Creative Magic

I have dreamed for years of a creative retreat in a little cabin overlooking the sea, where I could write.Last week it happened. And I made a little solo podcast episode about it.Join me on www.Patreon.com/lucyhpearce to listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Amy Wilding, Board Certified Women’s Hormonal Health Coach, and menstrual rewilding expert, author of Period of Change and Wild & Wise.Amy is a queer and inclusive feminist with a passion for empowering women by helping them to reclaim their inherent sovereignty and wisdom, she has been leading sacred women’s circles, mother-daughter circles, and rite-of-passage ceremonies for well over a decade.She is the founder of Period of Change, a transformative menstrual education programme and rite-of-passage celebration that has supported thousands of girls and their mothers through puberty, menarche, and the reclamation of cycle literacy. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her wife, Aimee, and their four young-adult children. periodofchange.com and @periodofchange We talked about:Her new book Period of ChangePleasure – and teaching our girls about itPatriarchy’s impact on our bodies and mindsShifting the culture from withinMoving from force to flow - perimenopause and accepting our difference in energetic capacityThe power of women’s circlesWhy language mattersIn the Extended Episode available to paid Patreon members Generational shifts and sexual soveriegntyTrans-inclusive language in women’s workWatch the video episode - $9/month www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceGrab the Extended Episode of this conversation from $3/month www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceJoin me for my online class Writing with FireResourcesWild & WisePeriod of ChangeGather: a celebration of women’s circlesWeaving Our Way Beyond PatriarchyBurning Woman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jade Chung is a Spiritual Mentor, Somatic Healer, Intuitive, and Art Therapist known for her powerful transformational work. She integrates evidence based bodywork with spiritual ceremony and radical emotional healing to guide individuals through deep inner restructuring and embodied awakening.She works with heart centred humans who are ready to evolve beyond inherited patterns and outdated paradigms, and step into lives rooted in coherence, love, and lived purpose. She believes the most powerful contribution to collective consciousness begins with a devoted path of individual evolution.Website: https://www.jadechunghealing.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsjadechung/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjadechungGrab the Extended Episode of this conversation from $3/month and the video episode for $9/ month www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceWe talked about:The healing and integrative power of darkness and silence, and the fire of self-expression.Unmasking - as individuals and the collective unmasking of patriarchal culture.The Year of the Fire Horse and what it means.Our relationship with the Good Girl archetype.In the Extended Episode we dived deeper into Jade’s work and explore Van Gogh’s vision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Uma Dinsmore-Tuli PhD is an advocate for intuition and rematriation. She met yoga in 1969, at the age of four, and fell in love. She’s been practicing ever since, sharing cyclical, therapeutic yoga since 1994. Co-Founder of the Yoga Nidra Network, she also trains specialist teachers in Total Yoga Nidra and Yoni Shakti Yoga Therapy for menstrual and menopausal health, pregnancy, birth, and postnatal recovery.  Uma has written six books, including Nidra Shakti: the Power of Rest - An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Yoga Nidra and Yoni Shakti: A Woman's Guide to Power and Freedom through Yoga and Tantra.  Recovering intuitive embodied and cyclical wisdom is at the heart of her writing and her approach to yoga therapy.Uma’s passion as a writer and as a teacher is to transmit clarity of awareness, creativity and profound vitality. She identifies these teachings as radical acts of rematriation, rooted in intuitive arts and in yoga tantra, drawing on a variety of yogic traditions to share deeply nourishing and enlivening practices appropriate for contemporary life.Grab the Extended Episode of this conversation from $3/month and the video episode for $9/ month www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceWe talked about:Life force energy and the death cult of patriarchyUnlearning being a good girlThe impact of the witch burnings.The connection between the colonisation of land and our bodiesReclaiming our intuitionHow and why she developed yoga practices that centred female bodiesThe importance of understanding that the System isn’t personalThe transformative experience of home birthing her childrenHow she’s navigating current times creativelyIn the Extended Episode from $3/month www.patreon.com/lucyhpearce-           Her baptism of fire: revealing abuse in the yoga community and the repercussions of this.-           Kundalini and its relationship to the Burning Woman archeypeResourcesBurning WomanBad Guru podcastYoni Shakti: A Woman's Guide to Power and Freedom through Yoga and Tantra.  