June 16, 2025 • 42 mins
If you or someone you know has had to go through Grief related to the loss of a loved one crossing over to the other side, this is the episode for you.
On this week's episode, Shanta is joined by Christine Marie Aitchison.
In this powerful episode of Authentic Talks 2.0, host Shanta Generally welcomes trauma-informed healer and ceremonial guide Christine Marie Aitchison for a heartfelt conversation on grief, healing, and sacred transformation. Christine Marie opens up about her personal journey—growing up with a father who struggled with heroin addiction, a mother dealing with mental health challenges, and surviving a near-death experience that changed everything. Together, we explore the emotional terrain of loss, trauma, and the healing practices that help us move from pain to empowerment.
Christine Marie shares insights from her 90-day healing journal, Grieve with Guidance, offering rituals, reflection, and real tools for anyone walking the path of loss and forgiveness. We also talk about the silence around grief, the weight of “not knowing what to say,” and the sacred power of presence.
This episode is an invitation to heal—authentically, gently, and with grace. Christine Marie will return for a future panel discussion centered around her journal—so stay tuned!
Connect with Christine Marie:
Earth & Energy Medicine School
- Website: ChristineMarieHeals.com
- Instagram: @christinemarieheals
- Book: Grieve with Guidance (Available on her website and major retailers)
Website:
https://www.christinemarieheals.com/?msID=815c5e15-0e36-4451-a7ef-dfb83abaf278
https://www.christinemarieheals.com/energymedicineschool?msID=589050f4-082f-43d7-899c-de02d118efe7
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Grieve-Guidance-support-journey-forgiveness/dp/B0F1C298JW?msID=c91c57e0-2c95-499e-84a7-6b8f90da246f
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Spreaker | Castbox and more.
Connect with the host:
Instagram: @AuthenticTalks2.0
Email: AuthenticShanta@gmail.com
Website: www.AuthenticTalks2.com
Facebook: AuthenticTalks2
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/authentic-talks-2-0-with-shanta--4116672/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Authentic Talks two point oh, the space
where real conversations happen from the heart for the soul.
Whether you are a returning listener or you are new
to Authentic Talks, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, And if you have
not had a chance to subscribe to the show, I'm
going to ask that you hit that subscribe button. That
(00:23):
way you won't miss an episode once I uplow the show.
And if you enjoy the episode, please please be sure
to share with family members or friends so that they
can benefit from this episode as well. And I'm glad
to know that you guys have been enjoying the episodes
now that I have returned. Today's episode holds a deep
(00:47):
and sacred energy. It was inspired by a very personal moment,
one that many of us will relate to. My husband
recently received news no one is ever ready for the
sudden loss of his nephew. I watched him pause, absorb
(01:08):
the weight of it, and with a heavy heart say,
I don't even know what to say to my sister
that sentence. It struck something within me, because that's what
grief often does. It renders us speechless. I lost my
uncle last year and through conversations with friends, clients, and
(01:33):
loved ones. I've seen how grief quietly reshapes our world,
how it lingers, how it transforms us in ways we
don't always know how to express. This episode is about
the healing we don't talk about, the silent weight, the
sacred ache, the transformation that lives beneath the surface. Our
(01:59):
guest today brings a rare depth of presence and insight
to this very human journey. Christine Marie is a trauma
informed healer, ceremonial guide, and the founder of Soul Medicine.
Her work helps people shift from victimhood to empowerment, guiding
(02:22):
them through energy healing, ritual embodiment, and sacred plant medicine.
We're gonna learn about plant medicine today on this episode
as well. Christine blends the clinical with the mystical, with
the background of nursing, certifications in Celtic Shamanism and Reiki,
(02:44):
and a calling that leads her to walk with others
through some of life's most tender thresholds. She is also
the author of Grieve with Guidance, a ninety day guide
to support you on your journey of lost and forgiveness.
A soulful resource for anyone navigating the emotional terrain of grief.
(03:04):
This conversation is an invitation to breathe, to fil to remember,
and to begin the journey towards healing, even the kind
we rarely talk about. Let's welcome Christine Marie too Authentic Talks.
Authentic Talks is all about authentic conversations. This show is
(03:27):
all about growth, love, respect, success, mind, body and spirit.
If you're looking to grow and become your authentic self,
then this is the podcast for you, and I am
your host, Chante. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Hi, Christine Marie, Welcome to the show. I'm super excited
to have you here. I'm excited about our topic because
I know there's a lot of people that need to
hear what you have to share. And today we're going
to be talking about the inner that works when it
comes to grief, ritual and disreclaiming space. And so before
(04:09):
we dive in, can I have you to introduce yourself
to our listeners? Please?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Sure? Yeah, I'm so grateful to be here. I'm Christine Marie,
and I love to just say that I hold safe
and sacred spaces for others for healing and transformation, and
I do that therough many different modalities, some of them
really being more intentional ceremonies with or without sacred plat medicines,
(04:36):
and yeah, I do some sound healing. I'm a writer
as well, and I really believe in sharing our gifts
and our service with the world so that we can
make greater impact and not feel so alone. And what
I feel like is like a loneliness epidemic right now.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I love what you do, the fact that you're helping people.
I definitely want to talk about so many things today.
But can we start with like plant medicine and in
what ways do you help when it comes to dealing
with grief in using the plant medicine or is that
totally separate?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Oh no, I mean it's all included. You could say,
if you have a past history or a current history
of grief, trauma, a feeling of maybe you know, lack
of confidence, or wanting to know more about consciousness, I
would say Philocybin, which is magic mushrooms, is a psychedelic
(05:35):
that I work with, and so I hold space for
people when they want to essentially commune with this plant,
they'll drink it. You can have it in a tea form,
and we have an intention that's an intentional space. It's
not like, you know, there's a lot of a history
of people using this in a recreational way, but it's
(05:56):
really more so meeting the medicine with reverence and respect
in a way, knowing that it has teachings and wisdom
and healings to offer you, and also that you have
a lot to offer it as well. And so I
work with many people moving through many different things, some
of what I've just mentioned, and when they're in the
(06:17):
process of their journey, there can be maybe past experiences
that came up that they suppressed that's been causing them
depression or anxiety, or maybe you know, mental health issues.
Also for people with physical problems like diseases or physical ailments,
(06:39):
like the messine can help re establish the mind and
body connection, so it can actually help heal the body,
can help heal the neural pathways, and specifically specifically with
grief in a holistic way. Grief is usually stored in
the lungs and in the heart space. So some people
that have a really hard time maybe expressing emotionally or
(07:03):
feeling like their heart is open, it could be because
past grief or current grief is preventing them from essentially
having that spaciousness for joy or spaciousness for love. And
so the medicine with the magic mushrooms, they can support
people and maybe releasing that suppressed emotion out of their body,
(07:26):
out of their energetic field, so that then more spaciousness
for joy, love, compassion, empathy can arise within them.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Oh that's good stuff. I love it. What inspired you
to write Grief with Guidance And how would you say
that your life has or your relationship with grief has
evolved since writing the book.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, so I just published gree with Guidance about a
couple of weeks ago, and it was a tool for
me after my father passed last year. Him and I
had a really a strange relationship up until you know,
the point that he transitioned, and to be honest with you,
(08:12):
I had really I was having a really hard time
with a lot of that relationship my whole life. I
would say that my father's absence and presence was probably
the main course of my own suffering as a child,
and so doing the interhaling work to find forgiveness and
(08:32):
love and understanding for him was not a linear process
is not a linear process, and it's not an easy one.
