Building Bonds and Finding Direction at Anahata's Purpose

Have you ever wondered how an adult summer camp could be a life-altering experience? Join us as we sit down with 5 witches who share their  inspiring journey through Anahata's Purpose. From picking up a bow and arrow for the first time to finding her "female tribe," Diane recounts the profound impact this event has had on her life. Learn how she navigated through post-divorce challenges and health struggles, rediscovering parts of herself while teaching classes and forging lifelong friendships.

In another chapter, we delve into the excitement of expanding Anahata's community through podcasting. We'll share Jes' experiences launching the Cultivating Magic podcast and the joy of spotlighting creative projects. You'll also hear about an intriguing potential for the next Anahata's event: a unique meditation session on Medusa. We wrap up with a moving testimonial that illustrates how attending Anahata's Purpose can help overcome isolation and foster a deep sense of belonging and spiritual direction.

Our final discussions focus on the transformative power of the Anahata's Purpose community. We explore how this inclusive event provides an unparalleled space for personal growth, spiritual connection, and emotional support. From workshops on using your voice and breathwork to spontaneous yet impactful sessions, the sense of family and deep bonds formed are unlike any other. Whether you're planning your schedule through the event's app or participating in enriching activities like fire gazing, Anahata's Purpose promises a unique and enriching experience for all.

anahataspurpose.com

Chapters

• 0:04 Anahata's Purpose
• 16:41 Expanding Anahata's Community Through Podcasting
• 21:23 Anahata's Transformative Community Experience
• 29:03 Connecting Through Anahata's Community
• 45:22 Anahata's Event Planning and Excitement

Transcript

Kim: 0:04

Welcome back to Your Average Witch, where every Tuesday, we talk about witch life, witch stories and sometimes a little witchcraft. Your Average Witch is brought to you by Crepuscular Conjuration. If you're looking for community or witchy jewelry or just some witchy friends, check us out at facebook.com/groups/hivehouse. In this episode I'm talking to five witches. Some might be familiar, maybe none of them are, but they're all here to tell you why you should come to Anahata's Purpose this year. Now let's get to the stories. Hi, Diane, welcome back. I am great. How are you?

Diane: 0:42

Hi Kim, how are you?

Kim: 0:43

I am great. How are you?

Diane: 0:44

I'm so excited.

Kim: 0:51

Me too. Can you please, let's talk about why we're excited. Can you please tell everyone why they should go to Anahata's Purpose?

Diane: 1:00

I've been thinking about this since you said something and I can think of like three separate reasons, like really big reasons, and I'm going to give you like all of them and you can decide to do it, to whatever you want with them. So I think there's a lot of things that you can do with going to Anahata’s. If you're going to get out of Anahata’s what you put into it or what you look for at it, you could go and do like the adult summer camp, right, you can go do archery and go kayaking and hang out and play in the river and and paint and play drums. Bonfire, right, and do all of the cool camp stuff that, like, I never got to do as a kid.

Kim: 2:00

 Me neither.

Diane: 2:02

 Right, and that's enough reason right there to go, right, um, but if you want to take a next step up, you could go and meet all kinds of really cool people. This will be my fourth year, Kim, fourth year and I have people that I met that first year that I am kind of some of my best friends. They're the people I go to when I cry, they're the people I go to when I laugh, they're the people I go to for advice, and I would never would have had them without having gone to Anahatas and it's amazing. Before I went to Anahatas, I had a tarot reading and they told me that I needed to find my, my female tribe. I found them and they are awesome. So you could go to Anahata’s and find lifelong friends, which is fabulous, right. If you want to go a step further, for your… I feel like an infomercial and there's more, so you can go and find parts of yourself that you didn't know you were missing even or haven't met yet, right, I went at a time when my life was really rough. It was right after a divorce. It was right after my oldest daughter had cancer. It was right after I had cancer or well, it wasn't a cancer, it was. I had a tumor. They took it out, whatever. It was fine, but it was a lot of things. And I went and I was like, oh, and I came back from that just with such a sense of it's going to be okay and I'm going to figure it all out in a way that I hadn't felt in years. The classes are cool and the people that teach them. You get again. You get out of it what you put into it. So that was really cool. There's more. And then last year I started teaching, which I hadn't taught anything from that perspective, in 20 years, and it was like finding an old friend and I loved it. I was really nervous, scared to death actually, that first class because it had been so long, but it was so cool. And again I came back learning new things about myself and finding new pieces of myself that I had never thought I had. And you, know, there's other, you know, there's all the cool classes, there's all the fun people. It's all that, you know all of that. It's a beautiful place, all that fun stuff. But really if I hope that what people get out of this is that you can get as much or as little as you need at that moment.

