The Deep World of Metaphysics with Alexandra Prudente

Deep World of Metaphysics

[00:00:00] Will Rodriguez: My name is will, and I molded from the X-Files you want to believe? So I've embarked on a journey of discovery. I've talked to people deeply entrenched in the spiritual world at throwing myself into weird and wonderful experiences. I've even joined a coven of witches all in the interest of finding something, anything that will prove that there's something beyond this physical three dimensional world we all live in.

This is the skeptic metaphysician. Hey, everyone. Welcome to the skeptic minute physician. I'm will. I'm your host for this particular journey today? We're talking all about the metaphysical. What is it? What does it include? What's not considered a part of the metaphysical world, so to speak all matter of things in between to help me dive into this hugely loaded topic, a friend of mine she's here owns or runs owns runs a metaphysical bookstore in St.

Pete Florida called wings. Have you ever in St. Pete, definitely make sure you stop in because her story is [00:01:00] remarkable, but I'm happy to introduce Alexandra. Prudenti Alexandra. Thanks for coming. My pleasure. Great. Let's set the bar first and foremost. Okay. We know we want to make sure everybody understands that you are a metaphysical bookstore owner.

So you are embedded in this world, but that's not to say that you consider yourself to be a guru or an expert in any one particular topic. You just happen to know a lot about. In the metaphysical world, 

Alexandra Prudente: I'd say a little about a lot. And especially with the store, it has made me grow into learning all of these different paths for people that come in.

So I've got to be very open-minded number one, which I am, and then, uh, really try to understand. What their path is and why? Because there's so many, there's so many ways to get to where we're all going. Hopefully it's all the same 

Will Rodriguez: place. Let's dive into that a little bit. There's so many different paths that people can take, literally hundreds of different possibilities that will get you [00:02:00] to where you want to go.

So what kind of things does your bookstore offer? What kind of things can the casual viewer or shopper walk in expect 

Alexandra Prudente: to see. Paths. There are lots of tools. There are lots of books. Normally somebody that's a novice will come in and I'll ask about the books. And I have a lot of books that are for beginners that just want to understand the concept and then maybe dive into it.

Somebody maybe was raised Catholic, but there have some Buddhist trends or Wiccan friends. And, but they're not afraid of it, but they just don't understand. I carry number one, books. It's a bookstore, but since I took over, I've taken it in a much more, uh, down the rabbit hole metaphysical way. So I've got the tools that, that one would need if they are going to have some kind of ceremony, which scares some people, even the word ceremony it's Ooh, what are they doing?

But a ceremony is just what happens even in a Catholic or traditional church. There's [00:03:00] incense. There's chanting. There's. Just a certain feeling sounds chimes bells. And so those things really apply. Pretty much across the board, whether it's drumming, but if you're into native American and shamanism, there might be drumming and rattles and Sage, if it's, there's just so many different techniques to get you there.

Crystals, crystal healing. We have a lot of the little pouches that we custom make for a person. We have a lot of people that come in that maybe have just been traumatized or lost a loved one. And they know that they need something other than just the feeling of grief. And so they want to explore other ways and it may be an angel candle.

If it's Christ consciousness, it might be some crystals that are specifically for grief. So we have jewelry, that's got magical powers. We've got every kind of candle, incense, taro. It's another way to. Not a [00:04:00] project, the future or whatever, but it's all intuition. So if you're comfortable with that idea, then a pendulum or a tarot card, say, take the tower.

Uh, for instance, in taro, it looks like destruction, but it looks like the end of the world, people, the buildings blowing up and all of that, but that if you're in the right frame of mind, it just means a new beginning, but the Phoenix, it could be the same symbol, but it's just a different way. So one thing is ending.

Something else is beginning. It really depends on your mindset. In a bad place, then maybe nothing's going to resonate, but we get a lot of really interesting and happy 

Will Rodriguez: people. Sure. So that was a mouthful. That was a lot of information on one side. No, no, no. It was great because you really opened the door to a lot of different topics of conversation.