But in order for me to really get to that place,
I had to acknowledge and really feel the grief that
I had been caring since I was honestly in the
womb of my mother. And I really believe that the
(08:55):
only way out of something is through it, and so
we have to be willing to feel and face the
grief that lives within us. And I think some people
are so afraid of like staying in the grief, and
I can understand that, because sometimes those feelings can feel
like they are going to last forever. But when I
(09:15):
wrote the book, I really I saw myself embodying the
teachings that I was sharing in the book, which is
to really just give yourself full permission to feel the
truth of what is here. And when my father passed,
there was complete heartache and also relief and peace and like,
(09:38):
oh my gosh, I don't have to worry about his
well being like I always have, for you know, since
I was a child, like I was always in the
back of my mind taking care of him and wanting
him to be okay because he was such a lifelong
sufferer and so and I think sometimes it's hard to
admit that when someone that we love passes that, yeah,
(09:59):
I'm kind of happy in a way that he's gone.
And since his passing, I will say him and I
have had the most close relationship we've ever had with
him other than you know, like with him even being
here like physically. And I believe it's because I really
allowed that space for my grief to be felt, that
(10:20):
I've been able to make that new relationship possible for
us and it completely has transformed my life.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Wow, I love that. What are some of the practices
that you've implemented to help you to move along? Has
it been like the medicine?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Oh, I mean, I'll say, I will say psychedelics. Plant
medicines are some of my biggest allies. They really what
I believe can happen is like when we're moving through
something really hard and uncomfortable and challenging, is that there's
this place of a loneness and I would say maybe
(11:00):
victimhood that we can get caught in and stuck in.
And what I have really been able to glean on
and lean on with these plant medicines is that, oh,
they're here to help me. They're here like, none of
what I'm going through is a punishment, is actually here
to teach me something' here to teach me how to
(11:20):
love more, how to forgive more, how to understand that
anybody that comes across my path or your path is
a teacher to me, even if they have caused me
harm or pain. You know, there's a reason, a karmic
reason why we have connected in this life. And so
I really love having the plants as support because I
(11:45):
think it can be really helpful to know that we
have energies outside of us holding us in those times
of confusion and despair.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
I know that a lot of people are going through
different types of grief. People can go through grief even
from just a breakup, you know, and a relationship. Is
your book specifically for people who have lost someone through
them transitioning or is it a book that also speaks
to someone who may have gone through like grief in
(12:17):
a sense of a relationship dissolving.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yeah, yeah, I think what you're speaking of is living
grief essentially, like lots of a job, lots of a
friend or something like that. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
So I mean I help.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
People move through life transitions like that, and my healing
work but this book specifically is to help people navigate
the loss of losing someone that they loved. And the
reason why I chose to just cater it towards that
group is because I feel like in the West, we
have such a uncomfortable time talking about death, and you know,
(12:54):
we look at the other traditions that are a part
of other cultures. They really honor the dead, they really
honor the passing of a soul onto the next life.
It's been it's been such a holy experience for other cultures,
but we have been feeling like it's like it's too
taboo or it's too uncomfortable, And I think it's important
(13:17):
to start to get the conversation going more, because when
someone passes away, or someone that we love or know
or that has impacted our life dies, it's not just
that's it. It's like there's so much actually else that's
reborn within our own lives, within ourselves and within you know,
(13:37):
our everyday existence that I think goes missed, and I
think could be really honestly like disappointing if we if
we don't have the tools to see maybe that their
death as actually a gift and actually something that can
(13:58):
bring us to maybe a greater life or greater teaching
that we otherwise want to have known, haven't they passed on?
Speaker 2 (14:06):
So your father was had an illness throughout his life.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah, my dad was when I was younger, he was
more so an alcoholic turned into a heroin addict. So
he was an addict for majority of his life. And
I believe, after all the work that I've done, it
was really because he had so much trauma that he
didn't know how to cope with. That then led him
to soothing through in theming through drugs that could take
(14:34):
him away from his pain, versus him doing the work
to lean into and hold and look at what was
actually there behind the surface.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
So it means that you're able to understand what someone
is going through, that is dealing with a loved one
that is going through an addiction right now, and what
that means, Like what is that feeling that's like a
heavy stress?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I would say, like the deepest wound that is abandonment,
neglect and abandonment. Yeah, because usually if a parent or
a loved one is an addict, they're not really present,
they're not able to be, they're not available to be
because they're so caught up in their own suffering, in
their own world of their addiction.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Is that the thing that led you into your journey
to becoming this amazing coach that you are an author?
Speaker 4 (15:28):
I would say that was a big part of it.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
When I was born, I was born into a very
dysfunctional family. My mother actually has schizophrenia and my father
was an addict. So could you imagine just like being
at home with two mentally ill and unwell parents that
could really not give me my needs, could not even
(15:53):
you know, put food on the table every night, or
you know, I mean worse and worse and worse.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Like pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
And I was also adopted to live with my aunt
and uncle when I was six years old, and so
there was a lot of i would say, attachment disorders
that I had that I've had to work through and
I'm still working through, of course. But one of the
main main reasons for my healing journey and for doing
(16:22):
this work with others is because I had a near
death experience when I was nine years old and I
met my you could say, my guide, my angels that
were from the unseen realms and essentially gave me a
choice of like, yeah, you have to come back and
you have to bring this light into the world. This
(16:43):
is like part of why you're here. And so I
came back from that near death experience and had seven
more episodes of a collapse slung and was out of
the hospital for five years as a young girl. But
then I kind of forgot about like that's what made
me want to be a nurse because I had associated
like angels and nurturing and caregiving with nursing, and so
(17:06):
I thought the path to be a nurse. But then
two years into my nursing career, I was like, oh,
this is not actually aligned, and I know I meant
to bring my gifts in a different way. And then
I remembered that connection with that my guides, and then
my whole spiritual awakening began and here I am, you know,
doing work.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah, so you knew at the age of nine that
we were not here alone and that there was something
greater than us on the other side. Can you share
more about that experience? So what was your experience life
when you met your guides? Was it like what did
it feel like? It was surreal? Or knew that it
(17:48):
was like I felt like home.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
I felt like home. It was sometimes some people in
near death experiences they say they like died and saw
their whole life passed them by and all the things.
And I did not have that. I just had, you know,
this moment where I literally was in a I would say,
out of body experience and like I just saw like
a thousand angelic beings around me in different colors, and
(18:14):
I just felt peace and presence and love and like
that everything was going to be okay, and essentially like
what I felt like, it was like a remembrance of
my true spirit, of my true self, of who I've
always been is like this angelic being of light essentially,
and then it was like, Okay, now go back to
Earth and.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Like do the work that you're here to do.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And you know, I still have I would say, still
some work to do around how much it hurt to
come back, because I mean, who wouldn't want to stay there?
But that was, you know, that was not part of
my path, and so I really I felt like I
really had no choice, but of course my soul chose,
(18:58):
you know, to carry on.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
So yes, and I'm glad you did, because you have
a lot of gifts that you're sharing, you know, And
I was looking at all of the work that you do,
how you hold space for people, and I love it.
I think that you're doing a great job and you
definitely are supposed to be here. I don't believe that
things happen by chance, and I think it du things
(19:21):
are divine. I remember, I have to share this with you.
