Salt & Sovereignty: Witchcraft, Hekate, Shadow Work & Spiritual Healing Podcast
Salt & Sovereignty is a witchcraft and spirituality podcast exploring Hekate, shadow work, trauma healing, and spiritual awakening. This podcast is for those seeking to reclaim their power through spiritual practice, self discovery, and personal growth.This show grew out of my own journey through trauma, therapy, witchcraft, and devotion to Hekate. I don’t claim to have all the answers. I share what I’m learning as I walk this path, including the doubts, the breakthroughs, the messy middle, and the quiet moments of magic that remind me I’m not alone.Episodes explore topics like:Hekate devotion and signsShadow work a...
How to Cast a Spell With Words: The Only 3 Things You Need
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In The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow, June says proper witching only ever takes three things: the will, the words, and the way. This episode is how I actually write my own spells, through those three: listening for the feeling that lingers, finding words that feel right in your mouth (borrowed, rewritten or talked out with someone you trust), and putting it out into the world as simply as you like. Along the way: the...
Deity Work Dry Spell: When Hekate Goes Quiet and Why It Doesn't Mean You Failed
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I've been dry for months, and I suspect some of you have too. This is an honest look at a long quiet season in my deity work with Hekate (Hecate): why I came back to her wanting something, what happened when I tried to audit a month of results, and why a practice built to be unfalsifiable can't tell a gentle absence from a dead one. Along the way: ancient Greek religion's indifference to belief, the healing sanctuaries...
How I Pray to Hekate: Ancient Greek Names vs. the Words I Say When It's Bad
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Most of us speak more than one language to the people we love: the careful voice we save for occasions, and the plain one that shows up at two in the morning. At the top of every ritual I write a line of ancient Greek, one of Hekate's (Hecate's) epithets, and I'm not confident I pronounce any of it right. So what is that line doing on the page?
This episode follows that question through the...
Road Opener Spell With Hekate: Honest Results and the Vow I Never Said Out Loud
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Two weeks ago I walked you through a road opener spell with Hekate (Hecate) in detail. This is the honest follow-up: what happened, what didn't, and the part I skipped. I changed the rite at the altar, the birthday candles went out in their own order, and every photo I took of the working came back as an even, unbroken field of brown. Then I look at the vow I was meant to speak aloud and only thought...
Asking Without the Stack: Money Shame and Charging for Spiritual Work | Salt & Sovereignty Ep. 26
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I spent the better part of an hour in front of an empty box, unable to type a price. It wasn't my principles that stopped me. It was a much older sentence about the kind of person I am with money.
In this episode I look at what I found when I went back to the thing I'd been building: layer after layer of extra promises, piled on so that nobody could say I was asking...
The Truth About Mabon, Hekate, and Persephone's Descent
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Mabon is younger than disco. The name for the autumn equinox was coined in 1974, and Hekate never kept this holiday at all. So why does the turn of the year still feel like hers? This week, Ash goes looking for the real thread between Hekate, the autumn equinox, and the myth of Persephone's descent, and finds something she didn't expect. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter doesn't say Persephone chose the pomegranate. It says she was tricked, and it...
A Friendship Spell for Two Adults With No Friends | Hekate's Deipnon
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Tomorrow I'm casting a friendship spell for me and my husband, and I'm recording this before I do it... so I have no idea yet whether it works.
On the drive home last Sunday we finally said it out loud: we don't have anybody where we live. My best friend is across the state. His is too. So I'm doing a three-night working with Hekate. A Deipnon clearing at the dark moon, three candles for three...
Letting Go Without Guilt: A Crossroads Release Ritual
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What happens when a relationship, a belief, or a version of yourself hasn't done anything wrong, but it's stopped adding anything to your life?
In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ash sits with the guilt of outgrowing something you still love, the fear of becoming someone who abandons people, and the difference between fading away from a connection versus consciously closing the door on it. Drawing on Hekate as goddess of crossroads and thresholds, she talks...
The Ethics of Cursing: Baneful Magic, Consent & Personal Responsibility
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What makes a curse unethical, and who gets to decide? In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores curses, baneful magic, consent, protection, anger, justice, and personal responsibility through the complicated lens of witchcraft ethics.
Ashley begins with something she has never tried to hide or soften: she has cursed someone before, she believed the working was justified, and she still stands by that decision. From there, the conversation moves beyond whether curses are simply “good” or “...
