Favorite Rituals & Spiritual Tools of 2025 with Angelica Grace

What if sacred space wasn’t a room but a feeling you could carry anywhere—through snowstorms, long drives, and the beautiful chaos of raising kids? Lizzy sits down with Angelica Grace, a Shamanic practitioner and cacao facilitator, to trace how small, nature-led actions mature into embodied rituals that keep a family grounded through change.

We begin with reciprocity and presence: watching snowfall as a prayer, listening to trees as a practice, offering thanks as a daily muscle. Angelica explains how Shamanic traditions from the Americas shaped her path, and why she treats plants as partners rather than props. Cacao takes center stage as a heart medicine that builds an inner sanctuary—vital for those healing trauma, living on the road, or craving a reliable anchor. The message lands clearly: intuition isn’t elusive; it’s the quiet ping you honor in the moment, whether that’s choosing Palo Santo over tobacco or stepping outside to meet the fire.

Motherhood reframes everything. Meditation shifts from silent rooms to shared rituals by the backyard flame, tiny hands offering twigs, and kids hugging trees. We talk about inviting children into ceremony, barefoot grounding, and seeding a lifelong bond with nature. The practical payoff shows up in communication, steadier nervous systems, and a happier home. Looking to 2026, we name “being seen” as the next threshold—taking ceremonies on the road, writing as devotion, and trusting that one true insight can change a life more than a hundred half-used tips.

If you’ve felt stretched thin or spiritually scattered, this conversation offers grounded tools you can use today: a cup of cacao as a daily threshold, a five-minute gratitude pause, a small fire or candle to practice listening. 

Episode Links

• Season 1, Episode 61: Sacred Cacao: Heart Medicine for Modern Times with Angelica Grace
• Find out more about Angelica Grace on the ModernZen Practitioner Collective
• Connect with Angelica Grace on IG @angelicagracec

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Guest Setup
• 1:09 Snow, Presence, And Reciprocity
• 4:25 What Ritual Means In Practice
• 9:50 Intuition As Simple Pings
• 13:11 Shamanic Arts And Plant Allies
• 18:52 Motherhood, Presence, And Fire
• 24:40 Teaching Kids Gratitude For Nature
• 30:10 RV Life And Living Close To Earth
• 34:15 Sacred Space Within Through Cacao
• 41:02 Partnership With Plants And Ancestral Wisdom
• 48:24 One Insight Can Change Everything
• 53:00 How Rituals Support Family And Communication
• 58:15 Being Seen In 2026 And Ceremony On The Road

Transcript

SPEAKER_04: 0:09

Hi, I'm Lizzie.

SPEAKER_03: 0:10

And I'm Nikki. Together we welcome you to the Modern Sud Collective Podcast, a space where we explore holistic living, spiritual alignment, and personal growth.

SPEAKER_04: 0:20

Each week, we'll share conversations, practices, and wisdom to help you live with more joy, effort, and connection.

SPEAKER_03: 0:28

Ancient Wisdom and Modern Mindfulness, we're here to help you connect, expand, and come home to yourself. Let's elevate mind, body, and spirit together. And now on to day.

SPEAKER_04: 1:09

And we're so happy to have one of our beloved practitioners from the collective. And Nikki and I's dear friends. You heard me say the other day, I swear, when we had our interview with Angelica, I was like, did I just meet one of my best friends? That's so funny. Because now Angelica and I are also walking like along a similar life path, both starting our RV and camper life uh journeys at the same time with young kids. And so we're so happy to have her here. And um, she's very involved. She's a student of the shamanic arts in a psychic medium. And like I said, we've interviewed her before. So it was about um sacred cacao, and it was wonderful. So I'll link that in the show notes for y'all. So if you're interested in listening, you can check it out. But thank you so much for being on here and saying yes to this interview today, Angelica. I'm so happy to talk to you again.

SPEAKER_00: 1:59

Of course. I'm like, first of all, Lizzie, you have a great voice. I'm like, can you just get talking? I'm like, you saw it's just so soothing. I'm like, wow. Uh I'm so happy to be here. Like, so happy to connect with you guys anytime. So this is such a treat.

SPEAKER_04: 2:13

Yeah, and it you look so cozy, like with the snow in the background and your beautiful blanket and everything. What's the weather like you're up in um Illinois, right?

SPEAKER_00: 2:22

Yeah, we're in Illinois. We're actually in the middle of a snowstorm. So I think we're supposed to get like eight to ten inches. So it's like all day today and tomorrow. So it, but I was I was prepping to like get on with you and talk, and I was like sitting here in the office, and it's we're in the woods, so we have like three acres out here, and um I forgot how peaceful it is just to watch the snowfall. So I took like three or five minutes and just sat here and like observed the backyard, and it's just really soothing, so it feels good.

SPEAKER_04: 2:50

I I'm grew up in Minnesota, so I'm partial to what like snowy winters, and it's just there's just something so magical about the snow, especially around the holidays and you know, even after I mean March, you're kind of like, okay, we're good. We're good, you know, but but and and then when you don't have it, when you move somewhere and you don't have it, you're like, this is weird. Is it is it really December?

SPEAKER_00: 3:14

Is it we were just talking about that because we're we're talking about moving to Arizona and I'm like, well, we're not gonna have, I mean, Arizona does get a bit of snow up north, but uh we we do love snow for a few months, so we would miss it if it's not if we don't have it.

SPEAKER_04: 3:28

Well, maybe you could just like pop back into some snowy areas for for a little bit here and there, you know. That works. That's why we get all the winter stuff for the RV too. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 3:38

So we're prepared, we can go up the mountains, we could go to the desert, do all the fun stuff.

