Ep. 175 - Josie Castañeda - Latine Herbalism: Curanderismo, Healing Plants & Folk Traditions

Hey everybody! Episode 177 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Snow Raven (Suor). Snow Raven comes from a group of people in Siberia called Sakha. Snow Raven has a really beautiful presence and I was really happy to sit down and speak and with her. We spoke about her background, the cosmovison of her people, Sakha shamanism, the power of nature and animals, her calling as a singer, and bridging ancient wisdom with modern life. Snow Raven has a beautiful perspective and her wisdom comes through her words. I trust you all will gain much from her share. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Snow Raven, visit her website at: https://snowraven.com/To learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wI will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Hey everybody! Episode 176 of the show is out. This episode is a podcast I was interviewed on called The Mushroom’s Apprentice hosted by Shonagh Home. I was on Shonagh’s podcast previously and really enjoyed it and was happy to return. Shonagh has a beautiful wisdom and knowledge of this world and beyond and she did a great job picking my brain about plant medicine and healing. We especially spoke about my work with traditional healing via the mediums of tobacco and trees as well as the Celtic wisdom that infuses this work. We also spoke a bit about the world and forces at large. Shonagh always engages in deep conversations and I trust you all will gain from this episode. Consider supporting her podcast and work if you enjoy this conversation. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Jason, visit his website at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo learn more about or contact Shonagh, visit her website at: https://shonaghhome.com/To view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wI will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Hey everybody! Episode 175 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Josie Castañeda. Josie and I share a mutual friend, Ian Darrah, so I was really happy to find that out and to sit down and speak with her. Josie has a really interesting life story that saw her pursue many different paths before returning to her roots. She wrote a beautiful beginners guide to curandersimo drawing upon her different practices and Mexican and Cuban roots. I found it a really good, concise read and was happy to have her share in her story, life experiences and wisdom. She has a lovely energy and I’m sure you all will gain a lot from her wisdom. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Josie, including her book, visit her website at: https://www.curanderaremedies.com/To learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wI will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Hey everybody! Episode 174 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Andrew Michaels. I got to know Andrew when he came and worked with us. He’s an interesting guy with an interesting story. He is a lawyer by trade and recently released and will publish a paper entitled Ayahuasca and Religious Freedom. This is an important and prescient topic as ayahuasca is being brought to and worked with in the United States. Currently it is illegal and classified as a Schedule 1 drug. However there is now case law and precedent of groups attaining religious exemption under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. We spoke about this process, the case history, why it important, some of the potential drawbacks, and his outlook moving forward. It was a really interesting conversation and I hope you all enjoy it. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Sam, visit his websites at: https://lawayra.comTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wI will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Hey everybody! Episode 173 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Rael Inshan. Rael is an interesting guy who specializes in the amanita muscaria mushroom. I was really happy to have him on to speak about this sacred medicine as its not a topic I have covered much. We spoke about his difficult childhood and how that led him to South America to work with different indigenous medicine traditions. This eventually led him to discover the amanita muscaria mushroom in the woods near him and to begin working with it and to learn, firsthand, it’s benefits. He speaks about the wisdom it has taught him about it’s medicine on the individual level as well as the collective and a vision of a new earth that he feels the mushroom is guiding us towards. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!*Disclaimer*: Amanita muscaria belongs to a family that includes deadly mushrooms. Misidentification can be fatal. The host does not endorse using any wild mushrooms without professional, supervised guidance. Listeners assume all risk and the host bears no liability.This episode is sponsored by:Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Rael, visit his website at: https://www.amanitawarrior.comTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Hey everybody! Episode 172 of the show is out. This episode is a podcast I was interviewed on called Embracing the Mystery with Dani Rhem. Dani had reached out to me a while back with interest in my work and was very kind to invite me on her podcast. She has beautiful presence and I was really happy with her questions and the depth of this interview. We spoke primarily about my work with the medicine of trees and tobacco. I hope you all can gain some insights and please consider supporting her work and great podcast as well. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!*Disclaimer: this channel and its host/guests do not dispute or contradict health authority guidance by denying the addictive or harmful properties of nicotine or tobacco.*This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Jason, visit his website at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo learn more about or contact Dani, visit her website at: https://www.danirhem.comTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wI will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:• November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)• January 2026: our second Remote Dieta• February 2026: Sacred Valley of Peru• July 2026: Westport, Ireland• November 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Adrian Freedman’s A Call to Prayer: https://adrianfreedman.com/shop/ & Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_soundDisclaimer:We do NOT buy, sell, trade, or distribute:• Tobacco or nicotine products of any kind.• Products that simulate smoking, including all types of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) such as e-cigarettes, vapes, nicotine-free vapes, cigars, herbal cigarettes, e-liquids, or tobacco-related production equipment.We are not a medical facility and no health care is practiced under our direction. We do not offer:• Medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or any form of health-related service, whether paid or unpaid• Tests or information intended to support or substitute for any of the aboveAll content is for educational and informational purposes only, rooted in traditional knowledge and cultural practices.