You said a lot of words, Christ consciousness. Ceremony tools for someone who doesn't know this world at all, they just listen to what you just said and immediately screaming 

Alexandra Prudente: Christ consciousness. Okay. [00:05:00] So that I was raised in the Catholic church, but not very traditionally. I was sent to Catholic church.

But I've always considered myself a Christian, as I explore other things and learned about other ways of thinking a little bit more alternative. Then I began to learn about what is called Christ consciousness. Basically the same idea, but it just is more, it. Envelops other things, instead of just being, this is the story, this is how it went down and that's the only way or else you're going to go to hell.

And that kind of a thing where I'm ascended masters are Jesus is an ascended master Michael, all the saints. So I've got candles and different things that a person can. My job here is to create. A sense of sanctuary when they walk in the door, I want it to smell a certain way to hear the sounds that they hear to feel a certain way so that they can.

Realize that they can take some of these things home, even though they're objects, what's [00:06:00] not, what's in your heart is the most important thing, but they can take these things home and then create a sacred space of their own and alter. I mean, a lot of people have altars, no matter what belief system, a little place where you might have a candle, a prayer, a picture of a Saint or a Buddha or whoever, but you're creating your own.

Connection because people really need that right now with COVID and all of that. A lot of people, they lost the church, they lost their group. They lost that connection and, and they don't have to be part of a group. It's nice, but they don't have to be part of a group. They can come here and find the tools by that it could be a bill.

It could be incense. It could be a picture of a Saint, a candle. Now, 

Will Rodriguez: go ahead. I actually have someone scheduled to come talk to us about solitary. Which crafted by solitary WIC, which should be interesting. So that's one of the things that you mentioned, but if someone were to want to dive into this, but have no idea where to start, [00:07:00] what would you recommend?

Meditate, meditate 

Alexandra Prudente: meditation in my mind is you can meditate for five minutes. You can just set a little timer, five minutes a day, start your day. That way you're not going to get there every time you don't even know where you're going or what you're trying to get to. But the idea of quieting your mind to me in my mind, a prayer is telling God your story, or asking for something meditation is like, So you get quiet enough to even if it, again, even if it's your own intuition, even if it's your own peace of mind, you will get some answers.

And you may find that you just, you hear a little something or a little nudge in a certain way, but meditation is really important to any belief system, sacred creating sacred space or time alone. 

Will Rodriguez: These days is a, it's a big buzz word in a lot of different circles, especially the mental. World mindfulness meditation.

So you're saying that meditation is actually a [00:08:00] portal into this esoteric world of the manifest? 

Alexandra Prudente: I believe so. Yes. Yeah. I believe that's really important to quiet your mind enough to hear the true you, the depth of you. That to know what you're searching for. If not, if it's just all noise all the time, you really don't.

You know, some people, they have that noise all the time and they would go to church or they would go to some service and they might find that piece, but it was still as a group and a joint effort. I think it's really important to have, even if it's 10, 15 minutes a day. Things will come into focus that you didn't expect.

Will Rodriguez: So are you specifically talking about just sitting in silence or you there's these apps now, like Headspace and calm and things like that. So is that the type of meditation you're talking about or do you mean really. Sit in silence and listen to your higher self. 

Alexandra Prudente: Well, for the, for a beginner, they may, that could drive somebody crazy sitting in silence.

I like silence. I love it because I'm on all day, but the apps are great. [00:09:00] There's one called insight timer, I believe. And I on that there's and I'm sure they all have similar things where you can, there's different sounds. You can have birds chirping or a waterfall or whatever. And again, The the easiest way for you to do it, then go with the easiest way.

It's not meant to be a challenge. It's not meant to be something you've got to conquer. It really should be a pleasure once you do it. And it's, and you hit that sweet spot. It's really cool to start your day. That way, even if you meditate for 15 minutes and you're only, you only hit that sweet spot for three of those 15 minutes, and you just kinda get in that place where nothing else matters.

And, and then. You can take that feeling once you can get there, you can take that feeling. So when something traumatic happens or your day just goes, you know, downhill quick or something happens that aggravates you, then you know that you carry that with you. That's in you. That's not something you need to go buy a book.

