The Sacred Speaks podcast | Listen online for free

Available Episodes

5 of 133

133 - Dr. Jennifer Freed - A Map To Your Soul: Astrology, Depth Psychology, and the Soul’s Invitation
Dr. Jennifer Freed joins host Dr. John W. Price on The Sacred Speaks for a wide-ranging and intimate conversation at the crossroads of psychological astrology, Jungian depth psychology, and lived mysticism. Jennifer shares her personal journey—from early childhood visions and psychedelic experiences, through trauma, therapy, and decades of clinical and spiritual work—to her current understanding of astrology as a living, symbolic map rather than a fixed fate. Together, we explore how the birth chart functions as an invitation into “divine possibilities,” revealing our growth edges, shadow material, and evolving expressions across a lifetime. Our dialogue moves through themes of shadow integration, relational devotion, nervous system regulation, and cultural upheaval, including reflections on Pluto in Aquarius and what this moment asks of humanity. Jennifer offers a sobering yet hopeful vision—one that calls for discernment, humility, and deeper participation in the unfolding mystery of being human. Key Takeaways Astrology as Invitation, Not Determinism The birth chart reveals our cosmic DNA—a range of primitive, adaptive, and evolving expressions—inviting conscious participation rather than passive identification. Shadow Integration and the Nervous System Owning projections and shadow material brings regulation and clarity, helping us think more clearly amid ideological rigidity and identity fixation. Romance as Daily Devotion True intimacy is not sustained by chemistry alone, but by ongoing self-care and a quiet, consistent service to the subtle needs of the beloved. Cultural Crossroads Under Pluto in Aquarius, humanity faces a profound threshold—between fragmentation and unity—with discernment, responsibility, and imagination required. Time Stamps (00:00) Introduction and updates (00:27) Upcoming events and community initiatives (01:27) Special mentions and acknowledgements (02:51) Introducing Dr. Jennifer Freed (04:13) Jennifer’s journey and body of work (06:51) Early mystical experiences (08:35) Psychedelic insights and Jungian influence (10:58) Therapeutic journey and personal growth (16:35) Astrology and personal insight (36:53) The role of intuition in astrology (42:47) Adding value, embodiment, and ecstatic dance (43:08) Mars in Pisces: challenges and opportunities (43:58) Rigidity, discipline, and devotion (44:57) The joy of dance and energetic freedom (45:21) Astrology as a path of growth (50:08) Self-care and relational health (50:31) Serving your partner with presence (52:18) Astrology in romantic relationships (01:05:12) The human experiment and the future (01:08:18) Extraterrestrial encounters and meaning (01:12:59) Closing reflections Website & Offerings: https://www.jenniferfreed.com (Includes her Substack, courses, and retreat work) Books: Use Your Planets Wisely — exploring planetary expressions from primitive to evolving Beyond Aquarius — a romance novel emphasizing inner work and conscious relationship Learn more about this project at: http://www.drjohnwprice.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesacredspeaks/ Twitter: Theme music provided by: http://www.modernnationsmusic.com
--------
1:16:11
--------
1:16:11
132: Solo - The Sacred Rhythm: Ritual, Meaning & Sacred Practice
In this solo episode, I explore the deep significance of ritual—especially as we move through the season of descent and into the longest night of the year. Modern culture has stripped ritual of its heart, reducing sacred rhythms to holidays and surface forms. What once rooted us in mystery has become spectacle or habit. In this conversation, I want to return to the essence of ritual as something alive—something that helps us remember what we’ve forgotten. I share personal stories and reflections from my own spiritual practice, from early meditation experiences to what I’ve learned through depth psychology and comparative religion. We’ll look at how genuine ritual serves not as superstition, but as an act of remembering, reconnecting, and transforming—an embodied way of saying yes to the unseen life moving through us. This episode explores how ritual bridges matter and spirit, how mystical experience can reorient the psyche, and how remembering the sacred in everyday life is both an act of rebellion and a return home. Ritual invites us to tend what still burns within us—to live in rhythm with the mystery that underlies all things. Key Reflections Ritual anchors the sacred in the rhythms of everyday life. Modern culture often forgets the true essence and transformative power of ritual. Mystical and peak experiences ask to be honored, integrated, and lived—not chased. Remembering and reclaiming ritual is an act of rebellion, renewal, and belonging. In This Episode (00:00) Introduction to Ritual and Peak Experience (00:59) The Cultural Disconnect with Rituals (03:34) Personal Story: Meditation and Transformation (07:48) The Dual Structure of Human Experience (10:12) The Importance of Mystical Experience (14:34) Ritual as Rebellion and Remembrance (16:02) Invitation to Free Webinar on Ritual (17:08) Conclusion and Closing Reflection WATCH: YouTube for The Sacred Speaks https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOAuksnpfht1udHWUVEO7Rg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesacredspeaks/ @thesacredspeaks Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesacredspeaks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesacredspeaks/ Brought to you by: https://www.thecenterforhas.com Theme music provided by: http://www.modernnationsmusic.com
--------
18:12
--------
18:12
131: Terry Real - Redefining Masculinity: Men’s Hidden Depression & Relational Healing
