The OptiMYSTIC Podcast

Pleasure Portals: On Intimacy, Worth, and Mid-life Desire w/ Angie Enger

In this spring episode, Angie Enger and I sit down for a deeply human conversation on midlife desire, bodily autonomy, and the courage to want what you want. Together, we explore how desire evolves through life’s transitions – motherhood, partnership, identity shifts – and why midlife can act as a portal. Angie shares her lineage as a triplet, midwesterner, sex educator and community counselor, taking us through her shame-free approach to pleasure. She offers practical tools, catered to women and femmes, helping us reconnect with our bodies in ways that both awaken the individual and empower the collective. This episode is an invitation to soften any inherited shame, deepen self-intimacy, and remember that desire is a form of wisdom worth listening to! Follow Angie’s journey at angieenger.com [http://angieenger.com], angieenger.substack.com and @angieengercoach Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released April 7, 2026. Original music by Isabel Mares.

The Wisdom of Birth: Between Translation and Belonging w/ Zivar Amrami

In celebration of the Vernal Equinox, we sit down with Zivar Amrami, artist, writer, creative guide, and student of many lineages. She reflects on living between worlds, as a woman of Iranian and Norwegian descent, weaving from Kabbalistic wisdoms, the emergent esoteric, and myth. As we discuss her newest work, The Wisdom of Birth Tarot Deck (aka “the pocket doula”) and this shared season of mystic motherhood, we untangle some knots in the false binary of birth and death. We travel from her Chabad childhood, consequent spiritual journeys, and healing in mothering–re-storying ourselves, allowing for new translations to emerge. Join us. Follow Zivar’s journey at zivaramrami.substack.com and @zivaramrami Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released March 20, 2026. Original music by Isabel Mares.

AI, Art, and the Oracular w/ Isabelle Rizo

On this Samhain/Halloween special, we sit down with Isabelle Rizo–Romanian Chicago-based artist, licensed art psychotherapist, hypnotist, researcher, and tarot teacher whose work bridges mythos, mysticism, multicultural healing. A former political refugee, Isabelle weaves lived experience with clinical insight and spiritual artistry to guide emotional transformation, ancestral reconnection, and radical self-trust. Rooted in Eastern European folklore, mysticism, and matriarchal traditions, her liberation-centered approach reclaims healing as both a personal and political act. We talk about Transylvanian folklore (yes, Dracula), AI mindfulness, and how creativity and ritual transforms our world(view) for the better. Follow Isabelle’s journey at IsabelleRizo.com and @isabellerizobvp Conversations with visionaries are released on full moons. Released October 31, 2025.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

Becoming Afia: On Divine Detours & Diasporic Destinies w/ Toni Afia Reynolds

Toni ‘Afia’ Reynolds–emergent Okomfo priestess in the Ghanaian spiritual tradition of Akom–shares her profound journey from Christian 'army brat' to interfaith theologian, cultural memory worker, and healing justice practitioner. This episode explores the moments that feel like rejection but are, in truth, sacred interventions. Afia traces how ancestors and intuition conspire to reroute us toward liberation, dignity, and deeper purpose. Neither does she shy away from the traumatic histories we emerge from. Grounded in African diasporic spirituality and cross-cultural storytelling, the conversation invites listeners into a world where divine detours are part of a much older, interconnected map. Follow Toni’s journey @becomingafia and @changingfrequencies https://changingfrequencies.com/ https://kolibrifdn.org/ Conversations with visionaries are released on full moons. Released June 13, 2025.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

More Curious Than Certain: Children, Change, and Collective Care w/ Kathy Pomer

Master educator, advocate, mentor, and leader in the early childhood movement Kathy Pomer, reminds us that children have a lot to teach us. In fact, they can—and should—be mystic guides towards beloved community. Together we reckon with history, ranging from racialized early childhood care in the U.S., revolutionary practices born out of WWII, to learnings during the COVID-19 pandemic and modern Jewish lenses for building inclusive communities. We reflect on motherhood as an invitation to be both teachers and students, to both guide and wonder. This intergenerational friendship reflects back the beauty of breaking down binaries, choosing and shaping our faith as we age, and accepting the responsibility of applying personal growth to the communities we serve. Follow Kathy’s journey @gatherroundconsulting and gatherroundconsulting.com [http://gatherroundconsulting.com] Conversations with visionaries are released on full moons. Released May 12, 2025.  Original music by Isabel Mares.