SPEAKER_04: 3:43

Exactly, exactly. Well, uh, today I wanted to talk to you about your favorite rituals and tools of 2025. This month, Nikki and I are sharing like all our favorite things. We just was like, it's time to just do a month on just everything we love. And so, you know, every year things shift. Life looks a little bit different, we look a little bit different. And so I know that, you know, one of the things about being in this work all the time is you are one of those people that allow your practices and your things to shift along with you instead of feeling like you're you're pigeonholed because I've always done this thing in this way at this time of the day, you know, you you don't stick to that, you move to like what feels good right now and stuff. So I really wanted to talk to you about your practices and rituals of this past year and like what they looked like for you. So before we get into everything, what what does ritual mean to you? How do you define or approach it like in your daily life?

SPEAKER_00: 4:40

Yeah, it's a great question. And as I'm as I'm sitting here sort of reflecting on that, I've have found that ritual to me starts out as a practice and it becomes something that's more embodied. So it there's like a progression. And I was teaching this inside of one of the programs that we have uh about reciprocity and just like giving back and offering our gratitude and sort of like this partnership with nature and spirit and just like acknowledging like the what we receive from nature like every minute of the day. Like perfect example is the snowfall, right? So like that is such a gift and and this sort of reciprocity of like I see you, I acknowledge you, like thank you for this beautiful moment in time where I can sit and just find stillness, right? So when I think of ritual, this whole past year, one of the biggest things about it was like a practice. So practice of like being intentional, practice of um, you know, noticing what's around me all the time. And like I said, it feels like a practice because I had to work towards it. Like it's not something that like I was taught or something that we have in our society all the time. So to me, ritual really is something that starts out as a practice to really connect with yourself and connect with your life and what that means in your creation. And then I feel like it kind of morphs into this like embodiment. So then you just become it. So it just is like one with you and it just sort of then comes through you versus it feeling more like a like a practice. Hopefully that makes sense.

SPEAKER_04: 6:16

Yes. Yes. Actually, when you were talking about reciprocity and saying thank you, you know, for everything that we've been given and that we're receiving in this moment, especially from Mother Nature. I'm actually at my family's ranch in West Texas, and I can like see out over all the acreage. And um, all of my husband's best friends just came in yesterday, and so they're all here, and we all have little kids now, and um it's just it's like really special, you know, and I got chills, and you say I'm kind of like getting a little choked up because I'm like, damn, like I need to do that more, you know. Like I feel, you know, because I have become more present in my daily life where I'm like, wow, this is a great moment in time. You know, I have I have had that now, that awareness, become more of who I am is like being more thankful for the present moment, especially now that I have kids and like with my husband being around and stuff. Um, but it's like, man, I need to just I almost like want to go get everyone and be like, hey, like I know I'm the only one that's kind of a little bit off like this, but they love nature so much. So I know that they would, but they'd be like, okay, Lizzie. But I feel like I need everyone to just, we just need to take a moment right now to like be thankful for all of us being together in this moment in time in this beautiful place on this land that we all love so much.

SPEAKER_00: 7:38

Yeah, and it's it, I think what's really interesting. I think this is a big theme for 2025 for me was like when I think about ritual and reciprocity, it's like acknowledging like that was a part of my ritual, is like acknowledging what I've created. Like you have created that space, you know, through your intention and through your choices and actions and like you working with spirit and you working with the universe and creator and all these things. So it's like, you know, just offering gratitude for like that opportunity to do so, and then like actually enjoying and receiving what you've created. You know, like that's that whole presence of like we created this, let's actually like look at it, you know, let's enjoy it and let's let's be with that. So again, like I keep going back to the word ritual, but like that to me is a ritual. That to me is the practice, is like acknowledging that creation and that reciprocity of life.

SPEAKER_04: 8:29

That's beautiful. Yeah, that's beautiful. I love that. So because your be, you know, the ritual, the practice that you start with ends up becoming an embodied ritual that is just part of who you are in your daily life. So when you get to that place where you feel like it's part of who you are and it comes through, do you then add new practices or rituals? Like, are you continually adding to the cycle? How long do you sit in that like being before you decide to add something else? You know, I'm curious how what that feels like to you.

SPEAKER_00: 9:07

Yeah, that's a great question. And actually what's coming to mind, which it this always does, is motherhood and how much time we give to our kids and how maybe less time we have for ourselves, right? So it's it really has been such a delicate dance for me this past year because there have been moments where like I haven't felt like I've had that time that I would like to dedicate to myself. So just to kind of go back and answer that, I think it's like I I I take and I receive those moments in time when I can acknowledge them. A lot of them are when I'm with my daughter, you know, and we're outside in the backyard and things like that. Um but I think what comes to mind is like when it flows through you. So when it becomes more embodied, I feel like it just is. So like that reciprocity or that gratitude or that that ritual that we're doing just sort of flows through us. And I think I sort of just be with that for as long as it feels really good in my body. Like this morning, what I normally would have done is offer tobacco before hopping on this call. And I was like, you know what? I'm gonna work with Palo Santo today. So I worked with Palo Santo. So to me, it's like a feeling or like a trusting of that intuition or that like innate wisdom where it's like, this is what I normally do, but this feels really aligned with me today. So I'm gonna trust that and I'm gonna work with that. And I feel like that then simultaneously is like strengthening your relationship with spirit, but also your relationship with yourself. So I think I really like to enjoy, like once it becomes embodied, like I said, it really flows through you. And then there's like this sweet spot, right? But I think I always leave room for other tools or other elements to call to me. And if they call to me, then I'll work with them. So to me, it really is like an intuitive dance of what feels really good at that moment.

