December 1, 2025 • 45 mins
On today’s episode, we share stories of kitchens loud with laughter, tamale days that turn work into ritual, and the healing power of nostalgia when it’s used as a compass rather than a cage. You’ll hear how legacy recipes, cookie plates, and craft swaps become more than things; they become carriers of memory and belonging. We also name the hard parts: control, isolation, and the fawn response that can make celebrations feel unsafe. Healing begins with safety, capacity, and one brave yes at a time—and we model how to create that with clear boundaries, small experiments, and support.
In this episode, we explore:
- Balancing giving and receiving during the holiday season
- Gratitude as a doorway to safe connection
- Redefining holiday meaning through sensation and values
- Homemade gifts, craft swaps, and cookie exchanges
- Healing past harm and the fawn response around holidays
- Nostalgia as medicine and micro-traditions that stick
- At the 35 minute mark, we offer a distance Reiki blast as a gift to you!
For our Reiki blast, we invite you to breathe, feel your feet, and let the current alchemize what’s heavy. Then, integrate with a simple journal prompt: Which joyful memories want to return as living rituals this season? By the end, you’ll leave with practical ways to give from center, receive without guilt, and design micro-traditions—craft exchanges, cookie trades, communal meals—that make the holidays yours again.
If this conversation nourished you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a softer season, and leave a review to help more listeners find us. Your stories shape this community—what small yes will you choose next?
If you'd like to treat yourself to a Shamanic Reiki session this season, Christine is offering 90 minutes sessions for $100 (normally $250) if you mention this episode - let's get through the holiday season together! Book your session today: https://calendly.com/christinerenee/90-minute-shamanicreiki-chakracoaching?back=1&month=2025-12
Moon Rising Shamanic Institute Links:
Website: https://moonrisinginstitute.com/
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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/moonrisingmystics
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@moonrisinginstitute
Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://moonrisinginstitute.kit.com/spiritguide
Book a session with Christine: https://calendly.com/christinerenee/90-minutes-intensive
Book a FREE 10 minute connect call with Christine: https://calendly.com/christinerenee/10-minute-connect-call-srpt
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Wisdom Rising, the podcast of Moon
Rising Shamanic Institute.
Join shamanic Reikipractitioners Christine Rene and
Chantel Ochoa as we dancebetween worlds of shamanism,
mysticism, and energy healing.
Each week we illuminate yourpath to self-sourced wisdom and
attune you to the whispers ofwisdom rising from within.
(00:25):
Welcome, welcome, welcome backto another Whispers of Wisdom on
this Monday morning.
Our recording for our podcastwas Wisdom Rising.
So if you haven't checked outthat podcast yet, please go do
so.
We've got so many juicyconversations and interviews
over there.
I highly recommend.
And today's conversation is onbalancing giving and receiving.
(00:50):
So how do we give from agrounded place?
How to become better receivers,how to tune into your heart
chakra to sense what's truly inbalance and more.
There's more.
There's definitely more to that.
So uh thanks everyone for takingthe time to be with us.
Thanks, Chantel, for joiningwith me.
So good to have you on.
(01:11):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (01:12):
I'm gonna light some polo over here and get my energy
into this conversation.
But yeah, no, I'm excited aboutthis one because I know that we
are offering energy healingtoday, too.
Yeah, I'm gonna do some distancereiki.
So that makes me excited.
SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
Right.
And I think that's one of thepieces that I'm also excited
about.
Like I feel like there's a bitof where do you give from a
joyful place?
And how do you receive from ajoyful place?
And I I love doing distanceReiki circles and I love
(01:46):
offering, and I want to stepinto a space of doing that more
often.
Please stay on till the end ofour discussion because we will
be giving some Reiki out foryour healing, for your
balancing, for your alignment,for all of the things for your
expansion.
And we are looking forward todoing that piece of this as
(02:06):
well.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
So, with our topic of gratitude and giving from the
heart, what do you feel like youhave coming forward right now
that you want to start aconversation off with?
Like, where what gratitude doyou have right now?
SPEAKER_00 (02:19):
You know, I have a lot of gratitude this morning,
actually, for my partner.
Like I had this conversation inmy head this morning about I was
thinking about the holidays andhow the holidays have not always
been easy for me and how I havedeveloped self-protection
mechanisms to keep it safe.
(02:39):
And my partner is really intothe holidays, right?
He really, he really enjoys theholiday season.
And I have I have hardenedmyself to become cynical of it
as a like way to keep myselfsafe.
And I was tuning in this morningand I was meditating and I was
feeling into like what would myhigher self do?
(03:05):
To be able to kind of break downsome of these walls.
And it was like just talk tothem, just talk to talk and tell
your story, and to be in arelationship where that's
absolutely open and possible togo like this is why I am this
(03:26):
way, this is why my holidayseasons have become what they've
become, like a very minusculesense of holidays, right?
And um, it's just been reallylovely to be in relationship and
conversation with and reallyunderstanding that I have space
to do the self-reflection and todo the the healing work because
(03:51):
I'm ready for it, right?
SPEAKER_02 (03:52):
Yeah.
Well, that's really nice,especially because what was,
even though it's conditioned youto build those walls, you're in
a new relationship and new spacein your life.
And so it's like that expansionof removing those walls and
allowing yourself to startenjoying as much as you feel
like you want to enjoy.
(04:12):
And you might surprise yourselfbecause sometimes once we let go
of the wall and then we embracewhat's to come, suddenly there's
new things and experiences thatyou go, oh, wait a minute.
You know, it's kind of like theGrinch's heart, you know what
expands.
And I just filling into thatbecause yes, we can feel cynical
(04:33):
with holidays and tradition andall that, but there comes times
I think too where we can allowthat healing to come in.
And it sounds like you're wellon that road.
SPEAKER_00 (04:42):
Yeah.
So I think like from a realgratitude perspective, like,
yeah, absolutely that's whereI'm at.
And recognizing like ourconversation this morning on
like balancing that giving andreceiving and really
understanding how what balanceis, you know, really what
balance is.
(05:02):
I think in years past, we havecome on again and again and
again.
And I've I've been preaching,say no, don't do the things you
don't want to do.
It's okay to cancel if you arenot willing to participate.
Like, don't take the abuse, youknow, whatever it is, right?
Like that's been my my call toour audience of like, you know,
(05:25):
uh that it's okay to reduce andslim down if it's not an
alignment for you because somany people overdo it.
But then now I'm on the otherside.
It's like, okay, I've slimmedall the way down.
SPEAKER_02 (05:39):
You're like, there is no holiday.
SPEAKER_00 (05:42):
There is no holiday.
And no, no, it's like, well, howdo I bring the balance back,
right?
Of how do I lean into saying yesand to receive and to all of
these things that I have spentuh a good long while going,
nope, nope, not available forthat.
(06:03):
And now it's it's I'm on theother side of going, well,
that's also out of balance.
SPEAKER_02 (06:08):
Yeah, yeah.
So what was your compromise?
What do you feel that is comingforward then?
SPEAKER_00 (06:14):
I don't necessarily know if it's a compromise.
I feel like it's an ongoingconversation.
Let's put it that way, right?
Like there's an ongoingconversation within myself of
recognizing if I am responsiblefor my own enjoyment, for my own
pleasure, for my own externalexperience, if there's an
(06:37):
opportunity that arises, what amI really available for into
saying yes or to say no?
Right.