Reiki Self-Attunement, Witchcraft, and Learning Energy Healing Without Rushing
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley shares her experience beginning Reiki through Brett Bevel’s self-attunement method after years of feeling unable to afford traditional Reiki training. She reflects on spiritual accessibility, the ethics of paid spiritual education, and the difference between receiving an attunement and truly integrating an energy healing practice. Ashley also explores how Reiki is beginning to coexist with her witchcraft, devotional practice, and relationship with Mother Earth, especially through a quiet morning walk us...
The Invisible Test: Fear of Rejection, Overthinking, and People Pleasing
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What happens when fear of rejection, people pleasing, and overthinking turn every social interaction into a test someone is trying not to fail? In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ash explores the constant self-monitoring underneath her long-held belief that she hates small talk, and how old survival patterns can quietly shape the way a person sees themselves.
She unpacks social anxiety, fear of abandonment, emotional perfectionism, hypervigilance, fawning, and the pressure to perform the “correct” version of y...
What Does Divine Feminine Really Mean? Hekate, Masculine vs Feminine Energy, and Modern Witchcraft
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What do we actually mean when we talk about masculine and feminine energy?
In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ash explores a question that began with a simple conversation and quickly turned into one of the deepest spiritual rabbit holes she's encountered in years. Why do we call Hekate a goddess? What makes a deity masculine or feminine? Are divine beings gendered in the same way humans are, or are we describing something entirely different?
<...Control, Surrender, and Sovereignty: Rethinking Power in Witchcraft
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A meditation beneath a copper pyramid led Ashley into a much larger question: how often do we mistake control for safety?
In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores the relationship between trauma, surrender, spiritual practice, and the meaning of personal sovereignty. She reflects on the ways hypervigilance and control can begin as intelligent survival strategies, only to later limit our ability to experience joy, vulnerability, mystery, and trust.
That realization also changed the...
Labels in Witchcraft, Trauma, and Identity: Looking Beyond Assumptions
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Labels can help us understand our identity, find community, and name our experiences, but they can also become cages when we mistake them for the whole truth.
In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley reflects on labels, trauma, identity, witchcraft, ADHD, religion, and spiritual practice. Beginning with an expansive meditation experience, Ashley explores why language can point toward an experience without ever fully containing it, and why the same is true of human beings.
...
Finding Hekate: From Fear to Devotion
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This personal reflection explores Ashley’s evolving relationship with Hekate, from religious fear and spiritual anxiety to trust, devotion, historical curiosity, and a more sovereign spiritual practice.
When Ashley first encountered Hekate, she saw a dark and potentially dangerous goddess who might punish mistakes, demand obedience, or expose her to something unsafe. Over time, she began to recognize that many of those fears did not come from Hekate herself. They came from religious trauma, cultural portrayals of...
How Hekate Inspired a Spiritual Home for Modern Witchcraft
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In this episode, Ashley shares the deeply personal story behind the Salt & Sovereignty platform, a project that began as a simple podcast website and gradually became something much bigger: a spiritual home designed to make meaningful practice more accessible for everyone.
In this reflective episode, Ashley explores how three weeks of building led to a much larger realization about accessibility, spiritual practice, and what it means to create a place where people can belong without needing...
Doomscrolling, Nervous System Exhaustion, and the Grief of Realizing You're Not Broken
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley reflects on doomscrolling, nervous system exhaustion, emotional overwhelm, and the grief of realizing she was never broken to begin with.
After months of constantly reaching for noise, distraction, podcasts, videos, and stimulation, Ashley shares what surfaced during a recent Brainspotting therapy session and how silence began revealing deeper layers of grief, trauma, self-blame, and emotional exhaustion.
This is not a productivity conversation or a “fix yourself” episode. It’s...
When Visibility Becomes Performance | Burnout, Content Creation, and Devotion
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In this episode, Ashley reflects on creator burnout, visibility pressure, nervous system exhaustion, and the emotional cost of turning deeply personal work into online content.
What started as an effort to improve podcast SEO and discoverability slowly became a deeper reflection on performance, consistency, emotional honesty, and the pressure to stay visible online. Ashley explores the tension between devotion and optimization, especially within trauma-informed spiritual and healing work.
In this episode:
The emotional...How I Used Spiritual Protection Practices During a Severe Panic Episode
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley shares her real-time experience navigating panic and fear when a wildfire threatened her childhood home and her best friend’s home.
As anxiety and helplessness rise, she reflects on what it means to face something you cannot control, and how returning to spiritual practice can shift you from panic into grounded response.
In this episode:
Anxiety and panic during an emergency situationFeeling out of control and ov...Medical Gaslighting, Chronic Fatigue & Finally Getting Answers
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley shares her experience with years of misdiagnosis, chronic exhaustion, and being told she was “fine” while her body told a different story.
