The OptiMYSTIC Podcast

In this spring episode, Angie Enger and I sit down for a deeply human conversation on midlife desire, bodily autonomy, and the courage to want what you want. Together, we explore how desire evolves through life’s transitions – motherhood, partnership, identity shifts – and why midlife can act as a portal. Angie shares her lineage as a triplet, midwesterner, sex educator and community counselor, taking us through her shame-free approach to pleasure. She offers practical tools, catered to women and femmes, helping us reconnect with our bodies in ways that both awaken the individual and empower the collective. This episode is an invitation to soften any inherited shame, deepen self-intimacy, and remember that desire is a form of wisdom worth listening to!Follow Angie’s journey at angieenger.com, angieenger.substack.com and @angieengercoachConversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons.Released April 7, 2026.Original music by Isabel Mares.

In celebration of the Vernal Equinox, we sit down with Zivar Amrami, artist, writer, creative guide, and student of many lineages. She reflects on living between worlds, as a woman of Iranian and Norwegian descent, weaving from Kabbalistic wisdoms, the emergent esoteric, and myth. As we discuss her newest work, The Wisdom of Birth Tarot Deck (aka “the pocket doula”) and this shared season of mystic motherhood, we untangle some knots in the false binary of birth and death. We travel from her Chabad childhood, consequent spiritual journeys, and healing in mothering–re-storying ourselves, allowing for new translations to emerge. Join us.Follow Zivar’s journey at zivaramrami.substack.com and @zivaramramiConversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons.Released March 20, 2026.Original music by Isabel Mares.

On this Samhain/Halloween special, we sit down with Isabelle Rizo–Romanian Chicago-based artist, licensed art psychotherapist, hypnotist, researcher, and tarot teacher whose work bridges mythos, mysticism, multicultural healing. A former political refugee, Isabelle weaves lived experience with clinical insight and spiritual artistry to guide emotional transformation, ancestral reconnection, and radical self-trust. Rooted in Eastern European folklore, mysticism, and matriarchal traditions, her liberation-centered approach reclaims healing as both a personal and political act. We talk about Transylvanian folklore (yes, Dracula), AI mindfulness, and how creativity and ritual transforms our world(view) for the better.Follow Isabelle’s journey at IsabelleRizo.com and @isabellerizobvpConversations with visionaries are released on full moons.Released October 31, 2025. Original music by Isabel Mares.

Toni ‘Afia’ Reynolds–emergent Okomfo priestess in the Ghanaian spiritual tradition of Akom–shares her profound journey from Christian 'army brat' to interfaith theologian, cultural memory worker, and healing justice practitioner. This episode explores the moments that feel like rejection but are, in truth, sacred interventions. Afia traces how ancestors and intuition conspire to reroute us toward liberation, dignity, and deeper purpose. Neither does she shy away from the traumatic histories we emerge from. Grounded in African diasporic spirituality and cross-cultural storytelling, the conversation invites listeners into a world where divine detours are part of a much older, interconnected map.Follow Toni’s journey @becomingafia and @changingfrequencieshttps://changingfrequencies.com/https://kolibrifdn.org/Conversations with visionaries are released on full moons.Released June 13, 2025. Original music by Isabel Mares.

Master educator, advocate, mentor, and leader in the early childhood movement Kathy Pomer, reminds us that children have a lot to teach us. In fact, they can—and should—be mystic guides towards beloved community. Together we reckon with history, ranging from racialized early childhood care in the U.S., revolutionary practices born out of WWII, to learnings during the COVID-19 pandemic and modern Jewish lenses for building inclusive communities. We reflect on motherhood as an invitation to be both teachers and students, to both guide and wonder. This intergenerational friendship reflects back the beauty of breaking down binaries, choosing and shaping our faith as we age, and accepting the responsibility of applying personal growth to the communities we serve.Follow Kathy’s journey @gatherroundconsulting and gatherroundconsulting.comConversations with visionaries are released on full moons.Released May 12, 2025. Original music by Isabel Mares.

Franciscan Friar and Afrofuturist musician, Brother Zachary Stevens Walter, reminds us that history is dynamic…and deliberate. From recalling the Black history of the banjo and the African identity of Saint Augustine to wrestling with the memory of Saint Patrick as a wound of colonization, we discuss collective healing through hidden histories. Brother Z inspires contemporary uses of ancient cultural technologies, and venerates the role of historian as activist. Join two friends as they uncover the hidden holy and truths buried by revisionist history—because we can only write the future by reckoning with the past.Follow Brother Z’s journey @brotherzachary and @communitychurchny Conversations with visionaries are released on full moons.Released April 11, 2025. Original music by Isabel Mares.

