Creating Magical Space — with MIT Researcher Cassie Lee

Putting the Woo in Work — with Softer Sounds Founder Amelia Hruby, PhD.

In our final episode of Season 2, CICO peels back the curtain to welcome our editor, the incredible Amelia Hruby, as a guest on the show. A writer, educator and podcaster with a PhD in philosophy, Amelia is the founder of Softer Sounds, a feminist podcast studio for entrepreneurs and creatives. She’s also the host of Off the Grid, a podcast about leaving social media without losing all your clients. And in this episode, she not only answers Alaina’s questions, but turns the mic back around to ask Alaina some of her own. Highlights 🔮 The Eight of Cups: what it means to leave behind something good to make room for something even more expansive 🔮 The value of making creative work for ourselves first 🔮 The intricate ritual Amelia created to start her business, and what it did for her ability to trust herself 🔮 Our personal journeys of putting the woo in work, and how we are always walking the path 🔮 What two seasons of this podcast have taught me: how the conversations have changed my relationship to technology, to delight and to what leadership can actually look like About Our Guest Amelia Hruby is a writer, educator and podcaster with a PhD in philosophy. She is the founder of Softer Sounds, a feminist podcast studio for entrepreneurs and creatives. And she’s the host of Off the Grid, a podcast about leaving social media without losing all your clients. Resources 1. Softer Sounds [https://www.softersounds.studio/] 2. Off the Grid [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-grid-leaving-social-media/id1610399726] podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-grid-leaving-social-media/id1610399726] 3. My Tiny Tarot Practice [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-tiny-tarot-practice/id1626763044] podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-tiny-tarot-practice/id1626763044] 4. Pleasure Reading [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pleasure-reading-curated-book-lists-tbrs-with-friends/id1768661957] podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pleasure-reading-curated-book-lists-tbrs-with-friends/id1768661957] 5. Thought of You [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-of-you/id1788417862] podcast (with Taylor Elise Morrison) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-of-you/id1788417862] 6. Many Moons [https://moon-studio.co/products/many-moons-2022-workbook-volume-1?srsltid=AfmBOooiq7rx0gidIKgae-Oq4fj_hCI1sg1kxeVFsE_gqpWdMoPocWWV] - annual lunar workbook by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener [https://moon-studio.co/products/many-moons-2022-workbook-volume-1?srsltid=AfmBOooiq7rx0gidIKgae-Oq4fj_hCI1sg1kxeVFsE_gqpWdMoPocWWV] 7. Moonbeaming [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moonbeaming/id1534226791] podcast by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moonbeaming/id1534226791] 8. CHANI Year Ahead workbook / app - Chani Nicholas [https://www.chani.com/this-year/key-dates/astrological-key-dates-of-2026#] 9. Lindsay Mack - Tarot Teacher [https://www.lindsaymack.com/] 10. Cult Mother Tarot - Hannah Graves [https://www.cultmothertarot.com/] 11. Meridian Tarot  [https://www.meridiantarot.com/] 12. Manon Blackbeak - [https://throneofglass.fandom.com/wiki/Manon_Blackbeak]Throne of Glass [https://throneofglass.fandom.com/wiki/Manon_Blackbeak] series by Sarah J. Maas [https://throneofglass.fandom.com/wiki/Manon_Blackbeak](SPOILERS)  13. Northern Lights [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Lights_(Pullman_novel)] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Lights_(Pullman_novel)]The Golden Compass [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Lights_(Pullman_novel)]  by Phillip Pullman (SPOILERS) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Lights_(Pullman_novel)] 14. Pablo Neruda - [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/40470/a-dog-has-died]"A Dog Has Died" [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/40470/a-dog-has-died] 15. The Craft (film) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Craft_(film)]  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Craft_(film)] 16. BRB Tattoo - Folkestone [https://www.instagram.com/BRB_TATTOO/] 17. Eight of Cups - RWS Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_of_Cups] 18. Queen of Wands - RWS Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_Wands] Support the Show Share this episode with a friend! Subscribe to the show on Substack for episodes in your inbox, or follow the show on your favorite podcast app. Leave a review on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Stay Connected Join the newsletter: alainacrystal.substack.com [http://alainacrystal.substack.com] Follow us on Instagram: @thecoveninthecorneroffice [http://instagram.com/thecoveninthecorneroffice] Get full access to The Coven in the Corner Office at alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe [https://alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Heeding Nature's Wisdom — with Mystic and co-CEO Hae-jin Marshall

