Soft Human Voice by Jessica Shepherd

Soft Human and AI: A Conversation on Technology, Values, and Staying Human

What does it mean to stay deeply human in an age of rapidly accelerating technology? In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend and fellow Honolulu-based astrologer, life expert, and Happiness U founder Alice Inoue for a conversation that feels more like a long-overdue catch-up than a podcast — which is exactly how we like it. Alice and I are both early adopters of AI, and we come to this conversation from the inside. We talk honestly about what we’ve experienced, what excites us, and where we feel the genuine complexity. We explore why the backlash to AI is showing up in unexpected places, including among younger generations, and what that resistance is really pointing to. We look at the historical parallels: how every major technological revolution has carried both shadow and light, and how our task, now as then, is discernment. We also get personal. Alice shares how she automated a five-hour task in five minutes and the surprising fear that followed. I share how I’ve been using a simple embodied practice (stop, drop, feel) to stay tethered to my body. And we discuss the AI agents experiment that had us both laughing out loud, including what it revealed about the very different personalities, and value systems, being built into these tools. At the heart of it all is a message Alice keeps returning to: don’t speed up to meet the world. Slow down to meet yourself. A grounded, wide-ranging conversation for anyone feeling curious, cautious, or just a little overwhelmed by where we are right now. *** A few YT links to what was mentioned on the pod: What Does AI Do When No One’s Watching? [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Grc8n0suMGU] The Co-Founders of Claude AI Tell Oprah About the Impact Artificial Intelligence Has on Your Life [https://youtu.be/w5dJqHilu5s] *** ABOUT YOUR HOST Jessica Shepherd is a Honolulu-based astrologer, intuitive guide, and the author of five books, including A Love Alchemist’s Notebook. She is the host of the Soft Human Voice podcast and its companion newsletter, Soft Human Words, where she also shares qigong and embodiment practices through Soft Human Movement. Her work explores sensitivity, intuition, emotional honesty, and the power of returning to oneself. Website: Moonkissd.com [https://moonkissd.com] Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/_jessicashepherd_/]jessicashepherd [https://www.instagram.com/_jessicashepherd_/] ABOUT THE GUEST Alice Inoue (pronounced ee-no-way) is a 10-time nationally award-winning author, life expert, and astrologer, and the founder of Happiness U, a Honolulu-based company specializing in personal growth and workplace well-being. She has written 12 books on self-growth and happiness and works with local and global organizations including McDonald’s, Walmart, and Gap. For more than two decades, Alice has helped individuals and businesses navigate life’s challenges with clarity and purpose. Website: AliceInoue.com [https://aliceinoue.com] Happiness U: YourHappinessU.com [https://yourhappinessu.com] Instagram: @alice_inoue [https://www.instagram.com/alice_inoue/] PRODUCTION Audio production by Noah Tetzner. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe [https://jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Uranus in Gemini, Neptune in Aries & the Return to What’s Real

Manifestation Coach Courtney Sprung joins Jessica for a conversation on Uranus entering Gemini, Neptune in Aries, AI, authenticity, boundaries, and staying centered in a rapidly changing world. Together, they explore the acceleration of technology, shifting creative landscapes, nervous system regulation, and the growing desire for what feels genuine and human. Jessica reflects on Uranus in Gemini as an invitation to stay curious rather than collapsing into reactive “either/or” thinking, while learning to hold multiple truths at once. The conversation moves through AI “gaslighting,” social media filters, manifestation, shadow work, self-publishing, energetic boundaries, and the subtle art of slowing down enough to actually be present. Topics include: * Uranus in Gemini and the rapid rise of AI * Curiosity vs. polarization * Neptune in Aries and performative authenticity * Creative work in a changing technological landscape * Internal vs. external boundaries * Nervous system regulation and slowing down * Human design, emotional processing, and self-trust * Finding center in a fragmented world Enjoy! Courtney Sprung is a tarot reader, healer, and manifesting coach dedicated to helping people unlock their inner wisdom and step into their most aligned life. Through intuitive readings, energy healing, manifestation practices, astrology, and shadow work, she guides clients toward greater clarity, healing, self-trust, and confidence in creating the reality they desire. Courtney is also passionate about building community through women’s gatherings, retreats, and transformative conversations. Instagram: @goodwitchxbadvitch Jessica Shepherd is a Honolulu-based astrologer, intuitive guide, and the author of five books, including A Love Alchemist’s Notebook. She is the host of the Soft Human Voice podcast and its companion newsletter, Soft Human Words, where she also shares qigong and embodiment practices through Soft Human Movement. Her work explores sensitivity, intuition, emotional honesty, and the power of returning to oneself. Moonkissd.comJessica Shepherd Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/_jessicashepherd_/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Produced by Noah Tetzner. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe [https://jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Free Your Joy — with Lisa McCourt

