Out of All the Closets: Akashic Records, Tarot, & the Soul of Creative Work with Mariëlle S. Smith

If you've been curious about the metaphysical side of the creative life but weren't sure where to start — or weren't sure anyone was taking it seriously — this episode is for you. Mariëlle S. Smith coaches creatives through what she describes as the deep, stubborn stuff: the blocks that don't yield to meditation, therapy, or a shelf full of self-help books. She works with the Akashic Records, Reiki, and cartomancy — and she's also a developmental editor with a background in academia who currently edits PhD dissertations in the mornings. It's an unusual combination, and she's the first to admit she kept those worlds carefully separated for a long time. In this conversation we get into what the Akashic Records actually are (think: metaphysical library where everything your soul has done, is doing, and will do is recorded), what happens in a session, and why the most important thing is knowing how to ask the right question. We also talk about how Mariëlle ended up offering card readings from a castle in Edinburgh, why "who am I to write this book" is a question that has to be answered on a soul level before craft can do anything, and what her new six-month program Writing with the Divine does differently. I was a client of Mariëlle's a few years ago. Her work helped me through a rough patch and unblocked me to write my memoir. I mention that not to claim credit but because it's true — and because I think it matters that you know this conversation comes from experience, not just curiosity. Chapters 00:19 — Introduction & Janet's personal history with Mariëlle 01:31 — What the Akashic Records are 03:00 — The coaching practice: who comes to Mariëlle and why 05:52 — What a session actually looks like 09:14 — How Mariëlle channels: what she remembers (and doesn't) 11:16 — Coming out of the spiritual closet 15:28 — Tarot: how it started, the Edinburgh castle moment 21:26 — Tarot for creatives vs. tarot for everyone else 23:27 — 99 Writing Prompts and the real reason writers get stuck 26:19 — 52 Weeks of Writing: origin and impulse 29:08 — The soul's calling thread running through all her work 30:16 — Pen names: strategic branding vs. hiding 35:42 — Protecting your own creative energy (spoiler: she's bad at it too) 38:14 — Direct sales: Etsy, Payhip, and the human connection she didn't expect 40:44 — Kickstarter, the upcoming Oracle deck, and The Root Awakening 41:35 — Writing with the Divine: the six-month program 43:40 — Where to find Mariëlle Links https://mariellessmith.com Writing with the Divine: https://mariellessmith.com/writingwit... Email: [email protected] Instagram: www.instagram.com/mariellessmith YouTube:    / @thecoachforcreatives   Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/mariellessmith Substack: https://mariellessmith.substack.com mariellessmith.com