Hey Woo Woo Crew! Welcome to The Vicious Virgos. This isn't your average astrology podcast. Sassy, unfiltered, and filled with lots of newbie material. Every week, hosts Ilana and Jacquelin give you the 411 on all things astrology. Tune in for lots of laughs, drama, and of course, some much-needed cosmic advice. The astrological big sisters you never knew you needed 💖
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Made Visible is a podcast that gives a voice to people with invisible illnesses. This podcast aims to change the conversation around invisible illnesses, helping those who experience them —whether as patients, caregivers, or friends or family members — feel more seen and heard.
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Join host Anushay Hossain and her diverse array of guests as they delve into the insights revealed in Anushay's groundbreaking book. Through engaging conversations with individuals from various backgrounds and expert perspectives, The Pain Gap Podcast seeks to educate and advocate for equality in healthcare. Anushay's mission is clear: to empower listeners to advocate for themselves within healthcare systems. She invites male listeners to understand and address The Pain Gap, encouraging them ...
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From Lawyer to Healthcare Leader: Priya Bathija's Impact on Women's Health
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In this episode of the Pain Gap podcast, healthcare leader, attorney, and policy expert Priya Bathija shares her journey from law school to becoming a pivotal figure in women's health advocacy. Priya discusses her early career as a healthcare attorney, her transition to policy work at the American Hospital Association, and her passion for improving…
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Shalene Gupta - The Cycle and Breaking the Silence on Menstrual Health
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Shalene Gupta is an exceptional writer, journalist, and author. She is here to discuss her latest book, "The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of PMDD and Periods," in which she bravely shares her personal journey with PMDD and sheds light on this often misunderstood condition and the challenges women face with this condition. Shalene Gupta hails from Mi…
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Wake Her Up: Marcella Hill's Take on Women's Health and Hormones
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Marcella Hill is an entrepreneur, speaker, and author of the Amazon bestseller "Wake Her Up." Known for her eye-opening TikTok videos on perimenopause and hormones, she brings much-needed attention to the often overlooked symptoms women face. Marcella's journey with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has inspired a global movement, "Wake Her …
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Nitika Chopra’s Path to Advocacy and Building a Community for the Chronically Ill
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Nitika Chopra is the pioneering force behind Chronicon, a renowned media and events conglomerate dedicated to empowering individuals living with chronic illnesses. Diagnosed with psoriasis at 10 and psoriatic arthritis at 19, Nitika's health challenges became defining aspects of her life, inspiring her to transform her experiences into a catalyst f…
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Advancing Maternal Health, Health Equity and Justice: A Conversation with Dr. Jamila Taylor
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Dr. Jamila Taylor is a distinguished national health equity leader, seasoned health policy researcher, and dedicated social justice advocate. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Taylor's expertise shines in addressing maternal health and reproductive justice, tackling structural barriers to healthcare access, and advocating for equitable health o…
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Empowering Women: Inside HerMD's Revolutionary Approach to Healthcare
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We're diving deep into revolutionizing women's healthcare with Dr. Somi Javaid, MD, and her sister and business partner, Komel Caruso, from HerMD. What sets HerMD apart is that it's healthcare powered by women. But what does that even mean? Consider this: Only 20% of OBGYNs are trained in menopause and sexual healthcare. Yet, menopause affects 51% …
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Chronicles of Resilience: Navigating Chronic Illness with Ilana Jacqueline
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Ilana Jacqueline is the award-winning author behind the insightful blog Let’s Feel Better. At just twenty-two, Ilana embarked on a journey to share her candid experiences grappling with chronic illness, offering a blend of humor, humility, and heartfelt stories. From grappling with skull-crushing migraines to embracing life as a human pincushion, s…
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Revolutionizing Women's Health: A Conversation with Dr. Neel Shah
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Dr. Neel Shah, MD, MPP, FACOG, is Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic, the world's largest virtual clinic and first "unicorn" technology company for women's and family health. He is also a visiting scientist at Harvard Medical School where he previously served as Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive biology. As a physici…
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But You Don't Look Arab: A Candid Discussion with Hala Gorani
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Journalist and former CNN anchor Hala Gorani memoir, "But You Don't Look Arab," unpacks her many roots across Istanbul, Syria, France and the U.S. — and grapples with how her identity and its impact on her work have been scrutinized for decades. In the premiere episode of the show, she speaks with Anushay Hossain about belonging, the quest for iden…
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Anushay talks about redefining postpartum, having the courage to tell your story, and more with actress and “Anya” Chief Impact Officer (CIO) Freida Pinto. Episode Resources: The Pain Gap Anya To learn more about Anushay Hossain's work, check out Anushay's website or sign up for her substack. To continue the conversation, feel free to DM @anushayho…
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How HerMD and Dr. Somi Javaid are Revolutionizing Women’s Healthcare