That's not something you need to go to a service that's in [00:10:00] you. And that connection is real. So you can tap into that. That's that to me is the most important about meditation, because then it's within you and it's always there. It doesn't 

Will Rodriguez: leave Dumbo, the magic feather, then that helped him to fly. He didn't need to, I'll 

Alexandra Prudente: have a little girl the same gumbo I saw a hundred years ago 

Will Rodriguez: back in the day when I was really trying to find my way in all of this, there was a store in Fort Lauderdale that I used to frequent.

That was similar to what you are the owner of in there. They had different. I know now during COVID times, things are very different, so you may not be able to do this now, but I threw myself into a lot of different disciplines because they had seminars or workshops, things like that, that I introduced you to like Touro or past lives or Reiki, things like that.

Is that something that, that you would recommend someone try to find. 

Alexandra Prudente: Yes. If it's comfortable to the person, [00:11:00] some people really get a wind down about certain things. They just, they were told a story about a Ouija board or a tarot deck, and they're afraid of some people are really have a fear of some of these things.

So if they're comfortable with that, maybe read a book, a little light reading. Google a little bit. And until you find out, if that's going to be something for you, we have, I have Jenny boss, Claire here, who is a five C clairvoyant. She's been here for years before I even came on board and 

Will Rodriguez: five 

Alexandra Prudente: C clairvoyant.

I dunno, as far as I know the five CS, she can hear smell, taste. All of her senses are involved and she doesn't. If somebody can't make it here and they've already booked with her, she can, she doesn't even have to. She can just read them. Yeah, she's very good. We have a tea leaf reader for some people that is a little more light and fun and that kind of thing.

But believe me, she hits some really important topics and the person it resonates with them and they go away happy. We just [00:12:00] booked a woman that does multiple classes. This is evolutionary astrology. Which don't even ask me to explain that, but she does a six and 10 week courses and then travels all over the planet, all over the globe.

She goes to Egypt. She goes all over. So yes, people sign up for these things. We're just now starting to bring it back in because COVID, I have a separate location that we're going to book these things in, but so it won't be in the store because the store, we still have to wear the masks. Although Florida is.

Lighter and happier here, you can get outside breathe, but yes, those things are, there are a lot of fun are important and you can go. Normally you can go with a question or you can just go and see what's what pops up if you're comfortable with that. But tarot and Oracle, same thing. There are readers that are very good.

Although you can do your own again, intuition. 

Will Rodriguez: So what's the difference between a carnival to Ravi. Or someone who can read your fortune and someone who actually [00:13:00] follows the Touro the right way. 

Alexandra Prudente: Don't know, cause I've never met a carnival Touro reader, 

Will Rodriguez: but get a pump meter and you give him your Palm and she tells you, you can have three kids.

Alexandra Prudente: I would think that they do. I don't know because I'd never done that. Actually. It just, I'd never done that. But with, with the readers here for a real quick and easy, you just do a three-card read. Okay. Present and future, uh, if you want to get in depth, I think it's 13 and there's the Celtic cross and there's, you can really fine tune what the message is.

Again, you have to take it in the right way. If you're in a depressed or negative or fearful state of mind. That's your state of mind. That's normally what you're going to go away with. 

Will Rodriguez: So then let's talk a little bit about all the different types. So I know we've touched on it a lot, but specifically, as you talked about Touro readings, right?

So that's psychic or clairvoyance, right? There's you mentioned crystal healing and also you have crystals [00:14:00] in the store that, that, that people can pick up. Yeah, there's also, there's a lot of talk about past life regressions that where you've lived here before, that kind of thing, there's all kinds of tools I saw on your website called twins, pentagrams, things like that, that, that can be used in Wiccan.

Okay. So for people who don't know what anathema is, it's an actual tool. It's a tool that we can use in their rituals specifically to focus. Right. There happened to be big daggers, big knives that people use, but beautifully ornately designed, but they really meant to focus energy in a lot of ways, people get scared because thoughts of Wiccan brings about the devil horned God and knives and sacrificing virgins and things like that.

