Salt, Sage & Stardust

Episode 46 - Devotion, Not Discipline: Healing the Relationship Between Structure, Shame & Self-Trust

There comes a moment in life when we realise the routines we created to “fix” ourselves are often the very things exhausting us. In this deeply honest and soul-stirring episode of Salt, Sage & Stardust, Keryn Rose and Dr Vicki Haspels explore the powerful difference between discipline that is rooted in shame and structure that is born from self-devotion. Together, they unpack the hidden ways many of us learned to associate discipline with punishment, productivity, performance, and worthiness — especially through generational expectations, rigid routines, and the pressure to constantly prove ourselves. But what if discipline was never meant to feel like a prison? What if true structure was actually an act of self-care? Through the three pillars of Salt, Sage & Stardust, Keryn and Vicki explore: • the nervous system’s response to pressure and control • the body’s wisdom in recognising what no longer fits • the difference between guidance and self-surveillance • the “psychic prisons” we unknowingly create through rigid routines • why shame keeps us disconnected from ourselves • the importance of flexibility, compassion, and self-trust • returning to joy, wholeness, and the freedom to be fully ourselves This conversation is a gentle but powerful reminder that healing is not about becoming someone else. It is about remembering who you already are. And perhaps true discipline is not punishment at all… Perhaps it is devotion to the life you came here to live. This episode also includes a beautiful Tarot reflection on The Chariot card, a symbol of emotional balance, self-awareness, direction, and learning to move through life guided by inner truth rather than external pressure. If you have ever struggled with routine, burnout, perfectionism, guilt, procrastination, or the feeling that you must earn your worth through productivity, this episode is for you. You are not broken. You are simply being invited to create a life that fits your soul. If this conversation resonated with you, we would love to invite you into our Salt, Sage & Stardust Substack community - a space for deeper conversations, shared wisdom, and gentle reminders that you are never walking this path alone. Come sit with us awhile. We’d love to have you there. ✨ See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 45 - The Loneliness of Becoming

Growth is beautiful, and necessary, but it is rarely loud. Sometimes becoming asks us to step away from what was familiar. Relationships shift. Old identities fall away. The life that once felt comfortable no longer fits and in that in-between space, loneliness can arrive. In this heartfelt episode, Keryn Rose and Dr. Vicki Haspels explore the sacred discomfort of personal growth. The quiet grief that comes when life asks us to evolve. Together they unpack the difference between loneliness and aloneness, why the nervous system often interprets growth as anxiety, and how solitude can become one of the most powerful spaces for self-remembrance. This conversation is an invitation to stop seeing loneliness as something broken and begin recognising it as part of becoming. Sometimes the space between who you were and who you are becoming is not emptiness. It is preparation. In this episode, we explore: – the difference between loneliness and aloneness – why growth often feels like grief before it feels like freedom – how the body signals change before the mind understands it – nervous system activation during periods of transformation – learning to trust yourself in seasons of uncertainty This is a conversation about self-trust, inner safety, and learning how to stand fully in your own company. Because sometimes the person you’ve been waiting for is you.  Tarot Card Wisdom The Four of Pentacles beautifully reflected the heart of this conversation. It speaks of holding on tightly whether to old identities, familiar relationships, past versions of ourselves, or the comfort of what once felt safe. This card reminds us that growth often asks us to loosen our grip. When we cling too tightly to what has already served its purpose, we create more fear, resistance, and suffering. The Four invites us to build inner stability rather than external control, to trust that change is not here to take something from us, but to make space for something new. In the loneliness of becoming, this card asks us to soften, release, and remember that what is truly meant for us does not require fear to hold it in place. A gentle invitation If this conversation speaks to you, we’d love to welcome you to our Substack community where we share deeper reflections, extended conversations, and behind-the-scenes wisdom from Salt, Sage & Stardust. You can find us on Substack at saltsageandstardust.substack.com  Come sit with us there. A little more depth. A little more remembering. A little more magic. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 44 - Living With the Past: Carrying the Story, Not the Weight

How do we live with our past without becoming trapped by it? In this deeply reflective episode of Salt, Sage & Stardust, Keryn and Dr Vicki Haspels explore the relationship we hold with our past: our childhood stories, regrets, grief, inherited family patterns, old identities, and the versions of ourselves we no longer recognise. Is your past something you carry, or has it been carrying you? Together, they unpack the difference between honouring the past as a foundation and allowing it to become a prison. Through the lenses of Salt, Sage, and Stardust, they explore how healing happens not by living in old stories, but by creating safety, awareness, and freedom in the present moment. This conversation moves through: • how the body stores memory and trauma • why the nervous system often lives in past tense • the power of self-forgiveness and compassion • recognising when old stories are still shaping present choices • how awareness becomes the doorway to freedom • why your past is part of your soil, not your sentence • shifting from living through memory to living through meaning And finally, a beautiful reminder: If you woke up this morning, you made it. Today is a brand new page. Your past is not a prison. It is the ground beneath your feet. The best is still to come.  If this conversation stirred something within you, we’d love to invite you deeper into the world of Salt, Sage & Stardust on our Substack page. It’s a space for those who are curious about healing, remembrance, self-awareness, and the sacredness hidden in everyday moments. You can find us on Substack at saltsageandstardust.substack.com  We’d love to have you with us. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 43 – I’m an Apple, You’re an Orange: When the Old Life No Longer Fits

What happens when life changes… and suddenly you no longer fit the version of yourself you once knew? In this episode of Salt, Sage & Stardust, Keryn Rose and Dr Vicki Haspels explore the deeply human experience of change, identity, and transformation through a powerful metaphor: What if you spent your life believing you were an orange… only to realise you were actually an apple? From divorce, career changes, aging, motherhood, grief, and shifting relationships, to those quieter moments where something simply no longer feels right—this conversation dives into what it means when life asks us to become someone new. Together they explore: * how change often begins within before it shows up outside • the loneliness of transformation and finding your people again • why endings are not failures, but completed chapters • calming the nervous system when life feels uncertain • trusting the body’s signals when the old identity no longer fits • the courage it takes to stop trying to “fix” life and instead ask, “Who am I now?” • how soul growth often requires us to let old versions of ourselves fall away Through the lens of Salt (body), Sage (inner wisdom), and Stardust (soul perspective), this episode offers a compassionate reminder that life is not happening to you—it is unfolding for you. Closing with The Lovers card from the tarot—featuring the golden apple itself—the message becomes beautifully clear: You cannot make the wrong choice. Every path leads you closer to yourself. A soulful conversation about change, identity, trust, and the sacred unfolding of becoming who you were always meant to be. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 42 - The Art of Receiving: Allowing Life to Meet You

What if receiving isn’t something you earn, but something you allow? In this episode, Keryn and Vicki explore the art of receiving, from accepting help and support, to opening to life, connection, and yourself. Together, they unpack: * Why receiving can feel uncomfortable or unsafe  * The role of the body and nervous system  * How vulnerability, trust, and worthiness shape our ability to receive  * The balance between boundaries and openness  With reflections through the Salt, Sage & Stardust lens, this conversation invites you to soften, trust, and let life meet you. ✨ Featuring a closing Tarot insight: The Ten of Wands — a reminder that you don’t have to carry everything alone. 💫 A gentle invitation Where might life be asking you to receive, instead of push? We’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts with us and continue the conversation with us on Substack. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.