67: Pumpkin Spice Everything

Hallowe'en is just around the corner and that means pumpkin spice is in the air!

This episode is a friendly chat between Shawn and Tracy about local events, the pumpkin spice season, favourite podcasts, and a bit of Brigitte stuff.

Our Hallowe'en talk includes such topics as the proper age for Trick 'r Treating, and the types of candy we do or do not enjoy.  In a surprise twist, we do not mention anything about costumes or parties.

Shawn had an encounter with a bear this week.  We talk a bit about that, the Facebook reaction to the bear video, as well as dog attacks.

Both hosts had a brief encounter with Brigitte recently and we discuss that, plus we tease the topic for next week's episode.

Our main topic is podcasts and podcasting habits.  There is a great discussion on some of our favourite podcasts, and our listening habits are talked about also.  Included in our chat are the following podcasts: My Favorite Murder, WTF with Marc Maron, Mission Log, Movie Crush, Behind the Bastards, and Someone Knows Something. 

Of course, no discussion would be complete without talking about all the Star Trek episode review shows that are out there in podcast-land.  The true crime rabbit hole is another major topic!

This week's podcast promos:  Transmissions from Atlantis, The Classic Original Show

66: Would You Rather?

What will you do?  Choices.  Decisions.  Deliberations.  Choose your own adventure! 

This week, Shawn and Tracy pose a series of questions to each other.  These queries range from the philosophical to the downright silly.  One thing all the questions have in common is that they will make you stop and think.  Is there a better option?  Why would someone pick that choice over another, perhaps more advantageous option?

Join the Soul Forge this week and ask yourself the same questions.  We would love to hear your answers.  You can always contact the show by email at soulforgepodcast@gmail.com

Or Tweet us!  We're on Twitter with the handle @soulforgepod

And remember, like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SoulForgePodcast

Of course, you can follow Shawn on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/darthvaderloo/

We can be found on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/3JXWZDq6CXqrWTI5yYx04B

And if you would, please leave a 5 star review for the podcast in your chosen podcast app.  Our app of choice in iTunes, which you can follow this link for the Soul Forge Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/1-soul-forge-introduction/id1265658912?i=1000390465638&mt=2

This week's podcast promo: The Monster SciFi Show

65: Other People’s Kids

Kids. Children. Offspring. Yours, mine, and ours. 

This week we tackle the topic of living with kids that aren't biologically yours . We are going to use the term step-parent even though many of the stories and situations do not necessarily involve marriage between the couple.

• Buidling a relationship with a step-child,
• Blended families and becoming a step-parent,
• How do these kids react and behave?
• The Brady Bunch Illusion - expectations versus reality 

Gender:

• How a man bonds with kids,
• How a woman bonds with kids,
• The gender of the child in relation to the gender of the step-parent,

The age of the child/children will have a great impact on the relationship between the other person's kid(s) and the new step-parent.

Discipline styles also differ and this can have an affect on the child. Supper, homework, and bedtime routines can be vastly different.

Remember: communication, tolerance and understanding.

This week's podcast promo: The Nerdy Laser Podcast

64: Dalai Lama’s Rules For Living

The Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules For Living That Will Help You Get Your Sh*t Together

At the turn of this century, the Dalai Lama issued “18 Rules for Living’. As I share them with you here today I hope that they will inspire you as much as they have me – to stretch yourself, to go within, to strive for more, to be more, to grow more – and as a result always be living into your greatest potential and purpose in life. Basically, these will help you to really get your shit together.

RULE 1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

RULE 2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

RULE 3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions

RULE 4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

RULE 5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

RULE 6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

RULE 7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

RULE 8. Spend some time alone every day.

RULE 9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

RULE 10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

RULE 11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

RULE 12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

RULE 13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

RULE 14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

RULE 15. Be gentle with the earth.

RULE 16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

RULE 17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

RULE 18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

7 QUESTIONS TO NOW CONSIDER:

1. What risks are you willing to take in your life right now?

2. How will you be more open to acknowledging and learning from your “mistakes”?

3. Where will you take greater responsibility in your life?

4. When will you spend quality, reflective time alone every day?

5. How will you share the knowledge and wisdom you have?

6. How do you respect for yourself and others?

7. What are the values by which you live your life?

This week's podcast promo: Here Be Tygers

63: On Writing and Poetry

Passion, emotions, cultural longing....just some of the reasons for the creation of art.  During my university years, I needed an outlet so I chose poetry as the vehicle of my creative expression.  This episode explores a few of my poems and reveals the story behind them.