When my brother passed on, I remember just feeling this
heavy feeling because we shared the same birthday, but we
were four years apart, and I remember thinking, I don't
want to celebrate my birthday and I was just kind
of like going through this. I felt like I was here,
(19:43):
but it's just like life just seems like it's moving
and you're just kind of like in it and like,
I don't know, it's like you're trying to figure out
how to ground yourself. And I was in my living
room all of a sudden, this energy came into this
and I felt it it was him, and we got
(20:04):
up and I actually danced with him, and that energy
spunned me around and I was just like crying, and
I thought, but it was so powerful. I thought, no
one will ever believe this. And I was just like
he was there in the spirits. I couldn't see him
or anything, but I just felt it, and so that
brought me great comfort. And I remember going to bed
(20:26):
that night and my sister had flew in. My mom
was on one level and my sister was on one
and I was upstairs, and we had the same dream
and he was in a wheelchair when he passed away,
and he was actually walking down a hall. And I
was like, I had a dream about Craig last night,
(20:47):
and Mom's like, I had it too. I had a
dream about him and he had this, and then my
sister's like I did. We were just all trying to
get it out and we were saying the same thing,
so we were all allowed to see the same.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
I love that so much and how validating, right, because
I think sometimes when we do have these spiritual experiences, it's.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Like, wait, do I even believe that this is happening?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
You know almost, but like you you can't not in
a way like it's made that much of an impression.
And I also love that you talked about that because
in the book I give the reader the opportunity to
open themselves up for signs and synchronicities from their loved
one that's passed, and so it's like this way different
(21:31):
perspective shift, that if they were to kind of flick
on the switch within themselves, that actually they probably would
have a lot more connection to their loved one, you know,
that they might not have even even thought that they could.
So I really I loved that that also, you were
open to receiving his visitation.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I was not expecting it, but I was quite happy
when when it happened. Sometimes people are looking for a
specific sick When you say be open, definitely be open,
because it may not come in the form of what
you think it should. You know, it might be a
hummingbird that just won't leave you alone, or you're like, okay,
(22:13):
but it keeps coming back, you know, or I don't know.
It's all different types of things. What do you think
about when when a person finds coins like dying everywhere?
Is that weird?
Speaker 4 (22:25):
No, I just have these crazy pills.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
I love that you just said that because my grandmother
actually used to collect dimes. She passed when I turned
on my birthday. So she died when I turned seven,
which is wild and one of her on your birthday.
M h O.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Yeah, to talk about like a death and birth happening
at one time. Yeah, But one of the ways that
she communicates to me is like, I'll find a dime
or you know whatever. Even today, I don't find a
dime on the street, but three pennies in a quarter.
And I'm just laughing because you brought that up and
I was just like, oh, yeah, it's a gift from spirit,
(23:07):
or it's a gift from a loved one or whatever.
And I really encourage people to trust their intuition, Like
if they pick up that coin and they feel the
presence of their uncle or they feel the presence of
their son or whoever has passed, just trust that. Don't
even question it, because there's nothing bad that can happen
from you really leaning into that. If anything, it's just wow,
(23:27):
like what a gift, you know?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yes, oh wow, that is pretty often, so I know
that that does happened, is what I'm getting at. That
it comes in different forms. And my sister told me,
but when her grandmother, her mom's mom passed away, She's
laying in the bed and there was a light that
just came in and it was just shut like right
up there on the ceiling, and she felt this strong
(23:50):
sense that that was her grandmother.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Absolutely, Yeah, it can come in like dough of course.
I mean it's even studied that, you know, spirits can
come in through the electricity or if you see, like
my father when he passed, his spirit animal that he
came through in is a blue heron, and I was
just seeing it everywhere. And then the other day went
(24:13):
for a walk and literally saw the most beautiful blue
heron and it was so close to me and I
was like following it for an hour and I'm just
like oh, And it came out a time where I
just really needed to feel like everything was going to
be okay, right, So it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
How is your relationship today with your family members, like
with your mom and like with your aunt, how is it?
Is it a great one or is it something that
you where there was never really an issue?
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Oh? I mean there was definitely issues. Yeah, for sure,
I would say my mother and I've been able to
come to a point with her where I can receive
the love that she has to give instead of wishing
that she was different or could give me something different
than she just simply is not capable of. And that
took a lot. I mean, that was just like uncovering
(25:07):
the abandonment wound, the neglect wound, the mother that didn't
protect me, wound like over and over and over again
until I was able to really, like I said, like
really release that energy from my body and to really
see her as a human being that did the best
that she could with the cards that she was dealt.
And it's not like it's not like I got to
(25:29):
that place.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
Like it's like, I think we all have.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
An understanding, if we're a compassionate, empathetic person, that those
who have harmed us or our parents did the best
that they could. But there's one thing about saying that
and intellectualizing it and saying it and like knowing it
in your body and in your heart. And I knew that,
but it took me years to like know it. And again,
(25:52):
I would say, all the mobilities that I teach have
been a huge ally with that. And so now like
when she calls me, it's not like I pretend not
to answer. I'm excited to talk to her to like
shoot the shit about baseball and things like I don't
care about, but I know that she cares about, you know,
And so yeah, that has been huge. And I also
(26:15):
and with my aunt, who it's still work in progress.
But one thing that this healing journey has really supported
me with is like really empowering myself to be the
inner mother and her father that I didn't get as
a kid. And I think we're all capable of that,
and I feel like we all can be led and
guided towards that. It just takes a lot of deep
(26:38):
work and a lot of courage to like say, Okay,
I'm not going to live this life in victim hode.
I'm going to create the life and reality that I
want and I am the only one responsible for that.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Are you a parent yet not?
Speaker 3 (26:52):
Technically I do have two cats, so I feel.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Like, hey, you cant yes.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
And I would say, to be honest with you, like
my clients, my community, those that I serve, do like
my children because it feels like a very motherly nurturing energy.
So I get to kind of have that with them
in a way that I don't have with my you know,
own set of children. And I don't know if I
want children yet.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Well it's gonna ask, I was gonna ask do you
think that? Because sometimes, like like I have a son
who says I do not want kids, you know, So
something that's like open for people to make that decision
on what they want to do. But yeah, you do
have a very nurturing spirit, a beautiful soul. You do
retreats as well. Like that means like people from wherever
(27:37):
they live could actually come to wherever that retreat is
whenever you have them and set them up totally.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah. And actually my partner and I just bought a
house last year with like it's a it's a community
house too, so there's a ceremony space and then we
have four extra bedrooms so people can sleep over and
you know, we can host them in our home and
we have a backyard space and all that. So yeah,
we're in Portland, Oregon, and we'll have people fly in
(28:07):
from Like I just had a client that flew in
from Philadelphia last weekend for a whole weekend of healing
work to do.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
I love. Yeah, that's good stuff, really good. And that's
that was my next question. Where are you so you're
importantly do you work with people do the healing modalities
that you offer like through distance work?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I do both, and I also travel to people if
that's what they want, like a more curated experience. But yeah,
I work with people virtruly in person I work, you know,
in many different ways, so I'm accessible in that way.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Oh that's great, that's good stuff. You know. That means
that you guys are able to reach out to Christine
Marie and like she's very flexible, is what it sounds like.
So I have to go back to your new book
that just came out two weeks ago. What was it
like like to write the book and how long did
it take?
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Well, so this is my second book.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
So I wrote my first one and published it in
twenty twenty one, which that one was like a five
year process, and I would say most of those years
were like really moving through limiting beliefs and fear of
criticism and fear of being seen. And so I felt
like I got to do a lot of that inner
work during for that book, you know, And so when
(29:23):
it came to this book, it felt just a lot
more lighter, a lot easier. Was it took me, you know,
it was like after my dad died, it took me.
It was like at three weeks after It was like
when I started downloading the whole thing on an airplane.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
And wrote it.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
In that way, I also feel like this book was
a little bit easier to write because it's more of
a guided experience like they're you know, those that read
it like they have. Essentially, it's an experiential opportunity for
them to really like learn and do the practices and exercises,
(29:57):
and you know, there's homes and meditation and prompts and
rituals included. So I've been working on my third book
actually the last year, and I that is like a lot.
