Journey Through Spiritual Awakening
+ Animal Medicine with Alyson Charles

Emily: All right, friends, welcome back to the Aligned and Unstoppable podcast. I am thrilled, overjoyed, ecstatic to welcome a special guest, Alyson Charles. And Alyson is somebody who I found a friend through a friend through a friend.

And when I stumbled upon I think it was your Instagram first, there was an immediate resonance like, Oh, yes, yes, yes, she’s here for big things. She’s a real one. She’s not one of those, I just found a crystal this weekend and now I’m a spiritual coach. It was not that, it was the opposite of like, Oh yeah, this is like, this is the real stuff. This is the real deal. And I immediately resonated with your energy. I found your podcast, which is, I think, one of the top spiritual podcast. What is your I mean, you’ve got a lot of great wins there. Could you share a little bit?

Alyson: Yeah, it’s called Ceremony Circle. Yeah. And it does really well all over the globe. And it, you know, features a lot of the most masterful and integrity-filled shamans and healers and spiritual teachers from everywhere. Yeah.

Emily: Yes. And I love the new intro that you’ve added as well. It sounds like it’s like more robust and like, I feel like I’m walking with you. I love that.

Alyson: Oh, that’s so hilarious that you said that, because first of all, no one’s ever commented. I mean, we really put a lot of intentionality into creating music just for this podcast. Like it’s it’s, you know, it’s just for this and a lot of back and forth, a lot of prayer on it. And I’m not kidding starting I think the next step was we took we basically took it out just to have it get to the interview faster. Yeah, the irony that is hilarious that for the first time someone’s like, I love your intro and now it’s no longer well, it’s partially there. It’s just not the full walking experience that you just commented on. Yeah.

Emily: Well, I think why I like it is because and I think what it, what lit up for me was like, this is an audio experience and as if you’re listening to a story open, you’re setting the tone. And I think it really, really connects with that Ceremony Circle energy of like, let’s walk, let’s sit, let’s be in nature. And it’s like, Oh yeah, I just I went for a walk listening to your podcast this week on Kakao. And so I was like, Oh, I really felt this really beautiful opening as you did that. So it’s fine.

Alyson: I’m always open to evolution, so maybe in two episodes will be right back to, you know, what it was. I’m just, you know, I always like to just test the water. So we’ll see.

Emily: Yeah, well, at least, you know, one person’s a fan.

Alyson: Yes 🙂

Emily: so very least 🙂 So Alyson’s here, and I have Alyson’s. And for those of you who are on video, emilyaarons.com/youtube if you’d like to watch this video and we’ll link it in the podcast show notes. But this is Alyson’s card deck. It’s called the Animal Power Deck. And I will be shuffling and pulling a card and inviting Alyson to do a reading.

But I also want to share I know I’ve messaged you on Instagram about this. My kids may have had their own game with your card deck that they’ve invented. I’ve actually done it with some of my retreats and essentially we’re able to connect with your cards and sort of do like this animal versus this animal. And the kids get to kind of feel into the energy of the animal and what skills that this animal have over this one or would they even meet. Is it possible in sort of in this way? So for me, as a as a mom of two young boys, this is a great game for them to play together. And it was totally unexpected. They made it up themselves so…

Alyson: Well,  shout out to what are their names?

Emily: Tristan and Graham.

Alyson: Shout out to Tristan and Graham. Thank you for your innovation. Yeah. When you messaged me that I wanted to know, I was like, what exactly are you all doing? Like, what is the game? That’s been one of truly the most beautiful aspects of having Animal Power book, which is the larger, more comprehensive guidebook. And then the deck that you have, you know, seeing people’s experiences and specifically kids.

I really had in mind when everything started to come together, the clarity that this would be the book, this would be the theme. I wanted it to have a very broad demographic. I wanted it to be beautiful so that people will would feel proud to have it in the middle of their homes on their main, you know, coffee table. But I also wanted it to resonate with kids because as we know, if we can allow them to stay in this divine alignment and stay connected to their gifts, all the better for the whole world. So, yes, seeing parents working with the deck with their kids has been maybe my like, favorite thing of all.

Emily: Oh, yeah. It definitely resonates with all of us. And we love watching nature programs together. We love going off on hikes together and exploring wilderness. For my birthday this year, we went to the deep woods in Maine just to find a moose, and we found a moose in the wild. And all of us were like Oh my gosh!

Alyson: Did you happen to message me that as well?

Emily: I might have.

Alyson: Somebody messaged me a few months ago, a whole moose, a live moose experience. And what, did I have a baby with it or no?

Emily: Not this one, no.

Alyson: Oh, somebody else said, Yeah, I get animal stories all the time.

Emily: Of course. So let’s see which card we got. We got ducks in the sacred union.

Alyson: Oh, that’s gorgeous. That’s very present. Well, for many things. My husband, Luke Storey, he and I, before we actually moved to Texas, we were on a walk. We used to live in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. And that’s where the download of the name Higher Power Couple came in. We were just strolling and I think it landed in me and I said it out loud and we knew we were on to something because both he and I, if anyone listening, knows either of us and listens to either our podcast, you know, the treacherous and arduous journey that both of us took individually through specifically romantic relationships to finally arrive to being in sacred union together. And so, yeah, we are just now starting to reach out to our audience, our email newsletter list, and see what people want, because in the spring we want to put on a sacred union higher power couple the retreat. So we’re trying to see what people want.

And then also very recently he and I went to a town we’ve never been to in Texas, and I just literally had one of the most fun days in memory because we walked upon a river and there were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of gorgeous duck feathers everywhere. And I kind of wish I had it up here in my office. I put it in our bedroom because as you just showed, Duck represents, you know, healthy, sacred union. So I with the ducks all watching me. And with their permission, I gathered probably, I don’t know, close to 100 duck feathers and then did the whole ritual with them in my backyard and now have them in our home. And I love to gift feathers.

So anyways, that’s some of what instantly arose for me when you pulled that card. But let me see if Duck wants to come waddling in and has a specific message for this group that we’re sharing space with today for the listeners. One second.

