Dragon Romance, the Honeymoon Mind, and Falling for the Living World with Sophie Strand

For this episode I am joined by author, writer and dear friend Sophie Strand, who invited me into her home to have this wonderful conversation on romantasy as an antidote to doom - and so much more. In her work and life, Sophie focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology, but it would probably be more authentic to call her a troubadour animist with a propensity to spin yarns that inevitably turn into love stories. And love stories is exactly what we talk about in this conversation: from the early crushes we had as children, and our first memories of love stories, to romantasy being responsible for the honeymoon mind and how all of this brings us in relation to the world around us and activates an optimistic attitude in a time of despair and collapse. We weave together this idea of the erotic life force, what that’s being inspired by and how it is informing the way we move in the world.We explore how crushes can force us to be our best self - and how that can help heal the world - as well as the expectations romantasy may have put on our relationships and the dating world. In this light, we talk about the power of the written narrative and how that often shapes our lived experience. We touch on the concept of species traitors and holding people accountable, as well as being apocoloptimists and holding hope in our bodies. Plus, we celebrate Sophie’s upcoming book ‘Make Me Good Soil’, from which she shares one of her ecological love poems with us.Resources + LinksFind Sophie Strand & her work here: Pre-order her new book ‘Make Me Good Soil’Read her Substack Make Me Good SoilHer website https://sophiestrand.comHer Instagram @cosmogynySubscribe to my newsletterMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction[15:09] The Power of Story Telling and Shaping Society’s Narratives[27:36] The Importance of Crush Energy[33:45] Men Written by Women & Romantasy’s Effect on Expectations within Relationships[43:12] Sophie’s New Book ‘Make Me Good Soil’ and the Power of Writing Practices[54:03] The Ownership of Ideas and the Golden Thread That Keeps You Going

In today’s episode, I am joined by Isha Vela to talk about what it means to move money matriarchally and how we rebalance the ecosystem of money and wealth. Isha Vela is a somatic psychologist, financial strategist, matriarchal wealth activist and founder of the Wealth Ecology Institute, where she teaches women to steward money in service of land, lineage, and legacy.We dive deep into what it means to heal intergenerational narratives around money and ancestral scarcity. We call in the idea of money stewardship and the matriarchal responsibility this brings. Isha shares her approach on this work: sustainability over extraction, capacity over speed, circulation over hoarding and enoughness over endless expansion. We explore what this could mean within the classic system of philanthropy , and how a matriarchal approach decentralises this idea of power and centres life, instead. And when we center life, we may approach money - and other resources - like water: it all gets to nourish the ecosystem, as long as it can flow. In that light, Isha brings in the concept of saving circles, and how alive they are and can feel. We also talk openly about building community trust in this context and normalising friction and repair in relationships - especially when money is the culprit.This conversation captures what money and wealth could also be, and become, outside of the existing structures, systems and power dynamics. It celebrates matriarchal energy and will empower you to call this in for yourself and the resources you have available to you.Resources + LinksFind Isha Vela: on her website www.ishavela.comand through her work www.wealthecologyinstitute.comher mini matriarchal wealth masterclass FLOW: Move Money Like a MatriarchYoutube: @wealthecologyinstituteInstagram: @wakingup_wealthyPodcast: Waking up Wealthy with Isha VelaSubscribe to my newsletter My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps [0:00] Introduction [6:55] Ecological Wealth Systems [13:22] Definitions of Wealth [19:49] Moving Money Matriarchally [31:12] Performative Philanthropy and Embodied Giving [40:20] The Feminism of Saving Circles [46:54] Building Community Trust [57:45] Governance and Repair

This episode builds on the previous one in which I open up about my cosmic assignment, and the stories around money and community I held, worked through and continue to journey through. In this episode, I take into account the work that came before that calling of the cosmos: the life I had and the work I did before we bought the farm and build a life here in the Hudson Valley, NY. I talk about how I learned to slow down the timeline of my cosmic assignment, what I had to unlearn and what I was  bypassing. I unraveled myself from a system that was not build for my thriving with the help of ancestral healing work and other modalities, and I also talk about how my partner had to do the same in his own way, on his own timeline, and how we integrated that together. I discuss how the four pillars of my book Root & Ritual were (and continue to be) present in my life. I also explore the idea of composting what was no longer serving my life to make way for what’s coming, and to root into the long term vision of my calling. Resources + LinksBelonging podcast episodes mentioned: #26 Ancestral Constellations and Conscious Dreaming with Grandmother Sarah#118 Community Living Wherever You Are with Sarah WildemanSubscribe to my newsletterMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction [3:44] Unraveling myself from a system that was not build for my thriving [11:27] My partner’s stories around community and money, and integrating the inner work together [16:12] What needed to be composted and let go of [21:28] Slowing down the timeline of my cosmic assignment

