anchor ourselves against the buffeting winds of change and demands, especially as we shift into a new season.
We recorded this conversation in front of a live virtual audience of Patreon community members, opening up the second half of the episode for
Resistance to Inner Work
We often resist doing things that we know are good for us—including inner work. We attend one therapy session and then stop showing up. We drag our heels on the way to yoga class. We let our journal grow dusty in the corner. Our resistance to change and to effort gets the best of our intention to grow.
Today, we are exploring some of the voices and characters of resistance—including the inner chil
The Fear of Taking Risks
By nature or nurture, or some combination of the two, some of us are chronically risk averse–especially if we struggle with anxiety. While some cautiousness can be healthy, extreme risk aversion can keep us from engaging with the world deeply, living our values, and just plain enjoying life.
By taking risks, we learn more about ourselves and the world. And by learning more about ourselves and the
Living IRL
Our relationship with screens, digital devices, and online media is complicated. We can gain so much valuable information and connection in a more accessible way, but we can also get sucked into a vortex of information overload, analysis paralysis, social comparison, and doom scrolling.
In today's episode, we discuss using our devices as tools to help us engage more deeply with the world, not as
Adding Good Things
In our last episode, we talked about why it can be hard to receive good things. Today, we are discussing the importance of actively adding good things to our lives.
It can be easy to focus on all of the problems, challenges, and hardships we are facing, and to assume that if we could just remove those, then we could experience a greater sense of wellbeing. And while there are certainly times to f
Why It's Hard to Receive Good Things
Today’s episode was requested by one of our lovely Patreon members, who asked us to talk about why it can be hard to receive good things, and how to do so with more ease.
In this conversation, we discuss some of the stumbling blocks to the unfettered gratitude that we desire: blocks including guilt, shame, fear, and distrust. And, we discuss how we can orient ourselves towards more receptivity, re
THRESHOLDS: Panic Attacks
We continue our deep dive into themes from Sheryl’s new audio collection Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife, with an exploration of the terrifying undertow of panic attacks.
Sheryl shares how panic attacks have grabbed her in the ocean, in elevators, while driving, and at nightfall. She introduces the Greek mythological Pan, and gives us a sneak peek into how she befriended the god of pandemonium
Summer Solstice
Sheryl and Victoria take a pause from exploring themes of Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife, in order to honor the Summer Solstice.
Sheryl explains why it is so important to honor these season portals, and receive their goodness. Sheryl and Victoria reflect on their previous episode about Summer from three years ago, and discuss why Sheryl was so focused on loss, nostalgia, and grief at that tim
THRESHOLDS: Parenting
Sheryl has entered a new era in her parenting life: an era of letting go.
Today’s episode continues a series exploring themes from Sheryl’s new audiobook, Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife, with a conversation about parenting. As Sheryl’s sons have grown into teenagers, and one has flown the nest (…literally!), Sheryl has welcomed grief, gratitude, and new beginnings.
Offering personal stories a
THRESHOLDS: Midlife Magic
Today, we're announcing an exciting new offering from Sheryl: a beautiful audiobook entitled Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife, which will be available next month!
In today's episode, we share sneak peeks and talk about the seeds of inspiration for this compendium of dreams, poems, stories, and reflections. We discuss myths about midlife, a major decision that Sheryl faced about the direction of
Rupture and Repair
Rupture and repair. Rupture and repair. Rupture and repair.
This is the rhythm of all close relationships—even the relationship between Sheryl and Victoria, as we discuss (gingerly, with care) in today’s episode.
In any relationship, if we get close enough, we will eventually experience a rupture. We make mistakes, we let each other down, we hurt, and then, with courage, self-awareness, and a fou
True Wild
The wild has been banished, pushed to the edges of civilization, pushed to the edges of psyche. Wolves and coyotes, bears and bobcats, rage and sexuality and messiness and imperfection have all been relegated to the outskirts.
We long for wildness. We long for freedom and aliveness, creativity and authenticity.