Hmm… Well, the first thing that it did, there’s always like an initial messaging and then I can go deeper. But it came in and was quacking quite a lot. And you know, mah-mah-mah-mah! And I said, okay, you know what? What is the message with the quacking? What are you wanting me to relay? And it’s this extra importance. I mean, of course this is always important, but they’re stressing right now it’s more important than ever to speak your truth in your partnership.

I think so often that’s where some disturbance in the waves of the connection with you and your partner can start is when you stifle your expression, when you hold back on the truth that’s wanting to move through. Because it can, of course, be scary when we’re in sacred union, when we’re in romantic partnership. And, you know, there’s something very uncomfortable or vulnerable that you want to speak to and you don’t know how it’s going to be met. You’re just praying you’re in safe space to say it. You don’t know the reaction. The defense is like, there’s so much that can come with just speaking one thread of truth, but the duck is really coming in right now and saying, if there’s something that’s been weighing heavy on your heart, if even right now is you’re listening to what I’m saying, you can kind of feel your throat chakra kind of tightening or getting like a little quivering. There’s probably something that’s been brewing that needs to move through you and out of you.

And and so, you know, you don’t have to make it a big to do. But even in a quick one, two-minute meditation, you can maybe just tune in to what time of day would be best to bring to your partner’s attention that there’s something that you want to share. You know, maybe you don’t need to light a candle and, you know, make it ceremonial, but maybe you do. So maybe just take a couple of minutes to tune into a couple of things that would allow you to feel and your partner to feel and just safe-held, divine space to allow whatever this truth is that needs to be expressed to move through.

Because it’s really true. When you stifle and suppress your expression, it can cause really severe physical illness and ailments when it’s suppressed, you know, when something very deep is suppressed or if it’s suppressed long term. So it’s it is a big deal. So thank you duck, for coming in. Quacking quacking in for us.

Emily: You’ve duck and we have two baby ducklings at the farm right now.

Alyson: Oh sweet.

Emily: They just hatched. And it’s been my dream that we can hatch them, you know, that they naturally hatch them on their own. And we’ve had ducks for about 8 years, and this is the first year that they’ve ever successfully hatched on their own.

Alyson: Wow. An 8-year journey. That’s really powerful.

Emily: Yeah.

Alyson: So, do you name? Before we started recording, you were sharing some of the animals you have, are some named or are they all named?

Emily: Some are named. So the chickens there’s a lot of chickens and they don’t have names and the ducks don’t have names, but used to have some that had names that were like really remarkable, you know, that they stand out or they have some sort of quality that they’re like, okay, that one. So we had like a giant peacock named Tessa, and she just was like dhat-dhat-dhat like, you know, she would like stretch. She had a name, she had an aura and just a personality. All of our goats are named, so we have 9 goats. They’re all named. And we just had two sets of baby twins.

Alyson: Wow.

Emily: Yeah.

Alyson: So, so remarkable. Yeah. Luke and I don’t have all of that, but we do have a lot of action here on our land here in Texas. In fact, this morning, the reason I, you know, landed right at the start of our interview and was kind of sweaty and disheveled is because I had been burying a dove in our backyard, a pigeon. And I’ve been we’ve been on this whole dove journey this past week. We are tending to one that is unable to fly and like becoming its family and putting a bath out for it. And of course, food and checking on it. And when the gardeners come, it’s like this whole thing of like this part of our yard land is off limits, like she can’t fly. And so we’ve just been on this whole journey.

And yeah, just this morning I was doing a bit of a burial ceremony and we’re able to clip I, of course, got permission from from the bird, but we got both of its wings. And so, yeah, I feel like it’ll be really happy to know that part of it will continue to live on and be of service.

Emily: Of course, absolutely. And this is such a beautiful, you know, start of our episode and I would love for our listeners to hear a little bit more of what brought you to this place, a little bit of your background and, you know, sharing. What brought you to this point where you became a shaman and now a speaker and, you know, really spreading your wings a little bit more to go with that?

Alyson: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Because you shared with me more of the focal point of your podcast and your audience. I’ll try to gear because there’s, of course, so much to share with how I arrive to this now moment. So I’ll try to take the bullet points that are most themed with like entrepreneurship, because that is a big through line theme. So yeah, I love to share the infinite possibility medicine that I really carry when it comes to one’s calling and career because I have lived so many lifetimes this lifetime.

And I grew up in a tiny little town in the Midwest town that had like one stoplight. And I was, you know, I was about to say I was bred to be an elite athlete, which felt weird, but it actually is an accurate statement. My father was my coach and put me in my first road race before I was even 3 years old. And I was, you know, eventually became, you know, won a couple of national championships and was an athlete at the University of Alabama. And I did go on to be a Division One College coach. And so, you know, there was that incredibly hardcore entrenched identity for so long, since before my memories even began, I was known as this runner girl. This, you know, is so much pressure. And I really thought that, you know, that that would just probably be what it always was, you know, as long as my body could withstand that.

But what was intriguing is all I do remember as a younger girl, I don’t know the exact age, but I want to say maybe starting around like 6, 7, 8 years old, I would get these flash visions of me speaking to camera, holding a mike, but I just equated it to, Oh, maybe when my body breaks down, I’ll become a sports broadcaster, Right? Because that would be the natural segway.

Emily: Right.

Alyson: And so I was shown early on that media was in the mix somehow for me. (Excuse me.) And then, yeah, it was a bit after my body started to break down. Like basically it got me through my college running career and then it just everything just had a femoral stress fracture. Knee surgery. Yeah.

Emily: Oh!

Alyson: Things got pretty intense. Yeah. And then the funny thing is, I then after completing my time at Alabama, I moved to Florida and my first job out of college was being the head personal trainer at a gym in downtown Orlando. And funnily enough, it was one of my clients that I was personal training. One day in a session he said to me, I think he just a light bulb went off. I don’t think it was a premeditated thing, but he was he looked at me, he said, You know what, you should be my radio show co-host.

And so people always ask me like, how did you get your start in radio and TV? And I’m like, literally a man walked into a gym. You know, it really was that the case. And so I did become a radio host in Florida, and then I got hired at a hip-hop station, and I was the morning show host there for many years. And that was a super fun job. And then I started to feel a little bit stifled by it being only audio because I’m just a very creative and expressive person. So I then moved to New York City and I became a television producer and a television host for a daytime TV talk show there.

