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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

Continue Reading

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! 🧡

Continue Reading

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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TheShaktiSchool

The Summer of Love Sale is ON, babe. ☀️⁠ ⁠ The Summer of Love Sale is ON, babe. ☀️⁠
⁠
This is your invitation to turn up the pleasure, turn down the heat and say YES to healing, soul purpose + reclaiming your innate feminine wisdom.⁠
⁠
When you join our Ayurvedic Wellness Coach Certification Program now through August 11th, you’ll receive:⁠
⁠
— 💸 $100 off tuition on any payment plan (which is already the lowest earlybird price you’ll see all year)⁠
⁠
— 🌊 A FREE Paavani Pitta Summer Sampler Kit with all the cooling essentials you need to be a true Ayur-Goddess this summer: spritzer, body oil + cooling spice blend⁠
⁠
— 🔥 1-year FREE membership to our Spirit Sessions platform: start studying with me right NOW + access our library of meditations, movement classes, deep-dive workshops + my full Chakras course ($1000 value!)⁠
⁠
— 🍹 A downloadable, 30+ page Ayurveda for Summer Recipe Book chock full of brand new recipes like Creamy Cucumber-Mint Kitchari, Herbed Turkey Patties with Yogurt Mint Sauce and Strawberry-Rose Moon Smoothie (trust me, you’ll be drooling 🤤)⁠
⁠
✨Use the code SummerofLove at checkout to get all the goodies. (Yes, these gifts are YOURS when you join either Level 1 or Level 2 Ayurveda School 2026)⁠
⁠
Make this your year of radiant health, spiritual transformation and embodied feminine power.⁠
⁠
🎁 Gifts only available until August 11th. Grab your spot + your gifts now at the link in bio.
Katie here. The real one.  It is summer in Virgi Katie here. The real one. 

It is summer in Virginia and today it’ll reach 101 degrees. I’m covered in rose oil, drinking coconut water and main-lining some sweet watermelon chunks to power up the morning. 

In other words - it’s HOT.

And I seem to always forget how activating the summertime can be. It comes out of nowhere, right? The intensity. The anger. The insomnia. The hot-flash.

But, there is one thing I come back to time and time again - and that’s The Shakti School Basics. 

Here is what that looks like:

1. Stop. Pause. Lay down or sit down. 
2. Make a commitment to be still for a bit.
3. Feel and open to everything that is arising in this moment.
4. Breathe. Let your awareness drop in and down your body. 
5. Breathe. Let your awareness rise above your body. 
6. Breathe. Let your heart soften and open and receive. 
7. Rest in the opening and stillness and energy that is always there. 
8. Wash, rinse, repeat. 

This is the starting point for everything we do in Level 1 Ayurveda School, which BTW we have just opened for early bird registration! 

And in honor of cooling our collective summer heat - I want to give you SO much cool stuff. Plus, a way to connect and start studying with me RIGHT NOW! 

🌞 Summer of Love is Here, Sister! 

When you sign up for 2026 Ayurveda School during our Summer of Love Sale (now through August 11th only), you’ll get:

💖$100 off tuition 

🌿FREE Paavani Pitta Summer Kit (aka a mini Pitta-reducing spritzer, cooling body oil and soothing spice blend)

🌸A YEAR-LONG FREE MEMBERSHIP to our thriving Spirit Sessions membership platform where you get immediate access to ALL of my Spirit Sessions meditations, classes, workshops and other resources. Plus! Immediate access to my ground-breaking CHAKRAS course (a $1000 value!) and LIVE monthly workshops with yours truly and special guests.

✨A downloadable Ayurveda for Summer recipe book, straight outta’ Katie’s kitchen

Just use the code SummerofLove at registration check out to receive the discount and ALL the gifts (and YES, this applies to 2026 Level 1 & Level 2)!

🍉 Sign up before 8/11 to claim your free gifts.

With sunshine + soul,
Katie + The Shakti School Team
The best food on the planet can’t help you if yo The best food on the planet can’t help you if you don’t have the digestive fire to transform and assimilate what you are putting in your body.⁠
⁠
The ancient texts called this digestive fire AGNI.⁠
⁠
Agni is what transforms and assimilates what we are taking in, whether it’s food, life experiences or thoughts. ⁠
⁠
Ayurveda holds that many of our diseases start with the accumulation of toxins (ama) in the body. This sludge builds up when our metabolic fire is unable to burn what we are putting into the body. ⁠
⁠
When our agni is functioning well, Ayurveda teaches that our body will be healthy, our skin radiant, our mind clear and our energy balanced.⁠
⁠
The good news is this: You can start boosting your agni right now with this little tip. ⁠
⁠
👉🏽 Add Ginger Pickle to your routine! And no - it’s not the kind of pickle you pile high on a sandwich - it’s more of an agni-honoring, pre-meal ritual.⁠
⁠
A small dab (about the size of your thumb tip) is traditionally taken before meals to stimulate the digestive fire and awaken agni.⁠
⁠
🫚Here’s the Ginger Pickle how-to: Slice a few pieces of fresh ginger. Add a pinch of rock salt and a spray of fresh lemon or lime juice. Eat before meals to kick-start your metabolic fire!
When your inner CEO is arguing with your inner car When your inner CEO is arguing with your inner caretaker and neither of them can pick a lane. 🫠🔥🌊
⁠
Being steady AND intense is a whole vibe. 💁🏼‍♀️ Pitta-kaphas have the vision, the stamina *and* the spreadsheets. The problem is figuring out which of the 47 color-coded priorities to tackle first. ✍🏽
July is peak Pitta season in most parts of the Nor July is peak Pitta season in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere (cue the heat, brightness and intensity!). 🌞 We can harmonize our bodies and minds as the heat is peaking by making it our number one priority to amp up the COOLING and HYDRATION.⁠
⁠
Here’s your Pitta-reducing, July cheat-sheet. (Notice all the green on this list!? A little hint that balancing Pitta dosha is super soothing to the heart, too.) 🫀⁠
⁠
💧 Asparagus: diuretic and slightly bitter (perfect combo for Pitta)⁠
⁠
🌺 Okra: moistens and soothes internal tissues⁠
⁠
💧 Chard: cooling, slightly bitter and astringent⁠
⁠
🌺 Fennel bulb: cooling, sweet and great for digestion⁠
⁠
💧 Watermelon: the ultimate Pitta-reducing fruit⁠
⁠
🌺 Coconut (both water and meat!): cooling, hydrating and luscious⁠
⁠
💧 Rose + hibiscus teas: cooling, beautifying and great for the skin⁠
⁠
🌺 Licorice root tea: sweet, moistening, anti-inflammatory⁠
⁠
💧 Aloe vera juice (inner fillet only): soothing to the gut + skin⁠
⁠
🌺 Coconut oil: use for cooking AND self-massage!⁠
⁠
💧 Ghee: balances Pitta and nourishes our tissues, especially when heat depletes them⁠
⁠
🌺 Basmati rice: a cooling grain to ground and lighten⁠
⁠
💚 Are you ready to uplevel your Ayurveda expertise and become a feminine-form, spiritual Ayurveda leader? Click the link in our bio to explore our Ayurvedic Wellness Coach Certification Program now.

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