Ep 22: Sacred Smut ~ Why Romantasy Novels Resonate with Anna Ruckert

Have you gotten into the spicy fantasy novels yet?  The Romantasy genre is a full-blown phenomenon.  

Do these books have sex in them?  Yes. Yes they do.  A lot of it.  Are they so fun to read? Yes. Yes they are. The stakes are high, the sex is good, and our heroins are becoming.  They are rising. They are remembering the power within themselves. They are reclaiming their pleasure.  This is a sacred feminine awakening baby!  And the spiritual themes do not stop there.  

These book are rampant both in the sheets and in the woo.  The magic, the power within, the love, the lust, the intimacy, the transformation through traumatic experiences, the connection, the friendships...these novels are our mirrors.  And they resonate because they are mirroring our own becoming.  Our own desires.  Our own rising.  

Part of any spiritual awakening includes releasing restraints.  Women have been disempowered long enough.  Spicy fantasy novels celebrate every part of us -  the light, the shadow, and the smutty, sexy, sacred little minx who will kick your ass and leave you wanting more.

Anna Ruckert is Rochester New York's, unofficial romantasy librarian and enthusiast.  

Discussed in this episode 

Book series:  ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Blood & Ash, Flesh & Fire, Spark of the Everflame

Transcript

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If you haven't read them yet, you have definitely heard of them. Romantic. A sexy, world building female empowered genre has become a full blown phenomenon. Sales in this genre have skyrocketed in the last few years, which is exactly when I met Anna Rucker. She's a brilliant, put together, well informed, working mum of three who, within moments of meeting her, told me about Sarah Jane Moss's Gateway series, a Court of Thorns and Roses, also known as Ashtar. Anna was so passionate about the series that I was intrigued. So I read the first book, Kicking and Screaming. I, my dad, and it took a bit to get into it, but I committed and damn am I glad I did. I read that five book series. Then I read the three books in the Fourth Wing series, then the 20 plus books that make up Flesh and Fire, Blood and Ash, and Throne of Glass. Do these books have sex in them? Yes, yes they do. A lot of it. Are they so fun to read? Yes, yes they are. The stakes in these stories are high. The sex is good and our heroines are becoming. They are rising. They are remembering the power within themselves. They are reclaiming their pleasure. This is a sacred feminine awakening. And the spiritual themes do not stop there. These books are rampant in the sheets and in the world. The magic, the beasts, the power within, the love, the lust, the intimacy, the transformation through traumatic experiences, the connection, the friendship. These books are more than just stories. They are spiritual lessons wrapped up in relatable, magnificent, empowering heroes. And so while this topic may seem like a left turn for the woo report, it actually is very aligned. These books are mirrors and they resonate because they are mirroring our own becoming our own desires, our own rising. Part of any spiritual awakening includes releasing restraints. Women have been disempowered long enough. These spicy fantasy novels celebrate every part of us the light, the shadow, the smutty, sexy, sacred little minx who will kick your ass and leave you wanting more. Hi, I'm Laura Scarr, Patty, filmmaker and woo woo enthusiast here today to cut through the noise, pull back the veil and cozy up in the space between reality and spirituality. Thanks for listening to the Woo report. And Rutger, thank you so much for being on the report. Thank you for having me, Laura. When I first had this idea, I was like, this is a total left turn from my spirituality class, but it's actually really not because as I was reading all of these books, all of the themes were like jumping out at me, and we could go into and we will. And how that is mirroring my actual experience and my lived experience, and we will. But I want to start with the reason why you are here. Is you're uncertified, romantic enthusiast. Yes, here I am. We met when our kids were doing gymnastics together and I literally spoke with you the first five minutes we were having conversation, you were like, have you read a quarter towards the process? I was like, say, what did you just say? A quarter of what? And you were like a Court of Thorns and roses, and I'm so happy you did this because these books have literally changed my life. Yes. Me too, me too. It's been a journey. I want to give context on how many of these you have read, because you are literally the town library. You have a library and I'm going to. I would like for you to take a picture of your library, and we're going to put it on the reports. Instagram. Okay. Is let's talk let's get into numbers. I haven't counted, but I would say I'm probably close to 200 romantic reads if I had to guess so. I mean, at least. Yes. And when you read these you are reading them in like one day, one night, two days. These are 607 hundred and 800 page books. They are not a light summer beach read. No. And I think for me, I like to fully immerse myself. So I think that just kind of my personality I used to say I have a very addictive personality. I think that still tracks. So for me, I like to fully immerse myself in the experience. And I feel like when you take breaks from reading something that to me does affect. I know we all have different parts of us that are affected by different things. Some is art and some people, once they start painting, they can't stop. For me, reading is the same way. I want to be able to like, fully have that emotional experience because I'm a very deep thinking person and I don't want to be able to to take any break. So yes, they are. I mean, you can ask my husband, I am unreachable when I start one of these. One of these series is usually late at night. Okay. So 200. So how many series is that? I mean, some of these areas have five books, some have three, some have ten. It's definitely quite a bit. I know that there's a local bookstore that just opened a romance to see, have you been? I have been ones and I read most of the books in there. I had to switch the Kindle for some of them just because, a lot of these, authors you have to order right from the publisher because they actually don't have access to mass marketing, a self publishers, a lot of books that have actually become very big series started. And so I really appreciate just the whole journey of the woman producing these, these books. So I