But then the other important thing that through a lot of what I’ve just shared with you career-wise, the other huge thread that was woven in was this very long-term previous, like past romantic relationship that started when I was in college at 18 and then ran, you know, the span of about 16 and a half years altogether.

And in that past relationship, you know, there was just so much suffrage denial. My past partner really suffered from a lot of different addiction issues. I suffered from a lot of lack of self-worth, self-honor, codependency, denial issues, illusionary issues. And so it really and I’m very clear here and I had a lot of karmic cleaning up that we were we’re doing this lifetime.

So it was kind of the perfect storm that led me to when I was in New York City. I eventually required a divine intervention from all of my guides. One day they came in and my clear audience gift turned on. I heard Spirit speaking to me in my right ear, and I was given certain instructions.

And through those instructions, the veil of illusion lifted and my egoic shell got obliterated and I finally was able to see the truth of me, him, the relationship. 1So I know I’m packing in a lot, but there, you know, there was a lot that led me to and of course, I’m like leaving out a million pieces.

Emily: Right.

Alyson: I just I think, you know, especially with a theme of your show, just to let people know, you know, I was like only in athletics. I was a Division One college coach. This personal trainer somehow got shifted into the radio studio, then got shifted into the television world in the television studios. Then I had this unexpected divine intervention, spiritual awakening.

And not long after that day, I mean, within that month, I was shown visions of who I really am, what my real calling is. You know, I was shown right out of the gate, me on stage with sacred sense wafting in the air, you know, thousands of people in the audience with rattles and shamanic instruments and, you know, shamanic medicine, songs playing. I was shown that vision, I think, within the week of my awakening, and I was like, hold on. So I’m here sobbing in my grandma’s guest bedroom, you know, just having my whole entire existence turned upside down, facing the darkness of all these addiction issues, you know, grappling with so much. And you’re showing me on stage as a medicine woman. So you can imagine to bridge the gap from that moment to actually living out those visions, It was it’s been quite a journey.

Emily: Yeah. Well, so I definitely want to talk about that. You know, it’s funny, when you were starting to talk about being bred to be a runner and that later as you were talking, I could feel like the tightening in my jaw, like the clenching and it’s like this holding in and tightness and rigidity. And who I see you now is so connected and so in her element and so flowing and now I mean a different person that you use to be.

Alyson: Yeah. Thanks for bringing that up. I just had this wild a lot of my shamanic evolutions initiations rites of passage just come in naturally organically. You know, people ask me all the time, like when you just shared that story of that initiation, like, where were you in the jungle somewhere? Like, No, I was in my studio apartment in Brooklyn or No, I was in my bedroom.

And I bring that up because just two nights ago I think it was, yeah, not last night, but the night before we are. Luke and I were going to bed and I could tell he had just fallen asleep. And all of a sudden, you know, Spirit came to me and just took me through. I think it was about an hour and a half, totally natural, spontaneous, shamanic journey where I was being taken to and reflected to all of these past scenarios and experiences. Many of them that I completely forgotten even happened.

And basically what I have come to why that happened is Spirit really wanted me to understand how far I’ve come and the darkness and, you know, shadows and just all that I had to rise from the ashes, from. It was not just pertaining to that past 16 year dark relationship. There was a multitude, a magnitude of very dysfunctional dark life experiences, whether it was past work environments, past, you know, living environments. But it was really astounding. I just for an hour and a half just in, is such a healthy, healing clearing way. Just cried and wept and wept and wept and to allow this journey to take place. And it just gave me this much broader, bigger understanding of how much I have truly trudged through and how far I’ve come this lifetime.

Because exactly to your point, you know, in choosing the athletic path and choosing to maintain a relationship with my dad as my coach, that came at the cost of suppressing my true spiritual gifts, my connection with the divine. It came at a very large cost, and that little runner girl had the weight of the world on me. Like truly so much pressure to always win. I would throw up at the beginning of most races like it was. It was a very pressurized and tense. Trauma-inducing at times journey. So yeah, I’ve come a long way.

Emily: You definitely have. And thank you for sharing that. That’s so kind for you to open up in that way. And I mean, you can definitely you’ve definitely painted the picture. We can feel that energy that you were a part of.

So thank you for, for openly sharing that. When you had that sort of clear audience moment and the light bulbs are going on, all of a sudden the signs and signals were abundantly clear, undeniable, and it turns your whole life upside down. And we have this immediate spiritual awakening. How did that feel? Did you question it? Did you like, what am I how? What did some people see those things and they go, No, that’s not for me. That was and they deny it. And it takes a long time to kind of come to terms with that other people embrace and go, okay, this is for me, I’m ready, I know. Was there a part of you that had that knowing and said, Yeah, this is for me, let’s go for it? How did you…?

Alyson: Well, I was that other person you described that just pushed the very loud and clear messages to the side. And I did that for so many years. That’s why it required this massive divine intervention. So, you know, had I more intently listened to the more preliminary guidance that had been trying to come through for years, I don’t know that I would have gotten pushed into that divine intervention situation.

But yeah, on that day, you know, I was I was literally through spirit speaking to me, led to his phone. I didn’t know his code. I punched in for numbers like automatic spirit writing. It opened his phone. So for me, it wasn’t just like a whisper of the wind. It was also so literally, graphically, horrifically, you know, in my face that it was undeniable, both on an earthly realm and on a spiritual realm. And yeah, you know, all of my guides really came ushering in that day. So I think in just all of the different realms, it was this massive wave of support that came in that would not allow me to go back to that cycle of insanity that I had kept swirling in for 16 years.

And so I really felt on that particular day, I mean, yeah, there was no questioning what was happening. And it was so intense that the next key step for me was just finally surrendering and speaking. My willingness of true surrender to great spirit, to earth mother and to my own self, to my own heart and soul, and finally saying, okay, I clearly need help, I clearly need support.

I’m finally ready to get out of my own way and I will heed your messages and that oath I have lived in complete devotion to. And that is what I attribute, you know, all of my you know, my definition of success has really drastically changed throughout the years. And so what I deem success, I owe it all to this path of devotion to living by the instructions of spirit and I owe all my true inner fulfillment and inner peace and happiness to that as well.

Emily: That’s beautiful. What would you say your definition of success is today?