Like I think there's the balanceof going, is this something that
I can put myself in a situationand try and allow myself to
enjoy it?
Right.
Yeah.
(06:58):
And so it's it's more like thismorning I got a notification
from my from my community.
So if you don't know, I live inan intentional community and
we're they're always doingholiday events, like
Thanksgiving dinner.
We literally have 50 peopleattending as a ginormous
potluck.
Like it is going to be insane.
And I'm I'm totally on boardwith Thanksgiving.
(07:20):
I like favorite holiday alwayshas been love sharing food, love
sharing meals.
And then there was anotification that notification
that popped up on my phone thismorning that was holiday bonfire
on December 18th, right?
And so we live in a space where,you know, every once in a while,
maybe once every other month, wehave a bonfire and people come
(07:42):
out and have drinks and hotcocoa and roast marshmallows,
and we just chit-chat.
And so we're having this holidaybonfire.
And I was like, I could do that.
I could do that, I could goenjoy myself some hot cocoa and
enjoy this experience, and maybeI could have my kids come along
(08:04):
and have my partner and hischild come along.
Like, you know, it's like I feellike there's opportunity in this
new community because it isfairly new to be able to build a
new relationship with theholidays.
SPEAKER_02 (08:18):
Yes, right.
Good for you.
SPEAKER_01 (08:22):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So really trying not to becynical and spear.
SPEAKER_02 (08:27):
No, no, you know, and my experience is um, it's
interesting because my growingup, so my grandparents were
farmers, ranchers, and um and somy Grammy, she did all the
holidays in such a spectacularway.
And it was open door to anyoneand everyone.
And when um, well, forThanksgiving, it was more um
(08:51):
like intimate with just thefamily, but we had all the
things for for Thanksgiving.
And then when Christmas came, itwas like every single nook of
her house was decorated withChristmas, and then every like
she would do it in in like wavesof the hors d'oeuvres, and then
those would go, and then it wasthe waves of all the food and
(09:14):
every single meat and every sidedish and every everything, and
then all the pies and the cakeand everything would come out in
the third wave of food, and thepresents and the tree, and and
so that's what I grew up with,and I absolutely loved it.
And then even Easter was wewould do like 150 eggs and have
goose eggs to die, and it washuge.
(09:37):
And you know, I grew up on 20acres while it was hers, but you
know, that was my my playground,so to speak.
And then as we all got older, myfamily got into the split idea
of what holidays are, and nowit's like pulling teeth to get
anyone to want to do anyholiday.
And it's like, okay, so I feellike my family unit, because of
(09:58):
my daughter and grandkids, it'slike, well, we got to keep some,
I want to keep some form oftradition going.
And so that's what we're doing.
But um, it's interesting becauseit's like, well, it is so I I'm
coming from a perspective of notso much the tradition of what
holidays or what the um theactual like Christmas is about
(10:19):
and the history of Thanksgivingand all that, but what is the
the meaning behind it, like theactual energy of it, right?
Right.
Gratitude, love, gathering,sharing of food, sharing of like
everything of our harvest andour family gatherings, and then
Christmas of celebrating eachother.
So that's what I come I'm comingto the table with.
And even with my children whenthey were younger, and I told
(10:43):
them about Santa, I researchedSanta and found out that it's a
lot of like Coca-Cola, probablyactually where Santa comes from.
And so they created our Americanversion of Santa, and that's not
the history part of Santa, butum, you know, and that's how I
(11:03):
told my kids that okay, this iswhat this is, and it was very
interesting, but right, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:10):
It was for me growing up, the holidays were
pretty extensive as well.
And it, you know, multipleholiday events, like it was
always a joyous occasion.
Like Thanksgiving was always myfavorite holiday because it
wasn't just the food, it waslike extended family, and the
and you know, there was a tablefor the kids.
(11:32):
I loved the kids' table.
I was like, great, I don't haveto have adult conversation.
We can talk about what we wantto talk about.
There was always anoverabundance of food, and
everyone was laughing andgiggling, and we would play
cards for hours.
Like our family was really intocard games, so all of the adults
would play pinnackle, and all ofthe kids would end up playing
(11:53):
like Tetris Nintendo games orlike on the Atari, or um we
would play all kinds of of cardgames as well.
Like that's just what we did.
I loved getting together with myfamily, and it was also, you
know, the Christmas was also amajor religious event for us.
So, you know, going to to massat the Catholic Church and doing
(12:17):
the Advent wreath and putting ittogether and counting the days
down by which candles you'relighting, and all of that was a
huge piece of my upbringing.
And um, and that was reallyinteresting the way it kind of
switched.
Like overall, my childhoodexperience was very joyful.
And my mother, as a professionalbaker, she would freaking make,
(12:41):
I don't know, 15, 20 differentkinds of cookies.
It was all about the cookies,the Christmas cookies, right?
And she would make all of theseplates with two or three of each
of the cookies, and then wewould give them out.
Right.
So there was very much of likethis was her art, and this was
her way of showing people thatshe cared.
And so Christmas cards withplates of cookies to all of the
(13:04):
neighbors, all of her churchfriends, all of all of the
people close to us was like itwas divine.
Like to get a plate of mymother's cookies was like a huge
receiving because it was so Idon't know, she was really
hardcore about it.
Yeah.
She was really, really on it, itwas amazing.
(13:26):
And um, and so being part of thebaking process, and that was a
very much part of the familycontribution of like, okay,
Christine, stir the peanutbuttle when the microwave goes
off, and I'm doing I'm frostingthe cookies over here, and we've
got fudge going on over there,and like the whole thing was
just a process, right?
And so it was really um joyfuland flavorful and sweet, right?
(13:50):
And I I was remembering thismorning of how that really
switched, like there was a bigum switch in my world of
holidays when I was married tomy first husband.
And he was very emotionallyabusive and he hated Christmas.
(14:13):
I mean, absolutely despised theholiday, despise the
commercialization of it, and Iwould hear nothing about
anything else for the wholemonth of December.
The moment he heard theChristmas music come on, I would
hear about it.
We were allowed to go tosolstice parties, but not
Christmas parties.
And if anyone gave me a present,he would like chew me out for an
(14:36):
hour, right?
Like there was no, and I wasvery well into my um fawn like
fawn phase.
Like I knew how, like, okay,this is he's triggered.
I'm just gonna breathe and liketry to like keep keep figuring
out how to please him so that hewill calm down and and all this
(15:00):
let this pass.
Just let it will, he will moveon to a new subject if I just
don't say anything.
And that's how I survived forfour years.
And then even after we broke up,if he knew my if I was giving my
son a Christmas experience, hewould chew me out.
Wow.
So it went on for years andyears and years, and I'm like
(15:22):
programmed to be like, this is ahorrible holiday, it's the bad,
it's commercialized, thatbecause he also isolated me.
So we weren't, I wasn't, Ididn't have my own friends, I
wasn't allowed to see my family,I didn't go home for the
holidays, like all of thosethings were true, you know.
So it really um like thatrelationship caused so much PTSD
(15:45):
in and of itself, and then tokind of like, oh crap, is this
leftovers?
SPEAKER_01 (15:52):
Like, oh shit, have I have I just ignored this this
whole time and not dealt withthe Christmas factor?
I think I haven't.
SPEAKER_02 (16:00):
Yeah, it sounds like it.
But look at now you have apartner that is the complete
opposite of the spectrum withit.