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HerMD Founder, Dr. Somi Javaid is on a mission to make women’s healthcare exceptional by educating, advocating for, and empowering patients to take control of their health concerns. She speaks with Anushay about why women need to own our sexual health, how we are embracing the new menopausal woman and more. Episode Resources: The Pain Gap HerMD To …
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Did you know that more women die giving birth in America than in any other rich country? The number of women who die giving birth in America each year has nearly doubled in the last two decades, making the United States the only developed country with a consistently rising maternal mortality rate. How can we make giving birth in America safer? That…
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128. The Quiet Epidemic with Special Guest, Ally Hilfiger
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I moderated a panel discussion at ReelAbilities Film Festival on The Quiet Epidemic, an eye-opening film about Lyme disease that highlights the emotional toll of patients’ journeys with the illness and the scientific facts of the disease. During the panel I spoke with the film’s Emmy-winning producer Chris Hegedus, who helped the directors bring th…
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127. Ilana Jacqueline, Fighting the War Against Medical Gaslighting
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Author and patient advocate Ilana Jacqueline experienced medical gaslighting from a young age. At age 19 she was diagnosed with Hypogammaglobulinemia, a rare immunodeficiency. While navigating young adulthood with an invisible illness, Ilana also faced lots of medical gaslighting, encountering doctors who shamed her out of seeking care. Ilana has d…
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126. Melissa Coulier, Finding a Holistic Approach to Lupus and Life
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Melissa is a functional fitness instructor, photographer, and Lupus warrior. After living her whole life in pain, Melissa was finally diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. She began a variety of treatments that helped combat her symptoms, but the physical and mental toll of pain and treatment left Melissa in a place of exhaustion, depression and self-pity.…
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125. Akiva Zablocki, Helping Families with Hyper IgM Find Community and Care
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Akiva Zablocki is a former healthcare consultant and the founder of the Hyper IgM foundation. When Akiva’s son Idan was just eight months old, he was diagnosed with Hyper IgM, an incredibly rare genetic mutation that severely compromises the immune system. After three years of diligent research and advocacy, Akiva and his wife were able to obtain a…
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124. Melissa Aives and Danielle Scaramellino, Navigating Invisible Illness With My Best Friends
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Join me for a very special episode where I sit down with my best friends, Melissa Aives and Danielle Scaramellino, as we reflect on a life-changing moment eleven years ago when I underwent a life-threatening surgery, introducing my friends to a world of uncertainty about my health. Despite our close bond, they had never witnessed this side of me, l…
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123. Jamie Nicole, Creating Support for the BIPOC Community Living with Autoimmune Diseases
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Jamie Nicole is a highly regarded certified health coach dedicated to helping individuals achieve optimal health through complementary medicine and holistic health lifestyle changes. Her passion for health and wellness was sparked when she witnessed the transformative power of holistic health in her own life. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto's …
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122. Kate Milligan, The Power of Determination, Community, and Asking Questions
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Kate Milligan is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, speaker, storyteller, and founder of 1 Girl Revolution: a multimedia platform dedicated to highlighting the authentic stories of everyday women and girls who are changing the world through their lives. Diagnosed with Job’s Syndrome at a young age, Kate faced years of uncomfortable symptoms that d…
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121. Dr Alex Truong, Highlighting the Unaddressed Long-COVID Symptoms and Trauma
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Dr. Truong is a pulmonary and critical care trained physician with 12 years of experience as assistant professor at Emory Midtown Hospital. Since August of 2020, he and Dr. Adviteeya Dixit have been running the Emory Post-COVID clinic where they care for patients with lingering symptoms from their COVID infection. Dr. Truong’s passion for helping p…
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120. Marina Khidekel, Designing an Anxiety-Soothing Product that Hugs Back
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Marina Khidekel created Hugimals World, a TIME Best Inventions- winning line of weighted stuffed animals that "hug you back" to ease anxiety and bring calm. Prior to becoming a founder, Marina was a health & wellness journalist. She previously worked at Arianna Huffington’s workplace well-being enterprise SAAS startup Thrive and held senior editori…
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119. Erica Domesek, DIY expert opens up about hidden mental health struggles
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By Harper Spero, Erica Domesek
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118. Melissa Bernstein, Utilizing Verses and Creativity to Make Meaning of Existential Depression
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Melissa Bernstein, co-founder of Melissa & Doug, discusses her struggles with existential depression and how she uses writing and creating to cope. She also talks about the importance of embracing all emotions, utilizing daily practices for resilience, and creating her latest company, Lifelines, to help people be more present and get more in touch …
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A brief reminder about Mental Health Awareness Month and the tribute to my friend, Phil Kohn. Join the monthly Made Visible Writing Session on May 24th here.