SPEAKER_04: 11:00

Yeah, you know what's so interesting is I think sometimes we don't recognize that it can be as simple as a thought. You know, it's like like we are in, we're like, oh, listen to your intuition, you know, like allow it to speak to you. And it's sounds so wonderful. And it also I think sounds like something that can be difficult or daunting to people who haven't spent so much time with in silence with themselves doing this kind of work that you're like, oh man, I don't even know how to get there. Or it's gonna take me so much time to get there to be able to listen to and speak to my intuitive, my div my divinity, you know, that part of myself. And it's like, no, it's like as simple as a thought that popped into your head that, like, hey, you know, what about Palo Santo? And you're like, yeah, let's, and then you just follow it and you're like, yeah, let's do that. It's like so, it's just it's a ping. It's like a hit, you know, this ping hit, it's a thought. That's like what it is. And so I think I love that you you can break it down to something and make it so clear to someone. Like it's it's embodying it. And then when you have something that that sounds or pops up, you're like, you follow it. You f it's guidance.

SPEAKER_00: 12:14

Yeah. I mean, as humans, like we're evolving every moment of the day. Like who we were at the beginning of this call, we're already different people now, right? And it's been like what, 10 minutes, not even. So it's like we're always in flux, we're always moving. So of course, our tools and our rituals are gonna look different day to day. Like our emotional state and our state of being is looking different every single day. You know, the core of everything is that spirit and the heart, but there's so much, there's infinity in that. So to me, it's like, yeah, it's I feel like what's coming to mind is like really building up so much trust in yourself and in your partnership with nature, spirit that yeah, when you have those like little pings, it's like, yeah, this doesn't, it there's nothing complicated about it. So if something does call to me, it's like I I trust that it's calling and I'm gonna work with it. And then I I work with it and then I keep kind of moving about the day.

SPEAKER_04: 13:02

So yeah, that makes sense. I love that. I love that. So I would, you know, all of your work within the shamanic arts and that kind of training, like that is so interesting to me. And it's something that can feel so I think foreign to like the average everyday person here. And so I'd love for you to share like a little bit more about what that kind of looks like and how you weave like the different elements and the the pieces from your shamanic training, like into your rituals, into your daily life, um, especially over this past year.

SPEAKER_00: 13:34

Yeah, it's a great question. I I think the first thing I want to say to that is there's different practices that really can resonate with us on a deeper level. And for this lifetime, for whatever my journey is that I've been on and moving forward, the shamanic practices and traditions of the North American and South American Native cultures like really speak to me. So I feel them very deeply, very deeply in my heart. And the best way that I could describe this is as I was learning, you know, these called to me. I had no idea what I was walking into when this called years ago, and I started following that path. And the practices and traditions and rituals really and ceremonies are what helped me find myself. So I have such a like deep respect for their traditions, and I really feel honored to like work with their ways of being. Like it just resonates really deeply in my heart. So part of the message that I first want to share is like you want it, you want to feel it in your heart. Like it's something that's gonna speak to you. And there's different practices. What I have found is through this journey of me really discovering who I am, like the practices help me do that. So when I work with tobacco or when I work with the plants, or when I work with smoke or whatever it may be, to me, as I sort of weave them through my day, it really, it's like moments where I really find myself, like where I really connect with myself, where I really find this like deep wisdom and and love and appreciation for my life. And it's something that I had never experienced before. So to sort of weave them into my life, um, it took a while. Like I'm not gonna lie, the practices, like I said, there's this sense of embodiment that really keeps coming through, where for a while it really just felt like I was kind of going through the motions, like I was really, these tools really spoke to me. But over time, I always compare it to a partnership. Like I keep saying that word, but I think of it in like I'm in partnership with nature and I'm in partnership with spirit, I'm in partnership with plants. Like we are all uh one, right? We're all related. So when I think about how that has really like guided my journey and how that has affected like how I move through the day, it really is just out of that gratitude and that appreciation, and because they help reflect back to me like who I am. So at first it started out as practices and now it feels like it's just become like this deep connection. So it's helped me find that connection within myself and and with my life, really. I don't know if that answers the question, but that's what was coming through.

SPEAKER_04: 16:25

No, I mean, that's the thing, is right, whatever comes through is meant to come through. So no, that was so that was beautiful. And I feel like what you just said is very like potent. And the thing that kept coming to my mind as you were speaking about this is I love so much that you have a young daughter right now because I would love for you to share how you get her involved, what that looks like as you do these practices throughout the day. Cause like as a mother of a three-year-old and a one-year-old, I am like, how are people freaking doing yoga with their kids? Yeah. How are people working out with their kids? How are people doing this shit with their kids? Because I must not be doing it right or I don't have the right things or like something, like, it's not a thing. It's not a thing for me and my kids. And as a person that has my spiritual practices, like you said earlier, you get less time, very, very few time. All you women out there that don't have kids or you're pregnant, soak this shit up. Because please appreciate it right now. Like, please. Because once you get to the other side and you have kids, it's like you have very little time to yourself. Little, little, little. And so I am like sitting here and I'm like, how do people meditate with kids? Because for me, it's like turning inwards, it's like shutting out the outside world, it's like being with the silence with myself. And I can't do that with little kids. And so I and I would love to do more practices and tools with them. My daughter eats my tarot cards. I'm like, okay, I don't want you messing with those. Like, I'm good, like we play with crystals and stuff together. We we do some things, but like as like someone who pretty much just talks about how you know you have now embodied this, like your rituals are who you are, and it's how you live through your day, and it's you practice them as you move through your day. How do you do that with like a young daughter? Like, please share your wisdom.