So now there is that safe spacenow to go explore what you feel
and to release thoseconditionings.
And now you get to stand in yourown training and your own
personal life.
I actually like this.
(16:21):
Or if you don't, you know, nowyou'll know really what you
feel.
Do you like the holidays or doyou not like the holidays?
You know, right.
And this is gonna be your yearto figure it out so you can move
forward with it.
And I think you have all thiscommunity stuff coming forward
for you to explore it.
SPEAKER_00 (16:39):
Right.
I think that that's key.
Like, I really feel like part ofit's like um I haven't been
invited to a lot of Christmasparties.
I haven't like it wasn't an Inever really had an issue of
over um over expectation, right?
Like people didn't expect giftsor expect me to show up for
(17:00):
things like that.
Um not a pressure.
It so it was just something thatI kind of was like, nope, not
doing it, no, not, you know,because I didn't have a ton of
invitations, but now it's like Iam in a safe space with my
community and to participate.
And whether it's holiday cookingor um doing this bonfire or the
(17:26):
wreath making that they'rehaving in a week, you know,
they're they're doing allthey're doing all the things,
and it's not hard to participatebecause all I have to do is step
out my door.
Literally, the bonfire is infront of my house.
That is where the that is wherethe action takes place, so it's
easier for me to say yes toopportunities and go, I like
(17:50):
these people, these are mypeople.
Like I want, I I'm choosing toenjoy this opportunity of uh
pleasure for my taste buds andconversation and all of the
things.
So yeah, this I think this yearis meant to be a year of
healing.
SPEAKER_02 (18:13):
I absolutely love that for you.
And I think that's what theholidays are about, is that is
is the the healing that can comefrom it.
You know, we a lot of peoplethink, you know, oh my gosh, I
gotta go hang with my family andall that.
But sometimes that's the onlytime you ever get to see your
family.
And even if there are triggerpoints or things that are
(18:34):
difficult, every family hasthat, you know.
But I think over the last fiveyears that hopefully we're
getting to a place where we canembrace our family differently.
We can embrace the opportunityof coming together differently
and um and have the gratitudeand and get come with a loving
and giving heart of, you knowwhat, I just want to spend time
(18:58):
with you guys and and maybetable everything else and just
show up and have fun.
You know, yesterday we were umhanging out, my grandkids are
here and stuff, and my old theoldest is six, and she was kind
of like, I just want to play.
And we're like, Well, what doyou want to play?
And she's like, I don't know.
We ended up pulling out Uno andwe all played.
And even the two-year-old, youknow, we gave her her sack and
(19:18):
she did her thing.
And I thought, see, this is howthe traditions start.
Even though we're not inholiday, we're not doing
anything, it's just us hangingout.
But I remember playing Yahtzeewith my my Grammy, and she is
very much the epitome of anyholiday and always has been.
And so I have her Yahtzee Cup.
That thing's like 60 years old,you know?
(19:40):
And so it's like pulling out,you know, pulling out the games,
the cards, whatever.
That was always her.
So whenever I see her, we play,uh, even now, she's 89, we play
spite and malice.
And that lady is a feisty cardplayer.
She's just like, she cracks meup.
But I feel that those are thetraditions that we can pull
forward for our little ones sothat they too can carry those
(20:03):
traditions.
And um, when there is time ofbeing cynical or being wounded
through the holidays, I alsothink that there's a cycle that
can come back to offer thathealing to say, no, it doesn't
always have to represent what itwas.
It can it can representsomething new for me now.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
And I think that's where we need to learn how to
give from that grounded spaceand how to become better
receivers.
There's that balance in that.
Like I'm trying to feel intostill like, what does it mean to
give without having to break thebank, you know, or how do we
give from the heart and not justuh like I think I I in the past
(20:48):
am like, okay, well, my kidsneed new socks, and they you
know what I mean?
Like those the practical giftsjust so that there would be more
things under the tree, and thenthey would have like the one fun
thing.
And is that actually giving froma grounded place?
Is that actually giving from theheart?
You know, and I'm not sure itis.
So I'm like, I'm in a place ofdiscovery of like, what's that
(21:10):
freaking even mean?
Yeah, right?
SPEAKER_02 (21:14):
Like, and what does it mean?
And for me, it's like fillinginto them.
What is it that they is theresomething they need?
Is there something they wantthat's um and if you're coming
from a place of giving and youknow, there's um homemade gifts.
Like I love the idea that yourmom gifted cookies, you know,
(21:34):
and we moved away from fromhomemade gifts.
I'm having a gathering nextmonth um from my Reiki
community.
And so um we're talking aboutokay, we're gonna do like the
white elephant game, you know.
So it's like, okay, it'smetaphysical things and it's
homemade and it's, you know, sothat way people who want to give
(21:55):
things that they make, like Ihave amazing women in my group
that they're they craft, like doum, they make plant plants,
potted plants, beautiful pottedplants, or they curate things in
it and oils and all this stuff.
Yeah, make something.
Let's give gifts like thatbecause one you know it's coming
from your heart because you'reputting your heart into it, it's
(22:15):
your craft.
And so those are kind of thegifts that we're giving this
year.
And then we're doing um bigcharcuterie, like, but in each
thing, like the meat and thebread and the chips and salsa
and the desserts or whatever.
So everyone's picking like aspecialty, and I think that for
me, that just feels like we'rebeing really creative versus
(22:36):
very um traditional on what hasalways been and what to expect.
I realize you don't want to havea turkey on Thanksgiving, don't.
What is calling to you?
What's on your palate?
What do you want to enjoy?
And I think that's what it'sabout.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
I love that idea of the white elephant being like a
craft exchange.
Like that, I'm stealing that,Chantel.
You steal it.
I totally was gonna steal thatbecause that's the kind of stuff
I'm really into.
You know, like I remember yearsago I attended an adult Easter
egg hunt.
(23:10):
I was like, now this is unique.
Like you would find crystals andearrings and dollar bills, and
like it was just this fun thing.
And and I'm like, I and I askedmy daughter what she wanted to
do for Christmas this year, andshe said, I want to just do a
white elephant.
Like, she's not interested.
Like, I'm like, okay, I likethis version because she is
(23:30):
super crafty.
And I do like the idea of bakinglots and maybe doing a um a
cookie exchange.
So everyone makes one cookie.
I mean, I live with 42 units inmy community.
If everyone made one cookie, onetype of cookie, and then we all
had an exchange date.
Yeah.
(23:51):
Yeah.
Right?
SPEAKER_02 (23:53):
I don't know if there's 42 different kinds of
cookies, but you absolutely addbreads and you know, your
cookies and all, oh my gosh,yes.
Right?
Because I think there's this isall cheese balls.
unknown (24:04):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (24:05):
Well, and oftentimes I feel like we we each have
something that's more inabundance and less and and also
lacking, right?
And so it's also a good time tobe like, oh my god, these pecans
are amazing.
Like, I think all of those nutsare like fresh right now.
Like, I remember I used to havea friend every Christmas, she
would bring back pecans fromMexico, and they were so good.
(24:30):
And I'm like, oh I miss freshpecans and tamales from my
friend.
SPEAKER_02 (24:38):
Yes.
Oh, yeah.
See, tamales.
Like in my husband's family,that's what happens, you know,
as we get together and dotamales and um make that and
stuff.