It's a very vulnerable process putting your art out there
hoping that one person finds it supportive. And so far,
(30:18):
so good. It was sold out on Amazon the first
day it was released, so that is good news. And
I just keep hearing that people really need this and
that was the only reason why I felt the call
to do it, because I was like, this is something
that I needed, and so why not be the one
to create it so that other people can have the
(30:38):
tool and opportunity to use it.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
I'm glad that you listened to your inner self like
and did the dang on. Thank Christy, Marie.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
I know people that need.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
This book too. I had mentioned to you before the
show started that I had met someone I know. We
just had a like this event that we put on
like last year for two years in a row. Was
in the month of June, and one of the ladies
she had her funeral on Thursday of last week. It's
(31:10):
something that's inevitable, you know, that people will experience in face.
There's not like a lot of tools out there to
help people through the grieving process. I have a really
close friend who lost her husband and then her daughter
lost her husband, so they both lost husbands, and I
didn't have any tools really that I felt that I
could like assist them with in a way that they
(31:32):
really needed. I was reverting back to the things that
I know, but I felt like they needed something a
little bit more that was specifically speaking to grief, you know,
in the way of a loss of a loved one.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Sure. Yeah, And I think it's really normal to be
a human being and to not know the right thing
to say when someone loses someone that they love, because
you don't want to say the wrong thing or you know,
trigger anything, and so sometimes we don't say anything at all,
and that can feel hurtful. And so I think having
(32:08):
something that you can just send as a way to
show that you're thinking about them and that you're caring
about them. And I necessarily might not have the tools.
But here's something that I heard might help you. You know,
that's the best that you can do.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, I always say that books makes the best gifts,
and I love that you brought that up because they
actually do. And this would be the ultimate gift to
give someone that you know, whether that is a family member,
a friend, you know, a coworker that's going through that.
And like what I like to do sometimes is when
(32:45):
you're in a work environment, is everybody put in pitch
in a couple dollars and they help to get flowers
and then a book that would be some you know,
something like that would be like the best you know,
and then they get to pick it up when they're ready.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Right right. And I think that's so beautiful that you
said that, because what I like to just I said
this in the book and the beginning of it before
it starts, but I want to say this now is like,
if you feel like you're still in a very wrong
and vulnerable place to where that might be feel like
too much because you're just literally trying to survive through
your feelings of the grief and the loss, that's totally okay,
(33:23):
Like you can pick it up when you feel ready.
You can also skip, you know, some pages that might
not feel like you can meet them yet. Like it's
it's a book that you can hopefully at least find something,
whether it's I have a playlist in there, even if
it's just a playlist that you can listen to while
you're having your you know, emotions express. So there's something
(33:43):
in there for everybody, no matter where they're at on
their journey, and I think that's really important.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I think that's important as well. I definitely agree. What
was the name of your first book.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Called Breaking Free?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Is that book still available for people to purchase as
well or totally?
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yeah, you can. You can see these books on my
website or on Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Oh yeah, good stuff, good stuff.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Well, I actually really enjoyed talking with you today and
I'm grateful that we cross path. I think I've learned
something new again. What was the original name of the
mushrooms that started with the P I can't pronounce it.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Yeah, it's called philocybin.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
And so in the state of Orgon, which is where
I'm at, it's the first state that legalized psilocybin for
therapeutic You so you can literally fly to Oregon to
have a you know, a therapeutic session with this medicine.
And it's legal, which is huge, just so people are aware.
Speaker 4 (34:44):
If they're like afraid.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Of Oh I don't that doesn't sound like a safe thing,
You'll be fine if you're doing it in the state
of organ unders a legal model. That's what you want.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Do you facilitate it with them or do they just
buy it and go like somewhere Oh.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
No, No, it's a completely guided experience. So like we're
doing preparation work. You know, we're meeting, we're talking, we're
going over history, we're going over intentions, and then we
get to the service center and they are we begin
the experience. I'm not ingesting the medicine, but I don't
need to. I'm already in the energetic field and I'm
(35:21):
holding the space energetically and safely of course that they
need me if they need a hand, if they you know,
people really like to do to do this work with
feeling safe, and so I provide that safe space and
then we get to integrate after. So if they had
the experience, and you know, I mean, of course, material
will just come out and then we get to talk
(35:42):
and integrate and and do sessions after that helps them
kind of make more meaning of their experience and giving
them tools to move forward.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Is it kind of like an al Alaska experience in that.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Oh Aya Alaska.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I mean they're completely different medicines. Ayahuasca, you know, is
comes from Peru and Hawaii, and it is just a
completely different medicine than socybin. But yes, they're both under
the psychedelic category, and they both have healing properties for
others wherever they're at. Honestly, not all psychedelics are for everybody,
(36:16):
but that's why we get on a screening call to
make sure that this would be the right thing for you.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Well, I love you're supporting it in a way where
you're holding space for them and ensuring that it is
you know that you guys are not just like left
to just go off on your own. So I love
that it's like a safe space. I think that's good stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Totally, and I think it can really heal even say,
if someone has an abandonment wound or a neglect wound,
like even if they're going through a challenging time in
the medicine journey. And I'm there as a supporter person
that can in itself help heal that abandonment wound like
it can it can bring repair. There's a lot that
can happen in heal and just one's journey, I mean,
(37:00):
and they say it's worth ten years of therapy in wonder.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
So it sounds like it's stuff that's a good stuff
is like on top of it. I think I think
that state was the first state to make marijuana legal too,
wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
I think so. Yeah, I think we're we're pretty and
I would say progressive over here.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Yeah, a little bit even more than Cali, because California
is you would think that over there it would be
like they're the first for everything.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Well before in their show, is there anything that you
want to leave our audience with or is there anything
that we didn't talk about or we missed that you wanted.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
For whoever's listening to, just know that you don't have
to be fully healed in order fully healed in ordered
to be of service or to be in service. That
authenticity is more magnetic than perfection. And so if you
are someone that feels like called to be in service
or call to share your gifts, with others whatever that
(38:02):
looks that. Yeah, I just give you permission to explore
that because I think we need, especially women, more women
to rise into their leadership and then to their power
to help balance out the world right now. And so yeah,
I hope that you get to share yourself in your
life with the world because we need it.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Oh. I love that. I absolutely love it. I feel
like I could talk to you, like for a whole
other hour.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
I mean, I should just do this.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Absolutely, you definitely have to come back. I would love
to do something where we had like a little small
panel of people that might have experienced a grief, you know,
that that are not in the coaching space, you know,
like where you're on there and they're kind of sharing
a little bit. I don't know if that would be
awkward or anything, but for some reason, I feel like
(38:53):
that would kind of be cool, you know.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Yeah, I'm really open to exploring those ways of connection
and support. So yeah, I'm down. You know what it
reminds me of I don't know, like if you watch
episodes with Oprah at all, but like she does that
now bring readers after her show.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
And yes, let's do it, because it's actually.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Very intriguing and inspiring, and I think it brings people
to have a more of a relatable experience.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
I think we're going to have to do that. I
didn't know Oprah was doing that for sure. Love that.
Thank you well, thank you so much for hanging out
with me. I really do appreciate it. Keep doing what
you're doing. You're doing a great job, and I'm excited
about the fact that you're writing a third book.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
You thank you, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Christine Marie. Guys, you've got to pick up her books,
Greed with Guidance, Greed with Guidance. It speaks for itself.
Christine Marie's book is available on Amazon as well as
her website. Please be sure to check out the sh
show notes so that you can get in contact with
Christine vias, social media and all of the proper channels.
(40:06):
What a deeply moving and powerful conversation we've had today.
From Christine Marie's courageous journey growing up with the father
battling heroin addiction, a mother navigating her own mental health challenges,
and even her own near death experience, we've witnessed how
(40:28):
pain can be transmuted into purpose and how healing is
possible even in the places we've long avoided. We spoke
about grief, about sacred transformation, and about the kind of
healing that doesn't come with a timeline or tidy bow,
the kind of healing we often don't talk about out loud.
