Episode 48: Heal Burnout And Trauma With The Sacred Pause: A 4-Step Spiritual Practice


In a world that is louder, faster, and more overwhelming than ever, our greatest spiritual medicine might just be… the pause.

In this soul-centered solo episode of Triggers And Spiritual Medicine, host Laura Bonetzky-Gaffney invites listeners into a grounded conversation about navigating chaos, reconnecting with inner wisdom, and honoring ancient healing traditions in a fast-paced modern world.

Laura shares personal reflections from her own journey as a multi-generational healer and intuitive — including how experiences of trauma, loss, and legal battles became catalysts for deep spiritual growth and professional transformation.

Rooted in her trauma-informed framework Stop — Pause — Breathe — Act, this episode is a nervous system balm and spiritual compass all in one.


What you’ll hear:

  • Why we’re collectively showing up like overstimulated toddlers—and what to do about it
  • A powerful mid-year check-in for 2025’s theme of discernment
  • How to shed spiritual urgency and act from alignment instead of trauma
  • A simple but potent 4-step framework to ground, center, and reclaim your energy
  • Real-life applications in relationships, healing work, social media, and spiritual spaces
  • A short guided practice to reset your nervous system
  • A collective tarot or oracle card message for August
Whether you’re a healer, seeker, survivor, or someone walking the path of soul-led living, this episode offers deep reminders of what’s possible when we choose to slow down and listen.

Inside this episode, you’ll explore:

  • The Sacred Pause: A trauma-informed framework for regulating your nervous system, making empowered decisions, and creating space for authentic healing
  • The Five Reiki Principles as a guide for living in harmony with nature, self, and others
  • The role of gratitude in shifting energy and anchoring resilience
  • How to discern truth and stay centered amidst societal overwhelm and spiritual bypassing
  • A call to preserve ancient wisdom traditions by engaging with them authentically — not performatively
  • You’ll also receive 3 simple yet powerful tips to help you integrate these insights into your everyday life.

This podcast is proudly 100% community-supported — no advertising dollars or paid sponsors, just real conversations rooted in healing, truth, and spiritual medicine.

Listen to this episode on all major streaming platforms, YouTube, or directly at:

🎧 https://triggersandspiritualmedicine.buzzsprout.com/


If this episode speaks to you, please share it with your community, leave a review, and help us continue building a movement rooted in connection and healing.


 

Episode 47: Discernment And Liberation: Healing Through the Fire of July

Part 1: Energetic Forecast & Sovereignty

Part 2: The Healer & Caregiver Burnout

In this powerful July episode of Triggers And Spiritual Medicine, host Laura Bonetzky-Joseph offers an intimate and timely exploration of sovereignty, discernment, and ancestral healing. Rooted in her recent spiritual journey through sacred sites in Ireland, Laura reflects on the profound messages she received — including a series of unusual animal encounters — and how they relate to the global energetic climate we are all moving through.

As the United States celebrates independence, this episode invites a deeper look at the illusion of freedom, and what it truly means to reclaim your soul’s sovereignty. Laura also speaks candidly about her personal healing path, including her recent marriage, and the ancestral and spiritual practices that continue to guide her work.

Key topics include:

* July’s energetic forecast and the call for deeper spiritual discernment

* The importance of preserving ancient traditions in modern practice

* Messages from the land and spirit world during her 10-day ceremony in Ireland

* Listening to the body’s wisdom as a guide for truth and soul alignment

* Reclaiming personal and collective freedom through ancestral healing

Plus, Laura offers 3 practical tips to help support your own spiritual journey — grounded insights you can begin applying right away.

This is a community-driven podcast with no advertising dollars or paid sponsors. Just real, raw, and soul-centered conversations meant to empower your healing and transformation.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Listen now on most major streaming platforms, YouTube, or visit:

🔗 https://triggersandspiritualmedicine.buzzsprout.com

If this episode resonates, please share it with your community, and don’t forget to follow, like, and leave a review to support the podcast.

 

Card For Today: Page of Swords Reversed; The Fog of Truth & the Trickster’s Illusions


Today, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, I pulled tarot both looking at the energies of today and subsequently pulled cards looking into the current energetic climate collectively, in the USA, politically especially surrounding the energetic influences around Musk and Trump. You can check out that information by clicking here.

This post on the card pull for today, the crow which also represents the ace of swords in tarot. What I realized AFTER I did the nine-card reading on the overall energetic influences, I noticed one thing that really caught my attention. That is, THIS card in a reversed position representing the energies of today, and the ace of swords in another tarot deck also reversed in the present position really caught my attention.

In my world, we typically would say, you can’t make this shit up moment.

The Page of Swords reversed brings an element of immaturity, misinformation, impulsive communication, and surveillance – a trickster energy that aligns even more closely with crow medicine.

Truth is twisted, logic is clouded, and deception runs rampant. It can indicate manipulated narratives, half-truths, and cognitive dissonance—a battle between what is real and what is being spun to appear real.