And so I do think that we canmaintain some tradition without
it feeling like it'soverwhelming and and putting
your heart into it at the sametime, having new ideas like
(24:59):
we're talking about.
I love the idea of having anadult Easter egg hunt and you're
stuffing the plastic eggs withcrystals and you know, things
like that.
That's amazing.
That's so fun.
Right.
And that's you know, it's justcreating into a new tradition of
what can be and being just funwith it.
I love that.
That's actually like I'mstealing that.
(25:21):
I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (25:22):
I'm glad.
Go steal that.
And it comes back to, you know,I feel like the way like I could
imagine myself at a tamale partyand just totally loving that
experience because it's a fullday experience of stuffing
tamales.
Yeah, it is.
No, it's not this little quickthing, it is like a full family
(25:44):
function of creating and makingtamales.
SPEAKER_02 (25:49):
It is, yes, and making the masa and putting it,
you know, on the the leaf and orthe the husk.
And so it absolutely is, youknow, and then you get to eat it
when you're done, and it's andit's always at Christmas.
SPEAKER_00 (26:06):
Like that, yeah, that just that to me is like the
epitome of really findingpleasure and experience where
you're like everyone is enjoyingthe the rut the loudness.
I just love a Mexican kitchen.
unknown (26:19):
Like, I think that's it.
SPEAKER_00 (26:21):
I do.
I'm like, every everything'sreally hectic, and everyone's
talking over each other, andthere's laughter, and there's
children screaming, and there'sbabies suckling and their mamas
in a corner, and you know, likeall of it's happening, and it's
just like and everything issurrounded by the tamale and so
much food, yes, so much food,it's so much food.
(26:43):
I just I want uh I wish I hadthe the people and the know-how
to to have a tamale experience.
SPEAKER_02 (26:52):
I think you need to just start one for yourself.
Maybe that can give your giftback.
SPEAKER_01 (26:58):
We're just gonna have a big tamale feast.
Please, someone invite me totheir tamale cooking, please.
That's what I want.
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_02 (27:09):
Yeah, yeah, no, so even with that, it's like
picking the things that make youhappy.
For me, okay, my mom, she makesthese baked beans, okay, and
then my Grammy, she makes thismacaroni salad.
You put the two of themtogether.
I'm talking childhood isbursting.
It is the most intense, likememory is so nostalgic for me
(27:33):
that whenever they're like,Well, what do you want to have?
Not so much on the holidays, butum, anytime like they're
together, I'm like, Yeah, makeyour beans and you make your
macaroni salad because um it isjust such a good mixture of
flavor.
And I don't know, no, it is it'sa great mixture of flavor.
However, it truly is about goingback to childhood because that
(27:55):
was like part of our Easter, andthat was part of like the
holidays that would come up, youknow?
And so I loved it.
And even now as an adult, I'mlike, yeah, I'll take that
anytime.
And my grandma will still makeme that, you know.
And I just I love it when she'saround and she's like, What do
you want?
Do you want your macaroni salad?
And I'm like, Yes, right.
SPEAKER_00 (28:18):
I yes, I absolutely miss my grandmother because she
would make these sour creamtwists, and it was so labor
intensive.
No one could really learn how tomake it.
Like she she didn't have reallya recipe, you know.
It's just she's this Germanwoman and she just knew the
rest, like she had followed therecipe, but the way she folded
it and folded it and folded it,it's kind of like croissant,
(28:41):
right?
But in each layer, there's alayer of butter and sugar, and
it just becomes this reallybeautiful twisted pastry.
And no one in my family couldfigure it out, you know?
And so the only person in myfamily who knows how to make it
is my sister-in-law.
She's not even blood, you knowwhat I mean?
I'm like, how did you figurethat out?
Like, seriously, how did thatget passed to you?
(29:02):
I'm I'm glad it's still in thefamily after she's passed, but
now she's got to really spreadspread that, spread that love
around.
And so it I've I like the ideaof going back to that nostalgic,
joyful memories, like whichjoyful memories are we allowed
(29:23):
to embrace and really feel into?
And because I think that's partof the pleasure of the holiday,
right?
Like if we can come to nostalgicfrom a blissful place, what what
hits that for us, right?
For you, it's your macaronisalad with the baked beans.
I couldn't imagine that tastinggood together.
(29:45):
But if that's what works foryou, that's amazing, right?
Totally does.
SPEAKER_02 (29:49):
And you know what's funny about that is I will tell
people you can mix them andthey're like, mm-hmm.
And as soon as they do, they'reright there with like, what is
this?
I don't know.
It's just But you know whenyou're talking to your people,
it's important for recipe forour elder transition.
(30:10):
You get their recipe.
You become in their kitchen.
And so long ago.
Um, she has beautiful memory andpersonal.
(30:32):
And so um and I have them feelum, even throughout the years of
moving and my own lifetransitions and everything.
I don't have as many, but I dohave them.
And um I just think it'simportant for us that we can
maintain a little bit of thattradition.
And that's a great deal to havethem.
SPEAKER_00 (30:54):
Like your recipes, you know what my favorite
Christmas present I everreceived was made from recipes,
family recipes from both sidesof my family, like specifically
for me.
So not if it was my aunt or ifit was my mom.
(31:17):
My mom always has really amazinggifts as well.
And it's it's a it's a photoalbum with stories with recipes.
So it's photos of me during theholidays and eating the
different foods with the thepicture with the recipe and with
other relatives with their notesabout that memory.
(31:49):
Right?
SPEAKER_02 (31:50):
Like I think my mom has a really beautiful way of
senting into what's gonnafeature and you know, like it's
always about coming to the tablewith some kind of um I don't
(32:14):
know if it's always a lot ofquestions, and so it's about um
or she'll have a journal promand then from the journal prompt
we ask each other like doingthis little interview with each
other, and we get to know who weare on such a deep level because
(32:35):
they're not just basic surfacequestions, they're very deep
questions.
And she's even done one whereyou interview the elders in your
family and one before my dadhas.
So he um transitions like in 202020, 2021.
And um we have some of the bestanswers from him on some of the
(32:59):
you know what we were askingabout and everything, and even
when we did his his um photovideo, like his video at the
end, you know, and everything.
He had like um voice message andat the end of it, he said, okay,
I'll see you later.
(33:20):
That was his goodbye, and mydaughter was able to click that
and put that at the very end ofhis photo of his photo.
And then it's coming, and thenit's like okay, later, and it's
those three, and I think it'sthose things that we can pull
from that we can travel andjourney forever with us, you
know, like that's always gonnabe the same.
(33:42):
We're always gonna have that.
Um it's those books, it's justhumble things that we can create
and really fill into the personthat needed.
SPEAKER_00 (33:53):
Absolutely.
(34:28):
So if you are listening, ifyou're watching um whatever
medium you're receiving from,know that this is a reiki
blessing from Shamanic issue toyou to receive fully and
completely from whateverwherever you need it in your
life.
(43:41):
Taking a nice deep breath,feeling into your body, having
received, received, received,breathing that all in, feeling
your feet connected down intothe earth beneath you, grounding
your energy, and whenever you'reready, wiggling your fingers and
toes, fluttering open your eyes,coming all the way back to the
(44:06):
space.
Feeling like I want to leave youwith a journal prompt of what
are the where are the places inyour past where nostalgia of
happy memories, blissfulmemories can come into your
presence.
SPEAKER_01 (44:27):
Anything to add to themselves?