In this episode, I open up about my money story and the direction my work is moving toward. I talk about the new world I can see us building together, with us as seed investors and midwives of a new culture, where we get to redefine what capital means and distribute it in more ethical, responsible ways. I share my relationship with money and the stories I inherited about it growing up, and how I'm relearning what true investment actually looks like. I talk about the importance of returning to the hyperlocal, investing money and otherwise within a smaller radius, and the real difference that makes, especially right now. My hope is that this episode breaks down some of the shame and discomfort around talking about money, and opens up the conversations that need to happen.Resources + LinksJoin the waitlist for Your Cosmic Assignment Listen to the previous episode #147 of Belonging on the great wealth transfer and more, with Sarah Davidson: We were not unlucky, we were being prepared Book mentioned: ‘Small is Beautiful’ by E.F. SchumacherSubscribe to my newsletterMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[0:00] Introduction [07:12] Building a new world as seed investors and midwives of a whole new culture [10:30] My personal relationship with money & its backstory [20:02] The unraveling our world intersecting with the opportunities of the great wealth transfer [21:08] Buying the farm as a seed investor [28:32] The different forms of capital [30:42] My cosmic assignment (and yours)

Belonging is now Seed Capital - a show for resourced women who are ready to move away from accumulation and extraction, and toward regeneration and legacy. Every new world starts as a seed someone was willing to plant and steward into being. Seed Capital is a show for resourced women at a crossroads, done with extraction, unsure what replaces it. Each week: stewardship, vision, and the real work of deploying wealth to birth a new paradigm. For the woman who wants to be a good ancestor, starting now.Same host, same vibes, new name. Now onto to today’s episode:How do you navigate being a parent (or wanting to become one) in a world that is grappling with climate change? In today’s episode, I am joined by Caitlyn Wallace, LCSW, PMH-C, and a licensed clinical social worker, educator, and supervisor based in Reno, Nevada. She is the founder of Desert Bloom Wellness NV and her current work intersects trauma-informed perinatal mental health support with climate grief and navigating parenthood in our current social, political and natural climate. Our conversation lands at these intersections, and explores what it means to raise and nurture the future generations in a collapsing world - and how to stay hopeful amidst it, too.Tune in to hear more from us on:The intensity of recent nature’s events and navigating this type of trauma during the perinatal periodDeciding to have a baby in a collapsing worldAcceptance and commitment therapyHow (new) parents are being targeted and guilt-tripped in this capitalist structureUnrecognized grief and guilt in becoming a parent in these timesTaking grounded, hopeful action that aligns with your values, such as setting up climate cafes and finding communityResources + LinksCaitlyn Wallace’s websiteCarmen Spagnola’s GoFundMe for the loss of her farm in a wildfireBooks & other reads mentioned: Goliath’s Curse by Luke KempI Eat The Stars by Sarah Wilson (& her Ted Talk on Collapse)Sophie Strand’s Substack essay ‘Collapsollogy Reading List’Climate Psychology Alliance & the Climate Cafe resourcesJoanna Macy’s workSubscribe to my newsletterMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps [0:00] Introduction [14:51] The Intersection of Perinatal and Climate Mental Health [22:25] Building Capacity to Feel Guilt and Other Emotions as a Parent around Climate Change [29:46] The Power of the Web of Community [33:17] Co-Opting Climate Guilt for New Parents [39:48] Having Hope amidst the Climate Crisis and the Collapse Apocalypse [43:18] Radical Mothering and the Ability to Look a Few Generations Ahead

What does it mean to be a millennial right now - at this exact moment of institutional collapse, climate crisis, and collective upheaval? In this conversation, I sit down with my dear friend and neighbor Sarah Davidson for a wide-ranging talk about generational identity, community resilience, and why millennials might be more prepared for this moment than we think. Drawing on generational theory, Sarah reframes the millennial story: rather than a generation defined by what was taken from us, we are the "hero generation" - the same archetypal cohort as the Greatest Generation - born into crisis and uniquely suited to build what comes next. We explore what that actually looks like on the ground: local currencies, bioregional financing, community-led economies, and the radical act of turning toward each other rather than away. This is a conversation about collapse - and how to meet it with clarity, creativity, and even joy.Resources + LinksBooks mentioned: Generation We: How Millennial Youth Are Taking Over America and Changing Our World Forever by Eric Greenberg with Karl WeberMillennial Momentum: How a New Generation is Remaking America by Morley Winograd and Michael D. HaisBioregional Financing Facilities: Reimagining Finance to Regenerate Our Planet by Samantha Power & Leon SeefeldSarah mentions Kathleen Finlay and Glynwood Center for Regional Food and FarmingShe also mentions her grandmother's ancestral home Midwood on the Hudson (for rent!) and Katherine Moore of Unburdened SpacesSubscribe to my newsletter and check out my Substack, How We Come BackMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps [0:00] Introduction[7:14] How We Met and Our Similar Dharmic paths[12:41] The Millenial Generation and Generational Theory[21:07] The Astrology of these Times[26:07] The Greatest Wealth Transfer in History[35:17] Decentralising through the Unraveling and Midwifing the New World[39:45] The Intentionality of the 40s Portal[46:43] Fostering Healthy Regenerative Ecosystems through Bioregional Financing [53:31] The New Generation is Right on Time