Speaking with Hae-jin Marshall is like a mini-restoration for the soul. Hae-jin is a multi-sensory experience designer, energy healer, and co-founder of Applied Wonder, where she works to develop calming immersive spaces for corporate offices, hospitals, and schools. Applied Wonder uses light, sound, fragrance, and haptic design to help people restore their nervous systems in 15 minutes flat. In this episode, Hae-jin shares her mystical origin story, and explores why a nature-centered world view is key to working well. If you are struggling with burnout, or just in need of a mental break, this one is for you.  Highlights 🔮 What happens when you build multi-sensory immersive spaces that are specifically designed to bring people back to themselves 🔮 The science of restoration at work: how a 15-minute sensory experience can drop your heart rate and sustain that effect after you return to your desk 🔮 Why most of us are walking around as heads without bodies, and how to change that  🔮 Lessons from the Zen Tarot, or what it means to act from consciousness rather than compliance 🔮 The simplest tools for a regulated nervous system (and they’re free!) About Our Guest Hae-jin Marshall is a Mystic, Artist, and the co-founder/co-CEO of Applied Wonder. Her interdisciplinary creative practice blends tradition and science to create physical multisensory experiences and environments for mind, body, heart, and soul coherence. Resources 1. appliedwonder.com [http://appliedwonder.com] 2. Hae-jin on Instagram [https://instagram.com/yihaejin] 3. "The AWE Space Study: Wellbeing Innovation, Transformative Change" [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62227f9bccd2f52ca51f86f1/t/69048a540a931677f2448d9a/1761905236996/Google+Xi+Days+AWE+study.pdf] - Applied Wonder’s Published Research 4. S2 E3: “Creating Magical Space — with MIT Researcher Cassie Lee” [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-magical-space-with-mit-researcher-cassie-lee/id1841909066?i=1000768706214] 5. Eight of Cups - RWS Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_of_Cups]  6. Xena: Warrior Princess [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xena:_Warrior_Princess] 7. Osho Zen Tarot: The Transcendental Game of Zen [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312117337/?tag=oshocom-20]  [https://www.amazon.com/Osho-Zen-Tarot-Transcendental-192-Page/dp/0312117337] Support the Show Share this episode with a friend! Subscribe to the show on Substack for episodes in your inbox, or follow the show on your favorite podcast app. Leave a review on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Stay Connected Join the newsletter: alainacrystal.substack.com [http://alainacrystal.substack.com] Follow us on Instagram: @thecoveninthecorneroffice [http://instagram.com/thecoveninthecorneroffice] Get full access to The Coven in the Corner Office at alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe [https://alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Reimagining Tech and Magic — with High Priestess Witch Tree Carr

Tree Carr, a high priestess witch, transpersonal psychologist, death doula, author and speaker, joins the pod to discuss her new book Technomancy: Tech Magic and Spells for the 21st-Century Witch. For Tree, a smart phone is a wand, a scrying mirror. It’s a magical tool that we can wield to connect with our intentions and manifest the magic we make. But how we use these tools matter, and Tree shares her perspective on building a healthier relationship to the tech that seems to be taking over our lives. Highlights 🔮 What it means to practice magic with and through technology, and why the genie is already out of the bottle 🔮 The smartphone as wand and scrying mirror, and how to start using it with intention 🔮 Why meditation is the non-negotiable foundation of any magical practice, before you buy a single crystal 🔮 The work of witchcraft, and what that requires in terms of trust, self-knowledge, and following what's true for you 🔮 Why consciousness is the real battleground at work right now, and how grounding practices protect your attention in a world that's designed to steal it About Our Guest Tree Carr is a published author and TEDx speaker working in Transpersonal Psychology, with a focus on dreams, death, altered states of consciousness, and