Sourcery: How To Channel Life's Real Magic With Justin L Shaw
What if reaching higher consciousness didn’t require crystals, incense, or speaking in riddles? What if the real magic is simply learning to turn your airplane mode off—and finally plug back into yourself?
In this refreshingly grounded and hilarious episode of the Let’s Get Naked Podcast, Anne Karber sits down with Justin L. Shaw, the mystical comedian and author of Sourcery: 13 Rungs to Higher Consciousness. Together, they deconstruct the idea that spirituality has to be heavy, complicated, or cloaked in mysticism—and instead reveal it as something deeply human, deeply joyful, and often… deeply funny.
From Darkness to Bliss: The Story Behind the Laughter
Justin’s journey to higher consciousness wasn’t paved with mantras or mountaintops. It began with pain—emotional neglect, addiction, and the quiet, invisible weight of disconnection. Like many seekers, he searched for meaning outside himself until one profound “bliss attack” shattered the illusion of separateness and rewired his understanding of what it means to truly wake up.
Anne and Justin dive deep into the paradox of enlightenment: how sometimes it’s the breakdown that leads to the breakthrough. Through raw honesty and humor, Justin reveals that awakening isn’t about transcending humanity—it’s about finally inhabiting it.
“Spirituality isn’t an escape,” he shares. “It’s integration. It’s realizing you already are what you’ve been looking for.”
Humor as a Path to Higher Consciousness
If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at over-serious self-help rhetoric, this episode is your permission slip to laugh your way to liberation.
Anne and Justin unpack how humor is one of the most potent spiritual tools available—it disarms the ego, softens resistance, and allows truth to slip in through the back door. Humor dissolves shame and bridges understanding in ways that sermons and lectures can’t.
“Laughter,” Justin says, “is instant presence. You can’t be anxious about the future or stuck in the past when you’re laughing. You’re right here, now—and that’s consciousness.”
Deprogramming Fear and Conformity
The conversation moves into the deeper territory of mental conditioning—the invisible programming that keeps people small, afraid, and disconnected from their power. Together, Anne and Justin explore how fear-based systems—cultural, religious, or social—train us to seek validation externally and suppress our authentic expression.
Justin explains that healing begins when we stop outsourcing our worth and start leading ourselves. “Most of us were raised to conform, not to connect,” he says. “But joy, clarity, and freedom all begin where fear ends.”
By reframing growth through curiosity instead of control, the episode invites listeners to step into self-leadership—where personal responsibility becomes the gateway to peace.
Sympathy vs. Empathy: The Missing Link
In one of the episode’s most thought-provoking moments, Anne and Justin dissect the difference between sympathy and true empathy. Sympathy often keeps people separated—an act of pity that reinforces hierarchy—while empathy dissolves boundaries and connects us through shared humanity.
Real empathy, they agree, doesn’t mean fixing someone’s pain. It means being present enough to witness it without judgment or superiority.
The Real “Sourcery” — Turning Awareness Into Action
The title of Justin’s book, Sourcery: 13 Rungs to Higher Consciousness, isn’t just clever wordplay—it’s a reminder that all transformation begins at the source: you.
Anne and Justin explore how to “recode” your internal operating system by combining ancient wisdom with modern tools—habits, humor, meditation, and mindful living. This isn’t about ascension; it’s about application.
When you stop waiting for someone else to fix you and start choosing awareness, you access the real magic—the kind that doesn’t require crystals, smoke, or a guru’s approval.