Alyson: Oh, gosh. I mean, it’s like it’s a lot of different things, but it’s right now it’s just the simplicity of life. It’s I mean, truly, if someone would ask me, you know, what’s your idea of a good time? Like, I literally described it earlier, it would be picking feathers off the ground. It would be connecting in an honoring way and burying the pigeon and the backyard. It would be, you know, snuggling with my silly, sweet, hilarious family.

This, you know, an almost 17-year-old black Persian cat named Jelly Bean. And there are silly little doggies laying in the background of this video Cookie and my beautiful husband, it’s like little snuggles with my family and, you know, just being more feral and wild and free. You know, I spend most of my days just completely naked in the backyard and just, you know, speaking to the wind and just crying and gratitude and, you know, so all of these examples are what I deem as living a successful life right now. It’s not at all the winning the National championship awards and all of that stuff. It’s changed a lot.

Emily: I’m sure. And you know, it’s interesting. I lead I have a small group coaching program that kicks off next week and we did a pre-call yesterday and I took them. Through meditation and sort of releasing some of the things that have been blocking them previously and connecting them with their higher self to get these direct messages of who their higher self wants to be each and every day. How does their day begin and how does it flow? What does that look like? And I like to kind of jokingly say, well, your higher self is giving you a punch list. It’s your choice if you like to do it or not. And then you can see, well, am I in alignment or am I not? Well, you got ten items. Did you do all ten or did you do any? So it’s as simple as that.

And I think something that that’s sort of characteristic of myself as I can take these sort of esoteric concepts and make them very grounded and tangible down to earth. And as each of the different members was sharing, you know, they were saying, I saw myself eating fresh foods, fresh fruits and vegetables. I saw myself adding a meditation practice throughout my day, not just once in a while. I saw myself really sitting outside and connecting with nature. I saw myself doing yoga. And it’s really interesting when instead of saying what is success for you?

And all most entrepreneurs are taught is to focus on financial gains and growth and scaling. And this is a whole different angle to take. Where do we want to begin? As how do I want to feel and how can you build your life based on how your high yourself is leading here to flow?

Alyson: Yeah, how? I mean, to me, I can’t imagine anything more powerful or successful than living in direct accordance with divinity.

Emily: Right.

Alyson: How can it how can anything possibly be larger, more grand, richer, more robust than you truly living out the soul and coding and mission that your own soul devised in the ethers and you’re actually living in physical fruition on this earth plane? You know, there’s nothing there’s nothing more powerful than that.

Emily: Absolutely. And I have to say, you know, this is the first summer that I’ve had with my kids out of school that I have genuinely, truly and deeply enjoyed all of our time together because I have implemented these practices on such a regular, consistent level that I’m excited to go explore. I’m wanting to show them places that we can find new trails together and be outside and talk to rocks and listen to messages coming from birds and oh, what’s that animal? Let’s see what the medicine is that they’re sharing with us and, you know, having these profound conversations that I would have probably had moments of. But it’s becoming more ingrained in all of our lives on how we are all together as a unit.

And, you know, being with my family, it’s like every day I say it’s when I put my kids to bed, I say, What’s your favorite part of today? What was the thing you’re most grateful for? And I used to always say, Well, right now, today, right now, this moment, nothing better than right now. And now they’re saying it this right now. This is nothing better than right now. But also and then they have these long list of things that they’re really present for and that they can share back with me. I’m like, oh,  this is the best. This is the best. There’s nothing better than this.

Alyson: Yeah, that’s so that’s so beautiful and inspiring. You are able to talk with your boys in that way. And yeah, I was just, you know, in our backyard yesterday, floating in the pool. I think partially because of that, you know, long shamanic journey I had just been on and that all those reflection points and bigger picture awareness of how far I’ve come, I just I reflect, you know, you know, so clearly on how I really, truly am living my dream life like, I am at peace with myself. You know, I’m so clear and who I am and that I’m a really good person and a really powerful, wonderful human. But I’m also a forever, you know, humble student of life as well.

And I just have this husband who celebrates me and, you know, fans my flame and uplifts me, you know, because I know what it feels like to be in relationships where they try to tether you back or hold you down or suppress your fire, your light. And he’s the complete opposite. And I just it was basically exactly what you were describing.

I thought, wow, you know, just being present to the gratitude that I’m truly living my dream life, that if nothing more happened, I’m in a state of total, wild, wondrous awe. And, you know, but also tuning in to like, if I were able to bring forth, you know, our spirit baby and allow that spirit with me to come Earthside, that would be a bonus to this ultimate dream life I already have, you know, potentially getting back on camera. I feel so at home in the studio.

And I know there’s obviously a reason that before I had my awakening I was a radio and TV host. And so allowing the project to come back into earthly existence where I’m hosting in a studio again, that would be a bonus to this already dream life. So I spent my day yesterday doing what you do with your voice.

Emily: Yeah, that’s beautiful. Well, and that brings me to another question I have, because I’ve been recently. So I would say this I have in the past had a bad habit of being complacent with my gifts. And I’ve had moments of I’d be traveling. All of a sudden spirit wakes me up out of a dead sleep and is like, we’re going somewhere. This is what’s happening. And I can’t I’m uncontrollably sobbing because it’s shattering every it’s just incredibly in I don’t know, have words to it. I can’t have words. So it’s just so amazing. Show me my path and open up these gifts. And here’s what’s going to happen. Here’s who you are and you’ve been chosen and weaved. All of this can be so overwhelming.  And I’ve had times in the past where I was complacent and lazy about sitting for myself, making that space for myself, and I could channel and do work. And he’ll do energy healings for other people, but I wouldn’t make the space for myself.

And recently I had a session with a woman and she said, You know, it’s time to get back to doing this work for yourself, connecting with yourself, doing your own practices, automatic writing and channeling and sitting. And I knew she was right because I had said that about myself for so long. And one of the things that came up in this session I had with her was a connection with my lineage and of my ancestors. And it was she was sort of channeling and she asked me about my lineage. And I said, well, this is what I do now. But most of my life I’ve kind of been hiding. I really don’t even know. And she kind of started this sort of train of like just channeling, talking, and she mentions this phrase around, and I’m going to probably butcher. I don’t have it exactly.

