Say More with Brooke Lyons

🌙 Welcome to the fall season of Say More.It’s here. The witching season. There’s a chill in the air, the days grow shorter, and the shadows lengthen earlier each evening. We’ve entered Samhain, the ancient Celtic twilight of the year. In the old world, Samhain (“SAH-wen”) marked summer’s end and the witch’s New Year – a liminal time when the veil between our world and the spirit world thins. It’s no coincidence that we feel drawn inward now: as autumn deepens into winter, we each undertake a kind of inner descent. In the zodiac, it’s Scorpio season: a time of transformation, mystery, and the unseen; which makes it the perfect time of year to talk about witches.The witch archetype has always lived in the borderlands – at the edge of light and dark, village and forest, known and unknown. She’s a symbol of power and possibility, a keeper of old wisdom, a woman in tune with nature and herself. To me, ‘witch’ is a word of freedom. It crackles with untamed creativity and self-sovereignty. The witch is the part of me that trusts my intuition even when it defies logic.This season is my love letter to that remembrance. Over the next five weeks, I invite you to join me in conversation with women who each embody a different facet of the witch. Some of them call themselves witches; others might not use the word, yet their work is undeniably woven with the witch’s spirit. We’ll meet a healer who draws power from her ancestors’ survival tools, a pattern-seer who charts the stars and our very designs, a storyteller reviving folk magic from far corners of the world, and more.Think of it as gathering around a modern-day Samhain fire: sharing stories, reclaiming old ways, and sparking new insight. Each episode will light another candle in our circle, illuminating what “witch” means in our time – and perhaps what it has always meant.My hope is that as you listen, you’ll find pieces of yourself in these stories. Maybe you’ll remember moments when you, too, felt something uncanny or powerful stirring in you, a time when you trusted your own weird, wild voice. So brew some tea, get cozy, and meet the witches…In this season opener, I speak with Shannon Speir, a ritualist, writer, and space-holder whose work invites us into the sacredness of slowness, rhythm, and everyday devotion. We talk about ritual as reclamation, remembering our worth beyond productivity, and how magic lives in the ordinary: brushing your teeth, folding laundry, lighting a candle. Shannon reminds us that we don’t have to perform our power; we can simply embody it.This conversation is a soft revolution. A sacred return. And the perfect beginning to a season about witches, worth, and the wisdom we’re already carrying.—🔮 About Shannon SpeirShannon Speir a ritualist and manifestation expert guiding women to heal, manifest, and rise through the power of ritual and energetic alchemy. She blends magick & neuroscience through her signature process, The Ritual Method™ to help women create wealth, peace, and expansion in every corner of their lives. Whether the work is personal or professional, Shannon leads through soft power, deep devotion, and sacred simplicity.—🎙️ Connect with ShannonFollow on IG: @itsshannonspeirSubscribe to Living RitualedWebsite & Offerings: The Mystic Society💫 Connect with BrookeFollow on IG: @brookielyonsSubscribe to We Need to Talk About… with Brooke Lyons—🔑 Key ThemesWhy ritual is a form of rememberingLetting go of performance in favor of presence“Messy, honest, and real” magicSoul codes and raising your frequencyMotherhood, grief, and the sacred mundaneWhy “you don’t have to earn being in your body”Creating rhythm and devotion inside a full lifeLiving sacredly without needing to escape your life—🧭 Chapters00:00 — Brooke’s Season Intro11:50 — Welcoming Shannon Speir13:47 — Defining Witchcraft16:12 — Navigating Public Perception20:17 — Stereotypes and Misconceptions24:31 — The Comfort in Not Knowing26:31 — Understanding Magic27:21 — Learning the Craft29:28 — The Role of Social Media in Witchcraft32:04 — The Ethics of Witchcraft40:08 — The Ritual Method44:01 — Unblocking Financial Manifestation48:31 — Discovering Your Soul Codes51:41 — The Rise of Witchcraft in Modern Culture58:19 — Witches and Feminism: A Cultural Reflection1:04:17 — Living a Ritual Life in the Modern World—📚 Resources* Shannon’s Substack: Living Ritualed* Her rituals, community, and bespoke 1:1 mentorship offerings.