And that's none of that's real. If you were, if you were to go into the Wiccan religion, which is what it is, it's actually a religion you learn. It's really an earth-based religion that has really nothing to do with the devil. In fact, they don't believe in the devil. There's no such thing as a double for them.

Yeah, [00:15:00] no it's 

Alexandra Prudente: earth magic. Imagine 

Will Rodriguez: the elements, all those things and anyone who is curious about anything. The metaphysical world. These types of bookstores are a great resource too, to explore, to go in and just dive in and see what speaks to you. There's but there's also medicine cards and runes rooms.

There's Reiki, which is an energy healing, which is, which has done a lot of times. And when I went to the physical bookstore in Fort Lauderdale, they had Reiki circles that practitioners gave you. Yeah. 

Alexandra Prudente: Yeah. Shamanism, that's a whole nother up native American and shamanism. 

Will Rodriguez: Right. And you mentioned Sage, which is using shamanism, right?

A lot of different disciplines specifically to dispel negative energy. 

Alexandra Prudente: And clear, yeah. Clear, clear, negative energy and bring in, you know, you can do, uh, other things afterwards to bring in the positive. So everything isn't just Trek, even the app, the maze to go back to the app. Me real quick, I [00:16:00] sell more at the maze really as a cord cutting tool for people that maybe have been traumatized.

If they've have addictions, if they were in a bad relationship, I've got them made out of selenite. And some that looked like swords, but yeah. I show them to use this as a cord, cutting as a ceremony for yourself, you get yourself in the right state of mind. And then you're saying, this serves me no longer.

And you're, you're physically, you can do it with your hand and you can just wave your hand in front of if you're in the right mindset. But at the Mays are very powerful and we sell a lot, but all of the different tools, the same purpose, it's either to dispel something negative that you recognize in your life.

Even if it's something, a part of yourself like an addiction. Something. And then the other things are to bring in the good 

Will Rodriguez: Juju. So what do you say to someone who says. All that stuff is just a bunch of hooey. 

I 

Alexandra Prudente: don't feel the need to explain that to anybody, but normally if they, [00:17:00] I would think some of these modalities would resonate.

Some of this has to resonate somewhere along the line. I've got, I've had people come in and, oh, crystals and nuts just who we are and all that. Your watch courts, watch your computer, your phone, if you want to get into pyramids. And how did they have light in a pyramid that had a. A hallway that went into the earth.

How did they have, how they could, they see even, so these things are mysteries and some people enjoy a mystery and being a part of it and being part of, not necessarily the solution, but of being part of that mysterious energy and the story. And some people don't, but some people are just going to hoopoe everything and they're going to be cranky, cranky people, you know?

Will Rodriguez: So, so these things that you have been talking about for this period, Do you have to, does there have to be a belief behind there? If someone comes in and is skeptical on this kind of thing and say, prove it to [00:18:00] me. Is that something that you, maybe not you, but someone who practices these modalities could possibly do?

Alexandra Prudente: No. I don't think anybody that I know involved in any of this would try to prove something or push anything on anybody. But normally the people that come in here, even if they're not. Of this mindset that I have a lot of other interesting things that can pave the way for them, because some books that are a little bit more light reading things that, that aren't intimidating or.

Going to guilt trip them, but that they're leaving something else behind or their mother's going to be mad or whatever. So if they, if they are just interested in a little bit, they might pick up a little tiny booklet on, on crystals or beautiful jewelry. I have other things it's a regular store as well.

I won't say regular, but I have a lot of different things that are regular in any way that, that a lot of people are attracted to. And then they just little by little, they come back. [00:19:00] Oh, I think I need another one of these. And let me try that. And we have great conversation, but my customers are very knowledgeable about a lot of this.

So they teach me as I teach them. So, um, no theories. People may ask a question and we'd give them a. Hard to answer. We don't try to push anything. There's no agenda. 

Will Rodriguez: Yeah. And it's a dip their toe. Maybe someone's intimidated to walk in your door because they have no idea what to expect, or they may look foolish or something like that.