SPEAKER_02 (44:31):
I think that that's a beautiful way to do it and to
brave that new beginnings happenall the time.
And if there is a new beginningknocking on your door, be brave
enough to open it and see what'son the other side and allow
yourself to expand into thatenergy.
SPEAKER_00 (44:50):
Beautiful.
Beautiful.
I love it.
Thanks everyone for tuning in,for listening to receiving.
And if you need support overthis holiday season, please
reach out to Gentel or myself.
We're here for you.
We love you and have a greatweek.
Thanks everyone.
(45:11):
Hello everyone.
Thanks for tuning in to today'sshow.
The Wisdom Rising Podcast issponsored by Moonrising Harmonic
Institute.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure to subscribe to the show on
your favorite podcasting app andbe the first to know when we
release a new episode.
You can find us on Instagram,Facebook, and YouTube at
(45:32):
Moonrising Institute, or visitour website,
moonrisinginstitute.com.
Once again, thanks for sharingspace with us today.
And until next time, when youawaken to the whispers of wisdom
rising from within.
Welcome to Wisdom Rising, the podcast of Moon
Rising Shamanic Institute.
Join shamanic Reikipractitioners Christine Rene and
Chantel Ochoa as we dancebetween worlds of shamanism,
mysticism, and energy healing.
Each week we illuminate yourpath to self-sourced wisdom and
attune you to the whispers ofwisdom rising from within.
(00:25):
Welcome, welcome, welcome backto another Whispers of Wisdom on
this Monday morning.
Our recording for our podcastwas Wisdom Rising.
So if you haven't checked outthat podcast yet, please go do
so.
We've got so many juicyconversations and interviews
over there.
I highly recommend.
And today's conversation is onbalancing giving and receiving.
(00:50):
So how do we give from agrounded place?
How to become better receivers,how to tune into your heart
chakra to sense what's truly inbalance and more.
There's more.
There's definitely more to that.
So uh thanks everyone for takingthe time to be with us.
Thanks, Chantel, for joiningwith me.
So good to have you on.
(01:11):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (01:12):
I'm gonna light some polo over here and get my energy
into this conversation.
But yeah, no, I'm excited aboutthis one because I know that we
are offering energy healingtoday, too.
Yeah, I'm gonna do some distancereiki.
So that makes me excited.
SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
Right.
And I think that's one of thepieces that I'm also excited
about.
Like I feel like there's a bitof where do you give from a
joyful place?
And how do you receive from ajoyful place?
And I I love doing distanceReiki circles and I love
(01:46):
offering, and I want to stepinto a space of doing that more
often.
Please stay on till the end ofour discussion because we will
be giving some Reiki out foryour healing, for your
balancing, for your alignment,for all of the things for your
expansion.
And we are looking forward todoing that piece of this as
(02:06):
well.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
So, with our topic of gratitude and giving from the
heart, what do you feel like youhave coming forward right now
that you want to start aconversation off with?
Like, where what gratitude doyou have right now?
SPEAKER_00 (02:19):
You know, I have a lot of gratitude this morning,
actually, for my partner.
Like I had this conversation inmy head this morning about I was
thinking about the holidays andhow the holidays have not always
been easy for me and how I havedeveloped self-protection
mechanisms to keep it safe.
(02:39):
And my partner is really intothe holidays, right?
He really, he really enjoys theholiday season.
And I have I have hardenedmyself to become cynical of it
as a like way to keep myselfsafe.
And I was tuning in this morningand I was meditating and I was
feeling into like what would myhigher self do?
(03:05):
To be able to kind of break downsome of these walls.
And it was like just talk tothem, just talk to talk and tell
your story, and to be in arelationship where that's
absolutely open and possible togo like this is why I am this
(03:26):
way, this is why my holidayseasons have become what they've
become, like a very minusculesense of holidays, right?
And um, it's just been reallylovely to be in relationship and
conversation with and reallyunderstanding that I have space
to do the self-reflection and todo the the healing work because
(03:51):
I'm ready for it, right?
SPEAKER_02 (03:52):
Yeah.
Well, that's really nice,especially because what was,
even though it's conditioned youto build those walls, you're in
a new relationship and new spacein your life.
And so it's like that expansionof removing those walls and
allowing yourself to startenjoying as much as you feel
like you want to enjoy.
(04:12):
And you might surprise yourselfbecause sometimes once we let go
of the wall and then we embracewhat's to come, suddenly there's
new things and experiences thatyou go, oh, wait a minute.
You know, it's kind of like theGrinch's heart, you know what
expands.
And I just filling into thatbecause yes, we can feel cynical
(04:33):
with holidays and tradition andall that, but there comes times
I think too where we can allowthat healing to come in.
And it sounds like you're wellon that road.
SPEAKER_00 (04:42):
Yeah.
So I think like from a realgratitude perspective, like,
yeah, absolutely that's whereI'm at.
And recognizing like ourconversation this morning on
like balancing that giving andreceiving and really
understanding how what balanceis, you know, really what
balance is.
(05:02):
I think in years past, we havecome on again and again and
again.
And I've I've been preaching,say no, don't do the things you
don't want to do.
It's okay to cancel if you arenot willing to participate.
Like, don't take the abuse, youknow, whatever it is, right?
Like that's been my my call toour audience of like, you know,
(05:25):
uh that it's okay to reduce andslim down if it's not an
alignment for you because somany people overdo it.
But then now I'm on the otherside.
It's like, okay, I've slimmedall the way down.
SPEAKER_02 (05:39):
You're like, there is no holiday.
SPEAKER_00 (05:42):
There is no holiday.
And no, no, it's like, well, howdo I bring the balance back,
right?
Of how do I lean into saying yesand to receive and to all of
these things that I have spentuh a good long while going,
nope, nope, not available forthat.
(06:03):
And now it's it's I'm on theother side of going, well,
that's also out of balance.
SPEAKER_02 (06:08):
Yeah, yeah.
So what was your compromise?
What do you feel that is comingforward then?
SPEAKER_00 (06:14):
I don't necessarily know if it's a compromise.
I feel like it's an ongoingconversation.
Let's put it that way, right?
Like there's an ongoingconversation within myself of
recognizing if I am responsiblefor my own enjoyment, for my own
pleasure, for my own externalexperience, if there's an
(06:37):
opportunity that arises, what amI really available for into
saying yes or to say no?
Right.
Like I think there's the balanceof going, is this something that
I can put myself in a situationand try and allow myself to
enjoy it?
Right.
Yeah.
(06:58):
And so it's it's more like thismorning I got a notification
from my from my community.
So if you don't know, I live inan intentional community and
we're they're always doingholiday events, like
Thanksgiving dinner.
We literally have 50 peopleattending as a ginormous
potluck.
Like it is going to be insane.
And I'm I'm totally on boardwith Thanksgiving.
(07:20):
I like favorite holiday alwayshas been love sharing food, love
sharing meals.
And then there was anotification that notification
that popped up on my phone thismorning that was holiday bonfire
on December 18th, right?
And so we live in a space where,you know, every once in a while,
maybe once every other month, wehave a bonfire and people come
(07:42):
out and have drinks and hotcocoa and roast marshmallows,
and we just chit-chat.
And so we're having this holidaybonfire.
And I was like, I could do that.
I could do that, I could goenjoy myself some hot cocoa and
enjoy this experience, and maybeI could have my kids come along
(08:04):
and have my partner and hischild come along.
