11. The Beauty of Decay: Remembering Death as a Sacred Rite with Madeline McCauley

12. Remembering Together: The Healing Power of Women’s Circles with Rosie & Pearl

In this episode of Sacred Rite, Amber sits in conversation with sisters Rosie and Pearl to explore the timeless and essential practice of women gathering in circle — what it means, why it matters, and how it serves as a pathway back to belonging. For generations, women have gathered around fires and kitchen tables to share stories, witness each other’s lives, and tend the threads of community. Though much of that ancient way has been forgotten, the need for it has never been greater. Together, we remember what happens when women come together — when we slow down, listen deeply, and allow ourselves to be held in sisterhood. Amber, Rosie, and Pearl also share about the upcoming Snow Moon Women’s Retreat — a non-denominational, heart-centered gathering taking place on the shores of the Salish Sea. Rooted in the energy of the Snow Moon and Imbolc, this retreat is an invitation to rest, reconnect, and reclaim your inner rhythm through women’s circles, nourishing meals, movement, song, sound, and simple sacred space. Whether you’ve sat in countless circles or are simply feeling the first whisper of curiosity, this conversation is an invitation to remember: the circle has always been here — waiting for you to return. Show Notes: Resources: Snow Moon Retreat Flyer [https://www.canva.com/design/DAG0akIck30/h6WurDWLSo5CfCjEWBq3Fw/view?utm_content=DAG0akIck30&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h1d0b5f6c9f] Ready to save your spot at our Women's Retreat? Fill out this intake form. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmUuNnjSnGlnIkqwyfEp5DscYOnnfdLhamCBFwS2Eha5_8ZA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=104211133038557058067] Interested in joining the retreat but have some questions? Fill out this form and someone will reach out. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSen4hIzrCs7j5M-1EbJma-sZj4fRuQqWpMxjc11EZxVEKPRUQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=104211133038557058067] Snow Moon Women's Retreat Guide - Read complete retreat details here [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14zILW5YDGlBX9w4HZm57vl9BVz2v2ZWP6oJ1YeTvsyU/edit?usp=sharing] Connect with us: Amber’s IG:@Sacred.rite [https://www.instagram.com/sacred.rite/] Rosie’s IG: @revitalizewithrosie [https://www.instagram.com/revitalizewithrosie/reels/?hl=ar] Pearl’s IG:@pearlangeles [https://www.instagram.com/pearlangeles/?hl=en] Podcast Music & Art: Satori Ki's IG: ⁠@satori_ki⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/satori_ki/] Album: ⁠The Passage⁠ [https://satoriki.bandcamp.com/album/the-passage] Kate Graham's IG: ⁠@starkissedkate⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/starkissedkate/#] ⁠Star Kissed Studio⁠ [https://starkissedstudio.com/]