What does it actually take to feel less lonely — even in a room full of people? In this rich, wide-ranging conversation, Becca welcomes back relationship coach Ginny Muir for her second appearance on the Belonging Podcast. Calling in from her jungle home in Costa Rica, Ginny brings her signature blend of warmth, rigor, and humor to a topic that sits at the heart of every relationship we have: the courage to reveal our truest selves. Together, we explore the fascinating world of child consciousness, relational intimacy, and how understanding our child strategies can transform our relationships and inner life. Ginny shares profound insights on recognizing and including our childhood selves to foster greater connection and authenticity.Key topics include:Why loneliness is a symptom of emotional hiding , and how most of us learned to hide earlyThe difference between child consciousness and adult consciousness, and why most conflict, avoidance, and resentment lives in the gap between themWhy "healing your inner child" is a dead end, and what to do instead (notice, include, redirect)How our survival strategies are as unique as our thumbprints, and why attachment theory alone doesn't capture the full pictureA real-life example from Ginny’s community: what it looked like to tell the truth in community, and why it was terrifying even for someone who teaches this workWhat happens when someone else's child part gets activated mid-conflict, and how to stay in adult without shutting down or cavingWhy doing this work in community is different (and more powerful) than one-on-one therapyThe connection between personal relationality and collective resilience - why the adults in the room matter more than ever right nowResources + LinksGinny’s 'The Lover's Collective'The Lover’s Collective Pop Up & Open House on 3/21/26My previous episode with Ginny, #125: Turning Circle Conflict into Deeper IntimacySubscribe to my newsletter and check out my Substack, How We Come BackMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps:[0:00] Introduction[7:16] Craving & Moving to a Particular Type of Land[13:10] The Baseline of Emotional Disconnection[18:18] Embracing Otherness and Intimacy of Self[22:14] Child Consciousness and Strategies[31:11] Examples of Child Strategies as an Adult[37:19] Noticing and Including your Strategies[48:01] Breaking the Cycle by Expressing your Truth[56:36] Repatterning to Adult Competency[59:45] Relational Work in Community as Revolution[01:04:43] Consuming Media and Observing Relationality

This episode is a conversation with my dear friend Catherine Zack, which we initially recorded for her podcast "The 40 Portal". Catherine is the owner of Village Yoga in Kinderhook, NY, an executive coach, speaker, writer and collector of women’s wisdom. This past summer, on her own 40th birthday - only 2 days apart to my own - she invited a group of close female friends to participate in what she calls The 40 Portal, a book in which everyone of 40 and under was invited to write a question, and everyone of over 40 was invited to share their wisdom. This book turned into the podcast The 40 Portal, on which Catherine invites 40 women to have conversations around their path towards 40, and beyond.In this conversation, Catherine and I discuss midlife and what it brings up for us to move into our 40s. I talk about what this portal means to me, and how I’m experiencing this non-linear space of self discovery. We discuss the liberation that can be found in midlife and a sense of shedding the pressure of the societal gaze. We share about embracing a sense of invisibility, the reclaiming of personal magic, erotic awakenings, re-villaging and being seen by the people we actually want to be seen by.Resources + LinksCath’s ‘The 40s Portal Project’Cath’s podcast ‘The 40 Portal’We mention these books: Terry Tempest Williams, “When Women Were Birds” and Miranda July, “All Fours”Sign up for my newsletter, How We Come BackMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelliTimestamps[00:00] Introducing Catherine & her project ‘The 40 Portal’ [08:25] The start of our friendship and the origin of the 40 Portal project [12:16] The personal definition and visual of portal and midlife [16:10] Exploration of identity through name, life phases and self definition [21:41] The myths and blessings of midlife [29:34] Seeking examples of women in their femininity and agency as a mother and as a daughter [34:47] Feeling seen, safe and at home in spaces with other women [38:23] Erotic awakening in midlife [46:29] Releasing patterns and self discovery in your 40s and beyond [50:00] Disappearing from the aggressive societal gaze and feeling seen in the community we knit [54:54] Life as a portfolio with many projects of many seasons and receiving your life’s assignment

My essay, Practicing repair in a post-village worldSubscribe to my newsletter, How We Come Back on SubstackJoin the Winter ‘26 live round of Circle Craft, my women’s circle facilitating trainingMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

My essay, Was the Village Really Better?Subscribe to my newsletter, How We Come Back on SubstackJoin the Winter ‘26 live round of Circle Craft, my women’s circle facilitating trainingMy book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the SelfConnect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli