Your friendly neighborhood shaman

An intro for newbies and a refresher for long-term clients and friends of TOTEM Readings

Thank you all so much for making this Substack a robust, growing community for the spiritually-curious! We started posting to the TOTEM Readings Substack about a year ago, and have since grown our audience of subscribers to well over a thousand wonderful readers, commenters, and collaborators.

In the last few months, I’ve been receiving messages and emails asking for details about my shamanic practice, TOTEM Readings, and about my background as a practitioner— and it only now occurred to me that many of you have not actually worked with me or been clients of TOTEM Readings. Like, duh.

So, at the risk of being a bit analogue and redundant for some of you that have been with me this whole journey, I’ve decided to share the basics about what I do, how I do it, and what all that might mean for you here on the ‘ole Substacks.

I’m Rachel White, the owner of TOTEM Readings, which I established in 2012 to serve mainly Chicago-based clients. Since then, I’ve moved to Austin, TX and offer remote and in-person sessions and services to clients all around the world (looking at you, Sweden and Germany!).

I’ve been both a professional writer and a spiritual practitioner for more than twenty years, making me both old and (somewhat) salty and pretty experienced. Prior to opening TOTEM up to the general public and seeing clients for one-on-one sessions, I had privately (and vigorously) explored all things spirit— even reading tarot cards for other people (including adults) as early as fifth grade.

When you’re the talent at your aunt’s MetLife team building barbecue during Middle School, it’s pretty much a sign that you’re going to end up doing this professionally.

When people ask me to articulate what makes TOTEM different from other woo-based businesses, I always say,

“We serve the spiritually-homeless. Those that are curious and open-minded but rational and logical. We want to work with the critical thinkers, the successful professionals, and most of all the skeptics— a group that is currently woefully underserved by a spiritual industry wrought with bullshit artists, gurus, and toxic positivity.

TOTEM’s offering is transparent, ethical, and designed to democratize spirituality. In other words: I seek out ways to empower my clients to serve themselves, ultimately cutting out the middle men that rely on enmeshment and codependence, generally made possible by holding onto “special knowledge” that gives them power over the people.”

TOTEM is built to put you in touch with your own unique spiritual fingerprint— not force you into the same mold as anyone else. After all: one size fits all fits no one.

I plan to share a lot more about my personal journey with shamanism and spirituality more broadly, even sharing the specific story about what pulled me out of atheism and into the high strangeness in my early 20’s here on Substack. Keep an eye out for that post in the next week or so, and yes: it involves a demon.

In addition to the work I’ll be sharing here on Substack, TOTEM also offers a variety of spiritual tools and technologies to help you tune into spirit and unplug from the matrix:

TOTEM Tarot Deck

The TOTEM Tarot Deck is effectively a compilation of more than 20 years’ of professional tarot reading experience, including the lessons learned and best practices gained from working with thousands of clients. Emma Cook (the illustrator) and I took three years to painstakingly build this tarot deck in a thoughtful, functional way, transforming the standard imagery into something more modern and primal.

I mean, I had always found other tarot decks a little trite and cute and cheesy and “love and light” and, frankly, not very cool. I thought we were well overdue for a high-polish, adult addition to the tarot ecosystem. I wanted to offer a spiritual tool that wouldn’t alienate the serious people out there.

Enter: The TOTEM Tarot Deck.

To avoid interference from the “well-meaning morons” of the publishing industry, we self-published the TOTEM Tarot Deck on Amazon, where it’s currently on sale for the first time since launch (33% off). One of our Amazon reviewers sums it up better than I ever could:

“Minimalist, monochromatic, modern. Steve Jobs’ dream deck. They just hit different.

This is such a departure from traditional Tarot, in the best way. Dissecting 15th century layered symbolism had become a crutch for me. The illustrations in the Totem deck are subtle, suggestive. They stimulate your spirituality rather than supplant it.

The visual simplicity is profound. I’ve found the afterimage effect persists in my mind long after a reading, allowing my interpretation to percolate, evolve with new insight and context.

The sensory experience is truly exceptional. And then you meet the “characters.” The illusory figures representing Major Arcana and Court Cards of traditional Tarot are replaced with mythic energetic titans in the Totem Deck. Initiation into this elite club of Gods and Goddesses, Heroes and Legends is worth the price of admission alone.”

So, check it out. Get a deck while it’s on sale. Check out our “How to Read Tarot Cards” series here on Substack, too, for some inside baseball, tips and tricks about how to use the TOTEM Tarot Deck in new and *secret* ways.

TOTEM Readings ATX Etsy Shop

Yah, I make magical potions. I know, if you had told me this was my immediate future when I sat in a conference room with the job title Senior Vice President of Global Strategy just a few years ago, I probably would have laughed in your face.

Life comes at you fast, doesn’t it?

But, in all honesty, I’m glad it does. The TOTEM Flower Essence project has been such a fun, fulfilling and educational experience for me, and it feels great getting notes from clients telling me about the shifts these tinctures have helped to spark and support.

So, what are these things? Well, TOTEM Flower Essences are bottled tinctures, designed to be taken orally via dropper, and are made of 80% filtered water and 20% grain alcohol with plant matter. You take 1-3 drops a day, on the tongue or in water, effectively imprinting your own energy body with the unique “medicine” of the flower, tree or herb used to make that particular flower essence.

I legit grow the plants we use for the flower essences in my own yard— and from seed, at that!

This slow, old school approach enables me to apply intentional shamanic energy at every step of the process, infusing these potions with legit magic. I can also truly control the organic environment, using preying mantises for pest control instead of toxic chemicals.

After I hand-harvest the flowers, bits of herb or tree trimmings, I place them in mason jars with high-octane grain alcohol, leaving them for a minimum of six months in our “witch closet”— a cool, dark environment in which the magic can unfurl— enabling the inherent plant “medicines” to mix, mingle and grow in potency before blending with filtered water and bottling the essences.

I honestly used to think that flower essences were bullshit, one of those placebo effect phenomena that resulted from the wishful thinking of naive people.

I was wrong.

Within a week of taking the Bach Rescue Remedy flower essence blend way back in my 20’s, I discovered the ability to see the aura of plants and an overall sensory cohesion with the natural world— a real gift while living in the West Loop of Chicago.

I’ve been a convert ever since, getting only further radicalized as I’ve rolled up my sleeves and started to make my own flower essences in the last few years.

If you want to learn more or purchase a few of our TOTEM Flower Essences- currently 50% off- check out our Etsy Shop HERE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATX

TOTEM Readings 1:1 Sessions

For the next 30 days, I’m offering 50% off of all one-on-one services. I’ve got some big plans on the horizon (hence all the sales and whatnot), and want to reconnect (and meet) as many clients as possible before my schedule and availability constrict. And, believe me when I tell you: this sale is unprecedented, and honestly may never happen again.

Check out all of the details on the services we offer HERE, and feel free to book directly using the “Schedule Session” buttons. The 30-day discount is already reflected in the links to pay, so no code or any extra steps for you.

Not sure which service to start with? I always recommend a TOTEM Tarot Reading. Not only do we use our very own and very special tarot deck in this session, but it’s the best spiritual diagnostic I’ve ever encountered. It offers programatic details around work, love, spiritual growth, personal development, and much, much more, and is the best modality for specifics: who, what, when, where…and, most importantly, why.

And feel free to take a gander at what other folks have to say about their experiences on TOTEM on Yelp, here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/totem-readings-austin

It’s a special time, and with tomorrow’s Scorpio Full Moon + Lunar Eclipse, I can feel palpable change on the horizon. To flow with this window of radical change, I’m shaking things up…and operating intuitively whenever and wherever possible.

And, to be super transparent, I likely won’t have a ton of availability during this sale as many other folks are already booking and taking advantage of the special rate. So, if you’re interested, it really is a good idea to book to secure your spot before availability evaporates.

TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program

I’m opening up another round of the TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program on June 1st 2023. While I kick-off each three month leg of the program with multiple people within the same week, all of the work in this program is 100% individual. Why? Well, because no two people share the same spiritual capabilities or preferences, and I believe that this kind of mentoring work needs to identify, acknowledge, accept and flow to the unique attributes of each individual client.

Here’s what a few clients have said about their experience in the TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program:

“The spiritual transformation coaching program was an eye-opening, powerful experience. Through weekly 1-on-1 coaching sessions with Rachel, I was able to do some spiritual excavation with new modalities such as shamanic journeying, tarot, and channeling. These gave me a new lens to view myself and my priorities - I was able to more clearly see what was working for me and what patterns were no longer serving me. The coaching program was also invaluable for developing my astrology practice. Rachel's experience both as a business owner and in corporate was incredibly helpful for thinking about how to build a small business. We were able to work together in identifying my brand and finding the resources to create it. While I haven't done a full launch yet, I know that whenever I decide to, I have what I need to be successful. Rachel was great to work with and really helped me grow.” - Kate W.

“I can’t recommend Rachel and her coaching program enough! Rachel takes the time to learn about her clients’ interests, strengths, fears and curiosities. Unlike other coaching programs out there, it’s a personalized journey that evolves from week to week and even within a session! She’s not only incredibly skilled in all things spiritual but has an impressive corporate background and is able to marry the two. She has a strong network and finds ways to introduce clients to people who may be of help on their journey. I always looked forward to our time together. I learned so much about myself through this spiritual journey, but also how I can translate it into a business practice!” -Katherine F.

“I met Rachel when she hosted a shamanic journeying session and immediately appreciated her straightforward, pragmatic, practical approach. I trusted her instantly, and if you have engaged with people in the medium/psychic/energy space trust is a big deal. When she offered the spiritual coaching opportunity I knew I had to sign up. And I am not a signer upper by nature, but it was loud and clear that I should commit to this work, and do it with Rachel. My energy and spiritual life immediately started to elevate, even before I started the program. If you have been looking for a spiritual home to bring more intuitive skills into your life Rachel is that guide. As I told Rachel recently, being coached by her, and feeling the strength from the other people in the cohort, has given me the courage to be who I really am - and not be intimidated by the theater of man. This work is elemental, and beyond important for our world. The universe needs your energy to be at its highest level and Rachel can get you there. Rachel curates content for each individual she is coaching based on where you are in your journey and which spiritual layers need attention and skills need development. This was one of the most valuable and empowering investments I've made in myself in my life.” - Mary B.

Want to learn more? You can book a free chat with me about this program anytime here: https://calendly.com/rachel-1061/totem-spiritual-transformation-coaching-consultation

Spots for this June 1st kick off will be secured on a “first come, first serve” basis, so reach out sooner vs. later if you’re interested!

*Coming Soon* The Skeptical Shaman Podcast

Yep, I’m super stoked about this one. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be dropping our first episodes of the Skeptical Shaman podcast, designed to support the spiritually-curious but non-committal. We’ll be interviewing interesting professionals on both sides of the woo aisle: the true believers and the cynics.

Why? Well, because the truth is always somewhere in the messy middle. So, I’m committed to presenting every side of the “debate”, empowering listeners to get all the data so that they can make decisions on their own.

Updates coming soon, but a special Substack head’s up: we’ll be sharing premium content and extra episodes with our paid subscribers here on Substack, so please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support our mission!

Thank you

Thank you all for being here. Writing on Substack has been one of the great joys of my professional career, and I love being able to share my weird experiences, insights and recommendations with all of you. Please check out the Notes function, new to Substack, and feel free to dive into a dialogue with each other— and with me!

Happy Scorpio Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse. Big, big things are coming, and it’s a very exciting time to be alive on planet earth.

-Rachel