Menopause Part 1 : Perimenopause re-release

Topics covered : Imbolc and the symbolism and significance of Brigid. In this episode, I speak to historian and artist Shelly Mooney who runs the brilliant Instagram page ‘Tales from the Wood’ which explores the history and mythology of Ireland. She lives in the countryside in County Wexford with her husband Kev, their baby Ferdia and Lola their dog. After several years of campaigning, St Brigid’s Day has finally become a public holiday in Ireland and it’s the first one to be named after a woman. In this conversation Shelly talks about the ancient pagan festival heralding the beginning of Spring called ‘Imbolc’ and the significance of Brigid and her resurgence in recent times, including the story behind her cloak and the cross of St. Brigid. If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Climate crisis, capitalism, activism, Gaza, LA wildfires, Iran, community care, resistance, joy.     Raeeka (they/she) is a British-Iranian social & climate justice activist and poet. They work for Parents For Future UK, a group focused on empowering parents and carers into the climate movement. Raeeka is also on the Stop Rosebank team, working to stop new oil and gas in the UK. Raeeka amplifies the feminist revolution of their Iranian siblings in the fight for a free Iran. They have a special focus on intersectional collective liberation as a framework for how we build the world we need. They have recently self-published a poetry book: BELOVED: Words for the new way. In this conversation we talk about the climate crisis and how finding out what your skill is and leaning into that, is key with heart centered activism. To connect with Raeeka… Raeeka | climate justice & social justiceBritish Iranian (@raeekayassaie) • Instagram photos and videos RaeekaYassaie.com | Poetry for collective liberation Resources they mentioned… ParentsForFuture Ireland instagram - great landing place for climate for any parents listening ParentsForFuture UK  Stop Rosebank - learn about stopping new oil and gas in the UK Climate Defiance  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Gaza, parenting, co-sleeping, attachment, worthiness, cancer, thyroid, compassion.  In my first episode of 2025, my guest is the one and only Dr. Gabor Maté. He is a retired physician and bestselling author known and loved for his ground-breaking medical work and writings.  His most recent book, ‘The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture’, has been and continues to be a bestseller worldwide. n this conversation we talk about Gaza and as a Holocaust survivor what he has to say is so valuable. We also explore parenting, we talk about illness and the lessons to be learnt through these often very difficult experiences and he also shares his insights regarding Ireland. He has been top of my dream guest list for years now so to have him on the podcast really is as good as it gets. A heartfelt thank you to Catherine for all her help in connecting me with Gabor. Books ​Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder 1999 ​When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress 2003 Hold onto your kids : Why Parents need to matter more than Peers 2005 In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction 2007 The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture 2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Life in Gaza, living under occupation, murder, grief, trauma, injustice. In my final episode in 2024, I speak to Palestinian mother Hala Sourani. In October 2023, Hala was married to Mohammad and they had 2 girls Shahd who was 6 and Rahaf who was 5 and they lived in Gaza. In November of that year, they tried to flee but, in the process, both Mohammad and Rahaf were murdered by Israelis. As you can imagine, this is a harrowing account of that time so please be aware before you listen but I really hope you do stay with this conversation as intense as it is and that you allow yourself to connect with Hala and the pain and injustice that she and so many have been, and continue to be, subjected to. She came to Ireland with her daughter Shahd in February and has been working as a volunteer here and remarkably she completed a MBA last month too.  I wish we never had to have this conversation. I wish she was still in Gaza with her husband and girls, but that is unfortunately not the case. This is without a doubt one of the most important conversations I’ve ever had on Ready to be Real and I am honoured that she trusted me with it. She’s not comfortable speaking about the Go Fund Me that has been set up to help her but I’m going to ask you to please consider donating what you can so that she and her daughter can try and rebuild their lives here in Ireland. They need and deserve our support. Any and all donations would be gratefully received. Fundraiser by Sarah Costello : Urgent Help For Halla & Chahd (Gazans in Ireland) Go raibh mile maith agaibh. A special word of thanks to the wonderful Kate O’Dwyer, the founder of 'Pals for Palestine' for all her help in connecting Hala and I and for all her love and guidance behind the scenes. I’ll be back in the New Year with more episodes and thanks for your support as always. Until then, tabhair aire agus Nollaig Shona dhaoibh go léir. Saoirse don Phailistín. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Motherhood, grief, loss of identity, birth trauma, breastfeeding, shedding shame, celebrity culture, awakening, humanity. In this episode I speak to Matrescence coach Jacqueline Kelly. She lives in Dublin with her husband Stuart and their two children Fionn and Molly. And in this conversation she talks to us about Motherhood, her own personal experience of it, the loss of her own mother and coming to terms with her absence and the importance of recognising all mothers. At times it’s a challenging conversation as we deal with topics such as birth trauma, breastfeeding and grief so please be aware before you listen. Resources : Alexandra Sacks on Matrescence… A new way to think about the transition to motherhood | Alexandra Sacks - YouTube The article I wrote sharing my own struggles with breastfeeding… Síle Seoige: My first weeks with Cathal... and why I stopped breastfeeding - Her.ie Pals for Palestine… (@palsforpalestine_ireland) • Instagram photos and videos And to connect with Jac, go to… BRAVE Hearts - Our Brave Hearts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.