definitely have gone into a lot of research. I didn't realize what percentage of women authors were in the fantasy genre, before this huge, you know, spike in the romantic reads. so one of them, I mean, I'm very geeking out here, but spark of the flame, I mean, she couldn't even she didn't have the means to produce her book. She had to put a pause on all production, find a publisher, find an agent. and I found I, you know, she opened up about her journey, and I love supporting, you know, women. I take the whole journey, not just the characters that they're creating, but the journey of, you know, supporting women who have a passion in this regard. I love that so much. Did you start with A Quarter of Thorn Roses? That was yes. Yes, yes it was. It's most people's gateway. Yeah. And, it is, it truly is. So I mean, she has sold I think last time I looked about 13 million copies, which is nothing compared to what, you know, Harry Potter is, but for a very specific set of women, I think about 13 million women mostly, you know, ten, maybe 12.5 are women, right? Although shout out to the men who are reading romantic books, they're learning a lot. I mean. Stay close to the neck, guys. Stay close to the net. I think it's good for all of us. It is. It is, has Matt read any of them? No, but he's right over my shoulder. I know, I, I, I have done dramatic readings. I know a tad. Tad. No, I try, but Tad just giggles and walks away. I mean, he has, you know, he thinks I'm, you a little ridiculous in some of the scenes that I've tried to read him. Well, we have to also let go of all of the people that are having, like, judgments around, like, why we're reading this type of book, but it's smut with some sacred lessons. I, I agree, I don't think if it was just. And that's what people have to realize. If it was just smut, they do have a whole romance department at all of these stories, so I'm sure that are not world building. They're not. and if you want to jump into kind of the narratives, most of these stories, there's usually a lot of trauma, like we've kind of talked about overcoming that. There's usually a lot of spirituality in it. And I think that I can dive into many different parts of this. But usually, I mean, even the act of getting into the smutty things is a debate, if that is a pleasurable experience or a spiritual experience. I mean, people feel differently about even something that's so common in all of our lives. People have very, very different depictions of, you know, what the intimacy acts represent to them. And I even appreciate hearing and seeing how different characters navigate those because it does become, very, very different. And I relate to that. Like I can see both sides of it. And I don't know if you were to ask me, you know, how I view intimate acts out and we're talking about that, but, I don't know if it is more of a spiritual or a physical experience. Like, I don't side on one way or the other. I think there's different times or different things. I'm very spiritually connected. I'm very religious. So I probably go more on that. This is a sacred act, and that's how I've kind of. So I think spirituality is very much even in the essence of intercourse, I think. I think spirituality does come into it, how you view relationships, how much of yourself you want to give to others. I think that that comes into it. Not not for everyone. And I love those debates. If you think about a mate, so, so many of these books have a mate, and a mate is a deeply spiritual word, soul mate. The idea that our souls are recognizing someone else's soul, we also all want that. I think we all deeply want to connect with other people, with other souls, with other humans, and intimacy like intimacy in general, especially for women. We are having what I like to call like a sacred feminine awakening. Here we are reclaiming pleasure. We're like reclaiming the feminine. There's a collective movement among women to heal from, like centuries of sexual shame, of cultural purity, codes and disempowerment. Women have been disempowered in the sexual space. We're reclaiming it by reading these books, by being interested, by like celebrating them. Why is it only men that get to and have pleasure? We deserve it too. Yeah, I think this whole series celebrates that. Like, what else in our society celebrates women having pleasure like nothing? No. And if you think about like, mainstream, I mean, this is the point where I said about 13, you know, million copies have been sold. Yeah. I've just that one book. Right. And then there's hundreds and hundreds of these books. One of the first moments of reading it was when he pleasures her and doesn't doesn't take. And that made me even myself right now, being like very vulnerable. That even made me uncomfortable because. Right. I mean, how many experiences, if we really were like to pull people, any experience that people have where that has happened. Right. And that is not that is one of the main themes. And I think because of the political environment, you know, that you kind of speak to, I think the rise of these books becoming popular is definitely indicative of some of the, you know, socio political environment that we are in. I think that's one of the reasons why it is being kind of celebrated and women are just kind of all getting together and forming these book clubs and enjoying, the journey of what their characters are going through. And it's fun. Yeah. And it's fun. It's great. You deserve it. Yeah, we deserve it. It's also like, we are like, getting in touch with a part of ourselves that maybe has been dormant. We can get into archetypes later, but like, it's fun. It's fun and we deserve it. Yeah. And and it's not just the the intimate act. Also, these women are always usually overcoming some major, major. Yes. Hindrance. And they're strong and they're beautiful. And I mean, who wouldn't want to read about that and power that in yourself, right. So like even if I think about like work and in my life and with my kids, like I have become so much more empowered as a female in those spaces. And I really tell my husband, I give credit to the books that I'm reading. They influence me that significantly. Oh, I love that too much transformation is sacred, and it's also often triggered by hardship and finding transformation in trauma. And that's like, I'll speak for myself. Like that's where this whole journey began for me. Like finding transformation in trauma in these like deep, traumatic moments. And in all of these series, our protagonists are starting in these, like, constrained and abusive circumstances, and they're forced to wake up to their inner power. And I