118: Return to Nashville, MI

[00:00:10] Speaker A: On this episode of Common Mystics, we continue the story of Gertrude Bay, our very first ever voiceless spirit. I'm Jennifer James. [00:00:22] Speaker B: I'm Jill Stanley. [00:00:24] Speaker A: We're psychics. [00:00:25] Speaker B: We are sisters. [00:00:26] Speaker A: We're common mystics. We find extraordinary stories in ordinary places. And today's story takes us back to Nashville, Michigan. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Super exciting. So I am leading this discussion today per Jennifer's request. [00:00:43] Speaker A: You did the outline? You did? I did. This is your mattress. [00:00:48] Speaker B: Well, let me tell you. So over the summer, we decided we were gonna have a mystic summer camp. And we invited seven people from our Tier four. Cause we wanted to do a couple things. So many of them reached out to us. Being like, I wanna be in the car with you. I'm like, it's really not that fun. We wanna be in the car. I'm like, okay, we can get you a car. So we created a situation where we rented a truck, we rented a house. A truck. Like a big rig, you know, we rented a van, we rented a house. And we had 8 of our tier 4 or 7 of our tier 4 patrons join us in one car and use our spidey senses. And the retreat was about release and renewal. And so we start out on a Thursday. We do these opening ceremonies. We do quick meditations. We're doing journal writings. And then there's homework. Because Jennifer's a teacher, and she's like, you know what? I'm gonna bring the homework. And I was like, bring the homework. So they had homework. Now, the next day, I don't think. [00:01:53] Speaker A: Anybody did the homework. [00:01:55] Speaker B: I don't think anyone did that. [00:01:56] Speaker A: Lisa might have done the homework. Cause she's a good student. [00:01:59] Speaker B: She is so sweet. Like, literally, when you ever. [00:02:03] Speaker A: I wanna keep her. [00:02:04] Speaker B: I wanna keep her, too. But I wanna keep Kelly, and I wanna keep Edmond. [00:02:07] Speaker A: I wanna keep Emily. I want. But not all of them were good students. [00:02:13] Speaker B: They weren't a Lisa. Not all of them were Lisa. I think Kelly's a good Kelly student. You know what I mean? Like, Kelly did the assignment, but she did it in a Kelly way. [00:02:22] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:02:23] Speaker B: She's like me in that respect. [00:02:25] Speaker A: Yeah, you gotta respect that. You gotta respect that. [00:02:27] Speaker B: Mm. You can't do it verbatim. You gotta. You gotta stretch it. You gotta improvise. Okay. So anyway, so our people come, we meet them. We have a fantastic first evening. Opening rituals, meditation. And then we give them homework and we let them simmer overnight. And then on Friday, following day, Jennifer, my sister, you. [00:02:50] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:52] Speaker B: Dazzles us with some lights, yoga and meditation. [00:02:55] Speaker A: I am not I am not a yoga instructor. [00:02:58] Speaker B: I was so impressed. I'm not even being sarcastic. [00:03:02] Speaker A: Thank you. You're silly. [00:03:04] Speaker B: Literally. [00:03:04] Speaker A: You are so silly. [00:03:06] Speaker B: You not only balanced our chakras, but you also opened them into an alignment. And it felt calming and peaceful to work in this space. It didn't feel like we intimidated anyone. It felt like everyone was ready and showed up to work. So doing that, we decided to take them to a historic cemetery and do a cemetery walk. Can you. [00:03:30] Speaker A: That was fun. [00:03:31] Speaker B: Just. Can you describe for us, if you would? [00:03:34] Speaker A: Yes. We really just wanted them to experience what we do when we go into a place together that is spiritually charged. And we just wanted them to get into the practice of going into this space, in this case, a historic cemetery that we knew was spiritually charged. Right, right. And pair up and then write down what they were receiving and then use each other to kind of validate or just share. Like, this is what I was. What were you receiving? Right. [00:04:08] Speaker B: So we are walking around. The patrons go in their groups, and they're traveling around this historic cemetery and walking, taking notes in Marshall, Michigan. And Jen and I say a prayer. Oh, yeah, we. What was our prayer? [00:04:23] Speaker A: We held hands, like we do, and we asked our. Our people on the other. Our spirits to help their spirit guides bring in spirits so that they would have an experience. So we were literally, like. It was like a telephone line. We're like, hey, mom, Grandma, you know, and all our peeps, please talk to their peeps and have them bring in spirits to talk to you from the cemetery. Because we didn't want it to be a complete bust. And to be honest, this whole thing could have been a real shit show. And we weren't sure it wasn't on day two. So that's the prayer that we made. Did I miss anything? [00:05:01] Speaker B: No, you did. You did. Wonderful. Okay, good. So we're walking around, and I'm really proud of them. They're communicating. They're validating. Some of the