Kim: 4:58

You get yourself out of it, yeah, yeah. So one of the big things that I remember about my first Anahata’s is that one. Well, that's where I met you. That's where we met each other at Anahata’s, the first time we've both we've been, both of us have made it a thing we do now, and I remember thinking before Anahata’s, who would do this every year? That seems crazy. And then, after I was at the like, that Sunday, when we were leaving, I was like there's no way I'm not coming back to this every year. You're crazy. But one of the biggest things that I remember about you specifically is that you said that you had never done anything for and by yourself before, because you were married and had kids. So if you are, if you are someone who has never done anything for yourself or by yourself, this is a very safe, loving way and place to do it.

Diane: 6:00

Oh, a hundred percent. I had never been on a road trip for more than like four or five hours away. It's 14 at that, 16 hours for me. I'd never been on a road trip by myself. I'd always wanted to go to those, those festivals, and I wanted to do the you know the away thing, and nobody would ever go with me. And this was the first time in my life I was like I could go, I can do this. And this was the first time in my life I was like I could go I could do this. We're a dumb sort of, unfortunately, but I reached out to Rachel and she was so good at going, it's going to be okay, and I'm like, okay, I'm going to do this. And the worlds that it has opened up for me, the really strange things. I used to never be able to be in silence, had to have the radio on. I had to have something on. Whatever I listened to, I always listened to WBAH, Witch Bitch Amateur Hour the whole way out there, right? Because that’s why I’d heard of it.

Kim: 7:04

Yeah, that's the reason we're there the first time.

Diane: 7:08

And then coming back 16 hours I didn't turn the radio on, I didn't turn anything on, I just sat in my own thoughts for that whole drive back and I was the most comfortable with myself I had ever been. And that keeps getting better each year.

Kim: 7:32

It sounds like we're crazy cultists, but we're not cultists.

Diane: 7:37

No, because nobody's trying to get anything from us.

Kim: 7:40

Yeah, they're not trying to get you to do something you don't want to do. So if we sound crazy, I mean, I probably could legally be declared that once in a while. But that's not the point. The point is you should come here. You should do something for yourself if you haven't before. This is where you start, and they can give you if you will help you, yeah well and the funny.

Diane: 8:08

So you were talking about who would ever go back again. I when I took the next. So I got a new job somewhere in all of this and I told him that's fine, I'll take the job, but you need to understand that there's like a week and a half in September that I will be gone and if you don't agree to that, I don't want the job. And it was like my dream job but I'm like I can't. I'm going to this because I it's just such a sense of renewal and since this, oh yeah. Okay, reset.

Kim: 8:40

This isn't even close to being on the same scale, because I am privileged in that I don't rely on this to keep a roof over my head. But I did something similar in my subscription service. I said it'll go out on the first week of every month, except for September. Right, you get it when I get back from Anahata's.

Diane: 9:11

And guys, if you don't have her subscription, watch for it. I watched for it for two years before I got in on it and I'm thrilled.

Kim: 9:17

You can sign up for the wait list If you join the Witchy Wonderment tier. That is free. Those are the people that I let know first. Actually, the digital members, the paying digital members who are in the Marco Polo group find out first, but after that the Witchy Wonderment level, which is free, you get a bunch of free stuff and then you're also the first one to know when I open up box spaces. But this is not really about that, but thank you for letting me bring that up.

Diane: 9:44

I got my first one this year and I was so excited. The first year I went and I came back and I could sit, sit with myself. The second year I came back and I was able to like start to do more, like do more by myself. It let me do all of that. Last year I came back and now I've started my own business. So it's just every time I come back I come back with another piece of who I always wanted to be but was never, never, able to be.

Kim: 10:22

Okay, that's really weird, a really weird thing to point out in the way that I'm going to phrase it. Anahata’s is a baby entrepreneur generator.

Diane: 10:54

Maybe I don't… saying you have to do that. It's saying you can do whatever you want, and that's the difference, right, right, I just like to make things. Some days it's candles. Some days I like to sew. I just got a chance to make rings for the first time and that was so much fun you know, and so the business is just to has a place to go with all the things that I just enjoy making and because it's fun. So it's just given me a chance to really be okay with who I could have been and for reasons wasn't, and now I can be. That's pretty cool. So thanks, Rachel.

Kim: 11:50

Oh that might make me have tears later. 

Diane: 11:55

That's not my intention, but kind of a nice idea. That's always my intention.

Kim: 12:01

I know everybody likes to make you cry.

Diane: 12:04

They're happy tears people. We don't like to make them cry sad tears.