And yet, we might also fear wildness—the way it can control us. The way we can burn ot
Fertility Anxiety
In today’s episode, we hear a very special guest’s story of managing fertility anxiety while trying to conceive for many months. Sarah shares her experience of desperately wanting to get pregnant and deeply fearing it would never happen.
Along the way, we discuss finding supportive healthcare providers, learning to navigate sex when trying to conceive, meeting our own or our partner’s ambivalence
The Edge of Spring
In today's episode, Sheryl reflects on the liminal time between winter and spring, and the way that this season emphasizes a certain truth about life: that joy and grief are intimately, irrevocably connected. That we experience not grief, then joy, not life, then death, but all of it, together, always.
"We think linearly--but maybe, that's not how time, and grief, and memory co-exist. And it's sp
Spring Equinox
The spring equinox is a moment of symmetry and balance; the sun sits exactly above the equator, and we experience an equal amount of daylight and darkness.
In today’s episode, Sheryl shares her thoughts on the spiritual experience of symmetry, and how fractals in nature convince her that this world is one of not only chaos, but also order—and why that matters so much to highly sensitive people.
We
Trauma Collisions in Relationships
Today’s episode was inspired by a recent post that Sheryl shared on Instagram about trauma collisions in longterm relationships.
In this conversation, we explore what trauma collisions are (and are not), how they differ from arguments, and how we can become more mindful and skillful in responding to them.
Sheryl underscores the role of self-awareness in uncovering the understory of a trauma colli
Irritation in Relationships
You just sat down with a cup of tea and a good book. You’re deeply invested in the plot and sinking into glorious alone time, when suddenly, you hear footsteps. Your partner appears in the room.
“What’s for dinner?” they ask.
Your entire body is instantly flooded with one feeling: irritation.
It’s a feeling that we all have from time to time, including with the people we love most in the world:
January: The God of the Doorway
The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus: the god of the doorway. Janus was said to have two faces: one looking ahead, and one looking behind.
We are now in the liminal month of January, moving between two years and looking forward and backward just like Janus. In today's episode, Sheryl encourages us to meet this liminality with curiosity and compassion. Though we may feel off-kil
Sacred Sexuality
In today’s episode, we return gently to sacred ground: the ground of our sexuality.
Last January, we explored what it means to own our sexual sovereignty through reclaiming our right and ability to say no. Today, we begin uncovering our inherent yes, which was likely shamed early in our lives.
Sheryl encourages us to gently orient ourselves back towards our innate curiosity, belief in our own goo
Fairy Tales by the Fireside with Daev Finn
In this special episode, Sheryl's husband Daev Finn joins the show to continue our seasonal exploration of wintry themes. A psychotherapist who uses the metaphor of myth and fairy tales in his work, Daev offers his perspective on the Brothers Grimm telling of "Briar Rose" (otherwise known as "Sleeping Beauty").
Daev, Sheryl, and Victoria read the tale aloud, then share their reflections on themes
Winter Solstice
We are approaching the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere.
In preparation for the winter solstice, Sheryl invites us to anchor ourselves in time and find communion with the luminous dark.
How might we celebrate the triumph of light, the gift of the sun, while also welcoming the wisdom of darkness?
How might we balance the need to rest and turn inward with the nee
Social Anxiety
We all know the feeling: jitters before a birthday party. Melting into the wall during a wedding reception. Obsessing over that awkward hug you gave at the potluck.
Everyone has their moments of social anxiety, but some of us suffer with it more chronically, perhaps managing a mixture of avoidance and overcompensation. We might worry that we are too quiet or too loud, too boring or too obnoxious—s
Work and Career Anxiety
Highly sensitive people bring many gifts to work, and we also face unique challenges—including a persistent longing to bridge the gap between our ideals and the reality of our work life.
Whether we are full-time caregivers, lawyers, teachers, baristas, artists, or project managers, we might wonder: am I on the right path? Do I belong in this field? Might the grass be greener somewhere else?
We hav
The Witching Hour
The witching hour: a time in the middle of the night when we sometimes wake from a potent dream or nightmare, eyes wide in the darkness, heart and body filled with something--fear or grief, regret or restlessness, poems or prayers.