Like, you know, it's like I feellike there's opportunity in this
new community because it isfairly new to be able to build a
new relationship with theholidays.
SPEAKER_02 (08:18):
Yes, right.
Good for you.
SPEAKER_01 (08:22):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So really trying not to becynical and spear.
SPEAKER_02 (08:27):
No, no, you know, and my experience is um, it's
interesting because my growingup, so my grandparents were
farmers, ranchers, and um and somy Grammy, she did all the
holidays in such a spectacularway.
And it was open door to anyoneand everyone.
And when um, well, forThanksgiving, it was more um
(08:51):
like intimate with just thefamily, but we had all the
things for for Thanksgiving.
And then when Christmas came, itwas like every single nook of
her house was decorated withChristmas, and then every like
she would do it in in like wavesof the hors d'oeuvres, and then
those would go, and then it wasthe waves of all the food and
(09:14):
every single meat and every sidedish and every everything, and
then all the pies and the cakeand everything would come out in
the third wave of food, and thepresents and the tree, and and
so that's what I grew up with,and I absolutely loved it.
And then even Easter was wewould do like 150 eggs and have
goose eggs to die, and it washuge.
(09:37):
And you know, I grew up on 20acres while it was hers, but you
know, that was my my playground,so to speak.
And then as we all got older, myfamily got into the split idea
of what holidays are, and nowit's like pulling teeth to get
anyone to want to do anyholiday.
And it's like, okay, so I feellike my family unit, because of
(09:58):
my daughter and grandkids, it'slike, well, we got to keep some,
I want to keep some form oftradition going.
And so that's what we're doing.
But um, it's interesting becauseit's like, well, it is so I I'm
coming from a perspective of notso much the tradition of what
holidays or what the um theactual like Christmas is about
(10:19):
and the history of Thanksgivingand all that, but what is the
the meaning behind it, like theactual energy of it, right?
Right.
Gratitude, love, gathering,sharing of food, sharing of like
everything of our harvest andour family gatherings, and then
Christmas of celebrating eachother.
So that's what I come I'm comingto the table with.
And even with my children whenthey were younger, and I told
(10:43):
them about Santa, I researchedSanta and found out that it's a
lot of like Coca-Cola, probablyactually where Santa comes from.
And so they created our Americanversion of Santa, and that's not
the history part of Santa, butum, you know, and that's how I
(11:03):
told my kids that okay, this iswhat this is, and it was very
interesting, but right, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:10):
It was for me growing up, the holidays were
pretty extensive as well.
And it, you know, multipleholiday events, like it was
always a joyous occasion.
Like Thanksgiving was always myfavorite holiday because it
wasn't just the food, it waslike extended family, and the
and you know, there was a tablefor the kids.
(11:32):
I loved the kids' table.
I was like, great, I don't haveto have adult conversation.
We can talk about what we wantto talk about.
There was always anoverabundance of food, and
everyone was laughing andgiggling, and we would play
cards for hours.
Like our family was really intocard games, so all of the adults
would play pinnackle, and all ofthe kids would end up playing
(11:53):
like Tetris Nintendo games orlike on the Atari, or um we
would play all kinds of of cardgames as well.
Like that's just what we did.
I loved getting together with myfamily, and it was also, you
know, the Christmas was also amajor religious event for us.
So, you know, going to to massat the Catholic Church and doing
(12:17):
the Advent wreath and putting ittogether and counting the days
down by which candles you'relighting, and all of that was a
huge piece of my upbringing.
And um, and that was reallyinteresting the way it kind of
switched.
Like overall, my childhoodexperience was very joyful.
And my mother, as a professionalbaker, she would freaking make,
(12:41):
I don't know, 15, 20 differentkinds of cookies.
It was all about the cookies,the Christmas cookies, right?
And she would make all of theseplates with two or three of each
of the cookies, and then wewould give them out.
Right.
So there was very much of likethis was her art, and this was
her way of showing people thatshe cared.
And so Christmas cards withplates of cookies to all of the
(13:04):
neighbors, all of her churchfriends, all of all of the
people close to us was like itwas divine.
Like to get a plate of mymother's cookies was like a huge
receiving because it was so Idon't know, she was really
hardcore about it.
Yeah.
She was really, really on it, itwas amazing.
(13:26):
And um, and so being part of thebaking process, and that was a
very much part of the familycontribution of like, okay,
Christine, stir the peanutbuttle when the microwave goes
off, and I'm doing I'm frostingthe cookies over here, and we've
got fudge going on over there,and like the whole thing was
just a process, right?
And so it was really um joyfuland flavorful and sweet, right?
(13:50):
And I I was remembering thismorning of how that really
switched, like there was a bigum switch in my world of
holidays when I was married tomy first husband.
And he was very emotionallyabusive and he hated Christmas.
(14:13):
I mean, absolutely despised theholiday, despise the
commercialization of it, and Iwould hear nothing about
anything else for the wholemonth of December.
The moment he heard theChristmas music come on, I would
hear about it.
We were allowed to go tosolstice parties, but not
Christmas parties.
And if anyone gave me a present,he would like chew me out for an
(14:36):
hour, right?
Like there was no, and I wasvery well into my um fawn like
fawn phase.
Like I knew how, like, okay,this is he's triggered.
I'm just gonna breathe and liketry to like keep keep figuring
out how to please him so that hewill calm down and and all this
(15:00):
let this pass.
Just let it will, he will moveon to a new subject if I just
don't say anything.
And that's how I survived forfour years.
And then even after we broke up,if he knew my if I was giving my
son a Christmas experience, hewould chew me out.
Wow.
So it went on for years andyears and years, and I'm like
(15:22):
programmed to be like, this is ahorrible holiday, it's the bad,
it's commercialized, thatbecause he also isolated me.
So we weren't, I wasn't, Ididn't have my own friends, I
wasn't allowed to see my family,I didn't go home for the
holidays, like all of thosethings were true, you know.
So it really um like thatrelationship caused so much PTSD
(15:45):
in and of itself, and then tokind of like, oh crap, is this
leftovers?
SPEAKER_01 (15:52):
Like, oh shit, have I have I just ignored this this
whole time and not dealt withthe Christmas factor?
I think I haven't.
SPEAKER_02 (16:00):
Yeah, it sounds like it.
But look at now you have apartner that is the complete
opposite of the spectrum withit.
So now there is that safe spacenow to go explore what you feel
and to release thoseconditionings.
And now you get to stand in yourown training and your own
personal life.
I actually like this.
(16:21):
Or if you don't, you know, nowyou'll know really what you
feel.
Do you like the holidays or doyou not like the holidays?
You know, right.
And this is gonna be your yearto figure it out so you can move
forward with it.
And I think you have all thiscommunity stuff coming forward
for you to explore it.
SPEAKER_00 (16:39):
Right.
I think that that's key.
Like, I really feel like part ofit's like um I haven't been
invited to a lot of Christmasparties.
I haven't like it wasn't an Inever really had an issue of
over um over expectation, right?
Like people didn't expect giftsor expect me to show up for
(17:00):
things like that.
Um not a pressure.
It so it was just something thatI kind of was like, nope, not
doing it, no, not, you know,because I didn't have a ton of
invitations, but now it's like Iam in a safe space with my
community and to participate.