Kim: 12:12

So,Jes, welcome to the show. You haven't been on before. We're going to remedy that later, but for now can you please tell people why they should come to Anahata’s?

Jes: 12:24

Well, besides it being the best place ever, no, so I think everybody should come to Anahata's, whether you're coming with a friend or by yourself, because, like, I've never had an experience so authentic before like the way I found at Anahata's. You know, there's been numerous spiritual events and conventions and stuff that I’ve gone to, some with alcohol, loud, some without, and I definitely found, like, with the ones that have alcohol, all of the, the work, all of the hard work that you put in kind of kind of disappears whenever you all get shit-faced or run around and be all crazy. So it's, Anahata's is a very authentic, genuine place where you can be vulnerable and not be alone. You can be alone, but not be alone. Does that make sense? Like there's a lot of strangers that want to hold your hands and give you hugs, and it's already starting to make me all emotional. I can't wait. You know it completely changed my life. You know, like going through COVID and then I got pregnant during COVID, had a child and dealing with a whole new world that we have what? Yeah, it was a lot.

Kim: 13:49

How did I not know you have an actual child?!

Jes: 13:51

Oh yeah, I got a wee one. He's a turning four in a few months. Four years old Mm-hmm. Yeah, Whenever I, whenever...

Kim: 14:03

I thought COVID was last year.

Jes: 14:05

Right.

Kim: 14:05

Nevermind.

Jes: 14:08

You have no problem. A little bit ago.

Kim: 14:11

Jesus, but I still didn't know you had a kid.

Jes: 14:16

I don't broadcast him a lot, you know, because I do have online presence and podcasting and stuff like that. So I definitely don't showcast him or broadcast him online. But yeah, a little wee one. He made a big reason why I moved to Colorado was for him and all the stuff that was going on. But you know, with all of that going on on, Anahata’s was the first social thing I had since COVID happened. So being able to have a stranger give me a hug and actually be able to just sit there in that embrace and soak it in, there's nothing like it. I haven't been able to find anything like it since. So you know it's if you're missing that little piece or you need the a little bit of encouragement to go, there's going to be people there that are going to help you along the way. And I know my life has significantly changed as soon as I walked onto those campgrounds and there's so many other individuals that I know that had the same experience.

Kim: 15:21

What's been your favorite part?

Jes: 15:26

The people, definitely the people. You know. I went to Anahata's by myself, I didn't know anybody. I heard two podcasts talk about Anahata's and I hate traveling, hate flying. Did all this by myself, didn't know anybody, and three and a half days later I ended up leaving early my first Sunday. I had so many people reaching out for me, making sure I caught my flight and got home safe and to this day, this is going to be my third Anahata’s that I'm going to. I still have people that I talk to daily, weekly, monthly and a lot of genuine, authentic friendships weekly, monthly and, you know, a lot of genuine, authentic friendships. That is another really hard thing to find and it's so beautiful, but it sometimes blows because I have so many amazing, beautiful people in my life all over the country.

Kim: 16:18

Yeah, that's the painful part.

Jes: 16:20

Yeah, you know. So it makes these reunions that we're able to have, whether it be at Anahata’s or the random meetups that we have, like the gem shows and you know they had the tour last year. It just, it makes those reunions just so beautiful and so impactful. Yeah, and it's definitely the people. The classes are a close second, but Anahata’s wouldn't be Anahata’s without everybody going and making it Anahata’s.

Kim: 16:50

When are you teaching a class? 

Jes: 16:55

You know… I've seen so many people in the Beehive group that are going and teaching this Anahata’s for their first year. I'm so excited for all the new classes that everyone's teaching, for all the new classes that everyone's teaching. I kind of considered it. This year I ended up going and launching another project with another individual that I met at Anahata's. Her and I work on a podcast together, so I ended up using all my creativity towards that. So hopefully next year.

Kim: 17:28

You have to say you have to promote yourself.

Jes: 17:31

Yes, I co-host Cultivating Magic podcast. We like to feature a lot of awesome people doing awesome things. Yeah, we just launched our 10th episode.

Jes: 17:43

So yeah, Ding ding Got to the double digits. So yeah, it's really good and I'm really excited to go and expand at Anahana's and go and get a bunch of content and meet a lot of beautiful people and go and talk to some people and networking. There you go. 

Kim: 18:02

How do people find your podcast? 