Hey everybody! Episode 171 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Stephen Hussey. Stephen has a fascinating story of having survived a widow-maker heart attack in his 30s’ He went on to deeply research the role of the heart and how to optimize its health. It led him on journey to question many of the fundamental assumption of what the heart its, it’s role in the human organism, and how to keep it healthy. We speak about some of these fundamental assumptions, the role of structured water, infrared light, and the deeper meaning behind a purely physical model of the heart. This was a really fascinating conversation and I think Stephen has a lot of wisdom to share and you will gain much from his insights. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!To learn more about or contact Stephen, visit his websites at: https://resourceyourhealth.comTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Adrian Freedman’s A Call to Prayer: https://adrianfreedman.com/shop/ & Nuno Moreno's Heart's Cave: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound

Hey everybody! Episode 170 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Tricia Eastman. I recently came across Tricia’s work and was really impressed with all she has been doing. It seemed we had a similar journey. I was happy to sit down and learn more about her and as she shared was very impressed with her presence and wisdom. We spoke about her journey with ayahuasca, her time working in an ibogaine clinic, her Bwiti initiations with iboga, ancestral lineages she has studied with, and some of the wisdom of this work she has learned along the way. This was a really beautiful and insightful conversation and a real joy for me to listen to her. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by La Wayra Ayahuasca retreats. Visit https://ayahuascaincolombia.com to book your retreat or learn more and mention UWP and they will gift you a free body-work session during your stay.To learn more about or contact Tricia, visit her links at: https://lnk.bio/7zGeTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Hey everybody! In this episode, I spoke with Adrian Freedman. Adrian recently came into my radar as he was performing in a festival that I knew about. We delayed our talk unit we could meet in person and I’m glad we did. Adrian has a really deep presence and we spoke about his journey being trained in classical music, his learning the Japanese shakuhachi flute and buddhism, his encounter with Santo Daime and ayahuasca, and what he has learned in many decades walking this path. We went over three hours and I really enjoyed speaking with Adrian and trust you all will get a lot out of the depth, wisdom, and clarity of Adrian. Note I had some difficulties with the audio and needed to use voice enhancement so there is some distortion in our voices from time to time, apologies! As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Adrian, visit his website at: https://adrianfreedman.comTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in:November 2025: Sacred Valley of Peru (SOLD OUT)January 2026: our second Remote DietaFebruary 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruJuly 2026: Westport, IrelandNovember 2026: Sacred Valley of PeruIf you would like more information about joining us and the work I do or about future retreats, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Adrian Freedman’s Sweet Avre and A Call to Prayer: https://adrianfreedman.com/shop/

Hey everybody! Episode 168 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Ian McCall. I had known about Ian for many years as a mixed martial artist and recently with his advocacy in psychedelics as medicine. I was really happy to have him on to speak about his background, martial arts, his low points in life and the transformation psychedelics had for him, traumatic brain injury, the the organization he created to bring awareness and help people. Ian is a really fascinating guy with a great life’s story and I’m sure you will get much from this conversation. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by La Wayra Ayahuasca retreats. Visit https://ayahuascaincolombia.com to book your retreat or learn more and mention UWP and they will gift you a free body-work session during your stay.To learn more about or contact Ian, visit his website & social media at: https://www.instagram.com/ianmccall & https://athletesjourneyhome.comTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in the Sacred Valley of Peru November 2-30. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://jasongrechanik.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanikFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H