* Shannon mentioned the Physical Phone as a tonic for information fatigue.* Shannon’s book recommendations include: Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn; Moon Magic by Diane Ahlquist; Witchery by Juliet Diaz; and The Prophet by Khalil Gibran.—🎙 Hosted by Brooke LyonsActress, writer, mother, mystic, and voice behind Say More—a podcast that explores identity, reinvention, and what happens when you stop performing and start telling the truth. Get full access to We Need to Talk About... with Brooke Lyons at brookelyons.substack.com/subscribe

✨ Welcome to the Season Finale of the Say More Summer Series!This summer, I wanted to talk to women who weren’t just evolving—but rebirthing. Quietly, ferociously, beautifully. Behind the scenes and in real time.In this season finale, I sit down with my dear friend Anastasia Ganias-Gellin, the founder and CEO of Fancy Peasant. If you’ve seen the sexy olive oil videos or tasted her wildly medicinal elixirs, you already know. But what you might not know is how this business was born out of deep grief—and how it became a vehicle for midlife power, motherhood integration, and unapologetic reinvention.This conversation is a love letter to every woman rewriting her story. It’s sharp, soulful, hilarious, and—like Anastasia herself—impossible to look away from.—👑 About Anastasia Ganias-GellinAnastasia Ganias-Gellin is the founder and CEO of Fancy Peasant, the Greek pantry brand that’s redefining sensual food, cultural legacy, and feminine power. An accomplished actress, mother of three, and Scorpio rising, Anastasia built Fancy Peasant from her kitchen and her grief, scaling it into a cult-favorite lifestyle brand featured in Town & Country, Real Simple, New York Family, and more.She lives between spreadsheets and stovetops, pitches and poetry, motherhood and mogulhood—and she’s just getting started.—🎙️ Connect with AnastasiaShop Fancy Peasant: fancypeasant.comFollow on IG: @fancy_peasantRead more press + features: Fancy Peasant Press HighlightsJoin Club Fancy: Monthly elixirs & pantry essentials, delivered to your door — Subscribe here💫 Connect with BrookeFollow on IG: @brookielyonsSubscribe to We Need to Talk About… with Brooke Lyons—🔑 Key Themes* Why calming your nervous system is a leadership skill* Identity whiplash after having babies* Building Fancy Peasant from scratch (and grief)* Visibility wounds and choosing to be seen* Midlife as the ultimate glow-up* Raising capital as a woman in CPG* Letting go of the martyr archetype in motherhood* Why your kids don’t need your sacrifice—they need your example* Friendship, freedom, and what it takes to actually scale—🧭 Chapters00:00 — Embracing Problem Solving03:28 — Calming the Nervous System05:59 — Empowerment in Midlife08:51 — The Journey of Fancy Peasant12:07 — Scaling a Business15:10 — Navigating Capital & Gender Dynamics18:00 — Trusting Your Gut21:08 — The Importance of Female Friendships39:02 — Choosing Yourself: The Impact on Parenting42:26 — Breaking the Cycle of Self-Sacrifice46:33 — Reclaiming Identity After Motherhood50:30 — Setting Boundaries & Embracing Change54:09 — Goals and Aspirations: Personal and Professional Growth1:02:55 — Closing Reflections—🧰 Resources* We mentioned Anastasia’s Girls Rule Playlist* Check out the Fancy Peasant Pantry* Anastasia also has a Fancy Peasant Amazon Shop* We referenced that in Human Design, Anastasia is a Manifestor & Brooke is a Manifesting Generator. This informs our decision-making. Read more here.* We talked about our dear friend Courtney Henggeler, who’s a superstar in her own right. Subscribe to her Substack, Notes from the Guest Cottage.—🎙 Hosted by Brooke LyonsActress, writer, mother, mystic, and voice behind Say More—a podcast that explores identity, reinvention, and what happens when you stop performing and start telling the truth. Get full access to We Need to Talk About... with Brooke Lyons at brookelyons.