think that that's what spirituality is. It's being forced to awaken and to find your power that's within, and to realize that you're powerful. And all of these women are going on this journey to find themselves and they're overcoming. And I mean, and you could say maybe many novels are a hero's journey. Like, you could say that this is like why people read books, but these specifically are women heroes who are doing the unimaginable and doing it in ways where they're like looking at all different parts of themselves, and celebrating. I mean, eventually, I think celebrating all parts of themselves. But it doesn't always start that way. There's usually some aspect where you have to look inside and totally judge yourself. And I think that, if we were to truly judge ourselves. Right, like, what if you put yourself in that situation like I just read, Fantasma and she has to have like a it's the layers of hell and she has to go through the truth journey, and some of the people can't even admit to all of their truths and then they die. the contestants die, but hearing and admitting some of those truths are hard. And so even when I read something like that, I think what would be my worst truth? If I had all of my friends and family in one room and there was some secret power, and it took out my deepest, darkest truth, like, what would it be? And I sit with that. And so for me, it really is you know, you sit next to Mama Oak and maybe think about those things. I mean, I kind of shut the book and think, what would it really be for me? and I did find to. Like, oh, you got to share, please. Yeah. That's not it's the safe space. no, I don't think so. That's fine. That's fine though. But, like. Even just taking those moments and, like, swirling them around for yourself and being able to honestly, you're saying the word judge, but look at them and review them and also forgive yourself for them or allow them the space to like, be, you know, depending on what it was like. Re mother yourself in those moments and be softer and let go of the shame. Let go of the guilt. Like this is in spirituality. This is called shadow work. This is called shadow work. You are looking, you're taking the filing cabinet of things that and maybe five, the filing cabinet. Maybe it's just like how you react when someone enters the room. Maybe it's you feel a little bit judgey in the moment, or maybe it's like you are. I'll speak for myself and like what I used to do before the accident, like berating yourself for things that you quote unquote messed up at work or could have done better, or something that you did as a mom that you like you whatever it is. Like there's so many different parts of us that in a world with, you know, Instagram versus reality, like the Instagram part of us is like, I'm going to show this perfection to the world. I'm going to like, show. And sometimes that can be like, oh, I want to reach my highest self. But oftentimes there are lots going on inside in the shadows, insecurities, guilt, shame, all the things, all the those words that, you know, growing up as a millennial, we were we were kind of taught to stuff down a lot of things, especially as young girls, especially young girls. I think we are now becoming conscious. We are now really finding space for our, our girls. But when you are in any sort of environment where you've kind of put all of that stuff into a box, then opening the box or opening the filing cabinet and looking at everything, it is integral to growing and to rising above those moments that kind of kept you constrained. When are you looking at these moments? When are you spending time thinking about these moments? Yeah, and I think that's one of the things I appreciate actually, about your podcast is exploring different avenues for us to become kind of the best versions of ourselves, whether it's practicing yoga, whether it's, you know, going on a silent retreat and being able to talk to your mind there, you know, reading books, I think that there it's just it's just about taking up space for your for yourself. I think that that's a message that you have continued to deliver that I appreciate very, very much. So, and I didn't even know what shadow was. Shadow work. Shadow work. I have never heard of that term before. Yeah. and so it's making me more aware, too, about, just the environment in which you're able to kind of like broadcast and educate people on. I'm doing that, I guess, without knowing. You're doing I love it. You're doing it. I mean, it's called different things. It's probably called different things in the mental health world. Like there's so many overlaps. It's called something different. In the Catholic religion, it's called confession. It's called confession. It's a it's the act of taking it from somewhere inside and putting it outside of yourself to release it. it's even just saying it. I love that Carolyn Mays talks about this in anatomy of the spirit, and I love how what she does in this book is she takes the chakras. And just like in general, universal source, spiritual belief system, and she combines it with all of the religions, it's like Catholicism and then the tree of life and then and then, like Islam, like all of it is there. We're all saying the same thing. We're all saying the same thing, like there's throat chakra being able to release it, being able to confess even if you're not saying it to anyone, even if you're just saying it to yourself, it's still the same thing. It's it's still the same thing. It's it's taking this like darkness, bringing it to light and then turning it around a couple ways and allowing yourself to see it from a different angle that that releases any sort of restriction on it that makes it hard for you, that could maybe sit in your body because another part of what this the anatomy of the spirit is all about is how if we're holding on to all of this, if we're holding on to these moments, these shadows, and we are pushing them down, pushing them down and not taking a look at them, they manifest in our body. They manifest into energetically into chronic pain, into different diseases. It's like this. It's the dis ease of our energy is like manifesting into something bigger and that's something that's been really hard for me to grasp. Like, I feel like that is like a really energetic, spiritual concept that I've never kind of connected them. And through this podcast, I've really been connecting the dots on that. And so look at romance. Just see. Unlocking that for people. It's so incredible. It's like looking, doing shadow work and looking at these moments in your filing cabinet. They are into girl to all of our healing. And what