But I suppose someone could actually go to your website and look at some of the things that you offer and have a little bit of knowledge that they're armed with before they walk in. But at the same time, should someone be. A nerve by coming into your store. Now the 

Alexandra Prudente: store, there are stores that are, have a little bit of a darker.

Energy. They are a little bit more Wiccan and they want that. But that's intentional. My store is not, my store is very light, [00:20:00] airy, beautiful. Lots of just pretty magical things around. I had a gentleman asked me why he came in. He was very, he was a little nervous and he went over to WCA department and said, well, if it's not evil, why is it so dark?

Why is everything black? I said, well, as far as I know, it all had to be hidden. You know, things that are going to get you in trouble. You do at night doing the dark and you make things dark. So people don't see them. But if you were a healer, if you were a woman, female, if you were intuitive, if you were a healer or a medicine woman, Or had any magical abilities or what they considered magical abilities, let alone the wrong kind of birthmark.

Uh, then you were a witch and they would kill you and heal everybody, and then they'd kill you. But so we have interesting and fun conversation like that. There's nothing intimidating in here. And I have all kinds of people from all walks of life that come in and just go, wow, this is a really beautiful store.

And they had no idea what it was and what it is. 

Will Rodriguez: So to your point, there are stores out there that. [00:21:00] Uh, in energy, so to speak. So is there, we don't have time to dive into all this stuff, but for example, Satanism does exist in, it is a type of, of modality that some source cater to, but it's not what a lot of people think it's not worshiping.

The devil is it's really more about watching out for yourself and doing things that are right for you above anybody else among other things. I'm not an expert on Satanism, but there's. Some things and some people that connect, for example, a pentagram to Satanism. When in fact, although they do use pentagrams and Satanism, In Wicked's it means something completely different.

So 

Alexandra Prudente: yeah. It's just the elements. Yeah. 

Will Rodriguez: How does someone know what type of store they're about to step 

Alexandra Prudente: into? First of all, this store used to be the church bookstore. A unity church is right next door. So first unity. Yeah. First unity church here was if the very, not alternative, but what's the word? Liberal church Christ conscious.

They would start their [00:22:00] service with a meditation, but Christ consciousness and beautiful services. Anyway, that was years ago, as time went on, it shifted and changed. When I took over, I took it a little bit more, like I say, down the rabbit hole, but it's a very light and airy store. It's called wings.

There's angel wings. You can see they won't, but there's angel wings all over. There's, you know, it's meant to be beautiful and uplifting. I don't do anything dark in here. And if somebody really was looking for that, I just. They go on their way. They're not, they don't resonate with the vibe in here, although I've got plenty of Wiccans, but the people I get are, they might be tattooed and a lot of piercings, but they're pleasant, they're articulate.

They're um, bright people that are just curious and want to do their own thing. Yeah. 

Will Rodriguez: Is there something that someone can look for before they step into the store for them to know whether it's. It's a 80 wings type of store or the alternate. 

[00:23:00] Alexandra Prudente: Bef. So before walking in, how would they know 

Will Rodriguez: that there may not be a way I'm just curious 

Alexandra Prudente: word of mouth and people rave about the energy when they walk in, they go, it just feels so good.

There's no, it's not a woo kind of a thing. It's more, you just really feel good. First of all, the crystal department is huge. Good Juju coming out of that, the mural outside, I had a mural done that I kind of took from the film avatar. It's a beautiful, I think it's on the website. Yeah, it is on the website.

Beautiful mural of the wings and people come and they'll come out there and to have their photo taken. It's kind of a thing in St. Pete with all the murals to have your photos of people dance in front of it, they meet it's a meeting place. I don't know the answer to the question, but it's not been an issue.

My goodness. So we get all kinds and thank goodness, just a really wonderful crowd. Okay. 

Will Rodriguez: Is there anything that people think is esoteric or metaphysical in nature [00:24:00] that truly is not in your estimation? Like is there something that is mistaken for something magical? When in essence it's really a practical thing because what does not fall under the metaphysical?

