In today’s Tarot for the Wild Soul episode, we’re talking to doula, breathwork facilitator, and herbalist, and co-founder of Birdsong Brooklyn, Erica Livingston. The core understanding of The Empress is that it’s an invitation to receive, and receiving one of the hardest things we do on this planet. In this episode, Erica embodies this receiving energy of The Empress by sharing how to dilate so we can become more comfortable with receiving from others as well as ourselves, and how we can begin to plug in our threshold journeys. This episode also touches on embodying Death. Embodiment of Death card energy is someone who is available to the cycles of change that come with deep release and transformational rebirth. It is truly about a turning over and a transition from one form to another. So we’ll see the meeting of The Empress and Death because as Erica shares, that receiving energy is often most needed after big transitions and transformations. Topics in this episode: • A shift in how interview episodes will be focused for this Tarot for the Wild Soul podcast (0:25) • Introducing Erica Livingston, this episode’s embodiment of The Empress in the Tarot (1:25) • What is the Empress in the Tarot? (4:55) • What is a doula? (15:17) • Erica’s postpartum work and the importance of receiving in the time of after crossing a threshold (17:27) • Postpartum as a journey through the underworld and Erica’s adoption story (27:24) • The initiation to dilating the threshold of learning how to receive (38:58) • Tips for expanding that threshold of receiving + embodying the Empress (52:57) • Discomfort and contraction as evidence of when you’re about to break through the threshold (1:09:20) • Erica’s amazing offerings and where you can find more (1:18:20) _________ ABOUT THE PODCAST Tarot for the Wild Soul Podcast explores the cards through an inclusive, trauma informed perspective, rooted in compassion, common sense, and critical thinking. Through a weaving of intuitively channeled downloads, answers to listener questions, and lessons around the cards, Tarot for the Wild Soul offers ways to view the Tarot as helpful, applicable medicine that can provide nourishment and clarity to us in our day to day lives. ABOUT LINDSAY Lindsay Mack is a queer intuitive Tarot teacher, and the host of TFTWS podcast. Lindsay is the creator of Soul Tarot, a reinterpretation and intentional utilization of the Tarot as a non-predictive healing tool, one that is can assist us in differentiating the noise of our mind from the truth of our soul. Through her regularly sold out workshops, retreats and online Tarot courses, Lindsay has had the profound honor of teaching Soul Tarot to thousands of people from all around the world. As a joyful and healthy survivor of childhood abuse, trauma & PTSD, Lindsay is passionately dedicated to honoring and helping to bring space, light and healing to those who are experiencing mental, emotional or physical suffering. It was the healing from a breakdown in 2014 that fully birthed her into this sacred work and onto her soul path. It is an organic part of her healing work with the Tarot, and she is honored to be sharing these offerings to those who feel called to them. Honoring and acknowledging that this podcast is recorded on the unceded land of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, currently called Portland, OR, with the deepest respect to the Kalapuya Tribe, Cowlitz Tribe, and Atfalati Tribe. WEBSITE: www.tarotforthewildsoul.com FOLLOW US ON IG at @wildsoulhealing PODCAST EDITOR: Chase Voorhees PODCAST ART: Rachelle Sartini Garner