(40:51):
Christine Marie reminded us that healing is both a ceremony
and a commitment, that it's okay to grieve and still grow,
that even in our darkest seasons, we are not alone.
I'm so grateful for the story shared today, hers and
(41:13):
even the pieces of my own that surfaced. And I
want you to know this is just the beginning. We'll
be inviting Christine Marie back, and next time we'll open
the space even wider with the panel discussion centered around
the Grief with Guidance Journal and the powerful work it
(41:34):
invites us into. If today's episode touched something in you,
I encourage you to share it with someone who may
need it. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and give
yourself grace wherever you are on your healing journey. Until
(41:55):
next time, be gentle with yourself, hold space for others,
and keep showing up authentically. You're not alone. I also
want to remind you to take care of yourselves and
each other. Thank you all so much for tuning in
(42:15):
I'm chante with authentic talks
Welcome back to Authentic Talks two point oh, the space
where real conversations happen from the heart for the soul.
Whether you are a returning listener or you are new
to Authentic Talks, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, And if you have
not had a chance to subscribe to the show, I'm
going to ask that you hit that subscribe button. That
(00:23):
way you won't miss an episode once I uplow the show.
And if you enjoy the episode, please please be sure
to share with family members or friends so that they
can benefit from this episode as well. And I'm glad
to know that you guys have been enjoying the episodes
now that I have returned. Today's episode holds a deep
(00:47):
and sacred energy. It was inspired by a very personal moment,
one that many of us will relate to. My husband
recently received news no one is ever ready for the
sudden loss of his nephew. I watched him pause, absorb
(01:08):
the weight of it, and with a heavy heart say,
I don't even know what to say to my sister
that sentence. It struck something within me, because that's what
grief often does. It renders us speechless. I lost my
uncle last year and through conversations with friends, clients, and
(01:33):
loved ones. I've seen how grief quietly reshapes our world,
how it lingers, how it transforms us in ways we
don't always know how to express. This episode is about
the healing we don't talk about, the silent weight, the
sacred ache, the transformation that lives beneath the surface. Our
(01:59):
guest today brings a rare depth of presence and insight
to this very human journey. Christine Marie is a trauma
informed healer, ceremonial guide, and the founder of Soul Medicine.
Her work helps people shift from victimhood to empowerment, guiding
(02:22):
them through energy healing, ritual embodiment, and sacred plant medicine.
We're gonna learn about plant medicine today on this episode
as well. Christine blends the clinical with the mystical, with
the background of nursing, certifications in Celtic Shamanism and Reiki,
(02:44):
and a calling that leads her to walk with others
through some of life's most tender thresholds. She is also
the author of Grieve with Guidance, a ninety day guide
to support you on your journey of lost and forgiveness.
A soulful resource for anyone navigating the emotional terrain of grief.
(03:04):
This conversation is an invitation to breathe, to fil to remember,
and to begin the journey towards healing, even the kind
we rarely talk about. Let's welcome Christine Marie too Authentic Talks.
Authentic Talks is all about authentic conversations. This show is
(03:27):
all about growth, love, respect, success, mind, body and spirit.
If you're looking to grow and become your authentic self,
then this is the podcast for you, and I am
your host, Chante. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Hi, Christine Marie, Welcome to the show. I'm super excited
to have you here. I'm excited about our topic because
I know there's a lot of people that need to
hear what you have to share. And today we're going
to be talking about the inner that works when it
comes to grief, ritual and disreclaiming space. And so before
(04:09):
we dive in, can I have you to introduce yourself
to our listeners? Please?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Sure? Yeah, I'm so grateful to be here. I'm Christine Marie,
and I love to just say that I hold safe
and sacred spaces for others for healing and transformation, and
I do that therough many different modalities, some of them
really being more intentional ceremonies with or without sacred plat medicines,
(04:36):
and yeah, I do some sound healing. I'm a writer
as well, and I really believe in sharing our gifts
and our service with the world so that we can
make greater impact and not feel so alone. And what
I feel like is like a loneliness epidemic right now.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I love what you do, the fact that you're helping people.
I definitely want to talk about so many things today.
But can we start with like plant medicine and in
what ways do you help when it comes to dealing
with grief in using the plant medicine or is that
totally separate?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Oh no, I mean it's all included. You could say,
if you have a past history or a current history
of grief, trauma, a feeling of maybe you know, lack
of confidence, or wanting to know more about consciousness, I
would say Philocybin, which is magic mushrooms, is a psychedelic
(05:35):
that I work with, and so I hold space for
people when they want to essentially commune with this plant,
they'll drink it. You can have it in a tea form,
and we have an intention that's an intentional space. It's
not like, you know, there's a lot of a history
of people using this in a recreational way, but it's
(05:56):
really more so meeting the medicine with reverence and respect
in a way, knowing that it has teachings and wisdom
and healings to offer you, and also that you have
a lot to offer it as well. And so I
work with many people moving through many different things, some
of what I've just mentioned, and when they're in the
(06:17):
process of their journey, there can be maybe past experiences
that came up that they suppressed that's been causing them
depression or anxiety, or maybe you know, mental health issues.
Also for people with physical problems like diseases or physical ailments,
(06:39):
like the messine can help re establish the mind and
body connection, so it can actually help heal the body,
can help heal the neural pathways, and specifically specifically with
grief in a holistic way. Grief is usually stored in
the lungs and in the heart space. So some people
that have a really hard time maybe expressing emotionally or
(07:03):
feeling like their heart is open, it could be because
past grief or current grief is preventing them from essentially
having that spaciousness for joy or spaciousness for love. And
so the medicine with the magic mushrooms, they can support
people and maybe releasing that suppressed emotion out of their body,
(07:26):
out of their energetic field, so that then more spaciousness
for joy, love, compassion, empathy can arise within them.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Oh that's good stuff. I love it. What inspired you
to write Grief with Guidance And how would you say
that your life has or your relationship with grief has
evolved since writing the book.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, so I just published gree with Guidance about a
couple of weeks ago, and it was a tool for
me after my father passed last year. Him and I
had a really a strange relationship up until you know,
the point that he transitioned, and to be honest with you,
(08:12):
I had really I was having a really hard time
with a lot of that relationship my whole life. I
would say that my father's absence and presence was probably
the main course of my own suffering as a child,
and so doing the interhaling work to find forgiveness and
(08:32):
love and understanding for him was not a linear process
is not a linear process, and it's not an easy one.
But in order for me to really get to that place,
I had to acknowledge and really feel the grief that
I had been caring since I was honestly in the
womb of my mother. And I really believe that the
(08:55):
only way out of something is through it, and so
we have to be willing to feel and face the
grief that lives within us. And I think some people
are so afraid of like staying in the grief, and
I can understand that, because sometimes those feelings can feel
like they are going to last forever. But when I
(09:15):
wrote the book, I really I saw myself embodying the
teachings that I was sharing in the book, which is
to really just give yourself full permission to feel the
truth of what is here. And when my father passed,
there was complete heartache and also relief and peace and like,
(09:38):
oh my gosh, I don't have to worry about his
well being like I always have, for you know, since
I was a child, like I was always in the
back of my mind taking care of him and wanting
him to be okay because he was such a lifelong
sufferer and so and I think sometimes it's hard to
admit that when someone that we love passes that, yeah,
(09:59):
I'm kind of happy in a way that he's gone.