Bestselling author and Joy School founder Lisa McCourt joins Jessica for a deeply compassionate conversation on self-trust, soul wisdom, and redefining joy beyond surface happiness. Together, they explore major life transitions, intuition versus logic, unconditional love, parenting, emotional healing, activism, and the practices that help us return to ourselves when life feels overwhelming. Lisa shares insights from her decades of work teaching joy as a full-spectrum embrace of the human experience, offering grounded tools for greater compassion, resilience, and inner peace. This episode is an invitation to remember that joy is not the absence of hardship, but the loving presence we bring to all of it. Guest Bio:Lisa McCourt is the author of Free Your Joy and other books on love and joy, with over 9 million copies sold worldwide. She is the creator of the Joy Vibe Tune-Up modality and founder of Joy School, where she has spent over two decades teaching the principles of joy. Her bestselling children’s book I Love You Stinky Face, praised by Publishers Weekly as a “modern classic,” reflects her enduring impact. She also offers nondenominational ceremonies for life’s meaningful transitions and is currently expanding her work into New York’s Hudson Valley.Website: lisamccourt.comInstagram: @lisamccourtjoy Host Bio:Jessica Shepherd is an astrologer, intuitive guide, and author of five books, including A Love Alchemist’s Notebook. She is the host of Soft Human Voice and writes the companion Substack newsletter Soft Human Words, where she explores sensitivity, self-trust, embodiment, and intuitive living. Based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Jessica’s work helps others reconnect with their inner wisdom and cultivate calm, clarity, and meaningful transformation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jessicashepherd_/ [https://www.instagram.com/_jessicashepherd_/]Websites: jessicashepherd.com | moonkissd.comSubstack: jessicashepherd.substack.com Production Credit:Produced by Noah TetznerProfit With Podcasting: profitwithpodcasting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe [https://jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Stop Interpreting Your Dreams, Start Living Them — with Bonnie Buckner

Bonnie Buckner, PhD, founder of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery, guides us into dreaming as a living language rooted in the body and asks: What if your dreams weren’t random—but precise, intelligent messages leading you toward change? In this conversation, Jessica and Bonnie move beyond traditional dream interpretation and into a more dynamic, participatory approach—one where images are not decoded from a distance, but entered, felt, and transformed from within. Dreams are not static symbols, but living processes that reflect your current state and invite you into deeper relationship with yourself. They explore how nightmares often signal imbalance rather than danger, and how, when engaged directly, they can become powerful gateways to resolution, creativity, and healing. Bonnie shares how working with imagery in the waking state can shift internal patterns, restore coherence in the nervous system, and open intuitive channels that extend beyond sleep. At the heart of this episode is a reorientation: dreaming is not something that happens to you—it is something you are already participating in. When you begin to work with it consciously, it becomes a powerful tool for transformation. If you’ve ever felt there is something deeper speaking through your dreams—or wondered how to truly engage with that language—this conversation is for you. Guest Bio Bonnie Buckner, PhD, is the founder and CEO of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery and the author of The Secret Mind: Unlock the Power of Dreams to Transform Your Life. She also serves as program lead for George Washington University’s One Humanity Leadership Coaching Certification, where she integrates dreaming and imagery into leadership development. Her work draws from an ancient lineage of embodied dream practices, supporting individuals and organizations in accessing deeper intelligence, creativity, and transformation through imagery. Learn more:bonniebuckner.cominstitutefordreamingandimagery.com Host Bio Jessica Shepherd is a writer, astrologer, and intuitive guide based in Honolulu, and the author of five books, including A Love Alchemist’s Notebook. Her work explores sensitivity, embodiment, and the deeper intelligence that emerges when we return to ourselves. Through her writing, podcast, and companion Substack Soft Human Words, she creates spaces for reflection, emotional clarity, and inner transformation—blending intuition, wisdom, and energetics into grounded, resonant insight. Learn more:https://www.instagram.com/_jessicashepherd_/ [https://www.instagram.com/_jessicashepherd_/]jessicashepherd.commoonkissd.com Credits Produced by Noah Tetzner This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe [https://jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Come Back to Yourself in Relationship

Jessica is joined by BACP-accredited psychotherapist Marina Lorenzato. If you’ve ever overgiven, over-accommodated, or lost your center in love—this is for you. What unfolds is an honest look at the subtle patterns that pull us away from ourselves, and how to begin returning, moment by moment. In this episode of Soft Human Voice, Jessica and Marina explore people-pleasing, attachment styles, and the ways we can lose our sense of self in connection with others. Marina shares how parts work, nervous system awareness, and simple embodied practices can help us return to center, make clearer choices, and build relationships rooted in presence rather than survival. This conversation also touches on friendship dynamics, emotional consistency, and the courage it takes to choose what we truly want in connection. The episode closes with a gentle grounding practice you can return to anytime you feel activated or pulled out of yourself. A grounded and practical exploration of what it means to stay with yourself, and others. Guest Bio Marina Lorenzato is a BACP-accredited psychotherapist based in London, working with women and couples who find themselves losing their sense of self in relationships. Drawing on psychosynthesis, internal family systems, and somatic approaches, her work focuses on patterns such as people-pleasing, anxious attachment, and blurred boundaries. She is the creator of Authentica, a self-esteem program for women ready to reconnect with themselves, and shares relationship psychology and self-awareness content with a growing audience online. Marina offers therapy in both English and Portuguese. Instagram: @marinalorenzato Website: marinalorenzato.com Host Bio Jessica Shepherd is an astrologer, intuitive guide, and the author of five books, including A Love Alchemist’s Notebook. She is the host of the Soft Human Voice podcast and its companion Substack newsletter, Soft Human Words, where she also shares embodied practices through Soft Human Movement. Her work explores sensitivity, intuition, and the power of returning to oneself. Instagram: @jessicashepherd Website: jessicashepherd.com Production Credit Produced by Noah Tetzner This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe [https://jessicashepherd.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]