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Say More, the podcast where we go beyond the performance. In this series, I sit down with creators, healers, and thought leaders to explore how they navigate life’s crossroads—especially when the old scripts no longer serve. Today’s guest is Paulina Davie—certified astrocartographer, locational astrologer, and the rare kind of practitioner who makes you feel more at home in yourself just by listening.We talk about identity, intuition, AI, and place—what it means to belong, what gets unearthed when we travel, and how to work with your chart rather than around it. Paulina shares how a solo trip to Cambodia cracked open her own Chiron line and identity lineage, and how her career was quietly born on a Pluto MC—through breakdown, discernment, and a refusal to outsource the truth.This conversation is grounded, expansive, and deeply human. If you’ve ever felt the call to move, shift, or start again, this one’s for you.Listen on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.—🎙️ Connect with PaulinaExplore Paulina’s free astrology email course hereFollow her travel updates & tips on YouTube, Instagram & TikTokSubscribe to her Substacks: Open Self-Love & Serpentine Circular💫 Connect with BrookeInstagram: @brookielyonsSubstack: We Need to Talk About—🔑 Key ThemesWhat astrocartography actually is—and how to use it wiselyThe identity crisis that opened Paulina’s healing pathPluto lines, Chiron lines, and how place reveals what needs to be seenRemote activation and ancestral memoryThe myth of the “expert” and the ethics of AI in spiritual workHow to monetize empathy—and why it's the futureReframing astrology as a tool for clarity, not fearAstrological insights for navigating 2025The truth about moving, staying, and building a sense of home—🧭 Chapters04:14 Understanding Astrocartography and Its Significance07:04 Personal Journey into Astrocartography09:50 The Role of Pluto in Astrocartography13:05 Astrology as a Tool for Self-Actualization15:57 Cultural Identity and Travel Experiences18:48 Navigating Current Global Climate and Personal Choices21:46 The Evolution of News and Information27:40 The Role of Intuition in Decision Making28:47 Defining Expertise in the Age of Information29:56 AI's Impact on Creativity and Authenticity34:03 Monetizing Empathy in a Capitalist Society38:14 Astrological Insights for 202541:44 Transformations for Scorpio Risings45:36 The Limitations of AI in Astrology46:47 Future Endeavors and Offerings—🧰 ResourcesPaulina recommends AstroClick Travel for beginning your journeyWe mentioned the Medical Astrologer Judith HillWe discussed the Ken Klippenstein Substack as a news sourcePaulina referenced Susan Sontag’s iconic book of essays, On Photography—🎙 Hosted by Brooke LyonsActress, writer, mother, mystic, and voice behind Say More—a podcast that explores identity, reinvention, and what happens when you stop performing and start telling the truth.Share Get full access to We Need to Talk About... with Brooke Lyons at brookelyons.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Say More, the podcast where we go beyond the performance. In this series, I sit down with creators, healers, and thought leaders to explore how they navigate life’s crossroads—especially when the old scripts no longer serve. Today’s guest is Dr. Noelle Santorelli—psychologist, trauma specialist, and the voice behind one of the most honest conversations happening online around Mean Girl Mom culture and relational aggression. If you’ve ever felt the chill of the silent treatment at school drop-off or the covert cruelty inside a so-called sisterhood, this one’s for you.We talk about what relational aggression really looks like among adults, why this behavior spikes in high-performing communities, and how to break the cycle before it reaches our kids. Noelle shares her framework for setting low-lift boundaries, naming toxicity without shame, and raising emotionally intelligent children by modeling authentic relationships ourselves.