In this episode of The Sacred Speaks, host Dr. John W. Price sits down with pioneering therapist and author Terry Real, whose decades of work have redefined how we understand men, relationships, and emotional life. Nearly thirty years after the release of his groundbreaking book I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression, Terry reflects on the evolution of men’s inner worlds, the cultural forces that still shape them, and the courageous work required to heal. This conversation moves between the personal and the collective—between the suffering of individual men and the systems that taught them to suffer silently. Together, John and Terry explore how patriarchy has halved both men and women, severing men from their emotional lives, and how healing requires a return to connection, empathy, and embodied relational practice. Through heartfelt stories, clinical insight, and grounded wisdom, Terry calls us toward a new model of masculinity—one rooted not in dominance or disconnection but in courage, accountability, and love. This episode is an invitation to anyone longing to understand the hidden pain of men and the pathways toward relational wholeness. Key Themes -Male depression as a covert epidemic—often masked by addiction, anger, or withdrawal rather than sadness. -How patriarchy teaches men to fear vulnerability and equate worth with production, control, and performance. -The intergenerational inheritance of silence and shame between fathers and sons. -Why true intimacy depends on empathy, humility, and repair—not dominance or emotional avoidance. -The call for a new relational culture that honors interdependence and shared healing. Time Stamps 00:00 – Introduction & framing the conversation 03:00 – Revisiting I Don’t Want to Talk About It nearly 30 years later 06:30 – How patriarchy harms men and the women who love them 10:45 – Understanding covert male depression 16:20 – The producer model: when net worth becomes self-worth 22:10 – Loneliness and the erosion of male friendship 29:40 – Family systems, shame, and the father wound 37:15 – Relational Life Therapy: a model for repair 44:00 – Vulnerability as strength 50:30 – Healing through accountability and compassion 58:00 – The future of masculinity and relational wholeness Connect with Terry Real Explore Terry’s courses and trainings in Relational Life Therapy (RLT) for both professionals and general audiences: 🌐 terryreal.com 🌐 relationallife.com Connect with Dr. John W. Price Website: https://drjohnwprice.com Podcast: https://thesacredspeaks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjohnwprice/ If this conversation resonates, please like, share, and subscribe to The Sacred Speaks to support these ongoing dialogues at the crossroads of psyche, soul, and the sacred.
--------
1:00:44
--------
1:00:44
130 - Richard Rohr: Happiness is an Inside Job
In this heartfelt episode of The Sacred Speaks, John Price sits down with longtime spiritual guide and Franciscan friar, Father Richard Rohr. Together they explore the deeper dimensions of happiness and meaning—moving far beyond cultural clichés. Drawing on Richard’s decades of integrating psychology, spirituality, and mysticism, the conversation challenges conventional ideas of happiness as mere pleasure or circumstance. Instead, Richard invites us to embrace a “just right mind”—a way of living that balances ego, suffering, and joy. Speaking with candor and humility, he reflects on aging, facing death, and the transformative power of love, community, and humor. This conversation is a profound invitation to shift from sin management to radical compassion and participation in a bigger, joyful universal flow. Key Takeaways True happiness emerges from a “just right mind” that balances enough ego to appreciate life without judgment or denial. Happiness is not external comfort, but the capacity to meet suffering with grace and mindfulness. Radical acceptance and surrender open us to a joy larger than the self. Humor and community sustain lightheartedness and connection in the face of life’s challenges. In This Episode (00:00) Welcome to The Sacred Speaks (03:57) A Deep Dive into Happiness (05:33) The Concept of "Just Right" Mind (10:49) Sin Management and Spiritual Growth (14:40) The Role of Ritual and Authority (18:27) Balancing Ego and Humility (25:47) Order, Disorder, and Reorder (27:45) The Illusion of Happiness in Modern Culture (28:44) The Shadow Side of Comfort and Entertainment (29:51) The Interplay of Happiness and Suffering (33:28) Personal Reflections on Happiness (36:11) Finding Joy in Simple Pleasures (47:06) The Role of Humor in Happiness (50:41) Nature as a Source of Happiness (53:32) Final Thoughts on Happiness and Meaning Connect with Richard Rohr Official Website (Center for Action and Contemplation): https://cac.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cac_abq/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/richardrohrofm Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rohr CAC Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/re-release-father-richard-rohr-falling-upward/id1080170463 CAC YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMkqKAtSgijU439fJUNHnkA Connect with Dr. John W. Price Website: https://drjohnwprice.com Podcast: https://thesacredspeaks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjohnwprice/ If this conversation resonates, please like, share, and subscribe to The Sacred Speaks to support these ongoing dialogues at the crossroads of psyche, soul, and the sacred.
--------
56:38
--------
56:38
129: Solo - Patterns Written in the Soul: Building a Rhythm for Spiritual Practice in Everyday Life
Explore the new site: www.drjohnwprice.com Join us in The Open Gate: https://www.drjohnwprice.com/the-open-gate-lt In this solo episode, I explore what it means to build a rhythm of spiritual practice—not as an escape from life, but as a way of showing up for it. I draw from my background growing up in a socially engaged religious community, my years as a psychotherapist, and the long process of returning to a deeper, embodied spirituality. We’ll look at the difference between outer ritual and inner transformation, between spiritual performance and real participation. Along the way, I weave in ideas from Jungian psychology, the necessity of emotional honesty, and the quiet work of remembering the sacred within ordinary life. This conversation is about developing a living rhythm, a pattern written in the soul, that keeps us connected to meaning, community, and presence. Key Themes Spiritual practice is both an inner path and a shared human process. Rhythm matters more than perfection. Emotional experiences—grief, fear, longing—are not obstacles; they are initiations. Nature and everyday ritual reawaken a sense of belonging and presence. Community, teaching, and discipline form the architecture of a spiritual life. In This Episode 00:00 — Introduction to Spiritual Practice 02:06 — Defining Spirituality 03:53 — The Importance of Contemplative Practice 08:44 — Personal Experiences and Insights 18:07 — Challenges and Misconceptions 23:56 — Practical Steps and Final Reflections Follow: Instagram — @thesacredspeaks Facebook — The Sacred Speaks Brought to you by: www.centerforhas.com Theme Music: www.modernnationmusic.com
--------
27:54
--------
27:54

