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Winter

Ep. 205 Winter Magic, Death and Dignity

This is a picture of Katie Silcox. The text reads, "Spirit Sessions: Find your true spiritual home with Katie Silcox."

In most nature-based cultures and spiritual traditions, January is a time for deep internal reflection, not New Year's celebrations. Winter magic is about opening our hearts to an important truth that we often avoid, the truth that everything we love, including our own bodies, will one day be lost.

In today’s solocast, Katie shares how to move through your fear of loss, open to winter magic and live your life with dignity.

We invite you, dear listener, to join us for a year of deep inner work. Our Divine Feminine Ayurveda School kicked off this week, but there’s still time to enroll! Click here to learn more and register!

In this episode about winter magic, death and dignity, you’ll hear:

~ Enroll in Ayurveda School today!

~ Why Katie is thinking a lot about death

~ The energetics of winter magic

~ Buddha's invitation to his students

~ How to cultivate dignity

~ Accepting what we can and cannot control

~ Opening to fear and sadness

~ Soul lies and soul truths

~ Consequences of not following our intuition

~ The true source of self-worth and self-esteem

~ Why we often abandon ourselves

~ How to stand in your power in relationships

~ Katie’s favorite poem: Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

~ Get our free mini-course about Women’s Wisdom and Ayurveda for Women!

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

~ Email us at [email protected]

~ Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

~ Katie’s latest book, Glow-Worthy

Related episodes about winter magic:

~ Ep. 145 Goddess Work & Deep Spiritual Remembrances for Winter

~ Ep. 20 Honoring Our Ancestors This Winter

Or Subscribe on iTunes

Learn more:

  • Ayurveda Certification
  • The Shakti School Subscription

Help Us Spread Our Pod Wings!

I hope you found today's episode about winter magic, death and dignity helpful and inspiring! This show is a passion project that I produce for the love of sharing. If you love show and want a free and easy way to help it grow, the most effective way you can help is to:

  1. Subscribe to the show by clicking “subscribe” in iTunes
  2. Write us a review in iTunes
  3. Share this show with one friend right now!

It’s seems simple, but you’d be AMAZED to know how much it helps my little love project reach more people. iTunes’ algorithm uses ratings and reviews to know who to show our show to in their app.

Here’s the link to leave us reviews in iTunes.

From my heart to yours,

Katie

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Butternut Squash and Roasted Apple Soup

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This has to be one of my all time favorite soups to make around the fall/winter season. It’s an absolutely perfect combination of flavors: savory, sweet, and a tiny bit of spice. And it’s creamy texture makes me feel like I'm being draped in a warm cozy blanket! If this sounds like too much for a soup to live up to, believe me, it’s not. You must try it!

In Ayurveda, we love talking about food flavor combinations. As many of you reading this may know already, Fall and Winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) tend to have a more drying and cooling effect on the body. This can often affect our sleeping patterns, the quality of our skin, and possibly throw our digestion off. This soup will help to target all of your autumnal needs. With the sweetness of the butternut and apple and the spiciness of the ginger and cayenne, you will feel warm and nourished in no time.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 1 medium sized carrot
  • 1 medium sized turnip
  • 2-4 tablespoons ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 apples (local if possible)
  • 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic cloves (whole)
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 4 cups vegetable stock or bone broth
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Directions:

Start by cutting your butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chop the apples, carrot, turnip and the onion (no need to cut them too small) and add them to the baking sheet. Cover everything generously with the spices (except the fresh ginger and rosemary) and the whole garlic cloves.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 420 degrees.

Add all the ingredients and the ginger to a food processor and blend on high until smooth.

For Serving:

Heat a small amount of ghee in a pan with pumpkin seeds, a dash of cinnamon, and rosemary until lightly toasted. Top with your soup and serve with crusty sourdough bread! 🧡🥖

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Curried Quinoa and Chickpeas

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What I love about this meal is that it is not only easy, but it is also so satisfying and nourishing. I usually make it in the morning while I am making breakfast in order for it to be perfectly cooked by lunchtime. It saves really well too.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fennel
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp salt & pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 cup chickpeas (either canned or prepared ahead of time, *see note below)
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1-2 medium sized carrots (chopped)
  • 3/4 cups broccoli florets

*Note on chickpeas: it's best not to get in the habit of using canned legumes, however there are certain brands that carefully soak and prepare their products and I prefer to seek those out. I love Westbrae Organic Garbanzo Beans

Directions:

Get ready for the easiest meal ever. First, rinse your quinoa with water by using a fine mesh strainer.

In any type of rice cooker (see note below if you do not own a rice cooker), add the quinoa and all of the remaining ingredients. Refer to the cooking instructions on whatever brand of quinoa you have chosen for the appropriate liquid amount. For the liquid, I like to use either spring water or vegetable/bone broth. Let cook on the rice setting until it's finished.