psychedelic integration. She is a graduate of Alef Trust in their programme for Psychedelics, Altered States and Transpersonal Psychology with Dr. David Luke, and has also studied at MetaIntegral Academy in California with Dr. Sean Esbjörn-Hargens. She is a CPD Crossfields Institute Certified Death Doula, with further studies at Sophia Centre. Resources:  1. treecarr.com [http://treecarr.com] 2. @Tree_Carr [https://www.instagram.com/tree_carr/] 3. Technomancy: Tech Magic and Spells for the 21st-Century Witch [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Technomancy-Magic-Spells-21st-Century-Witch/dp/1836810237/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35HNJ6TCQP7FE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3PXC0ulY_iKwJ03OtjgT3g.wSE6HyAEaVu36alWOQAath32ymdK1E8K_PteZCKp9Ko&dib_tag=se&keywords=tree+carr+technomancy&qid=1768414105&sprefix=tree+carr+technoman%2Caps%2C339&sr=8-1] by Tree Carr 4. A Spell a Day: 365 Easy Spells, Rituals and Magic for Every Day [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spell-Day-Spells-Rituals-Everyday/dp/1786787407/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ID8NSHTAG4R0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KqfgLqB1BI9k1vDc_45Zeg.Ur9p-LB8n3ByAnsGCDT1fQ5Ax2K3ghK7w0r9S0--uRI&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+spell+a+day+tree+carr&qid=1768413834&sprefix=a+spell+a+day+tree+car%2Caps%2C250&sr=8-1] by Tree Carr 5. Moon Space [https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/products/moon-space-every-full-new-moon-new?srsltid=AfmBOopraIEuASEJw92PSJknh59ZqB3VwkL1XgE6QO6t8jGXb65TfeVp] - Tree’s online gathering every the full and new moon 6. Samhain Society [https://www.thesamhainsociety.co.uk/] 7. Carl Jung [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung] 8. Sabrina the Teenage Witch [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina_the_Teenage_Witch] 9. Fairuza Balk [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairuza_Balk] 10. Beltane [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane] 11. Jack in the Green [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_in_the_Green] 12. The Moon - RWS Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon_(tarot_card)] 13. The Knight of Pentacles - RWS Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_of_Coins] 14. The Fool - RWS Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fool_(tarot_card)] Support the Show Share this episode with a friend! Subscribe to the show on Substack for episodes in your inbox, or follow the show on your favorite podcast app. Leave a review on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Stay Connected Join the newsletter: alainacrystal.substack.com [http://alainacrystal.substack.com] Follow us on Instagram: @thecoveninthecorneroffice [http://instagram.com/thecoveninthecorneroffice] Get full access to The Coven in the Corner Office at alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe [https://alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Finding Delight in the Everyday — with Somatic Coach Lucy Maeve

If you have made a career change, are considering one, or just want to hear another woman’s story of transformation, you’ll want to tune in for this conversation with Lucy Maeve. Lucy speaks with Alaina about her transformative journey, leaving behind the structured world of banking to embrace her spiritual and creative self, reconnecting with delight and desire along the way.  Highlights 🔮 The difference between seriousness and delight, and how to start moving from one to the other  🔮 How to rewire your nervous system after years of corporate life 🔮 The path to change and the bravery of each single, quiet step 🔮 The simplest possible morning practice for leaders who want to show up with more presence  🔮 What it looks like to follow the thread, and why desires might be a better guide than goals About Our Guest Lucy Maeve is a somatic therapeutic coach, podcast host and breathwork facilitator. A former JPMorgan banker, she spent ten years excelling professionally on the trading floor before finding her way back to herself through body-based work. She trained under Dr Gabor Maté and Layla Martin and works at the intersection of nervous system regulation, parts work, Eastern spirituality, and the full aliveness (and wildness) of being human. Resources 1. LucyMaeve.com [http://LucyMaeve.com] 2. Lucy Maeve on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lucy__maeve/] 3. Lucy Maeve on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-maeve/] 4. Lucy's own podcast: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-liberated-life-when-did-you-last-feel-free/id1884664114]The Liberated Life - When Did You Last Feel