are we what is our purpose here? Our purpose here is to grow, learn, heel, heel for ourselves. Secondly, we're like healing ourselves and we're like pushing ourselves back into alignment. We are able to shift everyone else. And if that is like one of the reasons that these books resonate is like people can see themselves in these stories in different archetypes, like you had told me earlier about you that you picked up boxing. So like, we need to get into this. This is like, this is so good. Well, because when you read this book, I mean, none of them are weak, right? And I mean physically, mentally is a whole nother topic. But physically they're strong. And I, I've never really lifted weights. I think weightlifting is becoming a very large thing in our communities, especially for women. I know I just had an appointment and my doctor actually asked if I was lifting weights. Not just are you exercising, but are you lifting weights? And I just with them like this, this really a question you're asking now? And he said yes. Like weightlifting. He went into all the anatomy of it. so I think maybe there was like a subconscious part of me that knew I had to, start lifting weights. But I decided instead of lifting weights, you know, it just it doesn't really resonate with me. I am going to. I want to learn how to fight a little bit. I just want to learn some, like, basic self-defense. So, Yes, I took up boxing. I usually box on the weekends and it is so empowering. Highly encourage it. and I can't believe I can't believe how much I have seen just kind of a just to know that I can do it, you know? Like, so good. I just love learning all the different, you know. Am I ever going to punch someone? No, that's just not my personality. I don't think I could really do it. I'm very anti-violence, so this is like, a very interesting journey for my husband to navigate, because I don't have any violence in my life at all. another topic for another day. So for me to, like, actually seek out. But it's a self, it's self-defense. And I think that that is something that I kind of like when you say like reflecting, like what I want my self to ever be in a situation where I, I maybe couldn't get out of it. So I yeah, I started boxing and I feel, I love it, I absolutely love it. And you had said it's because of the physicality of some of these characters. Like they're all kind of warriors. They're warriors. They're warriors. So warrior is an archetype. And like the archetype archetypes are, you know, how we tell the story of humanity. So when we are and we all have multiple archetypes going on, like the the magic number is, is 12, we have like 12 right now. But like who knows if that's like really sure. But it's meaning like you can identify with multiple and each lifetime and maybe you didn't realize that you are warrior archetype, but reading about it unlocked that in you. Yeah, I and I think that that you have to think about it's not just like mental wellness. It physical illness is part of it, which, you know, I know we both agree on and some of the some of these situations, I do think like, you know, obviously, you know, I'm not jumping on top of a dragon. I can, you know, facilitate training like that. But I mean, should, you know, should there be a basics? I know there's parts of, you know, other countries where everyone kind of just go to the military and do stints there. I think there is something in learning how to protect yourself that is very especially you just never know kind of what environments you're going to be in, unfortunately. and yeah, so now I again, I don't know if I could actually punch a person, but I'm very good at a punching bag. Oh my gosh, I love it. what else do you feel like you have taken away? Like, what do you feel like? What have you learned from some of these books? I always have felt I grew up very Catholic. I've always felt that we our soul, is kind of, you know, 99% light and 1% dark when we're born. That's just kind of like a metaphor that I have used in my life. And, I think I have really kind of figured out how I'm going to teach light and dark sides of yourself to my kids through reading these books. So my kids are very much aware. We have conversations. As you know, you're born with 1% dark picture, like a, you know, a white circle, 1% of it's black. And there will be times when the black wants to grow and it is so hard. And I use this with simple things from my toddler's like sharing. And I look at them and I say, okay, this like the light part of you wants to share with your brother. The dark part of you does it and it's trying to take over and you know the right thing to do. I know that you know the right thing to do is to share. But it feels really, really challenging. And this is when we have to overcome that darkness, trying to, like, creep into our light side and we have to push it out. Now, what you said with something you just said before, like as that can grow and manifest in us, we just have to recognize it. So I'm having these conversations already with my kids. and, you know, they're very young to say at the end of the day, it's not necessarily, you know, what did you do at school today? Or tell me something about what happened on the bus, because I'm always trying to find bus cars. yeah. Oh, but but I say like, what's one thing that maybe you aren't proud of? And let's talk about why it happened. and sometimes, you know, it is hard. It is hard for kids to admit those things. and sometimes they'll look at me and they'll tell me, you know, they push someone on the side because they didn't wait their turn. And I said, okay, and we kind of, like, work through it. So I think a lot of. and that is such good parenting. I and I think that they even them identifying at a young age. Yes. And being able to understand that sometimes we do bad things and as long as we can recognize it and turn back the light on, like push the darkness out, even by recognizing it, a part of it leaves. And that dot just got smaller. So I think that, I mean, I'm probably like a crazy person. Absolutely right. That is so helpful. I think we're always as as parents looking to figure out how to better talk to our kids about right and wrong and you know, how to be good in the world. And this is why I love that you have this habit. It puts you in flow. It helps you to look inward. It helps you to become a better parent. Like it helps. It's like it's so good. It is. And that's one of the things that talking about the books, though, a lot of times they will say, you know, when they make maybe their first kill or they kill someone or they did something bad and they say like, is this within