www.yoganidranetwork.org/www.patreon.com/umadinsmoretuli Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enjoy this full length extended episode from the vaults on the house! Receivemore bonus content and extended episodes, join the book club or the coven on www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceDee Mulrooney is a multi-disciplinary Irish artist. Inhabiting a female body and all that it entails is the main preoccupation of her work. Exile, class, displacement, social history, longing and belonging are some of the themes explored by Dee, through various media, including painting, drawing, film, storytelling, and performance. Her art is fiercely authentic, and she leaves no stone of her own personal healing journey unturned. Dee works with the alchemical aspect of transmutation in her art, using this process to deal with difficult topics, including, abuse, death and loss. Dee’s performance art is provocative and has a political point to make, highly social, collaborative and community building. She is driven by story and symbolism, how we remember and interpret history and women’s role and their bodies within that. She exhibits and performs regularly and had an award-winning show at Edinburgh Fringe 2023.https://deirdre-mulrooney.com/www.Instagram.com/deemulrooney*Trigger warning re abuse and baby death, and Irish Mother and Baby homes – to skip this section around 15-22 mins*We talked about:The central theme of womanhood in her work and contemporary vulva-tastic culture!Her alter ego Growler – an 84 year old vulva and mother of God and creating ritual theatreHow one of the most traumatic events in recent Irish history emboldened her to drawThe colonisation of the creative space by patriarchy and capitalismArt and activism Women’s creativity, high art and the EstablishmentArt as alchemy and transmuter of painIn the extended episode we discussed:The impact of empire…and how quickly things can changeHer experience of childhood hallucinations and being exorcised Imbas – the Irish insightHer advice on overcoming fear in order to make or share the work you are called toWe mentioned:Empire podcastBurning WomanTuam Mother and Baby Home The Babog projectMeggan Watterson – Magdalene RevealedImbasSile na gigsAbout your HostLucy H. Pearce is the author of multiple life-changing non-fiction books, including Nautilus Award silver winners Medicine Woman, Burning Woman, and Creatrix: she who makes. Her writing focuses on women’s healing through archetypal psychology, embodiment, historical awareness and creativity. Lucy founded Womancraft Publishing, publishing paradigm-shifting books by women for women, in 2014. lucyhpearce.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As I rest and begin to weave Season 5 of the podcast, here, for your listening pleasure is the most listened to episode of all time in its full extended format, remastered, for your listening pleasure.Did you know you can enjoy the extended versions of all Creative Magic episodes a week early as a paid Patreon member - so sign up now!Free Multi-Passionate Creative class January 27th – sign up hereThe Multi-Passionate Creative online course starts Feb 17th - early birds to Feb 2nd. Find out more...***Creative Magic Book Club - Join us for our March read, The Circle by Dave Eggers www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceCreative Magic Coven - Join us or upgrade - www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceRima Staines, a UK artist whose work straddles myth, magical realism and the folk arts. Her visual world is an umber and madder-infused chapel of misfits and magicians, story-rich and alchemical. Her paintings, which feel both ancient and familiar at once, have been exhibited and published internationally. In 2018 she was a finalist in the 'Best Artist' category of the World Fantasy awards.Rima has a long-held fascination with the idea of the liminal - that which lies at the edge of culture and society as well as the literal boundaries between one place and another, both metaphorical and real - and with the power of art that comes from that place. Her work is a kind of “Iconography of the Otherworld”. She lives in the south of England.Links:www.rimastaines.comwww.patreon.com/rimastainesInstagram: @tilsamkaFacebook: facebook.com/rima.stainesFollow Creative Magic on Instagram: @CreativeMagicPodcastYour host Lucy H. Pearce – www.lucyhpearce.com Instagram: @lucyhpearce FacebookWomancaft PublishingWe talked aboutRima’s writing - Art and the Landscape of Belonging – join her Patreon to readThe changes required at midlifeCreativity and daily life a balance between desire and necessityThe beauty of particular differenceHer drive and need for authenticityThe Otherworld and how we can access itNeurodiversity – Epilepsy, Downs Syndrome and autism.Motherhood and creativityNeurology and creative magicHer visual art which she describes as “Art in a minor key”Synaesthesia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Between the Seasons book episode explores Nightbitch a novel by Rachel Yoder, a work of magical realism about a mother longing to reclaim her identity of artist.Named a best book of the year by Esquire and Vulture and recognized as a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction. It was adapted for screen in 2024 by writer and director by Marielle Heller, starring Amy Adams.https://www.racheljyoder.com/This episode weaves my own reflections on the themes of the book, with women’s voices from our Creative Magic book club, readings from the book and excerptsJanuary 8th - Womancraft Submission Zoom call – link hereJanuary 9th- Feb 13th – submissions open at Womancraft Publishing – find out more.January 13th – Creative Magic Book Club – Magic Maker by Pam Grossman – sign up hereJanuary 20th Free Multi-Passionate Creative class – sign up hereFeb 10th  - The Multi-Passionate Creative and The Multi-Passionate Entrepreneur, starts, early birds to Jan 30th. Find out more...