Free? [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-liberated-life-when-did-you-last-feel-free/id1884664114] 5. Ten of Cups - RWS Tarot Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_of_Cups] 6. Ace of Pentacles - RWS Tarot Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_of_Coins] 7. The Power of Now [https://eckharttolle.com/power-of-now-excerpt/] by Eckhart Tolle [https://eckharttolle.com/power-of-now-excerpt/] 8. The Fear and Do It Anyway [https://susanjeffers.com/books/feel-the-fear-and-do-it-anyway-revised-and-updated/] by Susan Jeffers, PhD [https://susanjeffers.com/books/feel-the-fear-and-do-it-anyway-revised-and-updated/] 9. Gene Keys [https://home.genekeys.com/] by Richard Rudd [https://home.genekeys.com/] Support the Show Share this episode with a friend! Subscribe to the show on Substack for episodes in your inbox, or follow the show on your favorite podcast app. Leave a review on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Stay Connected Join the newsletter: alainacrystal.substack.com [http://alainacrystal.substack.com] Follow us on Instagram: @thecoveninthecorneroffice [http://instagram.com/thecoveninthecorneroffice] Get full access to The Coven in the Corner Office at alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe [https://alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Creating Magical Space — with MIT Researcher Cassie Lee

Explore the intersection of technology, AI, spirituality, and magic with Cassie Lee, a researcher at the MIT Center for Constructive Communication. Cassie talks with Alaina about the ways in which her experiences as a game designer, along with her personal tarot practice, AI séances and moon circles, all inform her understanding of connection in the modern world.  Highlights 🔮 How tarot can build a bridge between our structured and organic selves 🔮 Whether AI can be helpful in building spiritual practice, and the difference between open and closed prompts 🔮 The social container as the real source of magic: moon circles, mystic hackers and AI séances in a chapel 🔮 How to bring your whole self into institutions (academia, tech, corporate life) that weren’t built for spirituality 🔮 What to do when the 5s come for you (you’ll have to listen to find out what that means) About Our Guest Cassie Lee is a designer exploring how to inspire more face-to-face social rituals in an age of digital disconnection. She is currently a Research Designer at the MIT Center for Constructive Communication, bringing facilitation and gathering practices into dialogue with the design of AI and interfaces. One such project – Analogia – is a tarot-inspired card game that uses AI images to prompt deeper conversation. Resources 1. Cassie on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/andiemtl/] 2. Analogia [https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/analogia/overview/] by Cassie Lee [https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/analogia/overview/] 3. Crossroads [https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/crossroads-game/overview/] by Cassie Lee [https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/crossroads-game/overview/] 4. TechGnosis [https://techgnosis.com/], Erik Davis [https://techgnosis.com/] 5. "Interpretive Cultures: Resonance, randomness, and negotiated meaning for AI-assisted tarot divination"(Prock, Epstein, et al, 2026) [https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3772318.3791571] 6. New Social Forms [https://www.ccc.mit.edu/pressmedia/ccc-and-google-xi-launch-new-social-forms/] by The MIT Center for Constructive Communication, in cooperation with Google Xi 7. Making Special [https://ellendissanayake.com/publications/pdf/EllenDissanayake-Genesis_and_Development_of_Making_Special_and_Aesthetic_Philosophy.pdf]by Ellen Dissanayake  [https://ellendissanayake.com/publications/pdf/EllenDissanayake-Genesis_and_Development_of_Making_Special_and_Aesthetic_Philosophy.pdf] 8. Five of Cups - RWS Tarot Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_of_Cups] 9. Five of Swords - RWS Tarot Deck [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_of_Swords] Support the Show Share this episode with a friend! Subscribe to the show on Substack for episodes in your inbox, or follow the show on your favorite podcast app. Leave a review on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Stay Connected Join the newsletter: alainacrystal.substack.com [http://alainacrystal.substack.com] Follow us on Instagram: @thecoveninthecorneroffice [http://instagram.com/thecoveninthecorneroffice] Get full access to The Coven in the Corner Office at alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe [https://alainacrystal.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]