And since his passing, I will say him and I
have had the most close relationship we've ever had with
him other than you know, like with him even being
here like physically. And I believe it's because I really
allowed that space for my grief to be felt, that
(10:20):
I've been able to make that new relationship possible for
us and it completely has transformed my life.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Wow, I love that. What are some of the practices
that you've implemented to help you to move along? Has
it been like the medicine?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Oh, I mean, I'll say, I will say psychedelics. Plant
medicines are some of my biggest allies. They really what
I believe can happen is like when we're moving through
something really hard and uncomfortable and challenging, is that there's
this place of a loneness and I would say maybe
(11:00):
victimhood that we can get caught in and stuck in.
And what I have really been able to glean on
and lean on with these plant medicines is that, oh,
they're here to help me. They're here like, none of
what I'm going through is a punishment, is actually here
to teach me something' here to teach me how to
(11:20):
love more, how to forgive more, how to understand that
anybody that comes across my path or your path is
a teacher to me, even if they have caused me
harm or pain. You know, there's a reason, a karmic
reason why we have connected in this life. And so
I really love having the plants as support because I
(11:45):
think it can be really helpful to know that we
have energies outside of us holding us in those times
of confusion and despair.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
I know that a lot of people are going through
different types of grief. People can go through grief even
from just a breakup, you know, and a relationship. Is
your book specifically for people who have lost someone through
them transitioning or is it a book that also speaks
to someone who may have gone through like grief in
(12:17):
a sense of a relationship dissolving.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yeah, yeah, I think what you're speaking of is living
grief essentially, like lots of a job, lots of a
friend or something like that. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
So I mean I help.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
People move through life transitions like that, and my healing
work but this book specifically is to help people navigate
the loss of losing someone that they loved. And the
reason why I chose to just cater it towards that
group is because I feel like in the West, we
have such a uncomfortable time talking about death, and you know,
(12:54):
we look at the other traditions that are a part
of other cultures. They really honor the dead, they really
honor the passing of a soul onto the next life.
It's been it's been such a holy experience for other cultures,
but we have been feeling like it's like it's too
taboo or it's too uncomfortable, And I think it's important
(13:17):
to start to get the conversation going more, because when
someone passes away, or someone that we love or know
or that has impacted our life dies, it's not just
that's it. It's like there's so much actually else that's
reborn within our own lives, within ourselves and within you know,
(13:37):
our everyday existence that I think goes missed, and I
think could be really honestly like disappointing if we if
we don't have the tools to see maybe that their
death as actually a gift and actually something that can
(13:58):
bring us to maybe a greater life or greater teaching
that we otherwise want to have known, haven't they passed on?
Speaker 2 (14:06):
So your father was had an illness throughout his life.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah, my dad was when I was younger, he was
more so an alcoholic turned into a heroin addict. So
he was an addict for majority of his life. And
I believe, after all the work that I've done, it
was really because he had so much trauma that he
didn't know how to cope with. That then led him
to soothing through in theming through drugs that could take
(14:34):
him away from his pain, versus him doing the work
to lean into and hold and look at what was
actually there behind the surface.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
So it means that you're able to understand what someone
is going through, that is dealing with a loved one
that is going through an addiction right now, and what
that means, Like what is that feeling that's like a
heavy stress?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I would say, like the deepest wound that is abandonment,
neglect and abandonment. Yeah, because usually if a parent or
a loved one is an addict, they're not really present,
they're not able to be, they're not available to be
because they're so caught up in their own suffering, in
their own world of their addiction.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Is that the thing that led you into your journey
to becoming this amazing coach that you are an author?
Speaker 4 (15:28):
I would say that was a big part of it.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
When I was born, I was born into a very
dysfunctional family. My mother actually has schizophrenia and my father
was an addict. So could you imagine just like being
at home with two mentally ill and unwell parents that
could really not give me my needs, could not even
(15:53):
you know, put food on the table every night, or
you know, I mean worse and worse and worse.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Like pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
And I was also adopted to live with my aunt
and uncle when I was six years old, and so
there was a lot of i would say, attachment disorders
that I had that I've had to work through and
I'm still working through, of course. But one of the
main main reasons for my healing journey and for doing
(16:22):
this work with others is because I had a near
death experience when I was nine years old and I
met my you could say, my guide, my angels that
were from the unseen realms and essentially gave me a
choice of like, yeah, you have to come back and
you have to bring this light into the world. This
(16:43):
is like part of why you're here. And so I
came back from that near death experience and had seven
more episodes of a collapse slung and was out of
the hospital for five years as a young girl. But
then I kind of forgot about like that's what made
me want to be a nurse because I had associated
like angels and nurturing and caregiving with nursing, and so
(17:06):
I thought the path to be a nurse. But then
two years into my nursing career, I was like, oh,
this is not actually aligned, and I know I meant
to bring my gifts in a different way. And then
I remembered that connection with that my guides, and then
my whole spiritual awakening began and here I am, you know,
doing work.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah, so you knew at the age of nine that
we were not here alone and that there was something
greater than us on the other side. Can you share
more about that experience? So what was your experience life
when you met your guides? Was it like what did
it feel like? It was surreal? Or knew that it
(17:48):
was like I felt like home.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
I felt like home. It was sometimes some people in
near death experiences they say they like died and saw
their whole life passed them by and all the things.
And I did not have that. I just had, you know,
this moment where I literally was in a I would say,
out of body experience and like I just saw like
a thousand angelic beings around me in different colors, and
(18:14):
I just felt peace and presence and love and like
that everything was going to be okay, and essentially like
what I felt like, it was like a remembrance of
my true spirit, of my true self, of who I've
always been is like this angelic being of light essentially,
and then it was like, Okay, now go back to
Earth and.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Like do the work that you're here to do.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And you know, I still have I would say, still
some work to do around how much it hurt to
come back, because I mean, who wouldn't want to stay there?
But that was, you know, that was not part of
my path, and so I really I felt like I
really had no choice, but of course my soul chose,
(18:58):
you know, to carry on.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
So yes, and I'm glad you did, because you have
a lot of gifts that you're sharing, you know, And
I was looking at all of the work that you do,
how you hold space for people, and I love it.
I think that you're doing a great job and you
definitely are supposed to be here. I don't believe that
things happen by chance, and I think it du things
(19:21):
are divine. I remember, I have to share this with you.
When my brother passed on, I remember just feeling this
heavy feeling because we shared the same birthday, but we
were four years apart, and I remember thinking, I don't
want to celebrate my birthday and I was just kind
of like going through this. I felt like I was here,
(19:43):
but it's just like life just seems like it's moving
and you're just kind of like in it and like,
I don't know, it's like you're trying to figure out
how to ground yourself. And I was in my living
room all of a sudden, this energy came into this
and I felt it it was him, and we got
(20:04):
up and I actually danced with him, and that energy
spunned me around and I was just like crying, and
I thought, but it was so powerful. I thought, no
one will ever believe this. And I was just like
he was there in the spirits. I couldn't see him
or anything, but I just felt it, and so that
brought me great comfort. And I remember going to bed
(20:26):
that night and my sister had flew in. My mom
was on one level and my sister was on one
and I was upstairs, and we had the same dream
and he was in a wheelchair when he passed away,
and he was actually walking down a hall. And I
was like, I had a dream about Craig last night,
(20:47):
and Mom's like, I had it too. I had a
dream about him and he had this, and then my
sister's like I did. We were just all trying to
get it out and we were saying the same thing,
so we were all allowed to see the same.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
I love that so much and how validating, right, because
I think sometimes when we do have these spiritual experiences, it's.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Like, wait, do I even believe that this is happening?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
You know almost, but like you you can't not in
a way like it's made that much of an impression.
And I also love that you talked about that because
in the book I give the reader the opportunity to
open themselves up for signs and synchronicities from their loved
one that's passed, and so it's like this way different
(21:31):
perspective shift, that if they were to kind of flick
on the switch within themselves, that actually they probably would
have a lot more connection to their loved one, you know,
that they might not have even even thought that they could.