Crows as massagers and wisdom keepers, now appear as both watchers and warners. This moment calls for sharpening discernment – not just in recognizing deception, but also in how we react to it.

This ties in directly with the U.S.’s current energy, Musk, and Trump from the other cards I pulled today as well – (see other post here):

  • Reckless action fueled by misjudgment (The Fool).
  • Failed expectations due to poor foresight (Three of Wands reversed).
  • Confusion, blurred facts, and a war over perception (Ace of Swords reversed).

We see this playing out on multiple levels today.

  • Media wars: What is truth, and what is narrative control? The power of perception is being wielded like a weapon.
  • Legal entanglements & political deception: People are making high-stakes moves based on distorted information.
  • AI & tech manipulation: The rapid push into artificial intelligence and digital influence is a double-edged sword—presented as innovation but riddled with ethical and moral blindness.

The Energy of Today & Crow Medicine: The Trickster, the Messenger & the Prophecy Bearer

The Crow is deeply tied to this reversed Page of Swords energy. In many traditions, Crows are both tricksters and truth-tellers—able to see through illusion and expose hidden truths, but also capable of mischief and deception.

Right now, Crow energy is strong, and it’s bringing messages about:

1. Illusions crumbling & narratives shifting. The things once taken as solid truth are beginning to show cracks.

Are we being misled?

Are we making judgements without enough information?

Are we speaking or reacting prematurely?

2.Prophetic insight rising. Those who can see beyond the veil—intuitives, visionaries, and seekers—are feeling an energetic urgency. The truth is out there, but only those who listen deeply will hear it.

3.Trickster forces in play. Not all deception is malicious; some is meant to wake us up. But are we willing to see the tricks for what they are?

This ties directly into what’s happening in the U.S., with Musk and Trump, and on the global stage. We are at a crossroads of perception—and the Crow is cawing loudly, asking:

  • What are you refusing to see?
  • Where is your information coming from?
  • Are you being tricked, or are you being initiated into deeper wisdom?

How to Navigate This Energy

With the Page of Swords reversed & Crow medicine, “discernment” is everything. Again, a repeated theme I stated in the 2025 energy forecast on the podcast Triggers and Spiritual Medicine that was recorded in December 2024. Click here.

  • Pause before reacting. The first story you hear is often the most manipulated. Let the truth emerge.
  • Look for synchronicities. Crows often appear when a deeper message is at play. Pay attention to signs.
  • Use your own intuition. The world is screaming opinions, but your inner knowing is the real guide. We must listen between the lines.
  • Stay grounded in wisdom, not fear. Trickster energy thrives on fear-based reactions. Center yourself in clarity.

Crow’s Warning:

Not all information is true. Be cautious of assumptions, gossip, and sensationalized narratives.

Someone may be watching. The reversed page of swords can indicate surveillance, data collection, or hidden monitoring – whether on a global scale or personal level.

Watch for intellectual arrogance. Are we resisting new perspectives out of stubbornness? Are we dismissing inconvenient truths?

Crows are known to mimic sounds and even play tricks on humans and other animals. They remind us that not everything spoken is what it seems. The page of swords reversed suggests an urgent need to decode double meanings and look beyond surface level words.

Another major warning here is mental chaos and information overload. The page of swords reversed is like doomscrolling, overanalyzing, and getting lost in an endless loop of speculation.

Are we consuming too much conflicting information?

Are we being bated into distraction?

Are we losing touch with inner knowing because of external noise?


Turning trickster energy into power using the mind strategically

The page of swords reversed can be impulsive, but crow masters the long game. Instead of rushing into battles, crow chooses when to strike and when to wait.

Crow’s strategy for intellectual mastery:

Gather information, but do not act immediately. Let knowledge simmer before making decisions.

Refine your communication. Instead of wasting energy arguing, speak with precision.

Use humor and wit as tools, not weapons. Trickster energy can be wielded wisely to disarm manipulation.


Final Thoughts

The Page of Swords reversed is the sword of illusion or the sword of revelation—it all depends on how we choose to engage with it. Right now, Crow medicine is working with this energy, calling us to see beyond the smoke and mirrors. If we lean into discernment, we can move from confusion to wisdom. If we don’t, we risk getting lost in the trickster’s game.

Crow is her to help us see beyond words, sharpen our minds, and navigate with wisdom.

Instead of reacting impulsively, we listen.

Instead of being distracted, we refocus.

Instead of falling for tricks, we become the strategists.

Are we ready to embrace the lesson of the trickster – not to deceive, but to see through the deception?

Crow is waiting for those who dare.

Share your thoughts and stay tuned for more deep dives into the unseen forces shaping our world.

If you would like to see how these energies are influencing your life and would like to book a reading, click here. 

In the meantime,

Stop.

Pause.

BREATHE.  Create space.

What is the action step?

Above all, practice kindness as love TRUMPS hate.

With love,

Laura


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