More Religion & Spirituality podcasts

Trending Religion & Spirituality podcasts

About The Sacred Speaks

Join depth psychotherapist and Jungian scholar, John Price, in an exploration of extraordinary stories and phenomena that lurk beneath the surface of normal and everyday life. Listen in as John interviews experts, dilettantes, sinners, and saints to explore their professional and personal perspective on the underlying purpose of the mysteries which lurk within the seemingly mundane nature of day-to-day life. John received his Master’s degree in clinical psychology and his Doctorate degree in Jungian psychology. He is in private practice and is also on the faculty of The Jung Center and The University of St. Thomas, both located in Houston, Texas. He lectures and teaches classes in subjects ranging from Parenting and Consciousness to Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll. This podcast seeks to accept a challenge laid out by Carl Jung: to explore the universal human feelings of emotional incompleteness, spiritual curiosity and one’s related search for wholeness and meaning. Interviews commence with the belief that, by engaging in this exploration, we can learn more about the psyche, consciousness, spirituality, philosophy and the profound, though often hidden, meaning of the day-to-day lives we lead (or which will lead us, if we aren’t watchful). Come along as John follows people into bars, universities, places of worship, financial districts and the home. He finds each context equally able to provide a setting for this worthy search and also that, through this process, we have an opportunity to come to know each other and ourselves much more deeply.

Podcast website

Religion & Spirituality