Soul Forge Podcast

It's time to move along home. This week on the Soul Forge Podcast we are talking about moving. We mainly focus on what it is like to move as a child when you have no choice in the matter. Of course, we also touch on moving as an adult, although this is usually not as traumatic. So get ready, pack your bags, and join us on a journey into the unknown. Our guest this week is Steve. He comes to us fro...

With this experiement of an episode, the Soul Forge Podcast presents something wholly new. Whether we call them tactical minis or quick shots, each segment brings you on a journey. While most podcasts invite you to experience a single topic, this episode presents several different ideas. A tactical mini is an idea. It is an idea with such focus that it cannot be expanded upon. Each mini will touch...

What is faith and magical thinking? On this episode of the Soul Forge Podcast we take a deep dive into the world of the unknown. Faith is something that you just have, or have not. And we are not talking about religious faith in a god of some kind. No - this is the faith you have that things will work out for the best, even though you don't necessarily know how this is going to come about. Magical...

The Cheryl saga started about 4 years ago. Although we had known each other for about a decade longer, the actual start of anything resembling intimacy began in August of 2015. As most things do, this began with flirtation and a great sense of fun. Shawn was looking for that indescribable feeling that he lost when his marriage fell apart. Cheryl was willing to stand by Shawn's side no matter what...

It's drunken fun with Shawn and Stephanie. And Karen. And Jason. This is the fifth of the 5 episodes in the Stephanie cycle. At the end of February, my old pal Stephanie came for a visit and we recorded 5 episodes back to back to back. Starting with episode 90 these shows have been released every 5 weeks. So for the complete experience, you'll want to listen to episodes 90, 95, 100, and 105 before...

What do booze, babies, and motorbikes all have in common? They fill out the background of this very special episode. Our friend Whit returns for his third time on the Soul Forge. He's already talked with us about sex and virginity. Now he has a few things to tell us about his life before podcasting. The first thing we do is get an update on where Whit is currently, and what he's been up to lately....

Grade 8 graduation and entering high school is a major milestone in a young person's life. On this week's Soul Forge I sit with my son Bishop to get his take on this life changing time. We do this episode in two parts. We recorded the first half before he graduated, and before he went on his year end trip to Toronto. We then followed this up with a second recording after his return, and after the...

On episode 107, Shawn has a chat with Lisa Beere. She is a children's author, song writer, poet, and a brain injury survivor. On Writing: the challenge of longer stories vs stories meant for children; paying attention to the details in long format writing. Lisa talks about the writer's routine and what she does daily. The publishing industry can be difficult to navigate. Two useful resources for a...

Get ready for the weirdest guest the Soul Forge Podcast has ever had! Following up on the recent existential crisis episode, our guest this week touches on 3 emotions that everyone is familiar with...that being fear, anger and anxiety. Interestingly, these emotions are not, by definition, linked to depression in all cases. We dive into the loss of both a wife and a mother within a year of each oth...

What if you could send your mind through history and witness a slice of time? Where would you go? What would you see? On this episode of the Soul Forge, Shawn and Stephanie use this thought experiment to discuss their dreams and desires. Starting off with a brief discussion about what super powers they would have, and why, the duo dive into the past. Join them and recreate your own mind adventures...

If you wanna start a podcast, there are some things you gotta know! Okay, so, here it is; I'm going to tell you the basic outline on how to start a podcast of your very own. I'll be going over some of the basic facts, and I'll be sharing my story and what I have learned from my five and a half year journey. Keep in mind that this is my own perspective and other people have gone about things in dif...

Shawn is back from all the road trips and has stories to tell. Enter the Soul Forge for all the details. You'll hear what it is like on a road trip in an old RV with fathers and sons. Listen in for the what it's like in the north eastern part of the United States. Did Shawn ever track down Stephen King? How many break downs occurred? What are the Reversing Falls? Bear and Deer and Moose, oh my! Ro...