I've been adding content to my YouTube channel in hopes of providing value to you and gaining more subscribers.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCataaeTRQltObb7n1GHW_qw/videos

Spotify!  Just a reminder that you can find the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3JXWZDq6CXqrWTI5yYx04B

Announcement!  I'm working on a new podcast with my friend Sheamus.  You can listen to his other podcasts, such as: Chewed Gum, INFAMINDS, Great Job Thank you, Tuesdays With Mari, 727, Crime in Movies

A brief talk about my dreams of writing greatness, and the dramatic reading of several poems:

• A Wrestler Professes His Love,
• Baldness: A Ballad,
• Eikasia,
• Love's Resurgence,
• Still,
• The Last Prospector,
• The Logger,
• The Wedding Band Part 1,
• The Wedding Band Part 2,
• Blue Velvet

This week's podcast promo: Metal Geeks Podcast

62: The Art of Tattoo

The art and history of the tattoo.

First, we take a look at the reasons for the tattoo across history, and we briefly explore ancient and modern tattoo techniques.

Society has viewed the tattoo in many ways, from art form to trendy fad, and from taboo to outlaw.

Why do people get inked?

Pure Addiction Studio's $13 tattoo marathon.

Women's bodies and tattoos.

Pain and pleasure of inking.

Shawn's tattoo history.

Tracy's tattoo history.

Future tattoos.

Share your tattoo pics and stories with us on Facebook and Twitter!

https://www.facebook.com/SoulForgePodcast/

https://twitter.com/SoulForgePod

You can find us on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/3JXWZDq6CXqrWTI5yYx04B

This week's podcast promo:  The Geekly Oddcast

61: First Time Sex At Age 28

No longer a virgin, Whit from episode 44 returns to the Soul Forge to share his tale of sex and love, and how he came to lose his virginity.

• Who is the lucky girl that took Whit's V-card?
• Tinder Roulette can be a dangerous game,
• First date awkwardness,
• The 6 date girlfriend rule,
• First kiss,
• Family dynamics,
• Oral sex and the fear of teeth,
• Condoms,
• Positions and the loss of virginity,
• The speed of the relationship and feelings...

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station Who Podcast

60: One Year Anniversary Special

The Soul Forge Podcast is celebrating its first full year of operation. Listen in as we discuss everything that has happened these last 12 months.  This ain't no clip show folks!

• The guests, co-hosts and contributors are acknowledged,
• The history of the idea and the original concept for the podcast is discussed,
• Podcast goals: helping people, gaining a global audience, massive downloads, learning new things, etc...
• A year's worth of changes -- how things were at the beginning versus where things are now.
• Topics: so many themes and ideas explored and analyzed.

The song at the end is called Chasing You, and was performed by Mugzy who was the guest/interviewee on episode 48

This week's podcast promo: Pop Culture Cosmos

59: Reincarnation - A Thought Experiment

What is reincarnation and is there even such a thing? Shawn and Tracy conduct a thought experiment, imagining that reincarnation is a real phenomenon, and then piece together how it might actually work.

The immortal soul's travels and the ultimate journey.

The consciousness equation...the give and take between the mind and the soul.

Destinations - The Soul's choice vs higher power.

Achieving enlightenment, lessons learned, what is the purpose?

Do we have a soul? What is the spark of consciousness?

Self-awareness, memory and emotions vs instinct.

Every soul is on an individual journey and faces many obstacles in a quest to learn lessons and level up.

CHANCES ARE...a brief discussion about the film from 1989.

Are people that we consider 'old souls' nearing enlightenment?

What is the disconnect between the soul and consciousness, why are there memory blocks?

How history repeats itself and worldwide consciousness is being risen.

Akashic records - accessing your soul file.

This week's podcast promo: Cigar Nerds Podcast

58: Soulmates and Intimacy

Exploring the ideas of soulmates, twin flames, intimacy and chemistry.

• A soulmate allows us to be our true, open and honest self.

Shawn talks about his own experiences feeling that soulmate connection.  There is discussion on several definitions of what a soul mate is.  The energetic cloth and the patterns and wave lengths that bind two people together in a soulmate connection.  Soulmates come into our lives to awaken and challenge us to become our best versions of ourselves.

• There is more than one type of soulmate.

Twin flames.  Are they really a thing?  There is talk of the many life times of connection between two people.  This is not necessarily a romantic relationship, but it can be.

We talk about the ideas of connection and chemistry and how they can be the same, but also different.  With our soulmates we take the mask off to reveal our inner selves.  Is the soulmate connection a fated eventuality?

This week's podcast promo: The Rusted Robot Podcast