groups merged and, like, they mingled. Everyone was getting along so beautiful. Yes. [00:05:13] Speaker A: Can I say one other thing? [00:05:15] Speaker B: Yes, Jennifer? [00:05:15] Speaker A: There was a focus. We also wanted them to focus not only on what they were getting, but how they were getting it. So we were really focused in on. Are you hearing things? Are you seeing things? Seeing things? If you're seeing things, are they in your third eye or are they outside of yourself? Like, write down your impressions and your emotional responses. Like, that was the activity as well. Not only being open, but identifying how that information was being received by you. [00:05:41] Speaker B: It's pivotal yes. Thank you for sharing. So we reconvene. Everyone's back in the rig that I'm driving everyone around in. And the plan is we're going back to my house and we're gonna eat yummy foods from the grill. [00:05:57] Speaker A: Yes, Jennifer, I raised my hand. Can I tell them what Kelly said when she was sharing her experience? [00:06:04] Speaker B: I would absolutely love it, because after. [00:06:07] Speaker A: That cemetery walk, we all kind of gathered together, and I was so proud and so happy because everybody had an experience of some kind. Right, Right. But one of my favorite moments was when Kelly was like. And then I was talking to this spirit, and she was telling me all about her life, and she was telling me all about her husband's life, and he was laying right there next to her, and she's going on about all this information that this woman is telling her about her, you know, her life and her husband's life. And Kelly, who has experience with crossing spirits over, says to this spirit, do you need help? Do you need me to cross you over? And the spirit said to her, no, they just called me down to talk to you. [00:07:00] Speaker B: I love it. [00:07:01] Speaker A: And that made me so happy, because we did. You. And I literally asked our people to bring out the spirits to talk to our. Our. You know, our group. So I just had to share that. That, to me, was one of my favorite moments of the whole week. [00:07:15] Speaker B: It is. And it's so cute. Kelly, right? Like, can I help you? She's, like, getting the whole life story, like, is there anything you need? Like, and she's, like, a point to this. [00:07:23] Speaker A: Yeah. No, no, no. I just. I was just called down here to talk to you. [00:07:27] Speaker B: That was really cute. [00:07:28] Speaker A: So I didn't want to forget that. Please continue. Then we got in the van, which. [00:07:31] Speaker B: So we got in the van, which. [00:07:32] Speaker A: Is one of the things I would probably change if we did this again, but maybe I'll make a list and we can do that at the end. Thank. Things I would do differently. [00:07:39] Speaker B: Why I thought the van was perfect. [00:07:43] Speaker A: Well, because you were driving, and the six of us in the back, two seats were literally. [00:07:50] Speaker B: We were. [00:07:51] Speaker A: We were one. By the time we were done, we were pressed up against each other, thigh to thigh. [00:07:58] Speaker B: In August, there literally were, like, Hawaiian bread buns that needed to be separated from each other. [00:08:05] Speaker A: Yes. It's like you open the door, and it took a second to peel away from the person next to you before you could get out. Yeah. Yes. [00:08:14] Speaker B: Sarah and I were comfortable. [00:08:18] Speaker A: Because you guys had the luxury of being car sickness people, so you couldn't be in the car. [00:08:23] Speaker B: I do. I. I cannot handle. Oh, do you and I have to focus on something. [00:08:30] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. Okay. Is that why you always need to drive? It has nothing to do with your control issues. Okay. [00:08:37] Speaker B: Not this time. [00:08:38] Speaker A: Just checking. [00:08:38] Speaker B: All right, so we stop and to tell you the truth, people were hungry before we got back to my house, so we had to stop at McDonald's. [00:08:48] Speaker A: Yes, we did. Yes. [00:08:50] Speaker B: No, I think someone had a pee. And then everyone just ordered McDonald's. [00:08:55] Speaker A: Right? That's funny. [00:08:56] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah, that happened. So we all just got McDonald's, which is true. [00:09:00] Speaker A: And like, that's what happens when you're really outdoor. Mystic work is hungry work. [00:09:04] Speaker B: It's true. There's a lot of fast food in class. Patronizing. Yes, yes. We're going to all the places. [00:09:11] Speaker A: So that was completely appropriate. [00:09:13] Speaker B: Completely. And then so we head back to my house for more food. So we get there and we have a lunch break, which is like a really easy, like light salad. Not a big deal. I mean, we literally just ate McDonald's. But then we had a boat incident where we. Everyone gets on. [00:09:33] Speaker A: It was an incident. [00:09:34] Speaker B: It really was. Was an incident. So everyone. There's like nine of us on the boat, right? No. Seven, eight. A lot. There was too many motherfuckers on this boat. Okay, so I'm pulling away and everything's fine. And everything's fine. [00:09:49] Speaker A: We were all impressed by the way people were like, wow. [00:09:51] Speaker B: Jill is driving the boat until I went full throttle to the full force frontal and the front of the bow went underwater. And now we are looking like the Titanic. [00:10:07] Speaker A: And it dies with our ass. [00:10:08] Speaker B: And it dies and the boat dies. So now the boat's dead and it. And we're taking water and I'm like shitting myself because this is like a three year old, nice boat. And my. We're all wet. [00:10:22] Speaker A: We're all wet. [00:10:23] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:10:24] Speaker A: Because we all. When. When the boat started. When the boat started to take on water from the front, right? Titanicing. The water gushed on and so we're like, ah. So we all moved to the back of the boat and now the boat is like, turn like true titanicing, right. Like the. The front. I don't know the fancy words for boats. What do you call the front of a boat? [00:10:45] Speaker B: That's the bow. [00:10:46] Speaker A: The bow. The bow is going up. We're on the back. And the people are like, no, you cannot come to the back. So then we have to go to the front. So we're trying to figure that out. [00:10:55] Speaker B: Spread the weight out Spread the weight out. [00:10:57] Speaker A: In the meantime, you are literally shitting yourself and trying to start the boat, which is not starting. And now we're in a middle of this big lake. [00:11:08] Speaker B: Yes, that's all true. That all happened. And I'm panicking. This Kylie was really sweet. She's like, I have a boat, too. Just give it a minute. She's, maybe you need to pump it. And then Edmund wants to jump onto, like, the engine to get it started by him. I'm like, no, don't jump on the engine. [00:11:26] Speaker A: We need you. Oh, yeah. [00:11:28] Speaker B: It was a whole thing. [00:11:28] Speaker A: Could you imagine? [00:11:30] Speaker B: Oh, what a fun day in the sun it was. Then I realized, so we're sitting there and we're all kind of like. [00:11:38] Speaker A: We actually started problem solving a little about people that you knew who lived on the lake, who could come and ferry us back one at a time or a few weeks. [00:11:46] Speaker B: But as it turns out, the gauge or the throttle was not in neutral. And that's why the boat wouldn't start. So that was my panic moment of that day. [00:11:59] Speaker A: And then you fixed it and you got us all back safely. [00:12:02] Speaker B: I was like, we're getting off this boat right now. We're not talking. We'll talk on land. So we get off the boat. And so now we have a lot of free time because boat fun day is not happening. [00:12:12] Speaker A: No. [00:12:12] Speaker B: So I'm like, hey. [00:12:14] Speaker A: I'm like, we can either moment. And we were done with the boat. [00:12:17] Speaker B: Yes, we're all done with the boat. They're not lake people. So we go back and we're sitting on my back patio. And after my heart stopped palpitating, I was like, we're all on land. We started having meaningful discussions about what we experienced or they experienced at the cemetery walk. And I'm so proud. It really worked. They were really getting information. Do you remember some of the key moments or the key pieces of information that they brought up? [00:12:46] Speaker A: No, I really don't. I thought that there were some. There were some names that. [00:12:53] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:12:54] Speaker A: That kept coming up in different contexts. And so someone would be like, I was getting the name Mary. And then somebody else would be like, I was getting the name Mary, too. But they were in completely different parts of the cemetery looking at completely different things. Right. [00:13:10] Speaker B: So. And then there was a Mary. Mary Bell. [00:13:13] Speaker A: Mary Bell. [00:13:14] Speaker B: There was Frank. [00:13:15] Speaker A: Frank and Clara. [00:13:17] Speaker B: Yes. [00:13:18] Speaker A: So those were some different. Some. I don't know if they're common or uncommon, but some names that were coming up that we just took note of. [00:13:26] Speaker B: Right. Which we do that all the time. [00:13:28] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:29] Speaker B: You know, it's like, if it comes up, it comes up. But the fact that everyone was having, like, those specific names and this, like, thousands of people in the cemetery, I thought was notable. [00:13:39] Speaker A: Correct. Me, too. [00:13:41] Speaker B: So now we have a big break in our lake Fun Day. We're not going back on the lake. It's not fun. [00:13:47] Speaker A: So I think it's very stressful, and I think your boat is a really nice boat, but I think we were too much for it. [00:13:55] Speaker B: You know what? Not the first time someone said that to me. Not the first time. Like, you're a little much. You're a little much. So I was like, we can either do a short mystic ride and we can use our Spideys in the area, or we can visit Nashville, Michigan, and you guys can see the Putman Library. [00:14:14] Speaker A: Which is our very first episode. You're all loyal listeners. You