11. The Beauty of Decay: Remembering Death as a Sacred Rite with Madeline McCauley

As autumn deepens and the earth turns toward decay, we are reminded that death is not the end, but an essential movement in the great cycle of life. In this episode, death worker Madeline McCauley joins Amber to explore death as a continuation of connection — a return, a transformation, a sacred act of belonging. Together they speak to the beauty in degeneration, the paradox of wellness culture, and the necessity of grief as praise. Through reflections on miscarriage, ecological burial, fungi intelligence, and ancestral remembrance, Madeline invites us to move toward death with reverence rather than resistance. A tender conversation on how embracing death restores our relationship to life, nature, and the unseen threads that bind us all. Show Notes: Resources: Bailey-Boushay House | Seattle HIV/AIDS Care [https://www.baileyboushay.org/] End of Life Washington [https://endoflifewa.org/] Death Doula Education - A Sacred Passing [https://asacredpassing.org/] No One Should Die Alone [https://nosdaf.com/contact-us/] Sun Goddess Matcha Green Tea | Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha | Pique [https://www.piquelife.com/products/matcha-green-tea?_pos=1&_sid=2a7231f25&_ss=r&selling_plan=2122219618] The Body Is a Doorway: A Memoir: A... book by Sophie Strand [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-body-is-a-doorway-a-memoir-a-journey-beyond-healing-hope-and-the-human_sophie-strand/53340365/item/64919031/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us_dsa_general_customer_acquisition_16970393170&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=593719094856&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16970393170&gclid=CjwKCAjwmNLHBhA4EiwA3ts3mYJFbzstlzf4zEAazatpzClPiAFY2uNMsGePzs6m-hnOK816PLkMNxoCOmAQAvD_BwE#edition=71593528&idiq=64919031] The Smell of Rain on Dust: Grief and Praise by Martin Prechtel  [https://www.shamansmarket.com/products/copy-of-shamanism-as-a-spiritual-practice-for-daily-life-tom-cowan?tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=20298100221&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20307408121&gclid=CjwKCAjwmNLHBhA4EiwA3ts3mXzakPgP3CzWFn_T6QznfbdoSk1-Y5ydMoZUn9MTn6ksikdVyXQq3hoC7TAQAvD_BwE] Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul by Stephen Jenkinson | Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/22716546-die-wise] River Crossing Burial Ground [https://asacredpassing.org/river-crossing] Going With Grace  [https://goingwithgrace.com/] Take the Spirit Oceano Pledge | Sea Burials & Green Burials [https://spiritoceano.org/pledge/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22894384715&gclid=CjwKCAjwmNLHBhA4EiwA3ts3mWsmU09FGRStga1gq_xzprVl6B4EoadgY6Hum7woM3u3ZWrwn5maOhoC45QQAvD_BwE] Connect with us: Amber’s IG:@Sacred.rite [https://www.instagram.com/sacred.rite/] Earthwise Mothering [https://earthwisemothering.com/] Madeline’s IG: @nealbamj [https://www.instagram.com/nealbamj/?hl=en] River Crossing Burial Ground [https://asacredpassing.org/river-crossing] Podcast Music & Art: Satori Ki's IG: ⁠@satori_ki⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/satori_ki/] Album: ⁠The Passage⁠ [https://satoriki.bandcamp.com/album/the-passage] Kate Graham's IG: ⁠@starkissedkate⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/starkissedkate/#] ⁠Star Kissed Studio⁠ [https://starkissedstudio.com/]

10. Songs of the Mountains, Medicines of the Earth with Mary McCallum

Episode 10 · Songs of the Mountains, Medicines of the Earth In this episode of Sacred Rite, Amber sits down with herbalist and founder of Mountain Song, Mary McCallum. Together they explore what it means to walk the plant path with integrity, live in reciprocity with the land, and cycle our resources back into our communities. Mary shares her journey from personal healing to becoming a clinical herbalist rooted in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She offers insights into small-batch, seasonal medicine-making, the importance of supporting local growers and artisans, and her vision for Mountain Song Gardens & Herb School. Listeners will also receive practical herbal wisdom for immunity, stress relief, and everyday care—along with inspiration for beginning a home apothecary or small herbal practice. This conversation is a reminder that healing is both personal and collective, and that when we align with the rhythms of the earth, we create medicine for ourselves and our communities. Show Notes: Resources: National University of Natural Medicine - NUNM - Portland, Oregon [https://nunm.edu/] The School of Evolutionary Herbalism [https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/] Build Your Home Apothecary | Herbal Medicine Course - Mountain Song Education [https://mary-s-site-6b2a.thinkific.com/products/courses/home-apothecary-course] Mountain Song [https://mountainsong.love/] → Mary’s Website (use code SACREDRITE15) Connect with us: Amber’s IG:@Sacred.rite [https://www.instagram.com/sacred.rite/] Earthwise Mothering [https://earthwisemothering.com/] Mary’s IG: @mountainsongmedicine [https://www.instagram.com/mountainsongmedicine/?hl=en] Mountain Song [https://mountainsong.love/] → Mary’s Website Podcast Music & Art: Satori Ki's IG: ⁠@satori_ki⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/satori_ki/] Album: ⁠The Passage⁠ [https://satoriki.bandcamp.com/album/the-passage] Kate Graham's IG: ⁠@starkissedkate⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/starkissedkate/#] ⁠Star Kissed Studio⁠ [https://starkissedstudio.com/]