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117. Dr. Michelle Chung, Acknowledging and Healing Our Pandemic Trauma
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We’re 3+ years into the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s impossible to deny that life still doesn't feel quite the same as pre-pandemic. We’re all saddled with the trauma of a life-threatening illness, the isolation and fear we experienced. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, clinical psychologist Dr. Michelle Chung helps us navigate this new worl…
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116. Allison Raskin, Debunking Common Misconceptions about OCD
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Surely we’ve all heard someone say, “Oh, I’m so OCD!” at least once in our lives. But what is it really like to live with this clinical diagnosis? How is everyday life managed, and how often does it affect people and their ability to live an uninterrupted, fulfilled life? In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Allison Raskin, noted podcaster, w…
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115. Harper Spero, Sharing My Own Invisible Illness Story
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This episode provides an in-depth look into my life navigating a rare primary immunodeficiency, Hyper IgE Syndrome after ten years of not being diagnosed and almost three decades of hiding my condition. I share all the bumps along the way to launching Made Visible, and the how and why behind the show. For more information about my journey, what I'm…
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114. Jacqueline & Alexa Child, Dating with a Disability and Invisible Illness
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Dating on an app is challenging. But have you experienced dating on mainstream apps while also living with a disability, chronic, or invisible illness? After disclosing that she was disabled on mainstream dating apps, Jacqueline Child would often be ghosted and disappointed in the dating experience. Jacqueline and her sister Alexa decided it was ti…
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113. Kate Washington, Caring For Yourself While Caregiving For Your Loved One
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Almost all of us will assume a caregiving role for a close loved one at some point in our lives. When is the correct time to start mentally preparing? Do you think you'd feel comfortable administering treatments that deeply affect your loved one's quality of life? How do these people balance caregiving and their careers? Kate Washington, author of …
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112. Dr. Christiane Wolf, Managing Pain With Meditation
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Have you ever tried meditation to help manage chronic pain? After realizing that meditation, mindfulness, and compassion practices are transformational in how we relate to what is happening to us, Dr. Christiane Wolf found a passion in teaching it to others. Internationally known as a Mindfulness and Insight Meditation teacher, she explains the con…
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111. Dr. Stella Safo, Debunking Stigmas about HIV and Advocating Equitable Healthcare for All
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In this episode, Dr. Stella Safo, a board-certified HIV primary care physician and the founder of Just Equity For Health, talks about healthcare redesign and equity. She discusses her personal journey into healthcare and how her commitment to social justice led her to found her company. She also dives into the stigma surrounding HIV and chronic ill…
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110. Isaac Zablocki, Coping with Dysgraphia and Advocating for Change Through Film
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Step into the life of Isaac Zablocki as he shares his personal journey of living with dysgraphia - a neurological condition that affects one’s ability to write. Isaac opens up about how his experience with dysgraphia has helped shape his professional career as the co-founder of ReelAbilities, a groundbreaking film festival that celebrates the talen…
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Bonus: Exclusive Essay Readings from Laura Frégeau & Lindsay Ellis
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This bonus episode of the Made Visible podcast features the exclusive readings of two powerful essays written by students of the Made Visible Writing Class. Laura Frégeau's "Seeking Care" takes a humorous tongue-in-cheek approach to the task of finding a caregiver for her future needs, listing specific requirements for the ideal candidate. Lindsay …
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109. The Power of Processing Through Writing
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Before I could learn how to live with my invisible illness, I needed a way to process what I was going through. So I created what I wished had existed for me, the Made Visible Writing Class. A safe place where people living with invisible illnesses could write, share and connect with one another while confronting life’s challenges through writing. …
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108. Serena Wolf and Katie Dalebout, Approaching Anxiety with Vulnerability and Laughter
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By Harper Spero
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107. Lara Bloom, Supporting People with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome While Elevating Global Awareness
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Join Lara Bloom and host, Harper Spero, for a special IG Live event on March 1st at 11:00AM EST! Follow @madevisiblestories on Instagram to tune in. Before being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at 24 years old, Lara Bloom endured 12 years of undiagnosed pain and mysterious symptoms. According to Lara, who is now the president and CEO of The E…