Jes: 18:05

You can find us at Cultivating Magic Podcast on Facebook and on Instagram. Not super active on Instagram, but mostly on Facebook and then on all of the big listening platforms. You got Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, a few of the little random third-party distributors, but you're big ones. You can find us there. It's a big red icon so it's really really hard to miss. So hopefully next year I ended up going and talking about the podcast, not myself, Hopefully next year I've been working on maybe doing like a medusa meditation or like a Medusa throughout the ages, because there's been so many different kinds of interpretations of her story and how she's reflected in current ages or current modern society.

Kim: 19:04

So yeah, you do this, let's. I want to do this, let's go.

Jes: 19:08

Yeah, featured next year. So, yeah, that's, that's what I'm thinking. We'll see if it comes to fruition.

Kim: 19:13

Well, thanks for talking to me. 

Jes: 19:16

Oh yeah, thank you for having me.

Kim: 19:22

I will see you in a month!

Jes: 19:26

Yeah, I will be there in about a month. I will see you there for sure.

Kim: 19:34

Crystalina, hello, welcome back.

Crystalina: 19:40

Hi, Grandpa Kim, how are you? 

Kim: 19:42

I'm great. summer's like that. How are you? 

Crystalina: 19:45

I'm doing really really well.

Kim: 19:49

Can you please tell me and everyone else why they should go to Anahata's Purpose this year?

Crystalina: 19:57

Yes, absolutely so. My first Anahata's was in 2022, and I almost didn't get there, but somehow this community pulled some strings and I got there and when I arrived on my way, I had no idea what to expect. I was just starting my master's program and I was in a place I had just finished a cycle of a lot of really intense growth and I was in a place of deep isolation and really not knowing how to create the community and the family that I had been missing. I didn't know really where to go with my spiritual practice and I was really really lost and I felt very alone. But I knew that going to Anahata's would be life-changing for me, so I went and when I arrived, the immediate feeling of genuine, authentic openness and welcome. I felt it as soon as I drove onto the campground and when I saw Rachel and everybody else that I've met over the last two years that I've attended. Every single time I go, I meet somebody or connect with somebody in a new way. That helps me, that gives me the ability to grow, but also gives me the ability to give back to the community on either an individual level or in a group way, on a larger level or in a group way, on a larger level, and the sense of belonging. I didn't have a family, I didn't have friends, and now I have this really amazing group of my best friends and I call them my sisters and my brothers and my siblings. And I call them my sisters and my brothers and my siblings, and I love them just as much as I love myself, and I've learned how to love myself because of how unashamedly they love me and that I've been able to love them. And without WBAH, Charlye and Macy, and without you with Your Average Witch, and without Rachel and Teresa and the Two Geminis and a Leo podcast and this amazing space that Rachel has created and this community, because it's not just a physical space, it is a spiritual and emotional and a social space that we all hold with each other, kind of everywhere we go, no matter what happens, there's always space for each other. I would not have made it through my master's program. I would not have gotten into a PhD program which I will be starting next month, I know right, I'm like I don't even know who this girl is anymore. I would not have made it through the emotional and spiritual situations that I've been confronted with over the last two years, but because I had this family that I was able to build and that came to me. I didn't have to find them, we all just found each other, very naturally, because of this space. This is Anahata's is the place where you will find your people. Whether you're looking for family, whether you're looking for a community to learn in, whether you're just looking for connection and people of like mind and people who want to grow the way that you want to grow, you will find it here. That is why everybody who gets a chance needs to go to Anahata's, because it will change your life, and when I say that, I am not saying that it's not hyperbole, it is literally. My entire life has changed in the last two years because of the people I've connected with and the people that I've met, and a group of us last year designed and have gotten a set of matching tattoos based on Laura Tempest Zakroff's sigil work, and I guess he was teaching a workshop there this year. Hello, oh, hello. Like we, absolutely like. This is amazing. I don't I have no idea how Rachel pulled this off. I am freaking pumped I'm sure, like I cannot, I, I I cannot believe it, and I've taken a workshop with Laura Tempest before and I cannot wait to do it again. They are one of the most amazing people ever and they will fit right into this community. This is the type of community that we create here, and we all do it together. It's not one person doing it. It is a team, consistent effort. Every single person that shows up there shows up there with the intention of learning and growing and creating community, and that's what you will find here and anybody who asked me about it. I'm like you want your life changed, you want some growth and you want some family. This is how you're going to get it. You will find it here, but you have to come in willing to learn and willing to make some changes within yourself as well as like how you view the world, because you will have your shit rocked. Like Anahatas will rock your shit, and the best way possible, in the absolute best way possible. So, um, we were actually just talking about this the other day because all of us that got the tattoo over the last year have had some of the most intense changes happen in our lives over the last year and it's really, really phenomenal, and none of this would have ever been possible without this amazing family and without the connections that we've created.

