91. A Guide to Understanding Shamanic Terms

In this episode of ShamanTalk, Rhonda McCrimmon sits down with licensed clinical social worker, ritualist, and certified firewalk master instructor Sarina Harz-Tolbert for a wide-ranging conversation on the intersections of therapy, ceremony, and embodied spiritual practice. They explore fire walking as a tool for transformation, why somatic and body-based healing often achieves what years of talk therapy cannot, and how to spot spiritual bypassing in yourself and your community. They also get into the ethics of running a small spiritual business, discussing pricing, accessibility, integrity, and how to stay true to your path when the online marketing machine is pulling in every direction. Sarina shares her work as a wilderness rites-of-passage guide, trauma-informed therapist, and co-teacher of the Warrior Goddess framework, and the two friends dig into creating genuinely inclusive ritual spaces, the power of direct communication, and why ritual belongs in everyday life, not just on the ceremonial calendar.

This week, I'm talking with HeatherAsh Amara, author, teacher, and someone who's been doing this work for over three decades. We talked about how the spiritual landscape has shifted from guru culture to something more community-led, what unconditional leadership is, and how discernment is just judgment with less drama attached. We also got into firewalking, what happens in your body when you walk across hot coals, and why a bad book review might actually be good news. Plus social media, abundance, AI, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is just start. A wee note: I recorded this at the end of 2026. I’ve been tardy in getting this conversation posted 🙂

In this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, I welcome Reverend Dr David William Parry, a gay, queer Old Catholic priest, poet, and theologian whose work bridges Christian tradition, LGBTQ+ spirituality, and the arts. As founding pastor of St. Valentine's Hall in London—an inclusive Catholic community—David brings a unique perspective on how ancient spiritual traditions can speak to modern seekers across all paths. We explore the surprising connections between Catholic mysticism and shamanic practice, challenge mainstream religious assumptions, and offer hope for those wounded by religious trauma. David's openness about his identity as an "unrepentant homosexual" clergyman provides refreshing honesty about navigating faith traditions that have historically excluded queer voices.

In this powerful conversation, I welcome Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. to discuss his new book, The Poisoned Arrow: A Toltec Guide to Overcoming Fear. Miguel shares candidly about how the book emerged from personal experiences, including a concussion, caregiver's fatigue, and a cancer scare, making it a deeply authentic exploration of fear in real-time healing. The discussion weaves together Toltec wisdom, modern challenges such as AI and social media, and practical approaches to working with both rational and irrational fears.

Join us for a deeply engaging conversation with Elwynn Green (@TheAntleredCrown), a generational hedge witch from England, as he shares his journey from being raised by two powerful witch aunts to becoming a practitioner himself. We explore the often-overlooked magic of everyday life, why imagination is more powerful than visualisation, and how traditional witchcraft asks us to live in the liminal space between the mundane and the mystical, without losing touch with either. Elwynn discusses the importance of deconstruction before reconstruction in spiritual practice, the animistic spirit within crafted objects, and why taking yourself too seriously can lead to spiritual burnout. We also dive into navigating social media as a spiritual practitioner, the difference between herbalism and wort cunning, and why being "lost" might be the truest state of all. Plus, hear about his forthcoming book Between the Horns: A Book of Liminal Witchcraft and why glass jars might not be the magical containers you think they are.