will ever remember Nashville. [00:14:20] Speaker B: They were like, nashville, it is. [00:14:22] Speaker A: Yeah, I would. And I was really surprised because I did not know that they would even be interested in going to Nashville and seeing the public library where we had our first story. [00:14:32] Speaker B: So we go to Nashville completely unplanned. [00:14:35] Speaker A: We didn't even know if they were open. We didn't know, you know, if we would all be able to get in. You know what I mean? [00:14:41] Speaker B: Right. [00:14:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:41] Speaker B: Or if they would remember us. Because, remember, this is years. Like, every two years, we keep going back to this library. Truly. So we walk in and the librarian remembers us from the last time we were there with Jenny B. And we tell her, we're like, we're doing our first ever Mystic Summer Camp. And they wanted to see the Putnam Library. And she said, well, do you guys want the tour upstairs? Which is usually closed. Knocked off. [00:15:13] Speaker A: Yeah. Usually closed to the public. [00:15:16] Speaker B: So at this point, everyone's mouth is open, and they're like, yeah. Yes. Huh? So now we're. We and our group are walking up the stairs, and we are discussing where Gertie was found in the house, how she could have been missed. Where Frank's bedroom was. [00:15:38] Speaker A: Right. [00:15:38] Speaker B: So you walk up the stairs. Frank's bedroom is directly to the right. There is a bedroom smack dad on the top of the stairs in front of you. Frank's room is to the right of that. And if you make a left, the master bedroom's on a left, and there is another bedroom on the right. However, inside the bedroom on the right, right across from the master bedroom, in a closet, there is a small door that is the door to Gertie's bedroom. [00:16:16] Speaker A: Right. Basically a small Attic space. You had to crawl into it almost. [00:16:22] Speaker B: And the water that she would get accessible was coming in through the roof. That was Gertie's. That was the point where Gertie would get water if it was raining and coming through. So each one of us walked into that room, went into the closet one by one, and spent time in Gertie's bedroom. And it was really surreal. [00:16:48] Speaker A: We were all very quiet and respectful. It was a miracle that we were all even up there, to be honest. We never expected this kind of back door access with no sort of. Of appointment, you know, we just all show up and we're like. And. And she walks us upstairs and just lets us, you know, spend time in that space. And it was a very reverent sort of. I mean, what a great group, Jill. [00:17:16] Speaker B: It really was. [00:17:17] Speaker A: Everybody was so respectful and really just communing is is the best word. You could feel Gertie there. [00:17:26] Speaker B: You could feel Gertie there. [00:17:27] Speaker A: You could feel Gertie there. [00:17:29] Speaker B: We were not talking. And if it was, it was whispers about Gertie and her experiences. And it was almost like we were in prayer in a way, like, literally just like communing with Gertie to let her know that we're here and that people still remember her and she's still important. So when we're in this space, and now every one of us had gone into Gertie's closet, bedroom in the attic, and comes out, we're standing there and we're asking the patrons and our friends, we're like, hey, guys, what are you experiencing? And they were all experiencing one. Gertie's presence. It was palpable in the room. She was like another member in the room. And the librarian's downstairs at this point. She doesn't have any Fs to give about our psychic selves. No, not at all. And someone asked, I don't know who asked, but we said, is there anything else we can do for you, Gertie? Thank you. Is there anything else we can do for you? And I believe it was Lisa. [00:18:45] Speaker A: It was. [00:18:47] Speaker B: What did she say? [00:18:48] Speaker A: She said, all I keep hearing is name my baby. [00:18:55] Speaker B: Girl. [00:18:57] Speaker A: Now, if you listen to our first episode that we just republished a few days ago, you'll know that there's no proof. If you look at the documents, if you look at the research, there's no proof that she was pregnant. But that's something that you and I suggest. Yes, that's something. That's an impression that you and I had. But we didn't have any validation other than that impression that it was true. But for Lisa to hear that just gave me chills, because Gertie was not only validating her unborn child, but also validating the. The situation around which she killed herself. [00:19:48] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:19:49] Speaker A: If to put it indelicately. And she was telling us that it's not only her who needs a voice, but also her unborn baby. [00:20:02] Speaker B: Mm. [00:20:03] Speaker A: So it was such a powerful moment, and I think Lisa said that, you know, she. I just keep hearing, I want you to name my baby. And all of us kind of gasped. And then that's when all of the names that had. That we had been talking about, coincidentally, you know, everybody was