In today's episode, we discuss this mysterious portal and how we might find gold glittering in the darkest hours before dawn.
References:
“Dedicated to the One I Love,”
Sheryl’s Conscious Transition
In today’s special episode, Sheryl shares her story of navigating a major transition over the past year: ushering her eldest son out of the nest and into college far from home.
Sheryl shares passages from her journal that detail how she rode the waves of grief, reached for support, and found relief after bringing Everest to school and adjusting to home life without him.
And, she and Victoria d
Golden Nugget Minisode - Olivia’s Update
We hope you enjoy today's "Golden Nugget" mini-episode! We're sharing a voicemail from our lovely listener Olivia, who asked the question that inspired our episode Expectations, Emotions, and Very Big Days.
Listen in to hear what happened for Olivia and her partner after she submitted her question, listened to the episode, and sat with the uncertainty of how to approach her wedding day and marriag
Healing Shame
Many of us feed our shame with the very food that makes it grow: criticism and cruelty that inspires deeper disconnection and despair. We think that we can control and punish ourselves into perfection, that we can banish our exiled parts into the shadowlands and transcend hurt and vulnerability.
And yet, if we take the risk to feed our shame with love, acceptance, and compassion, we will see what’
The Cloak of Shame
Everyone feels shame at one time or another.
For some of us, shame is an occasional or even rare experience. It’s an awful feeling, but manageable.
For others, shame is a state that we are particularly prone to; our shame gets activated quickly and intensely. We might even walk around in a haze of free-floating shame, inhaling it with the air we breathe.
In today’s episode, Sheryl and Victoria ex
Expectations, Emotions and Very Big Days (from Patreon)
Today's episode is from the Gathering Gold Patreon Bonus Episode vault! Sheryl and Victoria address a question from Olivia, who is considering marriage with her partner. Olivia's family expects a big wedding, but she dreads being the center of attention. Also...she has some fears about making this forever commitment.
Though Olivia's question is about marriage, the themes in this episode will reson
Effort and Ease
Everything we do requires some effort. We wake up in the morning, and from that point forward, we exert effort, starting with getting out of bed and brushing our teeth.
In our society, it is easy to think of effort as synonymous with drudgery, exhaustion, and an attitude of "never enough." Because of this, we also have a complicated relationship with ease: we struggle to rest, and to trust ease. W
Growing Up and Knowing Ourselves
In today’s solo episode, Victoria responds to Patreon Community questions about resistance to growing up and learning to connect to our wants, needs, and values.
Sharing anecdotes from her life, she reflects on core fears and beliefs inside the aversion to responsibility and adulthood, and discusses gentle approaches to examining the invitations inside our existential anxieties.
She also shares a
The Good Girl and the Inner Teenager
You may be familiar with the inner child and the inner adult, but when was the last time you thought about your inner teenager?
In today’s episode, we’re exploring what qualities this often-forgotten inner part brings to the table. And, we’re exploring why those of us who grew up trying to embody the “good girl” might have struggled to fully tap into the potential of our inner teenager. The charac
Breaking the Worry Habit
Studies suggest that about 85% of what we worry about never happens.
And yet, for many of us, worrying is a way of life. It is our go-to response when we face uncertainty or perceive a threat to something or someone we care about deeply.
In today’s episode, Sheryl shares personal reflections on her relationship to worry as her eldest son Everest embarks on the hardest challenge he has ever faced.
Creativity
There are all sorts of blocks that get in the way of us connecting to our creativity, our life force.
There’s the inner critic, and then there are the outer critics. There’s perfectionism, and the fear that “it’s all been done before.” There’s the despair of "not enough," and the ache of lacking inspiration.
Even after we’ve bushwhacked our way through the thickets of inner resistance to actually
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True Crime Classics
The Healer Revolution
Becoming: HER with Nikki Spoelstra
Booked, Blonde & Busy w/ Olivia Ponton
McKinsey on Consumer and Retail