SPEAKER_00: 18:24

This is oh God, this is so good. So, a couple of things. One, I feel like everything that the universe brings to us and every experience we have is so intentional and what it shows us about ourselves. And you bring up such a good point because I have found that through motherhood and my daughter Violet, she brings me to a different type of presence. So, sure, my presence when I was a maiden or when I was, you know, before kids was like, Yeah, well, yeah, I love to sit in my room and meditate. I would be one of those like on a mountaintop, like by myself for like two weeks, you know, and I would be perfectly fine, like talking to the mountain, talking to the wind. And you just cannot do that with children. So what I have found though is that she is guiding me to see how that energy shifts and what it looks like during motherhood, because it's still there. So my presence and my connection with myself obviously is gonna shift and look different. So what's coming to mind is the other day the fire called to me and I felt I felt the fire call like to go build a fire. And I was like, okay, I I acknowledge you, I hear you, but like I don't have time today, right? And like I respect you, and like I will come build a fire, like either today when I can or tomorrow, right? And it was just such a busy schedule that we've had. Like we own our own business, like you, right? You get it. So like own our own businesses, um, have kids. So I asked Violet, I was like, do you want to come with me to go say hi to the fire? Do you want to come with me to go build a fire? And of course she's like, Yeah, she's two. So she's like, she wants to go wherever mama goes. you know. So we go outside and we built a fire. And I sat there and I listened to the fire because I'm like if if fire is calling to me or if an element or the moon or the sun or whom whomever it may be is calling to me. Like I I I respect that and I know that there's something there for me. So we went out back and we built a fire. Of course it looked a little bit differently because she had to guide like gather the firewood and she wanted to, you know, she knows not to get too close but she always wants to offer something to the fire. And but to me that was such a moment of learning and presence because yeah it looks so different than what I probably would have liked it to be. But it's exactly what it needed to be and exactly what it was for for my growth and my connection. So um I don't know if again if that answers the question but what I have found is like the types of ways that I connect do look drastically different as a mom with my kiddos. And I've really had to surrender into it because I would I love meditating. I love stillness I love the quiet and I rarely get that. So I have to find other ways where I can sort of be in that space but it worked for my lifestyle. So like I said going out and building a fire is just like one of those examples that I included her in it the best I could, right? Like we were doing it together, it changed how that process looked but that is another ritual like that's another practice of mine. And it helps a lot having them kind of come in and be included.

SPEAKER_04: 21:29

I feel like it helps them connect to oh a hundred percent a hundred percent and you're kind of like you're priming them to have gratitude and things for for for stuff like that that other kids might not look at in in any sort of similar way because their parents didn't look at it like that. And I think it's so interesting to me as I have started you know been on my spiritual journey I feel like you know I've had I've had moments with divinity with God as like a youth but I would say my real spiritual journey kind of started in 2019 when COVID happened when I started plugging into different you know places, different channels hearing people use different words to talk about things to like share about all these things that I had never really heard of before but I was like oh my so interested in and just so felt so aligned with more than what I was taught like being in church like as youth. And um I would say since being in all of that it has changed and kind of like shifted man I just totally lost my train of thought where I was going with all this what were you talking about right before this?

SPEAKER_00: 22:44

We were talking about the the rituals and like including like when we bring the kiddos in to include and like how our rituals look different because they kind of have to because like motherhood is a different energy. Yes. Right.

SPEAKER_04: 22:55

Yes. I think now like looking at all these different ways of talking about things and stuff it has changed me and I want to pass that on to my kids because oh this is what I was going to say I do really believe that the souls choose us. Like our kids choose us to be their parents to be their mothers to be their fathers to walk along this path that we have created in this like lifetime on this timeline and you know to start them with a certain foundation that they're going to be building on. And so I I really do believe that and I wouldn't necessarily have thought that before I'm saying my spiritual awakening and so I love that you are sharing all these things with your daughter because she chose you for you know for that. You know she needed she needs a mother like you who has done all of this work has like is on this path of mastery you know for her to be able to just soak that off of you you know just soak that up and it's like part of who she is innately now. It's part of like her subconscious part of her programming is part of what's always going to be running in the background throughout the rest of her life. And so it's so special. It's so special that's why I asked you that question because it's we have this responsibility to pass these things on that we know make life more full better more joyous more easeful to the next generation. We have this responsibility and so bringing them into it in whatever way we can at this point in time is only going to be beneficial like the more you can do. We were out on the ranch when we got here and um I always have my son hug the trees and now he like goes and hugs them himself and I I just like love it so much because he loves to be outside he loves to be in the dirt he loves to do all his stuff and I'm like well let's just say thank you to them you know for being here and it's going to be part of who he is and he's not going to look at trees the same as someone else.

SPEAKER_01: 25:02

Right.

SPEAKER_04: 25:03

And so and it's just a small thing it becomes so small because kids latch onto things and they just like they just want to do them. And so it's going to be different for your daughter in her relationship with fire than another child.