So easy, right?

For Preparing:

My favorite way to eat this dish is by topping it with avocado, fresh herbs, juice of a lemon, and a spoonful of tahini. 

*If you do not own a rice cooker, don't worry, this dish is just as easy done in a cooking pot with a lid. Follow the same instructions, except add all ingredients to a pot. Cover with your liquid and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover with the lid, and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.

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Chocolate Truffles

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cup peanut or almond butter
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream (cream only) 
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp ashwagandha (optional)

Directions:

In a saute pan, melt the ghee, coconut cream, and nut butter over low heat. Pour into a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool for about an hour. After the chocolate has cooled, roll into balls and place on a plate with parchment paper. You can get creative here: roll the balls into coconut flakes, rose powder, or whatever you feel called to! 🍫

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Ep. 198 Family Archetypes: Understanding the Thanksgiving Dinner Table Dynamics

This is a picture of Katie Silcox. The text reads, "Spirit Sessions: Find your true spiritual home with Katie Silcox."

You’ve done the inner work and matured spiritually, yet as soon as your family gathers for the holidays you feel like a little kid again and revert to the same old, dysfunctional family dynamics! Just in time for Thanksgiving, Katie shares how family archetypes affect our relationships and how you can start creating more healthy family dynamics this holiday season.

Learn how to approach your next family gathering with the mind of a yogini so you can unravel generational karma and have more compassion toward yourself and others.

Want to dive even deeper into family archetypes? You’re invited to join Katie LIVE on Friday, December 13th for our FREE Liberating Yourself from Family Archetypes webinar! Click here to register. Everyone registered will also receive the recording!

This is a dark blue graphic with white text. It has a photo of a woman and child looking out a window. The text describes a free webinar: You’re invited to join Katie LIVE on Friday, December 13th for our FREE Liberating Yourself from Family Archetypes webinar!

In this episode about family archetypes, you’ll hear:

~ Click here to learn more about our Ayurveda School

~ Sign up for our free mini-course about Women’s Wisdom and Ayurveda!

~ What is an archetype?

~ The Ayurvedic and Jungian perspectives of family archetypes

~ How to approach your family like a yogini

~ Family frameworks as coping mechanisms

~ The ego's role in family archetypes

~ How to identify the role you play in your family

~ Common family archetypes including the Caretaker, Whipping Boy, Black Sheep, Hero and Clown

~ Shifting out of the victim mindset

~ Why understanding creates compassion

~ Book a free call with one of our coaches to learn more about Ayurveda School!

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

~ See our viral Maria Carey post here on Instagram

~ Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

~ Read Katie’s latest book, Glow-Worthy!

Related episodes:

~ Ep. 174 Explore Your Inner Child with Nicole Frolick

~ Ep. 160 Courage in Facing the Shadow

Or Subscribe on iTunes

Learn more:

  • Ayurveda Certification
  • The Shakti School Subscription

Help Us Spread Our Pod Wings!

As always, I hope you found this episode about family archetypes helpful as you approach the holiday season! This show is a passion project that I produce for the love of sharing. If you enjoy this show and want a free and easy way to help it grow, the most effective way you can help is to:

  1. Subscribe to the show by clicking “subscribe” in iTunes
  2. Write us a review in iTunes
  3. Share this show with one friend right now!

It’s seems simple, but you’d be AMAZED to know how much it helps my little love project reach more people. iTunes’ algorithm uses ratings and reviews to know who to show our show to in their app.

Here’s the link to leave us reviews in iTunes.

From my heart to yours,

Katie

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Vanilla Coconut Sweet Potato Crumble

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As we move into the season of celebrations, we are excited to share this delicious, grounding, and sugar-free Vanilla, Coconut, Sweet Potato Crumble Recipe with you!

In Ayurveda, sweet potatoes are seen as a nourishing, sattvic food—one that promotes peace, balance, and clarity. They help to pacify vata and pitta doshas, making this dish ideal for the cooler months when we crave warmth and comfort.

This crumble combines the richness of sweet potatoes, creamy coconut, and ghee (or coconut oil), supporting your body’s digestion and immunity while indulging your senses. Topped with pecans and coconut flakes, it's a decadent, yet wholesome option that aligns perfectly with Ayurvedic principles—balancing sweetness with grounding fats and spices like cinnamon and cardamom to boost digestion without overloading on sugar.