And whether it's holiday cookingor um doing this bonfire or the
(17:26):
wreath making that they'rehaving in a week, you know,
they're they're doing allthey're doing all the things,
and it's not hard to participatebecause all I have to do is step
out my door.
Literally, the bonfire is infront of my house.
That is where the that is wherethe action takes place, so it's
easier for me to say yes toopportunities and go, I like
(17:50):
these people, these are mypeople.
Like I want, I I'm choosing toenjoy this opportunity of uh
pleasure for my taste buds andconversation and all of the
things.
So yeah, this I think this yearis meant to be a year of
healing.
SPEAKER_02 (18:13):
I absolutely love that for you.
And I think that's what theholidays are about, is that is
is the the healing that can comefrom it.
You know, we a lot of peoplethink, you know, oh my gosh, I
gotta go hang with my family andall that.
But sometimes that's the onlytime you ever get to see your
family.
And even if there are triggerpoints or things that are
(18:34):
difficult, every family hasthat, you know.
But I think over the last fiveyears that hopefully we're
getting to a place where we canembrace our family differently.
We can embrace the opportunityof coming together differently
and um and have the gratitudeand and get come with a loving
and giving heart of, you knowwhat, I just want to spend time
(18:58):
with you guys and and maybetable everything else and just
show up and have fun.
You know, yesterday we were umhanging out, my grandkids are
here and stuff, and my old theoldest is six, and she was kind
of like, I just want to play.
And we're like, Well, what doyou want to play?
And she's like, I don't know.
We ended up pulling out Uno andwe all played.
And even the two-year-old, youknow, we gave her her sack and
(19:18):
she did her thing.
And I thought, see, this is howthe traditions start.
Even though we're not inholiday, we're not doing
anything, it's just us hangingout.
But I remember playing Yahtzeewith my my Grammy, and she is
very much the epitome of anyholiday and always has been.
And so I have her Yahtzee Cup.
That thing's like 60 years old,you know?
(19:40):
And so it's like pulling out,you know, pulling out the games,
the cards, whatever.
That was always her.
So whenever I see her, we play,uh, even now, she's 89, we play
spite and malice.
And that lady is a feisty cardplayer.
She's just like, she cracks meup.
But I feel that those are thetraditions that we can pull
forward for our little ones sothat they too can carry those
(20:03):
traditions.
And um, when there is time ofbeing cynical or being wounded
through the holidays, I alsothink that there's a cycle that
can come back to offer thathealing to say, no, it doesn't
always have to represent what itwas.
It can it can representsomething new for me now.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
And I think that's where we need to learn how to
give from that grounded spaceand how to become better
receivers.
There's that balance in that.
Like I'm trying to feel intostill like, what does it mean to
give without having to break thebank, you know, or how do we
give from the heart and not justuh like I think I I in the past
(20:48):
am like, okay, well, my kidsneed new socks, and they you
know what I mean?
Like those the practical giftsjust so that there would be more
things under the tree, and thenthey would have like the one fun
thing.
And is that actually giving froma grounded place?
Is that actually giving from theheart?
You know, and I'm not sure itis.
So I'm like, I'm in a place ofdiscovery of like, what's that
(21:10):
freaking even mean?
Yeah, right?
SPEAKER_02 (21:14):
Like, and what does it mean?
And for me, it's like fillinginto them.
What is it that they is theresomething they need?
Is there something they wantthat's um and if you're coming
from a place of giving and youknow, there's um homemade gifts.
Like I love the idea that yourmom gifted cookies, you know,
(21:34):
and we moved away from fromhomemade gifts.
I'm having a gathering nextmonth um from my Reiki
community.
And so um we're talking aboutokay, we're gonna do like the
white elephant game, you know.
So it's like, okay, it'smetaphysical things and it's
homemade and it's, you know, sothat way people who want to give
(21:55):
things that they make, like Ihave amazing women in my group
that they're they craft, like doum, they make plant plants,
potted plants, beautiful pottedplants, or they curate things in
it and oils and all this stuff.
Yeah, make something.
Let's give gifts like thatbecause one you know it's coming
from your heart because you'reputting your heart into it, it's
(22:15):
your craft.
And so those are kind of thegifts that we're giving this
year.
And then we're doing um bigcharcuterie, like, but in each
thing, like the meat and thebread and the chips and salsa
and the desserts or whatever.
So everyone's picking like aspecialty, and I think that for
me, that just feels like we'rebeing really creative versus
(22:36):
very um traditional on what hasalways been and what to expect.
I realize you don't want to havea turkey on Thanksgiving, don't.
What is calling to you?
What's on your palate?
What do you want to enjoy?
And I think that's what it'sabout.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
I love that idea of the white elephant being like a
craft exchange.
Like that, I'm stealing that,Chantel.
You steal it.
I totally was gonna steal thatbecause that's the kind of stuff
I'm really into.
You know, like I remember yearsago I attended an adult Easter
egg hunt.
(23:10):
I was like, now this is unique.
Like you would find crystals andearrings and dollar bills, and
like it was just this fun thing.
And and I'm like, I and I askedmy daughter what she wanted to
do for Christmas this year, andshe said, I want to just do a
white elephant.
Like, she's not interested.
Like, I'm like, okay, I likethis version because she is
(23:30):
super crafty.
And I do like the idea of bakinglots and maybe doing a um a
cookie exchange.
So everyone makes one cookie.
I mean, I live with 42 units inmy community.
If everyone made one cookie, onetype of cookie, and then we all
had an exchange date.
Yeah.
(23:51):
Yeah.
Right?
SPEAKER_02 (23:53):
I don't know if there's 42 different kinds of
cookies, but you absolutely addbreads and you know, your
cookies and all, oh my gosh,yes.
Right?
Because I think there's this isall cheese balls.
unknown (24:04):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (24:05):
Well, and oftentimes I feel like we we each have
something that's more inabundance and less and and also
lacking, right?
And so it's also a good time tobe like, oh my god, these pecans
are amazing.
Like, I think all of those nutsare like fresh right now.
Like, I remember I used to havea friend every Christmas, she
would bring back pecans fromMexico, and they were so good.
(24:30):
And I'm like, oh I miss freshpecans and tamales from my
friend.
SPEAKER_02 (24:38):
Yes.
Oh, yeah.
See, tamales.
Like in my husband's family,that's what happens, you know,
as we get together and dotamales and um make that and
stuff.
And so I do think that we canmaintain some tradition without
it feeling like it'soverwhelming and and putting
your heart into it at the sametime, having new ideas like
(24:59):
we're talking about.
I love the idea of having anadult Easter egg hunt and you're
stuffing the plastic eggs withcrystals and you know, things
like that.
That's amazing.
That's so fun.
Right.
And that's you know, it's justcreating into a new tradition of
what can be and being just funwith it.
I love that.
That's actually like I'mstealing that.
(25:21):
I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (25:22):
I'm glad.
Go steal that.
And it comes back to, you know,I feel like the way like I could
imagine myself at a tamale partyand just totally loving that
experience because it's a fullday experience of stuffing
tamales.
Yeah, it is.
No, it's not this little quickthing, it is like a full family
(25:44):
function of creating and makingtamales.
SPEAKER_02 (25:49):
It is, yes, and making the masa and putting it,
you know, on the the leaf and orthe the husk.
And so it absolutely is, youknow, and then you get to eat it
when you're done, and it's andit's always at Christmas.