***We talked about:Creative mothers – the inherent strugglesWhat we cannot talk about – the experience of motherhood andWriting new stories – our own storiesMothering in patriarchyMammalian motheringMaternal rageIdentity – loss of, finding it again through creativityExtended Episode just $3 at www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceA deeper dive into identityThe public body of mother and the artist’s need for time alone and secrecyMaternal inheritance and our maternal ancestorsThe feeling of loss of time and careerWanda White – the author of the book in the book!Want more?A full episode of my second conversation with Sarah Detweiler is available on the $6/9 dollar Patreon tiers.At this level you can also join us for future book clubswww.patreon.com/lucyhpearceResourcesNightbitchThe Rainbow WayThe Artist’s WayAll FoursBurning WomanMoods of MotherhoodCrow MoonMotherhood Until YesterdayI’m a Writer But…About Rachel YoderNamed a best book of the year by Esquire and Vulture and recognized as a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction. It was adapted for screen in 2024 by writer and director by Marielle Heller, starring Amy Adams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A seasonal round up from Lucy – her highlights of Season 4 and looking ahead to our next Between the Seasons Book Specials.As well as snippets from a festive conversation with friend of the pod, witchy author, Sarah Robinson as we share how we celebrate Christmas and some of our favourite Christmas traditions – all things mince pies, cranberries and Christmas trees.In the Extended Episode – there’s oodles more from just $3/ month on PatreonWe talk Christmas wreathsHyggePlus bonus Seasonal extracts from the book that we co-authored – The Kitchen Witch Companion.ResourcesJoin the Book Club on PatreonThe Kitchen Witch CompanionSarah’s autumn episode – Magical WandersPam Grossman’s episodeWomancraft Publishing SubmissionsSign up for my new free class: The Multipassionate CreativeAbout SarahSarah Robinson is the best-selling Womancraft Publishing author of multiple books on magic and witches including: Yoga for Witches (now in French, Chinese, Polish and Farsi), Yin Magic, Enchanted Journeys, The Kitchen Witch Companion, The Witch and the Wildwood and Womancraft Publishing’s fastest selling pre-order ever, Kitchen Witch: food, folklore and fairy tale. Her newest book Witch Country: Seeking the Witch in the British Landscape is out on October 31st.A yoga teacher and author based in in Bath, UK. Her background is in science; she holds an MSc Psychology & Neuroscience and has studied at Bath, Exeter and Harvard universities. She is host of the Witch Country podcast.You can listen to Sarah’s popular episode from Season 1 of Creative Magic – Let’s All Run Away and Live in the Woods, and learn from her and myself in the Weaving Magic with Words epsidoe in Season 3, as well as discvoer some of her favourite books in a bonus episode on Patreon – for $6/ month. Join her for her Masterclasses live on Zoom on October 29th and November 5th.  Find Sarah online:Website: www.sentiayoga.comInstagram: @Yogaforwitches @thisiswitchcountryPodcast: Witch CountryInsight Timer: Enchanted Journeys with Sarah Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Essie Jain is an English singer and songwriter, who has been performing and recording music for over two decades. Her songs have traveled far and wide out into the world and gently weaved themselves into the fabric of people’s lives, daily healing practices and stories. She has almost 600K monthly listens on Spotify.Essie often works alongside her husband, guitarist and long term collaborator Patrick Glynn, for both recordings and live performances. They live in Los Angeles with their daughter Opal.Most recently, Essie and Patrick made an album of folk songs together, The Rose In Bloom, which was released on March 7th, 2025Her website InstagramEssie on SpotifyWe talked about: ·      Holding space for people’s responses to our work and boundaries·      Creative collaboration with our partners·      Music and healing·      Making a living as a creative·      Founding an indie labelIn the extended episode just $3 on www.patreon.com/lucyhpearce we talked about:·      How creativity prepares us for the challenges of parenting·      Betting the house on your creativity·      Channelling the energies of death into musicResources MentionedCreatrix: she who makesBig Magic – Liz GilbertSongs Featured in this EpisodeO, I Love You – from Until the Light of Morning I’m Not Afraid of the Dark– from Until the Light of Morning The Healing from As I ReturnThe Blessing from As I Return Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sangu Mandanna is a British–Indian author of adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction. She is best known for her fantasy romance novels The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches and A Witch's Guide To Magical Innkeeping.We talked about:Whimsy and cosy fictionThe magical books that made herHer