picking up on the same names. I said, well, it has to be Maribel. And everyone's like, oh, my gosh, yes, it has to be Maribel. But there are other. The other names were a connection to this story as well. Jill, right? [00:20:34] Speaker B: Yeah. As it turns out, as you may recall, the father, we believe, is named Frank. [00:20:43] Speaker A: And Frank was a name that came up just randomly before we even knew we were going to Nashville, Michigan. [00:20:49] Speaker B: Exactly. And the name Clara, who is Gertie's mother's name. [00:20:56] Speaker A: Crazy. [00:20:58] Speaker B: So crazy. So. [00:21:00] Speaker A: And we're like. I just have to say, this is one of those synchronicities that validates. Like, this is real. Like, you can't make this up. They're getting these names. We don't know what they mean. And then they have a choice. Right. We don't even have, like, the. The agenda. Like, instead. [00:21:17] Speaker B: Yeah, we were supposed to be playing in the lake. That's what we were supposed. Did not happen. [00:21:21] Speaker A: Did not happen. You were playing Typhonic instead. [00:21:25] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. [00:21:26] Speaker A: And then the fact that we go to Nashville, and all of a sudden, it's like, click. It all makes sense. You know, the boat mishap, the names in the cemetery. The fact that everybody chose it was unanimous. Everybody wanted to go to the Putnam Library to revisit, you know, Gertie's space just to find out that she kind of brought us all there because she wanted her. She wanted her unborn baby to have a name. Yeah, again, that's exactly right. I love it. I love it. [00:21:56] Speaker B: I love it, too. So what did we do? [00:21:58] Speaker A: So we decided we had a little pow wow, and. And you always have to go shopping for supplies. We do that. Really? We do that a lot. [00:22:07] Speaker B: We do that a lot. [00:22:08] Speaker A: We do that a lot. So we went shopping for supplies at a dollar store. [00:22:12] Speaker B: Dollar General. Not a sponsor, but we're open because. [00:22:17] Speaker A: We knew we wanted to find a nice rock and we wanted to write the name Maribel on the rock and put it at the site of Gertrude Bay's grave. [00:22:28] Speaker B: That's exactly right. So I went into the store and I got a nice set of markers. I got a little angel that we all wrote messages on. [00:22:40] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:22:41] Speaker B: And we picked up a rock outside. I don't think I bought the rock. [00:22:45] Speaker A: Did I buy the rock? No, no, no. We found a nice flat rock on. [00:22:48] Speaker B: The side and Jennifer, because Jennifer has the perfect handwriting, wrote Mary Belle unborn. [00:22:56] Speaker A: Yes. [00:22:57] Speaker B: And then we had the little angel that we put on the grave of Mary Bell and Gertie and we had. [00:23:04] Speaker A: A little ceremony for them. [00:23:08] Speaker B: It was really beautiful, really profound. [00:23:11] Speaker A: Yeah. I think it really impacted us in a big way. All of us. [00:23:15] Speaker B: Well, in the fact, like you said, the events of the day. Gertie knew before we did that we were coming to the Putnam Library. [00:23:26] Speaker A: So crazy. [00:23:27] Speaker B: So after the Putnam Library and that experience, then we went to Moville Yumity. Yum yum. And we all got ice cream and we played in the pet farm and it was just a good time. We took ridiculous pictures which are on our Instagram page. You need to see them if you haven't. And I think when we got back to the house, I believe we did another meditation. But I think when I rethink of the impact of Gertie and how the original story, I was so mad at the people of the town that they shoo shooed her and kind of put her under the carpet like it was not a big deal. The servant killed herself, boo hoo kind of thing. And she was really discarded. In a way, I really do believe that us bringing light to Gertie's story made her so appreciative and she, like, you know, every time we go to the Putnam Library, it's never a disappointment. The time before when you, Jenny and I went, it was. We found out about the Stryker Cemetery. The time before that we found Gertie for the first time. It's just always an experience where Gertie, we know she's there and she's willing to help. Isn't that amazing? I know it's corny, but it really does strike me as amazing. [00:24:53] Speaker A: It is. And I love the validation that she knows what we're doing and appreciates it. [00:25:04] Speaker B: She has fans all over the world. And the staff remembered us, Jennifer. The staff remembered us. [00:25:13] Speaker A: That is. [00:25:13] Speaker B: I lost like a hundred pounds and she knew exactly who I was. [00:25:16] Speaker A: Did you lose 100? [00:25:18] Speaker B: Isn't it like 80, 95. [00:25:20] Speaker A: Okay. [00:25:21] Speaker B: Can I round up crazy? Is that fair? [00:25:23] Speaker A: So crazy. Okay, so things we would do differently. [00:25:26] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [00:25:28] Speaker A: We need a bigger van next time. Or we need to go into groups because you might have been comfortable in the driver's