SPEAKER_00: 25:19

Right, right. And again it's I mean think about intuition like our intuition is unique to everyone. So everyone's sure it's maybe the same frequency or a similar frequency but like how how it works and how it communicates with spirit is totally different. So it it's the same thing with fire, right? It's the same thing with the trees and it's so funny because I was thinking about you and your kids as you were talking and I'm like that is a part of your ritual like you let them walk around barefoot. Like you not let them like you I'm sure encourage them or you like play with right it's like it's a part of your practice. Like you guys are barefoot when you're out in nature and you're like that to me is such a ritual because that is like helping keep them close to nature. Like that's that connection and that's where I feel like we've been so separate it like separated as a society because we are so separate from nature. And even as you were talking because I was thinking of the trees the other day the trees called and I was like yeah I hear you guys and I I was like okay I'm gonna go sit with them and and again it was going back to reciprocity where I sat and opened my heart and all that I was doing was listening. And that was that sense of of reciprocity like they had information they wanted to share I sat I opened my heart I listened and then I feel this sense of like listening in itself to me is another ritual listening and just opening yourself to the wisdom and all of these different parts of creation and receiving the information and then you hit the nail on the head because you said it's sort of this responsibility to then sort of share it with our kids and share it with like who wants to hear. This is a perfect example a podcast right so as I was connecting with the trees and I received information I was like okay well how can I like what do I can I share this right and I was like this is reciprocity like they are sharing this information. Now I share it with those that need it. And it's just how like we help one another move right it's that giving and receiving that constant like flow of of energy. So yeah even just listening to you say that I was like you're hitting the nail on the head like you guys you guys are practicing rituals in obviously they're different ways than what they like we said different than what it looked like when we were single right yes and now with kids it's like our rituals and ways of connecting look a little bit different.

SPEAKER_04: 27:36

So yeah yeah it's I now like in this conversation I totally get why we both are like camper RV people now. Totally like I'm like yeah we're all you know it's like oh yeah that's why we are literally leaving our homes and moving back in with nature.

SPEAKER_00: 28:00

Yeah you know we're like yes we're in I remember saying before Violet was born I was like I asked for blessings from Mother Earth and I was like we like we want to raise her our our child she was coming to us in our dreams for like years before before I even met my husband and I was like we like we want to raise our kids as close to nature as possible. So it's interesting when like that was our intention and then all of a sudden we like randomly buy an RV. We're like yeah we want to travel let's go do this and it was like one of the best decisions we've ever made you know like we said before we got on like it's such an adjustment but it allows so much flexibility and freedom and a different way of being so it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_04: 28:41

Yes and the ability to see the beauty of our nation you're like everyone is always traveling to other countries which I'm all for I am all for it. Okay. However you just get in your car and drive some hours and we have so many different landscapes that are so beautiful in their own individual ways and even seeing them at different times of year you know I was telling you we always do a road trip out to Utah in the winter we went to Bryce Canyon in February and it was gorgeous. I can't wait to get there snow on everything and there's nobody there. You know it was it was beautiful you're not doing like we're saying you're not doing the same things that you might have been doing you know but you but it is magical and so it's it's so special and I think a lot of times we miss how much beauty is here at home because it's at home you know we like almost take it for granted a little bit and it's like there are places I haven't been I've never been to Maine like I've never been to Washington I haven't been to you know these places that like I just had Alabama we've been in Alabama since September and I had never been really to Alabama before and it's beautiful in the mountains. It's beautiful. So it's just it's so cool that we're both now doing this and like able to share this with our kids and just raise them with this appreciation and connection to Mother Earth and to our homeland you know where where we were born where they're born and uh it's special and it makes traveling the world even more special I think agree 100% in addition to that I love it. So now that you're on the road slash at home and gonna be more on the road what does look having a sacred space like look like to you yeah oh this is so good.

SPEAKER_00: 30:33

I love the I always love the questions you ask. So you know that I work with cacao quite a bit we obviously had like a whole podcast episode about it. So I'm gonna I'm gonna share that route because this was a big um big game changer for me. Cacao helps me see my sacred space within myself so it's not necessarily where I am I would I I I want to tweak that a little bit in a second but I want to go back um especially when you're moving so much because life is very different when you're on the road like you know like it's very different when you're moving it's very different when you're an entrepreneur. It's very different when you're a mom. It's everything we've been saying this whole episode cacao is that bridge for me to reconnect with that space inside. So like if I am in Arizona or I am on different land because it's going to feel different I can still find a sense of safety and sacred space within myself. So then anywhere I am or anything that I do has that essence to it. And I I say that with like gentleness because it took me a lot of work to get there just because of like my past, my childhood like childhood trauma all you know so many of us can relate to that. And it's when you experience that you're taken so far outside of the body that to feel safety back inside of the body takes work. Like I'm not gonna sugarcoat that. So in doing or in saying that cacao has been such an ally of mine and the whole plant world um I'm I'm currently studying to be a certified herbalist. So I'm I'm just gonna kind of say like all the plant realm does this for me in different ways. But cacao in particular is what helps me get into that space so I can find a sense of center no matter where I am and that has been like a freaking godsend like truly so much appreciation that I did not expect that to be your answer.