It was something that, like they veiled you, they had to cover you and cloak you. When she said these words, it wasn’t like I felt sadness, but bubbling up. It was like my face exploded in tears of that truth and a deep resonance like, Wow, this is more than what I thought it was. And so she invited me to start working more with my ancestors and connecting with my lineage and opening up in that way. And since then and I’m actually I was called to wear my grandmother’s bracelet today.

Alyson: What’s her name?

Emily: Her name was Laney. Yeah. And so I work with her all the time. And this was sort of this next opening of like, can we just talk with the ancestors every day and not do like a special sun or whatever a day it is? And so I, I feel like maybe this is more selfish for me to ask this question. Also, I’m sure my audience would benefit from it, but how are there some ways that you feel are how we can connect with our ancestors?

We’ve them into our day. You kind of mentioned like, well, maybe one day with this. And I know for me one of the things that I work done just today is connecting with them and asking for their assistance and guidance to help open doors and make new connections and create new opportunities that would be in my highest alignment. What are some ways that you do or maybe work with ancestors? I don’t know if this is like a weird loaded question or not.

Alyson: You know, it’s not as I’m laughing. I’m only laughing because I wore this mud cloth, this doggone mud cloth, because I just I, I don’t think I’ve ever worn this for an interview. But when I went in my closet, I’m like, I think I supposed to wear that doggone dress today. And now I’m understanding why. That’s why I’m chuckling.

So, I mean, yeah, a lot was coming to me when you’re asking me that, but I’ll start with honoring the Dogon Tribe, the Dogon on the edge. They are a very, very, very ancient lineage out of Africa right now, they primarily inhabit West Africa, but that lineage works incredibly deep with ancestral ways, ancestral reconnection. And so I, I mean, I’ll share a few different things, but I would recommend, of course, if it’s in resonance, to do a little research on the Dogon, and I can point you right in the direction I yeah, the website is dogonwisdom.com  D-O-G-O-N, dogonwisdom.com.

And yeah so just a few weeks ago a Dogon high priest by the name of Naba Iritah Shenmira. He and I did a whole ceremonial day together here in Austin where people could come. We had a very large group in attendance with us and a lot of it, you know, we did a lot of different things. That day was an all day like 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ceremonial day, but a lot of their rituals and practices are all geared towards lifting up your ancestry.

And that’s why that’s such a vital importance. And you know, he’s episode,  I think maybe 110, 107 on my Ceremony CirclePodcast you can get to know him and feel into their ways by hearing that discussion.

But yeah, before he and I did our ceremony day, I was able to just spend time with him and he was here at our home doing an Earth Energy Reading for me and also one for my friend and for Luke. And a lot of specific instructions came through for me in that reading from Naba regarding my ancestry and just the other day. So I got basically like from that reading this homework of, of specific rituals prescribed to me from Naba, things that I need to do so that my ancestors feel seen, acknowledged, honored, lifted up, lift, lift your ancestry up. And it took me after that reading and receiving that homework on this wild journey of uncovering and excavating more of my understanding of who, my who my people are. Because he said to me, There is an aunty on your father’s side.

I’ve always wondered, you know, Yes, I have an aunt who’s a shaman, but she’s not my blood aunt, she’s my aunt by marriage. And so I’ve always wondered, you know, are my gifts carried through my bloodline or was it just a specific calling for me? I mean, I’ve done this work for many lifetimes, but I was like, I’ve always questioned like, is it also bloodline related? And when my Grandma Bernice passed, I got very clear that I had received some of my gifts from her. So I just kind of thought it was her. But then he said, No, there’s an auntie on your dad’s side, that is, who carries the responsibility of these gifts that you now have. You need to find her and we need to do a specific ritual just for her. And what was while I’ll wrap this story up, because it’s a bit of a long one because I’m deep in all of these Dogon ways at this time.

But what was so intriguing is after this discussion, I got a message that. A family member on my dad’s side that I have not spoken to or heard from in more than 20 years was wanting to get in touch with me. And so then I was able to ask her, like, Do you know of any great or great, great aunties on Grandpa Bob’s side? And she was able to point me in this direction. Then in that direction, this person had that missing link and key.

And so get this, I’m sitting naked in my backyard, you know, trying to connect these dots because I want to do this calabash bole offering for this, you know, mystery ancestor. And I know I need nine sugar cubes, nine colon nuts, nine cowry shells, white rice, nine dates. And I put them all in this like it’s this very the Dogon ways are very specific. So I’m like, ready to do this whole offering, put it in this grotto. But I’m like, who is this auntie? And a relative on my dad’s side who?

I finally asked, do you know of any great auntie? She sent me a picture of a gravestone marker and it said Dorothy and my birth last name on it. And I was like, could it potentially be Dorothy? Is Dorothy the carrier of these shamanic gifts? So I was sitting kind of in prayer and asking Dorothy, I said, today, I want you to emphatically, clearly let me know if you are the one. So I sent that prayer up.

Then I go into my email and I see like, Oh, on August 1st is the such and such Leo Supermoon. So then I go into my phone to plug in on August 1st to remind myself that that’s the day of the Supermoon. And I saw that I had designated August 1st whether I knew the name of this ancestor or not. I was designating that day as the ancestor Calabash Ball offering that I already marked it on August 1st, and I was like, wait a second, I marked August 1st. But that’s also the day of the Supermoon.

Why is August 1st ringing a bell? I go back to the gravestone picture. Dorothy’s birthday is August 1st. So I was able, on Dorothy’s birthday, though the carrier of the shamanic gifts of my bloodline, I was able on her birthday to give this offering. What are the chances of that?

Emily: Oh, my gosh.

Alyson: Yeah.

Emily: Wow.

Alyson: So I share part of that huge story to let you know that. Yes. When you say yes to this work and you find the pathways, whether it’s doing a family constellation workshop, which side note I highly recommend if you feel called into that work, which I do recommend because it’s incredibly, incredibly deep and powerful. But make sure you work with a practitioner who is super pure, clean and integrity-filled because that work is profound. And if you don’t have an integrity-filled facilitator, it can it can not be pretty.

So yeah, so I would recommend going into Family Constellation workshop, also going to dogonwisdom.com, checking out Naba’s Instagram and just seeing yeah because he offers you can get an earth energy reading from him. I sound like a Dogon Ambassador but I guess I kind of him at this point.

