In this episode of the Seeking Numina: Sacred Places Podcast, Elyse Welles sits down with Finnish folklorist, author, and illustrator Niina Niskanen to explore the mystical world of Finnish tree magic, animism, sauna spirits, ancient folklore traditions, and a Lord of the Rings connection.

Together they discuss the spiritual significance of saunas in Finnish culture, the connection between trees and deities in Finnish mythology, forest spirits, ritual practices, and the animistic worldview woven through Finland’s ancient traditions.

This conversation is perfect for anyone interested in:
Finnish mythology, pagan traditions, animism, witchcraft, sacred ecology, forest spirituality, folklore studies, Tolkien inspirations, sauna culture, and nature-based spirituality.

📚 Niina Niskanen is the author of Finnish Tree Magic and has a forthcoming book on Finnish water magic and sea goddess lore.

🌲 Learn more about Niina:

* Fairy Chamber Official Website
* Fairy Chamber Instagram

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ

What does it really mean to awaken in today’s rapidly changing world?

In this powerful episode of Seeking Numina: Sacred Places Podcast, spiritual teacher and Ayurveda pioneer Maya Tiwari shares profound wisdom on Shakti (feminine power), 5D consciousness, the middle path, and reclaiming personal sovereignty in a time of global transformation.

Maya Tiwari is the founder of the Wise Earth School of Ayurveda and a globally recognized spiritual teacher, author, and humanitarian. Her work focuses on ahimsa (harmony), healing, and awakening human consciousness.

📘 Featured Book: I Am Shakti

#SpiritualAwakening #5DConsciousness #MayaTiwari #Shakti #FeminineEnergy

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ

What if the land is speaking… and we’ve simply forgotten how to listen?

In this episode of The Sacred Places Podcast, I am joined by Jane Matthews, director of World Divination, teacher of intuitive arts, and author, for a rich conversation exploring the Ogham, Ireland’s sacred landscape, and the spirits that dwell within it.

Together, they explore the Ogham as the earliest Irish alphabet and its deep connection to trees, language, and the living land. Moving beyond symbols, this conversation invites listeners to consider what it means to listen to nature and recognize our own connection to it.

From there, the episode opens into the more mysterious aspects of Ireland’s spiritual landscape — including fairy mounds, land spirits, and the unforgettable presence of the banshee. Jane shares why these places and beings must be approached with respect, and I reflect on my own experiences with the fae, as well as my personal journey working with Birch and being guided by the natural world.

This episode is a weaving of story, symbol, and lived experience. It’s an invitation to deepen your relationship with the land and to explore what it means to be spirit-led in your practice.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:
✨ The Ogham and its connection to trees and ancient language
✨ Fairy mounds, land spirits, and Irish folklore
✨ The presence and meaning of the banshee
✨ Personal gnosis and being guided by the land
✨ How different places carry different spiritual energies

🔗 Learn more about Jane Matthews:
https://www.worlddivination.com
https://www.janematthewsmedium.com

This episode is edited by Jordan, a cohost for the Astro Study Room. Book an astrology consultation with her today!

Astrology with Jordan

Jordan's YouTube

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ

What if your wounds are something sacred?

In this episode of The Sacred Places Podcast, I am joined by Ness Bosch, author of Divine Wounds, Iberian shamaness, and founder of the Path of the Bones for a deeply reflective conversation on the divine feminine, healing, and the spiritual significance of our wounds.

Together, we explore the idea that our wounds can act as pathways to connection with deity. Drawing from Ness’s work and lived experience, this episode gently reframes healing as something sacred and ongoing, rather than something to “just fix.” Through stories of working with goddesses like Medusa, Inanna, and Hera, we reflect on how the wounds of the divine often mirror our own and how those connections can guide us toward deeper understanding and transformation.

The conversation also moves through the power of place, including springs and caves as sites of connection to the divine feminine, and the ways these environments hold space for both vulnerability and renewal.

This episode touches on sensitive themes and is an invitation to listen with care, curiosity, and compassion for your own journey.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:
✨The connection between wounds and spiritual practice
✨Working with the divine feminine and goddess archetypes
✨Sacred places like caves and springs as sites of healing
✨Personal gnosis and connecting with deity through lived experience

I am so very excited to hear what you all think of this one!

Make sure to check out Ness and all her work at pathofthebones.com

This episode is edited by Jordan, a cohost for the Astro Study Room. Book an astrology consultation with her today!

Astrology with Jordan

Jordan's YouTube

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ

What does it mean to be called to a place?

In this episode of The Sacred Places Podcast, I am joined by Katie Ness, author of Word Witchery, hedgewitch, yoga teacher, and Magdalene priestess, for a rich conversation on personal gnosis, pilgrimage, and the sacred lands of Sardinia and Cyprus.

Together, we explore the deep, often unexplainable pull toward certain places and how Spirit guides us to them in its own timing. Katie shares her unexpected journey to Cyprus at just nineteen, and the profound sense of knowing that she was meant to be there. From there, the conversation opens into a wider reflection on what it means to be ready for a sacred site, and why some places meet us as beginners while others call to us later along our path.