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It’s Pisces Szn! ♓ You’re ruled by Neptune, God of the Sea - the planet that governs creativity, dreams… and of course illusions and escapism. It’s the planet of inspiration, psychic receptivity, spirituality and all things subtle. This planet urges to excel and exceed boundaries, rejecting any and all limitations. This water signis deeply emotiona…
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106. Akilah Cadet Advocating for Herself As She Searches for a Primary Diagnosis
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Join Akilah Cadet and host, Harper Spero, for a special IG Live event on February 22nd at 12:30pm EST! Follow @madevisiblestories on Instagram to tune in. Akilah has been diagnosed with pericarditis, coronary artery spasms, and orthostatic hypotension, but she’s still searching for a reason why she’s experiencing intense and chronic pain on the lef…
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105. Devri Velazquez, Living with Takayasu's Arteritis and Embracing Advocacy Through Owning Her Identity
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Join Devri Velazquez and host, Harper Spero, for a special IG Live event on February 15th at 11:00am EST! Follow @madevisiblestories on Instagram to tune in. When Devri Velazquez was diagnosed with Takayasu's arteritis at 20 years old, the prognosis was devastating. Doctors didn’t think she would live to age 21. On today’s episode, we talk about wh…
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104. Hannah Olson, Showing Employers (and Beyond) the Value of Hiring People with Chronic Illness and Disability
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Join Hannah Olson and host, Harper Spero, for a special IG Live event on February 8th at 12:00pm EST! Follow @madevisiblestories on Instagram to tune in. When employers come to Hannah Olson and ask her why they should hire people who have chronic illness, she has a lot to say. Hannah is the founder is Chronically Capable, a platform that connects p…
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103. Genevieve Gorder, Designing a Life with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Lyme Disease
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Join Genevieve Gorder and host, Harper Spero, for a special IG Live event on February 1st at 11:30am EST! Follow @madevisiblestories on Instagram to tune in. Interior design star Genevieve Gorder wants to live in the light, not in her illness. What does that mean, exactly? For Genevieve, who has both Lyme disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, it mea…
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102. Ally Hilfiger, Changing the Lenses on Her Experience with Lyme Disease
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Join Ally Hilfiger and host, Harper Spero for a special IG Live event on January 25th at ***2pm EST!*** (Rescheduled from 12:30pm EST) Follow @madevisiblestories on Instagram to tune in. Ally Hilfiger was bitten by a tick at age seven and battled severe physical and neurological symptoms throughout her childhood, but she wasn’t diagnosed with Lyme …
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It’s Aquarius Szn! ♒️ You’re ruled by Uranus- Innovative, unpredictable, resourceful, imaginative, idiosyncratic and experimental. Uranus rules creativity and scientific genius. This planet's job is to break rules and demolish established patterns or structures, creating sudden-even radical-change. This air sign is eccentric, intellectual, futurist…
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The Signs' Biggest Flaws - A Re-Release
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OMG - we’re having a quarter life crisis 🎤 JK - but also, pretty fucking cool that we’ve completed half a year already. So what better way to celebrate than with a “mini” roast. Ehhh - but is it actually just some much needed calling out + advice from your favorite know-it-alls. Tips for listening this week: Get ready to take notes Maybe find somet…
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Sex Ed For The Signs - A Re-Release
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Happy new year Woo Woo Crew! Jack & Ilana are still enjoying a sweet Winter vacay, so we're re-releasing one of their faves from 2022! Don't worry, they'll be right back at it next week <3 Let's talk about sex baby 🍆 We're getting down & dirty, giving you what you allll want: it's time to learn the sexual secrets of the signs. What are they like in…
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It’s the holiday szn y’all - and Ilana and I decided to take just a LITTLE bit of a break from recording. But don’t worry - we’ll be back with some new shit rolling into 2023. Let us BREATHE for a minute! 😘So what’s that mean?Well - for all our new listeners out there, we’re pulling an episode out from the vault. This was our top listened to episod…
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Tune in to hear more about the latest happenings with Made Visible. Follow @madevisiblestories on Instagram Check out our services, writing classes and offerings at www.madevisiblestories.comBy Harper Spero
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It’s Capricorn Szn! ♑ You’re ruled by Saturn (which is why we call Saturn, Daddy) - the planet of wisdom, discipline… and our favorite, karma. It’s all about long term planning, being responsible - you know, sometimes Saturn just has to ground you (we mean that in the teenager sense when our parents would ground us, btw) This earth sign gets a lot …
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Have you ever looked at your S.O. and thought, “why are you the way that you are?” 👀 Oh wait, that’s just a tiktok trend…. Sometimes people (us included), don’t always identify with their zodiac (aka: sun) sign, so we have to take a peak at our chart and look a little deeper. Truth be told, your natal chart, which is the snapshot of the sky at the …
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You asked for it 😉So… food and astrology have basically been linked since the dawn of time - seriously, think about it… why else is our dear Virgo called the crop circle superstar (but also the Harvest Goddess)? All of these ancient cultures grew their crops by tracking the celestial cycles ⭐So what’d we learn? That food astrology is actually a BRA…
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