me? Is this who I am? And I that resonates with me. And that's where I kind of like, I talk to my kids like there is maybe a little portion of us, right? Like that is why there is good and evil. That's why there's, you know, light and shadow and darkness and light and all these different themes. I really appreciate when the author does have a character who does something dark and then has to understand that that was a part of them for the greater good, and they have to focus on getting out of the dark and pushing back to the light. and I think we have those little moments every day. but yes, I as, as I want to, I think about and we'll talk about it, I'm sure, with Death and Legacy, if I can try to walk away from this life and my kids are able to reevaluate their actions on a daily basis to try to truly be good. and I don't mean like, you know, be good. I really don't love that expression, but just trying to kind of shine your light. That's. And that's what people say about you, right? That's one of the reason why people are so drawn to you. I didn't not like that my whole life. And I think that these books have really helped me, like, reclaim the parts of me and I. And it's not just me I keep saying me, but I think I think I'm speaking for a lot of women, right? That are kind of going through, similar journeys. Well, I also feel like another. So another theme that's a spiritual theme of these books is that power isn't given. it's remembered we are remembering who we are. The heroines in our in these journeys are awakening to their true nature. There's so many examples. But in a court of thorns, of roses like Feyre, who learns to wield power from every court, learning to integrate all different parts of her selves. And I love just like overall, the night court. Let's talk about shadows. Like the Night Court is like both sides of the coin. Like the night court has like these, like darker creatures. And then it has this, like, lighter utopia. Like those two things they like. They need each other in order to survive. We want to be light. We want to be light, but we also have to embrace the dark, which is part of the shadow work, and also in a court of thorns. Versus if you haven't read the third book, but there's the mirror that Feyre refines, and in that mirror, like you remind me, because I feel like you're better at these details, like that's it. How many times have you read a court? I know I like, spent a long time. It's been a long time. I haven't gone back to it because I'll have to reread it all when she finally releases the sixth book. my gosh, I know I cannot believe there's a sixth book. I know, I know, she's just taking her time, but usually mirrors are representing looking at yourself, and they're only going to relinquish an object or a power if they know your intentions are true. And I think even like symbolically looking at that, I can internalize that and I can. I give these messages in a roundabout way, even at work, you know, are you doing this promotion or are you asking for are you raising your hand for this opportunity? If I were and I say these things in people, probably, you know, think I'm a little nuts, but I, I look at them like, are you doing this just for the money? Like, is this just a money move, or are you truly kind of telling us that this is the next step in your development? And are you telling the true kind of parts of the story? And so it's just so funny how many of these themes come to our lives. And, and I think even like with, you know, we were talking about our sons in sports earlier, like, are you doing this just for the social aspect or is this actually make you happy? Yeah, right. Like, are you enjoying this activity or are you there because of your friends? And I think it's totally fine if you're there because your friends. Yeah, but I think you need to identify that, like, is this making you happy? And you would do it no matter what, or is this something that you're doing because other people are doing it? and I think that that's a lot of these themes usually, you know, with the mirror is like the true intentions, like, why do you really want this object? You know, because you can say one thing, but that doesn't mean that that's truly what's reflective inside of you. And the other part of I think the mirror in accord with one of the roses, was that no one could look at it because it would make them. It was making them mad. Yeah. It was making people go mad by looking at it. And it was because when you look at it, you see your full self, you see all the darkness. You see not esthetically pleasing characters that are kind of crawling out of the shadows of who you are. And the secret to conquering the mirror is to love. Every part of yourself is to love those dark shadows and to, you know, recognize that they are in all of us. Like there is a darkness in all of us, and there has to be, because it's balance. Like that's a universal balance. The more that you can take time during your days, weeks, months to to have those moments like it would not make me afraid. Like I would go in front of a mirror in front of all my friends and family, really thinking about that. And I have some friends who I've talked to this about and they said, well, I wouldn't want this person knowing that. I wouldn't want that person knowing that that means that you are subconsciously holding on to things and you need to figure out a way to kind of let them go, you know? And so I think a lot of our, the millennial, especially female generational, like we are working towards, you know, really representing our authentic selves. And like authenticity is like very high frequency. So like it's so interesting. I was I saw a video the other day because, you know, that there's this David R Hawkins frequency chart. I've talked we've talked about it on here before, but it basically plots out every if everything we're doing is energetic, if every thought we're having is energetic, then if we're having thoughts of love and we're hitting like a 500 frequency, we're having thoughts of hate, we're hitting like a 70 frequency. But what I just saw this video, I don't know if it's true. I can't measure frequency. But she said authenticity was higher on the scale than love, which is so interesting. It's like, oh, just be yourself. And I feel like we hear that over and over again. Like, be authentic. Like, show your be who you are. But I think it's like after you have so much programing and conditioning, you're like, who am I? Exactly? And it is a becoming like, we need to rise and figure it out. Like that's why we're here. Yeah, it is literally why we're on this earth. But that's what so many of