So I really I loved that that also, you were
open to receiving his visitation.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I was not expecting it, but I was quite happy
when when it happened. Sometimes people are looking for a
specific sick When you say be open, definitely be open,
because it may not come in the form of what
you think it should. You know, it might be a
hummingbird that just won't leave you alone, or you're like, okay,
(22:13):
but it keeps coming back, you know, or I don't know.
It's all different types of things. What do you think
about when when a person finds coins like dying everywhere?
Is that weird?
Speaker 4 (22:25):
No, I just have these crazy pills.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
I love that you just said that because my grandmother
actually used to collect dimes. She passed when I turned
on my birthday. So she died when I turned seven,
which is wild and one of her on your birthday.
M h O.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Yeah, to talk about like a death and birth happening
at one time. Yeah, But one of the ways that
she communicates to me is like, I'll find a dime
or you know whatever. Even today, I don't find a
dime on the street, but three pennies in a quarter.
And I'm just laughing because you brought that up and
I was just like, oh, yeah, it's a gift from spirit,
(23:07):
or it's a gift from a loved one or whatever.
And I really encourage people to trust their intuition, Like
if they pick up that coin and they feel the
presence of their uncle or they feel the presence of
their son or whoever has passed, just trust that. Don't
even question it, because there's nothing bad that can happen
from you really leaning into that. If anything, it's just wow,
(23:27):
like what a gift, you know?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yes, oh wow, that is pretty often, so I know
that that does happened, is what I'm getting at. That
it comes in different forms. And my sister told me,
but when her grandmother, her mom's mom passed away, She's
laying in the bed and there was a light that
just came in and it was just shut like right
up there on the ceiling, and she felt this strong
(23:50):
sense that that was her grandmother.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Absolutely, Yeah, it can come in like dough of course.
I mean it's even studied that, you know, spirits can
come in through the electricity or if you see, like
my father when he passed, his spirit animal that he
came through in is a blue heron, and I was
just seeing it everywhere. And then the other day went
(24:13):
for a walk and literally saw the most beautiful blue
heron and it was so close to me and I
was like following it for an hour and I'm just
like oh, And it came out a time where I
just really needed to feel like everything was going to
be okay, right, So it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
How is your relationship today with your family members, like
with your mom and like with your aunt, how is it?
Is it a great one or is it something that
you where there was never really an issue?
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Oh? I mean there was definitely issues. Yeah, for sure,
I would say my mother and I've been able to
come to a point with her where I can receive
the love that she has to give instead of wishing
that she was different or could give me something different
than she just simply is not capable of. And that
took a lot. I mean, that was just like uncovering
(25:07):
the abandonment wound, the neglect wound, the mother that didn't
protect me, wound like over and over and over again
until I was able to really, like I said, like
really release that energy from my body and to really
see her as a human being that did the best
that she could with the cards that she was dealt.
And it's not like it's not like I got to
(25:29):
that place.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
Like it's like, I think we all have.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
An understanding, if we're a compassionate, empathetic person, that those
who have harmed us or our parents did the best
that they could. But there's one thing about saying that
and intellectualizing it and saying it and like knowing it
in your body and in your heart. And I knew that,
but it took me years to like know it. And again,
(25:52):
I would say, all the mobilities that I teach have
been a huge ally with that. And so now like
when she calls me, it's not like I pretend not
to answer. I'm excited to talk to her to like
shoot the shit about baseball and things like I don't
care about, but I know that she cares about, you know,
And so yeah, that has been huge. And I also
(26:15):
and with my aunt, who it's still work in progress.
But one thing that this healing journey has really supported
me with is like really empowering myself to be the
inner mother and her father that I didn't get as
a kid. And I think we're all capable of that,
and I feel like we all can be led and
guided towards that. It just takes a lot of deep
(26:38):
work and a lot of courage to like say, Okay,
I'm not going to live this life in victim hode.
I'm going to create the life and reality that I
want and I am the only one responsible for that.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Are you a parent yet not?
Speaker 3 (26:52):
Technically I do have two cats, so I feel.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Like, hey, you cant yes.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
And I would say, to be honest with you, like
my clients, my community, those that I serve, do like
my children because it feels like a very motherly nurturing energy.
So I get to kind of have that with them
in a way that I don't have with my you know,
own set of children. And I don't know if I
want children yet.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Well it's gonna ask, I was gonna ask do you
think that? Because sometimes, like like I have a son
who says I do not want kids, you know, So
something that's like open for people to make that decision
on what they want to do. But yeah, you do
have a very nurturing spirit, a beautiful soul. You do
retreats as well. Like that means like people from wherever
(27:37):
they live could actually come to wherever that retreat is
whenever you have them and set them up totally.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah. And actually my partner and I just bought a
house last year with like it's a it's a community
house too, so there's a ceremony space and then we
have four extra bedrooms so people can sleep over and
you know, we can host them in our home and
we have a backyard space and all that. So yeah,
we're in Portland, Oregon, and we'll have people fly in
(28:07):
from Like I just had a client that flew in
from Philadelphia last weekend for a whole weekend of healing
work to do.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
I love. Yeah, that's good stuff, really good. And that's
that was my next question. Where are you so you're
importantly do you work with people do the healing modalities
that you offer like through distance work?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I do both, and I also travel to people if
that's what they want, like a more curated experience. But yeah,
I work with people virtruly in person I work, you know,
in many different ways, so I'm accessible in that way.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Oh that's great, that's good stuff. You know. That means
that you guys are able to reach out to Christine
Marie and like she's very flexible, is what it sounds like.
So I have to go back to your new book
that just came out two weeks ago. What was it
like like to write the book and how long did
it take?
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Well, so this is my second book.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
So I wrote my first one and published it in
twenty twenty one, which that one was like a five
year process, and I would say most of those years
were like really moving through limiting beliefs and fear of
criticism and fear of being seen. And so I felt
like I got to do a lot of that inner
work during for that book, you know, And so when
(29:23):
it came to this book, it felt just a lot
more lighter, a lot easier. Was it took me, you know,
it was like after my dad died, it took me.
It was like at three weeks after It was like
when I started downloading the whole thing on an airplane.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
And wrote it.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
In that way, I also feel like this book was
a little bit easier to write because it's more of
a guided experience like they're you know, those that read
it like they have. Essentially, it's an experiential opportunity for
them to really like learn and do the practices and exercises,
(29:57):
and you know, there's homes and meditation and prompts and
rituals included. So I've been working on my third book
actually the last year, and I that is like a lot.
It's a very vulnerable process putting your art out there
hoping that one person finds it supportive. And so far,
(30:18):
so good. It was sold out on Amazon the first
day it was released, so that is good news. And
I just keep hearing that people really need this and
that was the only reason why I felt the call
to do it, because I was like, this is something
that I needed, and so why not be the one
to create it so that other people can have the
(30:38):
tool and opportunity to use it.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
I'm glad that you listened to your inner self like
and did the dang on. Thank Christy, Marie.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
I know people that need.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
This book too. I had mentioned to you before the
show started that I had met someone I know. We
just had a like this event that we put on
like last year for two years in a row. Was
in the month of June, and one of the ladies
she had her funeral on Thursday of last week. It's
(31:10):
something that's inevitable, you know, that people will experience in face.