seat, but in the back seat we were a little too cramped. And I will also say if someone wore like perfume or cologne, it could have been a lot. [00:25:44] Speaker B: Too much. [00:25:45] Speaker A: Okay. Not. Not too much if you're just, you know, just going around your day. But when you're packed into the back of a van, it. Yeah, it's a little too much. So. Okay. [00:25:55] Speaker B: No one. [00:25:57] Speaker A: Okay. [00:25:57] Speaker B: Bigger vehicle. I think that was a Suburban, wasn't it? [00:26:00] Speaker A: I think so, yes. Bigger vehicle. Well, I will tell you, I asked. [00:26:05] Speaker B: For a minivan and they didn't have any. They were supposed to reserve it. They're like, oh, the last one just left. [00:26:12] Speaker A: So I wouldn't think that a minivan would be big enough either. I think a Suburban and a minivan are kind of the same size. We need a bus, Jill. [00:26:20] Speaker B: I would get a bus. I can't drive a bus. [00:26:23] Speaker A: You need a CDL license. Isn't that what they call them? [00:26:26] Speaker B: I don't know. [00:26:27] Speaker A: Get on there. [00:26:28] Speaker B: I don't know. [00:26:29] Speaker A: Get on this. [00:26:30] Speaker B: Okay. CDL license. Next. [00:26:32] Speaker A: Okay, very good. And we need. [00:26:35] Speaker B: We need to check out the space before the rental. The rental space before we book had a beautiful view. [00:26:47] Speaker A: A beautiful view. And everybody was so gracious, but they. [00:26:52] Speaker B: Were problem solving for each other. One of our patrons were gluten free, and so we were. Before she even got there, we were going through Costco looking for gluten free things with other patrons that had already arrived. It was just such a fantastic group. So thoughtful. [00:27:08] Speaker A: But getting back to the space, I think if you and I had had the opportunity to look it over, we probably wouldn't have rented that space because although it was a beautiful view of the lake, they kind of oversold the number of sleeping spaces that were there. [00:27:25] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:27:27] Speaker A: And the grounds weren't kept up. So, yeah, it was a beautiful view, but it was treacherous getting down to the. [00:27:32] Speaker B: The patio part where we had to do a yoga. [00:27:35] Speaker A: Yeah, we didn't have to, but. [00:27:38] Speaker B: No, we had to do yoga. It was perfect. [00:27:40] Speaker A: It was a nice spot for yoga. But you see what I'm saying. [00:27:43] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I see exactly what you're saying. It's true. Treacherous to get down to the patio. Also, Edmund told me he feels more bathrooms would have been appropriate because there was one bathroom. I know Lisa was like, they worked it out very well. Everyone was an adult about it, but I can see that. [00:28:00] Speaker A: Oh, 100. [00:28:00] Speaker B: You know what I mean? [00:28:01] Speaker A: Yeah. That just goes with the accommodations. But live and learn. Overall, it was amazing. So, Jill, tell us about the manifestation activity that we did in your she shed. [00:28:14] Speaker B: You guys, my sister's ridiculous. Why? [00:28:17] Speaker A: I'm ridiculous. [00:28:18] Speaker B: You were so high. Like, you were, like, on a different vibration. [00:28:24] Speaker A: I really was. Was I shaking? Cause I felt like I was shaking. [00:28:27] Speaker B: Like, I felt like both of us were shaking. So we were preparing the she shed for a manifestation, which our besties, Kelly and Ryan, came. And we also had the Kelly from the group. But two more people came and describe what the ritual was, please. [00:28:44] Speaker A: We all had a candle that we got to pick. So we were all in the she shed, which is a small space, and we made a circle, so everyone was sitting around. [00:28:55] Speaker B: And an altar. [00:28:56] Speaker A: And an altar. And. Well, it was kind of a table that we. That we made into an altar. Right, correct. And so, one at a time, we went up and we took a candle, and we took a carving implement, and we carved into the candle symbols to represent what we wanted to manifest. And then we anointed the candle and little rocks. Right, we had little rocks as well. And I say rocks. Crystals. [00:29:24] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. We had bags. Manifestation bags. So they were creating a pouch with crystals and herbs and the candle and oils and the candles. So then when they went home, they would be able to burn the candle and make the spell work. [00:29:45] Speaker A: Yes. [00:29:46] Speaker B: While they were doing that, we did this. Each one by one, we were chanting. [00:29:51] Speaker A: Health, wealth, success, prosperity. We were all chanting that while each one of us went up to pick our candle and prepare it in the little manifestation bag. [00:30:04] Speaker B: It was perfect. [00:30:05] Speaker A: And we were also burning incense. [00:30:09] Speaker B: Yes. You and I prepared the space by burning incense before everyone. And we set the tone with the music and the incense. [00:30:15] Speaker A: Right, we had music and incense. So it was important that during this chanting, we