Kim: 26:28

Yeah. Also there's a cereal bar.

Crystalina: 26:31

There's a cereal bar. Absolutely, and like the workshops are so diverse, you want to learn, you want to connect with different types of practices, you want to understand different, like the history of different practices. You want to do some yoga. You want to just get down with your body, you want to get down with nature, you want to get down with your feelings. There's something for everybody you want to go stream in the woods. Like, yes, there's something for everybody and you will engage whatever part of you that you want to work with. I do something different every year and I have engaged something different of myself every year and I have just my growth spiritually and like socio, emotionally, has skyrocketed since attending that first Anahatas. I cannot tell you how different I am than I was two years ago and I cannot wait to go back. I'll be there again and it's one of those things that I will have. I will be there every year. It's a must do because it's something that has now become essential to my growth and to that, fostering that community.

Kim: 27:44

Then I'll see you in a month and a week.

Crystalina: 27:47

I cannot wait. Okay, bye, bye.

Kim: 27:54

So, Ginger, how many times have you been to Anahata's Purpose?

Ginger: 27:59

I have been twice and I will be back again for 24. 

Kim: 28:07

Me too.  I'm excited. So am I! So am I. I just messaged Rachel about some vending stuff, a vending question. I asked her.

Ginger: 28:16

I'm so ready to go. Yes, I think that's the consensus with all of us. The energy about eight weeks really ramps up eight weeks ahead and I think everybody is just like buzzing yep, yeah.

Kim: 28:35

Why do you? Why would you recommend other people come to Anahata’s if they haven't been before? If you?

Ginger: 28:43

haven't been before and let me tell you from my personal perspective, to the gentle listener who is out in the world and is listening to witchcraft podcasts, like I was and hunting things. Four years ago, three years ago, and you're alone and lonely, I went to Anahata's seeking community. I live in a community that is not necessarily void of you know pagans. It's not necessarily void of you know pagans, but I could not find anybody to sort of gel with locally and in 21,. I almost bought a ticket but then I got scared off by COVID and then I listened to all of the podcasts that you had dropped and Rachel, and listening to Charlye and Macy from Witch Bitch Amateur Hour and everybody talking about it, and I was like that's it, Game on, bet. I'm going this next year. So never been on an airplane before by myself, Never been traveling by myself, and I looked at my family and I said, listen guys, mom's going to this thing. It's safe. Okay, bye, short of it is, I'm getting there. Is that if you are a witch alone in the world and you are hunting your people, you're going to find some of those people at Anahata’s. The experience there, the classes, the community there, is amazing, but we don't let each other go. When we leave, when you get in the car and you drive off or you head back to the airport, those people go home with you. I've made some incredible, incredible relationships and I mean, isn't that what life is about is relating, right. So that's number one reason. It's fucking fun. That's number two. This is really fun and it will crack you open. You know whatever's on the inside. It's going to crack that open and if you let it, you have to be ready, and I was way past being ready, but it's a non-negotiable for me at this point. You know, until Rachel stops doing this or until I'm like in a position where I physically can't make it, I plan to be there. So, yeah, and, and it's just, it really has just broken my world open, honestly, and that's like. That's like all I can say about it.

Kim: 32:26

What was your favorite part of last year?

Ginger: 32:29

They are running together a little bit, even though there was only two. But when I left Anahata's year one and came back year two, some of the friends that I had made became facilitators so I was able to take classes from some of my friends. So that was neat to sort of see them step up into that. You know, teacher position and shine. But I will sing the praises of Chaos Joe Monteleone until until I die because he is like you know, everything's all connected. You know he is just the dude who is just so on fire with energy and I like that, I'm interested in all of that. You know, know, old school high magic stuff. So it really it was really interesting to me and I think I've taken all of his classes since I've been there. But you know, that's only just slightly above everything else. I feel like I still haven't made it to the archery which I really want to do, but I have not made time to do it either year, the past year, I think, probably on an emotional level, the thing that healed me the most was the primal scream and I didn't do that until literally, it was like it was the last session of the weekend and Kacie from Kacie’s Corner took a video of our session from the bottom of the hill and I've listened to that several times over of her video of us. The screams rolling down the hill and it's really powerful.

Kim: 34:45

I was recording an interview and that happened and we stopped and it did roll down the hill and we stopped and turned and listened to it.

Ginger: 34:54

Yeah, yeah, but like I can't put my finger on any one thing, I just I will tell also, my name is Ginger, and if anybody comes to Anahata's 24 and feels like they need a friend and you're not finding it, I think I will speak for a lot of us is that you just speak up and somebody is going to say, hey, come with me, let's go do this thing. So I think that's the difference between the first year and the second year for me was that I let myself be more at ease with it, and that's hard for me., I let myself open up more because I had made some connections that first year. So, onward and upward, and I think year number three is going to be going to be even more transformative, I hope so, yeah, yeah.