The Happiness Ninja visits the Soul Forge Podcast! Meet Lisa Wilson. She wears many hats as a successful life coach. She is known as a transformation champion, the happiness ninja, and a communication guru. Being a life coach brings with it many responsibilities and as such requires many differents kinds of skills. You will learn exactly how and why Lisa entered into life coaching as a profession....

It's time for an existential crisis! We were all just about due for one anyway. Just like clock work, here is a nice big one for you all to digest. This week on the Soul Forge Podcast, I will be going over the details of my partial mental breakdown. Mind you, this is not a complete collapse. I still retain my sanity and self-awareness; as well as my self preservation instincts. Some times people n...

Sex for your birthday is a wonderful experience. It is even more spectacular when you are losing your virginity. So what better way to celebrate the one hundredth (100th) episode of The Soul Forge Podcast than by a look back at the time Shawn lost his innocense? The best part? On this episode, the girl involved is on the show to tell her side of the story. For episode 100, Shawn and Stephanie get...

Shawn's brother Robin has moved in, and now it is up to Shawn to be his brother's keeper. Robin is undergoing a complete reboot and overhaul of his life. It is up to Shawn to guide and nurture Robin on this quest. On this recording, the brothers discuss their new endeavour. They discuss the new living situation as well as what it is going to take to put Robin back on the right track. Robin talks a...

Stacey Arrowsmith lives a minimalist life in her van. For many years Stacey lived a typical, traditional life. She had a husband, children, a four bedroom house with a garage. And lots of things. She had so much stuff. Then she got a divorce and started downsizing. This is the story of how a person can go from a traditional life to a minimalist life. But this isn't the story of minimalism. This is...

My transgender friend Crystal opens up about her life. Coming to terms with who you are as a person is often a difficult process. It can be even more difficult when you are a trans individual. This week, our story begins with In The Turn, a documentary about the Vagine Regime, the queer Roller Derby collective. Crystal's story, and the Vagine Regime story intersect in a fascinating and unique way....

It's time to pitch a tent, because camping season is upon us! On this week's Soul Forge podcast, Shawn and Deidre share some of their camping memories. What is camping anyway? We looked up a definition just to be funny. According to Wikipedia, Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home in a shelter, such as a tent. Typically participants leave developed areas to spend...

We all experience or receive signs from the universe. However, not all of us are open to such signs/signals/messages. Most surprising of all, the universe doesn’t always make these things totally obvious, or even always easy to see. But if you start paying attention, you will realize that the universe is sending you signals all the time that show you where you need to go and what you need to do to...

The unboxing of my time capsule of first year university memories. After my first year of school in 1995-1996, I boxed up a bunch of stuff I thought would be significant. I haven't opened the box in 23 years. On this episode, I take everything out, and tell the story of each item. There is no real message or moral to this episode. It's meant as a fun look back at who I was. Following is the list o...

Water is life. You wouldn't think we could make an entire episode about water, but Deidre is back to show us how it's done! Water is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's streams, lakes, and oceans, and the fluids of most living organisms. It is vital for all known forms of life, even though it provides no calories or...

This week’s Soul Forge Podcast deals with, you guessed it, existential loneliness. What is that? Good question! It is the fundamental basis of human life, or human existence. But, we are having fun with this deep, dark topic. We are not dwelling on the morose. This is a fun episode about something not so fun. Loneliness is something we all experience and can relate to. In this episode, we are goin...

We look at the ideas of jealousy and envy. Recent comments and observations have prompted the hosts to discuss their feelings in regards to these emotions. Thus, we have the ideal topic for this week's podcast episode. Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, concern, over relative lack of possessions. It can consist of one or more emotions such as anger , resentm...

Are you the best guy she knows? Shawn's best friend from university, Stephanie, comes for a visit and a chat about the old times. Steph tells Shawn why she thinks he is the best guy she knows. Stephanie came for a weekend visit and guest hosted on Shawn's other show, The Rusted Robot Podcast. To hear her podcast debut, check out episode 235 of that show. Some of her opinions were in direct contras...