had a bottle of water to drink because it was a half hour of straight chanting. [00:30:24] Speaker B: True, Dad. [00:30:25] Speaker A: I felt like it was a very powerful experience, to be honest. [00:30:29] Speaker B: And then on the way out the door, we were. We had given each patron a little bit of Hawaiian. [00:30:38] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Salt. [00:30:39] Speaker B: Salt. And had a little blessing that you say to them as they were taking the salt that I did not have in front of me. [00:30:46] Speaker A: Yeah, it was like a blessing for the ancestors. That was a Hawaiian thing. [00:30:50] Speaker B: Mm. Yeah, it was that. It was a very elevated experience, having so many mystics in such a small space. Like, you were really hyped up. I'VE never seen you. Like, I really wanted to be like, wow, you're, like, charged. You were, like, literally charged. [00:31:05] Speaker A: I know. It was really incredible. I got a lot out of that. And I think it was the perfect length because, like, it took a half hour to have everybody go up. But to focus all of your energy for a half hour, you know, towards each person going up, and then to be up there feeling, you know, the energy of each person, chanting that for you was really amazing. I would do that again, but I wouldn't add any more people. I think we had just the right amount of people. [00:31:37] Speaker B: I agree. And then. So that was Saturday night. Then on Sunday, to close out our retreat together with our patrons and our friends, we brought over a potki to the house that they were at and describe that ritual. [00:31:56] Speaker A: A potki is a Polish wafer. It's the same kind of wafer that they make the Eucharist or for the Catholic Church, you know, the wafer that it symbolizes Jesus's body. And so it's kind of a crispy wafer, melts in your mouth. But the apothki come in large rectangles. And so the idea is you. You have your wafer and another person has theirs. And you walk up to them and then you wish them some. Some good tidings, right? And for each wish, you take a piece of their wafer and you eat it, and then they do the same to you. And so we did that that morning, just wishing each other well wishes, et cetera. And then when we were all done, you. You eat your own apothki. Or you can toss it in the pond or the lake. [00:32:45] Speaker B: I always eat mine. I eat mine. Do you eat yours? I think I do, if there's any left. We had a large group. It seemed like there wasn't a lot left on mine. [00:32:57] Speaker A: And it was a really nice way to end. [00:32:59] Speaker B: It was a really nice way to end. And there was tears. [00:33:02] Speaker A: There were tears. [00:33:03] Speaker B: There was tears. So we spent the first day, the first evening ritual was releasing on release paper, whatever it is they wanted to release. And either we had it burning in the fire or paper that you put into the lake and it dissolves. So we were. [00:33:22] Speaker A: We went to the lake. [00:33:23] Speaker B: I thought we did both. We burned and went to the lake. Not at the. [00:33:29] Speaker A: Why are we so extra? [00:33:31] Speaker B: You gotta be. [00:33:34] Speaker A: So it was a good time. [00:33:36] Speaker B: We wrote down and we meditated on those things that we wanted to get rid of. And then we put it in the lake, it dissolved. And then at night, we had a bonfire and we did with the vaporizing this flash paper where you write down, like, energies or things that you want to change about yourself or let go of, and then you throw the flash paper into the fire and it goes poof. And the bigger the poof, the bigger the. The. The request is or was gonna happen. [00:34:02] Speaker A: So that was a lot of fun. [00:34:05] Speaker B: It was a really, really good three days, two and a half days with really fabulous people. And I learned a lot about us and our process and them and what we're doing right and what we can do better. [00:34:20] Speaker A: So a bigger vehicle or more vehicles. If you wanted to separate, I know you like us all together. [00:34:27] Speaker B: So next. In the next two weeks, Jen and I are going to do an episode where we are in the car with the patrons, and randomly, Jennifer is picking names out of the hat, and they're giving me directions on where to take them, and they're taking notes in the car. So the next week or the next new podcast is going to be the stories that we found based on their notes. Right, Right. So that's why I feel like the car is essential, that we're all together. [00:34:57] Speaker A: Okay. But we need more space, so I'm sticking by a bigger vehicle. A bus. Get your cdl. I think that's what it's called. Or separate. Because it. I don't. It was hard to take notes when you're pressed up to somebody. Also, more bathrooms in the rental. [00:35:12] Speaker B: More bathroom. [00:35:12] Speaker A: And a less treacherous outdoor situation in the rental. Oh, and waivers in case anybody falls because of our shitty rentals. [00:35:22] Speaker B: Waivers. And are we gonna detour what happened when I got too drunk and was, like, all over Edmund and Kelly? [00:35:29] Speaker A: I mean, we can detour that, but we've already