writing processHer publishing journeyThe difference between writing for YA, children and adult readers.Writing inclusive charactersBelonging and communityWriting sex scenesIn the Extended Episode www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceWe dive deeper into neurodivergence, being seen and invisibilityAs well as an additional extract from The Very Secret Society Of Irregular WitchesJoin us for the Creative Magic book club www.patreon.com/lucyhpearce Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crowned ‘the defender of female awesomeness’ by Cooler magazine, everything Lisa creates is an invitation home to yourself. To your voice, your rhythms + your own reality. A reality that’s remembered + respelled by you. She writes, teaches + shares in the sweet spot between feminine philosophy, sensual creativity + personal myth-making. Her work is rooted in the depth of Hélène Cixous, the erotic truth-telling of Anaïs Nin + the accessible ritual of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. She is the best-selling author of Witch, Code Red, Love your Lady Landscape, Self Source-ery + Venus. www.lisalister.com/Instagram @sassylisalisterJoin us for the Creative Magic Book Club www.patreon.com/lucyhpearceToday we talked about:The Importance of Writing and Telling Our own storiesCyclical intelligenceHer mutism as a childThe witch wound – women being silenced down through lifetimes, ancestral fear of speaking outBeing seen – and discernment as to who we share our skills withCreating the most magical version of ourselves that our soul most longs forNavigating paradoxEDS (hypermobility) and magical womenNeurodivergent women and maskingPublishing and self-publishingBeing too muchProlificWomen in creative processJoin us for a deeper dive in the extended episode – just $3 on www.patreon.com/lucyhpearce Where we get raw and real, and share our personal experiences of publishing and self-publishingAn extract from her book, Witch.We mentionedWomancraft PublishingCode Red Love Your Lady LandscapeWitch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Messager bridges worlds that rarely meet. A former reproductive physiologist with a PhD, she traded her microscope for a medicine drum after experiencing the transformative power of an empowered birth. Her decade-long journey as a doula, birth educator, and author of Why Postnatal Recovery Matters deepened her exploration of the rhythms surrounding women's transitions.Now a holistic life transition mentor, Sophie guides women through significant life thresholds—from birth to perimenopause and beyond. Her unique combination of scientific expertise and spiritual insight allows her to serve as a compassionate space holder for those seeking to harmonise their analytical and intuitive selves.Her new book The Beat of Your Own Drum: the history, science and contemporary use of drumming as a path for women’s wisdom, health and transformation is published by Womancraft Publishing and available everywhere now.Her podcast The Wisdom Messengerwww.sophiemessager.comWe talked about: Drumming as nervous system regulationDrumming and birthBridging the intellectual and spiritual worldsWearing many hatsIntuitive drum and intuitive danceWomen’s life transitionsReclaiming childhood joysNeurodivergence and regulationHow we have lost regulation in contemporary patriarchal society.For a deeper dive, join us for the Extended Episode – just $3/ month, exclusively on www.patreon.com/lucyhpearce - where we discussSchuman ResonanceMicrodosing – drumming and psylocibin.ResourcesThe Beat of Your Own DrumBurnout – Amelia NagoskiCome as You Are – Emily NagoskiJane Hardwicke CollingsThe Emerald – The Revolution will not be PsychologizedJeff StrongPeter LevineWomen Making Noise conversation series Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victoria Firth is a writer, theatre maker and performer based in Yorkshire. Her work is concerned with embodiment and connection, exploring things lots of us feel but don’t really talk about. Her one-woman show, about childlessness and reinvention, ‘How to be amazingly happy!’ toured nationally; she curated a collection of writing on the presentation of the body – inspired by her live art performance ‘The Butter Piece’; her poetry has recently been published in Northern Gravy's anthology. She is now producing her second play 'Batty!' exploring witches as role models for women othered by social norms and our reciprocal connection with nature. She can be found walking on the moors or wild swimming with her dog Blaidd.Website: https://www.victoriafirth.co.uk/BATTY! Information and tour dates: https://www.victoriafirth.co.uk/batty/Instagram: @msvhf Facebook @msvictoriafirthWe talked about:·      Her new show – Batty, about a midlife woman reclaiming her wildness·      Making space for our creativity as women·      Redefining success…and failure·      The three stages of creativity·      Becoming a performer in midlife·      Navigating the inner battle between the creative drive and the need for inner safety·      “the bell that keeps ringing”·      The invisible economy of the arts·      Creativity, magic and being highly sensitiveIn the extended episode, just $3 on www.patreon.com/lucyhpearce we talked about:·      Perimenopause ·      Structural divergence and patriarchy bustingBooks MentionedBurning WomanThe Highly Sensitive Person – Elaine N. Aron Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.