09. Growing Together with Carson Meyer: A Return to Sacred Birth and Motherhood

In this powerful episode, Amber sits down with birth doula, mama circle facilitator, and author Carson Meyer to explore what it truly means to grow together — in birth, in motherhood, and in community. Carson shares insights from her new book Growing Together and her virtual circle series that support women in preparing for birth from a deeply embodied, intuitive place. Together, they unravel the complexities of the birth industrial complex, challenge modern assumptions around medicalized birth, and explore what’s possible when women choose home birth, free birth, and wise woman ways. This conversation also opens the portal to early motherhood — including the often-silent truths of breastfeeding beyond infancy, toddler weaning, and how to stay grounded in your own rhythm amidst the noise of modern parenting culture. Topics we cover in this episode: * Reclaiming birth as a sacred rite of passage * The ripple effects of the industrial birth complex * Home birth and free birth as ancestral, sovereign choices * The role of doulas in a shifting birth landscape * Breastfeeding, weaning, and mothering from intuition * The power of ritual and community in postpartum care Whether you're pregnant, postpartum, or walking the path of reclamation, this episode offers a gentle but radical remembering. Resources: Carson’s Website [https://www.carson-meyer.com/] Growing Together Circle [https://www.carson-meyer.com/pregnancy-circle] Growing Together Book [https://www.carson-meyer.com/growing-together-book]- Carson’s AMAZING book! Mother Connection Circle [https://www.risingsoulhealing.com/mother-connection] https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ [https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/]  Gentle-Night Weaning with Carson Meyer [https://carson-s-site-9d0b.thinkific.com/courses/night-weaning] Connect with us: Amber’s IG:@Sacred.rite [https://www.instagram.com/sacred.rite/] Earthwise Mothering [https://earthwisemothering.com/] Carson’s IG: @ccmeyer [https://www.instagram.com/ccmeyer/?hl=en] Carson Meyer Birth Doula [https://www.carson-meyer.com/] Podcast Music & Art: Satori Ki's IG: ⁠@satori_ki⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/satori_ki/] Album: ⁠The Passage⁠ [https://satoriki.bandcamp.com/album/the-passage] Kate Graham's IG: ⁠@starkissedkate⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/starkissedkate/#] ⁠Star Kissed Studio⁠ [https://starkissedstudio.com/]

08. The Way of Tea: Returning to Love, Presence and the Dao

In this heart-opening episode, tea guide Mina Lee shares the sacred art of Tea Ceremony as a path of love, presence, and connection to the Dao. Rooted in ancient Chinese tradition, Mina’s practice reminds us that tea is more than a drink—it is a living wisdom, a spiritual teacher, and a ritual of remembrance. We explore the deeper meaning of working with tea ceremonially, the importance of how tea is grown and processed, and why drinking the bud and the mature leaves matters—for our bodies and the earth. Mina’s story is one of devotion, slowness, and listening—and she gently shows us how tea can become a daily act of reverence. This episode is an invitation to meet the sacred in the simple. Pour a cup, take a breath, and join us. Resources: Tea — Mina J. Lee [https://www.minajlee.com/tea] Awaken the Heart's Wisdom | Living Tea [https://www.livingtea.net/?srsltid=AfmBOoq3qyywA81HLPcNwVIDOF6hXlExo1ufcW6j710rpcjMG2VFSBll] Global Tea Hut [https://globalteahut.org/] Serving Is Different From Helping And Fixing, by Rachel Naomi Remen [https://www.awakin.org/v2/read/view.php?tid=940] Connect with us: Amber’s IG:@Sacred.rite [https://www.instagram.com/sacred.rite/] Earthwise Mothering [https://earthwisemothering.com/] Mina’s IG: Mina Lee (@minajlee88) • [https://www.instagram.com/minajlee88/?hl=en] Mina J. Lee [https://www.minajlee.com/] Podcast Music & Art: Satori Ki's IG: ⁠@satori_ki⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/satori_ki/] Album: ⁠The Passage⁠ [https://satoriki.bandcamp.com/album/the-passage] Kate Graham's IG: ⁠@starkissedkate⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/starkissedkate/#] ⁠Star Kissed Studio⁠ [https://starkissedstudio.com/]