talked about it, so. Sure. [00:35:33] Speaker B: Okay. Saturday night just was. [00:35:36] Speaker A: It was a regular Saturday night. That's all I'm gonna say. [00:35:38] Speaker B: It was a regular Saturday night. Jennifer was, like, literally talked me out of a blackout saying, you need to apologize to that man. You need to apologize to that man. [00:35:48] Speaker A: You are all over him. You are all over him. True. You were all over him. It was very embarrassing. Okay, do you remember how much leftover cream cheese we had? For some reason, we bought, like, 10 months worth of bricks of cream cheese. What. What was that? [00:36:07] Speaker B: Why did we. [00:36:08] Speaker A: What were we. We bought bagels and we bought. We went to Costco. That was our problem. And we bought, like, literally 10 months. It was like a brick for you. [00:36:16] Speaker B: I remember a brick for you and. [00:36:17] Speaker A: A brick for you. [00:36:19] Speaker B: I still have the butter in the fridge at the lake house. The Big ass butter. [00:36:24] Speaker A: Nice. Yeah. So I guess we are saying this because we would do another retreat. We would do some things differently. But I think it was a good location. I think we got a lot out of it. And if there is a need, I would do it again. [00:36:37] Speaker B: I would totally do it again. But I do think it needs to be limited to, like, seven people. Like, it cannot six. [00:36:43] Speaker A: Only six or seven. [00:36:44] Speaker B: Six. Six or seven. And only. Not because we don't want to make money and we don't want to do this, but we want the experience to be personalized for you. I know it's not the typical retreat, but if we had, like, hundreds of people, like, yeah, we would make money on it. But it's not about us making money. It's about experiencing with you guys the things that we do and to have you trust your own intuition and how Spirit is working with you. [00:37:09] Speaker A: And I think, too. Don't you think that you and I really value that interpersonal exchange of energy? [00:37:18] Speaker B: It's amazing. [00:37:19] Speaker A: And when you have too many people, you lose that. You lose that truly interpersonal exchange. And it was just so beautiful what we were able to do together. [00:37:31] Speaker B: So it was beautiful how these strangers came together. It was beautiful how I recognized their energy as we met them. Does that make sense from our monthly calls? It was wonderful that I didn't wanna let them go. I wanted to keep them. [00:37:49] Speaker A: I know, I know. I wanted us all to live together in a commune. Is that weird? [00:37:53] Speaker B: But yeah, that's a little frightening. But I will say that. [00:37:57] Speaker A: Should we start a cult? We could start a cult and then we could all live together. [00:38:02] Speaker B: Is it tax deductible or is this like a 401C? [00:38:05] Speaker A: I think we have to go tax deductible. Is anyone an attorney out there who can advise us on this? [00:38:10] Speaker B: Yeah, we would be a nonprofit 401c. So we just have to, like, spend money. [00:38:16] Speaker A: Okay. [00:38:17] Speaker B: That we make. We can't make profit off of. Anyway, long story. Long story. But my point is, is that we're like, honestly, we're the worst business people. And I say that because it wasn't about, like, this retreat was not about, like, oh, how can we make money? This is a retreat? Was. How do we interact with our listeners that ask, I want to be with you guys. So if you're interested, we can plan more retreats and we could make more of them throughout the summer in a more. In a more consistent way. If that's something that you guys want. [00:38:46] Speaker A: If the need is there. [00:38:47] Speaker B: I loved it. [00:38:48] Speaker A: If the need is there. [00:38:48] Speaker B: I loved it. [00:38:49] Speaker A: I know you did. [00:38:50] Speaker B: I mean, I really did love it, like. And I think, well, you just love a party. I do love a party. I do love a party. [00:39:01] Speaker A: All right, so that. That's all. I hope we didn't bore you. [00:39:06] Speaker B: Why would we pour someone they like? Us. [00:39:09] Speaker A: Okay. All right. Where can people find us? [00:39:13] Speaker B: Well, Jennifer, I'm so glad you asked. You can check out our website, commonmystics.net find us on all the socials at Common Mysticspod. Please, please share us with your friends. Even near neighbors, enemies, postmen, whomever. Let them know about us. We're growing and we'd like to see our numbers growing. Thank you. And keep everyone in your hearts and prayers that are dealing with the wildfires or the tragic accident or the tragic, horrific murders in New Orleans. I'm still reeling from these things. [00:39:47] Speaker A: So much going on already in 2025, starting with a bang. [00:39:52] Speaker B: I'm telling you, you know how I feel about 2025. [00:39:55] Speaker A: Be good to yourself. Be good to each other. Be safe out there. Love you all. [00:39:59] Speaker B: Reach out to us if you need us. [00:40:02] Speaker A: Bye. Bye. [00:40:04] Speaker B: This has been a Common Mystics Media Production editing done by Yokai Audio, Kalamazoo, Michigan.