SPEAKER_04: 32:42

Uh honestly but I love like how wonderful is that oh my gosh to be in a place like that in your in your life in your being like especially you know we feel like we've lived so many years but we have like at such a young age too I mean holy shit yeah that's yeah that's incredible like the power of the plants I'm telling you they're like their own they are their own being I mean they really are yeah you know and that just keeps getting reflected back to me. I mean liter I don't know if you've ever um listened to or read the book Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dr. Joe Dispenza. I'm listening to it right now and I'm like it's like reawakening or like reopening these realizations that I've had before that I think have kind of like been dormant for a while and the power of energy and matter and the power of oneness and like you're saying partnership like when you said partnership I was like damn yeah that's it like I need to use that word more because when I when I hear you say partnership that word just evokes a different way of relating and acting and feeling in a partnership in relationship to someone or something else and you take it makes me want to take more care and be more kind and slow and intentional than just doing yeah and to me that's that feminine that's the feminine awakening right to being this and it's like every time I talk to you I'm like yeah that's like the next that's the next step for me it's like yeah like cacao I need to get more connected with cacao and the natural elements I was literally just talking to my friends too and I said yeah I want to I really want to learn more about gathering I'm like you know we've got my husband is a big hunter and you know I think a lot of people wonder how like hunting and yoga and like hunting and spirituality like go hand in hand and I'm like you obviously have never been hunting then you know because the amount of care the amount of time the amount of reverence and love that these men and these women who hunt have for the land and have for Mother Nature and earth and the amount of hours they spend in silence in stillness in the woods by themselves you know or in communion with someone they love you know it is it's the it is the same same you know it's the same and I think he's he has taught me a lot about that you know from not really understanding that world as much into being with him all these years. And um I'm like man I want to complement that I want to bring the gathering I want to be I want I loved when I worked in Hawaii and we did land work I worked as a it was like horticultural therapy I could look at plants and I knew what they were you know and I knew how we could eat them and prepare them and stuff in the garden. And I've gotten away from that and I haven't had that in terms of like being out in wild, you know, in the wilderness and stuff and I would love to cultivate that. I think it is such a it's such a long lost art and gift. And I love that you are working so much and like in cultivating that within yourself and bringing that back to our generation and to the generations that are coming as like something that's important, you know, and something that has a lot of magic and benefits and miracles behind it because in actuality all of this stuff that we call modern day medicine is from from this. Like it comes from this is the OG. This is the original this is it and so all you people that want to say like oh where's the science all the world well the science is is everywhere like everything that you think you're taking now is like all this shit with with all these toxins with it you know married with it you know it's like go going back to our roots and to our essence and I I'm so excited to take your um their cacao program where you like actually teach people about cacao about how to work with her about how to have the reverence and the respect to have a partnership a healthy partnership from the beginning like from the jump and like understanding beh the things behind it the the history behind it the the reason why it's so special she's so special and she can help you create this sacred space that is you that goes with you wherever whenever you know in any space and time you know and so it's like it's so special and I love that that's like what you've been called to share with people and you're able to you know last time I think I was like oh are you gonna have virtual and you didn't yet and now you have virtual and I I love it it as an option you know I love the in-person like nothing beats the in-person totally but when you feel called to work with someone I love that now there is no location hindrance to it. It's like oh my my Reiki master lives in California like oh my my cacao master lives in you know in Illinois or whatever. Right do you call what do you call yourself? What do you call yourself if you're you know it's like it's it's not a cacao master but like what what would you call yourself as someone who has this this partnership this relationship this um this love and respect for something that you've spent so much time practicing and mastering that now you are a teacher to other people on how to like develop that relationship and that that own special ritual practice with her.

SPEAKER_00: 39:09

Yeah you you bring up a good point I think I'm gonna say this in two different ways I think people understand. On one hand from like of course a marketing and from that perspective a cacao facilitator I guess would be the word I would use and from a spiritual component or a respectful space to me I just feel like Angelica and I feel like I feel this deep responsibility to share this information with those that need it and are seeking it and want it. And I think that's like the epitome of like devotion and commitment and this has been a really big practice or ritual of mine as well too because I've had moments throughout this year where while in different various different ceremonies that we have, um, it really hit me pretty hard where I'm like, this the reason why I'm here, the re reason why I'm in this position is because of my devotion to my relationship with nature, like a returning back to myself and nature. And because of that or the effect of that has allowed me to share this experience with other people. And that to me is like the reason why I do all of it. Right. That's like at first, it was like me really finding myself and healing and reawakening love within myself because there was no self-love, there was no self-esteem, there was no self-respect. Like it was not something that I knew what that felt like in my body, and I didn't know how to embody that in my life. So I think this is a very long-winded answer, but I feel like it's just me holding this responsibility of sharing this wisdom because you you brought up another good point, as usual, because what when I decided to work with the plants, and they were really calling to me, and I'm I'm so glad that I like listened and honored that. I read this, I think it's in the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin, Robin Carr. Robin, I can't think of her name. It's it's over here somewhere in my book. But she, it's one of the most beautiful books probably ever written. But she had said how this realm or this ancient wisdom is like being forgotten. And in my herbalist studies or herbalism studies, we talk about indigenous culture and with colonization and how so much of the oral tradition has been lost because of this overtaking of colonization. And um I feel like when you start to work with the plant realm in this way, like the way you're talking about, where it's like you could look at the plant, like that's them talking to you, right? Like when you were in Hawaii and you're like, I knew how to prepare this or I knew how to work with this. Like that to me is them telling you that's that's your that's your partnership with them. And it's the same way I approach all of this with the herbs and the plants. Um and what I found early on in it, and like this this holds responsibility. Like people need to hear this wisdom because we can't let this be lost. Like these traditions, this wisdom that each plant shares with us, because what they're doing essentially is teaching us and guiding us. It's the same with the animals. Same thing when you were talking about hunting and an indigenous culture, animals are our original teachers. So it is a very humbling experience to learn from them and to work with them in whatever way it looks like on your spiritual journey or on your human journey. And just to go back and sort of tie this up with a bow, there is this sense of responsibility, responsibility to share it. And that's what I feel like I'm doing now. So I I always say, like, when I'm working with cacao now and I'm like, whatever people need to hear, whatever wants to come through, whatever you want to share, like I'm I open my heart and I share it. Um, so that hopefully people listening find little nuggets or little bits and pieces of what they need to remember something about themselves. You know, that's why we that's why we do this work uh to support one another. So very long-winded answer.