There's not like a lot of tools out there to
help people through the grieving process. I have a really
close friend who lost her husband and then her daughter
lost her husband, so they both lost husbands, and I
didn't have any tools really that I felt that I
could like assist them with in a way that they
(31:32):
really needed. I was reverting back to the things that
I know, but I felt like they needed something a
little bit more that was specifically speaking to grief, you know,
in the way of a loss of a loved one.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Sure. Yeah, And I think it's really normal to be
a human being and to not know the right thing
to say when someone loses someone that they love, because
you don't want to say the wrong thing or you know,
trigger anything, and so sometimes we don't say anything at all,
and that can feel hurtful. And so I think having
(32:08):
something that you can just send as a way to
show that you're thinking about them and that you're caring
about them. And I necessarily might not have the tools.
But here's something that I heard might help you. You know,
that's the best that you can do.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, I always say that books makes the best gifts,
and I love that you brought that up because they
actually do. And this would be the ultimate gift to
give someone that you know, whether that is a family member,
a friend, you know, a coworker that's going through that.
And like what I like to do sometimes is when
(32:45):
you're in a work environment, is everybody put in pitch
in a couple dollars and they help to get flowers
and then a book that would be some you know,
something like that would be like the best you know,
and then they get to pick it up when they're ready.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Right right. And I think that's so beautiful that you
said that, because what I like to just I said
this in the book and the beginning of it before
it starts, but I want to say this now is like,
if you feel like you're still in a very wrong
and vulnerable place to where that might be feel like
too much because you're just literally trying to survive through
your feelings of the grief and the loss, that's totally okay,
(33:23):
Like you can pick it up when you feel ready.
You can also skip, you know, some pages that might
not feel like you can meet them yet. Like it's
it's a book that you can hopefully at least find something,
whether it's I have a playlist in there, even if
it's just a playlist that you can listen to while
you're having your you know, emotions express. So there's something
(33:43):
in there for everybody, no matter where they're at on
their journey, and I think that's really important.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I think that's important as well. I definitely agree. What
was the name of your first book.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Called Breaking Free?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Is that book still available for people to purchase as
well or totally?
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yeah, you can. You can see these books on my
website or on Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Oh yeah, good stuff, good stuff.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Well, I actually really enjoyed talking with you today and
I'm grateful that we cross path. I think I've learned
something new again. What was the original name of the
mushrooms that started with the P I can't pronounce it.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Yeah, it's called philocybin.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
And so in the state of Orgon, which is where
I'm at, it's the first state that legalized psilocybin for
therapeutic You so you can literally fly to Oregon to
have a you know, a therapeutic session with this medicine.
And it's legal, which is huge, just so people are aware.
Speaker 4 (34:44):
If they're like afraid.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Of Oh I don't that doesn't sound like a safe thing,
You'll be fine if you're doing it in the state
of organ unders a legal model. That's what you want.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Do you facilitate it with them or do they just
buy it and go like somewhere Oh.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
No, No, it's a completely guided experience. So like we're
doing preparation work. You know, we're meeting, we're talking, we're
going over history, we're going over intentions, and then we
get to the service center and they are we begin
the experience. I'm not ingesting the medicine, but I don't
need to. I'm already in the energetic field and I'm
(35:21):
holding the space energetically and safely of course that they
need me if they need a hand, if they you know,
people really like to do to do this work with
feeling safe, and so I provide that safe space and
then we get to integrate after. So if they had
the experience, and you know, I mean, of course, material
will just come out and then we get to talk
(35:42):
and integrate and and do sessions after that helps them
kind of make more meaning of their experience and giving
them tools to move forward.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Is it kind of like an al Alaska experience in that.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Oh Aya Alaska.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I mean they're completely different medicines. Ayahuasca, you know, is
comes from Peru and Hawaii, and it is just a
completely different medicine than socybin. But yes, they're both under
the psychedelic category, and they both have healing properties for
others wherever they're at. Honestly, not all psychedelics are for everybody,
(36:16):
but that's why we get on a screening call to
make sure that this would be the right thing for you.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Well, I love you're supporting it in a way where
you're holding space for them and ensuring that it is
you know that you guys are not just like left
to just go off on your own. So I love
that it's like a safe space. I think that's good stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Totally, and I think it can really heal even say,
if someone has an abandonment wound or a neglect wound,
like even if they're going through a challenging time in
the medicine journey. And I'm there as a supporter person
that can in itself help heal that abandonment wound like
it can it can bring repair. There's a lot that
can happen in heal and just one's journey, I mean,
(37:00):
and they say it's worth ten years of therapy in wonder.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
So it sounds like it's stuff that's a good stuff
is like on top of it. I think I think
that state was the first state to make marijuana legal too,
wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
I think so. Yeah, I think we're we're pretty and
I would say progressive over here.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Yeah, a little bit even more than Cali, because California
is you would think that over there it would be
like they're the first for everything.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Well before in their show, is there anything that you
want to leave our audience with or is there anything
that we didn't talk about or we missed that you wanted.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
For whoever's listening to, just know that you don't have
to be fully healed in order fully healed in ordered
to be of service or to be in service. That
authenticity is more magnetic than perfection. And so if you
are someone that feels like called to be in service
or call to share your gifts, with others whatever that
(38:02):
looks that. Yeah, I just give you permission to explore
that because I think we need, especially women, more women
to rise into their leadership and then to their power
to help balance out the world right now. And so yeah,
I hope that you get to share yourself in your
life with the world because we need it.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Oh. I love that. I absolutely love it. I feel
like I could talk to you, like for a whole
other hour.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
I mean, I should just do this.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Absolutely, you definitely have to come back. I would love
to do something where we had like a little small
panel of people that might have experienced a grief, you know,
that that are not in the coaching space, you know,
like where you're on there and they're kind of sharing
a little bit. I don't know if that would be
awkward or anything, but for some reason, I feel like
(38:53):
that would kind of be cool, you know.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Yeah, I'm really open to exploring those ways of connection
and support. So yeah, I'm down. You know what it
reminds me of I don't know, like if you watch
episodes with Oprah at all, but like she does that
now bring readers after her show.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
And yes, let's do it, because it's actually.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Very intriguing and inspiring, and I think it brings people
to have a more of a relatable experience.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
I think we're going to have to do that. I
didn't know Oprah was doing that for sure. Love that.
Thank you well, thank you so much for hanging out
with me. I really do appreciate it. Keep doing what
you're doing. You're doing a great job, and I'm excited
about the fact that you're writing a third book.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
You thank you, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Christine Marie. Guys, you've got to pick up her books,
Greed with Guidance, Greed with Guidance. It speaks for itself.
Christine Marie's book is available on Amazon as well as
her website. Please be sure to check out the sh
show notes so that you can get in contact with
Christine vias, social media and all of the proper channels.
(40:06):
What a deeply moving and powerful conversation we've had today.
From Christine Marie's courageous journey growing up with the father
battling heroin addiction, a mother navigating her own mental health challenges,
and even her own near death experience, we've witnessed how
(40:28):
pain can be transmuted into purpose and how healing is
possible even in the places we've long avoided. We spoke
about grief, about sacred transformation, and about the kind of
healing that doesn't come with a timeline or tidy bow,
the kind of healing we often don't talk about out loud.
(40:51):
Christine Marie reminded us that healing is both a ceremony
and a commitment, that it's okay to grieve and still grow,
that even in our darkest seasons, we are not alone.
I'm so grateful for the story shared today, hers and
(41:13):
even the pieces of my own that surfaced. And I
want you to know this is just the beginning. We'll
be inviting Christine Marie back, and next time we'll open
the space even wider with the panel discussion centered around
the Grief with Guidance Journal and the powerful work it
(41:34):
invites us into. If today's episode touched something in you,
I encourage you to share it with someone who may
need it. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and give
yourself grace wherever you are on your healing journey. Until
(41:55):
next time, be gentle with yourself, hold space for others,
and keep showing up authentically. You're not alone. I also
want to remind you to take care of yourselves and
each other. Thank you all so much for tuning in
(42:15):
I'm chante with authentic talks
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