SPEAKER_00 (26:06):
Like that, yeah, that just that to me is like the
epitome of really findingpleasure and experience where
you're like everyone is enjoyingthe the rut the loudness.
I just love a Mexican kitchen.
unknown (26:19):
Like, I think that's it.
SPEAKER_00 (26:21):
I do.
I'm like, every everything'sreally hectic, and everyone's
talking over each other, andthere's laughter, and there's
children screaming, and there'sbabies suckling and their mamas
in a corner, and you know, likeall of it's happening, and it's
just like and everything issurrounded by the tamale and so
much food, yes, so much food,it's so much food.
(26:43):
I just I want uh I wish I hadthe the people and the know-how
to to have a tamale experience.
SPEAKER_02 (26:52):
I think you need to just start one for yourself.
Maybe that can give your giftback.
SPEAKER_01 (26:58):
We're just gonna have a big tamale feast.
Please, someone invite me totheir tamale cooking, please.
That's what I want.
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_02 (27:09):
Yeah, yeah, no, so even with that, it's like
picking the things that make youhappy.
For me, okay, my mom, she makesthese baked beans, okay, and
then my Grammy, she makes thismacaroni salad.
You put the two of themtogether.
I'm talking childhood isbursting.
It is the most intense, likememory is so nostalgic for me
(27:33):
that whenever they're like,Well, what do you want to have?
Not so much on the holidays, butum, anytime like they're
together, I'm like, Yeah, makeyour beans and you make your
macaroni salad because um it isjust such a good mixture of
flavor.
And I don't know, no, it is it'sa great mixture of flavor.
However, it truly is about goingback to childhood because that
(27:55):
was like part of our Easter, andthat was part of like the
holidays that would come up, youknow?
And so I loved it.
And even now as an adult, I'mlike, yeah, I'll take that
anytime.
And my grandma will still makeme that, you know.
And I just I love it when she'saround and she's like, What do
you want?
Do you want your macaroni salad?
And I'm like, Yes, right.
SPEAKER_00 (28:18):
I yes, I absolutely miss my grandmother because she
would make these sour creamtwists, and it was so labor
intensive.
No one could really learn how tomake it.
Like she she didn't have reallya recipe, you know.
It's just she's this Germanwoman and she just knew the
rest, like she had followed therecipe, but the way she folded
it and folded it and folded it,it's kind of like croissant,
(28:41):
right?
But in each layer, there's alayer of butter and sugar, and
it just becomes this reallybeautiful twisted pastry.
And no one in my family couldfigure it out, you know?
And so the only person in myfamily who knows how to make it
is my sister-in-law.
She's not even blood, you knowwhat I mean?
I'm like, how did you figurethat out?
Like, seriously, how did thatget passed to you?
(29:02):
I'm I'm glad it's still in thefamily after she's passed, but
now she's got to really spreadspread that, spread that love
around.
And so it I've I like the ideaof going back to that nostalgic,
joyful memories, like whichjoyful memories are we allowed
(29:23):
to embrace and really feel into?
And because I think that's partof the pleasure of the holiday,
right?
Like if we can come to nostalgicfrom a blissful place, what what
hits that for us, right?
For you, it's your macaronisalad with the baked beans.
I couldn't imagine that tastinggood together.
(29:45):
But if that's what works foryou, that's amazing, right?
Totally does.
SPEAKER_02 (29:49):
And you know what's funny about that is I will tell
people you can mix them andthey're like, mm-hmm.
And as soon as they do, they'reright there with like, what is
this?
I don't know.
It's just But you know whenyou're talking to your people,
it's important for recipe forour elder transition.
(30:10):
You get their recipe.
You become in their kitchen.
And so long ago.
Um, she has beautiful memory andpersonal.
(30:32):
And so um and I have them feelum, even throughout the years of
moving and my own lifetransitions and everything.
I don't have as many, but I dohave them.
And um I just think it'simportant for us that we can
maintain a little bit of thattradition.
And that's a great deal to havethem.
SPEAKER_00 (30:54):
Like your recipes, you know what my favorite
Christmas present I everreceived was made from recipes,
family recipes from both sidesof my family, like specifically
for me.
So not if it was my aunt or ifit was my mom.
(31:17):
My mom always has really amazinggifts as well.
And it's it's a it's a photoalbum with stories with recipes.
So it's photos of me during theholidays and eating the
different foods with the thepicture with the recipe and with
other relatives with their notesabout that memory.
(31:49):
Right?
SPEAKER_02 (31:50):
Like I think my mom has a really beautiful way of
senting into what's gonnafeature and you know, like it's
always about coming to the tablewith some kind of um I don't
(32:14):
know if it's always a lot ofquestions, and so it's about um
or she'll have a journal promand then from the journal prompt
we ask each other like doingthis little interview with each
other, and we get to know who weare on such a deep level because
(32:35):
they're not just basic surfacequestions, they're very deep
questions.
And she's even done one whereyou interview the elders in your
family and one before my dadhas.
So he um transitions like in 202020, 2021.
And um we have some of the bestanswers from him on some of the
(32:59):
you know what we were askingabout and everything, and even
when we did his his um photovideo, like his video at the
end, you know, and everything.
He had like um voice message andat the end of it, he said, okay,
I'll see you later.
(33:20):
That was his goodbye, and mydaughter was able to click that
and put that at the very end ofhis photo of his photo.
And then it's coming, and thenit's like okay, later, and it's
those three, and I think it'sthose things that we can pull
from that we can travel andjourney forever with us, you
know, like that's always gonnabe the same.
(33:42):
We're always gonna have that.
Um it's those books, it's justhumble things that we can create
and really fill into the personthat needed.
SPEAKER_00 (33:53):
Absolutely.
(34:28):
So if you are listening, ifyou're watching um whatever
medium you're receiving from,know that this is a reiki
blessing from Shamanic issue toyou to receive fully and
completely from whateverwherever you need it in your
life.
(43:41):
Taking a nice deep breath,feeling into your body, having
received, received, received,breathing that all in, feeling
your feet connected down intothe earth beneath you, grounding
your energy, and whenever you'reready, wiggling your fingers and
toes, fluttering open your eyes,coming all the way back to the
(44:06):
space.
Feeling like I want to leave youwith a journal prompt of what
are the where are the places inyour past where nostalgia of
happy memories, blissfulmemories can come into your
presence.
SPEAKER_01 (44:27):
Anything to add to themselves?
SPEAKER_02 (44:31):
I think that that's a beautiful way to do it and to
brave that new beginnings happenall the time.
And if there is a new beginningknocking on your door, be brave
enough to open it and see what'son the other side and allow
yourself to expand into thatenergy.
SPEAKER_00 (44:50):
Beautiful.
Beautiful.
I love it.
Thanks everyone for tuning in,for listening to receiving.
And if you need support overthis holiday season, please
reach out to Gentel or myself.
We're here for you.
We love you and have a greatweek.
Thanks everyone.
(45:11):
Hello everyone.
Thanks for tuning in to today'sshow.
The Wisdom Rising Podcast issponsored by Moonrising Harmonic
Institute.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure to subscribe to the show on
your favorite podcasting app andbe the first to know when we
release a new episode.
You can find us on Instagram,Facebook, and YouTube at
(45:32):
Moonrising Institute, or visitour website,
moonrisinginstitute.com.
Once again, thanks for sharingspace with us today.
And until next time, when youawaken to the whispers of wisdom
rising from within.
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