Kim: 36:02

Well, thanks for talking to me.

Ginger: 36:09

You are so welcome. 

Kim: 36:11

I'll see you in a month or so. Okay, I will see you, Kim.

Kim: 36:16

Thank you so much.

Kim: 36:18

Molly. Welcome to the show.

Molly: 36:20

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for being here. Can you introduce yourself a little bit before we get started? Sure, my name is Molly. I am a big fan of Anahata’s Purpose, of the Witch Bitch Amateur Hour. I'm a practicing witch and I enjoy a good hummus. Ooh, I just had a really good one earlier this afternoon for a snack. It was a French onion, oh it was delicious.

Kim: 37:06

Are you going to tell people about the podcast?

Molly: 37:09

About mine. Yeah, oh yes, I'm new to it. So clearly that was not the first thing that occurred to me. I am hopefully in the next few weeks going to start releasing episodes for Soul Pod, the podcast, and we are on instagram already for two days now, and so it's pretty bare over there right now, but hopefully we'll get some action going in the future. But that is just @soulpodthepodcast on Instagram.

Kim: 37:59

Check show notes go down below, click and subscribe.

Molly: 38:03

Sweet.

Kim: 38:04

And now can you please tell people, why they should go to Anahata’s Purpose?

Molly: 38:10

Oh man, tell people why they should go to Anahata's Purpose. Oh man, do you want to have a really connective experience? If anybody's been craving that kind of an environment, they'll find it at Anahata's. And it's, and I mentioned, Kim, that I only was able to attend to like half of it last year due to corporate America, but the weekend half I finished up work on Friday at 5 PM, drove down to the Philly area. I was fortunate enough to have a friend whose parents live very close to where Anahata's is hosted, and so I was able to stay with them to cut down on some costs and just get some day passes for Saturday and Sunday last year, and so I got to drive down, arrive at, you know, midnight at his parents' house, my friend's parents' house, and show up at 8am for Saturday workshops. And you know, in that way I guess it was not as immersive of an experience as it will be this year, because I will be attending in person. I'll be at the Bethany Lodge. I'm really looking forward to it because it's, you know, I've heard it described, as you know, like a summer camp and I, you know, miss those days when I was younger, of summer camp and just like being 24/7 around people who are like-minded and you know, people you know ready to have fun and also ready to connect. And that's, I think, what makes it actually different from some summer camps is the like vulnerability that you just dive right into. Because it's just such a safe place and with such safe people and you know you have that trust established already because you know the kind of people who are showing up there.

Kim: 40:22

I heard the first workshop is called let's Everybody Cry.

Molly: 40:27

I will be there. I'll be crying. I'm so ready. 

Kim: 40:20

That's not true.

Molly: 40:31

We'll probably be crying anyway.

Kim: 40:33

Me too. I basically see the sign that says Camp Innabah and bawl.

Molly: 40:46

I literally like, I guess, the one experience that I do want to with the SoulPod. She was flying in from Detroit and literally going to arrive at noon and while I was waiting for her to fly, she was in the air. I was sitting in the free cereal tent and speaking to somebody who, unfortunately, I can't remember her name off the top of my head, but I was talking to her about my mom and the fact that she was flying out here from Detroit and the story of my mom and I, because it's a very unique, very special story for us which we will share on our podcast at some point in the hopefully near future. But I was sharing that with her and we're sitting together, you know, at the table in the free cereal tent holding hands in tears holding hands in tears, and that is the epitome of Anahata’s, but you're holding hands and you're crying together because I literally was like oh, by the way, my name is Molly.

 Kim: 42:26

That is anahatas in a very brief, brief story.

Molly: 42:29

Yeah, it was so special. Honestly, it was really lovely.

Kim: 42:36

That sounds like something Deb would get you to do.

Molly: 42:39

You know I don't… if it was Deb, I don't know, I'm not sure. I really can't remember her name. I can picture her face. She's a lovely lady with cropped, curly hair. But yeah, she gave me her business card. Maybe I'll have to dig it up. But yeah, it was a lovely time and every moment there was just so comfortable, so cozy, just so comfortable, so cozy.