SPEAKER_04: 43:20

No, no, it's wonderful. I I love it. See, this is I seriously love interviews so much because I feel like so many nuggets come out, you know, that just in conversation. Right. You know, it's not like we need to have some whole scripted, like, oh, these are the questions, these are the answers. Like, that's not how you get the juice. You know, you get the juice by just like going with the flow and like and allowing these things to come to the top. And you're so right because we are brains, like we literally cannot handle 30 minutes of aha moments. You know, like there's no way there's no way that we could have like, and and your your program, you know, you say you're sitting with people for an hour or 90 minutes or something like the 90 minutes isn't meant to be packed with like one liner after one liner after one liner that's gonna change your whole freaking life. Right. Like it just it's it's not we wouldn't even be able to just to distinguish what was important to us in between in between all of that stuff. So that's the thing that I think is so important for us to remember that if we get one thing, like one solid thing that comes with us, like you said, the book, there's like this one thing that you you know, one we get one thing from a podcast, one thing from a program, one thing it's like, and we actually use it and apply it and allow it to become part of who we are and how we operate. Like that is worth every penny, you know, every moment, every energetic exchange that we have made in order to have that one thing that changes our lives so much. And so I love that you said that because I truly believe that. And I think we've gotten so used to as a society being like needing the value, and it's like like whoa, back off. Like we don't need everything under the sun to have value, you know, and um it's and special. It's special to live, understand that and live like that, you know what I mean. So, all you people out here, if that's all you get, like I hope that's not all you got, but you know, that's not all you got. So um as we kind of like wrap up 2025 and move into 2026, you know, we've talked about how you've had a lot of transitions, we've talked about a lot of um how your rituals are things that you live and that you embody and that your sacred space is you and comes with you everywhere. How has your practices, your tools, your spiritual tools that you've used this past year, how have they helped you and your family and like those that you've touched, like through these big transitions that you've been experiencing?

SPEAKER_00: 46:19

Two things that are coming to mind on one hand, I feel like the rituals and tools have helped me become the most balanced, grounded version of myself. So they've helped me not only find myself, connect with myself, be safe within that, they've helped me really understand who I am. And you know, as humans, like I said, we're always constantly moving. So our energy is shifting so much from day to day and minute to minute and hour to hour. So to find a way back to center as often as possible has been really supportive because that then in turn, how that affects my family is what's really interesting is the word communication came up when you were asking that question. And I think of like the power of communication and the power that that holds inside of an intimate relationship, like knowing how to communicate, knowing how the other person communicates. Um, so kind of going back to that question of like how has that sort of supported or influenced or affected myself and my family, I feel like it's allowed me to show up as the best version of myself. So it's the best that I can, right? Um and even on hard days, like there's still so much beauty in that because there's vulnerability and growth and an opportunity to heal and learn and connect. And um so I feel like the rituals have really helped us like connect, communicate, find our way, and like define and discover what life means to us as a family, not necessarily something that's been like told to us, like through our parents or lineages or society or whatever it may be, because the lifestyle we are living is very different from other people, and it's something that we really want. So I think it's really helped us like strengthen in who we are individually and then as a family, and it's helped us communicate and connect with one another so we feel really um happy. That's the word I want to use, like really happy.

SPEAKER_04: 48:36

Yeah, I love that. I love that I love that your rituals and your tools can create such a beautiful life and beautiful daily feeling, you know, and it's and it's available to everyone, you know, and so uh it's inspiring, you know, to hear and to see somebody live like that, you know, especially when it also looks different because you're you're swimming upstream, you know, you're swimming upstream. Um and it can be difficult sometimes, and it can also be really easy when you feel so secure and strong in like your core values, your beliefs, and how you're moving as a unit, as like a family unit together. So I really, I really like that. It is very inspiring to see. So if you don't follow Angelica on Instagram, you definitely should because like just having that in your field, in your daily view, even if you don't feel like you look at it very long, just having those people around you help up uplift yourself and your energy and and help us to cultivate those things, that joy, that feeling in our lives, even if our lives don't look the same. And so I really, I really like that. And I I'm curious what you feel like is in store for you and your family like going into 2026, especially as 2026 is a universal year, number one, and we're starting all over as like a collective. And I know we all have our own individual, you know, years that overlap that, but I feel like like this year, 2025, was so hardcore year nine, you know, in as a collective. So I'm curious, like, what do you feel and sense for you and what's important for you and your family to bring forward in terms of like your practices, your rituals, like the things that are keeping you balanced and grounded as you step into this new year?

SPEAKER_00: 50:39

Yeah, I it's it's so funny you said that. I'm like, that makes more sense. Um I think a big theme for us that we can feel really like coming to the surface for 2026 is like really being seen in what we do and like feeling safe and being seen in what we do. Because I think a lot of it had like I feel like I I was talking to my coach about this. Um, I think it was last week, and I was like, I feel like I'm starting to realize that I've been like in the classroom for so long, like I've been learning so much for so long that spirit and nature is like really pushing me out of the nest of like, okay, now you have to show, like preach what you do, like show what you do. So um, you know, and that can bring up a lot because being seen in who you are and being seen in there's a lot of vulnerability, there's a lot of rawness, there's a lot of uh fear that can come up. So I feel like writing has been a really big uh component of mine, like a ritual and a way to connect with myself. Um, so I think to kind of answer that question, I think along with that, I know for sure we will be working with the traditions as closely as we can because I feel like they will support us in that sort of like scalable or expansive energy of like being seen and like sharing this, these messages. So I know for sure that the rituals, the ceremonies, the practices, the plant, you know, working with the plants, the writing, like all these different tools, um, I know that they'll continue supporting us moving forward in different ways. So I know we'll be reaching for that. I can already feel it because I we've already been talking about that. And I was like, okay, we should do a despacho ceremony or we should go work with our pipe or you know, whatever it may be, so it can help us feel supported and co-creating next year.