After over a decade of searching for answers, trying medications that didn’t work, and feeling dismissed by medical professionals, Ashley reflects on the moment everything finally made sense and what it means to rebuild trust in yourself.
In this episode:
Years of misdiagnosis and be...Feeling Like You're Not Devoted Enough, Spiritual Guilt & Missed Rituals
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores what it feels like to miss a ritual and immediately question your devotion, worth, and place within your spiritual practice.
After missing Deipnon, Ashley reflects on the internal pressure to be consistent, the belief that devotion must be proven through performance, and how quickly spirituality can begin to feel like a test instead of a relationship.
In this episode:
Missing Deipnon and feeling like you...Why Am I Afraid to Be Seen? Shame, Visibility & Self-Expression
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores the fear of being seen and the internal conflict between wanting visibility and not feeling safe enough to fully express yourself.
Through reflections on therapy, spiritual practice, and intuitive work, Ashley shares how shame can shape identity and create resistance around being visible, even when there is a deep desire to be seen.
In this episode:
Fear of being seen and feeling unsafe in visibilityHow...Poppet Magic for Inner Child Healing, A Hekate Devotional Ritual
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley shares a deeply personal inner child healing ritual using poppet magic in devotion to Hekate.
Through a carefully designed, trauma-informed ritual, Ashley and her friend explore how to meet younger parts of themselves with safety, compassion, and intention. By creating and working with poppets, they engage in a symbolic practice that allows for connection without overwhelm.
In this episode:
Inner child healing through ritual and symbolismHow...Deipnon & Noumenia Rituals, Cleansing, Intention Setting & Honoring Hekate
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores the Deipnon and Noumenia as key points in the lunar cycle, sharing practical ways to cleanse, release, and set intentions in devotion to Hekate.
If you’re looking for a grounded, modern approach to lunar rituals, this episode walks through simple Deipnon cleansing practices and Noumenia intention setting to help you close one cycle and begin the next with clarity.
In this episode:
What the De...Shadow Work with Hekate, Dream Work, Inner Child Healing & Self-Integration
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley shares her experience with a shadow work ritual from The Way of Hekate, exploring dream work, inner child healing, and deepening her connection with the goddess Hekate.
Through a guided “Dream of Descent” ritual, Ashley reflects on what it means to meet your shadow self, how the body and subconscious communicate through imagery, and how spiritual practice can lead to unexpected moments of clarity and integration.
In this...
Working with Hekate, Signs, Experiences & Answering the Call of the Goddess
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley shares her personal experience with Hekate, including the signs that led her to answer the call of the goddess and step more fully into her spiritual path.
If you’ve ever felt drawn to Hekate or wondered if a deity is reaching out to you, this episode explores what that can look like, from subtle signs to undeniable experiences.
Ashley reflects on her journey as a practicing wi...
Brainspotting Therapy, Betrayal Trauma & Childhood Wounds
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores betrayal trauma, childhood wounds, and how early experiences can shape self-hatred and self-worth.
Through a powerful Brainspotting therapy session, Ashley shares how the body stores trauma and how healing doesn’t always follow the path we expect. What begins as an exploration of betrayal in adult relationships reveals deeper layers rooted in childhood and inner child wounds.
In this episode:
What betrayal trauma is and ho...Feeling Like You’re Failing Spiritually, Spiritual Burnout & Perfectionism
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores what it feels like to believe you’re failing in your spiritual practice, and the quiet pressure to “do it right.”
If you’ve ever felt inconsistent, disconnected, or like you’re not doing enough, this episode reflects on where those beliefs come from and how easily spirituality can shift from relationship into performance.
Ashley shares her personal experience navigating expectations, inconsistency, and the influence of spiritual...
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Seasonal Depression & How to Cope
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley shares her experience with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and explores how seasonal changes can impact mood, energy, and mental health.
If you’ve ever struggled during the fall and winter months, this episode unpacks what SAD can feel like from the inside, along with the science behind it, including how light exposure, circadian rhythms, serotonin, and melatonin play a role.
Ashley reflects on her personal journey with se...
Sitting in Silence as Shadow Work, Spiritual Healing & Inner Awakening
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In this episode of Salt & Sovereignty, Ashley explores her experience with silence as a form of self care, reflection, and emotional healing.
If you’ve ever avoided silence or felt uncomfortable being alone with your thoughts, this episode dives into what can surface when everything gets quiet. Ashley reflects on her journey with meditation and stillness, and how sitting in silence began to reveal deeper emotions, patterns, and parts of herself she hadn’t fully faced.