these characters go through. Yeah. So I feel I do think that, you know, maybe I can put like a list together where the journeys are, you know, more powerful for the authentic self. But it really is. I mean, a lot of times they're torn between many different paths. Yeah. And they have to find like where they don't even know. Right? They've been so pressed into a mold that when the mold is taken off, they're kind of a blob and they have to now figure out, okay, well, what shape am I going to be and where am I going to go? and I feel like I see that in my kids though, too. Right. Like, now that they're starting to become so impressionable. I mean, before, in your journey of, you know, life, the impressions are very small, but the impressions are becoming bigger now. Now that they're being exposed to more, and I, I want them to stay their true selves. And it is. Hard as a. Parent, like, I know we all want that, but are we? What are we doing to, like, support our children on that journey? I think that that's something that it's not just, yes, our number one job is keep them safe. Yes, it's to provide, you know, shelter and food, but it's also to make sure that they stay who they were. And, you know, as you're a mom now, you kind of know who they are. And you see it. And I just I feel like that's going to be a very big challenge for me as a parent. to, to navigate, helping them stage their authentic self. My husband says this all the time. It's all about like your friend group, like growing up. And I love this because especially when I, you know, first went to LA and I like found my chosen family being a far away from your blood family like you're chosen family. There's so much healing and support that comes from that chosen family. And this is also mirrored in this book. I know that you love the friendship. I love the friendship. Yes, I have never had male friends. I don't know, I still don't. I mean, that is a true self. I do know that your male friends shout out Andrew. Okay, Andrew Boda is he definitely understands me. So yeah, he is. I guess he would be a friend. but I really did not grow up with male friends. And I feel like that is so powerful. so, yes, I love the chosen family where your friends are, a large part of your. I think your your soul and your genetic makeup, they, they push into that. So I do love the, the male female, truly platonic friend, dynamics. I never really had that either until LA. And now I feel like, I know I call these guys my brothers like more and and Jordan shout out their been a cornerstone of my healing. You had thrown you. Yeah. Correct. Is that the Khadra? I can't pronounce any of these names. Also, I always get pronunciation wrong. I don't read the, in the beginning of the books. They tell you how to pronounce things. I actually skip that. It's my journey. I'm not trying to pronounce it the correct way. It is like when I think, yeah, that's that's probably why I'm such a quick reader. Reader, actually, because I just take the word and go, there's so. Many like, booktok videos about this where people are like reading and they're just like, both the words that they do not know. Yeah, but it doesn't matter. It still hits, still resonates. Yes it does. It's actually funny because I was reading my, middle son's progress report and I had to. Parent teacher conference is a true story. And she was saying that he skips words he doesn't know. And, you know, over the summer it blah, blah, blah. And I said, oh, man, that just because he phonetically he he can understand this, like, why would he be skipping the word. And she actually looked at me and said, do you skip the hard words? You don't know? I looked and I said, well, you're right. Yes, I do. She said, yeah, it's very common. I mean, even adults do it. And I never thought about it until that moment. And I just now I will not skip words. I'm like proving a point. if I don't know how to pronounce the word, I will look it up. And if I don't know the meaning, I do actually Google the words. Now look at. Yeah, I know, I know this. You know, my preschool, child's teacher is really helping me. Wow. It's all it's all going in full, full circle. So. So that we're still learning. Yes, yes. Okay. I have two more points that I want to make about these books and why I feel like they're so deeply spiritual. All of our heroines end up trusting the unknown, trusting in the unknown. I think we can also call it faith. I think we can also call it hope. I think there's two, two aspects of the one you hit on before too, like when you said made a lot of time. They're faded mates. Right. So like they're they are written. That's their destiny. And I think a lot of people can have this debate and this is what makes kind of interacting with others so fun is that we have all have different beliefs, but we're on the same journey. We're sitting on the same couch, and yet we have totally different beliefs. And I think I love that this podcast is giving me a space to kind of like, hear what other people's beliefs are in the same exact environment that I'm sitting in. So when you talk about like accepting destiny, yes, there is kind of part of that. And there's also some novels where they don't accept the destiny. They believe that, you know, that, that their destiny is actually to stop the momentum of the track that the world is on. So they they say, I know that this is what we're all saying. No, this is the prophecy. However, I am strong enough to go against this current and do something bigger that is not foreseen. So there are kind of like two aspects of it. And I two things can be true. Yeah. We can have free. Well yes. Yes. And that's usually a lot of the times. I know and one of Daniel Johnson's novels that's, you know, popular. I won't ruin it for everyone, but she has this where the, you know, if you have a drop of blood from a garden and your genetic makeup, that you are one of the only ones where your destiny is not written and you have an ability to kind of make a change. and I, I think about that, too. I still don't know the answer to it. Do you know the answer? Like, do you believe in fate? Like, do you believe that you were destined to meet Matt? Yeah. like, what do you think about those things? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, but I believe in both. I believe in fate, and I believe in pretty well. I think they both can be true. That dichotomy is like, yeah, we we're no, we're fated to be together. And we are definitely here to support each other. But my free will could totally fuck that up. My freewill could, like, pick on all the things that are hard and challenging and blow them up into something bigger. It's very chill relationship like. I don't think there's any like really big things, but you know, there are also people that are in relationships that maybe are not so great and that's also fated. It's also fated because I believe in past lives, and I think that sometimes it is just like that power dynamic, that it's time for you to recognize that power within. And if it's time for you to leave, it's time for you to stand up and say, it's time for me, I gotta go. This is enough. I do feel like our triggers, something like that, our our teachers and, you know, before this accident, before this whole journey, my triggers would just be my triggers. Like, my triggers would be like, fuck this. Fuck that person. Like, I cannot believe they did that. Like judging so hard and not realize like, well, wait, what does that bring you up in me? Why is that triggering me? I believe that we're all here to, like, learn lessons. And so when something triggers us, we can either it's an opportunity to rise or it's an opportunity to sink. And I've said plenty of times, and I'm still thinking like. But having that always think though. Well, I was I mean yeah yeah. And but that's why we're here to do that to know guess what. When we do things like, I sunk at that point, I'm gonna try it again. Like I'm going to pick back up just like all of the heroines in our books. Yes. And I am going to try it again. And I'm going to look at that shadow of myself that sunk and be like, you know what, girl you did your best. We are now. We are like gaining the tools. We are expanding and we are going to try again the next time. And the next time it's going to be better. And sometimes when I go through a day and I think about that, like if I'm triggered and I think, okay, I can either rise or I can sink, if I'm thinking about that moment, I'm like, ooh, ooh, it's an opportunity. It's in everybody. Okay, I am going to I'm going to pull down that highest version of myself. I'm going to put it on top of me, and I am going to let my screaming seven year old do his thing. I'm going to take some deep breath and I am going to be the highest version I'm going to write. And then I'll tell you something after I do it. I feel so. Good. Yes, yes, absolutely. I feel so good when I think I end up feeling and then it like starts this like negative spiral and then I'm complaining and then I'm talking about it with Matt and then it just like becomes this whole. Thing and so much negativity. Also this poor seven year old is like just not able to, you know, regulate his emotions. And so like if, if I'm expecting him to do it, I can't do it. Like what's happening here. So I just again went on another tangent. But no, that no, but that is something that's so profound in these books. I mean, I would say at least a dozen times we're watching someone either succumb and make the wrong decision, right? And then they go back on a journey to overcome that, or they continue to be a pillar of light and inspire those around them. So, I mean, that is you were spot on. That was not a tangent. And I think we all can definitely relate to, those moments where you want to pull your highest self. I will be saying opportunity and your voice in my head, so that'll kind of, make me giggle. for the next few weeks. I love it so much. okay, a couple other things I just thought of, which is just how the books are expanding us and recognizing different parts of our consciousness. So I think it's in From Blood and Ash. Well, so many. I mean, in Akita, they can speak to each other through telepathy, like the mates can speak to each other. Yes, that. Me too. So good. So it's so good. Like the banter. Like the silent banter that happens. Like through telepathy is so fun. but also then in From Blood and Ash, they do dream walking. They, like, walk in each other's dreams. So they meet in each other's dreams, which I love. And it just kind of a nod to, like, this 3D world that we're living in. Like there's something else at play and I think that we like we love it. We love it because it's it feels like magic. But also there is something else other like there's so much that we can't see, there's so much going on energetically that we can't see. And so the nod to it in these books is just, I feel like underlines this part of my spiritual awakening to. So many of the books have where they can they people that can read the auroras, people can read energies, they can tell if someone's aurora is going to fit with someone else or like what emotions you're portraying. I think a lot of that comes from actually people who have abilities to read energies. I mean, I can, you know, read someone's energy not to that level, but you can. You meet people and you talk about your soul kind of connecting. When you meet someone, you instantly kind of like, hit it off. I think that is like an energy intertwining that in that moment. And I love when they have interconnected, subconscious levels, because there has to be in my mind something greater that we have not tapped into yet. But I mean, right, it's kind of like when you have a roll of toilet paper and they tell you that we're like the last sheet of the entire roll, like we have come so far in such a short amount of time. Who knows? Oh, I wish I would be around for it, but who knows what's going to happen. Maybe I'll come back up in another life like, you know. I think you will. But also like the scenting, like scenting people's emotions. Did you just say that? That is so good. Like I love it, scenting the fear arousal. Oh, one of my favorites. Give me all that I've. I think that's totally true, though. I mean, I think that's true even even for me, like, I, I can I mean, I know I think it's more probably body cuz. All of that. I can. Sense. I can sense that like. Oh yes, yes, way over here. Yes, I can do it just by walking the room like, oh well, okay. no, I can definitely sense and I can sense other people too. Like, I, I'm very maybe because I read all these books and I know the body language cues, but I think that, I mean, these authors are not right. Like they the reason why they can write about this so prolifically is because I do think they're there are signs of this in their lives or in the lives of those around them, where they can kind of tap in to write about it. I mean, you can't just create this, you know, from, I mean, maybe their imaginations that great, but there has to be some inkling of truth to set them on this path to further write about it. And so, and yeah, I love the art of possible. and I always think I kind of think about that too, you know, like, is this could this be like, how do we know? And that's the