Emily: Hey, that’s all right.

Alyson: So, yes, those are two recommendations. Um, what else with ancestry? Yeah, It’s like – but creating a small altar is also incredibly powerful because, again, it’s like our ancestors. You know, I think so often. You know, we’re trying to, like, clear our lineage traumas and the addictions of our ancestors. And yet that work is obviously incredibly powerful and needed.

But we somehow skip out on her, forget like the honoring of all the gifts that our ancestors of bestowed upon us. Like, maybe you’re a painter and it’s because, you know, great, great Grandpa Joe like, used to be in museums and it’s like, okay, Grandpa Joe, you know, was an alcoholic, but he also, you know, you got your painting skills from him. And so I think just spending time not leaving out and skipping over and forgetting that, you know, ancestry work is not about only about just clearing the wounding and the traumas. It’s also about including an up in uplifting our ancestry as well.

And so one simple way is just creating a small altar space, you know, maybe putting some photos if you have them maybe writing, writing a short letter or a poem, you know, an owed to your lineage thinking that’s just speaking the speaking aloud, lighting a candle, maybe putting some fresh flowers.

And yeah, I feel like there’s one other thing. One powerful thing that I did was going to a tree. I mean, obviously can make the correlation family tree and really, you know, designating a tree I left offerings there for. I asked the tree permission first, I was like, you know, because I tuned in and I felt like this one was the one and affirmed it when I asked. And so I just yeah, I just went and prayed into the roots of that tree and left the offerings there and, you know, just asked for it to be another beacon of light and communicator to my ancestors, letting them know that they are seen, they are heard, they are acknowledged, they are uplifted. So I hope those are some good, good inspiration ways.

Emily: Yeah, absolutely. And you know, it’s interesting. I when I first sat, sometimes when I do automatic writing, I will type on my computer because it’s faster than handwriting things out. And my handwriting sometimes is illegible when I’m channeling.

Alyson: Yeah, yeah.

Emily: So I brought my computer and I called in my ancestors who wanted to work with me, and it was like, no, no computer. So I put the computer aside and I pulled up my phone to do a voice memo and I said, I’ll just speak into my phone. I won’t need to write anything. And for about 30 minutes, I’m audibly channeling, connecting, talking, and receiving information.

And this grandmother, like maybe even my great great grandmother energy, she showed up as Bubbie and she’s like, if you can imagine, like this little old lady, but with the energy of like a five-year-old and she’s like this bubbly, effervescent, playful, and she’s like, When you’re ready, just put that thing down.

I want to play and took me on this journey in time. But it did show me these beautiful experiences from past and going through like snow days and coming up through these special sacred caves and then going to because we have my family, we’re early settlers in Tucson, Arizona, and she showed me coming in them and going there and working with indigenous people from the land and working with the land and then coming back and showing me here today. Here are some things I want you to do today.

And it was like this, like time-bending, swirly extravaganza. I mean, I felt like I was on a roller coaster. I was flying, I was swimming, I was all over. And I felt like that was that first opening. So I feel like the things that you’ve shared have are just like, Oh, there’s some more things that there’s a lot of more work to do and to open to that.

Alyson: I can’t think of a more powerful opening gateways to getting to know and connecting with and honoring our ancestors than the Dogon traditions and family constellation work. And yeah, working with trees. Yeah.

Emily: Oh yeah. And trees have been very, very instrumental for me, especially in the last few years. I remember when 2020 was happening and things were kind of swirling, there was this huge pine tree that pulled me in on a walk and just said, Wrap your arms around me. And I wrap my arms around this tree. And the tree just showed me seasons. Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. And it’s like we’re not going to cry when the leaves fall off Or when the snow comes just to see us then. And I was like, Oh, thank God. And I just could take a breath and get back into listening again, versus like that swirl of energy that was happening.

Alyson: Yeah, I think that’s an important point to bring up the just honoring the cycles of of nature and of divinity, because that that was a huge thing for me. A quick story which I think could be of service for your listeners. So when I was living in New York City for like 14, 15 years, that’s where I had my divine intervention. You know, New York City is a vortex. It’s an incredibly powerful place. A lot of people do have their spiritual awakenings there. And, you know, so then, you know, my life changes and I’m walking this completely different path. And let’s fast forward a number of years. You know, I’m out as a shaman out publicly doing this work.

And at this point, you know, I’m collaborating with a lot of the biggest brands in the entire globe, if I’m just completely honest, whether they’re fashion brands or hotels or products like, you know, we would work together to put on these like monthly shamanic journey gatherings on hotel rooftops and, you know, just all of these ceremonial things. And this was happening a lot. You know, I was doing a lot of different things, giving a lot of different talks, very, very out, very active with this work. It was in high demand.

And I’ve been doing this work and on the path for a very long time. So, you know, I was really at the forefront, you know, kind of carving the path for, you know, now, you know, this work is is a lot of places. But back when I’m talking about like no one was doing this and I was doing it a lot. And one day I got this message from Spirit that I was supposed to cease all events and all talks.

And I thought, well, okay, you know, I live in devotion to your instructions, but at the same time, I’m also a single woman living on my own and arguably the most expensive city in the entire world. How am I supposed to completely just squash all events and talks, which is where I was able to make a living? And so I said, okay, you know, I will do this, but then I need you to show me the way on how I’m supposed to survive. And so I stopped and turned down. And of course, you know, the way Spirit works, it can be quite funny. It will give you an instruction and then it’ll dangle the shyness that carrots…

Emily: she has to offer

Alyson: Oh, my God. I got the most incredible, you know, talk offers coming in, you know, travel. You here do this, you know, brand partnership deals coming in. And I’m like, you’ve got to be kidding me. But I knew I had to do so. I said no to all of them, completely cleared. Feel like I just.

Oh, there’s like, an animal. I think it’s a crow. No, no, if you can hear it, but…

Emily: I just heard you. Yeah.

Alyson: Kind of want to go peek and see if it’s. Can I speak really quickly?

Emily: Yeah, yeah

Alyson: Just one second. I just wanna see.

Emily: It sounds really cool.

Alyson: So I was just curious if it was like right outside my window. I can’t locate it, but it’s squawking in pretty loud, so.