—🎙️ Connect with NoelleInstagram: @drnoellesantorelli💫 Connect with BrookeInstagram: @brookielyonsSubstack: We Need to Talk About—🔑 Key Themes* Understanding relational aggression in adult communities* Why Mean Mom behavior isn’t just petty—it’s psychological* The covert ways parents shape their kids’ social dynamics* Scarcity mentality in high-achieving environments* The myth of “being nice” and the power of authentic boundaries* How to break cycles of emotional harm—without losing your center—🧭 Chapters00:00 Mean Mom Culture: The Personal Wake-Up Call06:03 From Trauma Work to Toxic Systems09:05 What Is Relational Aggression, Really?12:20 Why This Behavior Spikes in Motherhood17:01 Scarcity, Control, and Social Hierarchies21:11 How It Impacts Our Children—Overtly and Covertly29:19 What to Do When You Can’t Walk Away31:34 Recognizing When You’re Playing Along34:50 The Art of Disrupting the Cycle Gently36:24 Where Do We Draw the Line?40:17 Authenticity ≠ Rudeness43:20 Acceptance as a Nervous System Reset47:01 Why Pain Is Inevitable—but Suffering Isn’t51:35 Affluence, Anxiety, and the Pressure to Perform53:23 Three Tools to Break the Cycle—🧰 Resources* Follow Noelle on Instagram for tools, insights, and upcoming guides* We discussed Jennifer Wallace’s book Never Enough (on pressure, performance, and parenting)* Noelle recommended the book Danielle Bayard Jackson’s book Fighting for Our Friendships—🎙 Hosted by Brooke LyonsActress, writer, mother, mystic, and voice behind Say More—a podcast that explores identity, reinvention, and what happens when you stop performing and start telling the truth. Get full access to We Need to Talk About... with Brooke Lyons at brookelyons.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Say More, the podcast where we go beyond the performance. In this series, I sit down with creators, healers, and thought leaders to explore how they navigate life’s crossroads—especially when the old scripts no longer serve.Today’s guest is Alyshia Ochse—actress, bestselling author, podcast host, entrepreneur, and mother. You might know her from her role as “Lucy,” opposite Matthew McConaughey, in HBO’s True Detective.We talk about what it really means to balance ambition and motherhood, how people-pleasing dilutes your presence, and what midlife demands from women who refuse to settle. Alyshia shares deeply earned wisdom on the unraveling of Hollywood’s old systems, the creative power of rest, and what it takes to rewrite your own definition of success.—🎙️ Connect with AlyshiaWebsite: alyshiaochse.comInstagram: @alyshiaochseWork with Alyshia: Consultations Available Here💫 Connect with BrookeInstagram: @brookielyonsSubstack: We Need to Talk About—🔑 Key Themes* Redefining success in a shifting creative landscape* The myth of balance (and what replaces it)* Boundaries as a form of self-respect* Why midlife isn’t a crisis—it’s a recalibration* How to sustain a creative career without burning out* Collaboration over competition in an industry in flux—🧭 Chapters00:00 Navigating Career & Motherhood03:31 Boundaries & People Pleasing06:19 Authenticity in Professionalism09:14 Shifting Perspectives in Midlife11:46 Breaking Out of Old Stories17:29 The Changing Landscape of the Industry19:48 Surviving as a Middle-Class Actor23:00 Embracing Multi-Hyphenate Careers34:22 Industry-Wide Changes in Actors’ Paychecks35:23 Understanding the Business of Acting37:43 The Role of Networking in Acting38:38 Embracing the Unknown in Career Paths39:34 Aligning Personal Cycles with Professional Opportunities42:14 The Necessity of Rest and Recovery44:20 Exploring Creativity Beyond Acting47:55 The Power of Self-Care in the Creative Process51:22 Navigating Auditions in a Virtual World56:49 Curiosity Over Competition in the Industry59:49 Staying Positive in a Heavy World—🧰 Resources* We reference the Skye P. Marshall episode of That One Audition Podcast* Read Alyshia’s bestselling book, Life Letters* Coach or Consult with Alyshia—🎙 Hosted by Brooke LyonsActress, writer, mother, mystic, and voice behind Say More—a podcast that explores identity, reinvention, and what happens when you stop performing and start telling the truth. Get full access to We Need to Talk About... with Brooke Lyons at brookelyons.substack.com/subscribe