{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F3673ede3-cf82-46f1-a0b5-364d48feac7f","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Navigating Tower Time with Byron Ballard","description":"In tarot, the Tower card represents crisis, destruction and liberation. According to my latest guest, it\u2019s also an apt representation of where we are culturally. How then, do we navigate this time of collapse with compassion, bravery and heart?\n\nOn today\u2019s episode, I explore this subject with H. Byron Ballard, a ritualist, teacher, gardener, and author of multiple books, including \u201cStaubs and Ditchwater: A Friendly and Useful Introduction to Hillfolks\u2019 Hoodoo\u201d; \u201cEarthworks: Ceremonies in Tower Time\u201d; and \u201cSeasons of a Magical Life\u201d. Known as Asheville, North Carolina\u2019s village witch, Byron specializes in folk magic and folkways of the surrounding Appalachian Mountains. Byron is also a senior priestess and co-founder of the Mother Grove Goddess Temple, a nonprofit church with a focus on the many forms of the divine feminine. \n\nDuring this latest episode, we discuss:\n\u2022\tByron\u2019s \u201cunchurched\u201d background, and how this made it possible for her to find her way to Goddess spirituality\n\u2022\t Her practical, no-frills approach to magic and witchcraft\n\u2022\tWhat she means by the term \u201cTower Time,\u201d and how we can support each other as patriarchal systems continue to crumble around us\n\u2022\tHow ceremony and ritual can help us remain grounded and calm amidst chaos\n\u2022\tWhat it means to \u201cgo to ground,\u201d and how this can help us keep our sanity","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/76690fd1-785b-49c8-8ade-6cb81bfdaacf/byron-ballard-1-sq.jpg"}