So long story short, I honored the Divine Instructions and for years. And here’s the other thing. When you’re living in accordance with the divine, you also don’t get given timelines really such. And so I didn’t know how long they meant like how are we talking is the no events, no public ceremonies and no talks. Is that like three months? It ended up being two and three-quarters years, almost three full year.

So imagine, you know, that’s I was really just organically like my name was getting out there, all this organic process and then I’m just supposed to like stop it all and squash it all. And, and I did do that for, like I said, almost three years.

And what was intriguing is in the midst of that very deep shamanic cave period is what I call it, I’m just focusing deeper than ever on my own shadow work and doing the deepest healing work of my life.

The idea that they gave me in order to survive was with my background. I studied telecommunications, PR, got my degree in advertising, and I was able to launch. I don’t do it anymore, but I called it shamanic PR, and so while I was not out there, I was able to use my other skill sets to get other healers and shamans out there and to teach them, you know, how to get book deals, how to give talks, how to, you know, how I could share my press connections.

And so I was able to focus on the shadow work in the healing work that I needed to do to get even stronger embodiment and anchor in more deeply so that I concerned when I was finally out of this cave period. And then I was able to support others in getting their light out more. So I share that because like, you know, honoring, honoring the cycles of the divine, honoring the cycles of nature, you know, and I’ve lived in accordance with that. And, you know, ever since my book and that came out a year and a half ago, like I’ve been very, very quiet. I have, like I said, just been sitting naked in the backyard and just waiting. You know, I was called to do the ceremonial, the Dogon Ceremony Circle event with Naba and I devoted to putting in a lot of work and effort to to putting that on. So I said yes to that.

But there’s going to be phases and chapters where, like you said earlier in the talk, like sometimes the visions and the instructions and the guidance just ping, ping, ping, ping, ping! And when I was in New York City, like that’s how it was operating, just like just so clear, just on the go, moving and groovin, moving and groove and then boom, one day I’m told to stop. And then for three years it’s inward cave zone.

And then, then I come out and then right after that, the publishers were knocking on the door and, and I was working on, you know, getting the book deal finalized. And then I went into another different chapter where for, you know, a long time I was at a desk quiet, writing the book and the deck. And then when that comes out, you’re out again.

Emily: Right.

Alyson: Then I’m healing from that. And so, you know, because I’ve been on this path for well over a decade at this point, it’s like I’m able now to share, you know, that when it happens like this, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong or anything’s off or you’re right on time, you’re right on track, you’re exactly where you need to be.

It’s just we are divine, feminine and masculine. There’s going to be times where you need to rest, nourish. And those sacred rest times, I have to say, do not let them fool you. Those are actually the times where I know the most is happening within me. And the most power the truest divine power is actually being garnered inside of me. So that when you are instructed and called to be more out again, you are in deeper integrity and deeper embodiment of what you are trying to teach than ever before.

Emily: Absolutely. I absolutely agree. And I would love to sort of close this because I think it’s been brought to this beautiful place of following cycles and listening and tuning in. I know a lot of my listeners have a bit of a struggle between do I follow this guidance and this calling? Do I get a plan B? Like what is the plan B? And when you said like, okay, we got to shut her down, you were like, and then now what do I do?

Alyson: Yeah, yeah.

Emily: And so I think it’s very personal for everybody. Every individual is different of, you know, what path they go and how are they going to be able to survive. And I really believe part of my work here is to shatter and to transform some of these broke healer paradigms that have been really ingrained for so long and keeping amazing healers in hiding and keeping them shunned from their tribes and from being visible and from doing the work they’re here to do. So for the people. I don’t know if there’s any piece of advice or wisdom that you would like to share with.

Alyson: Well, I mean, so much this right here could have been our entire podcast, to be honest. Like, I mean, I can speak to 4 hours on end because yeah, a lot.  And let me preface by saying these examples that I’m about to give. It does not mean that they’re guaranteed to happen to you or anything. It’s just I’m only speaking from my personal earthwalk and aligning with my true soul’s calling and mission, but a lot. There’s a lot that can happen when you finally allow yourself to get into true divine alignment with your true divine light, true divine power, true connection to the divine. Like when you are in those most pristine, clear, powerful places, there’s a lot, infinitely a lot that can come with that.

So just know that there is a chance that and again, I’ve noticed it so much in my work. I am a bright light. I’m a big divine force. I was just designed that way. I have accepted it. And along with that territory comes my light shines a big old light on people’s shadows and triggers. And it shines a huge light on what is no longer working inside of people. And when you are a medicine person, a medicine man, a medicine woman, and you are in embodiment of your true divine power and light. It can create a reaction in people and depending upon where they’re at and knowing themselves how deep they are on the path, they may not recognize at all that this wave that’s welling up inside of them simply by being in your presence is a medicine wave.

And that this projection, this anger or this burst of anger that they feel toward you is actually something that they need to, you know, examine themselves and go on their own journey with that in that it actually has nothing to do with you, that it’s their own work. But it’s like unless someone is self-honest enough, self-aware enough, conscious enough, deep enough on the path, they’re not going to be able to identify those pieces. And so I just I’m not saying this to make anybody scared.

I’m saying this to empower you. I’m saying this to let you know that when you are a bright light of shining ancient divine truth and ancient wisdom, there is going to oftentimes be reactions. And that is when those things happen. It is not a sign that you’re supposed to stop. It’s a sign that you’re on the right path, that you have to keep holding your truth.

And then there was another thing. What was the other thing? Oh, there is also potential for very humbling moments. I mean, they will still, you know, for sure come in from time to time for me.

But I remember, especially on the more beginning to beginning to middle phases for me when I was in that place where the TV show that I was hosting went under, just I literally, in the snap of a finger, got a call that we were on temporary hiatus. And anyone that works in the media and entertainment industry knows that’s not a good sign. That’s usually code for the shows done.

And so again, living in New York City, not knowing what to do. And my friend owned a juice company and and she knew what had happened with the show. And she said, Alyson, I don’t know if you’re interested at all, but I’m going to open my first brick-and-mortar for the Juice brand. Do you want to, like, manage the juice store? And I’m like, Oh my God, you’ve got to be kidding me. But when I prayed on it, I knew this was a rite of passage for me.