Vanilla Coconut Sweet Potato Crumble

Ingredients for the Sweet Potato Filling:

  • 3-4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, chopped (you can peel them if you’d like, but I prefer to keep the skin on for the extra fiber!)
  • ⅓ cup full fat coconut milk
  • 3 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp coconut butter
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean

Ingredients for the Pecan Topping:

  • 2 cups pecans, chopped (or kept whole for extra decadence)
  • ½-¾ Cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 2 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp cardamom
  • pinch salt

Directions:

For the sweet potato:

  • Place sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Allow them to boil until they are completely soft (about 15 minutes). Drain and transfer to a food processor. (You can also mash/mix by hand if you do not have a food processor). Add the remaining ingredients (for the mash) to the food processor and blend until it’s smooth or has reached your desired consistency.
  • Pour mash into an 8×8 baking dish. Use a spoon to smooth out the surface.

For the topping:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In the meantime, in a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients. Mix well and spread over the sweet potato mash.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
  • Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on the pecans. If they begin to brown, cover again with the foil.

I hope this recipe nourishes both your body and soul this upcoming holiday season! 🧡

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Shakti Fire Cider

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Here’s your winter immunity boost recipe (and home-made gift idea!) ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Here’s how to make it:⁣⁣
⁣⁣
~ 1 medium onion, chopped⁣⁣
~ 10 garlic cloves, smashed or roughly chopped⁣⁣
~ 2 jalapeños, sliced⁣⁣
~ 1 organic lemon (grate it and juice it)⁣⁣
~ 1/3 cup grated ginger⁣⁣
~ A bunch (3-4 sprigs) of fresh rosemary (dried is also fine!)⁣⁣
~ 1 T black pepper seeds, crushed⁣⁣
~ 1 T cardamom pods, crushed⁣⁣
~ 2 blood oranges, finely sliced⁣⁣
~ A few of cinnamon sticks⁣⁣
~ 1 T cloves⁣⁣
~ A big dollop of raw, local, honey ⁣⁣
~ Apple cider vinegar⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Add all ingredients to a quart size jar. Cover completely with ACV (push down everything in the jar so that it’s below the ACV). Place a piece of parchment paper between the lid and the jar to prevent any transfer from the lid. Shake daily, storing in a cool place for about a month.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Then sip daily (you can also add it to your salad dressing or food, but don’t heat because of the honey! 🍯🍯🍯)

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Heart-Opening Winter Elixir

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The holidays can be a season of both feelings of connection and grief. We’ve created this special Shakti School heart opening elixir featuring skullcap, damiana and rose to get you through the waves of beauty, bliss, and pain.⁣
⁣
🌹 Skullcap: Think soothing, stress relief, and relaxation - this nervine is an emotional balance supporter and restores the functioning of the nervous system.⁣
⁣
🌹 Damiana: This aphrodisiac helper pairs well with skullcap for relaxation while also giving a little boost to mood and digestion.⁣
⁣
🌹 Rose: Associated with the heart chakra, rose is said to help heal a broken heart and enhance feelings of self-love and emotional balance.⁣
⁣
Here’s how to make it:⁣

~ 1/4 cup dried skullcap⁣
~ ¼ cup dried damiana⁣
~ 1/4 cup dried rose petal⁣
~ A few cinnamon sticks⁣
~ 1 T gently crushed cardamom pods⁣
~ 1 T gently crushed star anise⁣
~ 1 T gently crushed cloves⁣
~ an orange peel⁣
~ 1/2 c honey⁣
~ Brandy to cover ⁣
⁣
Add all ingredients to a mason jar. Cover completely with brandy (push down everything in the jar so that it’s below the liquid). Place a piece of parchment paper between the lid and the jar to prevent any transfer from the lid or vice versa. Shake daily, storing in a cool place for about a month.⁣
⁣
Enjoy in small servings as a healing tonic for your heart ❤️