SPEAKER_04: 52:29

Yeah, you know, as you said that, I literally just saw you guys hosting ceremony in like in the deserts in the red rocks and stuff in Arizona. And I was like, how perfect would it be if if as y'all traveled, you offered ceremony in different parts of the United States as you traveled, and then people could be able to be in person, like in these, you know, especially like Sedona, these energetic vortexes or like these special places, um, and and be in ritual, in ceremony with you in these beautiful places that you've connected with and are bringing people to share this with. Like, I'm like, oh, I'm yeah, I would I would like literally get in my car and uh put my kids in there and freaking drive for like four to six hours, you know, easy to like go to one of these and then drive back. Like, no, asleep in the bed of my truck and then drive back. I would easily do that for sure.

SPEAKER_00: 53:30

It's on the it's on the radar for 2026. So many people have told us that, like in different readings we've done, and um it's it'll happen in 2026. So we'll make sure to let you know.

SPEAKER_04: 53:43

It's almost like a festival poster, it's like a concert lineup poster. It's like it's like the stops, the stops that you're taking and where you're gonna be and all the dates for like the year. I love it. And oh my gosh, that would be so cool.

SPEAKER_00: 53:58

Yeah, we'll definitely share it because it's it's on the radar, like different traditions, like we said, it's like different ceremonies from the traditions, and then also obviously cacao and different things like that. So we'll keep you posted.

SPEAKER_04: 54:09

Oh my gosh, I'm there. I'm so there. I can't wait. You know, it's really funny because I went to Phoenix in October for a new um business venture that my husband and I are really excited about. We want to own our own RV park. And um, I went to Phoenix and I happened to get on Instagram while I was on the getting on the plane and just waiting for us to take off. And I saw one of our other practitioners, Marnie, had been in Sedona for three or four years working, you know, there at a really wonderful resort. And she had just finished, and I was like, I wonder if she teaches classes in Phoenix. I know she said Scottsdale, and I go on her Instagram, she's like, oh, I'm teaching a class tomorrow morning. And I click on it, and it was in Phoenix on Sunday morning, the only day that I had of the week that I was free, and it happened to be like 15 minutes from where I was staying, never met her before, had like just done an interview with her a month floor, and I was like, oh my God, I'm going. Like, whatever it takes, it cost me like$60 in Uber rides together. I'm like, I don't care. Like this was literally meant to be. And I know that the same thing is gonna happen to you and I, where you're just gonna happen to be somewhere and you're gonna be three hours from me. And I'm like, all right, uh, it's meant to be. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00: 55:24

Like totally. I firmly believe that because we're like, okay, where are you gonna be in March? And I was like, I know we're gonna cross. We are like, I know we're gonna find each other out in the US.

SPEAKER_04: 55:33

So it's gonna be and then we're gonna meet the whole fam. Like it's not it's like, here's my home. Here's totally. It's not like let's meet up coffee shop. It's like, hey, I'm gonna drive my house up to your driveway. Right.

unknown: 55:46

Right.

SPEAKER_00: 55:47

And we're just gonna hang out. I can't. It's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_04: 55:52

Oh man. Well, thank you. Like, thank you so much for spending this time with me. I know it's like it's the holiday seasons, it's the cozy weather, like it's time to be with family and friends and loved ones. And I just truly appreciate you taking the time to like spend your energy with me and and share your wisdom and your experiences and your light and like all of these wonderful things that you are bringing back to the forefront that we all have the option and the ability to choose to plug into and add to our lives and like live with more joy and more connection and more reciprocity and gratitude and partnership and all these wonderful like visions that you've been sharing with us today. It's it's so special. And I am like so thankful to this business to even have to be here to be able to connect me with you because when would we have met each other? You know, it could have been years, you know, or something like that. So it's just it's so wonderful to connect with someone that you feel so great with, like right away. You know what I mean? I'm like, oh yeah, Angelica, yes. Yeah, you know, mutual. I I love it, I love it so much. And especially to be a part of like this month's on our favorite things, like you are our favorite one of our favorite things. So you know, we we're so happy to have you on here and as part of the practitioner collective. And everyone who's been listening, if if this lit you up in any sort of way, like you need to listen to the other interview that we did um with Angelica, really focused on Sacred Cacao. So I will link it in the show notes and all of her information so that you're able to connect with her, follow her, and work with her in whatever way you feel called, with something maybe she's doing now, or one of these wonderful things that she and her husband are going to be bringing, you know, into our 3D reality here in 2026. So, you know, we just encourage you to reflect on your own rituals of this year, how they have helped you, how they have reconnected with you, with yourself and with this beautiful Mother Earth that we live on. And maybe there's some great things that Angelica shared that you can feel around with adding to your life next year. So thank you for being with us in Angelica. Thank you so much for your time again.

SPEAKER_00: 58:26

Oh my God, thank you. Thank you for having me. Thank you for everyone listening. I hope everyone has a good end of the year.

SPEAKER_04: 58:40

Thank you so much for spending time with us on the Modern Zen Collective Podcast. This podcast is at the heart of everything that we do, created to guide, inspire, and walk alongside you on your journey. If you're ready for more, explore our Practitioner Collective, a trusted resource of experts in healing and wellness to help you deepen your practice or fast practice. Be sure to join our innocent experts to access technology and we'll be able to do that.