We also discuss the evolving relationship between land, spirit, and identity including how deities may carry different names across cultures, how places like Delphi can awaken us back to ourselves, and the powerful connection to the sacred feminine found in Sardinia.

This episode is an invitation to reflect on your own relationship with place, movement, and spiritual calling and to consider where you might be feeling drawn next.

Check out what Katie is up to @katie_wild_witch

This episode is edited by Jordan, a cohost for the Astro Study Room. Book an astrology consultation with her today!

Astrology with Jordan

Jordan's YouTube

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ

In this episode of The Sacred Places Podcast, we travel to the ancient temples of Malta, a place that may hold the missing link in the story of Mediterranean goddess worship.

Joined by Maltese folk witch and creator of Lunar and Wild, Steph Rose Wild (@stephrosewild), the conversation explores Malta’s remarkable sacred landscape from the mysterious underground chambers of the Hypogeum to the island’s famous womb-like temples carved from living stone. These sacred structures, shaped through deep relationship with the land, may reveal how ancient peoples understood the divine feminine, death rites, and the living spirit of place.

Together we discuss:
• Malta as a spiritual crossroads of the Mediterranean
• The Hypogeum and the idea of “listening to the living rock”
• Ancient goddess traditions and the symbolism of womb temples
• The role of red ochre in ritual and burial practices
• Archaeology and what it reveals that written history cannot
• Agape tables and ancient funeral rites
• What the future of goddess work might look like today

This episode is an invitation to reconnect with sacred landscapes, ancestral memory, and the living intelligence of the land itself.

✨ Learn more about Steph Rose Wild:
Instagram: @stephrosewild

Website: https://www.lunarandwild.com/

This episode is edited by Jordan, a cohost for the Astro Study Room. Book an astrology consultation with her today!

Astrology with Jordan

Jordan's YouTube

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ

This week on The Sacred Places Podcast. I sit down with Tudorbeth, a hereditary practitioner, author, and deck creator, to explore the magic of the hedge and what it means to walk the boundary between the physical and the spiritual.

What is a hedge, and why has it become such a powerful symbol within witchcraft and folk magic traditions? Together, we discuss liminal places, trance work, hedgewitch identity, and the deeper meaning behind thresholds we encounter both in nature and within ourselves. From the quiet power beneath bridges to the energetic symbolism of sending intentions away on a passing train, this conversation invites listeners to consider how magic often lives in the “in-between.”

Whether you are new to hedgewitch practices or simply curious about liminal magic, this episode offers thoughtful insights, grounded wisdom, and gentle questions to reflect on your own relationship with boundaries, otherworlds, and spiritual practice.

Check out more of Tudorbeth's work on her website! https://www.houseofbeith.com/

This episode is edited by Jordan, a cohost for the Astro Study Room. Book an astrology consultation with her today!

Astrology with Jordan

Jordan's YouTube

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ

In this episode of The Sacred Places Podcast, I’m joined by animist practitioner, scholar, and author Vanessa Lavallee for a deep conversation about the true roots of ancient magic and what it means to decolonize our spiritual practices today.

Vanessa is currently working toward a doctorate in religious studies, and her work is driven by a passion for understanding where magical traditions began, how they were shared across cultures, and why they have survived for so long. Together, we explore the origins of practices many of us recognize, including how casting a circle can be traced back to Mesopotamia, and how ancient texts often described the stars themselves as divine beings.

We talk about how ancient people traveled and exchanged ideas more than modern scholarship often acknowledges, and how this movement shaped spiritual traditions across regions. Our conversation also explores the emotional worlds of ancient texts—fear, suffering, devotion, and the question of “why me?”—and what these stories reveal about the continuity of human experience.

This episode also ventures into topics that challenge and expand modern spiritual frameworks, including demons, the influence of ancient goddesses like Inanna, and the importance of holding both academic rigor and open-minded wonder. We reflect on how fantasy, mythology, and modern storytelling (from ancient epics to The Lord of the Rings) continue to echo these timeless archetypes.

Above all, this conversation is an invitation to study more deeply, question more carefully, and approach ancient magic with respect, curiosity, and humility.

Learn more about Vanessa and her work at vanessalavallee.com.

✨ If this episode resonates, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who loves sacred history and living magic.

This episode is edited by Jordan, a cohost for the Astro Study Room. Book an astrology consultation with her today!

Astrology with Jordan

Jordan's YouTube

Order my books to support me and support your connection with the land! https://www.elysewelles.com/books

Subscribe to Seeking Numina with Elyse Welles on YouTube for video versions of ALL episodes sharing footage of the places and topics discussed.

To learn more about my upcoming retreats to sacred places in Greece and beyond, or learn with me in workshops, classes, or mentorship, visit elysewelles.com.

Support Seeking Numina on Patreon for a library of 300+ rituals, meditaitons, exclusive videos, and more, + opportunities for free tarot readings and discounts on ALL classes and retreats. Visit patreon.com/elysewelles

Seeking Numina can also be supported via my Dashery merch shop.

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