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​​True abundance starts within.⁠ ⁠ As the ​​True abundance starts within.⁠
⁠
As the season of gratitude and abundance unfolds, it’s easy to get swept up in the frenzy of Black Friday deals and endless shopping lists. But what if this year, you invested in something far more transformative than material possessions?⁠
⁠
At Shakti Ayurveda School, we believe true abundance starts within. Our Level 1 program isn’t just about learning Ayurveda, it’s about stepping into a journey of self-expansion, radiant health and deep transformation. ⁠
⁠
Through ancient wisdom merged with modern science, you’ll gain tools to:⁠
⁠
🌿 Reconnect with your body’s natural rhythms⁠
🌿 Cultivate vibrant health and emotional resilience⁠
🌿 Align your life with your truest self⁠
⁠
This is the gift that keeps on giving, not just to you, but to everyone whose lives you touch and those in your community you support.⁠
⁠
As a token of our gratitude, we’re offering a special tuition discount on Level 1 enrollment through Monday only! This is your opportunity to say YES to yourself and a path of deep healing and growth.⁠
⁠
The gratitude sale is your FINAL chance to save big when you enroll in Shakti Ayurveda School for 2026. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. While others are stocking up on fleeting possessions, you can be investing in a life-changing experience that will serve you for years to come.⁠
⁠
💛 Comment GRATITUDE for the exclusive link to register with $500 off.
🍁 In the spirit of the giving season we are off 🍁 In the spirit of the giving season we are offering a limited Gratitude Sale this weekend only for Level 1 Ayurveda School.⁠
⁠
Why? Because we are grateful for this program, this community, our team….and for YOU.⁠
⁠
We believe you deserve to deepen your soul’s calling in 2026.⁠
⁠
Now through December 1st only, we are bringing back earlybird pricing ONLY for the next few days! ⁠
⁠
💛 Comment GRATITUDE for the special sign-up link which gets you $500+ off tuition only through December 1st.⁠
⁠
Don't miss out – get in with the Gratitude Sale only through Monday night at midnight Eastern time honey-mama!
I’ve been thinking about this phrase we toss aro I’ve been thinking about this phrase we toss around facetiously: “Thanks for nothing.” 

We lace our voice with resentment and the subtle (or not so subtle) middle finger to whatever didn’t go our way. 

But lately, I’ve been reclaiming it. Sanctifying it. 

Turning it into a quiet little prayer: Thank you. I am here. I am grateful for no reason. 

Science keeps confirming what the mystics have whispered for millennia: gratitude literally changes us.

Studies from UCLA and Harvard show that consistent gratitude practices calm the amygdala, boost dopamine and serotonin, expand heart-rate variability and even strengthen immune function. 

In other words: saying “thank you” rewires the nervous system and ushers the whole body into a different frequency. 

But here’s where it gets counter-intuitive: 

Most of us only practice gratitude for the shiny things - the wins at work, blessings in our bank account, the relationships feeling good… 

But what about the heartbreaks? 
The long nights in the dark? 
The relationships that stretched us, cracked us and forced us to grow? 
The strange, sacred mandala of our lives — the shadowy petals included? 

This is where “Thanks for nothing” becomes a holy prayer. 

Because sometimes the “nothings” (the thing that didn’t happen, the door that didn’t open, the expectation that didn’t get met) is the quiet architecture of our becoming something GREATER. 

More heartful. More real. 

Sometimes what appears as an absence is actually a deep cosmic protection. The chaos is the curriculum. 

So today, I’m practicing a new kind of gratitude: 

Thanks for the heartbreak that humbled me. 
Thanks for the silence that made me listen deeper. 
Thanks for the plans that fell apart, so I could fall into myself. 
Thanks for the nothing that was actually everything. 

This isn’t spiritual bypass. It’s radical spiritual bravery. 

It’s choosing to bow to the full freaking thing. The yummy parts and the ones with biting teeth. 

It’s remembering that we don’t need perfect circumstances to cultivate a loving, grounded physiology. 

So, friend…Happy Thanksgiving. 

Thanks for nothing. 
And thanks for everything.
These acts may seem small, but they are powerful A These acts may seem small, but they are powerful Ayurvedic rituals for dropping into your heart and cultivating gratitude for the Earth, our relationships and our food. 🌿 ⁠
⁠
🤲🏼 Offer gratitude. Give thanks to Big Mama Nature and feel that She is providing you with nourishment through the sacrifice of other plants and animals.⁠
⁠
🍲 Feed someone else first. First feeding others is a sign of our gratitude to the Big Mama who is feeding us. If you are single, make some extra food for a neighbor, water the plants or feed the birds.⁠
⁠
🍽️ Set the table. Even if you are eating alone, laying down a beautiful tablecloth, placemats and cloth napkins tells your unconscious, "Eating is sacred."⁠
⁠
📵 Be present. Eating while web-surfing, watching TV, texting or driving dampens the digestive fire.⁠
⁠
🥄 Chew slowly. Chew mindfully. Feel grateful for where you are now in your life.⁠
⁠
🧘🏼‍♀️ Eat in a good mood: Our mood carries power into the food we eat. If we eat while we are angry or sad, or any other negative mood state, that mood will be transmitted into the food we eat, and deeper into the body and mind.⁠
⁠
Save for your quick reminders on how to ritualize eating this week. 🍽💗🍂
You know you are feeling GOOD with Ayurveda when y You know you are feeling GOOD with Ayurveda when you are snapping selfies on I-81 in a roadside gas station somewhere down in Tennessee…😂🪷😂🪐🐯🪐🌋 @sohumhealingresort hosted me for a week. Get ready for more exciting collaborations between us in the future! Who wants a Shakti Tantra + cooking retreat with Chef Sean!?!

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