We are a dynamic group of women exploring diverse avenues of personal and spiritual growth.

On our very first Emberwing Collective episode, Kimberly and Vicki slip past the lipstick-and-lashes “confidence mask” to explore the deeper magic of who we are—and who we were told to be. Through stories that range from corporate “secretary voice” to small-town Halloweens, charm school, and the day a mother chose to cross over on Samhain, we talk candidly about the masks women wear: the wife costume, the confident woman mask, the heroine's cape we may not have asked for but picked up anyway. With a blend of mindfulness, Gestalt, and hypnotic “parts of self” work, we offer gentle ways to notice when a mask protects—and when it pinches.

We talk about ancestors in a way that’s close to the skin: the stories we know, the ones we’re still piecing together, and how those stories live in our bodies. Kim shares what it was like to face a hysterectomy and make meaning from a long line of women’s experiences; we look at adoption, belonging, and the mixed emotions that come with both. Together we explore simple ways to connect with where we come from—journaling family memories, visiting a gravesite, adding a photo to an altar, baking a recipe that carries someone’s love forward—and how to decide what we keep and what we gently lay down. This is an episode about healing through honesty, gratitude, and the quiet courage to start a new chapter for those who come after us.

Cord cutting isn’t just a concept—it’s an embodied experience. In this episode, Kimberly and Vicki open up about the moments that pushed them toward releasing long-held attachments and how ceremony, symbolism, and mindful intention changed everything. Listeners walk away with clarity, compassion, and tools to begin their own release work.

Links referenced in this episode:

• emberwingcollective.com

In this episode, Kimberly and Vicki peel back the layers of gratitude, exploring the difference between polite thankfulness and true embodied gratefulness. From ancestral patterns to holiday pressure to the small moments that stop time, this conversation invites you back into a deeper, more honest connection with the world around you.

• There is a meaningful difference between being thankful (external, polite, fleeting) and being grateful (internal, embodied, sustaining).

• Many of us were taught to “be grateful for scraps,” which can minimize real experiences or pain.

• Gratitude journals can help shift attention but can also become intellectual exercises instead of embodied practices.

• Embodied gratitude often shows up in small, vivid, sensory moments where time seems to pause.

• Childhood patterns and family dynamics heavily influence how we experience holidays and gratitude as adults.

• Simmer pots can be a simple, powerful ritual for cultivating presence and appreciation.

• Friendsgiving and intentional community can offer deeper connection than traditional family gatherings.

• Gratitude is not a one-season practice; it’s a daily relational rhythm with life.

• Honoring the labor, lineage, and energy behind food and traditions can deepen the experience.

• Authenticity and self-care matter during the holidays, especially when navigating complex family systems.

In this episode of the Emberwing Collective Podcast, Kimberly and Vicki explore the ancient, psychological, and deeply personal practice of shadow work. As we approach the darkest days of the year, this is the perfect season to turn inward, recognize the parts of ourselves we’ve exiled, and begin the gentle, powerful work of integration.

We talk about the roots of shadow work across cultures, the different types of shadows (repressed, projected, golden, ancestral, collective), and how the Emberwing elemental paths help guide the process. We also introduce a Golden Shadow Reflection Practice that invites you to reclaim your brilliance in a safe, grounded way.

This episode is a warm, honest invitation to meet the parts of yourself you’ve hidden and welcome them back home.