Molly: 43:19

All the classes on offer are the coolest thing I've ever heard, you know. In particular, there was the Tarot and Kabbalah. I can't remember the exact name of the workshop, but it was relating to the Tarot and Kabbalah, and I've been studying the tarot for years now, and so I was fascinated to discover this correlation, this new layer to understand the tarot through, and was sitting in this class with my mother next to me, and like, could feel my body like shutting down from how much, like it was, just like. This is so much universal truth. Right now, we can't even handle it like I was. My eyelids were drooping because I wasn't tired. I was like this is too much, we have to shut down. It was the coolest thing, though, too. 

Kim: 44:13

Ran out of RAM.

Molly: 44:14

Literally is like cool off, go sit in front of a fan, take a nap.

Kim: 44:19

Was that Joe? 

Molly: 44:23

The Joe Monteleone class, yeah. Yeah, that was, that was that workshop was. Oh, it was so cool. And ever since then I actually I even invested in a textbook about the Kabbalistic tarot and have been experiencing the same thing reading this textbook, where I'm just like, after two hours I'm like, okay, I must put this away.

Kim: 44:46

Would you say that was your favorite point?

Molly: 44:47

One of them. It's hard to pick a favorite for sure, but it was one of those things where it definitely, you know, that was the thing that altered the direction of my practice or my study, just because now I'm like, not like I know everything about the tarot, like I'm not ever going to claim that, but like I, you know, I've studied it in its like basic form for a long time, and now I'm like, okay, this is definitely the right next thing for me to focus on. And I would not have, because it was not a workshop that I like intended to go to when I was planning it out, most of them weren't Right exactly.

Kim: 45:28

You just end up where you're supposed to. 

Molly: 45:30

Right Exactly. 

Kim: 45:32

You just end up where you're supposed to be.

Molly: 45:35

Right, and I love that. I love that. Like that's a thing that happened, you know cause. It's just sort of like, hey, I don't have to get so stressed out about like making sure that I hit all the right workshops. I know that where I need to go is where I'm going to end up, and know that where I need to go is where I'm going to end up.

Molly: 45:53

And that was one of those moments where I was like it's in the air conditioning, that's part of the reason I'm choosing it. And then I sat in there and was just like this changes everything. So, yeah, it was really cool, yeah. And then there was the first workshop that I attended was one about using your voice and expressing yourself, and it was like all the way down to the fundamentals of like breath work and you know, even just like expressing yourself vocally by being like ah, you know like almost like a vocal, like choral, warm up type of thing. Like it was really cool to like get put in an environment where it's like okay, break it down, do you know?

Kim: 46:35

Do you remember who taught that? I don't remember. I do not remember. I don’t go to classes at Anahata’s.

Molly: 46:45

I don't have to make any sense okay, I mean, you're doing what you need to be doing there, clearly, but it was, actually, what is… I haven't looked yet at the schedule for this year. I keep meaning to and I keep forgetting because ADHD,. But yeah, I don't remember seeing the name of that class on the list of. That was on the website previously, but I know that wasn't like every single class that will be offered. So maybe it is. Are you on the app? I, like I said, haven't had a chance to check it. I downloaded it last year, I'm not sure if I need to update it.

Kim: 47:27

From last year oh man, where did I? Even I have no idea because I didn't know. The app existed last year, but it does now and there's a bunch of cool stuff.

Molly: 47:38

Yeah, oh, there it is. I found it, let me see if it'll. It's one of those things where it's like it's in the cloud, gotta download it, because I haven't opened it since last year. I'm serious when I say it. I really haven't gotten a since last year. This is I'm serious when I say like I really haven't gotten a chance to look. I know I, I heard about the. You know the fact that those, you can like favorite, you know the classes. Yeah, it's really cool. I love that. I was like, oh, my god, seriously, because it was, it was a cool app last year, but it was also like a little bit like, oh, it's a little hard to see the schedule. It felt a little clunky, but, you know, such as the evolution of technology. Oh, okay, I just opened it up. I see, okay, I see those little chat groups too, amazing, all right honestly, I have not been in the app.

Kim: 48:27

I just went in, starred the classes I want and left.

Molly: 48:28

 Ooh I see, okay, it's organized, looks like it's organized by day.

Kim: 48:37

Yeah, it's really neat.

Molly: 48:40

 Okay, yeah, I'm not sure I do want to. I had written down some stuff earlier too, points like, some points to hit. Yeah, like embracing the dark, and then looks really good to me. The Magic of Neurodivergence I could use that with adhd. Consciously Connecting, connection, that's like one of the things that was one of my goals for this year. Connection, and that's part of the reason I wanted to prioritize coming to Anahata’s was because of, like, the level of connection I knew was going to be possible. Um, and you know, especially wanted to prioritize coming to the entire event and being able to stay on the property.