Intergenerational educator and curator of multifaith ritual and community, Stephen Silva shares insights from his queer Jewish conversion journey – illuminating the ways in which we can live with presence and purpose. After receiving a spiritual foundation in Catholic service, Stephen details the detours and divine breadcrumbs that led him to Judaism. We laugh about the holy surprises of parenthood and hold the complexities of finding god in our grief. We chat about the importance of food and everyday rituals that keep us curious and connected. Enjoy this heartfelt hour between two old friends made new…and Jew-ish. Follow Stephen’s journey @thesilvabullet and find him making magic @labshul and @thedeepdinner Conversations with visionaries are released on full moons.Released March 14, 2025. Original music by Isabel Mares.

Reverend Kaeley McEvoy preaches the inherent goodness of all bodies. Her ministry roots in interfaith dialogue, protecting reproductive rights, and eco-feminism. Honoring the soils we come from, lineages of elders and mystics, and the call to community in tumultuous times, Kaeley reminds us that we are holy…and never alone. She inspires us to find church and sanctuary at the tables of neighbors, in the streets, and arm-in-arm with our fellow humans. Follow Kaeley’s work via revkaeleymcevoy.com and @kaeleymcevoyConversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons.Released February 12, 2025. Original music by Isabel Mares.

Irish herbalist, folkcrafter, and ritualist Tonja Reichley calls us into relationship with the land – both ancestral and colonized – through relationality with plants, myth, and time. Following the celestial, Celtic Wheel of the Year, she shares wisdoms and ways from as far back as the Neolithic Era. Walking the way of Brigid, also known as ‘Mary of the Gael’, Tonja threads a multilayered history of colonization, resistance movements, and goddess devotion in times of disconnection. We discuss the sacred weavings of the Irish Wisdom tradition and how they can serve and fortify us. This conversation comes just days before Imbolc (also known as Brigid’s Day) – the half-way mark between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Follow Tonja’s work via dancingwiththewild.com and @tonjareichley  Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released January 29, 2025.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

Afrofuturist performing artist, poet, death doula, theologian and multigenerational educator, storäe michele speaks to visionary Black futures and world-making on the cusp of the new year. Rooted in bodily autonomy and spirit, storäe’s films, performances, and writings guide us to what they describe as “practices in freedom-making.” Two dear friends discuss dreamworlds, family secrets, slower living, seminary, alien fibroids, and hauntings – just to scratch the surface. storäe joyfully invites us into their ethos, which fuels the story-works they create as transformative spells for healing. Follow storäe’s work via https://www.storaemichele.com/ and @storae.michele Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released December 30, 2024.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

Interfaith minister, facilitator and singing healer, Reverend Rhetta Morgan, delves into all the many ways mysticism accompanies her – and the change makers she supports – in the work of social justice and collective healing. Together we explore the wisdoms that we can find by exploring the darkness, the dawn, and the heart, all intentionally holding the complex histories that bind us together. Join us for a conversation about how ritual buoys anti-racism work and how mysticism is a tool for the change we wish to see in our shared world. You can follow and connect with Rev. Rhetta on her website https://www.reverendrhetta.com and on Instagram @reverendrhetta Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released December 15, 2024.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

Puerto Rican interdisciplinary artist and healer, Amanda Raquel Martinez, draws from the realms of theatre, opera, yoga, songwriting, circus, dance, and astrology to create multifaceted work. This episode highlights the power of femme friendship, meeting people where they’re at, and the mystical practice of staying curious. Guided by somatic and ancestral wisdoms, Amanda shares how she creates inclusive, expansive healing communities for all. You can follow and connect with Amanda in Instagram @dreampasthestars Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released December 1, 2024.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

Narrative change strategist and Seneca descendant, Rachel Arlene Redeye Porter weaves the threads of wisdom received from elders, disability, climate resilience, and grief – both personal and collective. She shares these key entryways into the work of connecting individuals and communities with ancestral and somatic truths, so they can journey more purposefully and equitably into our shared future.  Rachel is the founder of The Indigenous Enough Project and co-founder of narrative justice company, Kneading Change. You can connect with her the following ways: @IndigenousEnough @KneadingChange [email protected] Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released November 15, 2024.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

Artist-activist and educator Malia’Kekia Nicolini (o’ia, she, they) shares how she finds healing through the Pedagogy of Play, bodily autonomy, and Indigenous wisdoms. As a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), trained performing artist, and mindfulness practitioner, she delves into how we can change the world through moments - rooting in land, body, and ever-evolving selfhood.  Malia’Kekia is the Co-Founder of B4 The Other Creations. Follow her work @b4theothercreations | b4theother.com and @maliakekiatilts  Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Released November 1, 2024.  Original music by Isabel Mares.

Our host, Isabel Mares, sets the "auditory altar" for listeners, introducing herself and mysticism. Mysticism, as both a concept and a call. She shares the intention and invitation of the first season of The OptiMYSTIC Podcast, which seeks to expand our definition of the mystical by way of sharing insights from today's change-makers (modern mystics)...in a world that needs radical and accessible hope. Conversations with visionaries are released on new and full moons. Follow Isabel's work @thesoundsofourstory | thesoundsofourstory.com Released November 1, 2024. Original music by Isabel Mares.