Host: Jason Rigby

Guest: Ashley M. Ryan (Pythian Priestess)

Guest Bio: Ashley M. Ryan, known as Pythian Priestess, is an initiated priestess in a Hermetic Order dedicated to the Goddess Auset (Isis). With over half her life dedicated to studying and practicing magick and witchcraft, she rose to TikTok fame in 2019 and founded the Pythian Mystery School in 2020. Ashley is a spiritual leader, educator, and advocate for reclaiming the sacred feminine in its wholeness—light and shadow alike.

Episode Overview: In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, Jason Rigby welcomes back Ashley M. Ryan, the Pythian Priestess, to discuss her evolving journey as a spiritual leader and the fierce, unapologetic nature of the divine feminine. Ashley shares her insights on sacred rage, the commodification of spirituality, and the importance of integrating the shadow self. Drawing from ancient archetypes like Black Isis, Kali, and the Black Madonna, she offers practical rituals and wisdom for women seeking wholeness in a world that often dilutes the sacred. The conversation explores themes of truth, resilience, and the balance of light and shadow, challenging the "love and light" narrative with a call to embrace the wild and transformative aspects of spirituality.

Key Themes:

1. Sacred Rage and the Warrior Archetype

• Ashley steps into the "warrior archetype" as a woman, not to destroy, but to defend truth, the sacred, and the mysteries (01:40).
• She connects this to her astrological birth chart (Saturn and Mars in the sixth house), emphasizing service and discipline (01:40).

2. The Dilution of Spirituality

• Ashley expresses grief over the commodification of spirituality, watching it become a "branded ATM" rather than a transformative tool (02:35).
• She critiques spiritual bypassing and the avoidance of pain, especially post-LA fires (03:32).

3. The Dark Goddess and Wholeness

• Referencing Dancing in the Flames by Woodman and Dickinson, Ashley explains the absence of the dark goddess in modern society and its damaging effects (04:41).
• Archetypes like Kali, Black Isis, and the Black Madonna embody resilience, fierce love, and the integration of suffering (16:06, 20:00).

4. Thumos: The Spirited Fire of the Soul

• Ashley introduces the ancient Greek concept of Thumos—righteous anger that defends truth and honor—contrasting it with the "love and light" narrative (10:39).
• She ties this to Plato’s chariot allegory and the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot’s Chariot card, symbolizing balance between the soul’s appetites and higher aspirations (14:05).

5. Embracing the Shadow

• Ashley emphasizes that the shadow is not an enemy but a part of wholeness, urging listeners to alchemize pain into wisdom (33:50, 35:15).
• She shares a personal story of a nightmare at 15, revealing unexpressed rage and the unconscious mind’s role in healing (23:04).

6. Practical Rituals for Integration

• Ashley offers two rituals: mirror gazing with a candle to confront the soul (28:38) and scrying with a black bowl to uncover unhealed wounds (30:11).
• She stresses the importance of action post-ritual, such as therapy or inner child work (32:53).

7. Fear and the Occult

• Addressing fear around witchcraft and the occult, Ashley attributes it to societal conditioning and the rejection of feminine archetypes (42:16).
• She invokes Ma’at (balance and justice) as a source of boldness to face suffering and reclaim the sacred (40:42).

Detailed Timestamps:

• 00:01 - Introduction: Jason welcomes Ashley back, noting her journey as Pythian Priestess and the success of her prior episode.
• 00:41 - Ashley’s Current Calling: Ashley discusses stepping into the warrior archetype to defend truth and the sacred, inspired by her birth chart (Saturn and Mars in the sixth house).
• 02:35 - Sacred Rage and the Pythian Mystery School: Ashley reflects on the commodification of spirituality post-LA fires and her mission to restore its depth through the Pythian Mystery School and her podcast, The Occult Unveiled.
• 04:41 - The Dark Goddess: Introduction to Dancing in the Flames and the societal lack of the dark goddess, with Ashley advocating for women to "take up the sword" against patriarchal imbalance (05:25).
• 10:39 - Thumos and Truth: Ashley explains Thumos as righteous anger, linking it to Plato’s chariot allegory and the tarot’s Chariot card (14:05). She ties it to four virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance (12:00).
• 16:06 - Black Isis and Black Madonna: Ashley explores Black Isis as a symbol of suffering and resilience (17:13) and the Black Madonna as wisdom and realism (20:00), forged in chaos and fierce love.
• 22:08 - Teaching Wholeness at Pythian Mystery School: Ashley uses dreams and meditations to help students confront the unconscious and embrace the dark goddess (22:36). She shares a personal nightmare as an example (23:04).
• 28:38 - Practical Rituals: - Ritual 1: Mirror gazing with incense and a candle to see beyond the mask (28:38). - Ritual 2: Scrying with a black bowl and an invocation to uncover unhealed parts (30:11).
• 33:50 - Embracing the Shadow: Ashley reframes the shadow as a source of strength, not evil, and shares her hypnosis therapy experience to alchemize pain (37:07).
• 38:40 - Fostering Righteous Anger in the Mystery School: Through meditations, students meet archetypes and receive symbolic gifts (daggers, keys), fostering self-understanding (39:42).
• 42:16 - Overcoming Fear of the Occult: Ashley attributes fear to societal rejection of feminine archetypes and credits Ma’at for her boldness (40:42).
• 47:32 - Where to Find Ashley: Ashley shares links: pythianmysteryschool.com, Etsy (Pythian Priestess) for tarot readings, and YouTube for Pause with Pythian and free classes.

Notable Quotes:

• Ashley on Sacred Rage: "There is a lot of rage right now in our society... It is a warrior for truth. It’s a warrior for the sacred and to defend the mysteries." (01:40)
• On Spirituality’s Dilution: "I’m watching it become an ATM for people. It’s lost its meaning and it’s a tool that should be used." (02:35)
• On the Dark Goddess: "Light is blinding. Light hurts. It’s about breaking through illusion." (10:11)
• On Thumos: "It’s the passion and the fire in my soul to bring back the sacred into the world." (14:05)
• On the Shadow: "You can turn the poison into medicine because the change in the integration is saying, ‘Okay, so this is the symptom.’” (37:07)

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Dancing in the Flames by Marion Woodman and Elinor Dickinson (available on Amazon, eBay, and Internet Archive).
• Pythian Mystery School: pythianmysteryschool.com
• Podcast: Pause with Pythian (on YouTube as Pythian Priestess).
• Tarot Readings: Etsy (search "Pythian Priestess").
• Social Media: TikTok, Instagram, Blue Sky, YouTube (@PythianPriestess).

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Confront Your Soul: Try Ashley’s mirror-gazing ritual with a candle and incense to see beyond your mask (28:38).
2. Uncover the Unconscious: Use a scrying bowl with an invocation to reveal unhealed wounds, then act on the insights (30:11).
3. Honor Your Shadow: Recognize rage, jealousy, or pain as parts of you needing compassion, not rejection (33:50).
4. Embrace Fierce Love: Reflect on how suffering has forged your resilience, drawing inspiration from Black Isis or Kali (16:06).
5. Join the Journey: Explore Ashley’s free meditations on Pause with Pythian or enroll in the Pythian Mystery School (47:32).

Closing Thoughts:

This episode is a bold call to reclaim the sacred feminine in its entirety—fierce, wild, and whole. Ashley M. Ryan, as Pythian Priestess, challenges listeners to move beyond superficial spirituality and embrace the transformative power of the dark goddess. Whether through rituals, shadow work, or her teachings at the Pythian Mystery School, she offers a path to truth and resilience in a world craving balance.