And did it bruise my ego to go from being this like TV host that people might recognize to sitting literally sitting in this tiny little juice store ringing up? I was the manager, but I was don’t get, it twisted. I was the cashier girl, you know, I was holding canning people’s green juices to them. And occasionally people would recognize me and I did that job.

Gosh, I can’t remember exactly times a bit illusory, but I mean, I don’t know, maybe for almost two years. So every day it was humble pie medicine for me to trek into this do store and sit there on this stool.

And I want to say I was doing that to make ends meet while living in New York City, while also cultivating the shamanic path. I was doing occasional shamanic healing events with metaphysical bookstores, and so that was all like the craft was refining and sharpening while I was sitting on this stool, ringing up people’s green juices.

So it’s like, you know, that’s my story that, yeah, there was some really ego obliterating, humble pie moments in the journey. But and again, this doesn’t hold true for everyone. But I think for me it was really good medicine and I knew I was supposed to do that and I knew it was good for me. And I think Spirit wanted to see that like I knew that my worth and value was not changing, shifting, morphing or diminishing by me saying yes to managing that juice shop. I knew there was a bigger picture and I want to be able to be.

I honor my human self just as much as my shaman self. My shaman is not grander than the human me, and I think that’s why those who see the true ness and the purity of me really respect and gravitate to me. It’s because I’m a very down-to-earth real shaman. Like I’m not trying to present as holier than thou or better than thou. I know how to embrace and honor and hold it all. So hopefully there was something supportive in that.

But yeah, I mean, Spirit wants to see your vulnerability, your willingness, because a lot of the instructions that come in will not make logical sense. And if you’re trying to pivot out of a very previous, logical-brained previous pathway of career or just ways of thinking and you’re trying to open yourself up into the voided great mystery of life. There’s going to be most likely, some initiations and rites of passage along the way that are going to be and then feel very challenging for you, to trust spirits messages and trust your own self that you can hold at all.

Emily: I think that’s great advice, and I think there’s two that I think that humble pie piece is really important. You know, because I know some people are focusing on what I think of like vanity metrics and like, you know, who’s who and this kind of inflated ego start of their business and like to take a job as a juice person is like, well, now you recognize me.

Great. And having those days like, so Spirit, did you have any day now? When I’m ready. When you’re ready, I’m ready. Like, did you feel any of that impatience or like, I know I’m doing the right thing, but like, also, how long did you get any of that?

Alyson: Yeah, I mean, yes. Yeah, I mean, it was hilarious. One time when I was the cover story for Marie Claire magazine, the editor had to come do her interview for me at the freakin juice shop. It’s I mean, like, this is real. I mean, I was literally in this multi-page spread of Marie Claire and the cover, it was on the cover. It said, Can a shaman fix your life or something? And that interview happened in the juice shop.

And, and one of the other instructions was, I was told my friend ran a vegan expo and it was called the Seed. And I was told that I was supposed to have a table there. And I’m like, I’m not, I’m not a foodie, not a chef, I’m a shaman. I called my friend. I said, spirit’s said I’m supposed to have a table there. He’s like, you got it. Whatever you need to do.

So I made this little sign that said, like, next level Living with Alice and Charles and I had some crystals and some of my shamanic tools I was doing like mini aura readings and mini chocolate clearings for like $30. I literally had a table at a vegan expo.

And again, like, was that humbling? Yes. Did I understand why? No. But I can tell you and it’s too big of a story to tell you now, but like having that one of those entry points of the true me coming out publicly as a shaman at that expo called The Seed, that full circle moment just revealed itself actually at the Dogon Ceremony Circle event in the last few weeks. I have been getting a message from Spirit for almost a year. It was like Original Seed, Original seed, Original seed, Original Seed.

When I had Naba on my podcast, all of a sudden he said something about origin scene. I was like, wait, wait, what did you just say? And long story short. I saw that the reason he and I were supposed to do that gathering together was because he and I and another friend of mine, Peyton, thousands of years ago, we were together in another lifetime.

And we planted the seed. We sent up the prayer for us to come back together in this lifetime and help other people reconnect with the origin seed inside of them, humanity’s original seed of shamanic ways, shamanic truths, and so on. Only in the last few weeks did it make sense, and did I understand why my shamanic path started at a place called The Seed. So it took me more than a decade to understand why I had to set up a shamanic table at a vegan expo. So I don’t know. There’s a lot of medicine and storytelling, so maybe that’s food for thought in some way.

Emily: Absolutely. And it’s very validating. And, you know, sometimes when we’re in it, we don’t have that hindsight benefit, only trusting that this is happening for a reason. I know there’s got to be I don’t know what it is and I don’t have to know right now. One day it’s going to be very clear.

Alyson: Most oftentimes it is only, the only thing you have is the trust. Yeah, that’s it.

Emily: That’s it. Well, Alyson, it’s been such a pleasure. Such a joy to have you here. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I would love to be able to share more of you with my community. I know you’ve shared that you have your free shamanic journey with purchase of the card deck and your book. Would you like to share a little bit more about what the journey is that we can…

Alyson: Yeah. Yeah, I’m glad you brought that up. So yeah, if you go to my website alysoncharles.com at the top of the page, there’s a tab that you can hit that I think it says Animal Power Book. And when you go to that page yes you will get emailed to you a free video-guided shamanic journey that I facilitate with my drum.

I take you into another realm and we call forward the power animal that in that present time most has a message for you that most wants to support you for some reason with where you’re at right now. And then of course, once you go on that journey and you talk to that animal and get to know it, then you can obviously consult the Animal Power book or deck for further understanding or messaging as to why that animal is showing up for you.

So yeah, just go to alysoncharles.com to get that free journey and then yeah Ceremony Circle my podcast. I think that’s the way that people get to know us the best right? It’s not through it’s a little static picture on Instagram like it’s through hearing and feeling us and have a hearing a conversation. So I recommend Ceremony Circle.

Emily: Great. Well, thank you so much for being here and I’ll make sure to link all of the things on the show notes, the Dogon Wisdom website as well. And if there’s anything else later, we’ll definitely catch up to get all those. Well, thank you so much for being here. It’s been such a joy.

Alyson: Yeah, thanks for having me. It was fun.