© 2024 NPR Illinois
The Capital's Community & News Service
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Heartland Ep. 7: Tarot & "Energy Healing"

Rachel Otwell
/
NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS
Teri Freesmeyer // Jenny + Keil do a tarot reading

In this episode, Rachel & Keil spend a day visiting a "magical penthouse" -- a top-floor apartment in Springfield where Teri Freesmeyer performs various types of healing energy work. They later climbed a steep staircase into Rachel's attic where Keil did a tarot reading for Jenny - who wanted to know how to better address symptoms of anxiety.

Teri grew up in rural Mason County and later studied metaphysicsin Arizona and Texas. She says despite her own skepticism, she followed her intuition and took her new skills back to central Illinois. To her surprise, she's found a supportive, spiritual community - and has been able to make a living doing what she loves and feels is her true purpose. 

Credit Rachel Otwell
examples of tarot decks (& a few crystals for good measure)

Tarot is a regular part of Keil's own "adventure of the soul." You can read his blog about it, here. In this episode he gives a reading that many will find relatable, it's on how to deal with anxiety and not push emotions that are hard to face away.

Rachel also gives a quick shout-out to the book  Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America. It's a great reference and resource for those interested in this history and how it's being practiced in modern times. (And a bonus - it was written by public radio legend Margot Adler.)

Music for this episode came from Warpaint. Their newest albumdropped earlier this year, here is a live version of the last song featured in this episode, Whiteout:

Rachel Otwell of the Illinois Times is a former NPR Illinois reporter.
Related Stories