exciting part of these reads. It's just like Harry Potter. I mean, how many people I mean, talk about hundreds of millions of copies, right? Everyone knows Harry Potter. So good. How many people want to get a letter that they're going to Hogwarts? I mean, they believe in that because you want to believe. It's just like either the afterlife and your beliefs on that. Like you want to believe in something greater. You want to believe that all of this work that we're doing here just doesn't just go away when you die, you know, which I know is one of your, questions on the page. Just about to ask you you to tell me? No, I don't have. You like the answer. I love the. Answer. I think it's just over. Okay. Yeah, I think that. I mean, I just can't share all of this. No, they're all. Yes. Yes. And I believe in, like, all of. When you say it's over. Yeah. I just think that's it. What do you mean do you. But your Catholic heaven. Can we go to heaven? I know I don't, I know I am, you know, very Catholic actually, but no, I, I think that again, it's from my journey. It's that my soul is as like, white as possible, like I did. As much. Good. I'm dying with that. I have released my shadows. I've been identifying them daily, if not weekly. Right. And like I have taught other like, I feel like it's just, you know, that's my like, heaven. Like you go to bed with, with kind of a clear soul and and that's it. Yeah. Clear conscience and, and then that's, that's the end of that journey. That's okay, I love that. I love that truly. I am not judging what you think happens. I think that that's great. Yeah. And it's all with good intention. in these books, like how much people connect differently to, like, the energy and the spirituality and all that, the woowoo around them. Yeah. I mean, there is I mean, we haven't even talked about so much about the moons, right? The moons are a big one. They usually always get married on certain moon cycles, and they won't do this and that. the water is usually a huge indicator of different things. Yes. And so, these authors do do a lot, I think about like intertwining these sort of, clues. I think they do come from, you know, what do you call it, numerology. A numerology. Yeah, I think it comes from that. Sure. Astrology or like some sort of like goddess, you know. Well. There's so much. Yes, there's so much, so much. Well, when you think about it, when you just think about us being here right now, we're sitting here right now on this couch. we're in Pittsford, New York, right? But like Saturn is up there. Yeah, it's up there somewhere. Like it's there. It's doing its thing. It's actually in Aries right now, which is a really potent time for us to like, be it like Saturn is the planet that kicks us all back into alignment. And so for it's been Saturn has been in Pisces for like the past two years. And so we've been kind of like floating around a little bit more. But Saturn being an Aries is going to give us clarity, which we love, but we only have it for three months and then it goes back into retrograde, into Pisces. So we got three months to, I don't know what when this is going to air, but a couple of weeks for now probably. And it's May now. We got three months to like really use this Saturn in Aries. Clarity, energy I love this. I had the idea of like the mirrors going on, like our cycles a women, a woman's cycles 28 days. It's like the moon is a 20 day cycle. And that's I think we can bring it home here because I think overall fantasy worlds are mythic mirrors, because myth is the language that the soul remembers. So here's what I love about fantasy. It creates distance from our real life so readers can approach these spiritual truths that we are just talking about without resistance. Because once you start really like shining a light on yourself and you're doing this in general, like you're like thinking about it, but you're you're having a moment after you're reading something and you're like reflecting on it and you're turning inward about it. But when we are looking at this as something separate, it's easier for us to kind of see that and resonate with these like spiritual ideas, because they are not looking directly at us, but they are actually a mirror. And what we pull out of them are mirror is mirroring our experience. Like you're choosing to pull out these, these pieces and look at them, because maybe that day in that book, that's what you need to look at. But and like, I'm the same thing, same with me. Like I'm like, oh yes, I see Farah look in that mirror and love every single part of herself. And I'm like, ooh, I need to love every single part of myself. And this is like, what these women are teaching us. Yes, yes. All mirrors. And so I love it. So it's like dragons, gods and kingdoms are symbols for our deeper truths. Our inner dragons, our ego battles, all the different archetypes in our heads, kind of like wanting to do different things and our divine inheritance, which we have inherited. We're all like, innately powerful, and we're just remembering who we are. Yeah, I agree, I completely agree. And I think that that that is something that there's no way you read one of these books and you just like, sit and watch it, turn on the TV. No, no, no, you're reading these books. You're I mean, well, I don't I don't know, I could go one way with what you do after reading these books. And I can also go another way. but you feel. No, there's no way you don't kick butt after reading those. Absolutely. And it is like you do feel powerful. Like, okay, like I got this, like, what am I? What am I tackling today? So I, yeah, I think that that the messaging is just great and I think this will be around for a while, although people keep asking me like, what are you going to do with all of these books? Right? Because they're like hundreds of them. Like, when are you going to give them to Dorie? And I'm like, oh, I don't know. That's a good question. Oh my. Gosh. Start with the low spice books first. For, for an episode about spicy fantasy. This was very PG. I know, I know, I'm very. Proud of my dad will be really. Happy. Yeah, he's he's, he's, that very nervous at home. Well, Anna, thank you so much. So you're welcome. So I can. Talk about this all day. I really could. I hope you enjoyed that episode for way more. Woo woo. Please follow and subscribe to the report. Podcasts on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, or wherever you love to listen. Never miss an episode of The Wu Report by joining the community at the Wu Report podcast.com. Thank you for liking, sharing, rating, and loving on this little slice of magic. I am so, so grateful you are here by.