Kim: 49:31

So, yeah, that Conscious Connecting looks good too, and if you stay on the property you can catch Charlye's class. I think it's Friday night, Friday or Saturday night at like 11, the fire gazing class, yes, oh my god.

Molly: 49:45

Yes, oh my God, oh, I see it. Yes, 1130. Oh, 1030 to 1130. I'm excited On Friday night, oh, I'm excited too. That's gonna be great. Oh my God, I'm so excited to just be there now.

Kim: 50:01

A month and a week from now I will be. What time is it there flying into, flying into dc amazing oh my god, I can't wait to meet you in person.

Kim: 50:23

This is great oh yeah, I wanted to say that. Uh, by the way, everyone we have met, even though it sounds like we have because we are being so familiar. That's what Anahata's does. If you've been to Anahata's, you know that the person you're talking to is probably one of the safest people to talk to, that you will ever meet and not know already 100%, absolutely, we just went into some of our background about where our families live.

Molly: 50:52

Yeah, where we grew up.

Kim: 50:53

You're not going to hear, but it turns out we're from a very similar area. Yeah, quite close by.

Molly: 51:00

Yeah, yeah, which is awesome. I love it. But, yeah, no, I'll be driving down to the Philly area from I live in south Central Massachusetts. I cannot speak today, excuse me. Yeah, so I'll be driving down the night before, most likely staying with that friend of mine, or his parents, I mean, and, you know, moving in effectively Thursday morning. Yay,it feels like I'm going to, cause I'm driving down with a friend too. This is the other thing. It gets very complicated. But another friend of mine, the one that I'm going to be rooming with, she is flying to Boston from Georgia and, and she's never been to New England, so we're going to do a little touristy stuff a week before, weekend before.

Kim: 51:57

That's fun.

Molly: 51:58

Yeah, we're going to see Salem, or she's going to see Salem for the first time. I'm going to show her Salem. 

Kim: 52:02

Is that worth doing? 

Molly: 52:08

Not on Halloween, not anytime in October. I make a rule now I don't go in October, even if people that I know want to go.

Kim: 52:16

I, it's too busy yeah, I don't like people, so I would not be doing that. I might do it like now, when it's the surface of the sun here and I want to go someplace that isn't the surface of the sun.

Molly: 52:25

Yeah, yeah, any any like non-October month is fine. I even went, because the first time I ever went was Halloween of 2015. Oh my God, and it was, I feel like.

Kim: 52:37

And that was before the witch madness hit.

Molly: 52:40

Oh yeah, it was. I mean like it was just too much. It was too much, it was it, but it didn't kill the magic for me because obviously I kept coming back to it. Didn't kill the magic for me because obviously I kept coming back to it. I did even go like two days after the end of October, two days after Halloween, and it was dead.

Kim: 52:58

Oh dead, Maybe I'll go then.

Molly: 53:00

Yeah, that's the thing I like. We was like November 7. Exactly, yeah, a friend of mine went with me and we just walked into a shop and this lady was totally free for readings. That was the first card reading I ever got was that day. Wow, you'll see, like end of September it gets a little busy, but as soon as Halloween's over, like, it's pretty done, which is great, I like it. I like it. It's a beautiful place, it is very touristy, no matter the time of year, um, but you know it's. That's kind of what you're going for, yeah, um, but there's a lot of history too, as with like everywhere in Massachusetts. But yeah, so we're going to hit that. We're going to hit Boston. You know some of the coolest spots in Boston, hopefully the Potato Memorial, shit you not, and you know and also just sort of hang out. She's one of my best friends from college, she's also ex-Mormon, and then we're gonna drive down together and it feels like we're gonna like load up to move the way that we're planning with, packing, like we gotta get a cooler, we gotta get like camp chairs, like we gotta be so ready and I'm I'm cool with it, I love it. It's fun to do that, especially with, like you know, people you love. But, yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. It's like words cannot express even though I'm trying, but it's not doing it justice the way that I feel. Yeah, really, really excited.

Kim: 54:47

So that's why you all need to come, please please, it's worth it, it's really worth it, yeah cool.

Kim: 55:05

Anahata's Purpose 2024 is in Spring City, Pennsylvania, September 5th through September 8th. Get your tickets at anahataspurpose.com or download the app, join the community and buy them there. Thanks for listening to this episode ofYour Average Witch. You can find us all around the internet on Instagram @YourAverageWitchPodcast, facebook.com/groups/hivehouse, at www.youraveragewitch.com, and at your favorite podcast service. If you'd like to recommend someone for the podcast, like to be on it yourself, or if you'd like to advertise on the podcast, send an email to youraveragewitchpodcast at gmailcom. Thanks for listening and I'll see you next Tuesday.