Alexandra Prudente: Well, metaphysical is that, which, what is it that which cannot be explained or that which is not physical or can't be seen or touched. So it's all of the mysterious, the mysteries, but the mysteries or the reality, there's the reality. You know, and you just have to be tapped into it. I don't know. It's a hard thing to explain.

I guess I should have been prepared for this question, but you know, you can be there, you either have that. You either feel that connection to two spirit, whether you want to call it spirit or energy or. I mean, look, gravity, you know, there's all kinds of energies that you can tap into things that are going to happen, whether you believe in them or not like, you know, 

[00:25:00] Will Rodriguez: the, the difficult thing about this, right?

It's that there's not a lot that, that you can actually physically hold in your hand and say, okay, yeah, this proves that this is real. There's a certain amount. Fate that has to go along with something 

Alexandra Prudente: like this. It just, it depends on your, it depends on your personality because you know, you can take up a pendulum, you know, if you know how to use a pendulum the proper way, and you will get, you'll get an answer.

Now, somebody else could say, oh, you're moving your hand. Or you're, you know, you're doing this. And there are always going to be people that are going to just count the certain things. But you know, people I think are looking for answers now, especially there. And I think they've realized it's a lot more personal than they were led to believe.

I think a lot of people thought they had to be part of a group, you know, and groups are great. You know, there's Wiccan groups, there's goddess groups, there's, you know, shamanism and sweat lodges. And I mean, there's all kinds of things you can do. And being part of a group is great. But especially after the COVID thing, [00:26:00] people, I think just really started to find that, you know, reading, getting a little bit more in touch with themselves, you know, they had a lot of alone time and it's a deeper.

Connection, you know, so much deeper connection. And then you can take that with you wherever you go. 

Will Rodriguez: So we've been talking for about a half an hour. I know we can talk about this for hours now. Unfortunately we can't at this point, but so to close this out, if there was someone who was brand new to this world and was looking for the first step, I know you mentioned meditation, but is there a book.

That someone could pick up from your store or from anywhere to, to kind of give them a primer on what metaphysics 

Alexandra Prudente: most likely. Yes. But what I would say, I'm sure there are multiple books like that, but what I would say is go with what you're comfortable with, go with whatever, you [00:27:00] know, and it's not going to.

Scare you or turn you totally off, then go a little bit deeper than that. You know? I mean, I've got a couple of books right here, the shaman and Iowasca. Bye. It's not a Don Miguel Ruiz, but a lot of people are familiar with his books, sell loads and loads of his books, uh, spirit medicine. So someone that maybe even grew their own food, grew their own vegetables.

Their parents were farmers and they knew the land. They, they considered the land sacred. So maybe shamanism plant medicine might be there in to understanding that connection. If you were raised, you know, Christian or Catholic or. You know, angels and saints. There's plenty of that to explore. And that can take you into during virtue who doesn't do the taro any longer, but she so many angel cards, beautiful cards with angel messages.

So it's not, you know, the taro doesn't mean like, oh, you know, [00:28:00] there's so many, so much of this that's represented by angels. So much of this is represented by goddesses. Mermaids varies. What, whatever your thing is, Come in that way, you know, and explore that connection and then you kind of get a feel for it.

And, you know, you might be a little more lighthearted about it because it's, it's all good. You know, it's all beautiful. 

Will Rodriguez: Well, that sounds like a perfect way to wrap up this first of many, hopefully conversations that you and I will have. Alexandra. Thank you so much for coming on. I know you are super, super busy right now, and I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to come talk to us about that.

You are so welcome. And for you listening in, thank you so much for joining us on this episode of the skeptic metaphysician. If you. Liked it, if something spoke to you, we would appreciate it. If you would subscribe to the podcast, share this with your friends and family, whoever you think will get something out of it got a lot of great content coming up in the next few weeks.

We're excited to bring to you [00:29:00] if you are on apple podcasts and you want to give us a rating and a review that will help us get into. The hands of more and more people, I think to Alexander's point, this is really resonating with a lot of people these days more and more people are looking for something, looking for an answer.

And hopefully we'll hope to give a lot of conversations that might just be what you need to open up that door. So until next time, thank you so much for joining us. See you again on metaphysics.